Happy Thanksgiving, pilgrim!

Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins. From Wikipedia.

I spent a good portion of the American Thanksgiving holiday celebrating exactly how some of our Puritan forebears did: Eating too much turkey and standing idly by while our friends and neighbors were accused of witchcraft.

In other words, I caught up on several episodes of the 1960s gothic soap, Dark Shadows. I have been watching (slowly) the early black-and-white the return of Barnabas Collins episodes on Netflix, but my dear sister had purchased volume 5 of the DVD collection, covering part of the seminal 1795 storyline.

This is one of the major storylines of the series and probably my favorite era for the show. It goes like so: In the present day (1967), governess Victoria Winters (played by quintessential '60s beauty, Alexandra Moltke) has participated in a séance at Collinwood and has been accidentally transported back in time to the year 1795. There she meets the pre-vampiric Barnabas (Jonathan Frid), who is about to marry the love of his life, Josette du Prés (Kathryn Leigh Scott), fresh off the boat from Martinique with her family and scheming handmaiden, Angelique Bouchard (played by the frostiest of frosty blondes, Lara Parker), a real witch. No, really, she is a real witch. Except everyone thinks that Vicky is the witch--and she's about to be accused of such and tried by the evil, sanctimonious Reverend Trask (Jerry Lacy).

I know, I know: "It's a soap" you say. But it is a brilliant one. Despite the bumps and burps in the production, I still think it's one of my favorite TV series of all time. The creative forces behind Dark Shadows knew what it was about, and they did it well for a number of years. The costumes, the stories, the writing, the sets, the acting (yes, the acting)--all were focused on conveying a vision of this perfect, mesmerizing, frightening universe.

The contemporary American soaps--what's left of them--could learn a lot from a show that only lasted on air for five years and yet still commands an audience--on DVD, on Netflix, and in dreadful remakes--almost 50 years later.

Act II: A Homecoming

Twenty-five years in the making . . . and worth every second of the wait. Agnetha Fältskog may never be the most dynamic performer on stage, but it still seems like a major victory to see her on performing again after all these years, keeping current, in good voice, and looking serene and happy. It's a long way from the more fragile- and dissatisfied-seeming Agnetha of nine years ago, when she released the wonderful My Colouring Book.

Maybe this is my cue and my clue: There are indeed second acts in life, maybe even third and fourth ones. Thanks, Agnetha, for showing us (or even just me) the way with charm, grace, and humility.

Anger really should be an energy

And if it were, I could keep North America toasty warm all winter long.

The attitude will improve . . . someday. I swear.

Mmmmm, yes

Two weeks and counting until I reenter my own sensual world. Hurry sundown(s). Only 13 more to go.

No te preocupes--it's only Día de los Muertos

"2 Hearts" by Kylie Minogue, perhaps the only song off of her 10th album, X, that I actually enjoy. It's rather slight and quite atypical of the rest of the album, but her voice is in fine form on this track, much better than on many of the other songs from X.

This was her first album post-cancer treatment, which I suspect did a number on her energy levels and vocal chords. "But she can't sing!" Indeed, Kylie can, but too often in the 2000s I feel as though she's chosen not to, for whatever reason. Saving her energy for vamping, maybe. Compare her post-cancer treatment version of "Over the Rainbow" with her pre-cancer diagnosis version. Listen to "Aphrodite," the song that should have been a single, from the 2010 LP of the same name. Or tune into Kylie Minogue 1994. She sounds in great form on all of these. Because of her health issues at the time of X's recording and launch, I'll give her a free pass on, at least for her lackluster singing. I still can't forgive crap like "Wow" and "Nu-di-ty" though. Not feeling your best can only be excused for so far.

I really like the imagery for this video, even if, given her recent recovery from cancer, it can seem a tad gruesome. There is the fun glam band look--sort of a Muppets meet Mott the Hoople gone mod--which I have no problem with. But those skulls . . . they're a little macabre.

Which may be the point. The video imagery makes a bold statement: I've played chess with death, I kicked his ass, and I look great in a catsuit to boot.

That widow's weeds version of a Marilyn Monroe dress is not to my liking, however. William Baker giveth and William Baker taketh away.

I don't know if Kylie & Company were inspired by Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, the Mexican commemoration of All Soul's Day, in which ofrendas are built in honor of deceased loved ones and candy skulls and bread that looks like bones are everywhere. No matter. The video seems a fitting tribute to what was one of my favorite things about fall in San Antonio.

Te extraño, San Anto. Just not quite enough to move back.