Happy Halloween 2025!

Happy Halloween!

The night is still
And the frost, it bites my face
I wear my silence like a mask
And murmur like a ghost

"Trick or treat"
"Trick or treat"
The bitter and the sweet

The carefree days are distant now
I wear my memories like a shroud
I try to speak, but words collapse
Echoing, echoing

"Trick or treat"
"Trick or treat"
The bitter and the sweet

I wander through your sadness
Gazing at you with scorpion eyes
Halloween... Halloween

A sweet reminder in the ice-blue nursery
Of a childish murder, of hidden lustre
And she cries

"Trick or treat"
"Trick or treat"
The bitter and the sweet

I wander through your sadness
Gazing at you with scorpion eyes
Halloween... Halloween

http://siouxsieandthebanshees.co.uk/

BEAUTY: Painting for Halloween--Emre Tuna (tinypieceofmercury)

For Halloween, here are the wonderful, endless skeletons of artist Emre Tuna (previously here) who goes by the name tinypieceofmercury.

Pieces are for sale on his site:
https://tinypieceofmercury.bigcartel.com/
https://www.instagram.com/tinypieceofmercury/

"Sympathy Magic" by Florence + the Machine

Florence Welch (previously here) has done it again...she has released a song that blows me away -- well, the recent "One of the Greats" seen here also blew me away, but let's stick to this new gem. "Sympathy Magic" is one of those anthems that soars upward, taking my breath with it. It is from her new album "Everybody Scream" coming out this Friday, Halloween of 2025, which explores themes of spiritual mysticism, witchcraft, and folk horror, as well as womanhood, partnership, aging, and dying.

The costumes for this video set it in the Edwardian period with Florence and her coven performing a ritual in the open fields of England on Tor stones which are the low, flat stones that dot the countryside. And the sense of the ritual is revealed in the lyrics where Florence declares to the ground and to the sky her agency, her power, as she sings in a dazzling combination of exasperation, rage, new-found freedom, and ultimate joy, "So I don't have to be worthy / I no longer try to be good / It didn't keep me safe / Like you told me that it would / So come on, tear me wide open / 'Til I'm losing my mind / 'Til I cannot contain it." It is important to note that she and her coven are stripped down to their lace undergarments to declare their independence.

I love her expression of a belief in animism, a sense of being connected to nature as a part of creation itself, of...well, a sense of magic when she says, "And light coming in the window just so / And the wind through my fingers / The only God that I know / And it does not want me on my knees to believe / Head high, arms wide / Aching, aching, aching / And alive / And alive."

But the song kicks into highest gear with her screaming into the wind, at the everything, "So come on, come on, I can take it / Give me everything you got / What else? What else? What else? What else?"

Please do take a moment to click on the image from the video below to go to the Florence + the Machine Youtube page to watch this inspiring, ascending piece of art.

https://florenceandthemachine.net/

BEAUTY: Art--Skeletons and Skulls For Halloween 2025

Top to bottom: Skeleton Contemplating a Dead Bird by Seth Becker; The dance of Death: The Death Blow by Thomas Rowlandson, 1816; from In The Garden by William Schmiechen; Dusk by Nick Bleb; a piece from her Broken Lady figurine series by Jessica Harrison: Vanitas by Battista Franco, ca. 1530-1560

BEAUTY: Photography for Autumn--Xavier Portela

For autumn, here is a gorgeous set of the changing leaves in Japan captured by a fantastic photographer, Xavier Portela. He describes the inspiration on his site:

"Kōyō (紅葉) refers to the Japanese tradition of admiring autumn foliage, when trees, leaves, and entire forests turn glowing in red, orange, and gold. This new series explores that fleeting moment."

Gorgeous.

https://xavierportela.com/

R.I.P. Dave Ball

The co-founding member of pioneering 80s synthpop band Soft Cell (previously here), Dave Ball, has died at the young age of 66. Thanks for all the amazing tunes and wonderful synth sounds, Dave!

This announcement was posted to Soft Cell's official site:

Electronic music pioneer Dave Ball, one half of groundbreaking electronic music duo Soft Cell and successful acid house act The Grid, passed away peacefully in his sleep at his London home on Wednesday 22nd October. He was 66. Singer Marc Almond, Dave’s musical collaborator of 46 years and Soft Cell bandmate, leads the tributes, describing Dave as a “wonderfully brilliant musical genius”. What turns out to be Dave’s final appearance with the band came only weeks ago at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames, where Soft Cell headlined in front of over 20,000 fans.

Formed when electronic musician Dave and singer Marc were both art students at Leeds Polytechnic in 1979, Soft Cell helped to define the sound of British music in the 1980s and beyond. Their 1981 debut album, ‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret’, changed the course of pop and paved the way for an avalanche of synth-based duos, including Yazoo, Eurythmics, Pet Shop Boys and Erasure, while bringing something deliciously dark to the table. Their second single, ‘Tainted Love’, b/w ‘Where Did Our Love Go’, topped the charts in the UK and 17 countries around the world and was certified as Britain’s best-selling single of 1981.

A fan of northern soul and Kraftwerk, Dave had moved from Blackpool to Leeds to study fine art and first worked with Marc when he supplied an electronic backdrop to a piece of Marc’s improvised performance art, accidentally establishing a winning template that would cast Almond as the outgoing showman and lyricist and Ball as his quiet, poker-faced foil – a foil who went on to become a fearless sonic innovator.

Between 1982 and 2021, Soft Cell released four more studio albums – ‘The Art Of Falling Apart’, ‘This Last Night In Sodom’, ‘Cruelty Without Beauty’ and ‘*Happiness not included’ – plus what is considered as one of the first remix albums ‘Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing’. Dave and Marc also secured four more UK Top Ten singles in ‘Bedsitter’, ‘Torch’, ‘What!’, and ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’, with Dave also helping to create extended, 12-inch mixes of the singles, often splicing segments of tape together with razorblades, to give the band a decisive, club-friendly edge.

Their 2018 reunion concert in front of 20,000 fans at The O2 in London was intended as a grand farewell. Instead, in true Soft Cell style, it unwittingly provided the launching pad for a glittering resurgence that saw the band re-establish their live credentials. The duo celebrated the 40th anniversary of ‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret’ by taking their acclaimed 1981 debut on tour in the UK and America. Since those memorable anniversary shows, they have also headlined Hampton Court Palace, Audley End’s Heritage Live and Blenheim Palace and played live in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Spain and at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Most recently the band had been back in the studio working on what will be their sixth – and now, sadly, final – studio album. Named after the legendary 1980s New York nightclub ‘Danceteria’ – a venue which once hosted a Soft Cell album launch – the album is due to be released in spring 2026 via a new global deal with Republic Of Music. The final mixes were completed only days before Dave’s passing.

Away from Soft Cell, Dave was also one half of The Grid alongside esteemed musician and producer Richard Norris, with whom he enjoyed a string of chart successes in the 1990s, including the Top Three single and international hit ‘Swamp Thing’. An in-demand songwriter, producer and remixer, he worked with music superstars such as David Bowie, Kylie Minogue, Pet Shop Boys and Erasure as well as alternative artists such as Psychic TV and Gavin Friday.

In full tribute to Dave and his recent purple patch of songwriting and production, Soft Cell’s upcoming releases will remain as scheduled. This includes a super deluxe reissue of Soft Cell’s classic 1983 album ‘The Art Of Falling Apart’, a 6CD boxset complete with new remixes and dubs by Dave, and a ‘Martin’ EP, which are both released next Friday 31st October on Universal Music and Republic of Music respectively. The release date of the brand-new Soft Cell album ‘Danceteria’, which has been initially discussed by Marc and Dave in MOJO and Classic Pop interviews, is to be announced.

Dave’s passing is announced with great sadness and affection for this gregarious, warm-hearted man of many musical talents. Dave is survived by his close family including his four children. We would like to respect Dave Ball’s family’s privacy at this very sad time.

https://www.softcell.co.uk/

YES ON PROP 50!

If you live in California with me, I urge you to vote YES on Prop 50!

"WHAT IS PROPOSITION 50?

Since day one, Californians have been on the frontlines of protecting our communities under attack by the Trump administration and his MAGA Republicans. With Proposition 50, California voters have the opportunity to fight back against the Republican cuts to healthcare, the rising cost of living under tariffs, and the cruel abductions and forced removals of immigrants.

Proposition 50 is a direct response to a Republican power grab orchestrated by President Trump and state leaders in Texas, who redrew Congressional district lines to gain five more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Proposition 50 proposes new lines for many of California’s 52 congressional districts, which would negate the five Republican seats drawn by Texas. Under the proposed lines, Democrats could gain up to 5 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. With a majority in the House, Democrats can fight back against Trump and Republicans’ MAGA agenda."

IMPORTANT DATES FOR VOTERS:

October 25:

Vote centers open for early in-person voting in all Voter’s Choice Act counties.

November 4: ELECTION DAY
VOTE in person!

Note that vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by November 11, 2025. Vote-by-mail ballots can be returned by mail, at a drop-off location, or your county elections office.

https://stopelectionrigging.com/
https://cadem.org/prop50/
https://couragecalifornia.org/yes-on-californias-prop-50/

LGBT History Month 2025: The Unbreakable Spirit of Robert T. Odeman

Martin Hoyer, known by his stage name Robert T. Odeman, was a German classical pianist, actor, writer, and composer persecuted by the Nazi regime for living openly and unapologetically as a gay man. Born in Blankenese, which became a quarter of Hamburg, he later took his stage name of Robert T. Odeman when he began his career as an actor and musician.

In 1922, he met his first love, architecture student Martin Ulrich Eppendorf, who went by the name Muli, with whom he shared a close and enduring relationship until Muli's untimely death in 1932. But the heartbreak he must have felt did not silence him. He threw himself into his work and Odeman became musical director of the New Theater in Hamburg in 1933 and later opened a cabaret, which the Nazis shut down, claiming it to be "politically subversive." Life under the regime became more and more dangerous. He was betrayed by a boyfriend who turned Odeman in to the Gestapo and consequently arrested under Paragraph 175 (the infamous Nazi law criminalizing homosexuality) in 1937, spending nearly 3 years in prison. After his release in 1940, Odeman was subject to a Berufsverbot (an order of “professional disqualification”) and forbidden from performing in public.

But the worst was yet to come: Odeman was arrested again in 1942 and this time sent to the brutal Sachsenhausen concentration camp. In a twist of fate and unimaginable courage, Odeman managed to escape during a forced death march toward the Baltic Sea in April 1945, alongside other gay prisoners..

After the war and all the unimaginable trauma he had been through, Odeman found inspiration and focused on cultural activities, training as an actor and performing in various theatres. He also wrote satirical poems that were set to music by such notable German musicians as Charles Kálmán and Norbert Schultze. In 1959, he found love again with Günter Nöring. Since same-sex marriage was still a distant dream, Odeman adopted Nöring — a legal workaround used by many queer couples of the time to secure inheritance and other rights. Günter took the name Odeman-Nöring, a quiet but powerful gesture of unity.

Robert T. Odeman lived a full, defiant, creative life — one marked by love, persecution, survival, and ultimately, resilience. He passed away in 1985, at the age of 80, leaving behind a courageous and inspiring legacy.

10.18.25

https://www.nokings.org/

BEAUTY: Painting--Fran Shalom

The compelling work of Fran Shalom is...well, compelling me. I love how the shapes and colors engage me. They are so primal and primary yet they seem to contain so much. She alludes to that Zen-like feeling in her Artist Statement below:

"I am a modernist abstract painter with a pop sensibility and a penchant for improvisation.

My work balances the formal with the playful, paring down shapes and ideas into their most basic forms. To counter the chaos of everyday life, I instinctively gravitate towards elemental shapes, with defined edges resulting in an appearance of control and order (however illusionary it may be).

The shapes reference the human body but are open to interpretation. Animated by bright, cartoony colors and figure/ground relationships, I think of the paintings as ambiguous characters who inhabit my studio keeping me company and often engaging in silent conversation.

I love ambiguity and have learned to be comfortable with not knowing. In Zen there is a wonderful saying: Not knowing is most intimate.”

It suggests approaching something with open-minded and whole-hearted curiosity. I try to begin my paintings in this way, with a willingness to be present with uncertainty, and with the confidence that the process will result in work that both satisfies and inspires.

– Fran Shalom, 2024"

Top to bottom: Backbone; Bon Vivant; Holding On; Incognito; Lighten Up; Shoot the Breeze; four untitled pieces; Witness

https://www.franshalom.com/

Spirit Day 2025!

Today is the fifteenth annual Spirit Day and I'm wearing purple to participate...and I hope you will too. The movement was launched in 2010 by teenager Brittany McMillan in conjunction with GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) as a day to remember the young people who have taken their lives due to homophobic bullying and soul-destroying lies perpetuated by homophobic groups, both political and religious in nature (and some who think they are above the law and combine both without paying any taxes!). To show support to the LGBTQ+ youth still with us and to combat the rampant bullying and frantic hatred that still infects our country at cultural and political levels, today is a day to wear purple and demonstrate to anyone who might be feeling alone and worthless that there are many people in the world who believe in the value of their lives and souls. As a past victim of homophobic violence, physical attacks, and bullying, this observance is very close to me.

GLAAD's website says:
#SpiritDay is the world’s most visible anti-bullying movement inspiring LGBTQ youth, especially transgender and nonbinary youth to live their lives in their truth and authenticity. This year, on Thursday, October 16th, GLAAD will organize thousands of celebrities, influential voices, news & media outlets, tv & film studios, brands & corporations, landmarks, sports leagues, tech leaders, influencers, faith groups and so many more to go purple and support LGBTQ youth by creating clear possibility models for them to thrive and be represented in the world.

While GLAAD research shows that LGBTQ acceptance is at an all-time high, so too is anti-LGBTQ discrimination and bullying. As online hate continues to foment real-world harm, coupled with the anti-LGBTQ climate of our day — from book bans to bans on drag, bans on LGBTQ history and bans on healthcare — America’s youth is particularly at-risk and has never needed our support more than right now. #SpiritDay gives LGBTQ youth, their parents and allies an opportunity to see what’s possible when we lead with acceptance.

Take the #SpiritDay pledge now to commit to going purple on Thursday, October 16th and showing LGBTQ youth you’ve got their backs! Learn more at http://glaad.org/spiritday and @glaad across all social media.

These are frightening, disappointing statistics.

- 49% of LGBTQ+ students experienced bullying.
- 60% of LGBTQ+ students reported discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
- 23% of LGBTQ+ students report being physically harmed or threatened simply because they were perceived as LGBTQ+.
- 90% of LGBTQ+ students, a truly staggering number, reported that their well-being was negatively impacted by recent politics.
And the most disappointing, heartbreaking statistic of all:
- 39% of LGBTQ+ students seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.

No wonder gay teens take their lives at much higher rates than the national average.

Anti-LGBTQ groups are using this deliberately misleading and harmful message to spread hate: "Protect our children." But of course they don't mean protect all children from harassment, bullying, and discrimination...their form of "protection" just increases the damage done to children as evidenced by the statistics above.

For more information, to take the anti-bullying pledge, or to donate to GLAAD, please visit their website.
https://glaad.org/spiritday/


Here is a letter I wrote to anyone who needs to hear it:

Dear gay teen contemplating suicide:

You are not wrong. You are not "bad.” You are not sick, defective, or evil.
You are perfect and beautiful just the way you are.
You have done nothing wrong and you have done nothing to deserve being humiliated, punished, or hurt, either physically or emotionally.
Bullying and discrimination are never, ever innocent: the bullies are the ones who are wrong, bad, and sick for hurting you.

Don’t believe anyone who tells you that you are any less of a human being than they are. Don’t believe anyone who tells you being gay is a choice or that being gay is about behavior; you are who you are. Embrace yourself and be proud of being alive.

You have value. You have as much right to be here on this planet as anyone else.
It may seem like the world is against you now, but know there are people for you out there, there are places for you out there. You will be happy, you will get to live YOUR life the way YOU want to, without having to pay any attention to the bullies or whatever “bible” nonsense some people might throw at you… you are not "impure," "immoral," "unnatural," or "against nature." Those are just ridiculous, ugly lies they tell to mask their hatred, fear, and prejudice.

You will survive and thrive! You get to live here. This is your RIGHT.
You might turn out to be an important author, a doctor who cures a disease, a famous designer, someone who invents a new type of metal alloy, an inspiring performer… or you might end up working with kids who need to hear that they have value and are perfect the way they are.
Please stick around.
Please.
We need you.

Keep yourself safe.

Love,
JEF

To help, please visit:
The Trevor Project
And please spread the word about this issue and these sites--you never know who might need to hear about them.

LGBT History Month 2025: Heroes Richard "Jack" Baker and James "Michael" McConnell

Richard "Jack" Baker and James "Michael" McConnell are hereoes and pioneers in the gay rights movement. They were the first same-sex couple known to obtain a marriage license, have their marriage solemnized, and have it legally recognized by a government, paving the way for future same-sex marriage legal battles.

Jack Baker and Michael McConnell at home, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1970
Photo: Charlotte Brooks, LOOK Magazine collection (Library of Congress)

Pioneers of Marriage Equality

In 1970, Baker and McConnell, in Minneapolis, became the first same-sex couple known to apply for a marriage license. When Hennepin County denied their application, they fought the decision, eventually appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court. While the Supreme Court declined to hear their case, the dismissal set a precedent against same-sex marriage that would later influence the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Despite facing legal hurdles, Baker and McConnell managed to get married in 1971, with their marriage legally recognized by the government. Their actions and legal challenge played a significant role in the broader fight for marriage equality, and their story serves as an important part of LGBTQ+ history. Over forty years after Baker and McConnell first applied for a license, Minnesota legalized same-sex marriage on May 13, 2014.

Their story is told in the book THE WEDDING HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD available through major booksellers and online.

I send eternal gratitude to you both, Jack and Michael...you are the reason I am married to my husband today.

Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day 2025!

Happy International Coming Out Day 2025!

Today is the 37th annual International Coming Out Day. This celebration started in 1988 as a way to raise awareness of the LGBT community and civil rights movement.

Coming out, whether it is as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, matters now more than ever. When people know someone who is LGBTQ, they are far more likely to support equality under the law and that is of utmost importance in this day and age when our civil rights and our very lives are still -- STILL -- under attack. But beyond that, our stories can be powerful and empowering to each other, inspiring change.

Every person who speaks up changes more hearts and minds, and creates new advocates for equality. If you haven't yet, and you can do so with physical and emotional safety within your family and community (do not put yourself at risk), join us.

We need you.

Sculpture by Lazar-G

https://www.hrc.org/resources/national-coming-out-day