This is the most famous and best selling of all the US country music acts, ALABAMA, a phenomenal band!
They were formed in Alabama (surprising?) in 1969 by Randy Owen on vocals and guitar, Teddy Gentry on the bass and background vocals, and Jeff Cook on guitar and keyboards. They started off playing bars in Alabama and calling themselves Wildcountry. In 1977 they changed their name to ALABAMA, launched their first single and placed it on the hit parade. But their best days were to come in the 1980’s when they had several number one hits…
And although ALABAMA disbanded in 2006, they re-united in 2011 and are still going strong.
Apparently they are now called simply «The Chicks»… I prefer The Dixie Chicks much better, but…
The band was formed by Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Robison. And if you didn’t know they are the second all girl band to have sold more records, independent of the musical genre. Since 2006 they have sold over 36 million albums. Impressive…
(Photo The Washington Post)
The girls got together in Dallas, Texas in 1986. They have had big hits throughout the 1990’s like «Wide Open Spaces» and others. Their vibrant energy and virtuosic stage performances with cool solos and instrumental passages have placed them in a superb category.
(Photo The Arkansas Democrat-Gazzette)
And one thing that I truly admire about these «chicks» is their stance on political issues. From the time they said they were ashamed that GW Bush (then president of the US) was from Texas. I am sure they are not too happy with what is going on now (2025) in the US. And even though retrograde minds tried to boycott them, they surged right back. Progressives never give up.
Hope you enjoy and tell me what you think. Should they have changed their name?
En italiano se titula «La dama con l’ermellino». La dama es Cecilia Gallerani, amante de Ludovico Sforza, duque de Milán. Leonardo, cuando pintó el cuadro estaba al servicio del duque. Cecilia nació en 1473 y no era de familia perteneciente a la nobleza. Llegó a la corte con 15 años e inmediatamente se convirtió en la amante de Ludovico…bueno, una de ellas…y permaneció la preferida hasta que el duque se casó, en 1491 con Beatriz de Este. La chica era tan guapa que la llamaban «Musa» y «Donna docta», además de ser comparada con las bellas clásicas como Aspasia de Mileto, esposa de Pericles, o Axiotea de Fliunte, filosofa y alumna de Platón.
El cuadro está en el Museo Czartoryski y es propiedad del gobierno de Polonia.
Simbología: El armiño era un animal que identificaba la aristocracia y se asociaba con ella, quizá entonces era una alusión a la relación de Cecilia con el duque. Lo blanco puede ser símbolo de pureza. En los bestiarios medievales, el armiño iba asociado a virtudes tales como el equilibrio y la tranquilidad. Quizá esta fue la forma de Leonardo para describir a Cecilia Gallerani y darle las mismas características que el armiño. También tenemos que en el emblema de Ludovico estaba «L’Ermellino», o sea, un pequeño armiño. Igualmente podríamos decir que Leonardo igual estaba haciendo alusión al apellido de Cecilia (Gallerani) ya que en griego es galé.
Bueno, aparte de todos estos datos históricos…importantes e interesantes…pienso que el cuadro es muy superior al de «La Gioconda». En primer lugar tiene mas puntos de referencia. La modelo tiene una mirada clara, pero misteriosa. Mira hacia un lado mientras acaricia al animalito, el armiño (o puede haber sido un hurón). Como ya hemos visto, el armiño, ya que aparece en el escudo de Ludovico Sforza, representa la casa ducal milanesa y ella, la amante niña, lo acaricia, pero con una mano que casi parece una garra…
Para mi estas cosas hacen del cuadro una delicia. Es uno de los que menos daños tenia, aunque si sufrió algunos durante las guerras. Bueno, esa es mi opinion, y ahora quiero saber la vuestra. Yo se que hay por doquier muchos amantes de Leonardo y de la «Mona Lisa» y que van a defender sus criterios y eso yo lo respeto, siempre que sea con argumentos solidos, validos y bien expuestos. Decidme, ¿que pensáis?
Clara Porset Dumas, nacida en Matanzas, Cuba en 1895, fue arquitecta, diseñadora y pintora, su esposo fue Xavier Guerrero, muralista mexicano… Hizo sus estudios secundarios en Nueva York, como su bachillerato en Artes de la Universidad de Columbia (1925). En París estudio arquitectura en la École de Beaux Arts, de Estética en la Sorbona, además de cursos de Arte en el Museo del Louvre. Regresó a Cuba donde diseñó muebles, pero sus ansias de buscar, descubrir y encontrar la llevaron a hacerse alumna del que habia sido profesor de la Bauhaus, Josef Albers, en Black Mountain College en Carolina del Norte, EEUU… Clara siempre pensó que no debía haber distinción alguna entre las bellas artes y las artes utilitarias… En 1936 fija su residencia en México pero viajó constantemente a Cuba y a Nueva York… En México fue profesora de la Universidad Autónoma de México… Clara Porset murió a los 86 años (1981), en México y deseó donar sus bienes, no al Castro-comunismo imperante en Cuba, si no a la biblioteca de la Facultad de Arquitectura de la Universidad Autónoma de México. (bien hecho Clara).
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Clara Porset Dumas, born in Matanzas, Cuba in 1895, was an architect, designer, and painter; her husband was Xavier Guerrero, a Mexican muralist… She completed her secondary education in New York, as well as her Bachelor’s degree in Arts from Columbia University (1925). In Paris, she studied architecture at the École de Beaux Arts, aesthetics at the Sorbonne, and took art courses at the Louvre Museum. She returned to Cuba where she designed furniture, but her desire to seek, discover, and find led her to become a student of Josef Albers, who had been a professor at the Bauhaus, at Black Mountain College in North Carolina, USA… Clara always believed that there should be no distinction between fine arts and utilitarian arts… In 1936, she established her residence in Mexico but travelled frequently to Cuba and New York… In Mexico, she was a professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico… Clara Porset died at the age of 86 (1981) in Mexico and wished to donate her belongings, not to the prevailing Castro-communism in Cuba, but to the library of the Faculty of Architecture at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. (Well done, Clara).
Apparently they are now called simply «The Chicks»… I prefer The Dixie Chicks much better, but…
The band was formed by Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Robison. And if you didn’t know they are the second all girl band to have sold more records, independent of the musical genre. Since 2006 they have sold over 36 million albums. Impressive…
(Photo The Washington Post)
The girls got together in Dallas, Texas in 1986. They have had big hits throughout the 1990’s like «Wide Open Spaces» and others. Their vibrant energy and virtuosic stage performances with cool solos and instrumental passages have placed them in a superb category.
(Photo The Arkansas Democrat-Gazzette)
And one thing that I truly admire about these «chicks» is their stance on political issues. From the time they said they were ashamed that GW Bush (then president of the US) was from Texas. I am sure they are not too happy with what is going on now (2025) in the US. And even though retrograde minds tried to boycott them, they surged right back. Progressives never give up.
Hope you enjoy and tell me what you think. Should they have changed their name?
(«Many Universes»/Francisco Bravo Cabrera/All Rights Reserved)
In the town where I was born Lived a man who sailed to sea And he told us of his life In the land of submarines So we sailed on to the sun ‘Til we found a sea of green And we lived beneath the waves In our yellow submarine
This is now the lyrics to the first stanza of «Yellow Submarine» written by Paul McCartney and credited, as usual to Lennon/McCartney. It was recorded by The Beatles in 1966 and Ringo sang the lead vocals. But there is something extremely wrong with the lyrics as I see them today.
This song was one of the first that I learned to play on the guitar probably 1968. I knew the song to be «In the town where I was born lived a man who sailed the seas and he told us of his life in the land of submarines…«. Now the lyrics…and the recording…says «…sailed to sea…«. What!!??!!
Reality is a strange dream… Perhaps a lucid dream that we do not know how to control. If we did we could easily choose the life we live and make it as we want it. But we are sleeping… However, some of us are slowly opening our eyes and beginning to wake up. These little changes, like the lyrics to a song you’ve known all your life and sung a million times, are jarring us awake. Or are they? You tell me, I’ve no clue.
All I know is that some songs from back in the 60’s that I have heard, known and sung all my life are now being sung with different lyrics. Yes, the changes are subtle and sometimes the pronunciation of the singer/s might confuse. Take for example, «California Dreaming«, a song written by John and Michelle Phillips in 1963 and performed by The Mamas & the Papas in 1965. As I have always remembered it and sung it…and played it many times as a lad…the second verse was not like this:
Stopped into a church I passed along the way Well, I got down on my knees (got down on my knees) And I pretend to pray (I pretend to pray) You know the preacher like the cold (preacher like the cold) He knows I’m gonna stay (knows I’m gonna stay)
For me it was «Well I got down on my knees and began to pray…«
And lastly, one of my favourite songs from the techno-pop 80’s era, «Sweet Dreams» by The Eurythmics, has also now changed. I remember the song going like this: «Sweet dreams are made of these who am I to disagree, travelled the world and the seven seas…«. But now, both Eurythmics and Marylin Manson (who covered the song) sing it as «Sweet dreams are made of this who am I to disagree, travelled the world and the seven seas…«.
So, is reality changing? Are these glitches in the matrix? Are we in the midst of merging timelines? Who knows. No matter what the «experts» say, neither «they» or us know nothing of our cosmology, of our Earth, of our existence or anything beyond mere physical reality. Quantum physics has advanced to the point where they have declared that particles change according to who is watching. So are we not made of particles? I’ve no clue. Not a fecking idea, but I do know what I see, what I do not see and what I’ve seen.
What do you think? These songs I’ve mentioned are classics, we all know them. Do you remember them as I do or the «new» way?
(«The Big Arse»/Francisco Bravo Cabrera/All Rights Reserved)
If you dance without moving your arse, that means you probably eat without moving your mouth and something is wrong with you.
And this is the time, if there ever was one, to dance! We are in the shadows of terrible wars, climate disasters, corrupt politicians (wait, we’ve always had those), and zombies who walk down city streets controlled by something or someone inside their mobile phone which they cannot seem to be able to release from their grip though they fall into ditches, fountains, holes, not caring if they run into other humans…non zombies some, some not…or motor vehicles.
But all these problems can be solved by dancing. You don’t believe me? Well maybe it’s because you’re the doubting Thomas of society, or maybe you just think of «rational» things and are dubious of other realities. Well, I am here to tell you, as an artist, and yes! Artists have every right to stick their noses into everything. Why? Because they study, they are well prepared, they are observant, critical and do not go around gazing, mesmerised by a mobile phone screen when they are out in the streets. On the contrary, they are dancing, though they may not look like they are to you.
So put on a good song…and as loud as you can…and start to dance. Remember start with your arse, and don’t worry about the moves, the arse directs the body, you’ll do just fine. If you are a «fat bottomed girl» then you’ve got it made!
(Photo by and property of Francisco Bravo Cabrera/All Rights Reserved)
Love is the greatest gift given humanity by the Creator of all things visible and invisible, the giver of life who is Love…
And he said «love is kind…»
Kindness is sometimes a neglected part of our human behaviour. We go about conducting our affairs, sometimes in a hurry, sometimes leisurely, sometimes angry, sometimes joyful and we may be so caught up in our own things that we forget to be kind to those around us. What if there is a man or a woman sitting on the corner stretching out his or her hand for you to lend them yours? We zoom past, we don’t even want to look. No kindness in that, therefore no love…
Love is kind. Love is not kindness but it does carry that unique and most important quality, kindness. As we approach each other, a wee bit of kindness can make all our days a better day. Kindness, the act of being kind to someone, most importantly those we know and love, but also to strangers, for we are called upon to be good neighbours, does not cost anything but can bring us much back in return. Kindness begets kindness and so on and so forth.
Imagine what a world this would be if people would only remember to be kind to one another. And also to animals. They are here at our service, but they are not here for us to humiliate or abuse them. We must extend our acts of kindness to every living thing.
Reference: I Corinthians 13:4-8 Epistle of Saint Paul, New Testament
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