That day will never be forgotten
by us New Yorkers

as well as by the rest of the World ...

And we will always remember and honor

those we lost on that fatidic day !

56 Years without Carmen Miranda ... the Brazilian Bombshell !

Next Saturday will mark the 56th anniversary of the death of Carmen Miranda.

For those who know me well, it's no news what a big fan

of the '' Brazilian Bombshell '' I am.

So, here's my tribute to her ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERYKzez97lA

Simply The Best * Another One of My Idols ...

Maya Angelou Quotes

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain."

"The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them."

"I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way (s)he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."

"Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness."

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style"

"You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you."

"Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently."

"Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it!"

"If I am not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me?"

"Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud."

"There's a world of difference between truth and facts. Facts can obscure truth."

"You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody."

"I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one."

"When you learn, teach, when you get, give."

"You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!"

"We need much less than we think we need."

"Surviving is important. Thriving is elegant."

"Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean."

"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it. "

"Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet"

"Stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation, which is not nurturing to the whole woman"

"Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between."

"I don't trust anyone who doesn't laugh."

"I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life."

"Nothing can dim the light which shines from within."

"Be present in all things and thankful for all things"

"Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option."

ABDIAS NASCIMENTO

The United States had Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks and so many other black activists ...

And Brazil had, for example, Abdias Nascimento, who died yesterday morning at age 97 in Rio de Janeiro.

Ninety-seven years of struggle for equality, non-discrimination and the attempt to build a multiracial country. Poet, author, writer, sculptor, politician and actor. Yes, actor ... and more than that, the creator of the “Brazilian Black Experimental Theater” in the 1940’s. Had a long career on stage and worked among others with the great dame of Brazilian theater Ruth de Souza.

In 1946 he worked as an actor in Othello opposite actress Cacilda Becker.

He also created the Newspaper Quilombo and was one of the founders of the “Brazilian Unified Black Movement”.

During the military dictatorship was framed within the National Security Act and even without ever having been affiliated with any party or integrating any anti-dictatorship group, he lived in exile for 10 years simply for fighting racism, because that was seen then as a subversive act.

He was a tireless pioneer in the struggle for black rights in Brazil. In 2010 was one of the nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize. A man of fiber and determination, his loss certainly leaves a gap, but Abdias Nascimento will always be an example of citizenship for society as a whole.

ABDIAS NASCIMENTO

Os Estados Unidos teve Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks e tantos outros ativistas negros ...

E o Brasil teve, por exemplo, Abdias Nascimento, falecido ontem à noite aos 97 anos no Rio de Janeiro.

Noventa e Sete anos de luta a favor da igualdade, da não discriminação e da construção de um país multirracial. Poeta, autor, escritor, escultor, político e ator. Sim, ator ... e mais que isso, criador do Teatro Experimental do Negro na década de 1940. Teve uma longa carreira nos palcos e trabalhou entre outros com a grande dama do teatro brasileiro Ruth de Souza.

 No ano de 1946 atuou como ator em Othelo ao lado de Cacilda Becker.

 Criou também o Jornal Quilombo e foi um dos fundadores do Movimento Negro Unificado.

Durante a Ditadura Militar foi enquadrado na Lei de Segurança Nacional e mesmo sem nunca ter sido afiliado ou integrar qualquer partido antiditadura, viveu exilado por 10 anos simplesmente por combater o racismo, pois isso era visto na época como um ato subversivo.

Foi um incansável pioneiro na luta pelos direitos dos negros no Brasil. Em 2010 foi um dos indicados para o Premio Nobel da Paz. Homem de fibra e determinação, com certeza deixara uma lacuna, mas Abdias Nascimento será sempre um exemplo de cidadania para a sociedade brasileira como um todo.



"I LOVE YOU, MY BRAZIL"

The other day I was listening to Ivan Lins singing the song "O amor é o meu país” (loosely translating: "Love is my country") and it brought me some fond childhood memories …

It was surrounded by this and many other songs that I grew up.

And years later I left my country ... and adopted and/or was adopted by another ... but I never forgot my roots. And almost two decades after the heyday of the military dictatorship I left the Country... and not for political reasons.

But I belong to the "Brasil ame-o ou deixe-o / Brazil Love it or Leave it" generation.

It was then the 1960’s and the military dictatorship was reigning sovereignly while the country was experiencing one of its most turbulent moments in history. The "Brazilian Independence Day - September 7th - Parade" was presented to us as the ultimate celebration of citizenship, when in fact thousands of real and legitimate citizens were persecuted, tortured and killed by that same dictatorship.

"I love you; I love my Brazil," said the chorus of a song commissioned by the Government as a Youth "quasi-anthem". My brothers and I even got for free (in the supermarket) disks with that song. It was a real brainwashing.

But I belonged to an atypical family and my father was a man who was a politicized man and ideologically opposed the political regime of then.

In our house we read assiduously the newspaper "O Pasquim" that was a kind of ‘’voice of opposition” to what was going on then (very often they had the paper recalled from newsstands due to censorship) ...

We listened to music records that came with manually scratched tracks - due to censorship - so they could not be played.

But I grew up knowing what some songs - that eschewed censorship - really meant such as "Pra não dizer que não falei das flores" sung by Gerard Vandré ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KskJDDW93k&feature=related

Or what the composers such as Chico Buarque or Caetano Veloso really wanted to say / said ...

The same Chico Buarque that gave us "Cálice – that translates as ‘’Chalice" ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV4vAtPn5-Q

But I knew that he really meant "Cale-se – that translates as ‘’Shut up" ... They sound phonetically similar in Portuguese, but have very discrepant meaning.

And he did it so brilliantly ... circumventing the rules with only minor modifications in the lyrics required by that ridiculous censorship of then.

I lived later on the Country’s political transition ... but I moved out of my country before having the chance to see the people’s right to vote restored.

But I am proud to be a Brazilian Citizen - in spite of everything - and I only regret the Country having this ‘’stain’’ in our history ...

I regret that we have to live with all the reports of all atrocities experienced by some of our fellow brothers who rebelled against the regime … while a part of the population, involuntarily divested, waved their flags and sang the hymns commissioned by the Dictatorship."

For some - at the time - idols were Castelo Branco, Costa e Silva, Garrastazu Medici (all of them military rulers assigned every four years as Presidents of Brazil) ... as for me, idols were Chico, Caetano, Ziraldo, Henfil, Millor Fernandes, Zuzu Angel ...

I thank my father for - even though he never imposed or even suggested – politicizing me. I thank him for teaching me how to see beyond the propaganda imposed by the military dictatorship.

Today, times are tough ... and we live in times where a true democracy is being more and more solidified ...

Today I can say: "I love you, my Brazil" ... but in a different way ... and for different reasons ... !



''EU TE AMO MEU BRASIL''

No outro dia eu estava ouvindo Ivan Lins cantando a musica “O amor e o meu país” e isso me trouxe algumas lembranças de infância...
E foi rodeado desta e tantas outras canções que eu cresci.
E mais tarde larguei meu país ... e adotei e/ou fui adotado por outro ... mas nunca esqueci minhas origens. Deixei-o quase duas décadas depois do auge da Ditadura Militar... e por razões não políticas.

Mas sou da geração "Brasil Ame-o ou Deixe-o" .

Era então a década de 1960 e a Ditadura Militar reinava soberana e o país passava por um dos momentos mais turbulentos de sua historia. Éramos apresentados a "Parada de 7 de Setembro" como a celebração máxima de cidadania,enquanto na verdade milhares de verdadeiros e legítimos cidadãos eram perseguidos, torturados e mortos por esta mesma Ditadura.

"Eu te amo, eu te amo meu Brasil" dizia o refrão de uma canção encomendada pelo Governo como um "quase hino" da juventude da época. Eu e meus irmãos chegamos até mesmo a ganhar na época (no supermercado) discos com essa canção. Era uma verdadeira lavagem cerebral.

Mas eu pertencia a numa família atípica e meu pai era um homem politizado que era ideologicamente contrário ao regime vigente.

Em nossa casa lia-se "O Pasquim" assiduamente (muitas vezes antes mesmo de ele ser recolhido das bancas por motivos de censura) ...

 Ouvíamos discos que vinham com faixas censuradas que eram inutilizadas manualmente por ranhuras para que não pudessem ser ouvidas.

Mas eu cresci sabendo o que realmente significava "Pra não dizer que não falei das flores" cantada por Geraldo Vandré    ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KskJDDW93k&feature=related

Ou o que na verdade queriam dizer/diziam as canções de Caetano e Chico Buarque ...

O mesmo Chico que nos deu "Cálice"...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV4vAtPn5-Q

E eu sabia que ele na verdade queria dizer "Cale-se"...e tão brilhantemente o fez ... driblando as regras e conseguindo lança-la com apenas pequenas modificações feitas na letra.Modificações essas exigidas por aquela ridícula censura de então.

Vivi depois a transição política do pais ... mas deixei minha Pátria antes de ter a chance de ver as Eleições Diretas acontecerem pela primeira vez.

Mas me orgulho de ser brasileiro – apesar dos pesares – e lamento apenas termos como parte de nossa historia essa "mancha"...

Lamento termos de conviver com os relatos de todas as atrocidades ocorridas com nossos irmãos que se rebelavam contra o regime enquanto uma parte involuntariamente alienada da população bradava suas bandeiras e cantava os "hinos da ditadura".

Para alguns - naquela época – ídolos eram Castelo Branco, Costa e Silva, Garrastazu Médici ... enquanto para mim, ídolos eram Chico, Caetano, Ziraldo, Henfil, Millor Fernandes, Zuzu Angel...

Agradeço meu pai por - mesmo sem nunca ter imposto ou mesmo sugerido - ter me politizado tanto. Por ter me ensinado a ver além daqueles artifícios da propaganda política impostos pelo Regime Militar.

Hoje os tempos são outros ... e vivemos uma época de solidificacão de uma verdadeira Democracia ...

Hoje posso dizer: "Eu te amo meu Brasil" ... mas de uma forma diferente ... e por razões diferentes ... !

Fire of Avalon

There are times in your life when you cannot explain certain things.

Times when a feeling takes you by storm.

Be it a love for life … a love for something … a love for someone …

… or a love for that special creature that suddenly appears in front of you

and you know right away that a bond has been created for a lifetime.

And when that bond refers to an animal … a pet …

… a very special someone that you feel connected to
and that - for no explainable reason – gives you unconditional love,

at that very moment you know that that love will last forever.

Even if it is not your own pet … but that is nonetheless part of your life.

That’s what happened the first time I saw that little someone

with a name as mystical as himself: AVALON.
Fire of Avalon !

It was love at first sight.

I can’t say why, but you just had a special aura surrounding you.

An unexplainable light.

A tender sweet personality capable of drawing everyone’s attention in a second.

Such a handsome figure. As sweet as sweet can be.

A real beauty.

My Godson as I called you.

My dear friend Avalon.

The last time I saw you, I prayed for that not to be the last time in this lifetime.

But I was wrong.

But you will live in my heart forever.

I’ll never forget you for as long as I live.

You were … no, no, no … you ARE special !

I still did not stop crying since I heard the news.

But what comforts me is knowing thatyou will never be really gone

for as long as the people whose lives you touched remember you.

And I know that your spirit – physically and figuratively – will be alive …

... and that we’ll meet again one day.

So long buddy.

I love you.

Always and forever.

LIZ TAYLOR

Who could not fall in love looking at those magnetic violet colored eyes?

Who could not fall in love watching those memorable performances?

Who could not be captivated by Maggie, Catherine, Gloria, Cleopatra, Martha … and even more, who could not be captivated by Elizabeth Taylor?

You taught me that acting transcended looks and fame when you gave yourself

fully and completely ... playing so brilliantly Martha in ‘’Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’’.

And throw the question: ‘’Who’s Afraid of Elizabeth Taylor?’’ !

But the biggest lesson you taught me was to GIVE without waiting or wanting

anything back in return when you planted a seed known as AMFAR.

Only someone like you could have done that.

You had one of the most valuable diamonds in your jewelry collection … but

you gave the world the most valuable jewel anyone could give: kindness and hope.

Thanks to you, this world is a better place today … and we, citizens of the world,

revere you for, Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor.

You will be missed and will never be forgotten.

Thank You!