I’m going to be away from this spot, “It Is What It Is“, for a few days. I won’t have full access to a PC or laptop.
I still have the capacity to keep an eye on what happens in the blogosphere while I’m away.
I’m not able to just disconnect, particularly with what is going on in our world at this time.
There are so many problems, issues, conflicts, injustices, bigotry, destruction, killing, wars ….. We need to stay informed and educated about “happenings“.
I will leave you today with a message.
As noted above, we won’t find peace until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, as Mr. Sweitzer noted.
‘Tis the season …
We are all in this together. Be kind to on another.
I listen to her new CD over and over and over again. In my car, in my house, through my cell phone. All the songs have something special. Each one stands on its own.
Can’t tell which one is the best but this is one of my many favorites. Enjoy.
Adele Wows With “Million Years Ago” Live Performance On ‘The Today Show’
Singer Adele doesn’t have a single day to rest in the first week of release of her new album “25”.
The British diva is continuing with her promotional tour across different TV shows in America. On November 25th, she attended NBC’s “The Today Show” to offer a live performance of the super emotional guitar-driven ballad “Million Years Ago” from “25”, which by the way, if you haven’t heard, beat the N’SYNC record of most album sales in a single week in just three days. “25” sold 2.4 million copies from November 20th to November 23rd!
In broad usage, the term global citizenship or world citizenship typically defines a person who places their identity with a “global community” above their identity as a citizen of a particular nation or place.
The idea is that one’s identity transcends geography or political borders and that the planetary human community is interdependent and whole; humankind is essentially one. The term has use in education and political philosophy and has enjoyed popular use in social movements such as the “World Citizen” movement and the Mondialisation movement.
There’s more, much more to Christmas
Than candle-light and cheer;
It’s the spirit of sweet friendship
That brightens all the year;
It’s thoughtfulness and kindness,
It’s hope reborn again,
For peace, for understanding
And for goodwill to men!
“IOTD” is image of the day, a concept I came up with. I teach visual meditative therapy – or in easy terms – a mini mental holiday. For some people it is very difficult for them to get their image right. I post an image a day for people to use in their mini mental vacay. Some are serious, some are silly, and some are just beautiful!”
I am a citizen of the world
and my home is my abode:
Rivers, lakes and valleys
are my sources of life;
Trees, birds and mountains
are my pride!
I am a citizen of the world
and my home is my abode:
Seas, fishes and oceans
are my sources of hope;
Shorelines, rocks and beaches
are my cliches!
I am a citizen of the world
and my peace is your company:
My children, relatives and friends
are my sources of strength;
Their love, care and tender touch
are my tabernacles.
I am a citizen of mankind
and the whole world is my abode.
I’ve followed this family since their early days in Miami.
I know their story and how Gloria came to be the main singer of Miami Sound Machine. The band became a huge hit in the Latin community. Then Gloria “crossed over” into the American mainstream music scene.
It was all then about Gloria.
I remember their hits, I have all the CD and concert videos. I couldn’t forget the harrowing time of the bus crash, her fractured back, her rescue, her recovery, her rehab and her comeback … that blue dress singing “Coming Out of the Dark”.
And the rest is history!
In their personal lives, they had Nayib and finally a daughter, Emily. Her name honors her dad Emilio.
I’ve seen Emily dab here and there in music. She has it in her genes, her internal makeup and her talent has grown.
She has released an awesome video with an absolutely on target message.
If you ask Gloria Estefan, it feels like yesterday when her daughter Emily was a baby backstage at her sold-out concerts. Fast-forward to today and the 21-year-old college sophomore is totally grown up and ready to rock out on her own.
“I always think about it as a double-edge sword,” Emily shared on Today’s show when asked about following the same career as her mom. “I don’t even understand that saying because doesn’t a sword have one edge?”
She continued, “But the reality is they’re amazing golden footsteps to follow in so my biggest fear now is just being able to do the past justice.”
“I know that must people I know believe in me for my talent and for what I stand for but there’s always a doubt in my mind because there is no way of knowing when you are a descendant of the Conga Queen.”
As her parents focus on their Broadway musical appropriately titled “On Your Feet,” Emily is ready to prove she herself can turn the beat around. And yes, she’ll do it while wearing mama’s clothes.
“When I want to go shopping, I just go to the warehouse and grab her clothes,” Emily admitted while wearing Gloria’s retro pants and T-shirt. As they like to say, like mother, like daughter.
Singer Emily Estefan, the Miami Beach daughter of Gloria and Emilio, on Thursday released a music video in which she expresses her point of view to a ‘sterile and ominous’ world: F#ck To Be.
F#ck To Be prominently focuses on male and female gender roles and stereotypes.
On November 3, Emily Estefan released her brand new video F#ck To Be. The concept behind the video shows Emily discovering and noticing a world that it is not what she expected instead it is very sterile and ominous.
“There are two POVs in the video, it is either what I see or what the mirror sees. It is me against the mirror. The mirror being expectations that I carry of myself, or what people expect me to be. I’m combatting the mirror, “ says Estefan.
F#ck to Be will be the first single from her forthcoming full length CD, Take Whatever You Want. Emily wrote, recorded, produced and performed her full album at Fairy Light Studios (her own studio in her college apartment in Boston, MA).
“Many people think I am saying “F” everything or everything sucks, but that is not true. I go in and out of these very different looks in the video that I don’t necessarily like for myself, but that doesn’t mean that I frown upon them, it just means that it is not me” said Estefan.
Before going into the actual post, I must confess that I have totally fallen in love with Adele’s new musical project.
I have been listening to her new CD “25” and must say that I’m totally taken by it.
I know I’m not the only one because everything seems to be Adele nowadays. She was on a visit to New York City and hit all the major talk and late night shows. She appeared on Jimmy Fallon and was hilarious.
She also filmed a TV special for NBS which will air December 14 at 10 PM. One show that I will surely record and watch at my leisure.
Ellen DeGeneres made a parody of her “Hello” which was quite entertaining. Heather Rooney, an incredible illustrator, painted a colored pencil picture of Adele.
I found this video, a rendition of Adele’s “Hello” by the Southern University Marching Band and the Dancing Dolls.
Southern University Marching Band’s Outstanding Cover
By COLLEEN ANNEK
December 3, 2015
Southern University, “of Baton Rouge, not New Orleans: this distinction is incredibly important” as noted by USA Today, takes on Grambling State in the Bayou Classic every year, this year having been the 42nd face-off between the teams, according to the Bayou Classic’s website.
Southern University competed in the Bayou Classic Battle of the Bands on November 27, 2015, and they came to impress. With a stacked horns section, the band covered Adele’s chart-topping single ‘Hello’ with unparalleled power as the Dancing Dolls accompanied the band from the field.
Record-breaking ‘Hello,’ which is currently one of the most popular songs in the country (it has been at the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 list for five weeks now) was the perfect card for Southern University’s marching band to play.
~~GALLERY~~
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While Adele’s power-ballad might not be the first thing you think of when considering marching band music, the orchestration of the original track leaves plenty of room for the song to be adapted to a full marching band arrangement. The resulting harmonies are out of this world — just make sure you don’t have the volume turned up too high, these horn players mean serious business.
I am a 22 year old illustrator specializing in photorealistic colored pencil and graphite drawings.
You can check out my drawing videos on YouTube!
Hello!
My name is Heather Rooney.
I am an illustrator specializing in photorealistic colored pencil and graphite drawings.
Since finding my passion for portrait and figure drawing in high school, I have developed a technique focusing on high attention to detail. I draw my inspiration from a broad range of cultural figures, such as sport athletes, media personalities and entertainment professionals.
With each illustration requiring many hours of work, ranging from 30 hours to 100+ hours, I share my process through time-lapse videos on my YouTube channel, which has generated over 60 million views from a global audience.
I received my B.A. in Studio Art at Emmanuel College, in the vibrant city of Boston, Massachusetts. I am now pursuing a career in illustration.
It Is What It Is 