Saturday, March 12, 2011

Favorite Opera Scenes (Cont.)

Today we are presenting the lovely sextet "Chi mi frena in tal tormento" from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. The story concerns the emotionally fragile Lucy Ashton (Lucia) who is caught in a feud between her own family and that of the Ravenswoods. The setting is the Lammermuir Hills of Scotland (Lammermoor) in the 17th Century. Of particular note is Jose Carreras as Egardo di Ravenswood.  Jose is one of The Three Tenors that were, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Carreras. Please enjoy.


Fans of The Three Stooges may remember the boys doing this sextet (-3) in one of their short films. 

Baubles (cont.)

Today's Baubles... Sapphires

A contemporary sapphire and diamond necklace by Bulgari


This sapphire and diamond suite belonged to Queen Caroline of Naples, youngest sister of Napoleon I.



A suite (or parure) of diamonds and sapphires that belonged to Empress Josephine Bonaparte



A close-up of the Bonaparte sapphire necklace



This confection of sapphires and diamonds belonged to Princess Eugenie de Grece



A sapphire parure from the French CrownJewels



A stunning necklace by Bulgari from the early 1960's



Queen Victoria's sapphire and diamond tiara



The cabochon sapphire bracelet just sold at Christies for almost $1 million

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Favorite Opera Scenes

I just love lyric opera. I know very little about it but I do love the music. I particularly enjoy the way that the voices and orchestra blend so beautifully together to make so many sounds so perfect together. I thought I'd share some of my favorite pieces with you. 

Tonight please enjoy the quartet "Bella Figlia Dell'Amore" from the final act of Giuseppe Verdi's tragedy "Rigoletto". The quartet is sung by Dame Joan Sutherland (my favorite female opera singer), Luciano Pavarotti, Leo Nucci (as Rigoletto), and Isola Jones. Of special note is that Ms. Jones bodice deserves an award for keeping her heaving breasts from popping right out of that outfit.

Monday, March 07, 2011

Not hearing much about this are we? But then... Ewwwww!


Huh?
D.C. Unmasked & Undressed, the memoir of Lillian McEwen, a former judge and ex-girlfriend of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, hits the shelves March 5. But, as the author told the AFRO, this book is definitely not for the G-rated crowd.

While the tale chronicles the often painful journey of the writer from the despair of a dysfunctional, abusive home to the travails and triumphs of a Capitol Hill and judicial career, it is a trail marked with sex – lots of it. And Thomas figures prominently – literally and figuratively – in this tale. McEwen gushes over Thomas’ prowess and “fantasy [package],” describing his body as “coffee-bean ... velvet-covered cement.” Ewwww!

He was a “national treasure,” she said, one she shared with other women in ménages à trois and in a voyeuristic pleasure palace. And she described her then-lover as being “easily aroused,” with a “strong interest in pornography.”

I've seen this McEwen woman on TV and she seems to be the genuine article as well as a pretty nice woman. I think that the networks aren't going to touch this hot potato with a 20-foot pole. 

Anyway you might want to look at this. 


Sunday, March 06, 2011

Fun Stuff

But stop in at Big Jim's Boobie Bungalow for a little T&A first!

Smoke much?

Well... not all Republicans

Interesting choice for a sermon

Charlie Sheen on the $25,000 Pyramid

Sign Bombing

Guns, Bitches and Parrots... in that order!

The thing I don't get is... What's a Minnow Shot?

Coming soon to a school district near you

I often wondered what Pope Palpatine wore under that gown

"Fuk Mi... How can I help you?", of course