Carmela Bertagna- John Singer Sargent's Model and Muse

John Singer Sargent's muse, Carmela Bertagna. She's very beautiful and an extraordinary model in her own right.

Here's an essay on the girl dancer and model Carmela Bertagna



Carmela Bertagna, a Spanish-Parisian model who modelled for painter John Singer Sargent. Very little is known about her life, except that she lived with her mother and brother. Her father is unknown. She and her family had to work in order to make ends meet for themselves. She is of Spanish descent and modelled with various artists, including John Singer Sargent. Her Mediterranean Latin looks fascinated Sargent, who was captivated by magnificent Rosina Ferrara of Capri a year earlier.

Carmela Bertagna posed as a young girl begging for alms for John Singer Sargent's painting, "A Parisian Beggar Girl", where she sported unkempt hair semi covered with a veil and wore a stark white gown trimmed in black. She leaned against a very stark white wall, a prop which Sargent used in his later pictures, most notably, "Fumee d"Amberigis," a famous picture in which Sargent placed a magnificently dressed Arab woman against a stark white wall. Carmela also posed for the self-titled picture in which she was dressed in her native peasant costume accentuated with a long, pink, furry-like shawl. Her stare according to some people is like that of a predator, namely a wolf. Bizet contemptuously described Carmen as having eyes like that of a wolf. I'm disturbed about the description. The description implicates that certain groups of women have "animal-like" personalities. It goes back to the ancient stereotyping of women as wicked temptresses who led men astray. The stereotype of a Spanish temptress was the theme of George Bizet's Carmen, a play that shocked conservative middle class audiences when it first performed in 1875. Carmela sports a red ribbon in her hair, which was typical of most Mediterranean women of the late 19th century.

Famous R&B singer Faith Evans have a vague resemblance to Carmela. She is also of Mediterranean ancestry in her multi ethnic makeup and is very ethnic in appearance. Faith's father, Richard Swain, is of Italian Ancestry. Her mother is African American. So is the opera singer Julia Migenes. As a matter of fact, she resembles her in some of her pictures on the internet. Ms. Migenes is of Greek, Irish-Puerto Rican descent and was known for her starring role in the 1984 opera movie, Carmen. She played the title character. Carmela Bertagna wouldn't look out of place in Bizet's Carmen: She's similar the Carmen character: Sultry, seductive, and independent.

In the 19th century ultra-conservative Catholic Spanish society, Gypsies, Middle Easterners, Jews, and poor people are regarded as menaces to the respectable, law- abiding people. It is the same in the 21st Century with us Americans, particularly conservatives and most liberals(a.k.a. SWPL) stereotype and demean certain groups of people to be outsiders: unpopular racial minorities such as blacks, immigrant groups such as Latinos, the underclass and poor of all races and ethnicity, prisoners(The U.S. has the largest prison industrial complex of all the industrial nations), gays, feminists(think Rush Limbaugh's contempt for them), and so on. With welfare reform initiated by Clinton back in 1997, we are seeing plenty poor/working class women, especially Women of Color, struggling to put food and other necessities for their families as well as working at low quality jobs in the future decades. Also, Proposition 187 initiated by Pete Wilson as well as the Personal Responsibility Act of 1996 tend to punish immigrants of color as well as poor and working class Americans by telling them that they cannot use taxpayers' funds to help ease their way into the mainstream, that means not using public assistance nor attending public schools like other people. We Americans stereotype Black, Latina, and Native American women as "baby mamas", "welfare queens", and "loose women."  It was the same in France back in the late 19th Century when the French agonized over the Arrivals of Italian and Spanish migrants as well as Roma(formerly known as "Gypsies").

The Carmela picture tells us about the demographics of French society in the late 19th Century. When you look at the picture, remember her as an innocent young girl caught up in circumstances beyond her control, not to condemn her as an outcast or a "tramp."

Immigration Reform Passed In The Senate!

Bipartisanship works.

The low approved U.S. Senate has passed the immigration reform.

A great move by the Democrats and the very few Republicans who put aside their differences for the sake of those who dream to become leaders. And of course, for the sake of their overwhelmingly White political party.

First they'll claim it's them who are credited for Civil Rights of 1965. Now it's going to be a redo of Republicans claiming credit for Immigration Reform of 2013.

Who gives a crap about the Democrat presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Barack Obama?

I never get enough of those ridiculous Republican commentators saying that if it wasn't for them, things couldn't get done.

No, it's because of the Republicans, nothing isn't getting done.

You have many members of the Senate (i.e. Republicans like Ted Cruz (Texas), Jim Inhofe (Oklahoma), Rand Paul (Kentucky), Rob Portman (Ohio) Mike Lee (Utah), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina)  Jeff Sessions, Richard Shelby (Alabama), John Cornyn (Texas) and Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) who will rule the day they voted against immigration reform.

These Republicans will doom their party.

Enough about them. This historical bipartisan vote was 68-32 on a measure that sits atop President Barack Obama's second-term domestic agenda. But the bill's prospects are highly uncertain in the Republican-controlled House, where party leaders are jockeying for position in advance of expected action next month.

Republican co-sponsors Senators John McCain (Arizona), Marco Rubio (Florida), Jeff Flake (Arizona) and Lindsey Graham (South Carolina) were joined in voting "yes" with Lamar Alexander (Tennessee), Kelly Ayotte (New Hampshire), Jeff Chiesa (New Jersey), Susan Collins (Maine), Bob Corker (Tennessee), Orrin Hatch (Utah), Dean Heller (Nevada), John Hoeven (North Dakota), Mark Kirk (Illinois), and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska).

Spectators in galleries that overlook the Senate floor watched expectantly as senators voted one by one from their desks. Some onlookers erupted in chants of "Yes, we can" after Vice President Joe Biden announced the vote result.

There is a high influx of African and Asian immigrants.

After three weeks of debate, there was no doubt about the outcome. Fourteen Republicans joined all 52 Democrats and two independents to support the bill.

In a written statement, Obama coupled praise for the Senate's action with a plea for resolve by supporters as the House works on the issue. "Now is the time when opponents will try their hardest to pull this bipartisan effort apart so they can stop commonsense reform from becoming a reality. We cannot let that happen," said the president, who was traveling in Africa.

In the final hours of debate, members of the so-called Gang of 8, the group that drafted the measure, frequently spoke in personal terms while extolling the bill's virtues, rebutting its critics - and appealing to the House members who turn comes next.

A great message.

"Do the right thing for America and for your party," said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., who said his mother emigrated to the United States from Cuba. "Find common ground. Lean away from the extremes. Opt for reason and govern with us."

Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake said those seeking legal status after living in the United States illegally must "pass a background check, make good on any tax liability and pay a fee and a fine." There are other requirements before citizenship can be obtained, he noted.

He, too, spoke from personal experience, recalling time he spent as a youth working alongside family members and "undocumented migrant labor, largely from Mexico, who worked harder than we did under conditions much more difficult than we endured."

A piece of America includes immigrants.

The legislation's chief provisions includes numerous steps to prevent future illegal immigration - some added in a late compromise that swelled Republican support for the bill - and to check on the legal status of job applicants already living in the United States. At the same time, it offers a 13-year path to citizenship to as many as 11 million immigrants now living in the country unlawfully.

Under the deal brokered last week by Republican Sens. John Hoeven of North Dakota and Bob Corker of Tennessee and the Gang of 8, the measure requires 20,000 new Border Patrol agents, the completion of 700 miles of fencing and deployment of an array of high-tech devices along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Those living in the country illegally could gain legal status while the border security plan was being implemented, but would not be granted permanent resident green cards or citizenship.

A plan requiring businesses to check on the legal status of prospective employees would be phased in over four years.

Senators Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) (center), Mike Lee (R-Utah) (left) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) couldn't muster enough members to filibuster the immigration reform bill.

Other provisions would expand the number of visas available for highly skilled workers relied upon by the technology industry. A separate program would be established for lower-skilled workers, and farm workers would be admitted under a temporary program. In addition, the system of legal immigration that has been in effect for decades would be changed, making family ties less of a factor and elevating the importance of education, job skills and relative youth.

With the details of the Senate bill well-known, House Speaker John Boehner said at a news conference the separate legislation the House considers will have majority support among Republicans. He also said he hopes the bill will be bipartisan, and he encouraged a group of four Democrats and three Republicans trying to forge a compromise to continue their efforts.

He offered no details on how a House bill could be both bipartisan and supported by more than half of his own rank and file, given that most of the bills that have moved through the House Judiciary Committee recently did so on party line votes over the protests of Democrats. None envisions legal status for immigrants now in the country illegally.

Boehner declined to say if there were circumstances under which he could support a pathway to citizenship, but he made clear that securing the border was a priority.

"People have to have confidence that the border is secure before anything else is really going to work. Otherwise, we repeat the mistakes of 1986," he said, referring to the last time Congress overhauled the immigration system.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader, also said he favors a bipartisan approach. At the same time, she noted that Democratic principles for immigration include "secure our borders, protect our workers, unite families, a path to legalization and now citizenship for those" without legal status.

Hopeful that the House Republicans get things done. But I doubt it. House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio isn't likely going to do any favors for the president or his Republican majority.

They've threaten to usurp him if he compromises with the Democrats.

The Associated Press and Huffington Post contributes to a portion of this article.

Here's a few assholes who continues to slide the Republican Party into the abyss of ignorance.



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GOP Rage At Obama's Vision!

The era of Ronald Reagan is over! Get over it!

The future is now and Americans are looking forward.

President Barack Obama lays out the second term agenda. This agenda will face a stubborn Congress with many of the newest members affiliated with the extremist Tea Party. The Republicans are rebounding from a disastrous year.

The debt ceiling debate an often contentious issue has the United States hanging on a thread. The borrowing agencies are going to downgrade our nation's credit rating if Congress fails to pass bipartisan budgets.

The Republicans concede that it's possible for the three month extension of the debt ceiling. But they're also getting restless on the U.S. Senate inactive notion to pass a budget. They want domestic austerity cuts to social safety nets. They've harped on the Democratic controlled Senate not passing a budget in years. The Democrats are eager to have Republicans now put revenue (tax increases) on the table. That still has been a sticking point to them. The president has a backlog of nominees for his cabinet and federal courts held in limbo the first term. Republicans have filibustered most of the controversial nominees for the president.

The Republicans will continue to stall nominations in the U.S. Senate with cabinet replacements, federal judges and the potential nomination for a Supreme Court justice if one should retire or die.

The president will waste no time on the immigration reform debate. Seeing that the president carried an overwhelmingly amount of Hispanic/Latino votes, he vowed to make it possible for an immigrant to get a piece of the American Dream.

The president also recognized the needs of the African American voters. The president made note of the chaos in Florida and Ohio where long lines plagued early voters and on day voters. The Republican led legislatures in these states have brought forth rollbacks to early voting and ending same day registrations.

Republican state houses pushed restrictions on early voting, voter identification and removal of same day registration. They believe this was an advantage to helping President Barack Obama. They claim these created "voter fraud" and "voter intimidation". The president vows to keep Americans voting in the Midterm and 2016 presidential elections.

The president also recognized the LGBT community. From the mentions of Stonewall to the acceptance of our friends and family who are gay, the president vows to fight for equal rights for all Americans.

The president has invoked acceptance to gay marriage. Last year, the president went to ABC News with Robin Roberts and stated that he's realized that it's essential to accept a same sex family.

The president also recognized women's rights. Since the passing of the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay law, many American women are hoping the glass ceiling will be broken once and for all. The president vowed that reproductive rights via Roe v. Wade will sustain. The president vowed that he wants to bring family back into the fold. Understanding that American families are unmarried, the president urges Congress to keep safety nets in for families who suffered under the housing and banking crisis.

The president vowed to end the war in Afghanistan by the start of 2014. The president also vowed to capture those involved in the Algeria hostage situation at the BP oil wells. The threat of al-Qaeda isn't over until the president neutralizes top leadership and demands nations to cancel their sponsorship of this organization.

To many progressives, it's was a masterpiece. To conservatives, it's another speech filled with blame Bush, divisiveness, partisan rancor and the like.

The Republicans vow to fight the president at every step. The president vows to fight back even though he still has optimism that bipartisanship can occur.

The beginning of the second term starts. But we know ever since he won the election, his second term began on November 7, 2012 with Republicans are hating along the way!

The way the Republicans acted during the U.S. Election, is a reason for his second term victory.

Jan Brewer: Can't Support Birther Law!

Brewer Vetoes Birther Bill In Arizona

Eric Kleefeld | April 18, 2011, 10:28PM Talking Points Memo

Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ)

Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ), who has been a darling on the right for her battles with the Obama administration over illegal immigration, health care and other issues, has now taken a potentially bold step against the Tea Party base: She has vetoed a "birther bill" -- a piece of legislation motivated by conspiracy theories about President Obama place of birth, requiring candidates for public office to submit proof of U.S. citizenship to the state Secretary of State before they could appear on the state's ballot.
"I do not support designating one person as the gatekeeper to the ballot for a candidate, which could lead to arbitrary or politically motivated decisions," Brewer said in her veto message, the Associated Press reports. Brewer herself is a former Arizona Secretary of State.
"In addition, I never imagined being presented with a bill that could require candidates for president of the greatest and most powerful nation on Earth to submit their early baptismal circumcision certificates' among other records to the Arizona secretary of state. This is a bridge too far."
Earlier, Brewer had foreshadowed her decision with skeptical statements about the bill: "I think my big concern probably, just shooting a little bit from the hip, is the fact that I don't know if we regulate federal elections."
It should be noted, however, that the bill had previously passed the legislature with margins that would potentially be veto-proof: 20-9 in the Senate, and 40-16 in the House. The question, then, is whether Brewer's veto would take the wind out of the bill's sails or if its backers will try to override the veto and be able to hold on to their numbers.


Jan Brewer is a controversial governor. Also the governor vetoes a law that requires firearms in public institutions and colleges. In 2010, the governor signed an illegal immigration law that requires state and local law enforcement to engage in targeting illegals. The United States Justice Department and law groups oppose the law. Brewer also called upon civil discourse after the shooting of Democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in January 2011.