My latest musical composition

If you go here:

http://homepage.mac.com/ernesto1956/Palatino.mp3

You can hear my latest musical composition. This is an original orchestration and, in fact, an original piece. It is not just an arrangement; I wrote every single note.

For those who do not already know, in addition to being a fine artist, I also dabble in composing.

What is this piece of music, exactly?

My first novel, Palatino's Pets, was written in 1994. Ever since I wrote that novel, I've imagined what it would be like to have it developed into a motion picture. So imagine, if you will, that the book is now a film. And the film, of course, has music. This piece of music is the title theme of the film, containing melodies, themes, and motifs which I consider appropriate for such a sci-fi thriller type of movie.

So imagine you are in the movie theater. You've watched the coming attractions. The feature presentation has started. Still images and credits dissolve into each other on the screen as you hear the music begin. At some point the words Palatino's Pets appear, among others as you listen. The string section swells and pulsates rhythmically. The woodwinds and brass describe a melody. You are drawn within.

I actually composed all of this music within a single day, but spent probably six hours on it (for about two minutes' worth of music). It is still a work in progress, but it requires only some minor tweaking. Anyway, I just wanted to share it with you, and I hope you enjoy it.

Made Red Bell Pepper Hummus

Today I made hummus again. This is a spread (or dip) made from pureed chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, dried basil leaves, ground pepper, and roasted red bell pepper. I then made sandwiches (resembling sliders) using the hummus as a spread on each half of the sandwich bun and loading up with more roasted bell peppers. The result was killer! I also discovered a savory new ingredient called SALT (I think it must stand for "Such A Lovely Taste"). I added a mere 1/4 teaspoon to the batch of hummus and it tasted great. I must remember to make even more use of this key ingredient in the future. The photos here aren't that great, but you can get an idea of how good it looks when sliced in half.

Field Tested Spy Camera in Del Mar

The Patio Area at En Fuego
Cantina & Grill, Del Mar

Harvest Ranch Market

Earth Song Book Store

Sidewalk area at Americana Restaurant

Stratford Court Cafe on 13th

Quite some time ago I purchased a digital camera disguised as a pair of sunglasses. The megapixel rating is 1.3, quite adequate considering the size and craftiness of the camera. Today I decided to field test it in the city of Del Mar, California. Attached are some sample photos. Some were taken outdoors, and many of the interior shots came out quite well.

Points of interest include The Plaza Shopping Center, Harvest Ranch Market, Stratford Square, The Stratford Court Cafe, En Fuego Cantina and Grill (currently my favorite), and Seagrove Park, among other places.

If you want to see the rest of the photos, go here.

As you can see, the stealth capabilities of this camera are more than enough to get by without people knowing pictures are being taken. The shutter is silently released via a bluetooth remote the size of a silver dollar, concealed in the pocket. Taking the pictures is still a bit of a learning curve. Pressing the button results in three audible beeps which only I can hear via the earphones attached to the glasses. The exposure is taken at some point in the middle of those three beeps, but I'm not exactly sure when. Hence, it is difficult to shoot moving subject matter.

With some of the photos, I've cropped them after the fact so that I can zoom in on the subject closer. That is why these appear to have lower resolution.

I shot over a hundred exposures before I got tired of taking pictures. I've included only a few here and on my Mobile Me Gallery.

As a side benefit, the sunglasses are also a digital mp3 player.

Made Chicken Broccoli Fettucini Alfredo

This time I really didn't use a recipe. I did everything kind of from scratch, except for the sauce, which I made by using Bear Creek Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup Mix. For the chicken I simply took breast meat, cubed it, then pan-sauteed it. I steam-cooked the broccoli in the microwave.

Listed 24 new pieces this evening on eBay

This week I've decided to slam eBay really hard. I've got some new pieces listed and I hope they do well, despite the fact that they are scheduled to end on the Memorial Day weekend.

Renaissance Pleasure Faire 2009

Today I went to the Renaissance Faire in Irwindale, California. I try to go there at least once each year. The atmosphere is the raison d’être of the whole experience, but for me the food is at the top of the list as well. I made a point of having the Pork Chop on a Stick, among other things, as well as sampling some meade, apple cider, and lager beer. I passed on the roasted turkey leg this year, because I’ve had my fill of turkey earlier this month.

This blogger lets me upload only five photos at a time, so I will try to include a link to more photos at a later time. Hope to keep up with the Ren Faire tradition in the years to come.

Sometimes Reverse Psychology works well.

The teacher doesn’t want Bart to do it, so it must be a good idea.