La Clemenza di Tito: The Manga

An unrequited love that leads to a path of destruction and the merciful ruler who pardons those involved.

Here's La Clemenza di Tito as seen through the eyes of manga artist Rafaella Ryon and editor Roy Husada.













To supersize, double click on the images.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Wil Wheaton talks about Librarians

I visit the science fiction website SF Signal quite often and have a link to them on the side of my blog, but what I want to talk about is a story they linked to the blog of Wil Wheaton, from Star Trek: The Next Generation, and a lovely story he wrote about librarians. He described that as a youngster, he discovered how helpful and knowledgeable librarians are, and how wonderful libraries are. I, too, since youth have loved libraries ranging from the local city library to the university library. I loved going through the card catalog to look for a science fiction book, non-fiction book, or sometimes just to sit at a desk in some corner, by a window, behind the book stacks, to study. That was the best and most memorable studying because the idea of being surrounded by so many books seemed to infuse in me knowledge and the desire for more of it.
Anyway, HERE is a link to Wil Wheaton and his wonderful post about librarians.

Surpirsing Beauty

One thing UF has that FSU is lacking is the Baughman Mediation Center. I was in complete aww as we approached this chapel (for lack of a better term) located at the edge of Lake Alice in the middle of UF's campus.

It really is one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen in person.

Actually, beautiful doesn't quite do it. . . stunning, exquisite, magnificent or wondrous seem like better adjectives to describe this out-of-place little building in the middle of swamp country.

Winter Oaks with Mistletoe

This is a reference shot (done on my iPhone!) from 2 weekends ago.  Locating new subjects is a never ending job, so when I have a free afternoon and I don't have a specific location in mind to work, I like to drive around checking out new roads, or hike a bit at spots that I normally pass by, just to see what I can see.  Usually it's mid-day and the light is not interesting, or the weather is not right... but I'm not concerned about all that, because I know I can come back at a better time.  If a new spot seems to have potential, I just take some quick reference shots as a kind of visual notebook, or "photographic sketch", if you will.
I was strolling around this clearing and thinking that there was not much of interest here, until the sweet light just before sunset lit up these bare oak trees and the background, making it suddenly magical.  For some reason, the clumps of mistletoe in the trees really make the scene for me... makes them look like they were somehow deliberately decorated.  Kind of wish I had been prepared to shoot it properly, because the combination of clouds and light was so perfect, but I can get to this spot in a few minutes next time the conditions and my time permit... and I'll know what time to be there and exactly where to set up to get what I want.
If you click on the image to look at the expanded version, you'll see that the sky is a little noisy and the detail in the grassy area is not the best, but I have to say the the new iPhone 4's 5mp camera is pretty impressive for what it is, with built-in HDR processing and geo-tagging... and on top of that, it shoots HD video!  I think the detail in the branches of the tree is quite nice, at least for a device that fits easily into your pocket and does about a hundred other useful things besides taking pictures:) 

A Visit to Long Island and Snow in the City

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If any thing, there was even more snow on Long Island. 

These photos were taken on Friday at the Jarvis House.

Everything submerged -- like the lawn furniture....

How almost New England --the red barn and the snow...

Quite the photo op season for the berries......

and the grasses too.

 

Back in the city, the sparrows gather together,

the crosswalks are filled with sloppy old slush,

cars are timidly peeping out from under the drifts.

22nd Street. Monday morning.

The dog was pretty impressed by the snowman in Penn South.

More snow predicted for tomorrow........!

ps Regarding yesterday's post about the unfortunate Beige Family, all the suggestions were great (and I'd welcome even more), but I liked Britt-Arnhild's sensible invitation a lot. Dear Britt-Arnhild, just let me know where to send the $10!

*

Weekend Away

This past weekend Emmett and I went up to Gainesville to visit my little sister at UF.

As a FSU alum it pains me to say that we had a good time and found some beautiful spots both around town and around campus.

I took a ton of photos and will be sharing some of them with you all throughout the week as well as a Gainesville addition of "local love".

midway: message from the gyre.

midway: message from the gyre by chris jordan.

these photographs of albatross chicks were made in september, 2009, on midway atoll, a tiny stretch of sand and coral near the middle of the north pacific. the nesting babies are fed bellies-full of plastic by their parents, who soar out over the vast polluted ocean collecting what looks to them like food to bring back to their young. on this diet of human trash, every year tens of thousands of albatross chicks die on midway from starvation, toxicity, and choking.

midway: message from the gyre.

midway: message from the gyre by chris jordan.

these photographs of albatross chicks were made in september, 2009, on midway atoll, a tiny stretch of sand and coral near the middle of the north pacific. the nesting babies are fed bellies-full of plastic by their parents, who soar out over the vast polluted ocean collecting what looks to them like food to bring back to their young. on this diet of human trash, every year tens of thousands of albatross chicks die on midway from starvation, toxicity, and choking.

white hand cast dome resin ring.

white hand cast dome resin ring by byalamode.

white hand cast dome resin ring.

white hand cast dome resin ring by byalamode.

The Best, Easiest, Quickest Chicken Noodle Soup Ever

There are few things I love as much in the cold heart of winter as a bowl of chicken noodle soup.  I'm most definitely not talking about the one in the can.  I'm talking about soup in a rich, flavorful broth with chunks of roasted chicken, freshly chopped tender pieces of carrot and celery, bow-tie noodles soaking up the chicken taste and fresh parsley and thyme floating throughout the whole thing.

Sounds long and involved and exhausting, right?  Well, usually that is right.  What usually happens is that you start out with all great intentions and energy and a nice whole chicken.  You toss it in the soup pot with some water and a prayer or two, and hours and days and weeks later you have a cooked chicken and some "broth."  But the chicken is a little rubbery from having boiled away for ages and I'm sorry, all the onion and carrots in the world have not been able to produce a nice rich broth  -- for me, anyway.  It ends up watery and sad and you have to skim the top of it, and on and on and on.  

It was time for something to be done.  It's our right to have a fantastic chicken soup that doesn't require a nap and a degree from the Culinary Institute of America.  So here's what needs to happen.  First of all, the foundation is the broth, and while pre-made chicken broth used to be a sad state of affairs, things have gotten a whole lot better lately.  There are two brands that are actually EXCELLENT, and they both come in boxes that are stacked in the supermarket right next to those nasty cans of chicken broth.  My fave is this one:

Although this one is pretty good as well:

 

Don't be tempted by the canned broth - go for one of these guys.

Next, you need a bone-in split chicken breast.  Put in in a baking pan, brush that baby with a little olive oil, sprinkle with some salt and pepper and roast it for about 50 minutes.  Meantime, chop up some carrots, some celery, an onion and some fresh parsley and thyme.  If I have a leek on hand I'll chop that up too.  Once your chicken is roasted and cooled a little, the chicken soup is about 20 minutes away.  Bring the broth to a nice simmer and drop in the veggies and some bow-tie pasta and simmer it covered until the veggies are tender and the pasta is cooked.  While this is going on, take a fork (or your fingers, if you are me) and pull the roasted chicken off the bone into bite-sized pieces.  Now toss the chicken pieces and the herbs into the soup and simmer for another few minutes until everything is all warm and perfect.  Taste to see if you need to add in any salt or pepper...and that's it, folks.  You have now made the perfect chicken noodle soup.  It will keep for several days and get better and better.  If it gets too thick, pour in a little more broth and it will be just fine.

Doesn't everything seem right with the world now?

Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

• 1 split bone-in chicken breast
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Two 32 ounce boxes of chicken broth
• Two large carrots, sliced
• Two stalks celery, sliced
• One leek, sliced or one onion, chopped
• 1 cup bow tie pasta
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Place chicken skin side up on baking sheet lined with foil.  Rub olive oil onto chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 50 minutes and then cool until chicken is cool enough to shred with your fingers.  Discard bones and skin.

2. Heat broth until simmering.  Add carrots, celery, leek or onion and pasta and cook until pasta is done, about 10 minutes.

3. Stir in parsley and chicken and season to taste.  Ladle into bowls and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

A Solo Concert: Ariel Sung

Award-winning virtuoso Ariel Sung will be performing a very special concert with Vancouver Opera Orchestra and Maestro Leslie Dala on February 18 at the Orpheum Theatre.

The recital will feature music and arias by Puccini, Dvorak, Catalani, Charpentier, Korngold, Offenbach, and Cilea.

February 18, 2011 8pm
Oprheum Theatre
Ticket prices range from $30-$80 (plus HST and service charges)

To purchase ticket, call 604.280.4444 or click here.

For more information, click here.

The Most Depressing Advertisement I Ever Saw!

Am I completely nuts to be upset by this advertisement that appeared

in Better Homes and Gardens?

The Beige Family look pretty happy on their couch watching TV, eating packaged pizza and drinking carbonated sugar water with chemicals in it --followed by chocolate and packaged popcorn.

And all for only $30 !

It makes me want to weep.

Please submit suggestions to improve 

the poor BEIGE FAMILY'S life

$10 to the charity of choice of the most imaginative responee! 

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Gemma Arterton's Princess Tamina costume from Prince of Persia...

In Disney's 2010 sand and sandals fantasy adventure, Prince of Persia, Gemma Arterton plays 'Princess Tamina' of the sacred city of Alamut, a guardian of 'The Sands of Time'.

Actual costume worn by Gemma Arterton as Tamina

in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

The amulet around Tamina's neck, on display with this dress, holds the fabled Sands of Time which are integral to the movie's plot.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time movie poster

Pirates of the Caribbean costumer, Penny Rose, was also responsible for the wardrobe designs on Prince of Persia.

This outfit was photographed on display at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on January 13, 2011.

Princess Tamina costume from Prince of Persia

You can also see Princess Tamina's ethereal cloak that goes with this outfit here at Hollywood Movie Costumes and Props.

Dastan and Tamina costumes from Prince of Persia on display

Come back soon to see more of Jake Gyllenhaal's 'Dastan' costume on display at Disney Studios HQ.

Buy a Princess Tamina amulet replica: Tamina - Amulet W/ Sands Of Time,Length 14"

Buy the movie: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

I'm not sure which seats are better: 1) back row, off-centre dress circle (I'm talking about Row 20, Seats 185ish) or 2) centre balcony (Section C or D). Also, in your opinion, where are the best bang-for-your-buck seats in the QE Theatre? TIA.

Thanks for the question!

One choice is closer but off to the side while the other more central but further back. It really boils down to personal choice. Keep in mind sitting further back is often less expensive.



As for the “most bang for your buck” many patrons looking for value in a mid priced seat most often will go for “C” as there are choices in the orchestra, mezzanine & balcony in this price range, or “D” central in the balcony.



Hope this helps!

~ Chris Walters, Manager - Ticket Centre Operations

Ask me anything

Where are these "selected seats" available to the Get O.U.T. program?

Hello and thanks for the question!

The Get OUT seats are located in the Mezzanine, Balcony & Dress Circle.

If you like more information, please call our box office at 604.683.0222

Ask me anything

~ Chris Walters, Manager - Ticket Centre Operations

Food Prices, Riots, and Soylent Green

This morning I awoke to the riots in Egypt which have been in progress for over four days now, as well as in Tunisia, there have been social protests in many other countries, and I have watched Spaniards tell their stories of being unemployed for up to two years and some of the women look like they are starving due to high food prices and little or no money to purchase it with. A large portion if not all of these riots have to do with lack of jobs, lack of food or high prices, and deplorable living conditions. Here is a quote from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the 2011 Davos conference regarding rising population and lack of food:

"Violent demonstrations over recent weeks in several countries -- including Tunisia and Algeria -- have been provoked in part by escalating food prices.

Noting that the world population is already approaching seven billion this year and expected to reach nine billion by twenty-forty-five, he warned that a failure to manage resources including food could spark the next conflict.

"The next economic war or conflict can be over the scarce resources if we do not manage it together," Yudhoyono said."

Food is the concern, not oil, not drugs, not terrorism, but FOOD!
If you have not seen the movie Soylent Green, I suggest it because it deals with just this issue and the solution is horrific. Note that people still rely on the government or a company in the movie to get fed these lovely wafers instead of learning how to garden and grow their own food! Unless you want to eat processed people, I suggest you try to grow your own food, it can be done indoors and outdoors and in cold climates and warm climates. When I think of how people in Leningrad during WW2 were eating human flesh and even baked dirt, I get very motivated to learn to grow fruit and vegetables and have a few chickens and roosters. People will do horrific things, and are easily manipulated when facing the prospect of not having food.

Listen: Opera Speaks: Qualities of Leadership

If you were unable to attend Tuesday's Opera Speaks: Qualities of Leadership at the Vancouver Public Library, we will be posting audio excerpts from our speakers this week.

First up, Kim Baird, Chief of Tsawwassen First Nation, speaks about what it takes to be a political and community leader today.

Opera Speaks Spoke To Me

In partnership with the Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver Opera is proud to present its award-winning series of free public forums on themes and issues arising from the season’s operas. In these lively sessions, we invite esteemed writers, academics, practitioners, artists and other creative thinkers to engage in penetrating discussion and dialogue that deepen the connections between the operas’ stories and our lives.

We're always delighted to hear when the topics at Opera Speaks resonate with our audience. Janet King attended VO's Opera Speaks: Quality of Leadership on Tuesday and was so impressed by the panel that she wanted to share her thoughts with all our readers.

What a tapestry of ideas emerged from Opera Speaks last night! Thank you! It was a pure pleasure to sit amongst an audience gripped and engaged by the thoughtful dialogue emerging in front of us. Thank you for the opportunity to think deeply and differently about leadership and community, and to participate in a sharing of wisdom and exchange of vital ideas. The discussion circled right at our centre, in that troublesome arena of leadership and community where it's all too easy to feel swamped and helpless. But the sharing last night was full of experience, different perspectives, questions, and fruitful ideas - so it is quite impossible to feel helpless today! Thank you for the opportunity to refresh my thinking and envision new ways of acting.

Don't let the perfect get in the way of the good. Be open and honest. Think big. Have a vision. Write a letter and follow a hunch. Inspire. Take a risk. Help another to take a risk. Float that trial balloon and listen to the responses. Collaborate even if you don't see eye to eye. . .

See? My head is full of new music! Opera Speaks!

With thanks,

Janet King

Thank you Janet for attending Opera Speaks and for your wonderful letter! See you at the next Opera Speaks!

A Word About The Viennese Fortepiano

Photo credit: Craig Tomlinson

For this production of La Clemenza di Tito, the non-orchestra recitatives are accompanied by Maestro Darlington on fortepiano and principal cellist Ariel Barnes. Today's modern piano would not exist without the fortepiano, which in turn would not have existed without the harpsichord. The fortepiano is simply the evolutionary step between the two.

Like a modern piano, the fortepiano creates sound wiht hammers that stroke strings when the corresponding keys are struck. The harpsichord has a similar action, but creates sound wiht arms that pluck the strings rather than strike them. Although the harpsichord produced a unique sound, the plucking action meant it could only be played at one volume. The hammering action of the fortepiano removed this limitataion. The fortepiano also had a larger keyboard than the harpsichord.

Mozart did not specify either a harpsichord or a fortepiano for the recitatives. Both instruments were appropriate and both instruments were available to Mozart. His own undated fortepiano had been purchased from the Viennese builder Anton Walter early in 1780 and was used extensively in his compositions over the next decade until his death in 1791. Being a late opera, La Clemenza di Tito was most likely written with fortepiano in mind.

Mozart's own instruments had a hand lever used to raise the damper rail from the strings, in order to sustain the notes played. Only after his death were pianos fitted with knee levers an dlater with pedals for this purpose.

In this production, a fortepiano based on two of Walter's instruments is being used. Built in West Vancouver in 2004, it has a typical Viennese reverse keyboard with black ebony naturals and white bone accidentals. Viennese paino actions are quick and snappy. The sound is clear and very delicate with a relatively short sustain. The force needed to depress a key lever on a Viennese fortepiano is only about a quarter of what it is on a modern piano and the dip of the key is only about half as much. Thus playing the Viennese fortepiano involves none of th athleticism exercised by modern piano virtuosos but, like harpsichord, it requires an exquisite sensitivity of touch.

~ Craig Tomlinson

*Harpsichord and fortepiano maker Craig Tomlinson's instruments are seen and heard in private residences, music schools, concert halls and at early music festivals around the world. To find out more, click here.

Original Hatter Clan costume from Disney's Alice in Wonderland...

Fans of Tim Burton's 2010 live-action Alice in Wonderland movie will love this eccentric Hatter Clan costume photographed on display at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on January 13, 2011.

Actual Hatter Clan costume featured in Alice in Wonderland

This quirky costume (with hat), along with others for the Disney film, was designed by costume maker supremo Colleen Atwood, whose work also includes costumes for the musical movie Nine and outfits for American gangster movie Public Enemies.

Alice in Wonderland movie poster

Alice in Wonderland Hatter Clan outfit on display

If you like this Alice in Wonderland outfit be sure to check out Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter battle costume and more Hatter Clan garden party costumes.

Alice in Wonderland movie poster

Buy the movie: Alice in Wonderland [Blu-ray]

Alice in Wonderland

Buy a Mad Hatter hat: Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter Hat, Disney