This is one of the free and clean Bach cello music I am making available, as I transcribe them. See the parent article for context.
Here is a clean sheet showing only notes. You can print it out and add your own bowing and fingering marks. Click on the image to go to the PDF file.
Prelude from Bach Cello Suite 1 (BWV 1007)
This is one of the free and clean Bach cello music I am making available, as I transcribe them. See the parent article for context. This is one of the most well-known piece, and as a result was the first I played. But it is the last one I entered into Sibelius.
Here is a clean sheet showing only notes. You can print it out and add your own bowing and fingering marks. Click on the image to go to the PDF file.
3D selfies made in Fantasitron at Madurodam
Writing a computer program to map 2-dimensional drawings to 3-dimensional models had once been my obsession. This stemmed from the endless hours I spent drawing, by hand, orthographic projections of 3D models, and vice versa. While this was condemned as a chore universally by my classmates at Escuela Técnica No. 28 in Buenos Aires, I quite enjoyed it. After my family moved to New York, I no longer had to make these homework drawings. Instead I wrote a C program to generate 3D polyhedrons from 2D polygonal views. The long paper I wrote alongside this program won the gold medal at the New York Math Fair.
That seemed like a lifetime ago. In between then and now, algorithms had been invented to generate 3D models of people in color and with great details, all from simple 2D photos. But it is only in recent years that such technologies started to become commoditized. Just a month ago, Elisha and I stepped into, for a few seconds, a photo booth the size of a restroom, at the miniature park Madurodam. Three weeks later we received an exquisite 3D selfie printed by Shapeways.
Minuet 2 from Bach Cello Suite 1 (BWV 1007)
This is one of the free and clean Bach cello music I am making available, as I transcribe them. See the parent article for context.
Here is a clean sheet showing only notes. You can print it out and add your own bowing and fingering marks. Click on the image to go to the PDF file.
Gigue from Bach Cello Suite 1 (BWV 1007)
This is one of the free and clean Bach cello music I am making available, as I transcribe them. See the parent article for context.
Here is a clean sheet showing only notes. You can print it out and add your own bowing and fingering marks. Click on the image to go to the PDF file.
Droning at and around Ogunquit Beach
This article is a part of the Ogunquit in September Guide I am writing, for the model aeronautically-inclined. It is the main and the last installment in the series. Together with the modern beach equipment installment, it details everything you will ever need, before you head out to fly a drone or two in this beautiful beach town.
Ocean Terrace Rooms at Cliff House
This article is a part of the Ogunquit in September Guide I am writing, for the model aeronautically-inclined. This installment is about the Ocean Terrace Rooms at Cliff House, near Ogunquit. We stayed at this place during the second leg of our trip. And I had a good time flying my model sailplane, while standing on perilous rock formations, with multi-person-tall waves pounding on these same rocks.
We called the booking service of the hotel directly when making our room reservation. The agent convinced me to book a room at the highest floor available, for it afforded the best view of both the ocean and the cliff, despite its higher room rate. But I read afterwards on TripAdvisor that some of the rooms on the higher floors actually had balconies with partially blocked views. Some rooms were situated directly behind other buildings, so they looked over ugly rooftops instead of the ocean and the cliff.
I agonized over this issue before the trip. The uncertainties tortured me. There wasn't much useful information and pictures to be found online, to ease my mind.
Those who have read the previous article on Tidal Rooms at the Norseman can be forgiven for thinking that I have the buyer's remorse syndrome as a chronic condition. This article is born after the trip, partly because I am anal, and partly because I want to help the next guy in my situation.
If you landed on this article during your research for a room at the Cliff House, then you have found the right resource. Most of pictures showcased here are taken by Elisha Huang.
Tidal Suites at the Norseman Resort on Ogunquit Beach
This article is a part of the Ogunquit in September Guide I am writing, for the model aeronautically-inclined. This installment is about the Tidal Suites at Norseman Resort we stayed at, during the first part of the trip. As is usually the case, I spent time writing this article after the trip, because I wished someone had written something about this topic, and had posted some pictures of this place online. It would have helped me tremendously during my trip planning. And it would have eased the anxiety I continued to feel until the day of departure. But there was very little information to be found online about the resort, and almost nothing about the new Tidal Suites.
Modern beach equipment for the model aeronautically-inclined
This article is a part of the Ogunquit in September Guide I am writing, for the model aeronautically-inclined. Obviously, those who enjoy flying radio-controlled planes at a beach will find this article useful. But I am also certain that any modern man or woman planning a trip to the beach will not want to miss this one.
I know it, because I've spent countless nights before the trip googling for the best beach equipment to bring, to no avail. If you are looking for novel contraptions that solve known problems with ancient beach equipment technology, you will not be happy with what you find online today. Even Google isn't smart enough to weed out hastily-assembled, so called "top ten beach equipment" websites that simply scout Amazon for highest-ranking sales. YouTube is full of computer-generated videos with screenshots stole from above-mentioned "top ten beach equipment" websites. And most search engines nowadays only want to show you online shops, because... that's how they make money. This leaves old fashioned research work as the only option. I read and combed through tons of user reviews, and wrote notes. The trip proved that I did find the right beach equipment to buy.
Ogunquit in September – for the model aeronautically-inclined
This is a guide to upcoming articles I will be publishing, on Ogunquit, a small town at the southern tip of Maine. The guide serves as a preview to these articles, before they are written and published, showing this beautiful river, the town and the beach named after it, in September. This was when kids had to leave the beach, to go back to school, and just before the autumn arrived in full force. Some articles will explore the Marginal Way, Perkins Cove, Cape Neddick, York, Wells, Kennebunkport and plenty of public beaches in the area. Some will focus on hotels we've stayed at - the Tidal Suites at the Norsemen and the Cliff House at Bald Head Cliff.
I've also brought the current obsession of my life together with travel and videography. Most of these articles will be of interest to those who are model aeronautically-inclined. While I did not have room to bring big model airplanes, I did pack two micro airplanes and a variety of kites. While flying a sailplane on the peaceful and expansive Ogunquit Beach proved to be a relaxing pastime, fighting the precarious Bald Head Cliff in inclement weather against a stormy sea turned out to be quite challenging.
Did I mention that I adopted a pet seagull during this trip?
Pictures I've taken on a meager iPhone will be culled in time, and the remaining usable and useful ones uploaded to Wikipedia for illustrations on various relevant articles, continuing my series of Wiki Vacations (from here and there).
A Resurrected Ornithopter – the Flytech Dragonfly
The Flytech Dragonfly was one of the most innovative flying toys when it came out in 2007. It was the first radio-controlled ornithopter mass-produced for the general public. Sadly it is no longer available for purchase. To add insult to injury, there has been nothing in the market for ten years that delivers remotely the same level of giddy fun for the money. Some event reminded me of the Dragonfly recently, so I went through boxes in my basement to find the two units I bought in 2007.
Unfortunately their tiny lipo batteries have since gone bust. With help from ancient posts on rcgroups.com, I managed to resurrect one of my dragonflies with a new setup. It allows me to reuse abandoned lipos from my Blade Nano QX which I have aplenty. Suddenly I no longer need to wait for 20 minutes between flying sessions, for the built-in battery to be charged. I can now fly it effectively non-stop.
HHAMS Paintball Event by DMS Films
One of our newest members turned out to be a professional filmmaker and FPV guy. He made a short video of our annual paintball event where kids turn up in droves to try to shoot at model planes. In a decade we had not had a film made of this event. Everyone at the club are duly impressed.
Ode to FlightLineRC 1300mm Focke-Wulf Ta 152 H-1
This is not a real "ode". And I don't know how to write one. Nevertheless I find myself compelled to publicize the greatness of this model warbird, after flying it time after time in the last month. I am talking about the FlightLineRC 1300mm Focke-Wulf Ta 152 H-1.
Unlike a few occasions in the past where I felt the need to praise some planes (e.g. Extreme Flight Laser) but sat on the idea, this time I actually decide to comment on rcgroups.com. It was then only natural that I turned that into a quick article here.
If I must use one sentence to describe this 3S-capable plane, I would say that, when run on a 4-cell 2,600mAh lipo, it transforms into a graceful speed demon in the sky.
Restaurants – Sarasota wiki vacation part 5
This is part five of the Sarasota Wiki Vacation series. This trip to the Sarasota barrier islands yielded a large number of pictures which I've added to various Wikipedia articles. The unusually-long post I wrote became too long and unfocused. It is about 90 pages long. I am now breaking it up into specific posts by location and theme.
This one is about restaurants we we stumbled upon in this trip. I loved them, and their food. In the order we visited them: Mar Vista, Phillippi Creek Oyster Bar and Ophelia's on the Bay.
Siesta Key – Sarasota wiki vacation part 4
This is part four of the Sarasota Wiki Vacation series. This trip to the Sarasota barrier islands yielded a large number of pictures which I've added to various Wikipedia articles. The unusually-long post I wrote became too long and unfocused. It is about 90 pages long. I am now breaking it up into specific posts by location and theme.
This one is about Siesta Key. We visited three beaches on this barrier island: Siesta Beach, Crescent Beach and Turtle Beach.
Lido Key – Sarasota wiki vacation part 3
This is part three of the Sarasota Wiki Vacation series. This trip to the Sarasota barrier islands yielded a large number of pictures which I've added to various Wikipedia articles. The unusually-long post I wrote became too long and unfocused. It is about 90 pages long. I am now breaking it up into specific posts by location and theme.
This one is about our trip to Lido Key, comprising an ecotour in the morning of the Sarasota Bay and its red mangrove trees, and a visit to the Lido Beach in the afternoon.
World’s Largest Miniature Circus – Sarasota wiki vacation part 2
This is part two of the Sarasota Wiki Vacation series. This trip to the Sarasota barrier islands yielded a large number of pictures which I've added to various Wikipedia articles. The unusually-long post I wrote became too long and unfocused. It is about 90 pages long. I am now breaking it up into specific posts by location and theme.
This one is about The Howard Bro. Circus, undisputedly the world's largest miniature circus, located within John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.
Anna Maria Island – Sarasota wiki vacation part 1
This is part one of the Sarasota Wiki Vacation series. This trip to the Sarasota barrier islands yielded a large number of pictures which I've added to various Wikipedia articles. The unusually-long post I wrote became too long and unfocused. It is about 90 pages long. I am now breaking it up into specific posts by location and theme. This one is about Anna Maria Island, also known as the Anna Maria Key, where we explored Coquina Beach, Cortez Beach, and marveled at cast-net fishing at beautiful sunset.
Sarasota, Florida 2017 – an iPhone Wiki Vacation
Here is the latest installment of my series of Wiki Vacation posts, from a short stay in Sarasota, Florida. The timing could not have been better - daytime temperature was around 85˚F. Not too hot - a quick application of sunscreen was good enough for walking on the beach all day long. And not chilly - Gulf water was warm enough for swimming.
The range of day trips covered Siesta Key, Lido Key, Longboat Key, Ana Maria Island, and Sarasota City itself. Activities included paddleboarding by the beach, tunneling through red mangrove trees on kayaks, looking at manatees at the aquarium, and marveling at the world's largest miniature circus at the Ringling museum. It's amazing that we managed to visit 7 beaches in just a few days: Coquina Beach, Cortez Beach, Lido Beach, Siesta Beach, Crescent Beach and Turtle Beach. In addition, we also packed fine dinning into this busy schedule. For lazy people who woke up every morning to look at a tourist map gotten at the airport before figuring out where to go, this trip was a resounding success.
Jenn’s Wedding: Saint Thomas 2009
This is an offshoot of a series of Wiki Vacation posts from my tour of the US Virgin Islands in 2009. The series covers Saint Thomas, Trunk Bay and Caneel Bay. This article documents the main reason we were there in the first place - to be at Jenn and Chris' wedding.
Wiki Vacation 2009: Saint Thomas
This article is part of my Wiki Vacation series of posts from my tour of the US Virgin Islands in 2009. The first leg of the trip was to Saint Thomas, where we joined a destination wedding. A short detour to Trunk Bay was documented here. And the second leg of the trip to Caneel Bay can be found on its on article.
Wiki Vacation 2009: Trunk Bay
This is a mini-post, a part of the Wiki Vacation series of posts from my tour of the US Virgin Islands in 2009. The trip to Trunk Bay was our first visit to Saint John, and was limited to half a day, where we went with family and friends. Our second trip to Saint John followed a few day after, where we went alone, documented on the post on Caneel Bay.
Wiki Vacation 2009: Caneel Bay
I dug up more Wiki Vacation pictures from my 2009 to Caneel Bay, following the first in the series from the trip back to Taiwan. Caneel Bay is a resort on the northwest side of St. John, one of the US Virgin Islands, with seven private, picturesque beaches.
My Favorite Wiki Vacation Pictures: Taiwan 2009
I've been uploading vacation pictures to WikiMedia since 2015. I call some of my vacations Wiki Vacations, because I go to places with an explicit intent of taking pictures, processing them afterwards, and then uploading them to WikiMedia, for use on Wikipedia articles. I don't actually know how other Wikipedians refer to this mode of vacation. But I do know the official definition of WikiBreak, nicknamed Wikivacation, means almost the opposite.
Regardless of the terminology, I do find the experience rewarding. As reported earlier in Some of my Most Popular Pictures, time spent getting good, useful pictures for Wikipedia is more than made up by seeing some of these pictures widely distributed online, with or without credits. Here I posted a few of my favorite Wiki Vacation pictures. Not all of them are well appreciated though. But it doesn't matter. At the end of the day, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Some of my Most Popular Pictures
I have been uploading my best photographs and images to Wikimedia since 2005. Some of these pictures have made it to major Wikipedia articles in many languages. A few have been voted as Quality Images. As a result, I sometimes come across my own pictures when browsing reddit and other online media.
For instance, this autostereogram (MagicEye picture) of a shark is often pirated by online media, even though it is of relatively low-resolution by today's standard. This is because I made it the article picture of Autostereogram on Wikipedia when I wrote that article.
Music sung by Vocaloid Miriam
In 2005 I was mesmerized by Vocaloid, a singing voice synthesizer from Yamaha. I composed a three-part acapella piece, with all three voices sung by Vocaloid Miriam (also see this).
Your Fish Tank was writen in 2005. It is the first piece of music I synthesized using Vocaloid Miriam. Bruce Yates graciously allowed me to use his underwater pictures in my YouTube video showcasing this music. See lyric at the end of this article.
Music Inspired by Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins is a great man. From the first book of his I picked up, River Out of Eden, to the last one I read, The Greatest Shown on Earth, I've never ceased to be amazed by how his passion of biology and his talent at articulating the grandeur of nature ooze out of every single page.
Dawkins is the person who helped me find my atheistic voices in the vocabulary of evolutionary biology. And for that I've dedicated many work of art to the great man. For instance, The Lost Cause was wholly inspired by the dozen of books on evolution penned by the man that I've read. Similarly, I have written Wikipedia articles on some of his books, such as River Out of Eden and The Ancestor's Tale, to help guide those who are still searching for their voices.
Here, however, I collect music I have written that are inspired by Dawkins' work.
Vocal Music from 2006 and 2007
These are some vocal music I wrote between 2006 and 2007, while attending Conrad Cummings' evening music composition class at Juilliard. Some of these were sight-readings in class. One was performed at a bar.
Rearrangements as Gifts 2007-2010
Here are a few examples of music I rearranged as gifts for special occasions in the past. None of these are complex nor recorded. Sorry about the MIDI-quality mp3 files. I know they hurt your ears. They do mine, too.
Wedding Suite 2007 for Clarinet Trio and Brass Quintet
The Wedding Suite 2007 includes piano trio pieces I wrote in the past, and brass quintet I wrote specifically for the wedding. The suite was performed at Krystina and Mike's wedding on April 28th, 2007. Clarinet trio recording was done a week before, performed by Gilad Harel, Alistair MacRae & Wei-En Hsu on April 20th, 2007. Th brass quintet rehearsal was recorded on April 26th, 2007, sight-read by Mike Blutman/Chris Venditti (trumpets), Kelly Csillam (horn), Nick Hagen (trombone) and Edward Vinson (tuba).