So I went with the folks to go see the Orlando Opera put on Aida. It was fine, enjoyable, even though I came up against my basic disassociation from the Opera form again. I can listen to classical all day long, can enjoy musicals, and Gilbert and Sullivan and all sorts of performances that are related. But listening to singers perform at me in a language I don't understand puts me off, and often puts me to sleep.

And this is Aida, for god's sake! A well-performed version of it! And I still stared and stared, and then dozed just a little.

That said: I really like the poster. The Orlando Opera has a local Orlando guy -- Larry Moore -- do the posters for each of their seasons, and they're just beautiful. The Salome was a particular standout, but I tend not to buy posters of performances I didn't actually go to. Not always, but usually.

It's a shame the Aida poster isn;t online, because it is quite exceptional. Moore works in pastels, though I see from one of his other sites (larrymoorestudios.com ) that he also does fine art.

Speaking if fine, fine art, I feel I should my pal El Rey every time I mention art. Somewhere else on the site is a story I did about buying art from him, along with photos of the finished pieces. He has also started a blog, talking about his "process", just like some fancy-schmancy paint slinger. And remember: Every El Rey purchase you make goes to the fund that keeps him off the streets of the Mission District, begging tourists for cigarettes and coffee. No change, just smokes and joe.