books

Just finished George Johnson's new book on quantum computing, A Shortcut Through Time: The Path to the Quantum Computer. I recommend it. He tackles two subjects I shy away from writing about - computer science and quantum schtuff. Both are so abstracted from everyday experience that finding the write metaphors to explain them to the lay public is tough. Johnson is up to the challenge.

Now I'm in the middle of Graham Greene's Our Man in Havana. Fun so far.

tunes

Being dense, I did not realize that my public library has music CD's for loan. So I've been loading up. I stumbled across the CD rack while I was getting a book a couple of weeks ago, and the first bit that popped out at me was Don Ellis, who I really hadn't listened to in 20 years. I've since been scouring their racks for old '50s jazz. This week, it's Ornette Coleman, a Coltrane/Adderly combo and Art Pepper, a nifty big band leader I'd not heard before. On the Pepper album, some helpful library patron went through the liner notes and noted which instrument (tenor, alto, clarinet) Pepper played on each cut. In pencil.

I love the library. If it didnt exist, we'd have to invent it.