Borrow magazine from Palo Alto library to read on your iPad

I just figured out how to take advantage of this great service offer to us. Here are the steps:
0. Install the Zinio app on your iPad
1. Visit this PA Library page for digital magazine
2. Click the link for "Zinio for Libraries" Logon with your library card number and your library password
3. You will be redirected to RBDigital's page. Even if you previously use Zinio for other paid magazines, you will need a new account for this. Create one and note your password. This account would be separate from your existing Zinio account (if any) and your library account.
4. You could proceed without linking any other account. Click on the Zinio icon and you will see a list of magazines.
5. Choose your magazine and hit the Checkout button. Then hit Start reading.
6. Open your Zinio app on your iPad and you will see your magazine and you can download it and start reading on your iPad!

雪的音樂

早幾天我們四大中佬Twins fans去了Reno看她們的演唱會，回程時路上因大雪，數小時只能龜速行駛甚至完全停頓！結果用了十二小時回家。USB flash drive很多Gb的廣東歌也幾乎要重覆！其實出發前開始聽一集In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond很應景的podcast： Snow blues. 當中兩首有Soprano sax(分別由Joshua Redman, Donny McCaslin負責)的作品更是特別動聽：
Joshua Redman Quartet ~ Second Snow ~ Spirit of the Moment: Live At Village Vanguard
Alon Nechushtan ~ Snow-Flow ~ Venture Bound
巧合的是今天我也罕有地拿了我的Soprano出來練習！

悼念融合爵士結他大師Larry Coryell

Larry Coryell在前幾天去世，老實說我對他的熟悉程度遠不如很多其他爵士結他手，他的Spaces一碟倒十分有印象，皆因那是十分精彩的融合爵士，另一張較新以上世紀中引發全美反種族隔離的民權運動的城市Montgomery為名的作品我也相當欣賞。今天聽了他和Flamenco結他大師Paco De Lucia合作的作品（收錄於Castro Marin一碟，原來算是冷門之作）想起五年前曾在紐約唯一一次看過他和兒子合作演出。

RIP Mr. Coryell

歷史之謎：冰島維京人定居格陵蘭後又消失

小時候沒有讀太多西洋史及地理，對Greenland（格陵蘭）及Iceland（冰島）兩個"big land"認識甚淺，總之就是荒蕪加冰凍。原來在地圖上兩者是鄰居：均位於Scandinavia以東。從國家地理網站讀到一篇文章指住在冰島的維京人曾於十世紀左右殖民格陵蘭，但其後抵逹的歐洲人卻完全沒有發現這些維京人的後人！該文章的結論如下：

400 多年後大環境不利下卻適應不及，支撐殖民地的農牧、狩獵、貿易體系全面崩潰，我們對這段過程的了解仍很有限。

期待將來史學家對此有更多發現和認識 。

It's OK to like Smooth Jazz

The title of this post actually came from an article by uDiscoverMusic. Obviously it's a reaction to many jazz snobs thinking it's NOT OK to like Smooth Jazz. I happened to be NOT one of them though. While I agree traditional jazz is certainly a "higher" form of art, it requires a great deal of musicianship to play smooth jazz well too. My saxophone (online) teacher Eric Marienthal is a good example of musician who excels in both genre. Anyway, that article was a good read for those who are not familiar with the origin, the pioneers/superstars and the history of the genre. I am already very familiar with it but I did learn from it a new player: guitarist Tyler Reese. I enjoyed his album a lot, which actually reminds me less of smooth jazz but more of the instrumental albums by the "shredders" (think Vinnie Moore or Stu Hamm) in the late 80s.