Monday, May 24, 2010

A Good Summer Read...

Here's one that's on my ever increasing summer reading list:  That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo.  I really enjoyed Russo's Empire Falls for which he earned a Pulitzer.  I'm looking forward to reading his latest.

Library Journal Review:


Joy and Jack Griffin head to Cape Cod to attend a friend's wedding, where their daughter Laura announces her own engagement. Sensing the malaise in their 30-year marriage, the Griffins decide to reconnect by visiting the B & B where they once honeymooned. Their arrival in separate vehicles seems symbolic of the discord in their hearts and minds. Jack, still coming to terms with his father's death and bristling at his mother's constant criticism, feels restless in his career as a college professor,wondering whether he should have left a lucrative screenwriting gig in L.A. Joy, chafing at Jack's implicit displeasure with her sunny disposition and maddening family, longs for an empathetic listener. Russo lovingly explores the deceptive nature of memory as each exquisitely drawn character attempts to deconstruct the family myths that inform their relationships. Verdict The Griffins may not find magic on old Cape Cod, but readers will. Those who savored Russo's long, languid novels (e.g., Pulitzer winner Empire Falls) may be surprised by this one's rapid pace, but Russo's familiar compassion for the vicissitudes of the human condition shines through.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Web 3.0

Here I was thinking I was current with Web 2.0, now there's 3.0!
Check out this video:

Web 3.0: A Story of the Semantic Web by Kate Ray features interviews by researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators in a 14-minute documentary highlighting the evolving Web 3.0.




The Week in Rap 5-21-10

Week In Rap 5.21.10 from Week in Rap on Vimeo.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Monday, May 10, 2010

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.

Here's one I'm adding to my ever increasing summer reading list.  It's won this year's Pulitzer prize.


"At times stern, at other times patient, at times perceptive, at other times in sad denial, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town of Crosby, Maine, and in the world at large, but she doesn’t always recognize the changes in those around her: a lounge musician haunted by a past romance; a former student who has lost the will to live; Olive’s own adult child, who feels tyrannized by her irrational sensitivities; and her husband, Henry, who finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a curse.


As the townspeople grapple with their problems, mild and dire, Olive is brought to a deeper understanding of herself and her life – sometimes painfully, but always with ruthless honesty. Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition – its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires."