Rob's Blog

What's Up

Haven't posted in a while. Recently attended the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Pretty disappointing. Very crowded, not all that interesting. Some beautiful TV's, many 3D, but who wants to have to wear glasses when watching television in your living room? Also, there were aisles and aisles of skins, earphones, and other accessories for iPhones and iPods.Talk about a cottage industry - more like a McMansion! If you want to see spectacular 3D, go see "Avatar" in 3D/IMAX. It's a great visual experience, with superb art direction and effects. The story wears a little thin by the end, but who cares. Didn't like "Crazy Heart" all that much, despite the good word of mouth. I found Maggie Gillyenhall unbelievable, though the music, and Jeff Bridges, were good. Been busy at work, but relaxing today watching football. Reading a biography of Einstein by Walter Issacson. Relatively (ha) difficult read, but worth the effort.

On Chesil Beach, by Ian McEwan

What a book! On Chesil Beach story relates the story, in painful detail, about the wedding night of a rather "proper" English couple. This is not a cheerful book, and things go very badly. It's fascinating to get inside the heads of both characters, and Ian McEwan does a remarkable, striking job. In this case, fiction seems to transcend reality. McEwan is also the author of the novel, now film,  Atonement, and he is a superb writer.

Two Great Books

Recently finished two really great books, both non-fiction, and definitely not light reading. One, A long way gone: Memoirs of a boy soldier, by Ishmael Beah. As the title implies, it is the story of a 12 year-old boy in Sierra Leone who gets "drafted" into the Government army to fight rebels in the early 90's. He witnesses and participates in horrific acts that no one, especially someone so young, should ever have face. Miraculously, he is rescued by UNICEF, and literally "tamed" back into society. He came to the U.S, attended Oberlin College (my alma mater, I'm proud to say), and wrote this remarkable book that should be read by everyone.

Another great book, going back to the early 1900's is called The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey , about a dangerous and nearly fatal expedition embarked upon by Roosevelt, his son Kermit, and others to map an unexplored tributary of the Amazon River. It is part history, part adventure story, part thriller. It reminded me Undaunted Courage, the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Highly recommend if you like this kind of book.