Of the books read by two artists

I was looking at the Goodreads pages of two local artists to see what they have read. One has read a few while the other has read a considerable number.

My observation of the books and comics that they have read are as follows:

1. The volumes that they have read are mostly visual volumes, consisting of art books, art instruction volumes and comics. There are few novels in their lists.

2. The ratings given are mostly 4 or 5 stars, with very few 3 stars. I guess they fear to offend when it comes to giving their true opinion. It is also possible that they are so heavily invested in the books that they have read that they give them high ratings, but it is unlikely for one of the artist given how many books he has on his list.

3. Comics form a significant amount of the volumes read.

4. Non-fiction volumes, except those for art instruction, seem to be close to non-existent. They either do not read them or they have not listed them. The former seems likely, they are likely to be extremely focused individuals.

Of the books read by two writers

I was looking at the Goodreads pages of two local writers to see what they have read. One of them has 1200 books and comics listed while the other has 800 of them.

My observation of the books and comics that they have read are as follows:

1. The ratings given for most of the volumes they have finished are usually 4 or 5 stars. For the few books that they disdain, they give a 3 out of 5. It appears that the two writers are usually diplomatic, and they probably cannot afford not to be. In my opinion, it will be better not to give ratings in this case, after all, if it were not accurate, why rate it?

2. They have a focus on the work of local and regional writers. I suppose it helps to know the competition and also the state of local writing.

3. A lot of the books they read are contemporary literature and crime fiction.

4. Both of the writers are into comics, the 'serious' kind, however, they would entertain a bit of Batman for some reason. Comics would not be a dalliance for them either given the significant numbers that they have read. Neil Gaiman's work seems to be a major preoccupation for the both of them.

5. I notice a distinct lack of non-fiction in their lists. It is as if the natural world around them do not exist. I guess they are just focused people or perhaps, they do not see a need to list them.

6. I think the two writers have works that straddle into the so-called realm of science fiction but their primary focus is not science fiction. I have not read their works, so, I won't say more here.

EPL Relegation battle 2013-2014

The relegation battle at the bottom of the EPL is as exciting at the contest for the title. There are many teams that can mathematically make the drop at this point. It seems a certainty that Cardiff and Norwich are going down, the question is which team will join those two?

I am not invested in any of the teams and I am alright with any of them going down.

Objectives in Battlefield 4

I recognise that I can spend far too much time on Battlefield 4 with little in return because of my tenacity in attempting to achieve what I can't do well. It is within the realm of possibility that much time can be wasted.

I shall set realisable objectives in Battlefield 4. I shall also deign not to spend too much time on them.

The first immediate goal would be to visit every single map in the game and every single expansion. In other words, I would experience the virtual world created in.

My next goal would be to look at the single player campaign and see if it were worth venturing into. If not, I would then continue with Operation Metro until I tire of the game. I shall have to limit the number of games played.

Upon finishing those, I would abandon Battlefield 4.

Afternoons in the sun

I miss walks in the Yorkshire Dales. I remember the broad expanse of the dales, the rolling distant hills and the villages I had visited then. Has it been so long since?

As I sit in my office, reminiscing of those endless afternoons, I am mindful of the passage of time, the imperative need to seize the day and not spend too much time online, in a virtual construct of which there can be little of import. Life is how one forges it, defines it and live through it.

Of Chelsea's victory over Liverpool

Chelsea parked two buses. Yes, Chelsea did. If I were the manager of the team playing Liverpool, I would not allow the free-scoring strikers of Liverpool to score, I would not play to their strengths, I would nullify it and play to mine.

What fool would let the other team dictate the game?

Chelsea's triumph has opened up the EPL race and may possibly doom Liverpool of certainty for a first title in twenty-four years.

Promotion battle

With regards to the promotion battle for the English Premier League, the first two positions are confirmed. It would be hilarious if Queens Park Rangers fail to attain the final spot.

Will more money be pumped in? Will the manager be sacked?

I am indifferent as to which team gets promoted. My preference would be for a team that has never been in the Premier League or Division 1 previously.

I had a wonderful walk by the seaside with Sweetie over the weekend. We had a nice dinner before that as well.

Calling time on Diablo 3

I think I will call time on Diablo 3 and Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls. I have had my fun. I can't see myself, in internet and gaming parlance, 'farming' for loot repetitively for the next few months.

It has gotten stale. I will move on to better things.

The Liverpool comedy

For the last twenty-four years, the fans of Liverpool F.C. had an expectant frame of mind, believing that their team were in the running for the league title. In the immediate years after their glorious decade of titles, it was realistic as the core of a good team was there. However, that belief was delusional once a few years had passed and the core of the team had eroded. It was comedic watching the fans proclaim possibly winning the title year after year. 

Twenty-four years after Liverpool F.C. had won, the team finally had a chance of their own making and they blew it. Hilarious! It was self-wrought, possibly no title for Mr Gerrard now.

Mourinho at Chelsea had outwitted Liverpool yet again. This season has been one of the most entertaining in decades, with Liverpool seemingly denied and the obnoxious fans of Manchester United (Manure) baying for blood, resulting in the spectacular sacking of David Moyes.

The David Moyes sacking

I have spent too much time reading football news this week. The David Moyes sacking has occupied my attention throughout. The entire comedy, a media circus as such, was played out in the space of a drawn out three days. It is not surprising that Moyes was aggrieved at his treatment by Manchester United aka Manure.

The drama will continue the next season when a new manager is appointed.

Singapore Indoor Stadium

I remember visiting this stadium twice. I was there once in the mid to late 90s for a Yanni concert. I was there in 2002 for a Pet Shop Boys concert too. I remember that the acoustics of the place wasn't ideal.

Installing Adobe Acrobat Reader

I remember the old days when Adobe Acrobat Reader was only about 4MB in size. Today, it is several hundred MB and installation is a long process, tying up system resources and more. Somehow, installing other programmes is not as painful as installing Acrobat Reader, except maybe for Java updates.

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls

I finished the adventure last night. I had expected the expansion to Diablo III to be short and it was short, extremely short. I finished it on Normal in under six hours spread over a few days.

At level 59, I am trying the Master difficulty level on Adventure Mode. When I hit level 60, I will try Torment I. I will toy around a bit more before stopping all play.

The expansion was fun, I hope to see another.

Sailing On The Seven Seas

Depeche Mode - Nothing's Impossible [Official Video]

I wish it were otherwise.

If only...

The weekend was too short. I wish I had spent more time with Sweetie. It didn't help that I was not feeling too good on Friday.

"Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric."

-Bertrand Russell,

Raffles Place - February 2013

Pet Shop Boys - Yesterday When I Was Mad