I was outside Pantler at River Valley Road today. There was a long queue and I did try to go in.

I just finished "The Trojan War" by Barry Strauss. I bought it two decades ago at Borders then.

I recommend it, it is a compelling read.

 I have been reading a lot of Japanese crime novels, all of which were borrowed from the library. 

 I managed to get my Scimitar Mk 2 in War Thunder recently, it looks to be a lacklustre vehicle.

 I have gotten the Jaguar 2, NASAMS and Merkava Mk 1 in War Thunder!

 I have been drawing and drawing! 

Paladin!

 I pre-purchased Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred expansion tonight. I gave the new Paladin class a try.

I have read forty-nine issues of Jane's Defence Weekly this year. I look to reading the three remaining issues eventually. I borrowed them all from the library.

 I went to get a new pair of running shoes. I had worn out my Salomon trail running shoes as well as my Xeno minimalist shoes, they both have numerous holes in them. The Salomon hasn't got much of a heel left, it is flat.

I got New Balance this time. I wonder about adapting to it.

 whee!

 "Head over Heels" by Tears for Fears has been a favourite since I heard it when I was in California in 1985.

 I will be back!

 There is not much to say now, maybe in October, I will say something.

 I have been exploring around the island for quite a bit.

 This blog isn't dead in case you are wondering. I haven't written anything for quite a bit that's for sure.

 The year has passed swiftly. It is already November!

The Hobbit Trilogy

I watched the three Peter Jackson Hobbit movies in the last few days on Amazon Prime. It is just one unmemorable action sequence after another, chase scene after chase scene. There is no artistry, nor gravitas nor drama. Disappointing.

And he has made the simple tale very bloated, the additions are unnecessary.

His favourite cinematic trick? The panning panorama with the camera. The entire thing is edited like a music video with fast edits, anything beautiful is just lost as one shot after another is piled on the viewer. I guess the commercial success of them means that there will be more of these kind of movies and that most people liked them. The backgrounds, whether painted or computer generated or digitally painted were mostly like that of a computer game though there were a few nice backdrops. A few.

What a mess.

An Unexpected Journey - 5/10
The Desolation of Smaug - 5/10
The Battle of the Five Armies - 5/10

At the Battle of the Five Armies, the ridiculous combat scenes and the toy sets out of a computer game were unconvincing. The fact that Thorin's company of dwarves could now decimate the orcs whereas they spent the first two movies running from a mere orc warband, in other words the lack of consistency. It is entertaining enough to an extent I guess. I watched them like how I would watch a cartoon. There is no magic in the movies. I get a sense of magic and wonder when I read the book.

 I was at UOB bank at Upper Thomson earlier today. It was very hot, the sunshine was glaring. Afterwards, I was at Da Pablo at Cluny Court for a while, talking to Siu Hean.