Archive for March, 2010
Entertainment Value
Recent Purchases
When I first got back on Steam, I bought the Freedom Force double pack for two bucks, as you know. Ever since then, Steam has been gradually swallowing my lunch money, which is fine because it’s just my lunch money and I don’t actually eat lunch very often.
Since those early days, I’ve bought Far Cry 2, which I’m sure is not a bad game, but I’m really not in the mood for a shooter now. I played about an hour of it, though this is one I swear I’ll be back on in due course.
I’ve bought the Total War pack. I’ve always been interested in the series, but this is one where I wonder if I’ll ever get to. I know that strategy games are a component of my diet, but I wonder if this is the series for me.
I bought Serious Sam HD, because I thought I should have something to exercise my trigger finger with. In what brief time I could afford it, I realised very quickly that it’s actually not an easy game. (Silly me.)
I bought Trine. This has actually so far been my favourite purchase. I’d recommend it to anyone.
Hammerfight. Hmm, I like interesting indie games, and this certainly fits the bill. The fighting feels awfully random to me. I’m sure I’m just not skilled enough and my laptop mouse is just too tiny, but there is definitely the element that I don’t really have very much control over the outcome of the battle, so this has been a little suspect for me. I don’t exactly regret it, and in fact I think I might end up liking it in the future when I take the time to explore it.
I bought the Ben There, Dan That! and Time Gentlemen, Please! pair because I like such games, I’ve just come off a good experience with Machinarium, and I wanted to support them, but I’ve placed them in reserve (I don’t imagine that they’re too long) and am currently enjoying Toki Tori and Bob Came In Pieces. I like the chicken game better than the spaceship one so far, but they’re both charming in their own ways.
And I’m supposed to get back to Mass Effect 2 someday.
Awful
The days continue to be awful, which is why my growing game library is a welcome sight. (It fits nicely into that hour or so that I reserve for such entertainment every day or two.) It’s not school work. It’s so many other things, in a fairly complex issue. Yesterday I spoke to someone and I used the word ‘cost’, and then I realised that I knew inside of me that the fact that I’d used such a word implied that there are things that are going to be irreversible. I’m not sure what they are, and there is a slight sense of dread that I will have to find out.
But otherwise, everything has been pretty much normal.
Editor
Lorin Stein has been named successor to Philip Gourevitch as editor of The Paris Review. [via The Paris Review]
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Beckett On A Budget
Note: This was supposed to go up on 26 February. I don’t know why it didn’t but here it is now. Since then, I’ve received a new copy of Essays, but it’s still slightly damaged, though I suppose it’s something I can live with, and I can’t bring myself to trouble them again. I’ve also received The City And The City.
Here is a randomly arranged list of books bought recently:
- Essays, by George Orwell
The book arrived on Wednesday. It’s the sumptuous Everyman’s edition. I ordered it from the Book Depository, but it arrived somewhat damaged, with a crumped and folded dust jacket. I contacted the representatives and they gave me a very prompt reply. And while I’m sure it wasn’t the simplest thing to arrange, they were certainly able to help. I’m definitely shopping there again.
- Endgame and Act Without Words, by Samuel Beckett
I bought this from the NUS Co-Op, which either sounds like special forces or a chicken habitat depending on how you read it. It was cheap because school prices can usually be a bit better if it’s being used as a textbook.
- More Pricks Than Kicks, by Samuel Beckett
Again I got this from the NUS Co-Op, at half off, in fact. They’re having some kind of clearance sale now. Who would’ve thought I’d be shopping there like it was Kinokuniya?
- Dream Of Fair To Middling Women, by Samuel Beckett
This was found among a mess of books in the MPH store at Raffles City. They’re undergoing renovations soon and have used it as an excuse to get rid of many old copies of books. Actually, now that I think of it, I believe renovations have already started. It’s not in the best condition, but it was cheap and I think minor things like these add character.
- The Tempest, by Billy McShakespeare
Pelican Shakespeare edition.
- Nazi Literature In The Americas, by Roberto Bolaño
I was using this to test if the Book Depository would work well for me, and it did!
- Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keyes
Replacement for my old copy, which I’m either giving off or have already given off. This book was part of a reading programme I had in secondary school. It was probably the only book I really enjoyed and it became one of my first true loves.
- The City And The City, by China Miéville
I haven’t read anything by him before. I thought I should try. It hasn’t arrived yet. Probably later today.
- Nocturnes, by Kazuo Ishiguro
Pre-ordered. It’s the tiny paperback edition, also known as the student-on-a-budget edition. It should be coming in under a month.
As you will have noticed, I have been completing the Beckett section of my library with a trio of cheap books. I wasn’t specifically looking for him. It just fell into place that way.
I’m also very happy with my experience with the Book Depository so far.
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Adventure Quota
Sometimes…
I’m a really boring person. It’s just my nature. I write; I read books; I play some games; I enjoy being an armchair football pundit; I don’t garden, cook, play sports (just running). But yesterday, I did something very adventurous. Well, adventurous for me anyway. There was a rush of blood and I just basically ran away as soon as I’d done it like a scared little boy. But at least nothing horrible happened. And it wasn’t illegal. Or even ethically wrong. Whatever you think it is.
I think I’ve used up my adventure quota for the year though. It seems that I’ll never be Indiana Jones. Or the Doctor. Or Philip Marlowe. Whatever the outcome of yesterday’s adventure, though, I’m sort of glad that I did it. And I have to thank a friend for being there, if only just so I could laugh at him…
However, the whole incident has left me a little light-headed. My heart is still skipping beats. So I think I won’t write too much right now.
In the meantime, A.S. Byatt talks about Alice. [via The Guardian]
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Non-Leap Year
The Saints Go…
Oh new month. How exciting. Flip your calendars.
Monthly Stocktaking
With a new month, of course, comes new goals and objectives and whatnot. February was a good month in terms of work. Sure, the trend is that I’m on a decline in terms of productivity, but that was something I’d expected anyway. I’m doing okay, though this potentially life-changing week will probably have something to say about it. We’ll know more in a week or so, but for now, I can only hope that I won’t react too badly to anything that occurs in the imminent future.
In other words, it’s probably not too wise to make too many plans for the month. The best laid plans and all that.
In the meantime, I do have some other plans, and some of those have to do with my job prospects, so I’m looking into that. I’m also still in the midst of shifting my room, so some things will no doubt be underway soon enough. I have to go to the dentist too.
Of course, school will take place as well, and many things will happen, and we will all grouse and grumble, but it will happen. I’m managing. Not particularly well or particularly poorly, but simply managing.
Awful Days
These days, everything seems to be going wrong. Misaligned. Mussed up in some way that you can’t quite put your finger to. Have you ever experienced that? I think everyone gets things like this every so often, though, not being everyone, I can’t actually be sure. Fairly annoying, nonetheless.
I know that there’s a proper reason for all of it, of course, but I can’t really figure out what it is. It is most frustrating because I don’t mean to alienate anyone, so I try very hard not to, but it doesn’t always work. Is something changing? Some life perspective, some outlook, some character trait, perhaps? I don’t know, but it’s not exactly the most pleasant experience. In the meantime, I’ve put my trust into the things I know best–foolishly or not–whether it be music, art, or humour. I’ll also do everything I can not to offend anyone while I slowly figure things out. I mean, I’ve had more than two decades of civilisation. That has to be the least I can do.
Bookstore
Oh wow. What a lovely place. [via The Book Bench]
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