User:Opus

From WikiPOBia

Current revision as of 04:12, 29 December 2008

Greetings

I post as Opus. In informal settings, you may call me Russ.

Personal

I am a middle-aged man living in one of the historic old cities of the Southeastern United States.

My profession is computer systems and database administration. Currently, I am an Oracle database administrator.

I also study political economics—primarily of the classic Austrian variety—and dabble in astronomy. Philately is an old, childhood hobby that I am trying to get back into.

Interest in Aubrey-Maturin Novels

I am fairly new to the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey-Maturin series. That is to say that having read the first of the series soon after the Master and Commander movie was released, I did not read any more in earnest until this month (December 2008). Earlier, the complexity of nautical terminology put me off, but the rich and exciting plot and highly developed characters—with particular interest in the dynamics of the relationship of Aubrey and Maturin—have captivated me for a sustained push through the series.

Other Interests

My literary interests are somewhat varied. The Lord of the Rings epic by J.R.R. Tolkien is a special study of mine, having read the entire canonical series (The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings) many times through. I have also studied Christopher Tolkien's History of Middle Earth. Many war histories are under my belt, with Winston Churchill's six volume The Second World War being my favorite. I especially enjoy Agatha Christie's Poirot mysteries, and—when I'm slumming—Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mysteries. There is also Grimm's Fairy Tales, which was meant for adults as well as children, and such other "juvenile" material as the writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the novels of Lucy Maude Montgomery. I have read all of the major novels of Jane Austen's several times as well as some of her other work.

My favorite books are:

Fiction:

1. The Silmarillion (and ancillary works) by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis
3. Silas Marner by Mary Ann Evans (a.k.a. George Eliot)
4. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Non-fiction:

1. The Gathering Storm (vol. 1 of The Second World War series) by Winston Churchill
2. Knowledge and Decisions by Thomas Sowell
3. Socialism by Ludwig von Mises
4. A Conflict of Visions by Thomas Sowell
5. The Supreme Court by William H. Rhenquist

ETC.

Everyone is invited to converse with me on my talk page.