When I write book reviews, I often mention the level of realism. Imagine a scale from 0 to 10. 0 is complete BS, things that can’t happen, heroes that can’t exist, and a path from start to finish that’s like a fairy tale. 10 is a boring autobiography by a boring person who doesn’ … | Continue reading
Brutalism and socialism in one photo from my neighbourhood. This bridge goes to Sofia Tech Park where we recently held the WordCamp. | Continue reading
Drought is hitting hard in a small Australian town. The livestock is dying, the river is empty, and people are losing their minds. A man kills his wife and one of their children before turning the gun on himself—or at least, that’s what everyone thinks. But his childhood friend, … | Continue reading
It’s very hot here these days. Made all of my steps for the day in the morning and upset some kittens. | Continue reading
Bansko was full of life this weekend. I’ve never seen more people there in the summer in over 20 years of frequent visits. Prices were adjusted accordingly. It was nice and rained, unlike everywhere else. Sofia is like a hot brick in comparison. | Continue reading
When All the Girls Have Gone is a crime thriller by Jayne Ann Krentz. It’s flagged “Romantic Suspense” on Goodreads but there’s not much romance in it. There’s some in the continuation “Promise Not to Tell”. I picked the book primarily for the good name and wanted to learn what h … | Continue reading
My most common positive emotion these days is the sense of accomplishment when completing a todo item. Walking outdoors, blogging, and reading books are related to that feeling. I count my steps and the number of books I read. I keep a blogging streak and enjoy every comment. Als … | Continue reading
Here are some cool blogs to follow: Do you have a nice blog? Let me know, happy to follow good content and kind bloggers. | Continue reading
I only see a point in preparing for small, family-level emergencies. The big stuff I’d leave to the government. We stocked up some toilet paper and Fusilli during the early days of COVID-19. That didn’t work well. My lifestyle includes playing football and doing weekly hikes. Thi … | Continue reading
I bought this book because I wanted to read something like Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams. The book wasn’t that. It’s a very serious epic fantasy, closer to George R.R. Martin than Pratchett. Gorm Ingerson is a dwarf and a fallen hero, who abandoned his mission years ago. Once … | Continue reading
The Free Electron blog post was written by Michael Lopp 19 years ago and later published with additions to the book Managing Humans. It tells the story of extremely productive engineers and how to use that force of nature from a team lead point of view. I look back to it whenever … | Continue reading
It was peak season for blueberries today. We did a five-hour hike to Cherni Vrah. The sun was strong, and the berries were hot. For a second time in a row, couldn’t pay respect to Cherni Vrah’s bean soup. This time the queue was too long. Felt easier to skip it, eat later. | Continue reading
The path from Hotel Moreni to Aleko Hut is so good these days that I saw a baby in a stroller on this bridge. Babies are usually carried in special backpacks by their parents. Was too shy to take a photo so here’s the bridge sans people. You can get there by taking bus 66 … Conti … | Continue reading
A pedestrian underpass in Sofia was painted over the stone. The stone itself was covered with 50 years of graffiti. I saw the public criticism and decided to walk there during my lunch break. Here’s how it looked before: It’s not perfect but I like it painted. You have a surreal … | Continue reading
With the typical for Sofia mixture of comfort and decay. Speaking of which, here’s the story of the Cat Found meme. | Continue reading
Something like Starbucks. Expensive drinks, some snacks, and outlets for people to charge their devices. Convenient for remote workers to hang out for hours. I even looked into it about a decade ago, but the investment needed was absurd. It’s more like a comfortable fantasy than … | Continue reading
He’s like the Guardians of the Galaxy but less ambitious. I root for you, buddy. | Continue reading
I never imagined I’d ever read criticism of Dale Carnegie’s ideas in “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. However, this happened last month while reading a collection of essays by Umberto Eco. The collection is called “How to Travel with a Salmon and Other Essays”, and the … | Continue reading
The hiking split pace announcement triggered Siri today 🙂 I couldn’t reach the bean soup today. This image with Split Pea is the best I could do. The temperature reached 35°C yesterday. I went to the mountain optimistically dressed in a t-shirt, and shorts, armed with a b … | Continue reading
I love this writing prompt! Blogs can change the world. I see influential folks in Bulgaria do great things with their blogs. However, my site focuses on my journeys, discoveries, learnings, and experiences, it doesn’t aim to change the world. There are some evolving personal goa … | Continue reading
Ran out of boors and writing prompts this week. Enjoy a flower! 🙂 The photo is from Sozopoli. | Continue reading
My reading in July was diverse, I had modern sci-fi, classic sci-fi, urban fantasy, history, crime, and one Eco. Best books for the month (in that order): Worst books: I ranked the Eco with 3* but it deserves a post and I’ll write one when I have enough time to properly do it. A … | Continue reading
Work excluded, the answer is Rockets and Math. I recently rediscovered my interest in math and occasionally watch long math videos on YouTube. I’m subscribed to Mathologer, but I let myself be tempted by other YouTubers. The social networks noticed and started trying to challenge … | Continue reading
I have mixed feelings about graffiti. I prefer the buildings properly painted but the you find this. It’s cool. | Continue reading
Same place, 3 different points of view. Probably the most hipster area in Sofia that’s not yet conquered by tourists. My lunch had chicken and a bunch of unusual ingredients. Tasted well. | Continue reading
I had an awesome 2 weeks off and it felt awesome, I wish my vacation was longer. However, watching the health app, it’s full of red flags everywhere. 🔴 Made on average about 3K steps per day during the 2 weeks 📉, with a decrease in all activity and calory metrics& … | Continue reading
Someone left a broken CRT computer display next to the recycling bins. It brought memories. Back in 1998, my first color screen was like this, or very close to it. Same brand – Hansol, and the same look from behind. I don’t remember the exact model but I remember the smell of fre … | Continue reading
First hiking achievement post in 3 weeks. I reached Cherni Vrah and had beans there. The beans were nice. I took a longer path to the top, which was obscured by endless blueberries 🫐 and occasional raspberries. I’m surprised nobody ate them before me. And this is Sofia. O … | Continue reading
The Petralona Cave is a nice place to visit in Halkidiki. We went there on a hot weather day rather than on a rainy day, which was the original plan. The kids wanted to see a Minecraft cave and didn’t want to wait for the rain. They were right, it didn’t rain. I’ll bring them … C … | Continue reading
First visit to my favorite Starbucks in a few weeks. | Continue reading
We spent some of the hottest days of the year in Halkidiki. It was a nice break from the routine and the kids enjoyed it. The water was great this year. The area around Nea Kallikrateia is rural, with endless beaches, beach houses, olive trees, abandoned lots, and tavernas that o … | Continue reading
A brief essay as a response to this comment thread here, thanks to weirdo82.blog. Books can make things happen, prevent things from happening, and shape the thoughts of large groups of people. They allow you to see through the eyes of real and fictional characters who have experi … | Continue reading
Viv is a lady orc, giant and strong. She wants to retire from the bounty-hunting business and open a coffee shop. There will be challenges, mainly from doors to the past that are not closed. This book is written with the intent of being sweet. The author got tired of Epic Fantasy … | Continue reading
I’m reluctant to wish for changes in society given the history. Communism and other utopias were supposed to be improving the society and yet they brought tyranny and genocide. I wish society to be better, more tolerant, and more sustainable. I want it to have better education an … | Continue reading
The Bulgarian writer Lubomir Nikolov, also known as Kolin Wolumbury (Колин Уолъмбъри), passed away yesterday. He translated The Lord of the Rings into Bulgarian and wrote the first local gamebook – “Fire Desert”, leaving a mark on many who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s. He also … | Continue reading
Wolf Hall is the first book from Hilary Mantel’s trilogy about Thomas Cromwell. Henry VIII doesn’t like the idea of a Queen inheriting England’s throne. His only child is a girl and he’s given up on his wife to produce another heir. He’ll change the world to have a legitimate pri … | Continue reading
I play Chess. I’ve even attended some OTB tournaments (in person, phones off, real chess pieces). Chess is a game in which you primarily play against yourself. You get better by studying it rather than playing it. This makes it low-stress. You can move the pieces without thinking … | Continue reading
Just dropping a few recommendations of blogs I ❤️ and deserve following: Old Structures Engineering Journal – folks who post things about old buildings. I don’t know why I enjoy reading this stuff, but I do. War and Peas – cartoons. | Continue reading
From Wikipedia: “…the art of making something difficult look easy”. Curiously, the same work done with effortless grace and visible hard effort is perceived differently. Add a pinch of complaining and the good job can turn into a nightmare without any other change in the visible … | Continue reading
Both pets have good sides and can make a home a better place. However, after having a cat for over 17 years, I don’t think I would have another any time soon. The final 1-2 years were tough. The photo above is not my cat. She’s just cute and looks like a tiger. | Continue reading
It blossoms in two different colors! This flower is called “Night Beauty” in Bulgarian, or Marvel of Peru in English. Someone planted it on the way to the bus stop. | Continue reading
Daily writing prompt List 10 things you know to be absolutely certain. View all responses The universe exists Math exists Math can exist without a universe Math can eventually explain the universe Everything that has a beginning has an end You can’t cross the same river twice Act … | Continue reading
The Fourth Monkey is a serial killer thriller where a psychopath avenges the past by murdering women. A team of dedicated police officers races with time to save a teenage girl who was kidnapped. Objectively, it’s a good serial killer horror thriller, although it’s unlikely that … | Continue reading
4 orphans are hired by a low-level Brooklyn crook and grow up under his wing to become his employees. One day he’s murdered, and the biggest misfit decides to go after the killer. The only issue is that our investigator has Tourette, OCD, and has severe problems interviewing witn … | Continue reading