Vihren Hut

~ Veselin ~ 2 Comments

We tried and failed to go to Vihren peak this weekend. We got to the hut. The plan was to do Vihren hut – Vihren peak, which is 3.5h and +950 meters. However, the road to the hut is closed and there are frequent busses that go to it. We missed the bus and ended up doing Banderishka Polyana – Vihren Hut, which is +350 meters and 1-1.5h.

The attempts will continue but maybe next year. Vihren is no joke outside of the summer. The 24K steps we made were more than enough for us, and the thunderstorm that started at the end of the hike sealed the feeling that it wasn’t meant to be that day.

The storm washed our car perfectly well.

The Sum of All Men, Runelords #1 by David Farlang

~ Veselin ~ 1 Comment

“The Sum of All Men” is an epic fantasy set in a world where the strong and powerful can extort and extract skills from ordinary humans. The poor give up their intelligence, strength, or beauty in exchange for care and protection for themselves and their families. Once they make this sacrifice, they become disabled and are kept in storage until their rune lord dies.

This is the most brutal magic system I’ve read. Most of the gifts come at a great cost, causing severe suffering on the donors. It’s not a typical RPG-style system where taking a thousand strength gifts makes someone superhuman. The strongest gift is metabolism, which grants extraordinary speed but each gift taken reduces the lifetime of the lord.

The main antagonist of the story has taken tens of thousands of gifts from people and has superhuman strength, speed, and healing. His voice can make the strongest people submit to his will. He wants to conquer the world and become the sum of all men, a person with the talent of millions. The main protagonist is also a superhuman of a slightly different kind – one that can get away with anything. He understand that taking gifts is evil. Who is going to win?

The top review on Goodreads is by Mark Lawrence, the author of Prince of Thorns. If there’s a fantasy book more cruel than Runelords, it’s Prince of Thorns. Mark Lawrence gave it a 4, and I would agree.

4*/5

Relaxation

~ Veselin ~ 1 Comment
Daily writing prompt
How do you relax?
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I take breaks.

My long-term fitness goal is to do 10K steps per day on average over the course of a full year. It forces me to go out and not be attached to a screen. Do 20K steps on a good weekend day and I get a bonus – the strong desire to have a nap.

I read paper books. This way I disconnect and relax more than I would if I read e-books and am exposed to pings and distractions.

I don’t know if these methods are effective. Ask me in 10 or 20 years.

Out of flowers

~ Veselin ~ 6 Comments

The fall is coming. The flowers are being replaced by falling fruit. It’s less blog-worthy. The previous generations didn’t imagine a situation in which fruits will rot on the ground.

Grudge

~ Veselin ~ 3 Comments
Daily writing prompt
Are you holding a grudge? About?
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Within the family, I believe that arguments should be resolved before going to bed.

Regarding non-family, it’s more complicated. Holding a grudge means punishing yourself for mistakes others did and unfairness outside of your control. But then, how else do we respond to the negative feelings? Not sure.

Overall, it’s a dead end. Not good for anyone. Do not recommend.