Cats, good books, AI, and religious walking in the city of Sofia
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 read one of my books when I tried writing, provided feedback, and encouraged me to continue writing.
Rest in Peace, Kolin.
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 prince from another woman. Wolf Hall is a book describing how poorly he treated some of his closest people and how evil he was towards his queens. The point of view is Cromwell’s, a smart and ambitious guy with goals and incredible street wisdom. However, the main character is Henry’s ego which twists the world around it like a black hole. I disliked Henry VIII so much that it almost ruined the book for me, and the book is great. It’s well written, with a pace that makes it like a song.
This first part of the trilogy covers the period from Thomas Cromwell’s childhood to Thomas More’s demise.
5*/5
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, relying solely on instincts and preparation.
Unlike most phone games, an online chess game lasts minutes and is over. No need to check your armies, buy battle passes, or collect items. No dopamine releases, game loops, p2w upgrades, megaboxes. You can miss a month without chess and you won’t even notice it.
I also play Uno because I have a 5-year-old UNO master at home who insists on beating me.
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.
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 outcome.
ChatGPT agrees and says Sprezzatura is rated 9-10/10, while the work done with complaining is rated 4-5.
I encountered that word in Wolf Hall where the author refers to 1528’s The Book of the Courtier. Wolf Hall is a gem and I hope to dedicate a separate post to it once I finish it.
