Tag: blog

Disconnected my Facebook

~ Veselin ~ 11 Comments

Facebook keeps flagging my posts as spam. I’m not sure how that happened. Is it an AI assuming that my achievement post about a walk under 10 min/km is spam? Maybe one of my followers on Facebook flags me? It doesn’t support any way to be challenged other than using court. The court process is not a path I want to pursue. That would take over a decade for my country, and I might be the first one in the whole country trying it.

What in a fitness achievement post with no links, on a site with no ads or affiliate links is spam, remains unclear. Facebook does Facebook things.

Here’s my response:

This is one of the reasons why the open web and WordPress are so important, and the walled gardens are evil. Facebook offers no way to challenge a decision like that. A blogger whose income depends on this connection could experience a detrimental impact. I lose access to promoting my posts to the 3-4 friends and family who check it on Facebook. Not pleasant but not terrible.

EDIT: I actually found a link that allows challenging the decision and clicked it.

Under 10 min/km

~ Veselin ~ 2 Comments

I was tired this weekend and couldn’t do a hike. I did a walk instead, and hit a new and unexpected milestone. First kilometer under 10 minutes since I started tracking.

I was in a hurry to end the walk so I can watch the Starship 5 flight. Ended up at home on time to see the booster catch live.

Here’s a proof of my achievement. I’ve tried doing that before and failed, even downhill. It just randomly happened today.

The digging machine

~ Veselin ~ Leave a comment

The municipality is building a new subway line near me. I wanted to see how they put in the giant tunnel digging machine. Kept going to the construction site during my daily walks, hoping to see something.

However, it seems like it’s delivered in pieces and assembled inside the hole. Won’t see the big thing without a drone. But I saw one fragment.

When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (if ever)?

~ Veselin ~ 9 Comments
Daily writing prompt
When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (if ever)?
View all responses

I certainly felt more grown up in my teenage years than in my forties. I’m not shy of playing football, chess, or uno. I read and collect gamebooks. However, if we try to be serious, maybe around 31.

I likely truly felt like a grown up when I faced life-altering uncertainty. One needs to crash, burn, and learn how to admire the beauty of life despite the temporary nature of everything. Needs to learn hot to be kind even in situations that do not inspire kindness. To appreciate the past, not only the future. That type of growth doesn’t happen overnight, it requires time, good examples by other people, books, and inspiration.

I don’t think that was quite possible before my 30s. I felt immortal back then.

Son of a Liche by J. Zachary Pike

~ Veselin ~ Leave a comment

Gorm Ingerson and his crew will fight a Liche, a super-powerful undead wizard who uses Marketing to scare and defeat his living enemies.

I was prepared for a bloodthirsty fantasy because the first part was one. Yet, the second part was not that. You have an actual character and relationship development here, with some of the heroes transforming quite a bit. There are funny moments. Zombies with feelings. Skeletons with goals. The downside is that the POVs change so smoothly that you never know what you’re currently reading. I found that annoying and remove one start because of it.

Overall, this was a better book than part 1. I may read part 3 as well.

Rated it 4/5 on Goodreads