The music I listened to in 2023

Unlike my post for the music in 2022, I don’t have clear top 3 albums for the year. Probably I have a clear #1, and many, many albums that I enjoyed throughout the year, but didn’t have enough time to listen for long enough to be able to build an ordered list.

It will be shorter post too.

Clear #1 album in 2023 for me is Insomnium’s “Anno 1696”. Do not get me wrong, it is not as good as their previous two albums. But as far as I am concerned, I haven’t listened to a better album released in 2023. Insomnium are most likely my favorite band at the moment. With so many good albums in a row, I always come back to their music. On top of it, I saw them at Graspop 2023 and they were amazing. For a “sad boi” band, they had great stage presence and connection with the audience (not to mention how well they sounded).

The rest is a list of good albums released throughout the year, that I don’t feel is right for me to put in an ordered list, as I don’t think I listened to much of them to decide how I like them the most.

Let me start with Saturnus and “The Storm Within”. These guys brought me back in time when I was starting to listen to Doom Metal and bands like My Dying Bride. These album is amazing for its genre (and not only for it). I love the melancholy in it.

Then we have Steel Panther‘s “On the Prowl”. Their previous album was, and there is no other way to put it, terrible. They are so much of a fun band, so I am very happy to hear them back to form. And I am looking forward to seeing them again live this year at Graspop. They are very good on their albums (bar their previous), very good musicians indeed. But seeing them live is completely different level 🙂

There is Fires in the Distance with their “Air Not Meant for Us“. I discovered that I love this album quite later in the year. My bad. Really good melodic death.

Then we have the band with the worst name ever: Sodomisery and their 2023 album Mazzaroth. Another remarkable piece of melo-death that I discovered late in the year. The name aside, these guys definitely know how to play and create good songs.

And last of the albums that really made impression on me are another melo-death band: Genus Ordinis Dei with “The Beginning”. Not pure melo-death, and this is the first time I heard this band and I was impressed. Quite powerful music.

There are few other albums worth mentioning in passing but will not go there as this one is too long already anyway. Strangely, considering my usual musical taste lives exactly in the small area around melo-death, my 2023 albums’ playlist has plenty of black metal bands. I guess a quirk in my tastes.

As a conclusion, 2023 turned out to be rather good year for my musical taste, albeit with nothing that will blow my head off. Just many good albums that I enjoyed. I saw Rammstein live (it was amazing), and I enjoyed Graspop 2023, just like I did enjoy Graspop 2022.

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2022 and its music

I would like to start with “Long live AMG“. The best music related site in the net 🙂 If it wasn’t for it, and for its amazing authors, I wouldn’t have known for at least one album in my top 3 list, and for probably 5-6 that are now in my top 10 list.

With that said, let’s start with the album that really, really disappointed me in 2022 released music – Megadeth and their “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead”. Probably it was because their previous album, “Dystopia” was tremendous, I had some expectations for Megadeth’s 2022 release. I was to be disappointed. 2022 album is complete bore of Megadeth’s attempt to create “something cool”. Being Megadeth fan for many years, I really hope the next one will bring them to the right path.

There, I took it off my chest, so let’s move to something more interesting – the top 3 albums that I enjoyed throughout 2022.

Number 3 on my list is Allegaeon – DAMNUM. At first, I didn’t pay much attention to this album. Took it for granted so to speak. But I am a sucker for well played brutal music with the occasional melody, and the more I listed to this one, the more I realized it hits hard. So there, a good, one hour listen

Number 2 is a band I never heard about just couple of months ago. Now that I know about them, I went and listened all of their prior albums. Not really impressed. Actually, less than impressed. However, Disillusion and their “Ayam” is nothing short of brilliant. The sound, the vibe, the music. All comes together and it just leaves you wanting more of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Icp-CSVhrKc

And there, we reach my album number 1 for 2022, and it is Aeternam – Heir of the Rising Sun. Aeternam is a band I stumbled upon by accident quite few years back, and have loved their brand of Death Metal with middle eastern motives. But their previous albums, albeit all of them good, didn’t have the “thing” that elevates an album above the usual, good sounding, headbanging type of album. Not with with the “Heir of the Rising Sun”. It is THE THING. For a change to most of the albums that I like, I loved this one at first listen. And I still do, after 100+ listens.

2022 was all-in-all, good year for the music I lite to listen to. Found many new bands to listen to. Bands I like released I albums I liked. Long may it continue now, in 2023

And for wrapping it up – I loved that I managed to go to Grasspop 2022 and bang the old head 🙂 I even took the kids with me, a win!! After so many years marveling to their music, watching Mercyful Fate live for the first time was an experience that I really cherish. And the cherry on the top was, that these guys sounded great live, and King Diamond had his voice cleaner and stronger than 10+ years ago when I watched him in Sofia. Let’s see how Grasspop 2023 will improve on the experience 🙂

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2022 and my OKRs

As modern day asks for, one has to have big aspirations. “Audacious” goals. OKRs (Objectives and Key Results for normal people. Or “I really wanna do it, but I am too lazy to try”). So I do too.

I set them in the beginning of the year, and then as I am a normal person, I almost fully forget about them. By March all is forgotten 🙂

And here is 2023, and let me review the OKRs I set in 2022. I have them separated in 4 categories/objectives, and I have 5 Key Results for each objective. So let’s see how I did:

  1. Fitness – “mens sana in corpore sano” so to speak 🙂 Generally positive results here, above average…
    • Run no less than 1200 km in 2022 – that one is easy to quantify. I ran 1125km i.e. 93% of my goal. All in all, not bad.
    • Finish at least one full marathon in 2022 – I did. For whatever reason a failed in reaching a good result, but hey, I finished Berlin 2022 and I like Berlin as a city even more now 🙂
    • Swim 2km crawl by end of 2022 – failed miserably. Didn’t even reach a pool to try for it.
    • Reach 50 VO2max on running and sustaining it for at least a month (or increase it), by end of 2022 – only 46 at the end of 2022. Considering I started at 42, it is not a bad result, but far, far away from the goal
    • Reach 53 VO2max on cycling and sustaining it for at least a month (or increase it), by end of 2022 – wrapped up 2022 at 51. Now that was surprising 🙂 Well done me.
  2. Knowledge – increase it, improve it, use it – terrible, terrible results. nothing done. Shame on me 🙁
    • Learn basic API Gateway usage by end of 2022
    • Develop at least 5 automation scripts utilizing ST API by end of 2022
    • Develop at least 5 automation scripts in Python by end of 2022
    • Prepare at least 3 presos for the team on various learning subjects (company, world, economics, etc.) by end of 2022
    • Attend one Python course by end of 2022
  3. Culture – what life it is without arts. Oh, wow. I did relatively well here. Didn’t expect it when I set these goals back in 2022 🙂
    • Read/Listen at least 25 books by end of 2022 – finished the year with 33 read. Quite unexpected I should say
    • Finish StarCraft II by end of 2022 – naah, never had time to play
    • Attend at least 2 Operas by end of 2022 – no operas in 2022.
    • Attend at least 3 theaters by end of 2022 – 6 or 7. That was productive year for watching theaters 🙂
    • Win against Civilization on higher difficulty level than Prince by end of 2022 – naah, stayed at Prince for all year. Still beating it though
  4. Family – yeah, kind of the whole purpose of it all, isn’t it 🙂
    • Establish mountains walk habit with Ani by end of 2022 (one walk per week) – kind of worked. I will pat myself on the back 🙂
    • Help with the apartment activities – nothing done, and probably for the better 😀
    • Help Kaloyan in acquiring deeper knowledge in Python/IT by end of 2022 – hey, pushing him to start learning C++. This counts for something 🙂
    • Help Tervel in acquiring deeper knowledge in Python/IT by end of 2022 – that would be a goal for 2023 🙂
    • Help Tervel/Kaloyan with their fitness (50 pushups, 200 squats, 3 min in plank) – these will be a stretch for them but they are near. both are in good physical shape. a lot better than in 2021. So I will count it as win 🙂 🙂

If I we assume all of those having same weight, it seems I’ve reached my OKRs for 2022 at 49%. Nothing earthshattering but being no slouch either. All in all, I should have done better on few of all these (completely failing at the “knowledge” category is no good at all. For shame, for shaaaame), yet it is kind of understandable, now that I look back at the year and how it went.

Moving on to 2023, and time to write the post with the OKRs for it. Eventually…

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Pānis et Circēnsēs

<rant>

If you are a soccer fan, you have heard about the European Super League. If you are a sports fan, you also have heard about the European Super League. Hell, even if you don’t care about neither soccer, nor sports you most likely have heard about the European Super League.

And yes, I consider myself a soccer fan. Not big one. Armchair fan. But fan, nevertheless. And the whole kerfuffle around ESL was something that entertained me at the time it was announced. And it entertains me even now. Hence the post 🙂

The story, if you listen to the media, or read the social networks, or hear it from those vocal fans that expressed their views quite clear, is that the bad rich owners of 12 European soccer clubs, decided to steal (or kill, depending on who you ask) the game from its rightful owners, and use it to become richer, and bad-er. And then richer, and richer. And all that at the expense of the “real” game, and the “real” fans who would be used as cash cows and just used and abused… And the common people rose against the bad riches, and won, bringing the game back to where it belongs. Back to the people.

Or if you listen to UEFA, the story evolves around 12 treacherous snakes who stabbed the great stewards of the game (that UEFA are) in the back, and went to be richer and bad-er snakes.

Or if you listen to the local countries’ story, it was all about 12 evil money grabbers who wanted to syphon to goods of the local leagues without leaving anything back. Basically to become richer and bad-er.

The story of the clubs is similar, but with a different twist – yes, they wanted more money for sure, but it is only because they are facing extinction and the money they make today are not enough for their survival in the long run. So for them, it is about the money indeed, but money for survival.

And the third point of view is about the soccer liberators – the fans. They saved this beautiful game from the perils and indignation of greed. They saved the “Cold wet windy night at Stoke City” (google it, if you don’t know what it means) and didn’t let soccer become just another game ruled by money… oh, wait…

I mean, seriously?

If there is a sport that is ruled by money, it IS soccer. Just look at the games’ calendar – matches are only added to it, not removed. Do you think it is because the players really, I mean really, want to play Wednesday-Saturday cycle? Does those liberators of the “real game” know what is it for a professional athlete to recover from such grueling schedule? Of course they will recover, they receive millions, and millions. It is scientifically known for years that the more money you make, the faster your body recovers from the stress of professional sports. Or not. Just for the last 4 years, we have seen the “National League” being created (as if there aren’t enough of those boring games), and now the UCL adds more games to its schedule. On top of the domestic leagues and cups. On top of the so-called Clubs World Cup. And hey, why not stage a World Club in the least hospitable place in the world for outdoor activities, and then just kill all club soccer schedules just because we realized that it actually is better if games are not played at 40 degrees Celsius (or more)? And we are doing this all for the sake of the beautiful game, the true football. For nothing else.

The “real football”, if it every existed, died the day the Champions League was created. No longer those pesky Eastern European (mainly) teams would be allowed to get in the mix with the royalty of the great soccer teams of the elite. Who needs to watch them, right?

Please, someone from those protesting fans explain to me, how the Champions League is different from the Super League in terms of making the rich – richer and poor – poorer. It alludes me.

But Kosta, the money from the Champions League are spread across the teams that participate, even at the lower rounds, I will hear you say. And guess what it creates? It creates local monsters that dominate local leagues, only to go 1-2 rounds in the UCL to receive more money to dominate the local league again.

Not to mention the money UCL generates for UEFA, which then go to domestic federations creating exactly the organizations that can never be reformed because it will stop the flow of the money.

But Kosta, you will say, the _small_ teams still have a shot at the UCL, in the Super League there wouldn’t have been no “small” teams. And for that, I would encourage you to visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Champions_League (and the linked pages from there) and see for yourself which are the teams that reach the quarterfinals and up, year after year since 1992. And check the same before 1992. Check if Steaua ever beat Barca in a final after 1992. Check if Crvena Zvezda ever won it after 1992.

Money. Follow the money… It is always about the money. The earlier fans admit that to themselves, the quicker they will understand how the modern world of soccer works. And they might finally see how they were used as pawns in UEFA’s fight for relevancy and survival against the powers of normalcy. Cause that’s exactly that, the “true football” is no more.

And before I continue, let me address the “world” part of soccer. Cause soccer doesn’t only exist only in Europe. And I am not knowledge enough to say for sure, but _it seems to me_ that it is with the introduction of UCL that the South American soccer bleed into Europe became incontrollable. It is with UCL that African soccer’s bleeding into Europe exacerbated. I don’t know, it just seems to me.

I, for once, wanted to see _some_ change in the way soccer is governed. _Some_ change (decrease) of the number of games throughout an year. _Some_ change in the way a sugar daddy can buy a club, pour money into it and win everything (FFP was supposed to addressed that and failed miserably). And the Super League offered this particular change – it would take power off UEFA. It would take power off the sugar daddies in the European soccer. It had the chance to set a _more level_ playing fields for the teams participating in it, which would have inevitably lead to the same in the teams that are not part of it. It had the chance to create a sustainable business model for soccer clubs so they are not one step from bankruptcy (or seek a sugar daddy) if they want to be successful.

And to everyone who protests for the “clean” game, and for 50%+1 ownership of fans, let me say the ugly truth in no uncertain terms – there is no fan out there who desires anything but success for their club, and the way every single on of them sees success being achieved is by pouring money (oh, that word again) into a club, with expecting nothing in return. And that’s what sugar daddy club owners do.

Look at Newcastle fans and their “love” for the club’s owner, despite the man pouring millions of pounds into it. As if the said club would have even been a viable member of the Premier League without him.
Look at Arsenal fans protesting their club’s ownership and Wenger (back at the time) – while missing the point that their clubs is one of the most well organized and the only reason they are not having “success” is because they are playing against teams not following normal business rules. So the fans protest, and want owners that do not follow normal business rules. Oh, the irony.
You haven’t seen Chelsea fans protesting against their owner did you? Yeah, sure, they staged their “protests” against the Super League participation, but against the owner who actually signed them up for it? No, sir, no way. He might take his toys and leave.
You haven’t seen Man City fans protesting, did you?

It is the ultimate irony that the biggest protesters are fans of clubs who are well ran businesses who will endure and somewhat endure against the clubs that are simply money throwing pits. And whomever thinks (or insists) that clubs are “soccer institutions” and not “businesses”, I would tell them to talk with the fans of the bankrupted “soccer institutions” to see what their opinion would be to have proper businessmen as owners…

This one became disjointed and incoherent text, just like a proper rant would be 🙂 Long time ago, romans gave everyone bread and circuses so the rulership endures and the people are content. Today, we have bread but we long for entertainment. And everyone who vies for public’s attention is ready to give us as much entertainment as they can. The whole story of ESL is the sad and unfulfilled drama that could have lasted years, and years of court battles, disaster PR and protests. And yet, it ended with a whimper. And the only thing that remains for me is to just write this rant, and forget about it. On to the next circus 🙂

</rant>

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Weird (Song of the day: Arch Enemy: Eagle Fly Free)

I find it weird, that I still associate my thinking with lyrics like in this song, yet I am (sort of) high ranking manager i.e. part of system… And yeah, the song (and lyrics) are cheesy, I know 😀

When I was born the seed was sown
I will not obey, my life is my own
Battle rules, which do enslave me
Exposed lies that enrage me

I don’t believe in heaven
I don’t believe in hell
Never joined the herd, could not adjust well
Slave, master, it’s not for me
I chose my own path, set my self free

I, I go my own way
I swim against the stream
Forever I will fight the powers that be

I, I go my own way
I swim against the stream
Forever I will fight the powers that be
The eagle flies alone

Reject the system
That dictates the norm
This world is full of lies and deceit

I ask my own betrayal
Cut so deep, suffered defeat
Only to rise again

I, I go my own way
I swim against the stream
Forever I will fight the powers that be

I, I go my own way
I swim against the stream
Forever I will fight the powers that be
The eagle flies alone

ALONE!

I, I go my own way

I swim against the stream
Forever I will fight the powers that be

I, I go my own way
I swim against the stream
Forever I will fight the powers that be
The eagle flies alone

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The mandatory start-of-the-year post

So, here I am back from the wilderness, writing to wrap up 2019, and start 2020. Let’s see…

2019 was, again and just like 2018, a good year. Still alive, still relatively healthy, still in love with my wife, and still with great kids (who by now are starting to give me an idea how was I when I was growing up :)). Some bonuses here including my mom and dad, and brother being good and healthy.

Traveled (not as much as in 2018), worked. Played (tennis, but not much), ran. The usual things.

I had some challenging goals for 2019, so let’s see:

Starting with the books. Slowly getting in shape, reading more and more:

Looks good. I also found out that on some occasions, Audible i.e. audio books, work for me too. If the narrator is good, that is. And the best book I “read” this year came in the form of audiobook, narrated by the author, and is simply fantastic. Principles.

The running goals were hard. And yet – nailed them 🙂

  • Run a total of 1200 km by end of 2019 – ran 1300 🙂
  • Run a half-marathon every month during 2019 – did it. That June one was tough
  • Marathon PR at Chicago – check . Closer to what I want, but still a lot of room for improvement

2020 is starting. As I have been reading about OKRs lately, I will set some of those for 2020. I have quite a few things that I need to do – read more, train more, work more (I have quite of knowledge to catch up with), and most importantly find ways to be a better father. Striving to be a better husband is a must too (yes honey, of course honey :)) So, plenty to do. Between the daily grind.

2020, here I come 🙂

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I am above

This song just blows me away. The whole combination of the lyrics, the music, and the clip just makes it into so much explosive cocktail. And I don’t even like In Flames that much these days. To see the kind-of-bad guy from Mr. Robot, his facial expressions, just so much match the song ethos… Just…

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2018, recap

All in all, 2018 was good year. Even if it started terribly. Actually, if I had to do this recap in April/May, I would have said that it was terrible year. And yet here I am, and the year turned out to be one of the better years in my life 😉 As the old saying goes, do not judge the day by the morning… or whatever it says 🙂

I had been conservative in my goal setting for the year so I had only couple hard goals – read 10 books (after 2 years of very low reading numbers), and run 1000 km (after 3 years of being close to this number). Both completed:

As life turned out, I actually (practically, if not formally) achieved a goal I set myself more than 10 years ago that I already gave up achieving (even if I continued with my efforts to it). The little ironies in life.

Finished Berlin marathon. One of my best experiences in life:

Not with the speed I wanted and trained for (maintained it until 25th km), but hey, when your body tells you to slow down, you do that. At the end of the day, the body and I will co-exist for (hopefully) a bit more time, and have the opportunity to finish many more marathons. Which brings us to the next lifetime goal – finish all 6 big marathons. 2019 Chicago marathon is next.

The family I have remains strong, healthy and great. Long may it continue. I lost my grandma. I will miss her. I miss her. and this is how life goes 🙁

And here we are at the end of the year 🙂 Onwards and upwards to 2019…

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Freeeeedooooom :)

To quote:

I would love to turn you loose
I know you can’t stand to be micromanaged. And that’s good, because I hate to micromanage. But freedom is earned, not given. Show me you can fly on your own and I’ll gladly focus on something or someone else.

In fact, if you feel I’m micromanaging you, tell me. Say, “I can tell you don’t quite trust me to handle this well. I understand, so I’m going to prove to you that you can trust me.”

Pull that off and not only will I get off your back… I’ll respect you even more.

Aah, the truth… 😉

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Premier League season ahead ;)

I was so damn wrong about the World Cup 2014. I expected dull month. We were served a month of entertainment and fun football. Thinking back, I am not able to remember more entertaining World Cup than this year’s one. And I remember pretty much all of those since 1986. So that was quite pleasantly unexpected. And on top of it – I correctly guessed the finalists (despite being dead wrong on elimination phase predictions :)) and then my favorite team won (which made it even better as I expected them to lose). So in summary, the football year so far has been fun.

And now, the new season of English Premier League is about to start. I am anxious about it. Will Liverpool sustain the level from the previous season? Please… 🙂

Can’t wait for Saturday and the first game… Let the more fun begin.

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Там Зад Ъгъла…

Там зад ъгъла където
Времето застинало стоеше
С крак връз крак и бутилка във ръцете.
Там зад ъгъла където
Кронос на мухлясало вонеше
И Атлас се бореше със свод на раменете.

Там зад ъгъла където
Озирис претегляше делата
На мъртъвци покрити с плесен.
Там зад ъгъла където
Сет изяждаше телата
Под стоновете на надгробна песен

Там на ъглов бар седя
Сервира ми барманът прашен
Пия коктейл “Разбита мечта”
Пълен с мухъл някогашен
Животът ти изглежда страшен
Но кой ли би поискал кръст
Имам ли вид на уплашен?
Как ли би изглеждал ти покрит със пръст

Там зад ъгъла където
Вечността е домакиня
На самотник със невидимо лице.
Там зад ъгъла където
Потънало във черна тиня
Окъпано във кръв е моето сърце.

Там зад ъгъла където
Хамлет продължава да се чуди
Затворен в замък от лъст и мечти.
Там зад ъгъла където
Спяща красавица не ще се събуди
И където Пепеляшка по принца си вечно ще скърби.

Там те чакам, но защо ли
Маската ми е в разплакани бои ?
Обичам те, но късно е нали ?
Там зад ъгъла и твоят принц стои.
Нека кули пясъчни строи
А аз ще търкам стола мръсен.
Обичам те, не го ли разкри ?!
Дайте ми да пия ! Стана късно.

Там зад ъгъла където
Във дворец от красота
Избиват се и обичат боговете.
Там зад ъгъла където
В пелена от самота
Те чакам, там зад ъгъла където
Аз те чакам …

Чакам …

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ИСКАМ ПЪЛНА ЧАША

Добър вечер, добре дошли на веселбата
Бакхус, Хадес давам ви душата
моя, изтерзана, нека бъде ваша,
Но първо ми сипете пълна чаша.

Къде ли сбърках ми кажете,
Озирис, Один моля говорете.
Докато слушам, за загрявка,
Искам пълна чаша с подигравка.

Да поговорим честно и открито
За знания дълбоко скрити.
На цигара със марихуана
Сипете ми със мъка пълна кана.

Пушейки канабисчето ведро
Обещания ми дайте щедри.
Ще ми се докато се дрогирам
Пълна чаша с радост да надигам.

Ще се задоволя и със хашиш
Но какво ще ми дадете за бакшиш?
Смърт ли? Или лековита течност?
Аз пък искам пълна чаша с Вечност.

Болката – мистичната подправка,
На щастието, унила подигравка
Със живота. И отново
Искам пълна чаша със отрова.

Летален изгрев, последна светлина
Бутилка пълна, с етикетче “ТЪМНИНА”
Ще ми се да пия кръвчица от вампир,
Или просто пълна чаша със любовен еликсир.

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song of the day: Marillion – The Last Straw

🙂 So many years later, still one of the best albums ever… And the text of this song still deeply in touch with my thinking…

And if you ever come across us don’t give us your sympathy
You can buy us a drink and just shake our hands
And you’ll recognize by the reflection in our eyes
That deep down inside we’re all one and the same

We’re clutching at straws
We’re still drowning Clutching at straws

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Дали

Дали да скоча от балкона,
Дали ще мога да летя?
Дали да плюя на закона
(Нютонов) И да сбъдна таз мечта?

Дали пък няма да се сплескам,
И да взема да умра?
Чашата си пълна да разплискам,
сметката да си платя.

Дали да дръпна спусък,
Да си пусна палавник-куршум?
И кой ще оцелее в този сблъсък,
Желязото или скъпоценният ми ум?

Дали с въже около врата
Да открия красотата да висиш?
Да погледна на света
Отгоре, с весело изцъклени очи.

Дали мечтите да вградя във кула,
Да я изградя насред нощта?
И там под черно-бяло було
Невяста да ми е Смъртта.

Дали от мъка да препия?
Дали Паметта си със забрава да залея?
Дали от мъка самотен да изгния?
Дали от мъка, за по-весело да поживея?!

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Careless, Reckless, Using Excessive Force

And as I am in the mood, let me post something else. Again in English. I type faster in English 🙂 In my favorite topic – soccer.

So yesterday, there was a game between teams that are not so dear to me. One of them, playing in red, being the mortal enemy and all other soccer cliches for my favorite team and the other, having the luck of being managed by the most annoying soccer manager ever. So I didn’t watch the game. Just watched some highlights as I usually do when I don’t care who wins or loses but still think the play itself will be and worth the 5-10 minutes of watching.

And then it started – first it was the so called commentators on the telly, then it was my FB friends and then the English soccer media. All of them with the endless narrative of “this player was shown an unjust red card”. For this challenge:

nani

So I thought. Let’s read the rules of the game. And I did: http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/afdeveloping/refereeing/law_12_fouls_misconduct_en_47379.pdf:

Reckless” means that the player has acted with complete disregard of the danger to, or consequences for, his opponent: a player who plays in a reckless manner shall be cautioned
Using excessive force” means that the player has far exceeded the necessary use of force and is in danger of injuring his opponent: a player who uses excessive force shall be sent off

Look at the picture (or just find a video in the net). Read the two lines above. It is that simple.

The problem with the two lines above is not that they are wrong. The problem with the above two lines is that soccer referees are not following them consistently. The rest is media and fan talk. But please – before talking, read the rules. Reading shall set you free.

PS. In the meantime, Nigel De Jong sues Nani for copyright infringement.

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Exclusive: End of the world approaching – Yahoo! employees required to work in the office

It has been a while since I posted here. And here is a post in English 🙂

So there has been great disturbance in the force recently. Or so they say. The sith lord(ess) of Yahoo!, Darth(ess) Marissa issued a decree that hereby orders her subjects that they work from their Yahoo! office and no from the cozy location of their homes. In short, the end of the world is approaching.

I mean, really???

Reading the tech press, FB blog posts, even a random post in Internet that triggered my deeper thinking on the topic and eventual posting here, you would believe that that the current Yahoo! CEO is the devil in disguise who bestows some hellish practices on her noble subjects.

I mean, really???

I guess I am old fashioned. Both in my managerial and regular-life thinking, but I can help but wonder, when did working from home became so important? When did working in the office became evil? But most importantly, when did we, the outsiders, became so self assured and so self important to cast (and shout loudly) our views upon those “in the know”? When?

Conventional wisdom… Entitlement… Self importance… Modern media… Memes…

There we have a CEO of a company in deep turmoil just less than an year ago. A company that has been going down since it heydays, more than 10 years ago. Imagine that. Going down for ~ 10 years. Now imagine that you are hired to turn around the trend. To make a company, still huge, that has been “the loser” for some odd 10 years, join the exclusive winners club. Are you going to do some bold decisions? Do you think bold decisions are needed?

And then this huge outcry for something so small. So logical. So boring should I say. Both – the decision and the outcry 🙂

When you are steadying the ship, you are supposed to start with the sailors, aren’t you? I mean, the ship is just a wood. It goes where sailors take it. So I would just guess. A little guess. That having the sailors around the captain’s deck and ON THE SHIP will actually help. You know, talking to them. Have them talking to each other. Having them knowing each other. Rough them up a bit…

It doesn’t *seem* to have anything with productivity, creativity and any other buzz words one must think of. It *seems* related to the old fashioned steadying the ship… And hell, Yahoo!’s ship surely needs quite steadying.

So here I am writing my first post in my blog for a while on a topic that seems so unimportant that it is pretty funny. But yet fascinating for me. So I thought of writing something 🙂

Anyway, my point – I believe in giving people the chance to do their own mistakes. Marissa Mayer is the one accountable for Yahoo!’s fate and if she thinks that this decision is best for the company – so be it. No one from us, the outsiders, know the details why this decision was made. And the trick is always in the details and the specifics. For any negative of her decision, there can be a positive. But they mean nothing without the details and the context. So let’s just relax and watch the show. Unless we own (I don’t :)) Yahoo! stock. But if this is the case, I guess we already hate Jerry Yang for not selling to Microsoft anyway 🙂

PS. And here is what, according to Quora, Yahoo! employes think about the WFH ban. Not a big deal but still interesting data point.

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