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Café Pedro 11: The Spammish Inquisition
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 20-01-2021 15:00
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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As someone who has suffered from depression in the past, i can offer some more general advice that might help 
In relation to Covid
Stop watching the news! I pretty much cut out all covid-related news back in September and i am definitely more relaxed. The only bits i'll stay aware of are when the rules change, but anything numbers or updates i don't want to know about.
(As a Brit this was also my response to Brexit)
In general i try and avoid the News anyway and let it come through the people i follow on twitter and what my friends/family pass one. This has the effect of mostly being just the upbeat or interesting pieces coming through.
Exercise
It's well known but genuinely works. In the first few months i really missed the gym and felt bad physically not exercising much. Took the plunge to buy some home equipment and it's totally worth the £300 cost! I feel so much better everyday.
I'm staying in better shape and my brain feels clearer and more refreshed. And in the long run i'll save money not paying gym fees.
If you can go for a walk do so, even just a quick 10minutes makes a huge change. It gets you outside, away from screens, and you can really switch off and chill. It's massive to still find a way out, and it's easy to ignore people on a short walk.
Be selfish
By this i mean, focus on you and what you like! Take your spare time and do things you really want.
Take an evening to just order a pizza and crash with some chill movies. Or just write something. Play games. For me it's hugely important to take an hour or two everyday, say "F8ck you world" and just do my own thing.
Then i feel better, feel refreshed and can spend the rest of the day doing the boring things we all need to do. But you must must must take time that is just yours to do whatever you want.
Learn something
Make use of this extra time. At the start of things last April i purchased a few books on screenwriting and film making, and i've slowly chipped away at developing some skills. After almost a year it's really helpful to look back and see that despite everything i now have new knowledge and skills.
Find an online writing course, or language course. A musical instrument (although the guitar in my room is very dusty).
Never too late to start, and it's good to have a little something to focus on and show yourself making improvements.
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| Yellow Jersey |
Posted on 20-01-2021 19:13
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 2809
Joined: 16-04-2013
PCM$: 900.00
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That is really nice of you! Some more things I can look into but thankful for the support
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 22-02-2021 21:13
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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If you know, you know, and you've been doing nothing else all evening 
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 12-03-2021 11:07
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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People of Daily, you can help!
I've been reading a lot more books during all this lockdown/work-from-home. As we have such a wide ranging community i was hoping y'all could recommend some of your favourite books!
Especially if they are not related to cycling, or are not originally by English-speaking Authors, because i want to find some different things to try.
Things i've tackled and enjoyed recently that are not cycling (if anyone else was interested): F*ck Yeah Video Games by Dan Harcastle, Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill, Airframe by Michael Crichton, The Brief Wonderous Life Of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Flemming, Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick, The Millennium Series by Steig Larsson, The Ables series by Jeremy Scott, The Martian by Andy Weir, Various Books by Terry Pratchet, Various Books by H.G. Wells, Various books by Jules Verne
Things that are cycling: Stand by Katherine Bertine, On the Road Bike by Ned Boulting, The Secret Race by Tyler Hamilton/Daniel Coyle, Shut Up Legs by Jens Voigt
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 12-03-2021 12:00
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 9099
Joined: 13-03-2013
PCM$: 2100.00
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Did you try Robert Ludlum already? I enjoyed most of his stuff which could be something you might like. Also I enjoy an Austrian Author called Marc Elsberg who's a little like Dan Brown but in a more sciency (does such a word exist?) and futuristic way, so you might enjoy stuff from him as well (I really enjoyed Blackout especially). |
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| Ripley |
Posted on 12-03-2021 12:42
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3341
Joined: 25-11-2014
PCM$: 300.00
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Can't go wrong with Ludlum. I've read so much it all blurs together. I'll offer some scifi series which I reckon are worth checking out:
- Silo Series by Hugh Howey
- Xeelee Sequence by Stephen Baxter
- Culture Series by Iain Banks
- Old Man's War by John Scalzi
- Ringworld by David Niven
- Biofab Wars by Stephen Ames Berry
- The Expanse by James Corey
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| roturn |
Posted on 12-03-2021 13:09
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Team Manager
Posts: 22246
Joined: 24-11-2007
PCM$: 3900.00
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Not sure it interests you as it`s a Scottish writer, but I really enjoy reading the novels by Stuart MacBride, in especially his Logan McRae series. The kind of writing is kind of different than I know from other crime novel writers such as Ludlum, Rankin, Connelly, Patterson etc. but I enjoy it a lot more. |
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| DarkWolf |
Posted on 12-03-2021 17:22
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1025
Joined: 21-09-2020
PCM$: 700.00
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I've seen James Corey being mentioned here. One of the authors making the James S.A. Corey pseudonym, Daniel Abraham, is one of my favorite fantasy writes. And one of his series, the Long Price Quarter, I absolutely loved. It is lovely, detailed, awesome characters and really captivating.
But since you mentioned books not originally by English-speaking authors I would recommend, from the ones I recently read:
Tana French's novels (Irish, mind you, but awesome crime novels)
Sergio Olguin - The Fragility of Bodies (crime fiction from Argentina, captivating subject, interesting main character, well written)
Jorge Galan's November (crime novel, not the best I've ever read, but very interesting approach on one of the moments in the El Salvador's civil war)
Pierre Lemaitre's The Great Swindle (catchy novel with its action taking place in France immediately after WWI) It is really original and I cannot recommend enough the movie made after this novel, it's called See You Up There and I loved it. A Lot.
Now this I read quite a few times over the years and I loved each time I did. Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind. It's a mix of genres, but very good and entertaining. What can I see, it's a combination of gothic, detective, romance and a tribute to the classics of such genres. It takes place in Barcelona and it starts in 1945.
Speaking of Barcelona, Marc Pastor's Barcelona Shadows is absolutely awesome. I could not put this one down. Even when I felt like sleeping I still went a chapter or two more (even though I had to re-read them the next day )
Dmitry Glukhovsky's Metro 2033. It's a Russian SF, post-apocalyptic, novel. I loved it and it is the source of the PC first-person survival horror video game Metro 2033.
Ralf Rothmann's To Die in Spring sticks to my memory. I can put it, on my own personal list, almost next to Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front. Both made quite an impression on me.
P.S. Now look what you made me do (I LOVE Terry Pratchett's Mort) I feel the need of reading it again right now.  |
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| DarkWolf |
Posted on 12-03-2021 17:29
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1025
Joined: 21-09-2020
PCM$: 700.00
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@ripley Did you like The Expanse TV series? I watched the first 2 seasons and they caught me quite a bit. It's true, I vowed to read the novels first before going forward and watch all the seasons, but I didn't manage to do that until now. |
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 12-03-2021 18:53
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
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@Croatia - Marc Elsberg sounds good, definitely going on my list!
@Robert Ludlam - Been there, done a varierty of his before. The Bourne books are amongst my favorite "movie books", very different to the films in a good way.
@Roturn - Might look at MacBride, at a glance reviews seem mixed but worth trying
@Ripley - Done various Scalzi & Banks novels before, always interesting. Ringworld i've come across, should bump it up my list and actually get around to it.
The Expanse i'm more likely to just do the TV show for now, as it's been at the top of my Amazon watchlist for like a year but i never start it!
@DarkWolf - Oh yes that's a good list!
Have tried Metro 2033 before (and similarly tried The Witcher books) but didn't quite work for me.
Definitely going to put the rest right up high on my list to get hold of.
All Quiet on the Western Front is 100% a great read! One of those highly regarded all-time classics that is worth the time.
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 21-11-2024 17:25
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Bot Agent
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Joined: 23.11.09
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| Ripley |
Posted on 12-03-2021 21:59
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3341
Joined: 25-11-2014
PCM$: 300.00
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My favourite detective is probably Frost by R.D. Wingfield. Very funny, but also pretty cleverly constructed cases.
The Expanse TV series is pretty faithful to the novels, though to me the more recent seasons seem less exciting than the books.
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| valverde321 |
Posted on 11-06-2021 21:36
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World Champion
Posts: 12986
Joined: 20-05-2009
PCM$: 530.00
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Didn't feel like making a thread, but does anyone know how small/large an image size has to be before the forum automatically resizes it? Or does it get autosized no matter what?
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| Ripley |
Posted on 11-06-2021 22:21
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3341
Joined: 25-11-2014
PCM$: 300.00
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Max 400 pixels wide. That's what I use for all my screenshots and that's why you can't click on them.
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| valverde321 |
Posted on 14-06-2021 15:08
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World Champion
Posts: 12986
Joined: 20-05-2009
PCM$: 530.00
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Ripley wrote:
Max 400 pixels wide. That's what I use for all my screenshots and that's why you can't click on them.
Thanks.
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 12-08-2021 17:54
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 16429
Joined: 27-07-2011
PCM$: 10438.70
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A couple of months ago I noticed I was coming up on ten years on the site. I planned on doing this big long Cafe Pedro post about it on the exact day. But alas, real life caught up to me, and the day completely passed without me noticing. I finally realized it 3 weeks later, which happens to be the anniversary of my first post. So, I guess I'm writing it now.
I have been on this site a decade. July 27, 2011, I hit the signup button. I used the same username as I used on Webkinz, which was basically my only online account at the time, and I started posting. I had just bought PCM 11, and I'm not sure how I found the site itself to be honest. Maybe someone in the online chat in game mentioned it? I doubt it would have crossed my mind to be looking up places to get databases. I had no computer skills. Regardless, I never could have understood the importance of that decision at the time.
All right, this is where I go into a little too much real life information. Basically, I joined at 11 years old, and things were pretty weird in my life. My parents had recently divorced with bad blood, and I had moved out of my family house with my dad. We were roughing it living in an old summer house with one bedroom and not many amenities (no heat, A.C., washing machines, etc). I had no idea what was happening to my family, if I'd be staying at my school, where I'd be living next month, etc. It was a period of turmoil for me.
But I found PCM, and PCM Daily, and suddenly I had an outlet, one I could count on. I didn't have any friends that I talked to outside of school then. The friends I did have would have never talked to me about cycling, ever. Suddenly, I had a place to explore and talk about an interest of mine that I had never had the chance to talk about in my life. Instead of wondering what was happening in my life, I could focus on Chris Froome's emergence, and playing I'm With Stupid, and arguing over whether Basso still deserved 81 mountain. I was completely sucked in very quickly.
And I was NOT a great member of this site. I was 11 years old, and it showed. I was spammy, argumentative, and at times almost entirely incoherent. My immaturity caused me to get warnings from admins and start needless feuds with other members over meaningless things. It felt good to have a voice and be taken seriously, even when I really couldn't be. I overextended that ability a lot. I don't think I would be able to put up with my former self these days at all.
But you guys did. You gave me a chance. You allowed me to become more comfortable, to find ways to contribute, to grow as a communicator in general. To become a real part of the community.
Thank you for giving me that chance. Thank you for tolerating me and letting me (somewhat) mature and grow, instead of pushing me aside. I know it's incredibly cliche, but I would not be the person I am today without this website. It's been a fixture for too long; its effects are unavoidable. I'm almost 22 now. I have spent half my life here, and I don't regret a single moment of it. I have gone from a 6th grader, through middle school, high school, and university with you guys. Throughout all my shifts in friends, activities, and interests throughout my adolescence, PCM Daily has remained constant.
Impossible to thank everyone who has helped me with anything over the years, but thank you to CrueTrue for creating this amazing site, thank you to SN and Roturn for keeping it alive since then, and thank you to everyone who has made this the first thing I click when I get home every day for over a decade.
Looking forward to the next ten!
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| df_Trek |
Posted on 12-08-2021 18:07
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2324
Joined: 07-07-2016
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great thought BBL, I'm not the most active member in social talks here, but I feel your points. I would say happy 10th anniversary!!! 
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| Nemolito |
Posted on 12-08-2021 18:32
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3367
Joined: 20-04-2020
PCM$: 425.00
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That was a great thing to read. Although I've only been a small part of your PCMdaily adventure, I'm glad to have been there. Looking forward to the coming months/years here with you
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| roturn |
Posted on 12-08-2021 20:21
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Team Manager
Posts: 22246
Joined: 24-11-2007
PCM$: 3900.00
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Happy anniversary indeed.
Must admit when you joined the site I am not sure I 100 % recognized you as I am not aware you have been spamming or getting warnings early on. likely it was a bit before I became admin.
In the end you apparently improved a lot and did age well in RL and as site member being a well known and very good member on the site. |
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 12-08-2021 20:22
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8056
Joined: 22-06-2009
PCM$: 650.00
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Hey BBL, great to read. I have fond memories of "toleranting" the old BBL. Mostly the infamous American Online Championships lol
Welcome to the 10+ Year club.
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| DarkWolf |
Posted on 13-08-2021 04:15
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1025
Joined: 21-09-2020
PCM$: 700.00
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Happy 10th anniversary! |
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![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
