Jan-Lukas Else

Tech, life and everything else

💬 Micro

This section is for short notes, thoughts or IndieWeb interactions.


Published on in 💬 Micro

Yesterday, before our second (and last) move today, I took the opportunity to take a relaxing ride on my bike along my running route from some years ago and enjoy the nature.

It’s a bit sad that I can’t run anymore without getting pain in my knee, but riding the bike is also fun and gentler on the joints.

On Wednesday, I will hand over the flat and then the time with two flats to manage is finally over! More time to bike! 😄



AI generated caption: Calm lake surrounded by trees.



AI generated caption: "Pathway through a lush, green forest."



AI generated caption: Wooden dock extending into calm water, surrounded by trees.

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European AI

Published on in 💬 Micro

To reduce my dependence on USA-based products, I switched from using the OpenAI API to Scaleway’s Generative API for my blog. Not only is it cheaper, but it’s based on open-source models, hosted in Europe. 🇪🇺

It was straightforward to just add an option to change the REST endpoint in my GoBlog plugins, and then use Scaleway’s API for creating the post summaries and the image descriptions. For the post summaries, I am now using llama-3.3-70b-instruct, for the image descriptions pixtral-12b-2409.

Let’s hope that there will also be a model that supports audio transcriptions until April 2026, so I don’t have to renew the credits on the OpenAI API for my Telegram Voice-To-Text bot. 🤞

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This time it’s just a station to change to another train. Another hour and a half to my new/old home station.



AI generated caption: Sign reading "Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe" at a train station.

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I visited this place four years ago, but today my family and I went to the Todtnau Waterfall again. This time there’s a new suspension bridge from which you can see the waterfall from above and get an even better view of the valley in the black forest.

I was also happy to be able to wear my hat and sunglasses again (sun, almost blue sky and 20 °C!) and record the walk with OsmAnd.



AI generated caption: Aerial view of a waterfall amid forested landscape.



AI generated caption: Waterfall cascading down a rocky, moss-covered hillside.



AI generated caption: A scenic view of a valley with roads and forests.

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Enjoying the nice weather, my monthly review will be a little late. 🌷



AI generated caption: Cherry blossoms in full bloom in a serene park setting.



AI generated caption: Fountain with surrounding trees and sunlight in a park setting.

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Published on in 💬 Micro
📍 Südstadt, Kassel, Hesse, Germany

Part 1 of the move (Kassel to Braunschweig) is complete. Today we dropped off the van, handed over the apartment, and took the opportunity to take one last walk through the nearby park and nature. Part 2 (second home to new primary residence) will follow soon.



AI generated caption: Park with open green fields and historic building in the distance.

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Published on in 💬 Micro
📍 Südstadt, Kassel, Hesse, Germany

I did not want to miss the chance to take one (maybe) last picture of this beautiful symmetrical view.



AI generated caption: A long canal lined with bare trees reflects the sky.

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Published on in 💬 Micro
📍 Mitte, Kassel, Hesse, Germany

Just a few more days before I leave Kassel after two and a half years. Feeling grateful for everything this city has given me and excited for what’s ahead!



AI generated caption: Sunset view over a town with trees in the foreground.

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Published on in 💬 Micro

Ava perfectly captured how I feel about saving the planet:

I can only speak for myself, but adjusting my consumer behavior to my values as much as is possible for me in my position isn’t misdirecting me, it’s keeping me focused, actually. It’s making me aware again and again of what world I want, what I stand for, what I personally fund and my impact. I hold governments and industries accountable as much as is possible for me through recycling, veganism, not having a car, not flying, etc. and demand systemic change to the options given to me (voting and money, which are not enough, but hey). That doesn’t mean I am never frustrated or feeling hopeless or like it’s all for nothing, of course.

Her words highlight a crucial point: we need both systemic change and personal action. More regulation is necessary to force corporations to protect the planet, but where possible, individual choices matter too.

Just because we are free to do almost anything doesn’t mean we should. I have the freedom to eat meat every day, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice. The government won’t ban me from overconsuming it, but if I do, I’m not just harming my health – I’m also contributing, in my own small way, to environmental destruction.

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Published on in 💬 Micro

It’s surprising how much I can reduce the amount of spam that Rspamd needs to filter – whether it ends up in my junk folder or even my inbox – just by blocking certain recipient addresses. Using unique email addresses for each service, like “deezer @ example.com” for Deezer, was one of the best decisions I made, especially combined with a catch-all address.

For example, Deezer had a data leak a few years ago, which led to a flood of spam targeting the email I used for their service. Fortunately, with Postfix, I can simply reject emails sent to that specific address, keeping my inbox much cleaner and reducing the workload for Rspamd.

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Jan-Lukas Else