@futureupbeat
Jetse has seen the world. He nearly froze to death at Salar de Uyuni, suffered heatstroke in Purnululu, got lost in Ahmednagar, faced elephants in Maamba, and witnessed ten total solar eclipses. Check: The Divergent Panorama: https://jetse.substack.com
Composite of the cover of my novel “The Replicant, the Mole and the Impostor” and a description of this particular part—number 47.
Part 47—short but not so sweet—three more to go. Almost there!
jetse.substack.com/p/the-replic...
#nearfuture #sciencefiction #novel #upbeat #RefugeesWelcome
Today a technician came to replace my smart meters (for gas and electricity) for even smarter meters (the old ones were running an outdated internet protocol).
Then the outlet gas pipe leaked, so a second technician came to fix that.
Now I hope they leave me alone for the next five years or so.
Hurray!
200 followers!
Onwards to 1000...;-)
This one could use some love. The preceding post about metal got 10 x the views, and I’ll be darned if I knew why:
jetse.substack.com/p/the-three-...
#sciencefiction #novel #spaceopera #consciousness #AI #hardSF
the president has no idea what he has set in motion. none.
www.wsj.com/livecoverage...
I’ll repeat: this Epstein War turns “Wag the Dog” into a documentary, with the difference that Hegseth seems to come straight from “Dr. Strangelove”.
#IranWar #Iran #usa
Chishu Ryu as Shukichi Hirayama and Setsuko Hara as Noriko Hirayama in "Tokyo Story."
BTW, I recently found out that a shopping mall that I've been visiting for 16 years used to be a movie studio where they filmed most of "Tokyo Story," widely considered one of the greatest movies ever made. Not just in Japan. In the world. I'm writing an article about it right now.
Well, the attack on Iran will end up killing thousands and raise gas prices while strengthening Russia, but at least it won't distract from the fact that the President of the United States raped children. Jesus Christ, we are in hell.
Twee tieners in Iran kregen de doodstraf na protesten. Nog 22 mensen lopen gevaar. Roep Iran op: stop deze doodstraffen en laat demonstranten vrij. Teken de petitie! www.amnesty.nl/forms/pet-ir...
Cover of my novel “Divine Denouements and Celestial Silhouettes”.
My other sample chapter at the Libraro Prize. This is how it is supposed to look (well, without the added illustrations):
jetse.substack.com/p/a-grand-pe...
#fantasy #novel #History #solareclipse
Love this cartoon by @tomgauld.bsky.social in today's @theguardian.com :
www.theguardian.com/books/pictur...
I'm watching grass grow . . .
(The 10 kilometers speed skating...;-)
Want to read fiction that makes you think about who you are, what your consciousness really does? You could start here:
jetse.substack.com/p/the-three-...
Finished and polished a short SF story. Resisted the urge to send it out immediately, trying to let it rest for a week (at least) in order to reread it with a fresh mind.
Finishing a story is great!
Depiction of an interstellar vessel passing in front of Jupiter.
The most ambitious SF novel of the year—exploring the depths of consciousness—continues apace:
jetse.substack.com/p/the-three-...
#hardSF #novel #sciencefiction #consciousness #audacious
Had a relaxed day. Went out into the sun (it was unseasonably warm) and finished the first draft of a 6K short story.
Creativity coming back.
#sciencefiction #writing #shortstory
Like clockwork.
Still one of the coolest covers ever.
Split-screen comparison meme showing the same person in two poses. Left side labeled 'OpenAI 2015: Profit - $0' shows person in casual green long-sleeve shirt with arms crossed. Right side labeled 'OpenAI 2025: Profit - $0,000,000,000' shows the same person in formal business attire (navy blazer and white shirt) with arms crossed, depicting how the company became more professional-looking while maintaining zero profitability.
10 years of OpenAI:
2015: $0 profit
2025: Still $0 profit (but in a blazer)
Lost ~$8B in 2025.
Projected $14B loss in 2026.
Deutsche Bank estimates $143B in negative cash flow before profitability.
But hey, at least they upgraded from the t-shirt. That's progress, right?
#Meta stores & makes people in Kenya watch everything their users' #smartglasses record (if not opted out) supposedly even having sex, using the toilet, & changing clothes.
Whatever you do, Meta sees, Meta hears, Meta knows:
arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026...
#News #privacy #tech
I have seen a lot of cursed stuff in my time in academia but this is among the *most* cursed.
Grammarly is generating miniature LLMs based on academic work so that users can have their writing ‘reviewed’ by experts like David Abulafia, who died less than two months ago.
Text on an academic article about "Moving Things: Moving Cartloads of Treasures from Venice to Ethiopia, ca. 1400" pasted into Grammarly in a Browser. It offers to invoke the digital ghosts of David Abulafia, Barry Flood and Chris Wickham to give me "expert feedback".
Using Grammarly for the first time in forever ... WHAT?
As a non-native speaker writing primarily in English, I used to use it to check prepositions, point out too long/convoluted sentences etc.
It now offers to summon colleagues both living and dead to "expert review" the piece???
What?
Literally digital necromancy
Do not forget your daily portion of METAL:
🤘🤘🤘
jetse.substack.com/p/best-hard-...
#heavymetal #livemusic #best
I have to keep
moving despite
my finances
being tight
Stopped working
because the stress
increased my blood
pressure, what a mess
1. As my compatriot Rutger Bregman says: Quit ChatGPT! Your subscription is bankrolling authoritarianism:
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
#AI #ChatGPT #boycott
Album cover of Gary Moore.s “We Want Moore” live album overwritten with BEST HARD ROCK/HEAVY METAL LIVE ALBUMS—HONOURABLE MENTIONS, PART 2 in large pink letters.
The METAL MACHINE moves onwards—best live albums, honourable mentions, part 2:
jetse.substack.com/p/best-hard-...
#heavymetal #livemusic #best
I’m in limbo
from November
until April
in the interim
Surviving
the financial
and existential
winter I’m in
Jheronimus Bosch painting “Christ in Limbo”.
My current mindset:
jetse.substack.com/p/limbo
#Bosch #limbo #mindset
