@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
Cover of AC/DC album “If You Want Blood”.
And the metal machine marches on. If the honourable mentions are already METAL, then what those in the top 10? Stay tuned . . . 🤘
jetse.substack.com/p/best-hard-...
#best #live #heavymetal #album #rocknroll
A line graph with three points of information. At left, the word "Writing." In the center: "I haven't written in too many days, it's over, it's so over, I'm never finishing this and I'll never write again." To the right of that: "Writing again" with a happy face
The Graph of Eternal Hope is cross disciplinary.
Did my mother’s taxes today. Planning to do my own taxes tomorrow. It’s so mind-meltingly boring that it’s . . . even worse than work. Wish me strength . . . 😵💫🤣
Now feels like a good time to remember that Big Oil is the reason why we're still hooked on dirty, dangerous fossil fuels.
The industry's lies have essentially stolen a generation’s worth of time that we could have used to transition to cleaner, safer energy sources.
It’s time for accountability.
The richest Americans saw their net worth soar 120% from 2017 to 2025.
The top 1% now control $55.8 trillion in assets — more than the G.D.P. of the United States and China combined.
Meanwhile, millions of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.
Still wondering if inequality is out of control?
Our dependency on fossil fuels makes us vulnerable. Wars across the world are pushing up prices for households in the UK.
Why keep waiting for the next crisis? We need to transition to clean power as fast as we can to protect people and our economy.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Loch Lomond, Scotland on a crisp October day. Clear water below, blue sky above. A large white cloud is snagged on a hill at the far side of the loch.
bonny banks
is what we sing, ah
Loch Lomond
#vss365 #bonny #scotland #haiku #photography #senryu #imageandverse #nature #lochlomond
Cover of David Mitchell’s novel “The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet”.
A review of a novel I really liked:
jetse.substack.com/p/review-the...
#history #novel #review #literature
Put another novelette—cut in four—into the "Scheduled" section of my substack.
Suppose I go on an extended holiday (wish I was so rich), then posting will continue through early June.
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