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JT Smithling

@jtsmithling

Hasbeen scientist, wannabe writer, occasional metalhead. What the critics say about me: "Nihilistic, sharp-edged" "Unnecessarily vulgar"

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30.01.2024
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Latest posts by JT Smithling @jtsmithling

Not art, but surely a creative win for me (and hopefully a small win for Earth too): a web service I designed allowing people to search and explore how food and other consumption choices impact biodiversity loss went live today, and got over 300 unique visitors on the first day. ๐Ÿฅณ๐ŸŒฑ

26.01.2026 22:21 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
NOW - Musk: "My prediction is there'll be more robots than people... everyone on Earth is going to have one and going to want one... who wouldn't want a robot to... watch over your kids, take care of your pets... we are in the most interesting time in history."

4:08 PM Jan 22, 2026
223.8K Views

NOW - Musk: "My prediction is there'll be more robots than people... everyone on Earth is going to have one and going to want one... who wouldn't want a robot to... watch over your kids, take care of your pets... we are in the most interesting time in history." 4:08 PM Jan 22, 2026 223.8K Views

Isn't this a telling aspiration? To want robots to look after your kids, so you can do stuff, rather than robots to do stuff, so you can spend time with your kids?

The darkness inside these shrivelled men must be like a gaping unfillable void.

22.01.2026 17:39 ๐Ÿ‘ 1680 ๐Ÿ” 509 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 135 ๐Ÿ“Œ 59

I haven't seen it yet, but going to the movie theater next week (waiting for the crowds to thin, because noisy Other People are the downside of seeing a film in theatre).

Beyond the Amorphis theme song, the whole movie soundtrack is by a heavy-metal musician Lauri Porra, so should be good.

22.01.2026 21:42 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

It might! Clearly they do intend for it to go to international distribution.

I hope it spurs a franchise - the are a lot of stories in our mythology that are film-worthy, certainly more interesting than marvel-movies. Kullervo is just one, small part of the body of stories!

22.01.2026 21:26 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Sublime. Thank you for sharing!

16.01.2026 19:33 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Writing Battle โ€” Write. Read. Win. Write. Read. Win. A competitive writing platform for storytellers around the world. Receive oodles of feedback. Join the most supportive writing community on the web. You up for the chal...

Third anniversary for me participating in WB Autumn Short Story Battle! One week to write a 2K short story, then a month to judge other stories. Join up! @writingbattle.bsky.social #WritingCommunity #writersofbluesky
www.writingbattle.com/join-battle

26.10.2025 11:24 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

With Finnish names, a simple trick makes English speakers sound almost native: if the name has double consonant, put micro-pause between them, voice both consonants. Mik-ko, San-na, Os-si, Jan-ne...

22.08.2025 11:50 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

think why that is, before I was able to give a useful answer to "how do you pronounce your name?". Because the better question is "how do *I*, a person who rarely even hears your language, pronounce your name?"

22.08.2025 11:50 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Just repeating the name often does not help, because human brain simply does *not hear* the relevant nuances of phonetics in a very different language. I had to listen where exactly English-speakers get it wrong, and

22.08.2025 11:50 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I've noticed (in academic and scholarly publishing policy & tech events) a marked increase in how often I'm asked. It's nice.

But figuring out how to answer that when English is not my native language took time!

22.08.2025 11:50 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Ha, scrolling down I read only the headline and immediately thought, hey I need to tag @eleanorlennox.bsky.social on this, she'd really like it! Then checked who posted it... ๐Ÿ˜„

11.08.2025 20:31 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Dancing Shadow Amorphis ยท Dancing Shadow ยท Song ยท 2025

At first I was surprised how light pop this new Amorphis song is. Without Tomi Joutsen's dark growling from the shadows, this could be a... dance tune?

Then I noticed the song's name. My bad. Is #metal. Well done. Carry on. ๐Ÿค˜๐Ÿ’ƒ๐Ÿค˜

open.spotify.com/track/76vjqp...

08.08.2025 16:37 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

It also why I am not a fan of David Lynch's work [unpopular opinion, I know]: I am not convinced there is anything we're meant to understand, any epiphany he wanted to convey, any intended emotion, underneath the surrealist surface. There's no there, there.

01.08.2025 11:00 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

This. Before getting invested in a TV-series I go find plot synopsis online to make sure the writers have indeed wrapped up the mystery (I don't believe spoilers spoil anything). And if it's in n-th season without resolution, I bail out immediately.

Never again will I submit to shit like Lost.

01.08.2025 10:37 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

In Finnish, we may reply to a how are you with: "Nothing but standard misery".

It means everything is OK.

29.07.2025 23:05 ๐Ÿ‘ 81 ๐Ÿ” 3 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

Mixed?

On one hand, usage of those tools is (for now) priced low enough for almost everyone to be able to afford to do stuff with them on their own.

But ability to build a LLM is absolutely in the hands of few uber-capitalists, so true ownership of "means of labor" is no different from 1800's.

27.07.2025 16:46 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

The arrogance and (sinful) pride of evangelical missionary groups on display once again. Leave remote peoples alone.

27.07.2025 08:29 ๐Ÿ‘ 7 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Google Earth

Get to this roadside cafe near my home village. I mean, Finns don't talk unless under extreme duress, but the crowd there is *really* silent. (it's a somewhat spooky art installation of a large field full of scarecrows in donated clothes)

earth.app.goo.gl?apn=com.goog...

23.07.2025 18:52 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

This was fun - helping @michaelboulerice.bsky.social global guerilla-campaign for his upcoming book. No, I have not read the book, but expecting it to be riveting, based on this wonderfully weird fever-dream dark western horror short story I have read: www.houseofgamut.com/magazine/in-...

21.07.2025 21:36 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
THE ETERNAL - When The Fire Dies (Official Music Video)
THE ETERNAL - When The Fire Dies (Official Music Video) YouTube video by Reigning Phoenix Music

Jan Rechberger's drumming in Amorphis is mesmerizing, very happy to find he's also in another band, and credited as composer.
Dark, melodic, melancholic, progressive, doom metal. If that doesn't make you happy, something's wrong with you! Heal! Listen to The Eternal!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjmq...

30.06.2025 22:48 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

I know you joke, but "patriotic rocks" actually on sale was literally one google search away. Screenshot from Etsy. Low on stock, only 3 left.

20.06.2025 21:08 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Dune: Awakening (Original Video Game Soundtrack) Knut Avenstroup Haugen ยท Album ยท 2025 ยท 26 songs

To spice (heh) up my music posts usually linking to metal with something different: the soundtrack to the new Dune-game is magnificent!
open.spotify.com/album/7ywGD6...

12.06.2025 21:09 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Video thumbnail

This guy consistently posts songs with incredible lyrics mere hours after events unfurl. This was a good one.

06.06.2025 18:03 ๐Ÿ‘ 7107 ๐Ÿ” 2202 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 182 ๐Ÿ“Œ 172

Well, because food and shelter depends on that writing, in that sense it's professional. Not necessarily good, but always desperate.

23.05.2025 08:41 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

Happy World Goth Day! ๐Ÿฆ‡๐Ÿฆ‡๐Ÿฆ‡

22.05.2025 18:21 ๐Ÿ‘ 60 ๐Ÿ” 9 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 3

Old joke, but more true than we'd care to admit:

Scientist write professionally in two genres:
1) non-fiction
2) grant applications

22.05.2025 15:22 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

At age 10, I read the fantasy tome named "Old Testament". All of it. Probably had a personality impact, as at that point I thought (and the fundamentalist adults around me claimed) that it's not fiction. Imagine reading LOTR or Earthsea series, or indeed Hitchhiker's Guide, and thinking it's real.

20.05.2025 18:03 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
DEATHLESS LEGACY - Sanctified (Official Video)
DEATHLESS LEGACY - Sanctified (Official Video) YouTube video by Scarlet Records

More Italian blissful #metal! Again, a band that has been around a while, but I just found them: Deathless Legacy!

Very dark - and theatrical - aesthetics in videos. Which is good, but this is not just a shock act: new album is all good music: open.spotify.com/album/6WxQ67...

youtu.be/DS0CfBY2GZE

12.05.2025 18:25 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Is metal. (though new single Damocles takes until half-way mark to show that.)

Metal is an aesthetic. In music, or in lyrics. So, though nobody will agree with me, I say Smith & Thell have some metal songs. Like Nagilima: song about a suicide pact, and references The Brothers Lionheart book.

08.05.2025 15:14 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0