iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 31/05/2026

Today I saw a snapping turtle, a giant turkey, and a bald eagle. And did not get zapped by a meteor.

A snapping turtle in the middle of a wet, suburban road with lawns and large bushes on each side.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 03/03/2026

What a weirdly fitting essay to have read tonight — from “Compost” by E.B. White (June 1940).

Screenshot of text: The way to know the shape of things in advance is to listen to seers and mystics instead of to economists and tacticians. The world had ample warning of every event that it has greeted with such gasps of surprise in the past twelve months. Part of the preparation for the perfect world society will be the recognition of seers. It will be required of the President of the United States that he read one poem and one parable or fable a day, in addition to the editorials in the Times. The brotherhood of man can never be achieved till the democracies realize that today's fantasy is tomorrow's communiqué.
A seer a day keeps Armageddon away.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 28/01/2026

@debbieohi.com This is what the BuJo looks like — I have three Field Notes in a Lochby. One is for planning, one for notes, and one for various lists. Tabs for quick reference (there are ribbon bookmarks, too). This is small enough to fit in the back pocket of my jeans or a purse.

Photo of the inside of an A6 Lochby binder with a pen in a pen loop, three small notebooks with tabs and ribbon bookmarks, and a calendar and set of sticky page tabs sticking out of the front pocket.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 20/12/2025

Just saw a post about Hare Krishnas and remembered the time I danced at the Hare Krishna temple in WV (The Palace of Gold) as Krishna… I think I was 15 or 16 years old.

Young Indian woman dressed as the Hindu god Krishna with a long flower garland and gold crown. Her face is tinted blue.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 11/12/2025

And the cookie event is over! Looks like a Pittsburgh wedding.

platters of thousands of cookies on tables running the length of a school cafeteria

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 03/12/2025

M calls them dark-eyed chonkos.

Small black bird with white belly at the edge of a bird feeder with seed in its beak

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 24/11/2025

A movie that takes place where you’re from.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 12/11/2025

Two final photos to close out the night.

House with lights on surrounded by trees in silhouette. The area above the house is deep pink. To the right the sky is green. Stars shine through the aurora.

Houses in shadow with trees and power lines. The left side of the sky is pink and the right is green. Stars shine through the aurora.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 12/11/2025

A little bit of auroral activity visible in the greater Boston area tonight!

Silhouettes of trees and power lines. Night sky full of stars. Some pink aurora visible behind the trees.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 07/11/2025

AI continues to fail in the most inane ways. This album has been so hyped and so well reviewed. And this is what a search produced.

Screenshot that says:
Al Overview
The user is likely asking for lyrics to the song "Lux Rosalía," but there is no song by that name. The user may be conflating two different artists or songs, or they may be searching for the song "La Perla," which features lyrics about an ex-boyfriend that could be described as "lux" or a
"lux" style.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 04/11/2025

Now that Native Bound Unbound has officially launched, please visit the site: nativeboundunbound.org

Screenshot of text that says, "Native Bound Unbound is a digital initiative that recovers and connects every documented instance of Indigenous slavery across the Americas—through archival documents, art, artifacts, and architecture. The project seeks to illuminate where it took place, when it occurred, whom it impacted, and the profound meaning embedded in its legacy for both Indigenous communities and the descendants of the enslaved.

We invite you to explore this living archive through four pathways: People, Places, Archives, and Stories."

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 16/09/2025

Quick and silly projects. When we first moved back, I asked for some craft kits for Christmas to give me a low-key way back into crafting. A got me a 4-pack of crochet kits. I made the final two over the past week — one for M and one for A. The others are in my office. #DHMakes

Blue crocheted penguin with white belly, yellow beak, and black plastic eyes

Orange crocheted fox with white belly, black and orange snout and ears, black plastic eyes, and a hint of a tail

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 12/09/2025

In response to the 39% tariff Trump placed on Swiss good, Swatch released a new watch available only in Switzerland for 139 Swiss francs. The 3 and the 9 on the clock face are reversed. www.rts.ch/info/economi...

Advertising image of a square, silver watch with a blue background. The text on the image says:

RTS
Une réponse aux...
Swatch répond aux droits de douane américains fixés à 39% en lançant une montre spéciale.
• Commercialisée uniquement en
Suisse au prix de 139 CHF, cette nouvelle édition limitée inverse les chiffres 3 et 9 sur le cadran.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 07/09/2025

Some headlines shouldn’t be combined…

Screenshot of an image of a flyer with white text on a red banner that says: COMING SOON

Below the image, a text caption:
patch.com
Radioactive Shrimp + Sushi Chain Expands: MA Food Week

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 26/08/2025

One of today’s #TinyJoys — M received a postcard from a former French teacher who retired in May and is spending some time back in Switzerland. It was so sweet of her to send a note just ahead of the start of school.

Postcard on top of reddish wood. The postcard says “Geneva” and has a 3x3 grid of photos from the city.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 08/08/2025

Huh. I got this from Google’s AI mode search — which I used for the first time today.

Screenshot of search results:

Out of the 50 US states, 46 of them have the letter "r" in their name.
The four states that do not contain the letter "r" are:
• Florida
• Ohio
• Utah
• Washington
Al responses may include mistakes. Learn more

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 20/07/2025

We end up in a map restoration room. We’re looking at all of the different maps, and then a staff member says: I do conservation and restoration. Let me know if you have any questions. Me: Can I touch one? Him: No. Fam: *snickers* Him: Which one? Me: The relief one. It’s bumpy! Him: Yes.

An adult man and a tween with a backpack look at one of several large, hanging antique maps

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 20/07/2025

Me: A map store! Can we go in?? Fam: Sure! We look at maps and globes and exclaim over things. A little later… A: Uhh… where are you going? That’s a staff area? Me: It says there’s a *basement*! A: You can’t just — Staff member: Go all the way to the back and to your left. Me: *beams* See???

A wall of framed historic maps, mostly of cities and states in New England. A framed sign says: Historic Maps Own a Piece of History

Three columns of narrow shelves with varying shelf heights holding globes of different sizes and colors

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 14/07/2025

Umm… excuse you, not a hummingbird!

Side-by-side composite image of an American goldfinch attempting to drink from a hummingbird feeder. Rhododendron bush in the background.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 14/07/2025

Also: A got me locally grown flowers and port and vegan chocolate *and* cleaned my car inside and out. It was utterly disgusting after soccer season, and I’d mentioned in passing that I really needed to do this. And he just took care of it!

A purple vase full of colorful flowers on a red kitchen table with a multicolored, striped runner.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 06/07/2025

Basically the same thing! Snapping turtles come up from the pond, lay their eggs, and leave. Usually foxes eat the eggs but a bunch of neighbors have started to rescue them — one is a conservationist, and she’s been instructing folks.

Large snapping turtle crossing a street. Part of a house is in the background along with a green lawn, bushes, rhododendrons, and woods.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 13/06/2025

From @kkjetelina.bsky.social's newsletter. Just gutting.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 13/06/2025

Kid yesterday: I have to wear a blue t-shirt to school tomorrow. Today: I have to wear purple or pink tomorrow. Last summer’s chess camp t-shirt was purple. And when I took M to the grève féministe in Lausanne, we both got pink union t-shirts. So. We have options 😅

Collage of two images of the front and back of a pink t-shirt with white writing. Top half shows a line drawing of three women with interlocked arms chanting. The bottom half says in all caps:

Du Respect
Du Temps
De L’argent

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 06/06/2025

Saw 8 (!!) snapping turtles this morning, talked to 5 neighbors — one of whom was gardening and gave me a fresh strawberry — and picked peonies from my garden.

A snapping turtle and a bunny on a lawn. Wooden fence and greenery in the background.

Large snapping turtle climbing a pile of mulch. A shovel and upside down orange bucket to the side. Rows of long, low planters in the back.

Two snapping turtles on a driveway by the corner of the garage. Tall grass, purple flowers, trees to the side.

A mug of peonies on a red table. Mostly magenta flowers and one white one.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 05/06/2025

They’re here! A neighbor texted the group chat, so before school, M and I went looking for turtles and found three!

Collage of two images. On the left: two snapping turtles orthogonal to each other in the middle of a lawn with part of a house in the background and some shrubs/bushes. On the right: one snapping turtles on a patch of grass by a driveway, a wooden fence and bush in the background.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 20/05/2025

Made the French school kids *very* happy by sending homemade caracs for their goûter. Penultimate class. They’re working on their final presentations. Even the teacher fist pumped when she saw them 😂 And M was so delighted to be the carac bearer. #TinyJoys

A platter of tartlets with bright green frosting and chocolate buttons

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 20/05/2025

I did the viral personality quiz and surprising absolutely no one, I got Belle as my top match 🤷🏾‍♀️

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 17/05/2025

Forgot to post the end result! The icing is hardening, which is the final phase.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 17/05/2025

Another ~2hr wait. It’s warm and humid today which made the short crust tough to work with. Instead of making my planned one giant carac, I had to go with little ones.

Metal sauce pot full of ganache being stirred with a chocolate-covered spatula.

12 small and one medium-sized chocolate ganache-filled tartlets on a sheet pan.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 15/05/2025

My uni got my child’s favorite food into the dictionary (same dictionary my child was using and deeply appreciating a few nights ago).

Image of a tart with bright green frosting and a chocolate button. The text says:
Le Robert 2026
"Carac" et "linge" entrent dans le dictionnaire

Le carac, célèbre tartelette suisse, fera
son entrée dans le dictionnaire Le Robert en 2026, grâce à l'initiative du centre de dialectologie de l'Université de Neuchâtel. Ce mot, représentant une gourmandise garnie de ganache au chocolat et recouverte d'un glaçage vert, est l'un des deux romandismes sélectionnés parmi neuf propositions soumises par l'université.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 03/05/2025

Spent the morning in the library. Went to Ye Olde Farm Stand for hot dogs. And now at M’s soccer game. Pretty spectacular Saturday!

Library reading room —wooden tables surrounded by matching wooden chairs with two lamps on each, partially-filled, matching built-in bookcases.

Large green field with white lines sprayed on. Blue sky, white clouds, trees in the distance.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 27/04/2025

I needed to pick up a couple of things at the grocery store this morning, and this is the first thing I saw at Market Basket. The cashier and bagger could not stop laughing when I was checking out. I had groceries and… this. Meet Nemo nonante-cinq, our Eurovision mascot.

Giant pink stuffed unicorn with dark pink glitter hooves and rainbow mane and tail

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 26/04/2025

I’ve been super cranky all day (thanks, Wellesley!) so a timeline cleanse. It’s spring. Here are some flowers from our yard. My Retro is basically all plants right now.

Yellow forsythia against a blue sky with white clouds

Rhododendron bush in full bloom — clusters of purple flowers and green leaves

Magnolia tree in full bloom. Branches loaded with flowers that are deep pink with pale pink petals. Greenery in the background including a tall pine covered in dark green ivy.

A cluster of five yellow daffodils with green stems. A sixth daffodil is to the side. More green shoots in the background. Surrounding dirt is covered in old pine needles.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 19/04/2025

“What’d you do for your anniversary?” “Oh, you know, got some good food, saw a vampire movie, went looking for bunkers in the woods…”

Three photos of Indian food: samosa pinwheels, a mango cocktail, and malai chingri on rice

A man standing in in an open doorway to a WW2 bunker

Man inside an empty bunker that’s covered in graffiti

Man climbing a leaf-covered hill in the woods towards a vent (the hill is a camouflaged bunker)

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 18/04/2025

Our marriage is old enough to drink in the US! Happy anniversary @feralresearch.org

Couple walking out of an arched doorway, surrounded by friends and bubbles. Bride is Indian, wearing a white lehnga with silver embroidery and carrying a small bouquet of white roses. Groom is in a tux and holding a matching boutonnière.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 14/04/2025

Utterly gorgeous out. Kid has practice. I have a book. *deep breath*

Large expanse of green field bordered by tall trees. Blue sky, white clouds and soccer goal and some kids in the distance.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 13/04/2025

First soccer game of the season was canceled because of the weather. We have a fire going, and we may bust into a game I picked up a couple of weeks ago. Seems like a good night for it…

A game called Mother of Frankenstein Volume One with a portrait of Mary Shelley on the cover. On display with other games on a store shelf.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 12/04/2025

Spring still trying despite freezing temperatures and snow two nights in a row.

Collage of yellow buds, green shoots, and forsythia

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 01/04/2025

Actual Ticino. We hiked across three alps to get here. And had to sneak past an angry cow that had gotten separated from its calves — not a good situation. Thank goodness for the hikers who warned us!

Mountain valley with pine trees and a few stone houses.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 01/04/2025

From 5 years ago: pandemic poisson d’Avril or how I kept the child entertained during lockdown.

Man in a black t-shirt and beanie facing a monitor with code with a white paper fish with a mustache and top hat taped to his back.

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Anindita Basu Sempere @anindita.org · 27/03/2025

I haven’t been crafting much this year but made a tiny fox for A’s birthday, which is today.

Split image: top is a tiny sleeping fox embroidered on white linen in a circle marking a border next to a quarter for scale; bottom is the same fox on a circular pin.

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