iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

my Suzuki Jimmy is now three years old (just did the mandatory shaken). I recommend it highly! tiny enough for Kyoto streets and mountain trails, fun to drive, available with manual transmission, and fairly decent fuel economy for a 4x4 (about 15+ km per liter)

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

There’s a weird mark on the weather forecast for the next couple of days. Does anybody know what this circle surrounded by little lines thing is supposed to mean?

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

come take a load off, my outdoor poly Amish friend

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

unexpected but lovely that Tucson is significantly cooler than Kyoto (in addition to not being soup-thick humid) bonus: hummingbird checking out a cactus flower

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Leipzig side quest: spotting East German automotive history in the form of the charming Trabant

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

this semester's set of graduating advisees had a cool collection of thesis topics:

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

i guess we’ve moved on from “eat the rich”

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

due to some misguided fear of mispronunciation, in Japan Ronald McDonald is known as Donald McDonald. to stay consistent, the children‘s charity Ronald McDonald House is known here as (the actually quite difficult to say) Donarudo Makudonarudo Hausu

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

if you happen to be in Kyoto later this month and want to hear my spiel in Japanese...

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

first green pheasant I’ve run into in Kyoto

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

y‘all hep to the new guinea pig trend?

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

glad they’re keeping this one though

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

seems like a bad thing to demolish, but what I do I know? I’m not the governor of Kagawa

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

a little road-tripping before the term gears up

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

thanks UCSB, the talk was a blast. now off (after a few short hours of sleep) to Vancouver!

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

still sad that Mosquito disappeared (but also amazed at how long the clutch of ramshackle squatted bars lasted)

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

shocked by the sudden loss of the Atom mural at Takadanobaba, i found solace in the politely taped up notes

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

very distinct (but awesome!) thesis projects from my three graduating seniors this term

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

they are definitely wishy washy on a lot of things -- their default answer seems to be "let's 検討 with AI" but they do take a significantly more positive than negative stance on separate surnames

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

one of the more aggressive earworm supermarket theme songs

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

holding strong at my personal ‘best lunch in Kyoto’ for a few years now

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

they said it couldn't be helped, but someone kept believing

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

enjoyed this new-ish (but finally read by me) piece from Chigusa Yamaura www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

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Nathaniel M. Smith @nathanielmsmith.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

stumbled into an 80s ambient industrial goth experimental music kissa in the Kyushu countryside Nocturnal Emissions? Current 93? Throbbing Gristle? Controlled Bleeding? ✔️, ☑️, ✔️, and ☑️ (jazz too!)