Jeff Smith

Jeff Smith

@sumisu3.bsky.social

Sauna サウナ, wine, craft beer, 日本酒, BBQ, chilis, hops farmer and home brewer, guitar, French horn, Flügelhorn, jazz, Irish Setters, vinyl & books. 35+ yrs IT. Finnish/German/Chicagoan in NZ via Japan. @sumisu@famichiki.jp and @sumisu3@mastodon.beer

298 followers328 following2.6K posts

Jeff Smith reposted

Ken Plume
@kenplume.bsky.social

It’s still remarkable that Disney produced - and released - this segment in 1940. A horror short that should rank with its Universal monster movie contemporaries… The animation is lush and experimental, and really shows off the Disney special animated effects team…

Jeff Smith
@sumisu3.bsky.social

Japan immigration & customs process with QR codes NOT more efficient than old paper method. Scan QR code 3 times. Face scan 4 times. Fingerprints 2 times. Not fewer staff as they have tons of staff telling people what to do and where to go. I think Japan should go learn from Singapore on this one.

Jeff Smith reposted

Jeff Alworth
@beervana.bsky.social

After I completed @akrennmair.bsky.social’s excellent Bavarian White Beer, I had many questions about the author behind the book. Andreas is doing wonderful, essential historical research, and I wanted to know more about his background, life, and process.

beervanablog.comAn Interview With Andreas Krennmair — BeervanaAfter I completed Andreas Krennmair’s excellent Bavarian White Beer , I had many questions about the author behind the book. Andreas is doing wonderful, essential historical research, and I wan...
Jeff Smith
@sumisu3.bsky.social

In Can Tho for two days and then back to HCMC. The Sheraton here has a sauna. And they don’t limit it to 70°C. Cranked it up to 90. Haven’t felt this clean. And cool. For one week. Any time we get hot weather in Auckland I light up the sauna. Best way to cool down believe it or not. Now beer…

Jeff Smith reposted

👁️👅👁️
@alisonbuki.bsky.social

Replying to @alisonbuki.bsky.social

In this sense I don’t think Ted Chiang was incorrect when he called AI a “blurry jpeg” (maybe a funhouse mirror would be more correct), because ultimately the fears and projections people have about it tell us more about those people than they do about AI systems

Jeff Smith
@sumisu3.bsky.social

This is not a bad světlý ležák at all. Quite a solid malt base and definitely a touch of acetaldehyde. Finishes a bit dry but lingers. Foam unfortunately does not linger but very nice and creamy at first. Does make me realize my own version does not suck at all. Good beer in Vietnam

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Jeff Smith
@sumisu3.bsky.social

This is not a bad světlý ležák at all. Quite a solid malt base and definitely a touch of acetaldehyde. Finishes a bit dry but lingers. Foam unfortunately does not linger but very nice and creamy at first. Does make me realize my own version does not suck at all. Good beer in Vietnam

Jeff Smith
@sumisu3.bsky.social

BUT! These guys are not using the Lukr correctly. If I spoke Vietnamese I would get behind the bar and teach them. Their owner should already know and demand that they all do it correctly. Holding the fucking glass below the tap is bullshit!

Jeff Smith
@sumisu3.bsky.social

In Saigon/HCMC this week and next. So far out of the macro brews 333 is the best - some bitterness at least Bia hơi tonight. Should be like Taiwan 18 Days but younger and lower ABV. Found a place brewing Czech style beers (since 1995!) Didn’t expect a pour from a Lukr. Time for světlý and a tmavý

Jeff Smith
@sumisu3.bsky.social

Bia hơi definitely isn’t just about cheap beer. This is absolutely local Vietnamese culture. Watching people meet up with friends, guy out by the street grilling food while the staff run to tables with a bucket of ice and 2L flask of beer to pour for everyone. Loved every minute of it.

Jeff Smith
@sumisu3.bsky.social

In Saigon/HCMC this week and next. So far out of the macro brews 333 is the best - some bitterness at least Bia hơi tonight. Should be like Taiwan 18 Days but younger and lower ABV. Found a place brewing Czech style beers (since 1995!) Didn’t expect a pour from a Lukr. Time for světlý and a tmavý

Jeff Smith
@sumisu3.bsky.social

How do you prove a negative? Is AI also innocent until proven guilt? Companies who “discover” their AI has “gone rogue” to hack systems then deny they are using the work of researchers who have used the frontier models for their research…hmmm don’t believe them. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/27/s...

nytimes.comDid Anthropic’s A.I. Really Make a Scientific Discovery on Its Own? (Gift Article)An expert at the University of Copenhagen said his team had been sharing its research with the company’s A.I. model, Claude, and that its new finding matched their work.

Jeff Smith reposted

saintpotato.bsky.social
@saintpotato.bsky.social

Please sign this petition. The government wants to fast-track development on wetlands where there is an established population of extremely threatened bitterns. #nzpol #birdoftheyear #boty petitions.parliament.nz/ae84e6b4-cb6...

petitions.parliament.nzpetitions.parliament.nzPetitions are addressed to the House of Representatives and ask that the House do something about a policy or law, or put right a local or private concern.
Jeff Smith
@sumisu3.bsky.social

hey hey I think I know the plan on “the ultimate military intervention” He wants to ”tank” the market and “blow up” the economy.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Trump on the bond market: "The ultimate intervention is our military, and if we have to use it, we will"

Jeff Smith
@sumisu3.bsky.social

Way back when someone told me I should watch Ted Lasso. Didn’t know anything about it. A show about some American going to coach football in the UK. Not a big sports fan. Skeptical. And here I am now waiting every week for this season’s latest episode.

Jeff Smith
@sumisu3.bsky.social

Time again for homemade flour tortillas. Started yesterday because I had to render pork fat for lard. 35g balls of dough for small tortillas and some 60g ones for large tortilla. This is always so worth the effort. #tortillas

Jeff Smith
@sumisu3.bsky.social

And since I have a lot of crackling/chicharrones and lard I made some refried beans mixed with chopped chicharrones. But I still have lots and I’m thinking maybe I make potato and crackling dumplings. I had them in Linz, Austria 30 years ago and can’t forget the decadence.

Jeff Smith
@sumisu3.bsky.social

One can have curry udon for breakfast, right? When you don’t live in Japan anymore sometimes you get really hungry for what would be very ordinary in Japan.

Jeff Smith reposted

Kate from Kharkiv
@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social

KASPAROV: Why can't NATO shoot down Russian missiles over Ukrainian territory? When Iran attacked Israel, the Americans, French, British shot down Iranian missiles. Why can one shoot down Iranian missiles flying at Israel but cannot shoot down Russian missiles flying at Ukraine?

Jeff Smith
@sumisu3.bsky.social

Ten fertile Rhode Island Red eggs arrived today. Into the incubator and hoping for a successful hatch. We original had six hens but one was decapitated (weasel?) and one had a crop infection - and she was the friendliest of the ladies which was so sad.