Newsletter Leaf Journal CCX 〜 Chiming in
Issue 210 of The Newsletter Leaf Journal features links to the three newest New Leaf Journal articles, which cover everything from a 2010 visual novel, 1994 racing games, and 1900 boats, 21 links from around the web, and other news and notes.
Welcome to the 210th edition of The Newsletter Leaf Journal, the official newsletter of the perennially virid online writing magazine, The New Leaf Journal. This newsletter comes to you as always from the Filco Majestitouch V3 keyboard of the editor of The New Leaf Journal and its sister site, The Emu Café Social, Nicholas A. Ferrell. While it was not our busiest week, I published more than I have in recent weeks. Below, I cover our new December 2024 articles along with our usual assortment of links from around the web and other news and notes.
Leaves from the tree of the week that was
I published three new articles since mailing Newsletter 209.
First, I reviewed a 2010 visual novel called The Dandelion Girl. This may sound familiar if you have been keeping up with my new articles in recent weeks. Back in September, I reviewed a 2016 visual novel called The Dandelion Girl. The 2016 visual novel is a remake of the 2010 one, and both are based on Robert F. Young's 1961 science fiction short story of the same name. While the 2010 and 2016 visual novels have different scripts, they use the same art and are similar enough in enough respects that I decided to write my 2010 review as a supplement to the 2016 review. Why did I not cover both at once? See my explanation in the News Leaf Journal section of Newsletter 204.
My second and third articles of the week were both centered on photos I took near Pier 6 of Brooklyn Bridge Park (Pier 6 made a cameo in last week's second article). First, I published a photo article about a schooner of historic significance (and Maine's state quarter), Victory Chimes, which has been docked at Brooklyn Bridge Park for several months. Victory Chimes was visible in my August article about a retired fireboat by the name of the Gov. Alfred E. Smith, which is docked right next to Victory Chimes. Next, I published an article inspired by my photograph of a Tesla Cybertruck unexpectedly parked in Brooklyn Bridge Park, with Victory Chimes and Alfred E. Smith in the background. After sharing my photo, I share a humorous blog post criticizing the design of the Tesla Cybertruck before offering my own unique take that it is inspired by early 3D racing games from the 1990s.
Leaves from around the web
Let's check in on what is going on around the world wide web.
TikTok for TikTok (I hope, at least)
TikTok Divestiture Mandate Doesn't Violate the First Amendment
Eugene Volokh at The Volokh Conspiracy. December 6, 2024.
This is good because TikTok should be banned. Some U.S. government agencies should also read key portions of the decision and consider their own conduct in recent years.
Judge Ginsburg (Author of the TikTok Divestiture Opinion) and His Own Foray into Social Technology
Eugene Volokh at The Volokh Conspiracy. December 6, 2024.
Started the first computerized dating service. Failed Supreme Court nominee. Writes court opinion on TikTok ban.
The wonderful world of so-called AI
Daily Tech News 7 December 2024
Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony. December 7, 2024.
The author explains why he correctly bashes generative AI every other day.
Companies in Mexico embrace AI to resurrect the dead
Daniela Dib for Rest of World. December 4, 2024.
(Long stare, says nothing.)
AI chatbots claim to cure loneliness, but some bonds have ended in suicide (Archive Today link)
Nitasha Tiku for The Washington Post. December 6, 2024.
The problem comes before one starts the conversation -- specifically when the thought "hey let me install this weird 'AI' cartoon app on my phone" is given immaterial form.
Esquire Allegation that President Bush Sr. Pardoned His Son Neil Bush
Eugene Volokh at The Volokh Conspiracy. December 4, 2024.
My initial thought was that this story demonstrates the dangers of drinking, consulting Chat GPT, and publishing. But since Esquire ostensibly has editors, I suppose it also demonstrates the dangers of drinking and editing.
Can You Turn Off Google and Meta’s AI Tools? Sometimes, and Here’s How. (Archive Today link)
Brian X. Chen for The New York Times. October 9, 2024.
I never saw Google's, Apple's, Microsoft's, or Meta's AI tools -- so that was the real news to me.
The life and times of a small website webmaster
The Army’s Discourse Problem
Kareem P. Montague for Modern War Institute. November 29, 2024.
We have a similar problem at The New Leaf Journal. Everyone agrees with me when I tell myself about my 'great new idea' for the site.
DOGE seeks 'super high-IQ' people willing to work 80 hours a week for free
Brett Rowland for Just the News. November 16, 2024.
I am already writing this for free but I'll see if I can squeeze something into my schedule.
What a carve up! Playful, intricate Japanese leaf art – in pictures
Killian Fox for The Guardian. November 16, 2024.
I would do this for The New Leaf Journal but for the fact that I could not actually do this.
Random sports long-reads
The Tale of Mike Brown vs Grant Langston
Robbie Marriage at Sports Passion Project. October 14, 2024.
Who is ready for a detailed race-by-race history of the two-man battle for the championship in the 2001 AMA 125MX season?
The Most Disrespectful Moment in Sports History
Robbie Marriage at Sports Passion Project. November 25, 2024.
If you enjoyed the previous link, you can also read about the two-man race for the championship in the 2002 AMA 125MX season.
Everything that's old is new again
How the charge of 'Islamophobia' menaces free speech
Tim Dieppe for Spiked. November 24, 2024.
This essay is both evergreen and a slice of mid-2010s nostalgia.
HTS rebel group sweeping Syria tries to shed its jihadist image
Bahar Makool for France 24. December 5, 2024.
Since I was not born yesterday, I have no doubt that the former Al Qaeda member's claims of newfound moderation will be readily accepted by many stakeholders in the Syrian civil war.
Libya: Ministry of Interior Announces Planned Reinstatement of Morality Police
George Sadek for Global Legal Monitor. December 3, 2024.
In case you were skeptical of my comment for the previous link.
Let's start at the beginning
Yakuza Mine
Thom L. Jones for Gangsters Inc. December 3, 2024.
Who's ready for a long history of the Yakuza? Let us begin in the 17th century...
Qatar: Constitutional Amendments Approved
George Sadek for Global Legal Monitor. November 26, 2024.
"An amendment to article No. 1 stipulates that Qatar’s government system is based on a constitution."
More Sega nostalgia
Want Your Very Own Sega Neptune? You'll Need A Spare $2,600
Damien McFerran for Time Extension. November 7, 2024.
The Sega Neptune from a 2001 April Fools joke I wrote about was much more reasonably priced (not being real caveats and all).
Sonic the Hedgehog is still homeless, Sega confirms
Amber V for Automation West. November 14, 2024.
Sonic 2 was my first video game. I played Sonic, read Sonic comics, and watched Sonic cartoons back in the mid-90s. Never once did I ask myself "is Sonic a hobo?"
Recommendations from around the web
Fedora Linux Flatpak cool apps to try for December
Eduard Lucena for Fedora Magazine. December 2, 2024.
I am typing my comment on the link in its first app recommendation.
Using an 8K TV as a monitor
Daniel Lawrence Lu. December 15, 2023.
I wouldn't do this but don't let that stop you.
Most-turned leaves of the newsletter week
I use a privacy-friendly and entirely local tool called Koko Analytics (my review) to track page hits. In each issue of the newsletter, I list our five most-visited articles, according to Koko Analytics, for the one-week period beginning with Saturday and ending with Friday. Below, I present the five most-visited articles of Newsletter Week 49 (Nov 30-Dec 6) with 2024 and historic (going back to 2021) ranking information for each of the five articles.
(1) Examining Whether Defense Wins NBA Championships
N.A. Ferrell. July 9, 2024.
3 appearances and 1 top placement.
(2) Broken Optical Audio Cable Door "Fix"
N.A. Ferrell. September 16, 2023.
13 appearances in 2024 and overall.
(3) An In-Depth Look at Norton Safe Search
N.A. Ferrell. October 18, 2022.
31 appearances and 12 top placements in 2024; 43 and 17 overall.
(4) Dragonair Safari in Pokémon Yellow
N.A. Ferrell. October 5, 2023.
First appearance.
(5) The Mystery of Sōseki and Tsuki ga Kirei
N.A. Ferrell. March 14, 2021.
18 appearances and 6 top placements in 2024; 150 and 75 overall.
Analysis
My Norton Safe Search review's six-week reign atop the weekly ranking came to an end. Our new number one is my statistical study of whether the defense wins championships, as opposed to offense, holds true in the last 51 years of NBA champions. This is only the second time a sports article has taken the top spot -- the first was The Browser newsletter/Hacker News-driven rise of my Cycling Doping Fallacies essay for the first three Newsletter weeks of the current year. It is our 13th distinct first-place article of 2024 -- and we have three newsletter weeks remaining to match the record of 14 first-place articles in 2023. This week's top-five also saw a debut in my article on searching for a Dragonair in the Safari Zone of Pokémon Yellow. That article has been an unexpected (to me, at least) success this year, having posted finishes of 7th and 9th place in the October and November monthly rankings respectively. It had a big Friday to finally add a weekly top-five to its growing list of monthly top-10s.
News Leaf Journal
I am continuing to work on new articles and prioritizing those articles I want to publish before the new year. I will publish my November month-end review this week instead of waiting to do so until we are more than half-way to January. Also on tap is my review of the Girls Band Cry anime, which is in progress. Speaking of anime, I may publish my 2024 anime review in 2024, which would be a first (I published 2021-2023 in April, January, and January of the following new years, respectively), but it may also end up being early January. I also decided on a new format for our eventual year-end review, but I will save that reveal for New Years.
One series of articles you may see this month are follow-ups to some of our current successful articles. I have in-progress follow-ups to two articles in our week-end top-five -- specifically my NBA statistics survey and my piece on Dragonair in Pokémon Yellow. While I am not committed to publishing these in December, they may end up being part of the monthly collection.
Taking leaf
Thank you as always for reading The Newsletter Leaf Journal. If you are not already a regular reader, note that you can sign up for our weekly Saturday email, add the newsletter's RSS feed to your favorite feed reader, or simply check on our newsletter archive page when you are so inclined (see options).
While I have a busy real-life week of work ahead of me, I will try to publish a few new articles so I have something to report next week.
Until December 13,
Cura ut valeas -- Nicholas A. Ferrell.