Newsletter Leaf Journal CCXXIII 〜 Lose an hour, gain a newsletter
The 223rd edition of The Newsletter Leaf Journal features links to two new New Leaf Journal articles about blogging and Linux, 27 links from around the web covering everything from the Alamo to 2000s video games, and other news and notes from the week that was at The NLJ.
Welcome to the 223rd 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 administrator, editor, and principal writer of The New Leaf Journal and its short-form writing sister-site, The Emu Café Social, Nicholas A. Ferrell. There was barely any newsletter to speak of last week because I had to complete some rush assignments over the weekend. This week did not go much better on the having time to work on The New Leaf Journal front, but I did manage to publish two new articles. More importantly for newsletter readers, you will find a full and complete edition of this humble publication below after my rather pitiful mailing last week.
Leaves from the week that was
I only managed to publish two new articles since mailing the very short Newsletter 222, but I like to think they make for good weekend reading.
In Good Internet Writing Habits, I responded to a blog post by Anthony Ciccarello's post asking for "tips on developing a writing habit." While I leave it to others to opine on the quality of my articles, let no one say I have not made a habit of publishing articles since launching The New Leaf Journal on April 27, 2020.
A few days ago, I ran into an issue updating the packages on my main desktop workstation, which runs an Arch Linux-based Linux distribution called EndeavourOS. In Pacman (Linux) Update Issue, I described the issue and then explained how I found the solution. It turned out that I was about two years late in reading about an important update to how Arch Linux packages are organized (despite having seen and ignored some warning signs).
Leaves from around the web
I did not share any articles from around the web last week. On account of that and the fact that neither of my two new articles are long, I present below 27 links from around the web instead of the regularly expected 21.
Remember the Alamo
The Travis Letter
The Alamo website.
"Victory or Death."
Limestone quarry used to build Alamo discovered at San Antonio Zoo
Brad Matthews for The Washington Times. March 6, 2025.
"The newly found limestone could be used to make repairs at the Alamo ... It is going through a $550 million redevelopment set to be completed in 2027."
Checking in on the legal illegal drug market in New York
It’s Time to Rethink Pot Legalization
Steven Malanga for City Journal. Winter 2025 Issue.
I am forced to think about it against my will every time I go outside.
New York’s Pot Boom Is Nothing to Celebrate
Kevin Sabet for City Journal. March 5, 2025.
It stinks (in more ways than one).
Eleven Long Island middle schoolers hospitalized from marijuana-laced gummies handed out by fellow student: cops
Amanda Woods for the New York Post. March 4, 2025.
The New York government excitedly contemplates what this will mean for the legal marijuana market in 9-10 years.
Collateral damage
Cartels Continue Using Makeshift Landmines in Mexican Border Areas Despite Killing Innocents
Breitbart News. February 6, 2025.
I for one am shocked that they did not immediately reassess things after killing innocents.
South Korean fighter jets accidentally drop bombs, injuring 8 people
Hyung-Jin Kim for the Associated Press (via The Washington Times). March 6, 2025.
"Two South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area during a joint live-fire exercise with the U.S. military on Thursday, injuring eight people, officials said."
AI wins
Nintendo eShop seemingly takes action against notorious “hentai” puzzle games
Tajiro Yamanaka for Automation West. March 5, 2025.
What I appreciate about this shovelware is that you can see the AI dripping from the featured images.
Hentai Golf Switch Game Review
Game Slush Pile. December 15, 2023.
Someone was brave enough to purchase Hentai Golf and detail how awful it is so no one else has to.
Meta is testing AI agents that let users ‘talk’ to businesses
Ryan Barwick for Marketing Brew. March 4, 2025.
What if the businesses are also using Meta AI agents? Can a Meta divided against itself stand?
Art Without Intention
Lincoln Michel At Counter Craft. September 4, 2024.
Interesting takes on AI "art."
Video games from the 2000s
Never 7 - The End of Infinity and Ever 17 - Out of the Infinity Game Review
Caitlin Moore for Anime News Network. February 28, 2025.
I always wanted to play Ever 17. Now I can. I smell a future New Leaf Journal review...
PS3 is still getting annual system software updates 19 years on
Verity Townsend for Automation West. March 6, 2025.
This is neat and in line with what I praised back in 2022 in The Nintendo Switch and Long-Lasting Tech. I tip my hat to Sony for its handling of the now very legacy PlayStation 3.
BMX XXX - Behind The Scenes On Acclaim's Most Infamous Game
Lewis Packwood for Time Extension. March 7, 2025.
While I unsurprisingly never played the early 2000s BMX XXX (originally slated to have Dave Mira's name on it), I remember the contemporaneous hubbub about it in Electronic Gaming Monthly and other video game magazines. Left un-noted in this interesting interview with the developers of the ill-fated project is that the controversy was bundled with discussion about Dead or Alive Extreme Beach Volleyball, which was being pushed at the same time and featured women in very small bikinis but was probably otherwise significantly less raunchy than BMX XXX.
DIY NAS
Beelink plans to enter the NAS space with the Beelink ME line of "private cloud storage" devices
Brad Linder for Liliputing. March 3, 2025.
I have had a positive experience with two Beelink mini PCs. I will keep an eye on these NAS systems.
CWWK Pentium 8505 NAS Motherboard
Zit Seng. March 6, 2025.
Small form-factor NAS motherboards are also neat and worth watching.
Gone too soon
Party City’s final week slinging confetti and balloon arches
Matty Merritt for Morning Brew. February 26, 2025.
I think I only went to a Party City 2-3 times and probably never bought anything. Still seems a little sad though. But 29 remain open!
Microsoft is pulling the plug on Skype in May, encourages users to migrate to Teams
Brad Linder for Liliputing. February 28, 2025.
I never used Skype and was only tangentially aware it was still a thing. I do use Teams. Like most people who use Teams -- that is for work, not by choice.
Spring is beginning to spring
Japan’s plum blossom season is here, and after-dark garden is one of the best spots to see them
Casey Baseel for SoraNews24. February 25, 2025.
Over-shadowed by the cherry blossoms, but not in the shadows.
Finding Stillness in a Plum Blossom Storm
Vanessa Glau at Occam's Lab. February 16, 2025.
I covered a poem she writes about in this post back on March 20, 2022.
You can't make this stuff up
NJ bird shop owner shot with a crossbow in random attack
Steve Janoski for the New York Post. February 18, 2025.
Read this whenever you feel like you're having a bad few months.
NYC illegal immigrant who posed with AK-47s busted for supporting ISIS — after ex-wife rats him out for ‘sham marriage’ to stripper
Cecilia Catalini, Joe Marino, and Ben Kochman for the New York Post. February 26, 2025.
While we cannot declare the 2025 headline of the year in March, we can rest comfortably knowing the leader in the club house.
Southwest flight delayed after woman stripped naked and demanded to be let off
Brad Matthews for The Washington Times. March 6, 2025.
I am glad that the most exciting stories I had from my recent flights with Southwest were less exciting -- just weather delays and napkin prompts.
Conflict in Africa
Rwanda and Congo Clash as Major War Brews in Central Africa / Geopolitical Monitor
Dylan Motin for Geopolitical Monitor. March 4, 2025.
I dare say the issue at the moment is that Rwanda is doing the clashing and Congo is doing the fleeing and/or surrendering.
Forgotten Wars: Conflict Intensifies in Burkina Faso
Matteo Balzarini Zane for RealClear World. March 3, 2025.
The "calling in Russian convicts-turned-mercs to fight Jihadists in Africa" strategy continues achieving consistent results.
Reptiles: Real and not-so-real
Billy Horschel saves golf fans from alligator at Cognizant Classic
Matt Ehalt for the New York Post. February 27, 2025.
The alligator wanted someone to save it from Billy Horschel.
765 • Extra Ordinary Li Chen at Extra Ordinary. February 27, 2025.
A four-panel comic about the year of the snake. I laughed. You can laugh too.
Most-turned leaves of the newsletter week
I use a privacy-friendly and entirely local tool called Koko Analytics (see my 2022 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. I did not include a ranking in last week's newsletter because I was pressed for time. Thus, below I present separately the five most-visited articles for Newsletter Weeks 9 (February 22-28) and 10 (March 1-7), with 2025 and historic ranking information for each ranked article.
'25 Newsletter Week 9 (February 22-28)
(1.) Examining Whether Defense Wins NBA Championships
N.A. Ferrell. July 9, 2024.
2025: 7 appearances and 4 top placements.
Historic: 11 appearances and 5 top placements.
(2.) January 2025 Look at Pixelfed Social
N.A. Ferrell. January 29, 2025.
2025: 5 appearances.
(3.) Kaori After Story – Visual Novel Review
N.A. Ferrell. December 31, 2022.
2025: 7 appearances and 2 top placements.
Historic: 8 appearances and 2 top placements.
(4.) Broken Optical Audio Cable Door "Fix"
N.A. Ferrell. September 16, 2023.
2025: 3 appearances.
Historic: 17 appearances.
(5.) Calvin Coolidge Describes His Mother, Victoria
N.A. Ferrell. March 13, 2021.
2025: 3 appearances.
Historic: 5 appearances.
'25 Newsletter Week 10 (March 1-7)
(1.) Examining Whether Defense Wins NBA Championships
N.A. Ferrell. July 9, 2024.
2025: 8 appearances and 5 top placements.
Historic: 12 appearances and 6 top placements.
(2.) January 2025 Look at Pixelfed Social
N.A. Ferrell. January 29, 2025.
2025: 6 appearances.
(3.) Kaori After Story – Visual Novel Review
N.A. Ferrell. December 31, 2022.
2025: 8 appearances and 2 top placements.
Historic: 9 appearances and 2 top placements.
(4.) The Mystery of Sōseki and Tsuki ga Kirei
N.A. Ferrell. March 14, 2021.
2025: 3 appearances.
Historic: 156 appearances and 75 top placements.
(5.) Broken Optical Audio Cable Door "Fix"
N.A. Ferrell. September 16, 2023.
2025: 4 appearances.
Historic: 18 appearances.
Analysis
Readers will note that our week 9 and 10 rankings are very similar, with the same top three in the same order in both weeks and three articles occupying the fourth and fifth positions. My NBA stats study extended its first-place streak to five, doing so comfortably in week 9 (after a very close week 8) and somewhat closer in week 10. My new Pixelfed review and Kaori After Story are performing well enough on a day-to-day basis to jump into number one sooner rather than later.
I will highlight one potential surprise. My al|together visual novel review of Plain Song was one of the top articles at the end of Newsletter Week 10 and is carrying over its strong performance today (being Saturday, March 8). It is linked to twice in the Kaori After Story review, so perhaps we will see Kaori help another romance-themed visual novel into a ranking position.
News Leaf Journal
My publishing output of late has been less than impressive due largely to work assignments and I do not expect that to fully turn around next week. However, I do have one article ready to go after mailing this newsletter (it may be live by the time you read this) and at least one project planned for Friday, so I will try to squeeze a couple additional articles in next week from my to-do and in-progress lists for a busier week. (Note that additional articles does not include my upcoming February 2025 recap, which should also be published in the coming week.)
Taking leaf
Thank you as always for reading The Newsletter Leaf Journal. If you are not already a regular reader, I invite you to subscribe to our weekly email, add our newsletter's RSS feed to your favorite feed reader (see explanation), or browse our full newsletter archive at your leisure (note it also has a very nice full-text search bar).
I look forward to having a bit more to share in next week's newsletter.
Until March 15,
Happy White Day to all who celebrate
Cura ut valeas -- Nicholas A. Ferrell.