October 11, 2025

Newsletter Leaf Journal CCXLIX 〜 Touching the Moon

Issue 249 of The Newsletter Leaf Journal features links to the four newest NLJ articles, each one touching on Ubuntu Touch in some way, 21 links from around the web, and news and notes from the week that was and the week to come.

Welcome to the 249th edition of The Newsletter Leaf Journal, the official newsletter of the perennially virid online writing magazine, The New Leaf Journal and its short-form writing sister publication, The Emu Café Social. This newsletter comes to you as always from the administrator, editor, and writer of both publications, Nicholas A. Ferrell.

While we did not have our busiest week on record last week, I was more productive in terms of writing and publishing new articles than in previous weeks. I have some time constraints today, so let us jump straight into the newsletter proper.

New leaves from the week that was

I published four new New Leaf Journal articles since mailing Newsletter 248.

I have temporarily switched from using my GrapheneOS-powered Google Pixel 6a to an Ubuntu Touch-powered Google Pixel 3a XL while I put off changing the Pixel 6a's battery. In order to switch primary phones, I needed to move my SIM card from the 6a to the 3a XL. In Using a Small Paper Clip as SIM Tray Tool, I demonstrated a makeshift method for SIM transfers before showing off my new more purpose-built tool.

Speaking of Ubuntu Touch, I celebrated the Harvest Moon (two days late, unfortunately) with Reviewing iMoon for Ubuntu Touch. While my review of the iMoon app focused on my Pixel 3a XL, my old Ubuntu Touch-powered Google Nexus 7 (2013) tablet, which I showed off in July 2021, finally saw an appearance in an article about using its operating system instead of installing it. (Formatting the iMoon article was a struggle).

My Ubuntu Touch phone camera (sadly a bit lacking) saw work on my latter two articles of the week. Inflatable Fall Crow in Cobble Hill comes to you largely as advertised by the title, but I took the opportunity to discuss my current camera app and to introduce a new seasonal writing theme concept for The New Leaf Journal (that concept will be developed further in December). In Early Rotting Carved Halloween Pumpkins in Brooklyn, I use my Ubuntu Touch camera to demonstrate why it is unwise to leave carved pumpkins outside in Cobble Hill when temperatures are regularly clearing 80.

I published four new short posts on Emu Café Social. Continuing with the Ubuntu Touch theme of the week, I noted that MMS does not work well. Segueing into operating systems, I recommend Using the Raspberry Pi Imager as a GUI image-writing tool on Linux (it works for burning ISOs to USBs generally, not just for Raspberry Pi). I talked about Topping Off Mullvad [VPN] Account With Amazon Cards after having covered the announcement of the cards all the way back in 2022. Finally, I discussed having issues getting my microphone set up to work with Microsoft Teams.

Leaves from around the web

While I did better in terms of publishing new articles last week, you may still need more reading material this weekend (even after following all of the links in my new articles). I have you covered with 21 links from around the world wide web.

Just as I drew it up...

Why did Crunchyroll’s subtitles just get worse?
Klaudia Amenabar, Chloe Catoya, Leah Tahmassian, and Malu Arantes for Anime By The Numbers. October 5, 2025.
HT Ambient Irony.

I'm so far behind on the summer and fall seasons that I cannot yet confirm or deny.

Crunchyroll Cites Internal System Problems Regarding Subtitles for Fall 2025
Alex Mateo for Anime News Network. October 9, 2025.

See? I have clearly been holding back on catching up with the new anime because I knew this would be just a temporary issue (I hope...).

Related to my Ubuntu Touch coverage

GNOME and Unity - 2011 to 2023
The Axis of Bozz. July 30, 2025.

Unity was probably my first Linux desktop environment. I am running its successor on Ubuntu Touch.

Ubuntu - The Journey from Unity to GNOME and the Story of MIR
The Axis of Bozz. April 1, 2025.

I learned why the Miracle window manager is called Miracle.

Terrorism concerns

Tom Cotton Presses IRS To Probe CAIR's Tax-Exempt Status, Citing 'Ties to Terror Organizations'
Adam Kredo for The Washington Free Beacon. August 5, 2025.

According to the government of the United Arab Emirates, the terror ties are very close to home.

Analysis: Pakistan attempts to shift blame for TTP attacks toward India
Bill Roggio for FDD's Long War Journal. October 8, 2025.

To be fair the Indian government was hosting the Afghan Taliban government's Foreign Minister when this was written, a fact conspicuously missing from the analysis.

The real resumes of America

How an Arizona woman helped North Korean workers infiltrate US companies
Kim Komando for Fox News. October 8, 2025.

Is it a crime to help Koreans achieve the American dream?

Latest Updates in Case of ‘Dr.’ Ian Roberts, Illegal Alien and Des Moines School Superintendent
Andrew R. Arthur for Center for Immigration Studies. October 6, 2025.

Don't believe him if he claims to have also worked on The New Leaf Journal.

Award-winning design

Quick Review: Qwertykeys Pearl Milk Tea Custom Keycaps
Lui Gough at Gough's Tech Zone. October 4, 2025.

I like the color contrast on his new keyboard set-up.

I Made My Own Fountain Pen!
Wouter Groeneveld at Brain Baking. October 8, 2025.

I'm better off sticking with swapping SIM cads.

Good hygiene

"Who would make up a story like that?" - Sixers equipment manager confirms Charles Barkley would take showers with his jersey on
Shane Garry Acedera for Basketball Network. September 28, 2025.

Charles Barkley provides old-school tips for saving time.

Human washing machine pods coming to Japanese hotels【Photos】
Casey Baseel for SoraNews24. October 8, 2025.

I don't think this is going to catch on like the Walkman did.

New York City narcotics

NY judge rules in favor of pot shops in dispute over school buffer zone
Carl Campanile for the New York Post. September 25, 2025.

Let no one say I didn't warn them back in July.

NYC workers may be forced to clean up drug needles next to syringe 'exchange' spots thanks to new bill
Desheania Andrews, Georgett Roberts, and Haley Brown for the New York Post. January 23, 2025.

If only there were some way to avoid anyone needing to pick out drug needles handed out by the government of New York City.

NYC park catering to hipsters and stroller moms now full of rats and syringes: 'Really upsetting'
Kevin Sheehan and Nicole Rosenthal for New York Post. September 9, 2025.

I walked through that park back in 2024 (probably on the same day I documented a donut fender in Greenpoint). I did not see any syringes but I saw enough to not be too surprised by this story.

Birds everywhere

My favourite bird Pokémon TCG card arts
Juha-Matti Santala. September 20, 2025.

These cards are past my time, but a very nice selection.

Birds Make an Alarm Call That Spans Species and Continents—and May Offer Insight Into the Evolution of Human Language
Mary Randolph for Smithsonian Magazine. October 8, 2025.

This is the biggest avian conspiracy since the government tried to cover up that the birds are free.

NYC tenant tormenting neighbors with flock of rowdy roosters, parrots and other boisterous birds
Kevin Sheehan and Katherine Donlevy for the New York Post. April 1, 2025.

Left unexplained is how this supposedly unemployed guy has enough money to make rent and import roosters (and other animals).

Screens everywhere

We Asked LibreOffice and Collabora: Why Aren’t They in Schools Instead of Word and Google Docs?
Marco Fioretti for FOSS Force. September 9, 2025.

Threshold reason: Because Apple, Google, and Microsoft throw billions of dollars at schools.

I didn't bring my son to a museum to look at screens
Seth Purcell. September 8, 2025.

The museums should be careful about making the exhibits too much like your average K-12 classroom.

Checking in on my friend

Bear bites butt in Japan as ursine assaults continue
Casey Baseel for SoraNews24. October 9, 2025.

I have a friend with whom we have a long-standing joke going back to around the time he struggled with hair-style changes in Puella Magi Madoka Magica that I would send bears to eat him on his many travels. I do not recall exactly how the joke started, but I assume that one of us read a bear attack story situated where he had been traveling at the time. I took note of this new Japanese "ursine assault story" because my friend is currently enjoying Japan with his wife after their very nice wedding just over a month ago. At last check he was becoming a professional sumo wrestler, so he should be able to stand in the ring against Japanese bears that may come looking for him. Context, as always, is highly overrated. (If you're reading, I hope that you two are having a great time riding the Japanese choo choos now that you have conquered the world of sumo.)

Most-turned leaves of the newsletter week

In each edition of the newsletter, I share our five most-visited articles of the week. This week's list comes courtesy of Statify, an entirely local and cookieless page visit counting solution for WordPress. Below, you will find the five most-visited articles of 2025 Newsletter Week XLII (October 4-10) with their 2025 and historic (dating back to 2021) weekly ranking information.

1. Catching 151 Pokémon in Google Search
   Nicholas A. Ferrell. April 17, 2025.
   2025: 16 appearances and 10 top placements.

2. Christmas Countdown Clock in September
   Nicholas A. Ferrell. October 3, 2025.
   2025: First appearance.

3. Amazon "Cargo Bikes" in Brooklyn
   Nicholas A. Ferrell. April 9, 2025.
   2025: 24 appearances and 8 top placements.

4. The Mystery of Sōseki and Tsuki ga Kirei
   Nicholas A. Ferrell. March 14, 2021.
   2025: 5 appearances.
   Cumulative: 158 appearances and 75 top placements.

5. The Pokémon Special Split in Generation 2 - Statistics and Analysis
   Nicholas A. Ferrell. January 18, 2022.
   2025: 5 appearances.
   Cumulative: 60 appearances and 4 top placements.

Analysis

This week featured a good race for the top position. Christmas Countdown Clock in September has a big start to the week thanks to the Newsbreak App, doing better than any previous Newsbreak beneficiary and opening up a big lead that would have been good for the top spot in more weeks than not. However, our current top article, Catching 151 Pokémon in Google Search, slowly reeled it in by continuing its strong run in Google Search and finally took over the top spot early on Friday, making it 8 weeks out of 9 and becoming the second article in 2025 to reach 10 top placements (following Examining Whether Defense Wins NBA Championships, which has been largely absent from the rankings in the past couple of months). Third-place Amazon "Cargo Bikes" in Brooklyn notched its 24th top-five placement of the year, tying it with Examining Whether Defense Wins NBA Championships for the most in 2025 (it should now be viewed as the favorite to lead all articles this year). Rounding out the top-five were long-time ranking king The Mystery of Sōseki and Tsuki ga Kirei, which had its best week in terms of visitors in more than a year and another old stand-by in The Pokémon Special Split in Generation 2 - Statistics and Analysis, which has made top-five placements in a row.

News leaf journal

I expect to have some significant projects coming in the next week, including our first-ever music interview article, follow-up articles on The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten (new news about season 2), Halloween in Japan, my (I hope) or review of the month that was in September. Of course, I also have several work deadlines, but I have made enough progress on some of these projects that they should make it through.

Taking leaf

Thank you as always for reading The Newsletter Leaf Journal. If you enjoyed this issue and have not done so already, you can follow this newsletter by signing up for our weekly email, adding our RSS feed to your favorite feed reader, or checking in on our archive page. You can also sign up for a separate newsletter which sends daily digests of our new posts here.

As I noted above, I have some fun projects in progress, so I hope to have plenty of reading to share next week.

Until October 11,
Cura ut valeas -- Nicholas A. Ferrell.