On December 17, 2024, I published a list tiled 54 Things I Learned in 2024. The article was inspired by Tom Whitwell’s 52 things I learned in 2024 and came very much as advertised by the title (see also his list of 52 things he learned in 2025). I enjoyed making the list enough that I followed it up with 50 Things I Learned in Five Years of NLJ Articles for The New Leaf Journal’s fifth birthday. But the only true follow-up is a list of 52 things I learned in 2025, and I present that list for your elucidation below.
Between this site, The Emu Café Social, and The Newsletter Leaf Journal, I have already documented more than 52 things I learned in 2025. Thus, each one of the 52 things I learned in 2025 will have both a link to the source and a link to where I discussed it on one of my three projects (taken together, there should be enough reading to carry you over until my 2026 things I learned article).
(I thought about covering “54” things again but I decided to go with 52 this year since I suppose people are more likely to search for and discover a list of 52 things than a list of 54.)
Age is a Number
(1) Oldest Golfer to Shoot Under Par at The Masters
On April 10, 2025, Fred Couples, aged 65, became the second-oldest golfer to shoot under par in a round at The Masters with an opening round one-under 71. Who was the oldest?
Fred Couples, who wondered a month ago if at 65 with a creaky back he would still be welcomed to play, became only the second player that age to break par. Couples holed out from the fairway on the 14th with a 6-iron hybrid on his way to a 71. Tom Watson was also 65 — by 28 days he is still the oldest — when he shot 71 in 2015.
Source: “Justin Rose needs just 22 putts, leads Masters by three shots” by Associated Press (via ESPN UK).
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Oldest Golfer to Shoot Under Par in Masters Round” (ECS).
(2) Oldest Person to Summit Mt. Fuji
In August 2025, Kokichi Akuzawa became the oldest person to summit Mount Fuji at 102 years and 51 days. The previous record was set in 1994 by Ichijiro Araya (100 years and 258 days).
My Quip: Newsletter Leaf Journal 242.
In addition to being 102, Mr. Akuzawa had suffered full heart failure and shingles between his August 2025 ascent of Mount Fuji and his previous successful climb of Japan’s highest mountain at age 96. I tip my hat to Mr. Akuzawa.
(3) William P. Hobby’s Stint as the Youngest Governor of Texas
William P. Hobby became the 26th Governor of Texas when he assumed office on August 25, 1917 at the age of 39. He would hold the distinction of being the youngest governor in Texas history until January 18, 1927, when Dan Moody assumed the office of Governor at the age of 33 (Moody still holds the record nearly 99 years later).
Sources: Texas State Historical Association articles on William P. Hobby and Dan Moody.
My Discussion: “Learning About William P. Hobby at Houston Hobby Airport” (NLJ).
Animals
(4) Blind Cats Tilt Their Head
According to COAPE, “[m]any blind cats engage in ‘head-tilting,’ using their ears to ‘feel’ their way around.”
Source: “Navigating Life’s Spectrum: Understanding the behavioural nuances of sharing your life a blind cat” (HT Wiktor Tkaczyk).
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Blind Cat Head Tilts” (ECS).
(5) Cats on Rikers Island
According to The New York Times, there were up to 18 cat colonies and about 250-400 cats on New York’s Rikers Island correctional facility as of September 1, 2022. As of early 2025, Gloria Murli of Rikers Island Cat Rescue estimated that there were 300-350 cats living on the grounds of Rikers Island prison.
Sources: “NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: RIKERS ISLAND; Wild at Heart, Furry of Face, and Now, Under Control” by Tara Bahrampour for The New York Times (2002) and “Meet the Cats Who Roam Rikers Island” by Haidee Chu for The City.
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Cats on Rikers Island” (ECS).
(6) Determining a Saw-whet Owl’s Age
I wrote a few articles about saw-whet owls here on The New Leaf Journal. Having written about the world’s smallest owl in the past, I naturally take note of new saw whet facts. Thanks to an article in Smithsonian Magazine, I learned how researchers estimate a Saw-whet owl’s age:
“They use a blacklight to look at the underside of the owls’ wings and see their molt pattern, which helps determine their ages, a difficult task. Old feathers don’t glow as brightly under the light because the pigment has faded, while new feathers have a brighter glow…”
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Determining Saw-whet Owl Age” (ECS).
(7) Brooklyn Bees’ Green Honey?
Comments from a beekeeper in Park Slope, Brooklyn, on finding that his bees had produced green honey one year:
“We came to find out that it was because they were eating the cotton candy [in Prospect Park]…”
My quip: Newsletter Leaf Journal 235.
(8) Lanternflies Give Bees an Epiphany
Spotted lanternflies are not popular stateside, with New York City giving us ordinary citizens a kill on site directive. But not everyone disapproves of the lanternflies. Bees tend to go for pollen, but…
As it turns out, this process works just as well with honeydew, the sugary liquid spotted lanternflies excrete after eating tree sap—basically, insect poop. During the late summer and fall, when nectar-rich flowers are starting to dwindle, bees are apparently taking advantage of the abundance of honeydew.
My quip: Newsletter Leaf Journal 258.
(9) Machida Squirrel Garden
I read an article in Nintendo Life about how Machida (which is part of Tokyo) may be the real-world inspiration for Pallet Town, which is the player’s home-town in the original Pokémon games. But according that same article, Machida is best known for a 3D animal attraction:
[Machida’s] most famous tourist attraction is not Pokémon-related at all. Machida Squirrel Garden is a small petting zoo that features over two hundred squirrels that live in colourfully painted houses. You can even feed and pet the squirrels, though don’t be surprised if they dart off after filling their bellies.
I dug a little further and learned that the Machida Squirrel Garden is also home to at least 100 Guinea pigs and smaller numbers of rabbits, tortoises, chipmunks, and prairie dogs.
Source: animal cafes.com.
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Machida Squirrel Garden” (ECS).
(10) Mars the Vet Tycoon
I knew that Mars was a candy company. But prior to early 2025, I had been unaware that Mars “controls nearly half of the ~6,600 corporate-owned pet clinics in the United States…” That information came courtesy of a report by Molly Liebergall for the Morning Brew. I also learned that Mars’ revenue has gone up 284% since it decided to become a vet tycoon in the mid-1990s. Perhaps relatedly, “[t]he average vet bill is ~60% more expensive than it was in 2014…”
Source: “Vet bills are going up” by Molly Liebergall for Morning Brew.
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Mars is a Vet Tycoon” (ECS).
Animals and Weight-Loss Drugs
(11) Lizards and Ozempic
Ozempic and Wegovy have been in the news for their prowess as weight-loss drugs. Moreover, if you believe the drug company hype, you might come away thinking that they cure every human malady. But where do these miracle drugs come from? I turn to an article by Ben Holmes in Knowable Magazine about poisonous caterpillars:
[A] forerunner to the new blockbuster drug semaglutide — better known by brand names such as Ozempic and Wegovy — was based on a molecule extracted from a venomous lizard, the Gila monster.
Thank the lizards!
Source: “The caterpillars that can kill you” by Ben Holmes for Knowable Magazine
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Ozempic Lizards” (ECS).
(12) Ozempikitty
Pet obesity is apparently a growing (deliberate word choice) problem. What to do? Margherita Bassi reported on one potential solution:
“San Francisco-based pharmaceutical company OKAVA is working toward a potential solution. Last week, OKAVA announced that it had kicked off a clinical trial for OKV-119, a tiny implant that slowly releases a GLP-1 medication to manage weight in cats.”
My Very Serious Discussion: “On GPL-1s for Obese House Cats” (NLJ).
Anime
(13) Crunchyroll Subtitles
I never thought much about how Crunchyroll, the hegemonic anime streaming service, creates its subtitles. According to Anime By The Numbers, “[s]ince its inception, Crunchyroll’s localization team has used a free program called Aegisub to create subtitles and on-screen text translations.” However, some people apparently began noticing part-way through 2025 that the quality of Crunchyroll’s subtitles declined. Anime By The Numbers noted that there were rumors Crunchyroll dropped Aegisub because other streaming services where it syndicates some of its properties, notably Netflix and Disney, have incompatible subtitling constraints (I subsequently saw reports seeming to confirm that Crunchyroll dropped Aegisub). Of course, I noted in the newsletter where I shared the Anime By Numbers link that I fell so far behind on anime in 2025 that I am not yet up to date on the subtitle issues.
Source: “Why did Crunchyroll’s subtitles just get worse” by Anime By The Numbers.
My Quip: Newsletter Leaf Journal 249 (Note there is a second link in the newsletter on the Crunchyroll subtitle situation).
(14) Kazuya Kinoshita Dyes His Hair
Kazuya Kinoshita, the brown-haired protagonist of the hopelessly mediocre anime series Rent-A-Girlfriend (the series is based on a Japanese light novel series), dyes his hair. This was revealed in a flashback scene in episode 42 which showed Kazuya with black hair.
Source: My work in “Kazuya’s Hair Color in Rent-A-Girlfriend” (NLJ).
(Say what one will but watching four seasons of Rent-A-Girlfriend should qualify as work.)
Astronomy
(15) Saturn’s 128-bit 2025
The International Astronomical Union recognized 128 new moons for Saturn. The new moons, all measuring just between two and four km in diameter, were discovered by Edward Ashton and other astronomers at Academia Sinica in Taipei, Tawain. With the new recognition, Saturn had 274 recognized moons as of March 2025, more than the other seven planets combined (it would also be more than Pluto if you still like to consider that a planet).
My Quip: Newsletter Leaf Journal 224.
(16) Three Consecutive Supermoons
The first “Supermoon” of 2025 fell on October 6 (the “Harvest Moon”). This was the first of three consecutive Supermoons, with the November 5 “beaver” Supermoom being the biggest of the trifecta. However, there were two additional Supermoons, with the November 5 “beaver” Supermoon being the biggest of the trifecta (the third was the “cold Moon” on December 4).
Source: “The Harvest Moon rises tonight: See the 1st supermoon of 2025 brighten October’s sky” by Anthony Wood for Space.com, “November’s Full Beaver Supermoon Peaks on Wednesday—and It Will Be the Year’s Biggest” by Margherita Bassi for Smithsonian Magazine, and “Bundle Up For The Supermoon Show: December’s ‘Cold Moon’ To Shine Through Winter Air” by Renee Straker for The Weather Channel.
My Discussion: “Reviewing iMoon For Ubuntu Touch” (NLJ), Newsletter Leaf Journal 253, and “Things I Learned: Supermoon Coming in January 2026” (ECS).
Autism Diagnoses
(17) Autism and Prenatal Substance Exposure
According to Mary Kirchoff, CEO of Wonderland Child & Family Services, Prenatal Substance Exposure “is statistically four times more prevalent than and often misdiagnosed as autism.”
My Discussion: See “Things I Learned: Autism and Prenatal Substance Exposure” (ECS).
(18) Autism Diagnoses in Minnesota
Welfare fraud in Minnesota has been in the news lately. One indicia of the fraud: By October 2024, “one in 16 Somali four-year olds in [Minnesota] had reportedly been diagnosed with autism–a rate more than triple the state average.”
My Discussion: Newsletter Leaf Journal 255.
Cinematic History
(19) The “Original” Wonderful Wizard of Oz Movie
The 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is one of the more famous movies of its era. But while it is the best known theatrical adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, it was not the first. I quote from the Internet Archive blog:
Rightly remembered for its masterful execution and translation of the fairytale Oz to the big screen, MGM’s The Wizard of Oz (1939) remains the primary association with Oz for most audiences. However, despite its iconic status, that version was preceded by multiple filmed adaptations. Between 1908 and 1925, at least six silent adaptations brought Oz to life, some now lost, others surviving in fragments that reveal inventive visual interpretations often drawn from the stage musicals of the era.
However, as I noted in my summary of what I learned, the post notes that the first known Wizard of Oz movie was released in 1910.
Source: “The Wonderful Public Domain of Oz” by Sterling Dudley for Internet Archive Blogs.
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Original Wizard of Oz Movies” (ECS).
(20) VistaVision Comeback
Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2025 film “One Battle After Another” was the first new film to be projected in VistaVision since Marlon Brando’s “One-Eyed Jacks” in 1961.
Source: “I Saw ‘One Battle After Another’ Six Times in Six Formats in Six Days” by Jim Hemphill for IndieWire and “One Format After Another: How, Where, and Why to Watch Paul Thomas Anderson’s Latest Film in Every Way” (same).
My Note: Newsletter Leaf Journal 253.
Environment
(21) The carbon.txt File
While I was troubleshooting an issue by studying our server logs, I noticed requests for a “carbon.txt” file. I set off to discover what carbon.txt is. According to the official documentation from the Green Web Foundation:
carbon.txt is a single, discoverable location on any domain – /carbon.txt – for public, machine‑readable sustainability data.
Source: Green Web Foundation CARBON.TXT page.
My Discussion: “Adding a carbon.txt File” (NLJ).
See Also: Our carbon.txt file.
(22) You Can’t Recycle Bowling Balls
I do not bowl. Unsurprisingly, I have never owned a bowling ball. More unsurprisingly, I never thought about whether you could recycle a bowling ball. If you happened to be wondering whether you can recycle a bowling ball, the answer is no.
Source: “No, You Can’t Recycle a Bowling Ball (But People Sure Keep Trying)” by Elanor Cummins for Curbed.
My Quips: Newsletter Leaf Journal 218.
(The Curbed report also notes that baseballs are non-recyclable.)
Food and Drink
(23) Africa’s New Coffee King
From the Tea & Coffee Trade Journal:
In May 2025, Uganda emerged as Africa’s leading coffee exporter, delivering a record 47,606.7 tonnes and surpassing Ethiopia’s previous achievements.
Source: “Uganda becomes the number one coffee exporter in Africa” at Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
My Quip: Newsletter Leaf Journal 245.
(24) Bottled Water Expiration Dates In Japan
Bottled water in Japan apparently comes with expiration dates written by the cap. It turns out that water in Japan does not spoil, but the date reflects when the bottler/seller can no longer guarantee that the amount of un-evaporated water is the amount of water listed on the label.
My Quip: Newsletter Leaf Journal 239.
(25) Illy Coffee Vending Machines Are Full Espresso Makers
I saw Illy espresso vending machines in multiple airports while traveling to and from San Antonio, Texas, back in May 2025. I researched the machines for an article project. From my research, I learned that “[u]nlike traditional instant coffee vending machines, the Prepango unit is a full espresso maker, utilizing 100 percent Arabica illy Classico whole beans to grind, brew and serve a full list of espresso hot drinks…”
Source: “Prepango Partners With Illy On A Speciality Coffee Vending Machine” at Vending Connection.
My Discussion: “Failing to Try Airport Illy Coffee Vending Machine” (NLJ).
(26) “Liquid Death” is Just Regular Flavored Seltzer
I took what I thought was a humorous photo of bottles of Coca Cola sitting above a “Liquid Death” label and price sticker (the actual cans of Liquid Death were off to the side). Perhaps because I do things like [block ads] and [avoid proprietary apps], I had never heard of Liquid Death before. I assumed it was a hard seltzer, but my friend told me that it was just normal flavored seltzer (perhaps with a hard name). I confirmed that this was the case on the Liquid Death website.
Source: Liquid Death Website and “Want to partner with Liquid Death? Get in line” by Kristina Monllos for Marketing Brew.
My Discussion: “Coca Cola Liquid Death Tag” (NLJ) and “Missing the ‘Liquid Death’ Marketing Campaign” (NLJ).
(27) Mixue is a Big Fast Food Chain
I learned that the biggest fast food chain in the world (in terms of number of stores) is one I had never heard of:
As of Q3’24, Mixue operates more than 45,000 stores globally (only 20 being self-owned). This makes it the largest food chain worldwide by store count.
Source: “The story of Mixue — a supply chain 🏭 empire built by Chinese grassroots” by Sam Tang (HT Tom Whitwell).
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Mixue is a Big Fast Food Chain” (ECS).
(28) Soda Popularity Rankings
We will learn two soda facts for the price of one thing I learned from The Vending Company’s American Snack and Soda Preferences in 2025 survey.
Sources: “American Snack and Soda Preferences in 2025” by The Vending Company and “What America’s Favorite Sodas and Snacks Say About Vending in 2025” by Emily Scott for Vending Connection.
First, the most popular soda in the survey was Pepsi (207 votes), narrowly beating out Coca Cola.
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Pepsi Over Coke?” (ECS).
Second, I was a little surprised to see Diet Coke emerge as the most popular diet soda with 110 votes (4th overall), beating out Coke Zero with 82 votes (7th overall).
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Diet Coke over Coke Zero?” (ECS).
Former Soviet Union
(29) Turkmenistan Bans
Saparmurat Niyazov was the first leader of post-Soviet Turkmenistan, ruling from Turkmenistan’s independence in 1991 to his death in late 2006. One reason he was in position to be the first leader of post-Soviet Turkmenistan was because he had been the leader of Soviet Turkmenistan from the end of 1985 through independence. Niyazov was as much a character as he was brutally repressive. Those two tendencies were joined together in some of the things he banned during his reign as President of Turkmenistan. Quoting Stephen M. Bland:
Declaring himself ‘Turkmenbashi’ (‘father of the Turkmen people,’ Niyazov began to rain down a cavalcade of decrees including bans on lip-syncing, car radios, cinema, clowns and the playing of recorded music at weddings. Long hair on men and beards were outlawed, citizens with gold teeth ordered to have them extracted.
That’s a motley assortment of bans.
My Quip: Newsletter Leaf Journal 227.
(30) Uzbekistan Has Not Conducted a Census Since It Was Uzbek SSR
Uzbekistan last conducted a census in 1989 when it was still part of the Soviet Union. It had planned to conduct a census in 2022 but it scrapped those plans. Uzbekistan will conduct its first post-Soviet census from January 15 to February 28, 2026.
Sources: “Uzbekistan preparing to conduct first census in 37 years” at Eurasianet and National Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Uzbekistan’s First Post-Soviet Census” (ECS).
New York Buildings
(31) Brooklyn Borough Hall Deed
Construction on Brooklyn’s City Hall — now “Borough Hall” — began in 1834. The then-City Hall was completed in the late 1860s after first opening in 1849. Brooklyn was incorporated into New York City in 1898. By the 1920s, some civic leaders questioned whether Brooklyn Borough Hall, formerly City Hall, should remain standing. Plans for demolition were upset when it was discovered that the deed for the land on which Brooklyn Borough Hall was built, which had been donated by the eminent Hezekiah Pierrepont, provided that the only building that could be erected on the site was Brooklyn Borough Hall, and that building anything else on the site would cause the land to revert to the Pierrepont estate. Thus, Brooklyn Borough Hall still stands in 2025.
Source: “City Pride: The Making of Brooklyn Borough Hall” by Suzanne Spellen for Brownstoner.
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Brooklyn Borough Hall Deeds” (ECS).
(32) Carroll Gardens Library Renovation Delays
I wrote about the renovation of the Carroll Gardens branch of the Brooklyn Public Library back in 2023. The renovation was projected to be completed by July 2025. July 2025 came and went and the Library has not yet re-opened. I only learned the reason a few days ago in a report in Brownstoner:
[C]rews from the city’s Department of Design and Construction recently determined that the building would need additional structural enforcements to support the weight of new high-energy HVAC units.
The Library is now projected to re-open in summer 2026 (we shall see…).
My Discussion: “BPL Renovations in Gerritsen Beach and Carroll Gardens” (ECS).
(33) The Only Frank Lloyd Wright Residence in NYC
Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan. But there is only one Frank Lloyd Wright home in New York City. That home is located in the Staten Island neighborhood of Lighthouse Hill.
My Opinion: Newsletter Leaf Journal 219.
Sports
(34) 1998-99 Bulls Get Defensive
The 1998-99 Chicago Bulls were one of only two defending NBA championship teams to miss the playoffs entirely, with the other being the 1969-70 Boston Celtics. That Bulls team was awful, finishing the lockout shortened season with a record of 13-37 and being outscored by 10.6 points per 100 possessions. One may reasonably guess that the 1998-99 Bulls were the worst defending champion on both sides of the ball. Not so! Of all of the defending champions since the 1983-84 season, the Bulls had the worst relative offensive rating at -9.8 points per 100 possessions worse than the NBA league average in their given season. However, three defending champions in the 83-84 through 24-25 playoffs had worse relative defensive ratings than the 1998-99 Bulls, which allowed 0.8 points more per 100 possessions than the league average. The worst defending champion on defense was the 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers, which were 1.8 points per 100 possessions worse than the 2000-01 average, but as we know with hindsight, they transmogrified into an elite defense in their 15-1 playoff run.
Source: My research in “The 98-99 Bulls’ Championship Defense Defense” (NLJ) (see also “Best and Worst NBA Title Defenses Since 1983-84” (NLJ)).
(35) Auburn Tigers vs NBA’s Young Guns
The Auburn Tigers’ NCAA basketball team ended the 2024-25 college basketball season ranked fourth in the country after making the school’s first-ever Final Four. They did it with a veteran roster:
Last season’s Auburn Tigers’ average starting lineup age (23.2) was older than that of five NBA teams!
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Age in College Basketball” (ECS).
(36) Chicago Bears QB Futility
Writing for Yahoo Sports on April 22, 2024, Dan Wetzel noted that the Chicago Bears had just three quarterbacks named to the Pro Bowl since 1961 (Billy Wade in 1963, Jim McMahon in 1985, and Mitchell Trubisky as an injury replacement in 2018). Worse yet, “[t]he Bears haven’t had a first team All-Pro at the position since Johnny Lujack in 1950.”
Source: “Chicago Bears’ futility at the QB position defies probability” by Dan Wetzel for Yahoo! Sports.
My Discussion: The Newsletter Leaf Journal 216.
(Note: While I am not following the NFL closely enough these days to opine on the Pro Bowl race, current Bears quarterback Caleb Williams may have a shot at becoming the franchise’s fourth Pro Bowl quarterback in a few weeks.)
(37) Differences in Jersey Number Changing Rules Between College Football and NFL
I learned from Roger Sherman that the NFL prohibits in-season jersey number changes. College football allows in-season number changes, but any changes must be included on the roster submitted to officials on game-day, or, alternatively, would have to be reported to the official and announced when the player with a new jersey number enters the game.
Sources: “This week’s College Football Things: A 330-pound touchdown and a 64-yard field goal” and “How to disguise your quarterback as your punter” by Roger Sherman.
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: In-Season College Football Number Changes” (ECS).
(38) Lacrosse Returns to the Olympics
Lacrosse is returning to the Summer Olympics in 2028. In order to return, it must have previously been an Olympic sport. When did it last appear in the Olympics? Try 1908. Canada will try to make it three consecutive Golds in lacrosse after winning in both the 1908 and 1904 Olympics.
Source: “America’s oldest sport is drawing up new plays” by Adam Epstein for Morning Brew and Lacrosse in America.
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Lacrosse in the Olympics” (ECS).
(39) Worst NBA Playoff Team By SRS
SRS is an NBA team stat which consists of a team’s margin of victory plus strength of schedule. The NBA Playoffs expanded to 16 teams in 1983-84. The 1985-86 Chicago Bulls had the worst regular season record of any NBA Playoff team in the 16-team playoff era at 30-52. But that Bulls team had just the fifth weakest SRS at -3.12. The honor for the worst SRS among playoff teams since 1983-84 goes to the 1987-88 San Antonio Spurs, which had a ghastly -5.02 SRS to go along with their 31-51 record.
Source: My work in “Worst NBA Playoff Teams By SRS (1984-2024)” (NLJ).
In light of the fact that the next worst playoff SRS is 3.94 (the 1991-92 Miami Heat) and the only playoff team worse than -3 since the 91-92 Heat is the 2014-15 Brooklyn Nets (-3.13), I do not foresee the Spurs’ record being in imminent danger (even with the new play-in format making it possible for the team with the 10th “best” out of 15 in a conference to make the playoffs).
Tech
(40) AI-infused Journalism in China
Much digital ink has been spilled on AI slop “content” on the web. But in some countries, journalists and internet writers may see AI as a way to stay out of trouble. From the Jamestown Foundation on China:
Some PRC journalists are treating DeepSeek as a safe source, offering a politically ‘correct’ commentary on issues that could generate social conflict if written about incorrectly. This allows the journalists to avoid personal responsibility for discussing more sensitive topics.
Source: “DeepSeek: A Tool Tuned for Social Governance” by Alex Colville for The Jamestown Foundation.
My quote: Newsletter Leaf Journal 254.
(41) AI Profiles on Meta
I do not use Facebook or Instagram and have not had either since I deleted my short-lived Facebook account all the way back in 2009. While I doubt that there is anything Facebook or Instagram could do to make me join “Meta” (I politely declined my NLJ colleague Victor V. Gurbo’s 2020 suggestion that I re-join Facebook to promote NLJ), I am confident that were I to have been “on the fence,” learning about AI-generated profiles would not have swayed me from “soft no” to “yes.”
Source: “Meta is deleting it AI profiles, but they’ll be back” by Matty Merritt for Morning Brew.
My Dialogue: “AI AI Meta – A Dialogue of Sorts” (NLJ).
(42) Amazon Appstore Predates FireOS
Amazon discontinued support for Amazon Appstore on mainline Android, restricting it to Amazon’s own FireOS (and presumably its new Vega OS). While Amazon Appstore is closely associated with Amazon’s own FireOS devices, I learned from a report by Brad Linder that it was first released on 2011, several months before the first FireOS device.
My Discussion: “Amazon Appstore and Android” (NLJ) and “Things I Learned: Amazon Appstore for Android” (ECS).
(43) iFIXIT’s 2015 App Store Ban
Back in 2015, the iFIXIT’s Apple developer account was banned after it published its “tear-down” of the Apple TV and Siri Remote. This collaterally led to the iFIXIT app being pulled from the App Store.
Source: “iFixit App Pulled from Apple’s App Store” by Kyle Wiens for iFIXIT.
Fortunately, as my “source” notes, the new iFIXIT app is available for download in the App Store.
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Apple’s 2015 iFIXIT Ban” (ECS).
(44) Installing Calibre on Linux the Official Way
Every major Linux distribution packages Calibre, a popular open source ebook management suite. There is also an unofficial Flatpak. However, according to the Calibre website, the only officially supported way of installing Calibre on Linux is from the official binary.
Source: Calibre’s Download for Linux page.
My Discussion: “Official Way to Install Calibre on Linux” (ECS).
(45) Seeing Feed Service Subscriber Counts in Logs
I noticed for the first time in late April 2025 that some feed reader services include the number of subscribers to the feed in the request string.
Source: My “discovery” in “Checking Our RSS Service Subscriber Counts in Server Logs” (NLJ).
(If you follow The New Leaf Journal, The Emu Café Social, and/or The Newsletter Leaf Journal via RSS, ATOM, or JSON feed, feel free to share your preferred feeds and feed reader in our Guestbook.)
Vehicles and Related Issues
(46) Amazon eQuad Cargo Bikes Do Not Require Driver’s Licenses in New York City
Amazon’s eQuad Cargo “Bikes” (quotation marks appended by me) have become a common sight in my neck of Brooklyn, New York City. The Amazon-branded vehicles are all driven by people who work for Amazon. I do not know all of the requirements for being hired to drive/pedal an Amazon delivery vehicle, but I learned while researching an article on the subject that a driver’s license is not one of the requirements.
My Discussion: “Amazon “Cargo Bikes” in Brooklyn” (NLJ).
(47) Car Software Recalls
Malfunctioning car “software” accounted for 15% of car recalls in 2024, up from just 6% in 2019.
Source: “Cars are going high-tech at the risk of software woes” by Cassandra Cassidy for Morning Brew
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Car Software and Recalls” (ECS).
(48) In-Flight Gambling
“Gambling on commercial flights has been illegal in the US since 1962…”
Source: “Delta Air Lines and DraftKings announce partnership” by Matty Merritt for Morning Brew.
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: In-Flight Gambling” (ECS).
My Quip: Newsletter Leaf Journal 224.
(49) Russian Traffic Surveillance In Uganda
The Ugandan government instituted the “Intelligent Transport Monitoring System” (“ITMS”), featuring mandatory digital number plates…” Who runs ITMS? “ITMS is run by a Russian firm Joint Stock Company Global Security that was awarded a ten year deal for this work.”
My Quip: Newsletter Leaf Journal 259.
Video Games
(50) The Pokémon Video Games Were Probably Never Banned in Saudi Arabia
I remember as a kid reading about Saudi Arabia’s “fatwa” against Pokémon. My research into Pokémon fatwas in Saudi Arabia is too long to summarize here, but I concluded in my feature article (with plenty of links to sources) that the Pokémon video games were probably never formally banned in Saudi Arabia, and I found at least one account of a Saudi Arabian man who in 2024 discussed having played Pokémon for nearly two decades.
My Research With Sources: “Pokémon and Pokémon Go in Saudi Arabia” (NLJ).
(51) Promoting Higurashi: When They Cry Through Unsolicited Mail
Higurashi: When They Cry is one of the better-known doujin visual novel series (certainly outside of Japan due to its having been officially localized and the subject of two anime adaptations). But while the series is well-known today, it had a very humble beginning. According to the creator, Ryushiki07, he and his team mailed unsolicited copies of the first Higurashi novel (released in 2002) to unsuspecting recipients who had purchased merchandise from them at a convention, pretended the mailing was an accident, and promised the second part of the series in return for feedback.
My Discussion: “Things I Learned: Unsolicited Higurashi Sound Novel Mail Campaign” (ECS).
Miscellaneous
(52) How Victor V. Gurbo Met Mark Caserta
I interviewed my friend and sometimes-New Leaf Journal author Victor V. Gurbo about his new album, Outrun the Invisible Man. Victor collaborated with fellow Brooklyn musician Mark Caserta to make this album. Despite the fact that Victor has been working with Mark for years and I have known Victor for almost 20 years, I did not know that Victor first met Mark through Craigslist.
My Investigative Reporting: “Interview With Victor V. Gurbo On Outrun the Invisible Man” (NLJ).
Conclusion
With my “fact” about my good friend Victor V. Gurbo, I wrap up my list of 52 things I learned in 2025. Although we still have a bit more than a week of 2025 to go, “2026” for things I learned starts with my hitting publish on this article. I look forward to reporting back next December with 52 things I learned in 2026.
