December 31
Denmark becomes first country in world to end letter delivery
Denmark becomes first country in world to end letter delivery. After 401 years, the Danish postal service has ended letter deliveries as the country fully embraces the digital age.
My December comfort read: John Scalzi's December Comfort Watch
Every day this month, John Scalzi has written about one of his comfort watch movies: "not the best movies of all time, or the most important movies, but the ones I’m happy to spend time with, and which I put on when I want to revisit that world, or the characters, or when that film has something about it that resonates for me." His posts are insightful and delightful, and I have been savoring them all month long. [more inside]
No one is impervious to the influence of their information environment
With the exception of state-aligned dominant media, media aligned with a specific political cause has historically mostly been read by direct adherents of that cause. A political outlet is read as a sign of belonging, a point of pride, not by unaligned citizens. But today's Fascintern media — X, the Meta portfolio, YouTube, Google Search, Substack — are widely read not just by unaligned citizens but even by politicians who purport to defend different politics. In an unusual turn, we are dealing with a power-aligned dominant media ecosystem that is pushing to overthrow the existing political system. Why is that happening? from Fascintern Media [Robin Berjon]
The dogs were good again in 2025
WeRateDogs has put together a year-end compilation of the best dogs of 2025. This video runs 12 joy-filled minutes.
Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttt...
Claire Brosseau Wants to Die - Will Canada Let Her?
“I would love her to change her mind,” Dr. Robinson told me. “I would hope that she would not have to do this. But I will support her.” [more inside]
Water Quality Suddenly a GOP Issue (because of, you guessed it)
'Catch Kits' for Fetal Remains Are Republicans' Latest Dystopian Plan To Punish Abortions GOP lawmakers in Wisconsin and elsewhere are pushing the idea that abortions are a water quality issue. [more inside]
Boards of Canada - Some Old Tunes (1985-1996)
High quality iterations of 11 tracks have very recently appeared on YouTube. Some debate on one of the Boards of Canada forums on the source. Track listing below the fold... [more inside]
There it is!
pointerpointer.com Does what it says on the tin. Works on mobile too.
OKP
Certain lines live in the mind forever
Why Swift and Plath? In part because in life and work they embody a perennial confusion between life and work: as soon as a song or a poem by a woman is deemed confessional, it is subject to veneration and disparagement, collective accesses (or excesses) of empathy and repulsion. The “I” of the poem or song is presumed to coincide with the name on the title page, record sleeve, or playlist; the work is not so much made as ejected: “the critic’s discombobulation at personal content has led them to apprehend a highly crafted pop song or memoir as craft-free discharge.” from The Slicks: On Sylvia Plath and Taylor Swift
Rhinestones and resistance: The history of Blak burlesque in Australia
Rhinestones and resistance: The history of Blak[1] burlesque in Australia. Bizzi Lavelle, a Queer Wakka Wakka and Arrernte writer and burlesque dancer known in the scene as Bizzi Body, is reclaiming the hidden legacy of this art-form one tassel twirl at a time. [more inside]
Honey, Trapped (Again)
A year ago, YouTuber & tech-company investigator MegaLag explained how online discount company Honey was inserting, hijacking and replacing existing affiliate links , among other unsavory practices (23 minutes).
Nine days ago, he released part 2 of the investigation, digging into how Honey snaps up private affiliate coupons, strong-arms companies, and snaffles up your data. (51 minutes)
Yesterday, he released part 2.5, a dive into how Honey deliberately alters its browser extension behavior to appear to comply with affiliate marketing rules while circumventing regulations. (43 mins)
December 30
The Global Investigative Journalism Network
With the attacks on press freedoms, the decline of the newspaper, the impunity of authoritarians and oligarchs, we need investigative journalism more than ever. The Introduction to Investigative Journalism is a free online course about the fundamentals of the discipline. Background: The course was created by the Global Investigative Journalism Network, a four-time MacArthur Foundation grantee. The website has a huge amount of content including this comprehensive set of guides to investigating e.g. food insecurity, social media algorithms, fossil fuel industries and much more. [more inside]
"A bevy of new releases ... you can now watch on streaming or rent"
In "I feel like I've been here forever" (Dec. 26, Substack; archive), Marya E. Gates rounds up 70 readily viewable films out of ~300 movies directed by women that she watched this year, providing current links to where to watch them. Her more general and inclusive "Weekly Directed By Women Viewing Guide" list features many familiar directors. Gates also invented the Noirvember challenge, which she still completes (see also "Noirvember Directed By Women"). Her guides may be helpful for completing 52FilmsByWomen or a more structured challenge. Via BlueSky. Letterboxd challenges previously.
Let the computer expropriate the electrical power of his heart
Fool Time
(Part 1, 2, 3, 4) Jon Bois, the sportswriter known for his YouTube essay channel Secret Base, just finished an epic four-part essay about the 19th century "birth of the Internet" that ranges from Samuel Morse's proslavery views to the real inventor of Morse code to a sweeping history of how the aptly named Wildman Whitehouse pretty much singlehandedly destroyed the first transatlantic telegraph cable. Meanwhile, we also get an analysis of the gender politics of 1990s sitcom Home Improvement woven through entire essay, that somehow manages to turn the character dyad of Al Borland vs. Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor into a dialectical model for the history of 19th century science! [more inside]
The original cassettes never left, but
The cassette tape made a comeback in 2025 thanks to a DNA upgrade With a storage capacity of 36 petabytes, a DNA-based cassette tape can hold every song every recorded, and it could be on the market within five years
Oh Deer! (crunch crunch crunch)
Brownville's (Maine) Food Pantry for Deer (YouTube). Four different live-streams of deer feeding. Discovered via a story on NPR Morning Edition. I could watch this (and listen!) for hours.
Best Small Press Books of 2025
It’s that time of the year when best-of lists proliferate, and books are no exception. Here are some of the best books of 2025 (and I’ve picked out those published by small presses), including I Gave You Eyes and You Looked Toward Darkness, Perfection, and Startlement. (previously, but different lists) [more inside]
The horse will be fine
Enclose.horse is a simple puzzle game about enclosing the maximum area with a limited number of walls.
A Level Of Rickrolling Once Thought Theoretical
Some viewers of the newest Knives Out movie, Wake Up Dead Man found themselves having a feeling of deja vu when watching the opening scene in the seminary gym. Turns out that there's a good reason for that. (SLBlueSky) [more inside]
That poor dog
ACARSDrama is a Mastodon account that captures messages sent in the clear from aircraft, and posts them with identifying information removed. Often they're boring, but sometimes you get one, sent just today, like: "SOOOO PROBLEM.. A PASSENGERS DOG EXPERIENCED A BOWEL MOVEMENT. ROWS 23 24 25 AND 26"
A system of morality, veiled in allegory & illustrated by symbols...
UK Freemasons are seeking an emergency injunction from the high court against recent measures from the London Metropolitan police... The new measures in question would require officers to inform superiors if they are now or have ever been a member of the Freemasons or any other “hierarchical organisation that requires members to support and protect each other." The United Grand Lodge of England alleges that this policy amounts to religious discrimination, as its members are required to have religious faith.
Endangered malleefowl chick saved in national park bushfire
Endangered malleefowl chick saved in national park bushfire. An endangered malleefowl chick has been saved from a 2000-hectare bushfire in a regional Victorian national park. (Australia)
On the other hand, I will keep getting tattooed
Spanish woman who found fame for botching fresco restoration dies
The BBC: "The Spanish parishioner who made headlines around the world for her botched restoration of a prized Jesus Christ fresco has died aged 94. Cecilia Giménez, an elderly woman from Borja, northeast Spain, became famous 13 years ago after she attempted to restore the century-old painting titled Ecce Homo that was held in her local church. Officials say nowadays between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists per year visit Borja to see the famous portrait, which is now behind a protective shield of glass."
CMS Announces $50 Billion in Awards to Strengthen Rural Health in US
CMS Announces $50 Billion in Awards to Strengthen Rural Health in US The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced that all 50 states will receive awards under the Rural Health Transformation Program, a $50 billion initiative ... [more inside]
Bad Broetry / Oh Noetry
Dead broet's society: The story behind the strange and bewildering trend that's eating LinkedIn. [more inside]
die Geschichte geschieht
Whatever the cavils about Berkeley between the FSM in 1964 and the People’s Park demonstrations of 1969 (which incidentally came up with the first use of “green” through Girl Scout uniform flags for forthcoming expressions of environmentalism), something “extra”-ordinary had clearly transpired along its lanes and avenues. from Transgressing City [Dispatches]
Detection dogs part of fight to protect native freshwater turtles
Detection dogs part of fight to protect native freshwater turtles.
A team of environmental experts, Indigenous rangers and conservation detection dogs is working on recovering the population of native freshwater turtles.
December 29
How they made and deployed the Lunar Rover Vehicle
For the last three missions of the Apollo Program to the Moon, a folded up golf cart was sent with the astronauts so they could travel long distances. Here's a 16 minute YouTube video by animator Jared Owen on the design of the Lunar Rover Vehicle (LRV)and how it was deployed after the Moon landings.
Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight.
stream historic American music for free
The Discography of American Historical Recordings is "a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era." And thanks to a new partnership that digitizes collectors' records, thousands of songs from those discs are now available for free listening (streaming). Examples include Lane Hardin's "Hard time blues" and, if I gather correctly, some Gene Autry. "Recordings in the public domain are also available for free download, in keeping with the UCSB Library’s mission for open access." (Via LAist.)
USPS Postmark Changes
A different kind of end-of-year puzzle for 2025
Find 45 groups of 45 entries. If anything, I've learned how much I don't know and how much time I have on my hands.
“He’s only gone crazy once ... decided to stay.”
Just remember: You don’t always get what you go after, but you do get what you wouldn’t have got if you hadn’t gone after what you didn’t get. Don’t seem that crazy to me. When I woke up this morning, I was wondering where I’d be when the sun comes up tomorrow. But nobody answered me. Sometimes I think I ain’t glued together right. Saw a dancing young lady who worked in the bar. The moon quit shinin’ when the sun comes up. That’s all I can remember but it’s quite enough to keep me warm when I’m too old. One more sad old country song. from Ain’t It a Cold, Cold, World? [Oxford American]
Go for Broke
Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter (YT playlist)" album hoped to highlight Black American contributions to American Country Music. With a litany of Country royalty joining her on the album and coming out in support of it, Beyoncé became the first Black woman in 25 years to win Album of the Year, the first ever to win Best Country Album, and won Best Country Duo/Group Performance with Miley Cyrus at the 67th Grammy Awards. However, the album was controversial. 142 of 150 Country Airplay radio stations initially refused to play single "Texas Hold 'Em", because "We do not play Beyoncé on... a country music station." And she received zero nominations for the 2024 Country Music Association Awards. The Grammy's have announced they are splitting the County music category in two, making Beyoncé the last to ever receive the award. [more inside]
Anti-circumvention laws bought by free trade ended
Anti-circumvention laws were among the major US goals in promoting free trade agreements, and benefit US tech companies massively, much to everyone else detriment. At this point, revoking anti-circumvention laws would be nations most effective response to Trump violation of free trade agreements, argues Cory Doctorow in his CCC talk and blog. [more inside]
Treasure which neither moths nor rust will devour
Everything that exists is just money in potential. For everything in the world, there’s also someone who got incredibly rich selling it. Your purpose in life is to puncture through the veil of mere things and commune with the surging spirit-world of pure money that lies beneath. from How America went money mad by Sam Kriss [Unherd; ungated]
December 28
2025: how was it for you? It's your last free thread of the year.
2025 was a turbulent year. There was controversy and delicious books and disappointment, but also fashion and presents and released tension on Celebrity Traitors. In technology there was stupidity and frustration. Babies were named in England; not so much in Germany. In politics, there was good news and bad news. So that was the year, and now we face ANOTHER ONE. But how was YOUR 2025, at any level? Or write whatever words you want as this is your last free thread of 2025.
Mary River cod thriving in Brisbane River catchment
Mary River cod thriving in Brisbane River catchment, a century after relative went extinct. An important apex predator died out 100 years ago due to overfishing and land clearing. Now, a close relative is bringing balance back to the habitat. (Australia)
If Sesame Street Was Set In Hawkins | Stranger Things
In another "made for adults" segment, Elmo & Cookie Monster Get A Message From The Upside Down 1m48s
Remembering the year that was, and the Portland that’s actually Portland
DJ Earworm Pop Goes The Music
DJ Earworm releases his annual mashup of the biggest pop hits of the year. This years edition: United State of Pop 2025 (Talk to Me) - DJ Earworm.
Inspiration from fustration
Jim Moylan, retired senior interior designer in the Plastics, Paint, and Vinyl division at Ford died on December 11th. You've probably never heard of Mr. Moylan. But if you've operated an automobile built this century you've likely used his invention: the printed arrow on a fuel gauge that indicates which side the fuel filler is on.
What’s the worst thing you’ve done with a spreadsheet?
Like many things, exactly what constitutes a spreadsheet can be a little fuzzy. However, in general, a spreadsheet looks like a grid and allows you to type numbers, text, and formulas into the cells. Formulas can refer to other cells in the grid. Nearly all spreadsheets are smart enough to sort formulas based on which ones depend on others. from A Brief History Of The Spreadsheet [Hackaday]
Rosie Heydenrych Crafts A Guitar for Martin Simpson
Rosie Heydenrych is a UK luthier who makes Turnstone guitars. Follow along as she makes an instrument for Martin Simpson—in prose and/or via YouTube video playlist, autocraptions). How does it sound? Guitar World reviews another Turnstone instrument with words as well as video (17:11" YouTube Link, more autocraptions). Zip to 13:27 to enjoy Clive Carroll making beautiful music on it.
You’re painting an extremely one-dimensional picture of our town…
Blue Yodels, Jimmy Rodgers and Whitey McPherson and the Rhythm Wreckers
Once upon a time, there was Jimmie Rodgers -- Never No Mo' Blues (1928)
Later on there was Jimmy Rodgers -- Never No Mo Blues 1955 re-recording with Chet Atkins, the Steve Cropper of Country, producing -- an updated and yet deeply traditional version all at the same time.
And in between in 1937, there was
Whitey McPherson & the Rhythm Wreckers -- Never No Mo' Blues [more inside]