Pluto sketch
Dec. 31st, 2025 09:21 pmHope you all have a Happy New Year!


| Words | Goal Per Day: 500 | Full Count: 20,261 | Average Count: 654 |
| Steps | Goal Per Day: 6,000 | Full Count: 287,518 | Average Count: 9,275 |
| Headaches | At least they | don't hurt as much | Total: 10 days |
Привет and welcome to our new Russian friends from LiveJournal! We are happy to offer you a new home. We will not require identification for you to post or comment. We also do not cooperate with Russian government requests for any information about your account unless they go through a United States court first. (And it hasn't happened in 16 years!)
Importing your journal from ЖЖ may be slow. There are a lot of you, with many posts and comments, and we have to limit how fast we download your information from ЖЖ so they don't block us. Please be patient! We have been watching and fixing errors, and we will go back to doing that after the holiday is over.
I am very sorry that we can't translate the site into Russian or offer support in Russian. We are a much, much smaller company than LiveJournal is, and my high school Russian classes were a very long time ago :) But at least we aren't owned by Sberbank!
С Новым Годом, and welcome home!
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From AntC: "Following the thread on South Korea’s English exam, here’s New Taipei promoting topolect diversity. “the goal is to encourage more people to learn Hakka and use the language in daily life.”
New Taipei to reward Hakka test passes with cash
City residents can earn up to NT$4,000 for certified exam passes
Reagan Lai, Taiwan News (Dec. 25, 2025)
The article states:
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — New Taipei City will reward registered residents with up to NT$4,000 (US$125) for passing the Hakka language proficiency exam next year, in an effort to encourage more people to learn and use Hakka.
CNA reported Thursday that anyone registered in the city who passes the exam next year can apply for the reward. Officials said the goal is to encourage more people to learn Hakka and use the language in daily life.
Under the plan, people who pass the basic level can receive NT$500, while those who pass the beginner level can receive NT$1,000. Rewards rise with each level, reaching NT$4,000 for those who pass the advanced test.
The city’s Hakka affairs department said language education is key to keeping culture alive. It said the program is open to all age groups and aims to encourage families and communities to use Hakka more often.
The department added that New Taipei is also promoting Hakka learning in schools and libraries. Free preparation classes for the beginner test will be offered from time to time, and exam dates will follow announcements by the Hakka Affairs Council.
This is one way to encourage people not to forget their Mother Tongue.
Selected readings
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The Penghu (/ˈpʌŋˈhuː/ PUNG-HOO, Hokkien POJ: Phîⁿ-ô͘ or Phêⁿ-ô͘ ) or Pescadores Islands are an archipelago of 90 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait, about 50 kilometres (25 nautical miles) west of the main island of Taiwan across the Penghu Channel, covering an area of 141 km2 (54 sq mi). The archipelago collectively forms Penghu County. The largest city is Magong, on the largest island, which is also named Magong. …Population 101,758 (2014) (Wikipedia)
Neil Kubler reports:
Just returned from 2 weeks of fieldwork on the Southern Min subdialects of the 21 inhabited islands of the Penghu archipelago, work I began in 1975-78 (1st generation), continued in 2002-04 (2nd generation), and am continuing this year and next (3rd generation). Complicated but the bottom line is (no surprises but I can show all this in great detail): (1) differences among the subdialects on the different islands are being leveled out and they are becoming much like Kaohsiung Southern Min; and (2) unlike 50 years ago, when the younger generation was stronger in S. Min than Mandarin, the reverse is now the case, with many younger people only able to understand S. Min.
Southern Min being one of our favorite topics on Language Log, I'm especially pleased to have this news of the continuation of Neil's fieldwork on Penghu that he began half a century ago.
Selected readings
By Kazumi Kamachi and Kiyotaka Haimura. Released in Japan as “Shinyaku To Aru Majutsu no Index” by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Alice Prowse.
I’ve been dealing with a very bad cold the last few days, which might explain some of this, but not all of it: there were a few points in this book I was genuinely laughing out loud. Longtime readers will know that I find Index, much like Strike the Blood, to be rather pathetic when it comes to actual humor, mostly as the humor tends towards the usual shonen harem “whoops I just groped you ha ha” jokes. And indeed, there’s one of those in here too, and it’s not funny. But there is a scene in this book where Mugino is trying to bake something from a cookbook, and the entire scene is just so bizarre and out there I could not stop laughing. It’s the good kind of funny. Likewise, this is the good kind of Index book. Touma runs all over creation, gets everyone mad at him, tries to save a girl, and gets shot in the chest multiple times. OK, that last one is new.
No, that’s not a new character on the cover. You’ve seen Headband Girl before, and if you really want to feel like a nerd, go and look for her page on the Index wiki. Wait, you mean the blond bishie? Yeah, he is new. That’s Thor, looking nothing like Chris Hemsworth. Thor is technically part of GREMLIN, but he’s not very happy with them at the moment after the events of the last two books. As for Touma, he’s dealing with having been away for so long and it being festival time – which means he should be at the school doing prep. Unfortunately for Touma, not only is Ollerus trying to stop and explain the plot and backstory of the entire series to him (Touma is mostly uninterested), but Thor wants to save a girl named Fräulein Kreutune, and gets really pissed off that Touma is no longer a one-dimensional caricature of himself. What’s to be done?
Fräulein Kreutune does indeed look to be the latest girl that needs to be saved, but I’m fairly certain it’s not going to be Touma doing it, especially as she’s befriended Last Order and Fremea. Right now she’s creepy and monotone, I suspect that won’t last. She and Thor are the big new characters, but there’s also a bunch of returning favorites, some of whom I suspected and some of whom are a genuine surprise. I’m fairly positive that whatever is confronting Mugino is NOT the vengeful ghost of Frenda back from the dead, nor do I think Frenda is actually Not Dead After All, so we’ll see what’s up with that next time. The return of Kakine delights me far less, but I’m more worried about the woman telling him to go wild than I am about him personally. As for Touma? Well, he gets himself shot multiple times in the chest as a distraction to confuse the enemy. Which is par for the course.
This is a 2-parter, so we’ll have to wait till the next volume to find out what happens. If you like Index hijinks, this is for you. It even has Mikoto in it! She doesn’t do anything, but hey. And it has Index in it! She doesn’t do anything, but hey.
Sino-Platonic Papers is pleased to announce the publication of its three-hundred-and-seventy-fourth issue:
“Buddhism among the Sogdians: A Re-Evaluation,” by Todd Gibson.
ABSTRACT
It is commonly believed that Buddhism did not have a significant presence in pre-Islamic Sogdiana, and that Buddhism among the Sogdians was mostly present in their expatriate communities in China. It is further reckoned that Sogdian Buddhism was derived from and dependent on that of China in every respect. The present article demonstrates that this understanding of the situation fails to take into account a broader picture of the development of Buddhism in Inner Asia.
Keywords: Sogdian language (Eastern Iranian), Yaghnobi, Sogdian Buddhism, Inner Asian Buddhism, Sogdian Religion, History of Buddhism, Sogdians in China, Indian scripts, Khotan, geyi ("categorizing concepts")
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All issues of Sino-Platonic Papers are available in full for no charge.
To view our catalog, visit http://www.sino-platonic.org/
Selected readings
Hello! It’s our last Links of 2025! Can you believe it?
Thank you all for joining me once again on Wednesday afternoons to partake in internet goodness and weirdness.
To cap off my winter vacation, I’ll be seeing the Backstreet Boys and I’m so excited. What’s bringing you joy to close out 2025/kick off 2026?
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I may have shared this before, but oh well! My friend introduced me to Vintage Dusties. The account revives vintage nail polish shades. It’s so soothing to watch and is available across several social media platforms, depending on what you use.
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If you have a Threads account (I think you need one to view?), I loved this thread of people bragging about their accomplishments this year. I always get a little sentimental toward New Years!
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Sarah: I’m featured in this week’s What in the World podcast from the BBC, where I’m talking about romantasy!
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And if you want a good cry, I recommend the _boringbb_ account on Instagram. The creator would take her grandmother’s fashion sketches and turn them into outfits for her. Sadly, her grandmother passed earlier this year. Both the garments she makes and the relationship she had with her grandmother are so beautiful.
View this post on Instagram
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Don’t forget to share what cool or interesting things you’ve seen, read, or listened to this week! And if you have anything you think we’d like to post on a future Wednesday Links, send it my way!
RECOMMENDED: All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens is $1.99! We ran a positive guest review of this one:
All in all, this book was a fun romp. There were some truly wild moments of alien biology I won’t spoil, but they were more amusing than horrific. Roland and Vanessa’s tension and chemistry was truly delicious. Their physical relationship was a bit of a slow burn but well worth the wait.
He’s a villain looking for a hero rebrand. She’s the marketing genius who can make it happen in this fantastical romantic comedy by the author of the Beasts of Gatamora series.
Over two decades ago, forty-eight young, gifted superheroes fell to Earth and were eventually marketed as opposing heroes and villains. Now, one exceptionally gruff bad guy is looking to hop teams. Hello, PR director Vanessa Theriot.
His real name is Roland Casteel a.k.a. the Pyro. First, swap that with the less incinerating the Wyvern. Next, put him in spandex to highlight that near-godlike body. Finally, give that hero in training a heroine—if Vanessa will play the part in a pretend romance guaranteed to make the city swoon. She’s game. As shy as Vanessa is, it’s her job to be Roland’s very own Lois Lane. Who knew that fake dating would change their worlds?
But falling head over heels for real makes for a dangerous shift in the narrative. A monstrous supervillain is bringing out Roland’s bad side again. This time, it’s to save a woman who, against all the odds, is becoming the human love of his superhero life.
The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst is $5.99! This came out over the summer. It continues Durst’s cozy fantasy Spellshop series, but with a different main character. I’ve heard this series is mainly just vibes. Have you read this or book one?
New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst invites you to her new standalone novel set in the world of The Spellshop! Follow her to The Enchanted Greenhouse, a cozy fantasy nestled on a far-away island brimming with singing flowers, honey cakes, and honeyed love.
Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.
This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes, and freshly baked honey cakes—at least until she’s ready to sail home.
But Terlu can’t return home and doesn’t want to—the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing—causing the death of everything within them—Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again.
This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.
Funny, kind, and forgiving, The Enchanted Greenhouse is a story about giving second chances—to others and to yourself.
Fated Blades by Ilona Andrews is $1.99! Lots of Andrews fans here! This is book three in the Kinsmen series, which I’m not familiar with. Do these have to be read in order? Would love to know!
An uneasy alliance between warring families gets heated in this otherworldly novella from bestselling author Ilona Andrews.
At first glance, the planet Rada seems like a lush paradise. But the ruling families, all boasting genetically enhanced abilities, are in constant competition for power―and none more so than the Adlers and the Baenas. For generations, the powerful families have pushed and pulled each other in a dance for dominance.
Until a catastrophic betrayal from within changes everything.
Now, deadly, disciplined, and solitary leaders Ramona Adler and Matias Baena must put aside their enmity and work together in secret to prevent sinister forces from exploiting universe-altering technology. Expecting to suffer through their uneasy alliance, Ramona and Matias instead discover that they understand each other as no one in their families can―and that their combined skills may eclipse the risks of their forbidden alliance.
As the two warriors risk their lives to save their families, they must decide whether to resist or embrace the passion simmering between them. For now, the dance between their families continues―but just one misstep could spell the end of them both.
RECOMMENDED: Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey is $2.99! Carrie and Shana jointly reviewed this and gave it an A. Sarah also selected it as one of her favorite reads of 2023. Needless to say, this comes highly recommended!
Far too many of us have claimed productivity as the cornerstone of success. Brainwashed by capitalism, we subject our bodies and minds to work at an unrealistic, damaging, and machine‑level pace of work –– feeding into the same engine that enslaved millions into brutal labor for its virtuous benefit. Our worth does not reside in how much we produce, especially for a system that exploits and dehumanizes us. Rest, in its simplest form, becomes an act of resistance and a reclaiming of power because it disrupts and pushes back against capitalism and white supremacy.
From the founder and creator of The Nap Ministry, Rest Is Resistance is a battle cry, a guidebook, a map for a movement, and a field guide for the weary and hopeful. It is rooted in spiritual energy and centered in Black liberation, womanism, somatics, and Afrofuturism. With captivating storytelling and practical advice, all delivered in Hersey’s lyrical voice and informed by her deep experience in theology, activism, and performance art, Rest Is Resistance is a call to action and manifesto for those who are sleep deprived, searching for justice, and longing to be liberated from the oppressive grip of Grind Culture.
Random storefront in Taiwan:
Sorry this is belated. I've been having computer problems — passwords, user names, codes, etc. Once you're locked out, you can't try again for a specified period of time. Each time you try and fail, the amount of lockout time is punitively increased until it's an unconscionably long period. When you try to start all over, they want your new password to be long and complicated and arbitrary, but won't let you see what you're typing in — just a bunch of dots.
Woe was me!
Selected readings
[Thanks to Neil Kubler]
Thank you to everyone who ordered some of the Smart Bitches candles! I’m so happy that so many of you are enjoying them!
The candles are a limited time only event, and will not be available after January 4. So if you’d like to get one or both, this is your moment to order some Smart Bitches limited candles!
Wax Cabin Candle Company, an independent small chandlery, has been SO FAST with shipping, too. It’s frankly alarming.
And please allow me to share some of my more goofy promotional images because Photoshop and I had a rollicking good time.
You saw this one – she had to order three, one for each hand.
And of course, Decadent.
(Why Decadent? It’s only the most famous, and most NSFW work review ever written. SRSLY NSFW!)
But even The Very Virile Viking was ready for some candles!
As was The Reluctant Viking, who chose one of the 20th anniversary candles!

Not to be outdone, Kushiel’s Avatar ordered both. Balance is important!

John de Salvo needed some light for the piglets, so a 20th Anniversary candle was the perfect choice:

Is this book the prequel to The Three Little Pigs?
And even Beloved Rogues love the Bad Decisions Book Club candle!

I really love how the absurd Photoshop, and the candles themselves turned out. I wanted the scents to be mellow and pleasant. I was going for ‘warm and elegant,’ and I think I hit it.
Amanda Matta even compared the scent to the As Ever signature candle which knocked me flat on the floor. (Thank you!!)
The Smart Bitches 20th Anniversary candle is an 11 ounce hand poured soy candle with notes of sea salt, book pages, sandalwood and jasmine.
The Bad Decisions Book Club candle, also 11 ounces, is designed to be the perfect pairing for late night reading, with scents of sweet tobacco, book pages, leather, rose, and sandalwood.
Each candle is $28, or $50 for both in a gift set, with free shipping on orders over $70. The candles are hand-poured with 100% soy wax, and each is in a glass jar that you can reuse or refill. They should burn between 60 and 70 hours.
So if you’re looking for the perfect gift for yourself or the book lovers in your life, the 2025 Smart Bitches Candle Collection will be available now for a very (very!) limited time.
You can shop small, support the site, and spread light and warmth this year. Thank you for your support, y’all, and thank you for being a light in my world.