Harvest • September 2025

headlines

the Meta problem

Some Facebook users might have unknowingly let Meta access their photos.
how are they still in business, and why are people still using Facebook? that’s a rhetorical question, of course; i’m aware the general public isn’t as tech-savvy as Meta’s own employees. the real question is when we’ll stop tolerating this exploitative behavior.

Ex-WhatsApp cybersecurity executive says Meta endangered billions of users in new suit
i’m also aware that WhatsApp is the de facto messaging app in many countries, including mine. i’ve tried to switch before, but the network effect is too strong. with everyone else — including businesses — on WhatsApp, there’s little incentive to move away from it. but this is getting ridiculous, i don’t want to be on a platform that treats users’ data as a commodity.

remember these?

• Facebook accused of watching Instagram users through cameras
• Facebook ‘secretly’ tracks your location just by having it installed
• Instagram exposes users’ personal email and birthday through private messages
• 533 million Facebook users’ data leaked

stories

the second cour from the final season of Dr. Stone just wrapped up, and it was one of the best i’ve seen in a while. i can’t wait for the third and final cour — hopefully the wait won’t be too long.

end of summer 2025

September’s theme is a bit all over the place. it’s mostly about closing out the summer season and taking a breather before the fall season begins on October 4. here’s what i watched this month:

How I Attended an All-Guy’s Mixer
it’s… okay. i enjoyed the dynamics between the characters, except for one who got too much screen time. the OP and ED are catchy though.

The Beginning After The End
bruh. who came up with this, and why.

My Wife Has No Emotion
the fastest i hit play on a show after reading the title. peak story.

My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex
good animation wasted on a mediocre romcom.

Dandadan
season 2 just wrapped up and it’s peak.

Call of the Night
another season 2 that just ended, solid A-tier.

My Dress-Up Darling
yet another season 2 that just wrapped up, also solid A-tier. the weekly cliffhangers were brutal.

Sakamoto Days
solid B-tier, i enjoyed this second season as much as the first.

The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses
from an underappreciated studio comes a hidden gem. i don’t think this anime — or the studio — gets enough recognition. i love the art style, it’s gorgeous and unique. which reminds me…

The Masterful Cat Is Depressed Again Today
this might be my first recorded anime re-watch, which i was reminded of after seeing the credits in The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses. it’s also my first S-tier slice of life, and honestly, the best adaptation the genre could get. i could watch this every year and never get tired of it.

Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc
i’m so glad more anime are getting the cinematic treatment. it was just Demon Slayer a few months ago, and now the long-awaited Chainsaw Man movie. i do wish it ran longer than 101 minutes, especially after waiting since 2022.

ongoing

City The Animation
i was about to watch the final episode yesterday but Chainsaw Man came first. this is easy S-tier though.

Gachiakuta
12/24 episodes, it’s been peak so far.

Kaiju No. 8
second season. continuing strong, though not much new to say.

Pseudo Harem
the OP is such a banger for the genre.

Tougen Anki
blood guns(?)

pieces

live with less, live in brevity. less is an act of discipline, a deliberate refusal of excess. it is not absence, because what remains is chosen with intent. it is not apathy, because it requires mindfulness. less is the foundation on which something greater can grow.

simplicity

You’re Not Interviewing for the Job. You’re Auditioning for the Job Title (hn thread)
the whole song and dance is cultural rot.

Do the simplest thing that could possibly work
do the simplest thing possible.

Cognitive load is what matters
hard to achieve, but doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try and strive for it.

The Virtue of Simplicity
the more complex something is, the more urgent it becomes to simplify.

ADHD

Notes on Managing ADHD
practical advice from someone who has lived it. this one hit close to home.

Almost anything you give sustained attention to will begin to loop on itself and bloom
you’re already doing it — so why not do it well and give it your full attention? half-hearted attention means i’ll only be wasting my time.

Becoming the person who does the thing
not ADHD-specific, but true: starting is the hardest part. once you start, momentum keeps you going.

injustice

Being good isn’t enough
sweet talk is rewarded more than competence. the loudest voice “wins” easily.

The worst possible antitrust outcome
i guess this is the power of billions of dollars, even justice and democracy can be bought.

technical

Stop writing CLI validation. Parse it right the first time.
a modern take on “parse, don’t validate”.

The story of how RSS beat Microsoft
RSS isn’t dead, and never will be.

fascinating

In Every Tree, a Trillion Tiny Lives
it’s amazing how alive trees are, and how much we still don’t know about them.

Immunotherapy drug eliminates aggressive cancers in clinical trial (study)
major progress in cancer treatment, with real clinical backing.

Repetitive negative thinking is associated with cognitive function decline in older adults
who would’ve guessed that always assuming the worst and overthinking everything would be bad for your brain. /s

Why We Spiral
psychology should be taught more in schools. you can’t live well if you don’t understand your own mind.

You’re a Slow Thinker. Now what?
writing is peaceful for slow thinkers.

tracks

i’m convinced. Ado can definitely sing mellow songs and still hit the mark.

Best Friend

no way. i thought i was too late last month, but apparently the party’s just getting started! lez f’in goo (֊⎚-⎚)

peak Teto

idk why i didn’t include Liar Dancer last month. it deserves way more views than it has.

in Machine Love, Teto is a computer longing to be real. in BIRDBRAIN, she learns how hard it is to be a human being. both MVs are a masterclass on their own.

the ‘P’ in ‘JamieP’ stands for “peak”.

last month i learned how DECO*27 is basically a brand name for their Miku songs. this time, JamieP feels to English Teto what DECO*27 is to Miku. the JamieP + Teto combo is just peak like that.

English vocal synths

quite possibly a turning point for English vocal synths.

these are the three best tracks i’ve heard so far from FLAVOR FOLEY. i also love how they weave other languages seamlessly into their English lyrics. a couple more below with vocal synths other than Miku and Teto:

not on my bingo card

never thought i’d see the day Beethoven’s tunes get remixed with Miku. the references are crazy, and the tuning is spot-on. SAWTOWNE is also a brand name for their English Miku tracks. here’s one that made it to a live concert:

Miku is right, this was indeed the moment i’ve been waiting for. here’s the live version at MIKU EXPO 2024 North America.

underappreciated

from the character designs to the production, everything about TAK / DORIDORI’s songs is cute and catchy. i absolutely love their latest one, PPPP.

mythic rare FYP pull

otherworldly vocals

the closest voice i’ve heard that rivals Ado’s range and tone.

Rosu’s voice is unreal, i was surprised to find out that it’s not a vocal synth.

this one actually made me want to try Zenless Zone Zero.

OSTs

clips

ain’t no way… i watched Andrew’s video on Indonesia’s TOXIC TOFU Timebomb a while back, but it never hit me that nearly all tofu in Indonesia comes from these facilities. which means i’ve probably been eating toxic tofu all along. yikes.

bruh. this video is mindboggling for all the wrong reasons:

• illegal trash exports dumped on developing countries
• “recycled” plastics burned as fuel, producing 10× the WHO safe particle limit
• microplastics carrying bacteria, pathogens, viruses, and pollutants
• contamination spreading through the air, water, soil, and food chain
• leading to serious health issues, from cancer to infertility

Indonesians eat tofu more than beef or chicken, it’s been a staple for generations. and that’s exactly why many people here dismiss the risks, with the mindset:

“i eat tofu almost every day since i was a kid, and i’m perfectly fine.”
“my parents ate tofu their whole lives, and they’re perfectly fine.”

Indonesians are so cooked 🗿

good to know

the human anatomy

therapy session

cinematic documentaries

entertaining

reflections

why do i always end up cramming everything at the last minute? clearly, i don’t learn from these things. also, it was hard, ngl. but i did manage to ignore the constant barrage of AI news this time around.