Happy New Year, I hope! Here are some funny posts, great fireworks, summaries of 2025, advice for 2026, new year's resolutions, great dogs, Calvin & Hobbs, and Thomas Hardy

Some funny posts about New Year's Eve:

Welcome To New Year’s Eve

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— Brittlestar (@brittlestar.com) December 31, 2025 at 3:18 PM

My error. I turned on the TV, and I thought he was dead.

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— Hoodlum 🇺🇸 (@nothoodlum.bsky.social) December 31, 2025 at 10:02 PM

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One of the many things I like about Prime Minister Carney is how he can laugh at himself:

“In 2025, we worked to make Canada stronger — and had some fun along the way.” — Mark Carney Canada’s Prime Minister 🇨🇦 (via 𝕏) ❤️🍁🇨🇦TEAM CANADA FOREVER🇨🇦🍁❤️ ❤️🍁🇨🇦VIVE LE CANADA 🇨🇦🍁❤️

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— 🍁🇨🇦Team Canada Forever🇨🇦🍁 (@teamcanadaforever.bsky.social) December 31, 2025 at 4:21 PM

There are lots of photos online showing great fireworks around the world, but this is amazing:

Happy New Year, Thailand 🇹🇭

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— Olga Nesterova (@onestpress.onestnetwork.com) December 31, 2025 at 5:35 PM

Some good summaries of the most important events in 2025

2025 in Review: A Year of Change in Canada 2025 marked a period of profound transition for Canada, defined by a shift in its relationship with the United States, a change in federal leadership, and significant domestic turbulence. The aggressive "America First" trade policies of Donald Trump, including tariffs and threats of annexation, became the central issue in the federal election. This culminated in a victory for the Liberals under Mark Carney, who campaigned on a platform of standing firm against American pressure. The trade war created significant headwinds for Canadian manufacturing and spurred an urgent push for trade diversification. Domestically, there was labour unrest, with major strikes impacting Canada Post and Air Canada. The ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls gained national attention through the difficult searches of Winnipeg-area landfills. A protracted, high-profile legal battle over a cull order at a British Columbia ostrich farm captured international headlines. The new Carney government initiated a pivot on key tax policies while facing criticism over its approach to Indigenous relations, marked by both historic appointments and significant budget cuts. Culturally, 2025 saw major triumphs for Indigenous artists, an explosion of Korean pop culture and numerous viral moments online. The year also saw the passing of foundational Indigenous icons Graham Greene and Marion Meadmore.

- Canadian Returnee

Read on Substack

- Kier Atkinson 🇨🇦

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Arlene Dickenson - Reflections on Canadas 2025

Joanne Pettis - So Long; Farewell [to 2025, not to Joanne Pettis, thank heavens!]

Sean | Pink Policy Club - The 5 Most Iconic and Viral Canadian Political Moments of 2025 2025 was a great year for viral Canadian politics memes and clips

Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American - December 30, 2025

The Bear / Bearly Politics - 2025: The Year We Got Used To It A final long read for 2025, charting how we got used to cruelty, incompetence and farce - and how 2026 will need us all to be much noisier. [this one also updates events in England]

Angus Hervey / Fix The News - The Telemetry All the news the headlines missed in 2025.

So true. I was there, i saw the votes, heard the speeches. The week and now the year the world turned upside down.

- Bob Rae

Read on Substack

Robert Nussbaum / Too Early To Call

2025, In Lists
... New terms in 2025 that need no further explanation
Department of War
Trump Kennedy Center
Gulf of America
FIFA Peace Prize
DOGE
TACO
Old terms in 2025 that need no further explanation
East Wing
Affordability
Piggy
Tariff
Groceries
DEI
New cabinet members in 2025 who need no further explanation
Pam Bondi
Tulsi Gabbard
Linda McMahon
Kristi Noem
Pete Hegseth
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Most important numbers in 2025
7,000,000 - estimated number of those taking part in last “No Kings” protest
500,000 - estimated number of excess deaths worldwide as a result of USAID cancellations
317,000 -estimated number of Federal employees fired or resigned
4,000 - estimated number of National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles
15 - approximate percentage margin of victories by Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill
5 - estimated number of House seats impacted by Proposition 50
The lists above tell a million tales of one man’s attack on this country, and the world, in 2025, and of our response. It would take a thousand more lists to give full explanation as to the consequence of returning Mr. Trump to power.

Justin Ling gives 2026 advice to Poilievre [gift link]

...Voters don’t need politicians to scream with them. They need someone willing to listen and respond to their concerns. And if Poilievre wants to earn a second look as Conservative leader, he must find a way to talk to them — not just at them.

And 2026 advice to Carney [gift link]

...Carney seems more likely to succeed than to fail. But if he wants to deliver the transformational change he’s got in mind, he’ll need to take his own advice and recognize that he can’t do it alone. He needs people to trust him.
And trust, Carney writes, paraphrasing an Indian government official, “grows at the rate of the coconut tree and falls with the speed of the coconut.”

New words for a new year:

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Some posts about New Year's Resolutions:

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When it comes to making New Year's Resolutions, I think we should all let Sir Michael be our guide:

Just been reading back over my resolutions for 2025 and it looks like this has been a very successful year for me!

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— Sir Michael (@sirmichael.bsky.social) December 28, 2025 at 2:15 PM

Here are the dogs of 2025:

The final Calvin and Hobbes, which appeared in papers 30 years ago today.

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— Michael Li (李之樸) (@mcpli.bsky.social) December 31, 2025 at 11:00 AM

"Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew, That I was unaware."

New Year's Eve, and 125 years old today is 'The Darkling Thrush' by Thomas Hardy. (And when I myself read this poem, I often find myself becoming aware of that blessèd Hope from that frail and gaunt thrush ✨️)

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— Cian McCarthy (@arealmofwonder.bsky.social) December 31, 2025 at 4:43 AM