As we observe the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, it's natural to take a look at what has changed on the years since. Those horrific moments when we all watched the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapse live on TV were particularly scarring. You have to wonder how safe such tall buildings really are, as those towers were a model of safe architecture in their day. It might be reassuring to know that we've come a long way in both design and materials since the World Trade Center was designed in the 1960s, and especially in the past 25 years since they fell. (via Digg)
Friday, September 11, 2026
How 9/11 Changed Skyscraper Design
Buying Votes, Or Just Saying He Will
They really are just openly trying to buy votes now. Trump says every adult American will get a $5,000 “Trump dividend”, but only if Republicans win both the House and Senate in November.
— Alt National Park Service (@altnps.bsky.social) September 9, 2026 at 11:15 PM
Trump promised $5,000 stimulus checks from DOGE cuts. You got 0. Trump promised $2,000 stimulus checks from tariffs. You got 0. Trump promised $1,000 checks from Obamacare cuts. You got 0. Trump promised $1.98 gas. You got $4+. Trump now has more promises for you.
— Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) September 10, 2026 at 9:04 AM
Seeing Trump lose his power and be constantly investigated for two years is worth a lot more than $5,000 to me.
— Rocky Mountain Mike (@rockymntnmike.bsky.social) September 10, 2026 at 1:08 PM
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Remembering Betty Ann Ong
As we observe the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we must remember that each of the 2,977 people who died had a life and a story.
Betty Ong was a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, and was the first person to alert anyone about the hijackings. She stayed calm and focused during the emergency, and left a lasting legacy.
Handcrafted Japanese Tinware
When you think of tin, you probably think of midcentury toys or canned food. But in the hands of skilled craftspeople, it can become a work of art. (via Metafilter)
A Collection of Lumps
One vignette after another of surreal body horror rendered in simple and colorful animation. Well, maybe horror is too strong of a word, since there's no realism and little gore, despite plenty of heads exploding. There's also honestly very little meaning behind most of them, although I do like the image of exercising your fingers by scrolling on your phone as if they were walking on a treadmill. Many of these sequences build tension due to what you think will happen, when sometimes it's a surprise left turn, and often nothing happens at all. Lumps is the internet pseudonym of animator Sam Drew. You can see more of his designs at his website. (via Memo of the Air)
50 People Try to Cut a Watermelon
The stated goals is to cut a watermelon into "triangles." It took me a few minutes to realize they really meant "wedges," which is a very normal way to cut a watermelon. I don't know where they found all these confused folks. It's a simple matter of... cutting a watermelon. (via Digg)
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
Zydereen of Neptune
Zydereen of Neptune may be considered a TV movie. It is a compilation of three 1955 episodes of the Flash Gordon serial. The episodes are titles "The Witch of Neptune," "The Brain Machine," and "Struggle to the End." Zydereen is the witch, and she's messing with the oxygen generator on Neptune. Flash Gordon must find and stop her before the oxygen runs out! (Thanks, WTM!)
One Man Band
This may ruin a childhood classic for you, but the premise is that Mary Poppins and Bert are friends with benefits. It's not easy when you're a one-man band. (via Memo of the Air)
A Modern Day Typographer
We know Elle Cordova is extremely witty and can make us laugh about the most arcane subjects, but this time she's outdone herself. And it's all about fonts.
The "Major-General's Song" from the musical The Pirates of Penzance has long been a medium for parody, with the fast-paced and difficult lyrics repurposed for other subjects, most notably Tom Lehrer's "Elements Song" and Randall Munroe's "Every Major's terrible." Cordova follows suit by reciting all the fonts for better or worse, along with her opinion on their importance. The ability to sing the song is enough to impress me, but the more you know about typography, the funnier it becomes because there are jokes within jokes in these lyrics.
Miss Cellania's Links
Signs That Transformed Themselves With Heavy Metal Fonts.
Sans-Souci, the Carefree Palace of a Self-Made Monarch.
How to make (and judge) Minnesota's Hot Dish. More in the comments. (via TYWKIWDBI)
It might not seem so at the beginning, but you'll love this story.
Born here but deported. A Texas man's harrowing ordeal.
Not a cheetah: Ancient DNA reveals the surprising Arctic life of extinct North American cat. (via Real Clear Science)
Mounting 'mystery meat' threats linked by expert to surprising source — Melania Trump. (via Fark)
A Blast from the Past (2015): Enterprise: The First Space Shuttle.
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