Look at this choreographed swimming

I can’t wrap my head around on how they managed to pull this off pic.twitter.com/swcRr9xSyV

— liz 𝜗𝜚 ࣪ (@vivisleigh) January 20, 2026

Micro Galaxy Squadron Bespin Cloud Car is 40% off

Two pilots and blind box for $13.74 at Amazon. Droid Tri-Fighter with blind box is $12.44.

Today's news and jokes

@apnews A sea storm hit Italy's southern coast. A wave of bad weather with heavy rainfalls, strong winds and giant waves had been hitting southern Italy. #storms #wave #sicily ♬ original sound - The Associated Press

@abcnews The mayor of Taormina and his team were hit by a freak wave in Santa Teresa di Riva, eastern Sicily, during a survey on Tuesday, when a sea storm hit Italy's southern coast. No injuries were reported. #news #italy #ocean ♬ original sound - ABC News

When it comes to climate, the Global South is the future of the Global North. This week a cyclone hit the Med. “One in 50 yrs event” etc. The pics are immense, the damage mostly in Sicily/Calabria. As the Global South knows well, the event was received with much silence by much Italian media.

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— Federica Genovese (@fgenovese.bsky.social) January 23, 2026 at 11:31 PM

("an unprecedented phenomenon")

How to buff the canopies on plastic models so they look more glass-like

@themodeltable Just a quick video on how I buff canopies. I’ll go into more detail here. Sanding with a lower grit is only to remove the parting line. Each higher grit is used to smooth the surface and remove the deeper scratches left by the previous grit. The goal is to remove the parting line (if there is one) and make the canopy as smooth as possible without changing its shape. Next comes the compound step. Tamiya has three compounds. If you’re already sanding up into very high grits like I showed, the coarse compound usually isn’t needed. Some people may disagree, but that’s just my personal preference—I don’t use it very often. With the fine compound, apply a small amount and rub it into the surface. Once it disappears, reapply and repeat a few times before moving on to the next compound. The finish compound is where you’ll spend the most time if you want the best results. Use the same process as the fine compound until you’re happy with how it looks. Finally, use a microfiber cloth (or something similar) to buff it out. When done correctly, the canopy should be nice and clear. If it’s not, go back a step depending on the issue. If deep scratches remain, either you didn’t spend enough time with the higher grits, or you spent too much time on the lower grits, creating deeper scratches that take much more effort to remove. The key is to remove only the parting line and let the finer steps do the work, so you don’t end up with a lopsided canopy. Hope this helps. In the future, I’ll do a full start-to-finish video, including any mistakes and how I fix them. Thanks for watching. #fyp #fypシ #fypシ゚viral #scalemodel #f15e ♬ vertigo (sped up) - insensible & énouement

(Detailed summary in the post)

Preorder Ann Leckie's excellent new novel "Radiant Star" and get it signed and personalized

Signed and personalized copies are available here. 

For those not familiar, Ann Leckie has written a series of science fiction novels focusing on an intergalactic empire crumbling under its own weight as it's forced to confront its history of atrocities. The first three novels (Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Sword, Ancillary Mercy) form a trilogy of utopian science fiction (think Star Trek the Next Generation with a dash of Master and Commander). Lots of philosophical discussions about racism, individuality, and free will, punctuated by super-slick violence between warriors with personal force fields, and spaceships enhanced by AIs. The protagonist and their allies are highly-competent and committed to justice.

Radiant Star is the latest novel taking place in the same universe. The events of the other books trigger a cascading series of failures in the remote city of Ooioiaa, exposing the local religious, mercantile, and political elites as pathetically venal and incompetent.

There is no super skilled hero operating here to save the city from collapse. Instead Radiant Star is a page-turner about human frailty, and the small acts of desperate heroism and generosity that seem pointless in the moment, but just might add up to salvation. (And if what you really want is an AI that is quite possibly insane, there is indeed one operating in the margins of the story. It collects things.) 

Radiant Star is available for preorder now. The audiobooks in the series are performed by Adjoa Andoh, and are also excellent. Enjoy them for free in the Libby app.

New Humble Bundle featuring knitting books

Starts at two books for $2.

A few more pieces of art for sale to benefit Minnesota

$200 art to help www.canmn.org/donate . Dm inquiries.

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— Mindy Lee (@mindyleedoodles.bsky.social) January 24, 2026 at 10:39 AM