Glass Wings Blog

The Glass Wings mailing list and blog is for general idle chit-chat about things we find interesting, especially humor, animation or other subjects relevant to the Glass Wings web site at glasswings.com.au. Subscribe at https://glasswings.com.au/subscribe.html

The $1 Visionary

Sat, 2 May 2026 15:27:11 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://reasonstobecheerful.world/the-one-dollar-visionary/

"When Martin Aufmuth, a math teacher in Erlangen, Germany, read in 2009 that
hundreds of millions of people worldwide suffered from vision impairment but
could not afford glasses, he could hardly believe it. “It was the book Out of

20,000 stranded seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz face missile fears, exhaustion and isolation

Sat, 2 May 2026 15:25:58 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/20-000-stranded-seafarers-in-the-strait-of-hormuz-face-missile-fears-exhaustion-and-isolation-281330>

"As the closure of the Strait of Hormuz drags on, the United Nations’
International Maritime Organization has sounded the alarm over a related
humanitarian crisis: the plight of the crew stuck on ships at or near the

The Beloved Oregon Restaurant Rewriting the Rules of Seafood

Sat, 2 May 2026 15:25:11 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://reasonstobecheerful.world/local-ocean-oregon-coast-seafood/

"When foodies head to Newport, Oregon, one place is always at the top of their
list: Local Ocean. Repeat diners rave about the roasted garlic and crab soup,
studded with fat lumps of local Dungeness; the lightly battered fried rockfish

Supervillain or Cicero? Why Palantir’s manifesto has such sinister vibes

Sat, 2 May 2026 15:21:58 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/supervillain-or-cicero-why-palantirs-manifesto-has-such-sinister-vibes-281521>

"Earlier this month, multibillion-dollar US tech company Palantir posted on X a
summary of its chief executive Alex Karp’s recent book, the portentously titled
The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the

Solar System

Sat, 2 May 2026 15:04:00 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://ckret.net/sol/

Via Violet Blue’s Threat Model - Cybersecurity: April 28, 2026
https://www.patreon.com/posts/cybersecurity-28-156746057

Cities are getting hotter – and bigger. New research reveals the scale of the challenge

Sat, 2 May 2026 15:03:19 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/cities-are-getting-hotter-and-bigger-new-research-reveals-the-scale-of-the-challenge-281236>

"We tend to think of climate change impacts as dramatic and destructive. Storms
and floods that bring down landslides and swamp streets, or raging wildfires
that tear through forests and farmland.

Equitable gas exit or costly death spiral? New report says the choice is now up to governments

Sat, 2 May 2026 05:52:50 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://reneweconomy.com.au/equitable-gas-exit-or-costly-death-spiral-new-report-says-the-choice-is-now-up-to-governments/>

"The spiralling cost of maintaining Australia’s gas networks could ratchet up
the bills of households stuck using the fossil fuel by 11 per cent a year, a
new report has warned, if governments don’t take decisive policy actions like

Nest‑building chimpanzees seem to anticipate future weather

Sat, 2 May 2026 05:51:47 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/nest-building-chimpanzees-seem-to-anticipate-future-weather-281537>

"Every evening, as they move from place to place through the forest,
chimpanzees stop to build a nest – most often in a tree – to sleep in. Using a
selection of branches, leaves and twigs, they create comfortable and safe

State stumps up $10.8 million to help customers electrify as city’s gas network shuts down

Sat, 2 May 2026 05:51:01 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://reneweconomy.com.au/state-stumps-up-10-8-million-to-help-customers-electrify-as-private-gas-network-shuts-down/>

"Western Australia is to spend $10.8 to help transition thousands of households
and businesses to transition away from gas, following a decision to
decommission a privately-owned gas distribution network in the Western

A probe into ‘forever chemicals’ in activewear lays bare fashion’s greenwashing problem

Sat, 2 May 2026 05:50:12 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/a-probe-into-forever-chemicals-in-activewear-lays-bare-fashions-greenwashing-problem-281146>

"Have you ever paid more for a product because a brand told you it was good for
you and the planet? Many activewear shoppers do exactly this, trusting that the
“healthy” image on the label matches what is actually in the fabric. That trust