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.

This whistle fights fascists

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:25:53 +1100

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

<https://www.theverge.com/policy/874959/3d-printed-whistles-for-ice-minneapolis-chicago-renee-good-alex-pretti>

"Kit Rocha and Courtney Milan have a knack for drawing attention to a cause.
The bestselling romance novelists helped raise half a million dollars for
Georgia voting rights in 2020. Now, their cause is whistles, because whistles

The lower Murray is officially on life support. Will we save it?

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:20:52 +1100

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

<https://theconversation.com/the-lower-murray-is-officially-on-life-support-will-we-save-it-274969>

"At 2,500 km long, the Murray is Australia’s longest river. It provides 3
million people with drinking water and irrigates around 1.5 million hectares of
farmland.

The Body-Cam Hustle

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:19:30 +1100

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

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/body-cam-youtube-foia-abuse.html

"The worst 40 minutes of April’s life are a hit on YouTube. The lengthy,
humiliating clip has 195,000 views and more than a thousand comments, nearly
all insults and jokes at April’s expense. It includes her full name, unobscured

No animal alive today is ‘primitive’ – why are so many still labeled that way?

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:14:30 +1100

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

<https://theconversation.com/no-animal-alive-today-is-primitive-why-are-so-many-still-labeled-that-way-266208>

"We humans have long viewed ourselves as the pinnacle of evolution. People
label other species as “primitive” or “ancient” and use terms like “higher” and
“lower” animals.

Communal bathing was a public good. Then it got hijacked by wellness culture

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:13:27 +1100

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

<https://theconversation.com/communal-bathing-was-a-public-good-then-it-got-hijacked-by-wellness-culture-272264>

"Bathhouses are making a wave in Australia and overseas. And it’s not an
isolated trend; it reflects the broader advancement of the global wellness
economy, which some reports suggest is outpacing even IT and sport in growth.

Common Sweetener May Damage Critical Brain Barrier, Risking Stroke

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:12:34 +1100

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

<https://www.sciencealert.com/common-sweetener-may-damage-critical-brain-barrier-risking-stroke>

“Found in everything from protein bars to energy drinks, erythritol has long
been considered a safe alternative to sugar.

Letters from an American: February 9, 2026

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 06:08:10 +1100

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

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-9-2026

"Last night’s thirteen-minute Super Bowl half-time show featuring Bad Bunny had
more watchers than any other halftime show in history: an estimated 135 million
watched live, while millions more have streamed it since. Rapper, singer, and

Mozambique floods: why the most vulnerable keep paying the highest price

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 06:06:21 +1100

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

<https://theconversation.com/mozambique-floods-why-the-most-vulnerable-keep-paying-the-highest-price-274759>

"When floods submerged parts of Mozambique after heavy rains in 2000, a baby
girl was born in a tree, where her mother clung as the Limpopo river waters
rose. The baby was nicknamed Rosita in the press. Her survival became a symbol

Trump threatens to block new bridge in latest tirade against Canada

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 06:05:13 +1100

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/09/trump-gordie-howe-bridge-canada>

"As Democrats prepare to force a vote in the US House this week on Donald
Trump’s tariffs on Canada, the president posted a lengthy tirade on his social
media platform in which he threatened to block a bridge connecting the US and

Australia can’t reach its ambitious climate targets with current policies. Here are 6 things we can try

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 06:04:09 +1100

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

<https://theconversation.com/australia-cant-reach-its-ambitious-climate-targets-with-current-policies-here-are-6-things-we-can-try-275088>

"In less than ten years, Australia has to cut its emissions 62–75% below 2005
levels. Given reductions in emissions over the past 20 years, that translates
to cutting emissions 47–65% below current levels. As of last year, that’s about