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.

Are Sailing Ships the Future of Sustainable Shipping?

Sat, 17 May 2025 04:05:49 +1000

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

https://reasonstobecheerful.world/wind-power-sustainable-shipping/

"For centuries, tall sailing ships quietly navigated the planet’s waterways,
trading and delivering needed goods. Powered by wind, this sustainable mode of
transportation endured until the advent of fossil fuels in the late 19th and

Exclusive: US aid cuts leave food for millions mouldering in storage

Sat, 17 May 2025 04:03:54 +1000

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

<https://www.reuters.com/world/us-aid-cuts-leave-food-millions-mouldering-storage-2025-05-16/>

"May 16 (Reuters) - Food rations that could supply 3.5 million people for a
month are mouldering in warehouses around the world because of U.S. aid cuts
and risk becoming unusable, according to five people familiar with the

Volvo to build heavy electric trucks in Australia after record breaking order

Sat, 17 May 2025 04:02:02 +1000

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

<https://thedriven.io/2025/05/15/volvo-to-build-heavy-electric-trucks-in-australia-after-record-breaking-order/>

"Australia’s largest fleet of heavy-duty electric trucks will drive down
emissions on roads across Queensland, Victoria and South Australia after a
record-breaking order from one of the nation’s biggest transport firms.

A trial is testing ways to enforce Australia’s under-16s social media ban. But the tech is flawed

Sat, 17 May 2025 04:01:03 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/a-trial-is-testing-ways-to-enforce-australias-under-16s-social-media-ban-but-the-tech-is-flawed-256332>

"Australia’s move to ban under-16s from social media is receiving widespread
praise. Other countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore and
Japan, are also now reportedly considering similar moves.

Letters from an American: May 15, 2025 (Thursday)

Sat, 17 May 2025 03:59:49 +1000

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

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-15-2025-thursday

"Perhaps in frustration, this season’s writers of the saga of American history
are making their symbolism increasingly obvious.

Banning young people from social media sounds like a silver bullet. Global evidence suggests otherwise

Sat, 17 May 2025 03:57:57 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/banning-young-people-from-social-media-sounds-like-a-silver-bullet-global-evidence-suggests-otherwise-256587>

"Around 98% of Australian 15-year-olds use social media. Platforms such as
TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram are where young people connect with friends and
online communities, explore and express their identities, seek information, and

Next week, millions of children across the globe will read this Australian book at the same time

Fri, 16 May 2025 19:30:15 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/may/16/next-week-millions-of-children-across-the-globe-will-read-this-australian-book-at-the-same-time>

"“They lose the cat, they find the cat again, they fall in love and then they
get a baby.” This is how Clementine, four-and-a-half, summarises The Truck
Cat, a picture book by children’s author Deborah Frenkel and illustrator Danny

Friday essay: Trump’s reign fits Curtis Yarvin’s blueprint of a CEO-led American monarchy. What is technological fascism?

Fri, 16 May 2025 19:29:00 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-trumps-reign-fits-curtis-yarvins-blueprint-of-a-ceo-led-american-monarchy-what-is-technological-fascism-256202>

"The plan was simple. It started by retiring all government employees by
offering them incentives to leave and never return. To avoid anarchy and keep
authority, the police and military would be retained.

‘We have to stop what’s going on, it’s insane’: Robert De Niro on battling age, apathy and Trump

Fri, 16 May 2025 19:26:37 +1000

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

<https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/may/15/robert-de-niro-on-battling-age-apathy-and-trump>

"On the opening night of the Cannes film festival, Robert De Niro takes the
stage to accept an honorary Palme d’Or. He embraces Leonardo DiCaprio, turns to
the mic and lets fly: celebrating the event as a haven for art, democratic,

Viral ‘Hongdae boy’ videos expose the fringe group of South Korean men trying to sleep with foreign women

Fri, 16 May 2025 19:25:06 +1000

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

<https://theconversation.com/viral-hongdae-boy-videos-expose-the-fringe-group-of-south-korean-men-trying-to-sleep-with-foreign-women-256475>

"If you’re on TikTok, you may have come across “Hongdae boys” or “Hongdae guys”
recently. In a social media context, the term refers to a group of young South
Korean men who prey on foreign women (particularly white women) visiting the