Moody: the works

A list of links to all my non-tech writings:

Essays

Glanglish - with audio versions

Moody Essays 

Travel writings

Moody Travels (with photos)
Walks with Lorenzetti
A Partial India

Novels

Doing the Business
Egyptian Romance

Poems

Moody Sonnets - with audio versions

261111

Buoyancy - https://moodysonnets.blogspot.com/2026/11/buoyancy.html something light: isn't it odd that we still don't fully understand why planes stay in the sky? What would Étienne-Louis Boullée have said...? 

Woman in Saudi Arabia sentenced to 100 lashes for giving birth outside marriage - https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/nov/11/woman-in-saudi-arabia-sentenced-to-100-lashes-for-giving-birth-outside-marriage what a barbaric country 

UK social media ban expansion for under-16s could cover YouTube Kids - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/nov/10/uk-social-media-ban-expansion-for-under-16s-could-cover-youtube-kids "Regulations under consideration could affect up to 150 platforms, including LegoPlay, Spotify and eBay, sources say" #ukgov utterly clueless again 

#AI has made it ‘close to impossible’ to assess university #coursework, regulator says - https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/nov/11/ai-close-to-impossible-assess-university-coursework-regulator "Office for Students says institutions in England should return to traditional exams and in-person presentations" it's inevitable

#Nissan reduces petrol car production as EV sales boom in #China - https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/nov/11/nissan-reduces-petrol-car-production-as-ev-sales-boom-in-china the same will happen in europe, which is going in exactly the wrong direction on #EVs 

Why are Britain’s streets still so polluted? Because the car industry dinosaurs do what they like, and politicians let them - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/nov/11/britain-streets-polluted-car-industry-electric-vehicles-transition "The transition to electric vehicles should be moving apace, but it is not. And why? Incompetence, expedience and cowardice" #EVs

 What happens to mathematics when #AI becomes an oracle? - https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/11/what-happens-to-mathematics-when-ai-becames-an-oracle/ "Wolfram, I think, is demonstrably right that many computer simulations are computationally irreducible, but nature might not be."

Federal judge allows #Trump’s $10bn defamation lawsuit against #BBC to proceed - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/10/trump-10bn-defamation-lawsuit-bbc-allowed "president will have to prove that he suffered “actual damages” from the airing of the document, which was not broadcast in #Florida."

Impeachment Maths - https://emptywheel.net/2026/11/11/impeachment-maths/ "This was always going to be a test vote, to see what would happen for Democrats." interesting analysis

Workers in #Iran sell organs to pay debts and cover living costs - https://www.iranintl.com/en/202611118553 grim

A New #AI Tool From #Google #DeepMind Proved the #Signal Protocol Is Secure - https://www.wired.com/story/a-new-ai-tool-from-google-deepmind-formally-verified-the-signal-protocol/ "unclear how practical it will be for widespread use and how effective it can be at securing large amounts of code."

"“I’ve been a Democrat my whole life. I grew up in a far left environment. I know more about being a progressive than almost anybody on the planet, and I absolutely believe #Palantir— all of our products are essentially progressive,” #Karp said." - https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2026/11/11/the-tech-right-pivots-left-01160648 sure

National security of all countries at risk due to #climatecrisis, UK foreign secretary warns - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/nov/11/ed-miliband-national-security-climate-crisis-cop31 more good work from Ed 

261110

 UK and Argentina clash over #Falklands #oil project as Hamburg tribunal starts - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/nov/10/uk-and-argentina-clash-over-falklands-oil-project-as-hamburg-tribunal-starts no one should be drilling for oil; these are vital conservation areas for sealife

Pharma firms’ focus on weight-loss drugs could put insulin supply at risk, experts warn - https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/nov/10/pharma-firms-weight-loss-drugs-insulin-glp-1-ozempic-mounjaro national governments should be producing #insulin themselves

Exclusive: Ex-#MetPolice chief is paid adviser for #Palantir - https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026-11-10/revealed-palantir-employing-cressida-dick-as-paid-adviser "Dame Cressida Dick joined the controversial tech giant in September 2025, the Bureau can reveal"

261109

Democrats to attend #Cop31 climate talks boosted by midterms and eager to make up for Trump-era setbacks - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/nov/09/cop31-climate-democrats-midterms well, it's a start

#Trump says he was ‘only kidding’ about making UFC’s Dana White next press secretary -https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/08/trump-dana-white-press-secretary yeah, sure...

UK households face rush to find #green energy installer to beat April VAT hike - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/nov/09/uk-households-green-energy-installer-rush-april-vat-hike more short-sighted stupidity from #burnham #renewables 

261108

Buoyancy - https://moodysonnets.blogspot.com/2026/11/buoyancy.html isn't it odd that we still don't fully understand why planes stay in the sky? What would Étienne-Louis Boullée have said...?

2019 #Moldova - https://moodysbnn.blogspot.com/2020/04/moldova-2019.html a short trip I made a few years back, now updated with links and pix #travel

Kazakhstan’s #SnowLeopard Population Doubles as Scientists Begin Tracking Altai - https://astanatimes.com/2026/11/kazakhstans-snow-leopard-population-doubles-as-scientists-begin-tracking-altai/ great news, well done #kazakhstan 

Labour expected to cut EV targets for UK’s car industry despite MPs’ protests - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/nov/08/labour-cut-ev-target-car-industry-despite-climate-concerns stupid #burnham, just hands #ev industry to #china...

261107

 One Less Person in the Room - https://emptywheel.net/2026/11/07/one-less-person-in-the-room/ "This will likely hasten the pace at which DOJ loses credibility among all judges, likely including SCOTUS, and also hasten some kind of direct conflict between courts and bulldozers at a DC construction site. " #trump

 The Bantu expansion changed Africa. Scientists are still tracing how.  - https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/11/the-migration-that-transformed-africas-languages-genes-and-cultures/ " Genes and archaeology are revealing how Bantu speakers spread across much of Africa. " fascinating stuff

 British soldier ignored order to pull his SIM card, then got blackmailed - https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/11/british-soldier-ignored-order-to-pull-his-sim-card-then-got-blackmailed/ " Soldier told repeatedly to lock down devices before deploying, got sextorted, court-martialed. "

 Doctors pull knife from man’s eye that went through his brain—and he’s fine now - https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/11/man-unexpectedly-recovers-from-a-knife-wound-through-his-eye-and-brain/ " It’s the exact path, not the apparent severity that matters most, doctors say. "

261106

Russia agreed to supply Iran with 90 helicopter missile launchers - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/nov/05/russia-agreed-to-supply-iran-90-helicopter-missile-launchers good job #trump says #russia isn't helping #iran 

#NHS wants a second opinion on #Palantir's glowing self-assessments - https://www.theregister.com/public-sector/2026/11/06/nhs-wants-a-second-opinion-on-palantirs-glowing-self-assessments/5307809 " Supplier told to clear benefit claims with health chiefs, though enforcing approval could prove tricky " #ai

The UK has its own network of #Flock-style AI cameras. So where’s the outrage? - https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026-11-06/flock-cameras-us-anpr-surveillance-uk "The #AI #surveillance system sparked public anger ahead of the midterms – and the UK’s version is even more extensive" where indeed

Ireland says bomb threats 'likely ... a coordinated campaign of disruption'- https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/nov/06/high-alert-hoax-bomb-threats-france-air-lingus-belgium-pope-leo-europe-live?page=with%3Ablock-6aedd2168f08c30857a83ddd#block-6aedd2168f08c30857a83ddd well, doh - who most wants and most benefits from European disruption, huh? have a think...