[LINK] Some Friday links

[rfmcdonald]

• I disagree with Amused Cynicism's Phil Hunt that Medvedev's Russia is a totalitarian regime--it seems more authoritarian to me. His argument that Russia is run by the local equivalent of neocons makes sense to me.


• tomscud at 'Aqoul reports that the US Second Circuit of Appeals has decided to revisit its recent decision claiming that Canada's Maher Arar had no recourse to appeal.


• bear_left writes about the Beijing Olympics and their connection to human rights issues in China. As bad as human rights might be, they're at least getting more attention. In the meantime, his dual-track approach to the games--watching the sports, finding ways to act about the human rights--makes sense.


• Here's to hoping that Byzantium's Shores comes back.


• Richard at Castrovalva makes the case that the Victorian novel, with its "polyphonic and heteroglossic character [and] its counterpointing of multiple plot strands," was quite innovative. (I also disagree with his statement that modern narratives are excessively simplified in comparison--Mrs. Dalloway is beautiful.)


• Centauri Dreams points out that the Cassini spacecraft's recent flyby of Saturn's moon of Enceladus could settle the question of whether it, like Jupiter's Europa, has a subsurface water ocean.


• Crooked Timber addresses the urban legend that Google removed Georgia--and Armenia and Azerbaijan--from Google Maps so as to be neutral on Transcaucasia's various territorial disputes.


• Will Baird at The Dragons' Tales is on a team (Team Phoenicia ) aiming to build a launch vehicle to Earth orbit. He also has PayPal links (hint, hint).


• At a Fistful of Euros, Alex Harrowell mourns the death of Russia's liberal revolution.


• Razib at GNXP points out that the vigourous Counter-Reformation was the only thing that saved Roman Catholicism from becoming a relatively minor Mediterranean Christian sect.


• Language Hat observes that people keep mispronouncing Ossetia (ah-SEE-sha, I think--I don't have the right character set).


• Norman Geras takes a look at Doris Lessing's take on war.


• Strange Maps examines Denmark's Kingdom of Elleore.


• Wis(s)e Words has excellent coverage of the Georgian war.