[PHOTO] Celebrating 2017, Queen Street, Charlottetown

The crowds of tourists hoping to get photographed around this 2017 installation at the foot of Queen Street seemed almost as noteworthy of being photographed as this 2017 itself.

[PHOTO] Sixteen photos of Kew and Woodbine beaches west from the Leuty Lifeguard Station, Toronto

I had not been to the Beaches in evening before, but I wish I had. Starting my walk at the iconic Leuty Lifeguard Station and continuing west, I saw the Kew and Woodbine beaches emptied, clear sight-lines uninterrupted by crowds of beachgoers. The effects of flooding are noticeable, especially in the west of Woodbine Beach where the water has infiltrated to form a little bay, but not longer overpowering.

[BLOG] Some Friday links

• Centauri Dreams notes the latest on fast radio burst FRB 121102.


• D-Brief makes a good case for the human diet to expand to include insects. I'd like to try an insect burger myself.


• Dangerous Minds shares some wonderful photos of Joy Division's Ian Curtis.


• The Dragon's Gaze links to a paper suggesting up to 1% of stars could capture, at least temporarily, rogue planets.


• Hornet Stories--the new name for Unicorn Booty--notes the latest shake-up in German-language LGBTQ media.


• Lawyers, Guns and Money shares a thoughtful essay by Christa Blackmon, drawing from her experiences as a survivor of Hurricane Andrew. How do you best take care of child survivors?


• The Map Room Blog links to a fascinating-sounding book, Alastair Bonnett's new Beyond the Map.


• The NYR Daily reviews a documentary about the Venerable W, a Buddhist monk in Burma who has led anti-Muslim violence.


• The Planetary Society Blog considers the way forward for NASA's Mars Exploration Program.


• Roads and Kingdoms reports on the search for Texas barbecue in Mexico City.

[NEWS] FOur space science links, from Mars to TRAPPIT-1 to Gliese 710 to starships

• CBC reports on recent research noting markers of hydrothermal activity in the minerals of Mars' Gale Crater.


• Universe Today reports on findings that ultraviolet radiation from TRAPPIST-1 is low enough to let its habitable-zone planets retain their volatiles, like water.


• VICE notes that, in 1.3 million years, red dwarf star Gliese 710 will have a close encounter with our solar system.


• In light of the Voyagers' 40th, Becky Ferreira considers some of the latest proposals for crewed starship designs.

[URBAN NOTE] Four Toronto links: tenant protection and strikes, front vegetable gardens, Yonge taxes

• Robert Benzie notes that Ontario tenants will soon have greater protection against eviction, including compensation.


• In the aftermath of the successful Parkdale tenants' strike, Jonathan Robart provides resources for the interested.


• Ellen Brait notes that making front yards in Brockton Village into vegetable gardens is a thing. I approve.


• John Tory wants the Ontario government to reconsider a tax structure that threatens to end Yonge Street businesses. Too late?

[NEWS] Four links about North America: Canada and Mexico in NAFTA, Mexican aid, Houston, Puerto Rico

• Canada and Mexico, it turns out, will remain members of NAFTA even if the United States leaves. (So it seems.)


• Texas and the United States, Snopes confirms, have accepted the offer of post-Harvey aid made by Mexico.


• The question of how Houston will rebuild post-Harvey--perhaps on more resilient lines?--is an interesting one.


• It's perhaps unsurprising that Puerto Rico is trying to make China a major economic partner. There could be synergy.