[PHOTO] Green Gables beyond the roses, Cavendish, PEI

[PHOTO] Towers of Humber Bay Shores, Toronto

Not too long ago, there would not have been nearly so many towers along this stretch of Lake Shore Boulevard above Humber Bay.

[BLOG] Some Friday links

• Bad Astronomy's Phil Plait notes that the most plausible explanation for Tabitha's Star, KIC 8462852, exists in partial eclipses of the star by dust clouds.


• D-Brief notes that the giant stick insects of Lord Howe Island did survive in their forced diaspora.


• The Dragon's Gaze takes a look at Kelt-9b, a planet so close to its star that it is literally melting away.


• Language Hat looks at a website set up by inhabitants of the Faroe Islands to translate Faroese.


• The LRB Blog shares some of the past appearances of Nobel-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro in the pages of the LRB.


• Neal Ascherson at the NYR Daily looks at the mechanism of the referendum, in Scotland and Catalonia and elsewhere.


• The Planetary Society Blog looks at the import of Mike Pence's promise to send Americans to the Moon again.


• Starts With A Bang's Ethan Siegel looks at how the cosmic phenomenon of inflation explains the entire modern universe.


• Window on Eurasia suggests Chechnya's Ramzan Kadyrov is trying to establish himself as a Russian political figure.

[URBAN NOTE] Four Toronto links: 1 Bloor West, Google at Quayside, Parkdale culture, York art show

• Alex Bozikovic looks at the plans for 1 Bloor Street West, The One. This tower may well become a national icon.


• Will a Google company play a leading role in the construction of the east waterfront neighbourhood of Quayside? The Toronto Star reports.


• The idea of the Parkdale library becoming the centre of a bigger cultural hub is provocative. NOW Toronto reports.


• This art show at York featuring works by artists from the old internal suburbs of Toronto sounds great. The Globe and Mail reports.

[NEWS] Four links about LGBTQ culture: Pansy Craze, drag in Toronto, Michael Sharkey, Matt Cain

• This article looks at the amazing queer parties that were major nightlife features in the 1930s US. The Guardian reports.


• 
  City News looks at how drag queens are becoming high-demand performers in RuPaul-era Toronto.


• Ruth La Ferla shares a stunning contemporary photo exhibit by Michael Sharkey of the fashion of out queer youths. The New York Times reports.


• A new gay-themed novel by Matt Cain is going to get crowdfunded after being rejected by traditional publisher as "too gay". The Guardian reports.