[PHOTO] Yellow leaves above, Dovercourt Road above Hallam

Perhaps it is the protracted warmth that is making this fall less of a showy season for autumn leaves in Toronto than usual. At least there are still some enclaves of fall warmth.

[BLOG] Some Sunday links

• Bad Astronomer Phil Plait reports on the naming of the features of the surface of Ceres.


• D-Brief notes that small-scale robotic manufacturing is now a thing.


• The Dragon's Gaze reports on a new study of exoplanets and their stars.


• The Dragon's Tales has a nice round-up of news on hominin research and primates generally.


• Hornet Stories notes that there is apparently a debate about women as drag queens. I don't see why they should not, frankly.


• Joe. My. God links to a Rolling Stone article celebrating Erotica and Sex, by Madonna, on their 25th anniversary.


• Lawyers, Guns and Money notes the way Dollar General caters to a permanent underclass. Like Dollarama in Canada?


• Language Hat notes that Xibe, related to Manchu, is receiving protection from China.


• The NYR Daily reports on the mass killings, approaching genocide, in Indonesia in 1965.


• Starts With A Bang's Ethan Siegel reports on the proofs we have for the current age of the universe.

[NEWS] Four science links: new coffee, factories in Ethiopia, Mongolian nomads, Mars water

• There are, happily, new breeds of coffee plants being bred to cope with climate change. The Toronto Star reports.


• High labour and infrastructure costs means that Ethiopia is the only African power likely to challenge China in manufactures. Quartz reports.


• Wired's Kevin Kelly is perhaps on a limb in suggesting the lifestyle of Mongolian nomads is a viable world model.


• The flowing waters of icy Mars were icy, as Universe Today reports.

[NEWS] Two animal intelligence links: cetaceans, raccoons

• Cetacean intelligence evolved under the same pressures as primate intelligence, and in the same ways. We are peers. The Globe and Mail reports.


• Raccoons recently tested highly on a controlled test of their ingenuity and intelligence. A York study, of course. National Geographic reports.

[URBAN NOTE] Three links on Amazon and #HQ2: Canada, Sault Sainte Marie, Seattle

• CBC takes a look at the different Canadian cities which applied to become Amazon's next headquarters.


• The National Post reports on the unlikely bid of Sault Sainte Marie for Amazon's HQ2.


• The New York Times shares an argument that Amazon contributed to spiraling inequality in Seattle.

[MUSIC] Three Gord Downie links (#gorddownie): Ontario, Kingston, Canada

• Elisabeth de Mariaffi argues that Gord Downie's spirit is tied deeply to exotic rural Ontario.


• MacLean's looks at Gord Downie's deep connections to a Kingston personally familiar to me.


• Patrick Finn writes about Gord Downie's contributions to an ever-evolving Canadian culture.

[URBAN NOTE] Two links on Jackie Shane (#jackieshane), 1960s trans R&B Toronto star

• In a NOW Toronto cover feature, Rob Downie profiles 1960s trans R&B Toronto star Jackie Shane as she stages a late comeback.


• Elio Ianucci at The Globe and Mail profiles Jackie Shane's biography and (continuing!) history in Toronto.