[BLOG] Some Friday links

• Bad Astronomer Phil Plait looks at the black hole-powered "cooling flows" of galaxy cluster Abell 2597.


• D-Brief notes that astronomers have, at last, measured the total number of photos emitted by stars in the universe. (Roughly.)


• Dead Things notes the discovery of a tool and butchery site of ancient hominids in Algeria, at Ain Boucherit, dating back 2.4 million years.


• Far Outliers looks at a Japanese-American's interrogation of old Okinawan classmates.


• JSTOR Daily looks at 19th century woman astronomers like Elizabeth Campbell who played a critical role in supporting their husbands' astronomy but were overlooked.


• Lawyers, Guns and Money looks at the victims of voter fraud, the members of stigmatized minorities.


• Marginal Revolution takes a look at the doctrine of double effect as shown in the TV series Daredevil.


• The NYR Daily notes how the language of Trump reflects and fuels the fascist right.


• Starts With A Bang's Ethan Siegel states the obvious: Science is not fake news.


• Window on Eurasia notes five reasons why the Russian's military-industrial complex cannot easily catch up to the United States'.


• Arnold Zwicky takes a look at the history of Swiss Tasmania, a region in the center of the island including the Swiss-themed town of Grindelwald.

[URBAN NOTE] Five Toronto links: Art Shoppe, Quayside, Villiers Island, comic books, police

• Urban Toronto shows a photo of the Art Shoppe at Yonge and Eglinton, seven years ago and now in the condo era.


• Sidewalk Labs promises to provide a substantial amount of affordable housing at Quayside. The Toronto Star reports.
<

• blogTO takes< a look at Villiers Island, set to be constructed at the mouth of the Don.


• Crowdfunding might yet deliver to Toronto a comic book library. blogTO reports.


• Pride Toronto is undertaking a cross-country study looking at ways to improve police-LGBTQ relations. The Toronto Star reports.

[URBAN NOTE] Five city links: Oshawa, Montréal, London, Madrid, Accra

• The closure of the GM plant in Oshawa will hurt local charities. Global News reports.


• MTL Blog notes that for a variety of factors, including affordability and attractiveness, Montréal is the best city in Canada in which to rent an apartment.


• Guardian Cities reports on a project mapping reported violent crimes in early 14th century London.


• Guardian Cities reports on how the city of Madrid has today banned polluting vehicles from its downtown.


• A high rate of deadly car accidents has led, Guardian Cities reports, to mass protests in the Ghana capital of Accra.

[ISL] Five #PEI links: Victoria-by-the-Sea, housing, PNP, Workaway, transgender licenses

• Peter Rukavina shared some images earlier this month of the PEI village of Victoria-by-the-Sea as it closes up for winter.


• CBC PEI notes that the vacancy rate for rental apartments in PEI is approaching zero, thanks to continued strong demand for housing (and, I would say, a lack of adequate building).


• Stu Neatby at The Guardian notes the continuing criticism of the Opposition parties in the PEI legislature of the ill-starred PNP immigration program.


• Millicent McKay at The Guardian writes about Ramón Velasco Alfonso, a Mexican who came to work on PEI for six months under the Workaway Program.


• PEI now offers transgender and private gender options on drivers' licenses. The Guardian reports.

[ISL] Five #islands links: Nantucket, Newfoundland, Scotland, South Goulburn, Toronto Islands

• JSTOR Daily notes the unorthodox and generally unacknowledged truce struck between Nantucket Island and the British Empire in 1814, during the War of 1812.


• A visit by Anthony Bourdain had lasting effects on the culinary scene on Newfoundland. Global News reports.


• The Island Review reports on the different plans of the different islands of Scotland to commemorate the end of the First World War.


• Michael Erard at The Atlantic writes about the remarkable South Goulburn Island, an island off the coast of Australia where speakers of nine different languages co-exist in a shared passive multilingualism.


• Richard Longley wrote at NOW Toronto about the challenges faced by the Toronto Islands in the era of climate change and instability.

[PHOTO] Backyard, past 9 pm, Dovercourt Village