[PHOTO] Three photos from #SnowMageddon2019 in Toronto

I had yesterday off, and slept in late, so I only ended up getting out of my apartment and onto my street by 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The white-out conditions surprised me: I could barely see to the end of the block.



Still, I was up, I was dressed, and I was already out. I took first the 29 Dufferin bus south and then the subway east over to Bathurst and Bloor to do some errands.



(The site of the old Honest Ed’s, currently a construction site, struck me as very photo-worthy with its warm bright colours.)



I ended up afterwards taking a little trip and headed west to Jane station, there to board the 26 Dupont bus and be dropped off practically at my warm home at 5 o’clock, with my cats and with my storm chips.

I just hope I will not have to dig out too much snow tomorrow morning.

[BLOG] Some Tuesday links

• Centauri Dreams considers the possible roles and threats posed by artificial intelligence for interstellar missions.


• John Quiggin at Crooked Timber makes the point that blaming Facebook for the propagation of fake news misses entirely the motives of the people who spread these rumours, online or otherwise.


• The Crux looks at the factors which led to the human species' diversity of skin colours.


• Dangerous Minds reports on a new collection of early North American electronica.


• Far Outliers reports on the salt extraction industry of Sichuan.


• JSTOR Daily notes how inbreeding can be a threat to endangered populations, like gorillas.


• Language Log examines the connection of the Thai word for soul with Old Sinitic.


• Lawyers, Guns and Money looks at divisions on the American left, including pro-Trump left radicals.


• Caitlin Chandler at the NYR Daily reports on the plight of undocumented immigrants in Rome, forced from their squats under the pressure of the new populist government of Italy.


• Spacing takes a look at the work of Acton Ostry Architects.


• Starts With A Bang's Ethan Siegel looks at the ten largest non-planetary bodies in the solar system.


• Strange Company looks at the very strange 1997 disappearance of Judy Smith from Philadelphia and her latest discovery in the North Carolina wilderness. What happened to her?


• Strange Maps looks at the worrisome polarization globally between supporters and opponents of the current government in Venezuela. Is this a 1914 moment?


• Window on Eurasia suggests that Russia and Venezuela share a common oil-fueled authoritarian fragility.


• Arnold Zwicky looks at the camelids of Peru, stuffed toys and llamas and more.

[URBAN NOTE] Five Toronto links: winter, Bruce McArthur, homelessness, real estate, TTC

• Yesterday saw record-breaking snowfall in Toronto, with more than 25 centimetres of snow, and today saw cold. CityNews reports.


• That Bruce McArthur has pled guilty to the eight charges of first-degree murder against him, avoiding a trial, is a minor blessing. CBC reports.


• The homeless people living under the Gardiner are apparently not facing imminent risk of eviction from their encampment. The Toronto Star reports.


• blogTO shares this map showing home and condo prices near each of the stops of the TTC.


• Ricardo Tranjan at NOW Toronto makes a point that, especially after the costly privatization of Highway 407, any transformation of the TTC must need to be approved by the people of Toronto.

[URBAN NOTE] Five city links: Montréal, Québec City, Kuala Lumpur, Sambuca, Birmingham

• This Noisey interview with musician Tiga shows how he and his music helped make Montréal a leading nightlife city.


• La Presse notes that Québec City is looking to bypass an environmental impact study for its proposed streetcar.


• Guardian Cities notes that the rapid development of Kuala Lumpur has displaced the native macaques from their home, creating new interactions between them and invasive primates.


• Guardian Cities reports on the Sicilian town of Sambuca, which has put vacant homes on sale for one Euro each. Will this be enough to reverse depopulation?


• CityLab notes how the city of Birmingham has resisted an Alabama state law requiring the display of a Confederate monument.

[NEWS] Five LGBTQ links: Pride Toronto, Christophe Honoré, Sarah Schulman, HIV/AIDS, Fun Home, movie

• The radical queer group Anti-69 opposes this year's proposed theme of Pride Toronto celebrating the 50th anniversary of decriminalization of homosexuality, on the grounds that decriminalization did not go nearly far enough.


• The Guardian looks at French director and writer Christophe Honoré, and his efforts to recover the queer memory of HIV/AIDS at its worst in France.


• them shares the arguments of author Sarah Schulman that the representation of HIV/AIDS in popular culture, in Rent for instance, not only underplay queer agency and organization but omit stories of queer survival.


• Daily Xtra shares the story of Melanie Woods of how Fun Home helped her find herself.


• them looks at how Mary Queen of Scots and The Favourite do a great job of sharing stories of queer love and resilience despite the odds from the early modern period.