[BLOG] Some Thursday links

[rfmcdonald]

• 80 Beats suggests that, contrary to expectations, the climate of northern Africa's Sahara region may have been pleasant enough to let early hominids migrate to the Mediterranean basin without being forced to follow the thin fertile strip of the Nile.


• At Acts of Minor Treason, Andrew Barton uses an artifact--his grandfather's old toolbox, a former ammunition box--to wonder about all the things in history that remain unknown, and how speculations about possibilities make alternative history interesting.


• blogTO points out that the current risible anti-drug campaign on the TTC--look, if you do drugs you'll no longer look pretty--is, in fact, risible.
  
• Centauri Dreams commemorates the dream of the generation starship, put forward by Leslie Shepherd in 1952.


• At Crooked Timber, John Quiggin thinks that it might be worthwhile for the United States, at least, to spend more money on education and health than on the military. In the past generation, American military expeditions haven't met very successful outcomes (cf Iraq, Afghanistan).


• Extraordinary Observations' Rob Pitingolo points to a recent study suggesting that, for nine major American cities, the outer suburbs are more dangerous than the inner cities. This, he points out, is a recent change.


• Far Outliers has an interesting excerpt relating to NGOs as "benevolent colonialists."


• The Grumpy Sociologist documents the apparently successful efforts of the National Basketball Association to boost that sport in first China then India, starting with high-profile stars from those countries (Yao Ming, say) to create perceived needs for those sports.


• Itching for Eestimaa suggests that turmoil in Estonia's Centre Party--a left-wing party with strong appeal to Russophones as well as to ethnic Estonians, beset by controversy suggesting that the leader has been accepting Russian money--is the product of a palace coup against the party's leader.


• Lawyers, Guins and Money's Charli Carpenter links to a Financial Times essay by Parag Khanna saying that the world is becoming "neo-medieval," the 21st century coming to resemble the 12th century. The analogy works, actually, save in the many, many ways in which the two centuries are fundamentally different. Argh.


• At NewAPPSBlog, Catarina Dutilh Novaes counsels prospective graduate students against making the jump if they'll go into debt, arguing that the exloitative nature of universities' employment of doctoral students in most countries just isn't worth the payoff: there aren't that many jobs, they don't pay that much.


• Savage Minds shows telepresence in action, with Filipino teachers of English animating avatars in out-of-the-way area of South Korea.


• Towleroad carries the news that, famed failed Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell is being investigated for using campaign funds to cover personal expenses like rent.


• Understanding Society's Daniel Little has an interesting post up about dystopian representations of Indians and Chinese cities in film.


• Windows on Eurasia suggests that, under Iranian influence, Shi'ite Islam is taking off in traditionally Sunni but Persian-speaking Tajikistan.