[BLOG] Some Monday links

[rfmcdonald]

• The Dragon's Gaze notes that Earth-like planets may need to be in planets with more than one planet, since multiple-planet systems have more circular planets than not. Also, Gliese 667C might not have nearly as many planets as believed.


• The Dragon's Tales observes that fracking produces huge amounts of methane and notes that, when Earth has been less than hospitable, life has hidden in a variety of environments.


• Language Hat explores Ingalric, an alternate-historical English language.


• Marginal Revolution wonders why New Zealand isn't richer, concluding in the end that isolation and underinvestment in human capital are key.


• Strange Maps illustrates how countries don't spend nearly as much money on foreign aid as some believed, and even spend less--often much less--than their international commitments would have them spend.


• Towleroad notes increasing persecution of gays in Egypt.


• Transit Toronto notes the diverse streetcars put on a recent parade in The Beaches.


• The Volokh Conspiracy's Ilya Somin is skeptical of arguments regarding illegal immigration which phrase it in terms of law-breaking.


• Window on Eurasia notes tendentious claims that Tatarstan is unstable, links to criticism of the recent Geneva pact aiming to stabilize Ukraine, suggests that Russia has given up on ethnic coexistence with non-Russians and is now going for irredentism, and links to predictions that immigrants might form a majority of the Russian population in a few decades.