[BLOG] Some Wednesday links

[rfmcdonald]

• The Dragon's Gaze links to a paper examining the distribution of hot Jupiters that concludes, although they might be preferentially distributed around main-sequence singletons, there's not enough information to be sure.


• The Dragon's Tales notes that Ukraine has abandoned its non-aligned status.


• Far Outliers notes the desires of the inhabitants of beseiged Sarajevo for, if not salvation, then flight.


• Language Hat quotes George Szirtes on the advantages and otherwise of bilingualism.


• Language Log looks for examples of the phrasing "end of the city limits".


• Lawyers, Guns and Money anticipates the Nicaragua Canal.


• Otto Pohl notes how heavily diasporic nationalities in the Stalinist Soviet Union tended to be subject to arrest.


• The Power and the Money's Noel Maurer looks at advantages in storing electricity produced by solar power, links to a paper suggesting that Mexico can survive low oil prices in decent shape, and notes that treaties enabling the Nicaragua Canal are also giving China a comfortable legal position in that country.


• Lawyers, Guns and Money shows why John Romita Jr is one of the best comic book artists.


• Spacing Toronto commemorates the 25th anniversary of the terrible Rupert Hotel fire.


• Strange Maps looks at how often "dude" and "bro" and like words are spoken across the United States.


• Torontoist thinks Toronto should really learn from Paris' efforts to hinder gentrification.


• Towelroad notes the arrest of three people in The Gambia on the charges of homosexuality.


• The Volokh Conspiracy's Ilya Somin makes the seemingly conventional argument that crimes against police and crimes by police should be condemned equally.


• Window on Eurasia looks at changing ethnic and national identity among Russians in Latvia and Lithuania, suggests that Russia's new policies on its Soviet-era border changes might destabilize the entire Soviet Union, reports a Crimean Tatar leader's suggestion that Crimean Tatars should be recognized by law as an indigenous people of Ukraine, examines the consequences of border changes on church politics and jurisdictions, and observes Mongolia's outreach to ethnic and religious kin in Buryatia, Tuva, and Kalmykia.