Assorted Personal Notations, Essays, and Other Jottings
[BLOG] Some Friday links
City of Brass’ Aziz Poonawalla takes issue with Muslims who have issues with Valentine’s Day. What’s wrong with celebrating love?
Discover‘s D-Brief notes the new official survey of Jupiter’s largest moon, Ganymede.
The Dragon’s Tales notes a study from China suggesting that while reforested areas are cooler in daytime, they are also warmer at night.
Eastern Approaches notes that coalition politics in the Czech Republic mean that country’s post-Communist lustration laws won’t be revised.
Language Log notes the utter failure of an app supposed to make its users write like Hemingway (it doesn’t like Hemingway’s writing) and observes just how recently passed comedian Sid Caesar was able to learn his famed double-talk.
The Power and the Money’s Noel Maurer observes turbulence in Argentina’s oil sector.
Supernova Condensate commemorates the Valentine’s Day gamma-ray burst of 1990.
Torontoist notes another Rob Ford conflict of interest, this time involving fundraising in 2011.
Towleroad traces the background behind Nigeria’s anti-gay law.
The Volokh Conspiracy maps the liberalization of gun laws across the United States.
Window on Eurasia notes that, of the three traditionally Buddhist minorities of Russia, the Buryats have gone furthest towards a revival–the more shamanistic Tuvans and the Stalin-deported Kalmyks have further to go.