[BLOG] Some Wednesday links

[rfmcdpei]

• Discover's Collideascape notes that, even as agricultural land is falling worldwide, the productivity of this land is increasing even more sharply.
• The Dragon's Gaze links to one paper examining the extent to which saline water might make cooler planets better for live, and to another paper suggesting that planetary magnetic fields are so importance for life (and oxygen levels) that brief reversals in the history of Earth have led to mass extinctions.
• The Dragon's Tales notes a Ukrainian report that the country's military has captured a Russian tank.
• Joe. My. God. notes that vehemently anti-gay Minnesota archbishop John Nienstadt is being investigated for allegedly having sexual relationships with men.
• Marginal Revolution notes that, despite economic collapse, there are some jobs (like low-paying fieldwork) that Portuguese just won't do.
• The New APPS Blog's Gordon Hull notes the gender inequity involved in the recent Hobby Lobby ruling in the United States.
• pollotenchegg maps the slow decline of Ukraine's Jewish population in the post-1945 era.
• Speed River Journal's Van Waffle writes eloquently about his connections to and love of Lake Erie.
• Strange Maps' Frank Jacobs links to a cartographic examination of the time spent by French television news examining different areas of the world.
• Towleroad notes a faux apology made by the Israeli education minister after attacking gay families.
• The Volokh Conspiracy's Jonathan Adler notes the future of contraception coverage under Obamacare.
• Window on Eurasia reports on fears that Crimean Tatar organizations will soon suffer a Russian crackdown, and suggests that the West should reconsider its policies on Belarus to encourage that country to diversify beyond Russia.