Month: December 2012

1 Comment Posted on by J Entertainment, Link-Off

Entertainment Link-Off: Almost There

Katie Sackhoff and Tricia HelferIt’s time for the Entertainment Link-Off! It’s been a few busy weeks, so Steve has taken on the great task to cover the random entertainment news of the week. In theatres this weekend is the actioner Jack Reacher starring Tom Cruise or you can check out the Knocked Up spin off This is 40 starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann. If none of those suit your fancy, might as well check out The Hobbit again. Anyway, to make up for my absence, here’s a double dose of eye candy for you this week. Let’s kick it off with some Battlestar Galactica babes Tricia Helfer and Katie Sackhoff.

After the jump, check out the teaser for Star Trek: Into Darkness, movie mistakes galore, Samuel L. Jackson and Anne Hathaway have a sad-off, find out why Gandalf never rode on the eagles and a new Christmas tune to check out. Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Humour

Caption This: December 15 – 21, 2012

Inspired by the Globe and Mail’s caption writing person, we waste our time writing funny picture captions for some of the more interesting photos we come across when blogging. So here are some of the best pictures from the past week with a funny (-ish) caption. Continue reading →

2 Comments Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Hotline Miami Review (or One Way Ticket to Chaos)

hotline-miami-coverNovember’s Steam sale was every bit as great for me as a gamer as it was bad for my wallet. I bought far too many games but I went out of my way to buy what reviewers said were the best games. That’s why I bought Hotline Miami. It’s a well-reviewed game with some nostalgia for those of use who played classic Grand Theft Auto games. I’ve never been one for excessively violent games so I thought I’d give it a try to see what the hype was about. Continue reading →

10 Comments Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Star Wars: The Old Republic Free-to-Play Impressions (or Free is Just Another Word for Nothing Left to Lose)

star-wars-the-old-republic-bannerI’ve never played an MMO game before but was really interested in Star Wars: The Old Republic when it was first announced. After all, I love Star Wars and BioWare had never steered me wrong. Better still, the last time BioWare and LucasArts got together, we got Knights of the Old Republic which is one of my all-time favourite games and The Old Republic looked like the spiritual successor to the KOTOR series.

I didn’t buy SWTOR when it first came out, though. Spending $60 to buy the game and another $15 per month to play it wasn’t appealing to me. Over the course of a year, that would amount to $240 in costs which is the same as buying four games over the course of the year. Fortunately, in November, The Old Republic went free-to-play meaning you didn’t have to spend a penny to enjoy a new Star Wars experience. But is the SWTOR free-to-play experience worth it one year after launch? Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Wednesday Link-Off: Reframing the Discussion

kelly-brook-newlook12-25‘Twas middle of the week before Christmas and all through HQ,
not a blogger was blogging. Not even… using undo?

Okay, I’m never going to make it as a poet. Maybe I’ll just stick to the links for today. Don’t worry, though. We’re still busy plugging away on posts. I’ll have a couple of video game posts to close out the week. Still working on next week, though. Next Wednesday will be our year-in-review set of links. I’ll probably have a best games of 2012 post next week, too. For today, it’s normal programming. Let’s start with English model Kelly Brook.

A lot of the hate after the Sunny Hook Elementary School Shooting was focused on the NRA and the so-called gun nuts. However, this has allowed the gun companies who make these guns to get away without any criticism or scorn. Maybe it’s time for that to change. (Gawker)

Contrary to some of the excuses people grasp at when tragedies like this occurs, part of the problem of why mass shootings is that easy access to excessively destructive firearms to very much engrained in American culture. (CBC News)

The NRA made a statement yesterday saying they won’t make a statement until Friday. They’ve been extremely silent since the Newtown shooting. (Ad Week) Like the Magary column up top said, maybe we should focus on Big Gun instead.

After the jump, the lack of connection between video games and gun violence, the story behind the fake Mass Effect 4 interview and an NBA Christmas album. Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray News

Not News of the Week

It’s time for all the news that’s not fit for print. It’s time for the Not News of the Week.

By now, you’ve probably heard about the monkey who made an appearance at a north Toronto IKEA store. However, you may not know the whole story. The seven-month-old monkey escaped from its crate in a car in the IKEA parking lot before wandering into the store. Like a scene out of a Curious George book, the monkey was wearing a fur coat. Okay, George wore a big yellow hat but you get what I’m talking about.  The monkey’s owner has been charged with possessing a prohibited animal. You know, I wonder if that monkey would have an easier time putting together IKEA’s furniture than I do. Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Announcements Aside

One Week Left in Our Drive to Feed The Hungry on FreeRice.com

At the beginning of the month, we announced our drive to help feed the hungry through the United Nations World Food Programme. With one week until Christmas, we’re reaching out once again for your support to help feed the hungry. We don’t need your money, just your time.

All you have to do is login or sign up to FreeRice.com, join Team LowdownBlog.com and start answering trivia questions. Each correct answer earns 10 grains of rice to be donated to the World Food Programme.

1 Comment Posted on by Steve Murray Entertainment

Worst of Music: Avril Lavigne – How You Remind Me

When we first found out about Avril Lavigne getting engaged to Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger, we all made the joke about the marriage consolidating bad music into one household. Unfortunately, we overlooked the possibility that Kroeger and Lavigne getting together meant that they could make music together. The first musical output of their relationship is Avril covering Nickelback’s How You Remind Me. Continue reading →

1 Comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Sunday Link-Off: The Right Time To Talk

chrissy-teigen-beachbunny12-07It’s the end of the week… Or maybe it’s the start of a new week. It all depends on your perspective and calendar. Maybe we should go with new week after the last couple of weeks. Anyway, let’s get started with one of Twitter’s common sense advocates, Chrissy Teigen.

The gun control debate might finally get going in earnest after Friday’s shooting in Newtown. If you’re looking for facts about mass shooting in the United States, start here. (Wonkblog – Washington Post)

Everyone that says that we shouldn’t politicize the Newtown shooting is politicizing it by trying to let any discourse over gun control end quietly. When they stop using that line, those trying to protect “freedoms” will start parroting these lies. (Think Progress) The fact of the matter is that if gun control would eliminate freedoms, traffic lights and speed limits should go too. If you think if this wouldn’t have happened if the kids and teachers were all packing heat, you are also obligated to believe that people should be free to buy cocaine, heroin, crystal meth and bath salts without fear of criminal penalty. It’s just the same damn thing.

The truth is that now isn’t the right time to talk about gun control. It’s too late. Everyday is the right day to talk about gun control. (The Daily Beast)

After the jump, the media’s coverage of the shooting, a breakdown of the new Wii Mini and Gangnam Style martial arts. Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Entertainment, Link-Off

Entertainment Link-Off: An Expected Journey

Welcome back to our weekly look at the worlds of entertainment and pop culture in the Entertainment Link-Off. I’m covering for Jackie this week after I slightly forgot about it last week… Anyway, there’s only one major wide release at the theatres this weekend. That would be the first part of The Hobbit trilogy. Yes, we’re going back to Middle Earth with Dr. Watson Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins. Don’t worry, though. Some old friends will be back including Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Orlando Bloom and Cate Blanchett who stars as the only woman with a character in Middle Earth. Continue reading →