Month: May 2013

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Sports

F1 Power Rankings: Monaco Grand Prix

Sunday is the single greatest day of the year to be a racing fan. If you live in the Eastern Time Zone of North America, you can get up at 8:00 AM for the Monaco Grand Prix, fill your afternoon with the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and finish with the Coca-Cola 600. It’s almost 15 straight hours of racing action.

It all starts with the most prestigious race in the world. The Monaco Grand Prix is the crown jewel of the top motorsports series in the world. The only downside is that passing is virtually impossible. As such, qualifying is going to be vitally important to success this weekend.

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2 Comments Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Microsoft Launches the Xbox One; Here’s What We Know

xbox-one-console-and-logoMicrosoft didn’t hide that yesterday’s big announcement would be for the next-gen Xbox but they sure did manage to surprise with that name. The third-generation Xbox console is the Xbox One whose name represents that it’s an all-in-one system for the living room.

It was that all-in-one nature of the Xbox One that formed the majority of Microsoft’s presentation. Unfortunately, that emphasis on the all-in-one Xbox came at what was essentially the de-emphasis of games as the core of the Xbox One.
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Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

What to Expect From Today’s Xbox Announcement

xbox-720-logo-conceptWe’re just a short few hours from the big next-generation Xbox console. I’d like to say that it’s going to be the Xbox 720 but we really don’t know what it will be called yet. Heck, two weeks ago, we were all convinced that it would be called the Xbox Infinity before we found out that the name and logo was a hoax.

Before we all gather ’round to watch Microsoft’s big show, we take a look at the news and rumours about the final next-gen console to be revealed.

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Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Sports

IndyCar – Indy 500 Qualifying: Long Day and Long Shots

indycar-2013-indy-500-qualifying-ed-carpenter-poleA week of practice led us to believe that the Chevys were going to be fastest but the Hondas could stay in touch and star up front. However, when wheels were turned in anger, it was all Chevy, all day. Surprisingly, though, it wasn’t the Penskes or Andrettis who had been dominating practice who won the pole but Ed Carpenter who will start P1 for the Greatest Spectacle in Motorsport.

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Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Sunday Link-Off: Cracking News

jessica-stam-oysho13-01Well, the week might have started quietly but it sure as hell ended interestingly. After all, it’s not every day that the mayor of Canada’s biggest city gets caught in a crack scandal. Right, so it’s time for the end of the week links. Let’s start with Canadian model Jessica Stam.

It’s not often that a Canadian news story garners international attention but here we are all talking about Rob Ford smoking crack on camera. He’s the gift that keeps on giving to the Canadian news media. (Gawker and Toronto Star)

With the owners of the video holding it for ransom, crowdfunding efforts are popping up left and right to buy it and post it online. (National Post)

If you haven’t heard of Rob Ford, you’ll probably enjoy this comparison of mayoral quotes from Toronto’s Rob Ford and Springfield’s “Diamond” Joe Quimby. (Slate)

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Leave a comment Posted on by J Entertainment, Link-Off

Entertainment Link-Off: Into Darkness

alice eveThis weekend marks the release of Star Trek Into Darkness. Given that The Great Gatsby has not been able top Iron Man, perhaps Captain Kirk and crew can. Anyway, kicking off the latest ELO is a new addition to the Enterprise crew, Alice Eve. 

After the jump, some Kickstarter related stuff, Avengers stuff, Modern Family gets a cable network makeover, a few movie trailers to see and JJ Abrams takes some suggestions for the next Star Wars movie. Continue reading →

1 Comment Posted on by Steve Murray Humour

Caption This: May 11 – 17, 2013

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 →

6 Comments Posted on by Steve Murray Columns, Video Games

I’m Tired of Reboots, Remakes and Reimaginings: The Onset of Gamer Fatigue

generic-modern-military-shooter-coverI think I’ve finally snapped. I checked the gaming headlines the other day to find out that Bethesda was doing a “reimagined” Wolfenstein game set in a version of the 1960s where the Nazis won World War II and ruled the world. I’ve played a bit of Wolfenstein 3D  and was thought it okay but I didn’t particularly care much about it even though it’s the grand-daddy of modern first-person shooters (well, pre-console revolution FPSs).

Yet, when I heard about the upcoming Wolfenstein: The New Order, I snapped (or the blogger facsimile there of). As this console generation has slowly ground on, the influx of new intellectual properties being developed seems to have almost stopped. What new multi-platform IPs do we have to look forward to this year? Fuse, Remember Me and Watch Dogs? That’s it?!

It’s tough for me, and I’d imagine many gamers, to be excited about the near future of gaming when there is so little to be excited about. We’re stuck with publishers giving us a series of franchise reboots, remakes, reimaginings and sequels to put some money in their pockets. Quite frankly, it’s wearing me out.

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1 Comment Posted on by Steve Murray Randominity

What Your Coffee Says About You (Infographic)

Have I ever mentioned that I’m an habitual coffee drinker? My dentist is willing to remind me of that based on the colouring of my coffee-stained teeth. It’s not like I have twenty to thirty ounces of coffee a day. Oh, wait…

So have you ever wondered what your coffee order says about you to other people? I’m sure it’s not a surprise to anyone that I don’t have chef’s fingers. Hence, I completely understand the coffee-to-go explanation.

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1 Comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Garrus Effect? Your Favourite Turian Could Star in a Mass Effect “Spin-Off”

mass-effect-garrus-vakarian-garrus-effectIn this month’s issue of Official Xbox Magazine, the big names behind the Mass Effect franchise open up about plans for the next game in the Mass Effect franchise. In an interview with director Casey Hudson, lead writer Mac Walters, level designer Dusty Everman, producer Mike Gamble and lead designer Preston Watamaniuk, it was hinted that the next Mass Effect game could be a spin-off.

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