Author: Steve Murray

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Sunday Link-Off: Snowfall

kate-upton-express14-01I suppose I could complain about the state of the weather right now but I’m not in Buffalo so I can still get out my front door. For all the whiteouts, terrible roads and couple of feet of snow in a week, it’s not a patch on Buffalo. Small miracles, I suppose. I’m really starting to hate climate change. Can we have global warming back?

Anyway, it’s time for the Sunday set of links. Since I haven’t featured her on the blog for a while, here’s Kate Upton.

I think I’ve mentioned before about how people try to out do people with over the top reaction. Here’s a look at social media’s descent into grief porn. (Gawker)

With Canada having just seen a “beloved” public figure have their public image shattered by reality, America is no going through the same with Bill Cosby. And while the Toronto Star had two reporters on Ghomeshi, the Washington Post had 13 cover Cosby. (Washington Post)

Before that article went up, I was going to mention that TV stations were already abandoning Cosby. (Variety)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

EA Pulls Dragon Age: Inquisition from India Before Launch

dragon-age-inquisition-wallpaperAbout six months ago, Electronic Arts was caught in a controversy over homosexual characters in The Sims 4 which saw the game get an adults only rating in Russia.

This week, EA is having another fight with regulators over the content of its games. One day ahead of the launch of Dragon Age: Inquisition, EA was forced to cancel the release of the DA:I in India because the game would have violated Indian laws because of the inclusion of a prominent homosexual character.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Sports

F1 Power Rankings: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

So we’ve reached the final race of the 2014 Formula One World Championship. Normally, the 17 point gap between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg would be insurmountable under normal circumstances. However, thanks to the wonder that is double points, he’s not out of it yet. A couple of positions between the Silver Arrows can mean the difference between a championship and 2nd place.

You know, I didn’t like the idea of NASCAR’s new Chase format (or any of their Chase formats) but it worked brilliantly in practice. I don’t think double points is going to win anyone over unless Lewis wins the title. Even then, no one will like it.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Wednesday Link-Off: Sick Leave

alessandra-ambrosio-lui14-05So I thought I was getting over that little flu or whatever I had this weekend and I started Monday by eating half a piece of toast and losing my breakfast. I think that actually helped me get better because it’s been steady improvement since then. If only the winter weather was so cooperative.

Anyway, it’s Wednesday and I’m under the weather so it’s time for some abbreviated links. Here’s Alessandra Ambrosio.

Bill Cosby was recently accused of sexual assault. Interviews with him are getting awkward now. (NPR)

Are the Republicans using Twitter to get around muddy election laws? (CNN)

And the Republicans are looking to change the electoral college in order to swing as many votes to the GOP’s side. (Think Progress)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Humour

Facebook Fails of the Week

Every so often, we look at the most spectacular fails that the internet has to offer. Well today, we look at the most spectacular fails that Facebook has to offer. This week, we have five of the best fails Facebook has to offer.

Continue reading →

1 Comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Football Manager 2015 Review: Every Single One of Us Loves Alex Ferguson

football-manager-2015-headerIt’s not often that I will follow an annual franchise through year-to-year but it’s interesting to see what work goes into a franchise as the developers change calendars. Most gamers look at the likes of Assassin’s Creed or Call of Duty and write them off as being a fresh coat of paint and a change of venue but not much else. Sports franchises have a reputation for being an annual roster update and not much more.

Having played Football Manager 2014 and comparing it to this year, there’s a bit more to this year’s update to Football Manager than the rosters. There are a whole host of changes to the game that I think makes it a bit more new and casual gamer friendly as well as a few tweaks for those who are far more into the minutiae of football than I am.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Sunday Link-Off: Power Trip

eva-green-campari14-09I know that no one is particularly concerned with my personal problems but I got some weird cold or flu this week. Friday, I couldn’t eat a damn thing. Saturday, I was tired all day to the point of napping in the middle of the afternoon and Jackie can tell you that I don’t do sleep at the best of time. So long story short, I don’t feel like writing right now but we soldier on.

I was going to kick this post off with a picture of Anna Kendrick from that Marie Claire photoshoot, maybe even the same one Jackie used. What’s it they say about great minds and fools? Anyway, here’s Eva Green.

You not know the name but the most powerful member of President Obama’s administration is Valerie Jarrett. (The New Republic)

Here’s a story of a writer named Adrian Chen who wasn’t much of an Anonymous fan because they trolled him once back in 2011. (The Daily Dot)

Have you heard of Alex from Target? He’s a teenage boy whose picture of him working a checkout at Target turned him into a celebrity. Here’s a look at his newfound fame from his side. (New York Times)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Entertainment

Doctor Who: Death in Heaven Review

doctor-who-death-in-heaven-headerThe first eleven episodes of this season of Doctor Who have been absolutely brilliant. We’re used to sporadic good episodes but such a succession of great episodes in 10 of the first 11 weeks of Doctor Who is something that no TV show this side of maybe The Wire or Game of Thrones have been able to match.

The finale would be the biggest test of the course of Doctor Who under Peter Capaldi because finales are typically where the show falls flattest. Could a season that’s been so much better than usual end so much better than usual?

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Ubisoft Embargoes Assassin’s Creed Unity Reviews Until After the Game’s Launch

assassins-creed-unity-headerTwo big Triple-A games had their review embargoes lift on Tuesday. One of those was Dragon Age: Inquisition, a game that game out a week from this Tuesday, which already has the overwhelmingly positive reviews that you’d expect from BioWare of old. The other game was Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Unity, a game that came out on Tuesday with some early and midnight launches but had a Noon EST review embargo.

In the latest of a series of avoidable gaffes, Ubisoft has again insulted the consumer. This time, they embargoed their top franchise’s annual offering’s review until after the game was released in an abuse of the system.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Wednesday Link-Off: Politics and Power

rihanna-esquireuk14-05Good news! We’re finally getting away from the Jian Ghomeshi story… Well, for the most part we’re getting away from it. Everyone’s going quiet and it might go away if that lawsuit gets dropped. Then we get to see what the law will do.

Anyway, it’s time for today’s edition of the links. To change things up, let’s kick things off with Rihanna.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is gearing up for an election. A wave of patriotism and concern over terrorism could cause him to call an early election in the hopes on politicking his way to another term in power. (Toronto Star)

Among the fallout from the Ghomeshi saga is that Q’s executive producer is leaving the program to find other opportunities in the organization. (CBC)

Good news web users! President Obama supports Net Neutrality. The GOP is already trying to spin it and I’m worried that telecom’s pockets are so deep that they could buy a veto overrule but this is a good start. (The Guardian)

Continue reading →