Link-Off

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Wednesday Link-Off: Botchamania

zooey-deschanel-cosmo15-01Sometime, it’s easy to come up with a theme for a post. Other time, you find two links that are vaguely related to some common theme so you can toss that in as a theme. So we have a link about botches in wrestling and another about CZW. Well, that’s just tailor-made for Botchamania.

Anyway, it’s time for us to do the links. Let’s change things up and kick off with Zooey Deschanel. At least her show survived to next season not many people seem to stick around Fox for long.

Toronto FC fans shouted sexually vulgar remarks at a City News reporter on Sunday. Writing this intro to the link made me realize how easy it is to say something like that and generalize a whole group of people who don’t deserve it. These people don’t represent TFC or its fans but we almost make it sound that way when generalizing the story like this. (Toronto Sun)

One of the men that heckled the reporter was fired from his day job. I’d imagine he’ll have some wrongful dismissal action on the way. (CBC News)

If you’re a minimum-wage worker in the US and want to get above the poverty line, you only need to work 50 hours a week to get there. And where is a worker supposed to find time for a family. (Wall Street Journal)

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Sunday Link-Off: Dollars and Sense

eugenie-bouchard-flare15-01Another week has come and gone. It seems as though I don’t know where the time goes but I still don’t think that time goes quickly enough either. Maybe it’s more like everything I am obligated to do in my life seems to take forever while I don’t have enough time for other things in my life like reading and blogging and friends and hobbies.

Anyway, if it’s Sunday, that must mean that we’re here to do the links. Let’s kick things off with Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard.

The Globe’s Elizabeth Renzetti wins the day with her column about why Ontario parents fighting against sex ed are doing more harm than good. (The Globe and Mail)

It didn’t take conservative attack ads to derail Justin Trudeau’s momentum. All he had to do was back the government’s so-called “anti-terrorism” legistlation. (ThinkPol)

On that note, the former Bradley Manning says that the US government needs to be more open and transparent about it’s doing. (The Guardian)

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Entertainment Link-Off: Hitting the Right Notes

brittany-snow-comsomayRejoice! Pitch Perfect 2 is out (in Australia anyway)! Based on the reviews so far, it seems like the sequel is music to our ears. Let’s kick off the ELO with one of the Bardon Bellas, Brittany Snow.

After the jump, fun tidbits on Pitch Perfect 2, you can blame Australia for ruining the tomatometer for Paul Blart 2, you need to see Avengers: Infinity War in IMAX, Joss Whedon reveals why he quit Twitter, Bill Nye explains holograms with emoji, and Fifty Shades of… great there’s gonna be two more of these… good job world! Continue reading →

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Wednesday Link-Off: The Political Divide

lais-ribeiro-victoriassecret15-01I’ve come down quite quickly with some sort of flu but that didn’t stop me from watching the first 45 minutes of Alberta election results. When I left it, the NDP were poised to score a majority government. With 40 years of Conservative rule to end with the NDP taking over, Stephen Harper must be shitting himself at the possibility of such a revolution topping his Conservative’s Western power base.

Anyway, I need to wrap this up quickly because I feel like death warmed over. Kind of like the Alberta Conservatives. It’s time for us to do the links. Let’s kick things off with Lais Ribeiro. I’ll get through the weird and random pictures from the Met Gala for the next linkdump.

The Baltimore sun got a fascinating behind the scenes look at the Baltimore PD’s Freddie Gray investigation. (Baltimore Sun)

A new poll suggests that the US is experiencing a massive racial divide after the events of the last few years in Florida, Ferguson and Baltimore, among other lower profile incidents. (Wall Street Journal)

The Governor of Texas has deployed the Texas State Guard to watch over a US Special Forces training exercise in case they try to take over the state. I’m not kidding. (NPR)

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Sunday Link-Off: TKO

chrissy-teigen-daytimeemmys15-03So I understand that there was a boxing match on last night. While I like boxing, I never had any intention of watching that fight. I don’t know how some people can separate Floyd Mayweather the person from Floyd Mayweather the boxer and I certainly don’t know how people can overlook Mayweather’s history of violence altogether. So rather than put money in his pocket, I skipped the fight.

Anyway, enough with the pre-amble because it’s Sunday which means that it’s time for us to do the links. Let’s kickoff today’s post with a knockout of a different kind. Here’s Chrissy Teigen.

Robyn Doolittle isn’t the only reporter (once) of the Toronto Star to get her own book about a major Canadian scandal. Her partner on the Rob Ford beat, Kevin Donovan, will get one for the Jian Ghomeshi scandal. (Hello)

In other media matters, things aren’t getting any better for Brian Williams but he isn’t going to give up without a fight. (Page Six)

So the so-called fight of the century that would save boxing was last night. One participant (and the likely winner though I’m writing this several hours before bell time) has a track-record of domestic violence. However, the Nevada legal system has been successfully used to protect Floyd Mayweather and keep evidence under wraps. (Deadspin)

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Entertainment Link-Off: Superhero Smackdown

emmanuelle-chriquiSo have you seen Avengers Age of Ultron yet? It’s the movie everyone is talking about right now. Anyway, it was a solid entry into the Marvel Universe. Captain America: The Winter Soldier set the bar pretty darn high, so go into the cinemas with your expectations lowered down a notch. Anyway, I’ll start off the ELO entry with Emmanuelle Chriqui. No she’s not in Avengers but she’ll be in the upcoming Entourage flick. 

After the jump, Daredevil almost got his own feature film reboot, big spoiler for Terminator Genysis, go see how old Microsoft thinks the Game of Throne characters are, some new tunes to listen to and watch how the elderly react to Mortal Kombat X. Continue reading →

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Wednesday Link-Off: Power and Politics

taylor-swift-glamouruk15-01Politics isn’t an easy arena to be in. Unless you’re exceptionally popular or just happen to luck into it, chances are that more than half of your constituents will disagree with whatever you do or say. I can’t say that I can understand how someone could hate themselves so much to put up with it unless they legitimately think they can help people more than the next man. Of course, if you aren’t in it for public service, I won’t vote for you. I can think of plenty of politicians who I wouldn’t vote for.

Anyway, it’s Wednesday which means that it’s time for us to do the links. Considering the controversial nature of politics, it’s only fitting that the controversial Taylor Swift opens up this post.

Amid the coverage of the Baltimore riots on Fox News, Shep Smith once again proves that he is the station’s only voice of reason. (Salon)

The US Supreme Court is hearing arguments to decide if gay marriage should be legalized in America. Support for it has increased by 50% since 1988. (Washington Post)

Watch out, Hilary! Bernie Sanders is coming for you! (VPR)

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Sunday Link-Off: Bodyslam

charlie-xcx-maxim15-06I hope that you’ve been paying attention to the calendar because the deadline for filing taxes in Canada is on Thursday. I still have to file mine. They’re done. I just have to actually file them. Hopefully you’re not leaving the actual preparation of your taxes to the last second. That’s the hard part of doing your taxes.

Anyway, it’s Sunday which means that it’s time for the links. To keep you on your toes, let’s kick things off with Charlie XCX. I don’t know who she is but she looks like what an acquaintance of mine would look like as a brunette.

Is/was the Harper government closely tied with oil giants? Redacted entries from Mike Duffy’s diary seem to indicate such. (National Observer)

The Republican Party’s Presidential nomination race might be a battle for the future identity of the party. There’s a massive difference between the ideals of the GOP establishment and the GOP’s youth. (Rolling Stone)

Ben Affleck has courted controversy by trying to cover up that one of his ancestors owned slaves. That almost begs the question of who wouldn’t. (Boston Globe)

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Entertainment Link-Off: Forever Young

scarlett-johansson-avengerspremiere-londonIt’s a big weekend as Avengers Age of Ultron is in cinemas and it poses to become the biggest movie of 2015! While alternative programming will lead you to seeing Blake Lively in her latest Age of Adeline, it is still more fun to see Scarlett Johansson kick ass in the Marvel epic. 

After the jump, all TV superheroes are pretty much the same, Joss Whedon liked Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man script a lot, Dennis Quaid’s meltdown viral video was fake, more Daredevil on the way and Seinfeld fans would love to have Kat Denning’s phone right now. Continue reading →

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Wednesday Link-Off: Budget Blues

renee-young-wwe15-01You know that you’re gearing up to an election when everyone is talking about the federal budget. I haven’t really gotten into the nitty-gritty of the budget yet but some of what I’ve read about how it’s been put together kind of scares me. That Vice article downright terrifies me.

Anyway, it’s Wednesday which means that it’s time for us to do the links. Since we’re talking a lot about the Canadian budget, let’s kick things off with Renee Young.

Yesterday was federal budget day in Canada. It’s 500+ pages of campaigning for the Conservative government. (MacLean’s)

By the way, the budget is balanced. That’s thanks to taking money from the Government’s reserve funds which leaves the country in vulnerable financial shape should the economy get worse. (Vice)

Speaking of upcoming elections, rather than deal with a minority government, Canadians want a coalition government. Bad news for the Conservatives? (Toronto Star)

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