Link-Off

Leave a comment Posted on June 25, 2014June 24, 2014 by Steve Murray Link-Off

Wednesday Link-Off: Making The Case

This week’s Wednesday linkdump deals a lot with the law and legalities. Somehow, I wasn’t able to find an article about the imprisoned Al-Jazeera journalists in Egypt. A lot of slacktivism on Twitter but I was hoping for that killer article that never came.

Anyway, there is lots more in today’s post. But let’s start with Emily Ratajkowski.

President Obama is a big supporter of a national program for paid maternal leave. So why has no progress been made on it? (Washington Post)

Speaking of President Obama, he has a supporter in Rand Paul. The Republican Senator is one of the few members of the GOP who is blaming Dick Cheney and company for the ongoing situation in Iraq rather than blaming the entirety of the situation on the President. (CBS News)

PETA’s new shtick is that cow milk can cause autism. Listening to morons make shit up about what causes autism causes autism. That last statement has as much basis in reality as anything PETA says about autism does. (The Daily Beast)

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Leave a comment Posted on June 22, 2014June 21, 2014 by Steve Murray Link-Off

Sunday Link-Off: Culture

Another week goes by and another linkdump is in the book. Just when I think that I’m going to have some time to sit down and write, I’m just going my dinger in real-life. I’m hoping that I can get a little down time come July.

In the meantime, let’s get this show on the road. Here’s South African model Genevieve Morton.

The US Patent and Trademark Office cancelled the Washington Redskins trademark because it’s “disparaging to Native Americans.” (Think Progress)

Canada’s leading climate change expert is very concerned about the potential damage that could be caused by the Tran Mountain pipeline. (Vice)

At Bob Jones University, a private Christian university in America, rape is a sin caused by the woman who was raped. And you thought that attitude wasn’t part of Western culture. (Al Jazeera America)

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Leave a comment Posted on June 21, 2014June 20, 2014 by J Entertainment, Link-Off

Entertainment Link-Off: Sequelitis

Transformers: Age of Extinction doesn’t come out til next week but it just had its big premiere in Hong Kong! Let’s start off the ELO with newcomer Nicola Peltz who stole the show on the red carpet.

After the jump, Better Call Saul is delayed, a look back at Fantastic Four, plenty of sequels in development, a look into mean tweets and Star Wars gets the Disney treatment… literally. Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on June 18, 2014June 17, 2014 by Steve Murray Link-Off

Wednesday Link-Off: Coming and Going

I don’t know how I’ve managed to get so unbelievably busy that I’m losing track of what blogging needs to be done. I nearly missed yesterday, I haven’t started on Thursday’s F1 Power Rankings and I didn’t get a chance to do the 24 Hours of Le Mans write-up. Well, maybe next week will be better.

In the meantime, it’s time for the links. Here’s blog favourite Anna Kendrick.

Hold on to your butts! Rob Ford is coming back to Toronto returning to his old job. This should be fun. (Toronto Sun)

So while Ford won’t resign after admitting to smoking crack, London mayor Joe Fontana resigned after a fraud conviction. How does that work? (The Globe and Mail)

Fake Twitter followers is a common thing on Twitter but could the prevalence of fake followers affect how pundits assess politicians’ chances in upcoming election. (Politico)

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Leave a comment Posted on June 15, 2014June 15, 2014 by Steve Murray Link-Off

Sunday Link-Off: The Majority Rules

Well, when the Ontario provincial election happened, I don’t think anyone expected or even dreamed that the Liberals would take a majority government. A minority government was what the polls were predicting but it turned out much larger than that.

We talk about that and a lot more in today’s set of Sunday links. But first, let’s kick things off with Michea Crawford.

A lot of people were surprised that the Liberals won the Ontario election with a majority. Even I was shocked and I voted red. Did the polling data indicate that this result was likely? (ThreeHundredEight)

One report suggests that the Globe & Mail editorial board wanted to endorse the Liberals. They were told to change their mind and pick Tim Hudak and the PCs. (Canadaland)

And speaking of late switches, a rare electoral error meant that the Thornhill riding that was declared for the Liberals is actually supposed to be a PC seat. (Metro News)

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Leave a comment Posted on June 14, 2014June 14, 2014 by J Entertainment, Link-Off

Entertainment Link-Off: Not 21 Anymore

It’s buddy cop comedy vs. dragons at the box office this weekend and BOTH are certified fresh. Can I suggest a movie marathon? Anyway, Amber Stevens can be seen in 22 Jump Street as Jonah Hill’s love interest, so let’s start off the ELO with her.

After the jump, an unexpected choice for Aquaman, Paddington can be creepy, George R.R. Martin demands longer Game of Thrones seasons, people are ditching the TV screens and Mean Girls gets the 8 bit treatment. Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on June 11, 2014June 10, 2014 by Steve Murray Link-Off

Wednesday Link-Off: Not E3

With this week being E3, I have been extra busy over on et geekera with all the news and trailer roundups from the press conferences as well as with the other bits of news that devs are giving out to the press. There’ll be scads of E3 coverage here starting tomorrow but you can get it early on etg.

Today on The Lowdown, though, it’s time for the links. Let’s start with Canadian actress Shay Mitchell. What does she have to do with gaming? Nothing but neither does this post.

In Venezuela, prostitutes make better money as a currency exchange than they do as prostitutes. (Bloomberg)

Google did an internal examination of its hiring practices and found that impressive transcripts and degrees don’t translate to on-the-job results. Hell, anyone that works could’ve told you that. (Business Insider)

In Utah, you can’t have bare arms if you’re a woman. Such a wonderfully equal state. (Standard Examiner)

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Leave a comment Posted on June 8, 2014June 7, 2014 by Steve Murray Link-Off

Sunday Link-Off: The Political Machine

We’re just a few days away from a provincial election in Ontario. Most of the major newspapers are endorsing the Conservatives because they 1) forget the last Ontario PC government; 2) they seem to hate unions, public sector employees, education, social spending and anybody who makes less than $100,000; and 3) they figure that all politicians suck so why not get a new crew in there.

While I agree with #3, I can’t shake the fact that the Conservative job plan’s math is all made up and is based on job-years created rather than jobs. There’s also the commitment to cripple the education system. That’ll do us a lot of good. So I say vote Liberal. People will cry scandal and all that but do you really trust a Conservative team who can’t do basic math and still want to cut education spending. Economic growth starts with good education if you ask me.

Anyway, enough pontificating. It’s time for the links. Let’s start with new model to the blog Jinna Cabrera.

The big news in Canada this week was a shooting in Moncton. Here’s a look at how it came to an end. (The Globe and Mail)

Fixing the American electoral system can be accomplished in one easy stroke: Stop letting the politicians gerrymander the districts. (Washington Post)

The US National Research Council says that a manned mission to Mars will be ungodly expensive but important for the future of the space program. (USA Today)

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1 Comment Posted on June 7, 2014June 7, 2014 by J Entertainment, Link-Off

Entertainment Link-Off: All in the Stars

Over here in Aussieland, it’s the YA novel adaptation The Fault in Our Stars competing against the sci-fi film Edge of Tomorrow at the box office. It might be worth checking out both films, but I am leaning towards anything sci-fi related. It probably helps that Emily Blunt is heavily featured in Edge of Tomorrow.

After the jump, there might be a Gambit standalone film, MPAA doesn’t approve of Eva Green’s boob in the Sin City poster, 50 Cent gets witch or dies trying, a look at Mortal Kombat X and Mark Hamill channels his inner Joker and Luke Skywalker. Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on June 4, 2014June 3, 2014 by Steve Murray Link-Off

Wednesday Link-Off: Countdown to the Cup

The Stanley Cup Final starts today which is a pretty big deal in Canada. I suppose that it’s an even bigger deal because this might be the CBC’s last one. Stupid Stephen Harper and his crusade against public broadcasting. He’s already kept funding low enough that they’re among the lowest funded national public broadcasters in the world. Now, he may have killed it.

Sorry, got a bit off-track there. We’re here to do the links after all. Let’s start with Anais Pouliot.

Rob Ford might still be in rehab but that doesn’t mean that he plans on becoming a permanent resident. He’s gearing up for a Canada Day return to campaigning. (Toronto Sun)

Have you ever wanted a look inside the biggest (legal) grow-op in Canada? A company has invigorated little Smiths Falls, Ontario, by converting an old Hershey’s factory into a medical marijuana grow-op. (MacLean’s)

We might perceive America as the top military powerhouse in the world but one retired Colonel says that the actual fighting state of the US Army isn’t what they’d have you believe it is. (Politico)

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