Link-Off

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Sunday Link-Off: GC100

Today will be fun at Lowdown HQ. We’ll be watching the final race of the F1 season and the Grey Cup with some NFL in between. If you’re a sports fan, today will be a good day. Just to troll a certain singer who is part of the Grey Cup halftime show, here’s Selena Gomez.

Since the NHL’s collective bargaining negotiations went nowhere last week, people are talking about the possibility of decertifying the NHLPA to give the players leverage in negotiations. Elliotte Friedman sat down with @SportsLawGuy Gabe Feldman to discuss what decertification actually means. (CBC Sports)

Nate Silver is so big now that even President Obama cracks Nate Silver jokes. I think he’s made it. (Talking Points Memo)

Speaking of Nate Silver, the anti-Nate Silver, Unskewed Polls’ founder Dean Chambers, is back. Instead of unskewing accurate polling, he’s unskewing election results based on what he perceives to be voter fraud in the election. (Mother Jones) Some people just don’t know when to quit.

After the jump, coverage of the 100th Grey Cup, a head-to-head-to-head game console comparison and Clarkson’s take on the new Toyota/Subaru/Scion sports car. Continue reading →

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Entertainment Link-Off: Behind The Scenes

With Jackie on assignment these next two weeks (I’ve always wanted to say that), I’m your pop culture guru for the next two editions of the Entertainment Link-Off. It’s hard enough finding links for one linkdump when the interweb is basically shut down for American Thanksgiving. I had to fill two linkdumps on about 48 hours notice but I think you’ll be happy.

Anyway, there are three big wide releases this weekend (well, by this weekend I mean on Wednesday). There is the heavily hyped Life of Pi which is the best reviewed movie of the weekend but still looks like a low rent version of Castaway. Alternatively, you could watch the star-studded animated Rise of the Guardians. Or if you want to rot your brain, you can go see Red Dawn. Rather than promote those movies, here’s former Chuck, now Dexter star Yvonne Strahovski. Continue reading →

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Wednesday Link-Off: Powerslam

This is definitely an eclectic collection of links we have today. There’s a bit of news, technology, pop culture, video games and even some hockey links that aren’t about lockout negotiations. Ha! “Negotiations.” There’s no hope to save the season the way they’re going. Anyway, here’s Maria Menounos.

David Simon, former journalist and the man behind many TV shows you might love like The Wire, Homicide: Life on the Streets and Treme, says the media’s handling of the Petraeus scandal shows it’s lost its way. (The Audacity of Dispair)

Papa John and other restaurant big wigs are going to pass the costs of Obamacare on to you because they say the cost of providing basic health insurance to their workers is going to break them financially. It’s just too bad they’re full of shit. (Slate)

The US Senate is looking at a bill to remove almost all of your internet privacy. A bill being introduced will allow a whole host of federal agencies warrantless access to your electronic correspondence. (CNET News) Hopefully this gets the attention from the internet that SOPA and PIPA did because this bill is a big deal.

After the jump, don’t troll Anderson Cooper, how people are coping without the NHL and Psy is 2 legit 2 quit. Continue reading →

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Sunday Link-Off: The Blame Game

Well, this will be interesting. Getting featured on Freshly Pressed brought in many new readers who are probably expecting something a bit more political and well thought out. They’ve probably figured out that we only do the long read thing as more of an occasional thing than daily thing. Anyway, if you’re new to the blog, when I do linkdumps, I try to feature Canadians. For example, today’s linkdump starts with Canadian model Michea Crawford.

Mitt Romney called his donors in a post-campaign debrief. Why does he think he lost the election? Obama handed out “gifts” to the youth and minorities. In other words, he blames 47% of Americans again. (Los Angeles Times)

While executives at the now closed Hostess Brands blamed the union for driving them out of business, they might need to look at the mirror. This year, the increased executive pay by 80% while tripling the CEOs pay. (Think Progress)

Fox News president Roger Ailes says that the media isn’t doing a good enough job of ensuring that President Obama is held accountable for his decisions. He says the press is supposed to watch the powerful. However, his track record doesn’t show that he held the Bush administration accountable. (Gawker)

After the jump, where the GOP have been losing votes, sports on South Park and the Princess Bride on ESPN. Continue reading →

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Entertainment Link-Off: Bite the Dust

At the movies this weekend, there will be no competition for those sparkling vampires in Twilight. Just go watch Skyfall instead if you haven’t had the chance ya? That being said, there is still eye candy to be seen in the vamp flicks, so let’s start this off with Ashley Greene shall we?

After the jump, a few trailers to check out, Transformers actually moving to China this time (maybe), Tarantino setting a retirement point, GRR takes on JRR, learn how to make Chef’s Chocolate Salty Balls and watch TBBT do Call Me Maybe. Continue reading →

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Wednesday Link-Off: Resuming Normal Service

Now that the election is done and most of the analysis filed, we can get back to normal service. So let’s start with Victoria’s Secret model Barbara Palvin. There’s no particular reason why I’m leading off with her… Except for this whole big thing about Barbara dating Justin Bieber (maybe)… And because the Beliebers are coming here in droves to check out their latest competition for Bieber’s heart. Ha! Scary, delusional lunatics.

It is commonly believed that the people of North Korea are very poorly informed because they’re only fed information from the state control news agency. Even with North Koreans slowly getting the internet and cell phones, the possibility of a massive upheaval is slim. (The Diplomat)

For ESPN, journalism is a thing of the past. It’s a race to the bottom under the tagline “embrace debate.” (Deadspin)

You’ve probably heard about the upcoming “fiscal cliff” but what does it mean? (New York Magazine)

After the jump, Donald Trump continues to make friends, an in-depth look at the Montreal Screwjob and an early look at the Circuit of the Americas. Continue reading →

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Sunday Link-Off: Election Fallout

We’re almost done with the political links. There are just a few stories to clean up after the election and then we can resume normal service. For now, let’s start with Canadian model Rachelle Goulding. How is she not a superstar yet?

As a Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney was given Secret Service protection. When he lost the election, his detail almost instantly vanished. (GQ)

One theory inside the Republican Party for why they lost was that their new voter tracking system was an unmitigated failure. They were supposed to use a mobile website to track who voted and who they needed to get to the polls. The GOP were so prepared that the system was broken before the first vote was cast. (Ace of Spades)

Let’s do a little bit of Canadian politics. For Toronto mayor Rob Ford, all those unfulfilled promises from the campaign are coming back to haunt him. (The Grid)

After the jump, crazed election reactions, the best of Deep Space Nine and a cool NHL lockout parody song. Continue reading →

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Entertainment Link-Off: Dream A Little

It’s time for another edition of the ELO. Let’s kick it off with Amanda Seyfried in her latest shoot with Vanity Fair. You can catch her next in the film adaptation of Les Miserables in December.

After the jump, Kevin Smith tells Disney not to screw up Star Wars, Transformers 4 has a new lead, some zombie film related material and Wikipedia can possibly predict box office success. Continue reading →

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Thursday Link-Off: Four More Years!

We’ve come in a day late with the mid-week links so we could bring you election coverage. Wednesday was a great morning for America. Republican supporters can complain about the outcome but they only have the Tea Party to blame. They force Romney off his moderate base to the neoconservative fringe. If he stuck to what was his core as the governor of Massachusetts  he’s have been in with a shot. Anyway, since America did the right thing on Tuesday, here’s Obama supporter Katy Perry. This campaign pretty much made her any sane man’s dream woman.

The results of the election aren’t indicative of a divide by race or gender or even political beliefs. It’s really illustrative of a divide along age. (Globe & Mail)

Over the course of the day, one of the more intriguing subplots was the embarrassing state of the actual voting process. If there’s one reason the world laughed at America, it’s because the country that invaded Iraq to impose democracy doesn’t have it right itself. (CNN)

Now that President Obama has been reelected, people are going to talk about his place in history. Perhaps, though, his place has already been cemented even without a cornerstone piece of legislation to be his legacy piece. (Esquire)

After the jump, more election coverage including Nate Silver winning election night, where the GOP went wrong, a media round-up from the big day and more. Continue reading →

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Sunday Link-Off: It All Comes Down To Tuesday

Before we get to the links, I have a quick programming note. The Wednesday Link-Off will be pushed back to Thursday so we can link to election analysis that isn’t written at 2 AM on November 7. Today, though, the show goes on as usual. So lets kick this off with Canadian model Danielle Knudson.

Rather than look at the usual polls or Nate Silver’s 538 summary, let’s look at a useful poll. Here’s a poll about polls and what voters think about other people’s votes. (Upworthy)

Can you make Mitt Romney’s tax plan add up? All you have to do is solve the $480 billion gap to make is all balance. (Washington Post)

Are you up to date on all the Obama conspiracy theories? Read through them, have a laugh and remember that voting Republican is a vote for people who think that these theories are true. (Mother Jones)

After the jump, election endorsements, a food critic’s take on Guy Fieri’s new restaurant and what Republican leaders really think about Mitt Romney. Continue reading →