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Sunday Link-Off: Let’s Get Ready to Rumble

jennifer-lopez-complex15-01A little late but not any links short, it’s time for the Sunday edition of the links. I’ve been busy working IRL and on the blogs yesterday and I didn’t have as much time as I’d like. But for only a few more hours in the day. Star Trek said there were 26-hour days. Can we do that now?

Anyway, no more waiting. Let’s kick off today’s links with Jennifer Lopez.

Another week, another story about the CBC from Canadaland. This time, we learned they stonewalled Edward Snowden’s story. (Canadaland)

The Beer Store claims that it operates on a breakeven basis. Technically, that’s true. But it’s not like the owners aren’t making money hand over fist. (Toronto Star)

Modern technology was supposed to make life better for all of us. In many ways it has. However, the modern world is taking a toll on your brain. (The Guardian)

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Sunday Link-Off: The Unsilent Minority

angie-harmon-artofelysium15-01You know what the hardest part of doing my semi-weekly linkdump is? Coming up with unique titles that summarize the general theme of the links without being overly specific and time-sensitive. It’s harder than it looks when you’ve been doing two linkdumps a week for 6+ years while trying not to repeat titles.

Anyway, it’s time for the links. Let’s go a little off the board and start this post with Angie Harmon.

You either love or hate President Obama. That very well could change when he leave office. (The Atlantic)

Which countries search for porn the most on Google? Six of the top eight porn Googling countries are Muslim states. Makes you think. (Salon)

The Academy Award nominations were announced earlier this week. The problem is that the Academy hasn’t gotten any better with recognizing anyone who isn’t white. (Al Jazeera America)

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Sunday Link-Off: Welcome to 2015

robin-holzken-beachbunny14-01It’s time for the first set of Sunday links of 2015. I’m a bit busy this week so I’m not going to guarantee what will be coming up this week apart from our review of the annual Doctor Who Christmas special. I’m working on a whole pile of video game reviews for et geekera so expect them here in the near future too. I’m hoping to get back into long form writing in 2015 so we’ll see what that brings us too.

Anyway, it’s time for the links. Since it’s a new year, let’s start with a new face on the blog. Here’s Dutch model Robin Holzken.

Happy 2015 everyone! Here’s a whole host of law changes that have come into effect in Canada already. (CBC News)

I think I’ve mentioned this a few times but there’s a federal election in Canada this fall. Right now, there’s no clear-cut frontrunner. (MacLean’s)

You thought your job was miserable at Christmas? Try working at Amazon. (Gawker)

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Wednesday Link-Off: Merry Christmas (Eve)

nina-agdal-leonisa14-27Sometimes being a game reviewer is a thankless job. Right now I’m playing an indie game that I was actually looking forward to and finding out all sorts of issues like controls and AI lunacy that make the game’s boss fights border on the impossible. 

Anyway, twas the morn before Christmas and all through the blog,
Steve was setting up a rhyme that was a proper log.

That was a shit joke because that my attempts at poetry often end very, very badly. So let’s just skip my bad attempts at utilizing the English language. It’s time for the links. Here’s Nina Agdal.

Bad news! New Canadian digital piracy laws come into effect on January 2nd. Get your downloading done now. Then get that anonymous torrent downloading thing. Tribler? Something like that. (Vice)

After eight days of deliberations, the jury in the Luka Magnotta trial found him guilty of the first-degree murder of Jun Lin. (CBC News)

Sam Biddle, who discovered the original infamous tweet, details his first face-to-face meeting with Justine Sacco, the woman who rose to Twitter infamy when tweeting an AIDS “joke” before getting on a flight. (Gawker)

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Sunday Link-Off: Looking Forward and Back

emily-ratajkowski-yamamay14-03For the second week in a row, I’m actually not scrambling together the links at the last-minute. No complaints here because that gives me a little time to do some gaming. I’m thinking about spending some time with The Wolf Among Us, Titanfall and Infinite Crisis. Who wants reviews of all three? No, you don’t get a choice. I’ve got a few other tricks up my sleeve that you might be interested in too but I won’t spoil those.

Anyway, you’re not here to hear about what games I’m planning to play to keep me sane before my IRL job’s Christmas party yesterday. You’re here for the links. Let’s kick this one off with Emily Ratajkowski.

There’s an election coming up in Canada next year. What economic indicators should you be looking as we head to the polls? (MacLean’s)

Speaking of that election, our electoral system and the regional vs. national popularities of the three parties is going to make it easier for the Conservatives to re-form a government. It could hypothetically happen even if the Liberals win the popular vote. (ThreeHundredEight)

Model Beverly Johnson adds her name to the list of people accusing Bill Cosby of rape with this terrifyingly detailed account. (Vanity Fair)

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Wednesday Link-Off: Did You Know?

amy-adams-artfilm14-002I could be wrong but the Jian Ghomeshi story could end up being one of the most important ones in a long while in Canada.  A number of people I know went from doubting Ghomeshi’s accusers for a variety of reasons to eventually coming around to the accuser’s side. It looks like the discussion around the so-called “rape culture” is changing and we aren’t so dismissive of women who accuse men of abusing them. Hopefully this continues the next time we see this story.

Anyway, it’s time for the links. Here’s Amy Adams.

Donovan, the Toronto Star’s superstar investigative reporter, talks about his dinner with Jian Ghomeshi during the investigation. (Toronto Star)

The other man on that Ghomeshi report, Jesse Brown, talks to a former Q staffer about Ghomeshi and what he saw. (Canadaland)

Toronto Star commentator Jia Junaid was originally a skeptic of Jian Ghomeshi’s accusers but not unlike many Canadians, she’s changed her tune. (Toronto Star)

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Sunday Link-Off: Going, Going, Jian

rashida-jones-kate-hudson-olivia-wilde-courageawards14-01One week later and the Jian Ghomeshi scandal hasn’t really died down. In fast, if you’re Jian, it’s getting worse because your statement said it was one jilted ex-girlfriend but it’s now accusations from 10 different women. Maybe the CBC made the right call on this one. Considering how badly they botched the NHL deal, they were due to get something right.

Anyway, it’s time for the Sunday set of links. For something a little special, here are Rashida Jones, Kate Hudson and Olivia Wilde.

In the last few days, four more women have come forward with allegations about sexual violence and/or harassment by Jian Ghomeshi. One of them, an actress on Trailer Park Boys, has put her name to the accusation. (Toronto Star)

CBC Radio had an interview with a women about Ghomeshi on their flagship evening show, As It Happens. She detailed her time with Ghomeshi and, as we’ve come to expect, it’s not pretty. (The Globe and Mail)

Lawyer Reva Seth took to the internet to tell her story of Jian Ghomeshi. (Huffington Post)

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Sunday Link-Off: Canada Strong

anais-pouliot-urbanoutfitters14-43When I posted Wednesday’s links, I couldn’t have imagined how the rest of the day would have played out. I’m glad that Canada was able to pick itself up, dust itself off and carry on without being paralyzed with fear or hate.

So let’s kick off the links. Here’s Canadian model Anais Pouliot.

There are a lot of lessons that American media could learn and the CBC gave them a master class in breaking news reporting this week. (Mother Jones)

If this week’s events happened in America, we would all be talking about gun control. However, gun control is pretty solid in Canada compared to America. (Vox)

And this week’s attack in Ottawa isn’t the only time that a attack has been made against the Parliament buildings. (National Post)

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Wednesday Link-Off: The Real News

kim-cloutier-3suisses14-02Well, I don’t know about you but this has seemed like a busy week after only three days. I’ve been lacking writing time at the start of the week but at least we should be good through the end of the week. Or at least I hope so. It’s been so busy that I have enough news stories that I don’t have to give a fashion designer’s death third billing. Good job, CBC.

Anyway, it’s time for the Wednesday set of links. Here’s the return of blog favourite Kim Cloutier.

The man who ran down two Canadian soldiers in Quebec on Monday was on an RCMP terrorist watch list. (NBC News)

The market for the personal data of every consumer in the world is a market worth over $150 billion per year. However, America’s Federal Trade Commission can’t regulate the market because it’s so secretive that they can’t get any info. (New York Times)

Want to hear a tale of people figuring out an exploit in video poker machines that allowed them to run up huge jackpots until casino security caught on to them for getting too greedy? Of course you do. (Wired)

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Sunday Link-Off: Foreign Affairs

penelope-cruz-esquire14-03One of the results of having such an interconnected world is that it seems that something that happens in one country will have an impact on many others. For example, a effects of a war in another part of the world will be front page news in this part. A lot of the news stories in this week’s SLO have an international impact.

So with that preamble out of the way, it’s time for the links. Here’s Penelope Cruz who was named Esquire’s sexiest woman alive. Before anyone complains, realize that it’s all marketing for everyone involved.

Former Prime Minister Jean Chretien wrote an op-ed supporting a non-combat role against ISIS which once again puts him opposed to Stephen Harper’s Middle East military policy. Chretien was right in 2003. Could he be right again here? (The Globe and Mail)

A Canadian man is selling Trader Joe’s in Vancouver using his grey market store. It’s an ingenious way to make money and get around all the legal hoops Trader Joe would have to go through to legally export into Canada. (Priceonomics)

American banks are opening up branches in high schools. How else are you going to take from the suckers? (Salon)

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