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Saturday Link-Off: Ford-ing Ahead

shanina-shaik-victoriassecret13-02We’re doing the sandwich method intro. Good news! The week is finally over. I haven’t had a particularly fun one but this weekend is looking fun. Chances are that you’ve already seen the Doctor Who 50th anniversary episode and there’s an F1 race tomorrow. I should have write-ups of both this week.

Bad news: Jackie’s been a bit all over the place this week and weekend so I’ve drawn in today. He’ll be popping in next week with more news and reviews from the Brisbane International Film Festival.

And good news: We’re starting off today’s post with Shanina Shaik who’s making her first appearance on the blog.

Is no one associated with Rob Ford a reputable character? Even his fitness consultant seems to be a disreputable character. (National Post)

Only… Nope. There’s no possible intro for this news. Rob Ford has a higher approval rating than Barack Obama. What the hell? (Daily Telegraph)

Norm MacDonald’s brother, respected Canadian journalist Neil, explains why America is more obsessed with the Rob Ford story than their own politics. (CBC News)

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Wednesday Link-Off: Conventional Views

nina-agdal-calvinklein13-01I can’t really think up an intro for today’s set of the links so we may as well just get straight to the action. Let’s kick it off with Nina Agdal who hasn’t made an appearance on the blog in the last four months. May as well fix that now.

Recently re-elected New Jersey governor Chris Christie thought that Mitt Romney’s political strategists weren’t any good during his Presidential campaign. Naturally, he went out and hired them for his gubernatorial campaign. (Yahoo News)

Are you having your kids vaccinated? You should. Vaccine-preventable diseases are on the rise thanks to people denying science. (Globe & Mail)

Just what are “conventional views” in America? One Washington Post columnist implies that conventional views in America are racist. (Talking Points Memo)

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Sunday Link-Off: A Sad Reality

candice-swanepoel-fantasybra13-01Happy Sunday, one and all. It’s time for the links. Or some links any way. I’ve been having bad luck finding good links that I like lately. Hopefully I can make up for that with Candice Swanepoel in Victoria Secret’s $10 million fantasy bra. Three questions: 1) Who thinks multi-million dollar lingerie is a good idea? 2) What happens if they break it? And 3) Can I get one jewel off it? Just one?

Daisy Coleman, the Maryville rape victim we mentioned earlier this week, wrote about her experience in her own words. (xoJane)

Rob Ford may think that he was done wrong by the press breaking and covering the crack scandal story but the Ontario Press Council says that the media has been doing their job correctly. (CBC News)

How did Jeff Bezos turn Amazon into the most powerful store in the world? A new book is trying to answer that questions. (Businessweek)

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Wednesday Link-Off: Shut ‘Er Down

alyssa-miller-simons13-01It’s time for the first linkdump of the month of October. The start of October means that it’s time for the start of hockey. The US Government was so excited for a full NHL season that they closed down to watch the first games of the season. Anyway, let’s start this set of the links with American model Alyssa Miller. I think that’s only fitting.

For the first time in nearly 20 years, the American Government has been shut down. This is all because of partisan politics over the meaning of the words “constitutional” and “the will of the American people.” (Politico)

If you’re not in America and wonder what the heck is going on, here’s a quick get up to speed guide. (CNN)

What would a story about the government shutdown look like if it was written like a story about a foreign government? (Slate)

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Sunday Link-Off: The Real Story

lizzy-caplan-gq13-04It’s the end of the week so it’s time for links. Before we get started, don’t forget that there’s still time to sign up for the Lowdown Blog Hockey Pool. Well, Breaking Bad is ending tonight. I don’t watch that so I don’t have to worry about replacing it. But if you’re looking for something new, Alan Sepinwall says that Masters of Sex, starring Lizzy Caplan, is a good watch. Sepinwall is a bit trolly, though, so take that recommendation with a grain of salt.

Qatar’s efforts to run the 2022 World Cup has been nothing but controversial but this takes the cake. An investigation had found that the Qatari organizing committee has been using what amounts to slave labour to get ready for the World Cup. (The Guardian)

Did video games drive Aaron Alexis to his shooting at the Navy Yard? Not even close. The FBI found a note from Alexis saying that low-frequency radio waves drove him to it. (Talking Points Memo)

Reuters’ Next was supposed to be a big consumer offering from Reuters but was cancelled as a result of just one person leaving. (BuzzFeed)

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Sunday Link-Off: Check the Media

talita-correa-enamora13-08We’re working for the weekend. If you are, you can check out today’s edition of the links. Let’s kick off with Talita Correa who is another of the multitude of models from Brazil. I really need to get down there at some point in my life.

As unfortunately tends to be the case with tragedies, the media is more interested in being first with their news rather than being right. Just ask Rollie Chance who was incorrectly identified as the shooter by numerous outlets. (Washington Post)

Speaking of being first rather than right, a BuzzFeed writer was so keen to say that guns stop mass shootings that he neglected to include facts in his article. (Mother Jones)

The GOP are trying desperately to defund Obamacare but don’t seem to have the facts straight. Then again, the Dems aren’t too much better. Check out this fact checking of the Affordable Care Act before you pick a side. (FactCheck)

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Wednesday Link-Off: Follow the Money

eve-tramunt-adoreme13-01It’s Wednesday which means that this is the time for some of our favourite links from the week so far. Let’s start out with French model Eve Tramunt.

Detroit’s bankruptcy isn’t just a result of the recent Great Recession but the result of bad decisions starting back in the 1950s that built up to this year’s bankruptcy declaration. (Detroit Free Press)

Canadian scientists are concerned about the federal government’s lack of interest in research that serves the public rather than commercial interests. The Harper government bending over to promote business over the people shouldn’t surprise anyone. (The Globe and Mail)

The Great Recession is five years old now. Here’s how we’re still talking about it incorrectly. (Washington Post)

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Wednesday Link-Off: Show Me the Money

trish-stratus-insidefitness13-07Somehow, someway, I’ve scrambled together links for today. For some reason, there just didn’t seem to be much in the way of interesting links for today. Hopefully starting this post off with the legendary Trish Stratus makes up for it.

SI is releasing a five-part report on so-called corruption in the Oklahoma State football program. Is paying players really corruption or is it supporting those who make the program millions of dollars? (Sports Illustrated)

I say so called corruption because buried down in the story is an anecdote about the players taking money just so they can put food on the table. Yeah, the Oklahoma State football program is full of comic book super villains. (Deadspin)

Did you know that the daughter of the man who built Auschwitz lives in America? (Washington Post Magazine)

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Wednesday Link-Off: Domestic Incident

karlie-kloss-victoriassecret13-11After Monday, I kind of wondered if I was going to have even a half-dozen links. Fortunately, today’s links turned out reasonably. A lot of them are news and politics but I think you’ve come to expect that by now.

Anyway, let’s start the links with American model Karlie Kloss who makes her first appearance on the blog.

Is it nice to see someone being so openly biased against the other party? Texas’ Attorney General says that they redrew districts to maximize the chances of a GOP win in those districts. (Mother Jones)

Some Republicans are still on the birther war path. Rep. Blake Farenthold of Texas says that the House would still consider impeaching President Obama over his birth certificate. (Washington Post)

The NYT was able to score a Q&A with Edward Snowden. Here’s a transcript. (New York Times)

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Wednesday Link-Off: The News That’s Fit For Print

andreea-diaconu-victoriassecret13-01Well, you definitely can’t say that the last few days have been boring news day. We have a few interesting stories to catch you up on. Let’s start today’s links with Romanian model Andreea Diaconu.

Mitt Romney is quite insistent that he never said that 47% of the American population would vote for the President no matter what because they rely on government handouts. (Mother Jones)

One juror in the George Zimmerman trial explains how the jury arrived at their verdict. (Think Progress)

Here’s a story that could and should get big soon. Military doctors are misdiagnosing vets and causing them to lose all their benefits. (WTKR)

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