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Sunday Link-Off: The Only Story in Town

emma-watson-elleuk14-01Are there any news stories in Canada this week? Last week? Just the one? I love the Jian Ghomeshi conversation as much as anyone but it might be about time that we move on to talk about important things like bills going through Parliament or something that’s actually news.

Anyway, it’s time for the links. Let’s change things up and start with Emma Watson.

So apparently I’m wrong about an improvement in the discourse around sexual violence in Canada because of the Ghomeshi scandal. This op-ed says that I’m an idiot for thinking that people might talk about sexual violence differently now. And now discourse has been set back. (The Globe and Mail)

Though Post columnist Christie Blatchford thinks we’re not quite there yet as there’s a double standard about who can talk about what. (National Post)

The head of CBC’s English language services breaks her silence about Ghomeshi. (Metro)

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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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Sunday Link-Off: Common Sense Revolution

hailey-clauson-guess14-02I don’t want to say that it’s been a boring week in the world of news but it’s kinda felt very much the same as the week before. Maybe our attention spans are getting slightly longer when it comes to big news. Then again, maybe there is nothing of note happening this week.

So with that happy thought in mind, it’s time for us to do the weekend links. Let’s start with Hailey Clauson.

The continuing attempts to portray Michael Brown as a thug may have run into a snag called “facts.” Unlike the latest right-wing assertion, he wasn’t a felon. (Think Progress)

The current crisis in the Middle East is a leftover of the 2003 Bush campaign against Saddam Hussein. However, President Obama has to treat this crisis differently than his predecessor if he has any hope of succeeding. (National Journal)

But just to show that I’m an equal opportunity windbag, here’s a [adjective redacted] saying that America is still the world’s freedom police. (Daily Telegraph)

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Wednesday Link-Off: Two Sides to Every Border

emily-ratajkowski-oceandrive14-02There are lots of big news stories on both sides of the border. In Canada, Tim Horton’s is going to become quasi-American which is worse than us burning down the White House. Meanwhile America is still going through problems with police and media dealing with black men, especially when it comes to Ferguson, Missouri.

Anyway, it’s time for us to do the links. Let’s start with the return of Emily Ratajkowski.

The New York Times’ article about Michael Brown and their portrayal of him in said article shows the problem with how black men are portrayed by the American media. (Mic)

While Deadspin looks into police killing data, D. Brian Burghart has already attempted to do so himself. He’s found it quite hard to gather objective data but has come up with a few conclusions that should surprise no one. (Gawker)

We all have this romanticized vision of the undercover cop and spy. However, the sentiment isn’t so romantic when you’re the one being had by an undercover cop. Here’s the tale of an undercover cop who walked out on his fake family. (The New Yorker)

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Sunday Link-Off: Well, That Was a Week

martha-hunt-victoriassecret14-11Just when I thought that everything was happening at the start of the week, it just kept going. You didn’t have to the type of person to closely follow the news to know that there was all sorts of things happening in the world this week. We’ll do our best to keep you posted with this week’s links.

Since we have a lot of links from America this week, let’s start with American model Martha Hunt.

Reporter Wesley Lowery was arrested for being a reporter in Ferguson, Missouri. Here’s his account of the arrest. (Washington Post)

A reporter took to the ground in Ferguson as part of the protest movement. This is what happened. (Grantland)

Despite all the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, one question remains unanswered. Why did Michael Brown really die? (The New Yorker)

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Wednesday Link-Off: And It’s Only Wednesday

michea-crawford-agentprovocateur14-08So I was having a conversation at my day job yesterday talking about plans for the rest of the week. However, my rest of the week plans were only for Thursday and Friday because I was convinced that yesterday was Wednesday. You would think that working on my usual Wednesday post yesterday would have tipped me off but I’ve had a long week this week and it’s only Wednesday.

But since it’s Wednesday, it’s time for the links. Let’s start with Canadian model Michea Crawford.

It doesn’t matter where you work or what you do, you have a right to a safe workplace, both mentally and physically. Writers at Jezebel have seen their mental well-being come under threat as anonymous accounts are posting rape GIFs on their website but Gawker won’t do anything to deal with it. (Jezebel)

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford received a bomb threat telling him to resign or be blown up. Smoking crack on camera multiple times didn’t stop him. A bomb threat didn’t either. (National Post)

Education might not be the great equalizer after all. A recent study shows black men need more education than their white counterparts to get a job. (The Atlantic)

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Sunday Link-Off: Breaking Conservative

chrissy-teigen-espys14-01The start of the week wasn’t particularly interesting from a news standpoint but it got a bit too interesting by the end of the week. While you’ve probably just been keeping up with some of the major international stories, we have some links about the political goings on in Canada among other interesting links.

Anyway, it’s time to get the post started. Let’s start with the only noteworthy thing from the ESPYs. That would be Chrissy Teigen.

Contrary to what the Conservative Party would have you believe, most Canadians think that current marijuana laws are too harsh. In fact, the government’s own polling shows that. (Metro)

Speaking of Conservative Party battles, they’re blaming of their battles with the Supreme Court on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Damned rights getting in the way of oppressing people. (Canada.com)

NBC News pulled their top Middle East reporter out of Gaza after he reported about Israeli forces killing four Palestinian boys earlier this week. Given American networks’ reputations for pre-Israel coverage, it didn’t go over well. (The Intercept)

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Wednesday Link-Off: 1-7 Nation Army

lais-ribeiro-victoriassecret14-02Well, that was a soccer game yesterday. I was expecting to be talking about a Brazil final with Argentina but that’s definitely not happening now. So I guess we’ll see who will be the second team in the World Cup final later today.

In the meantime, there’s lots more happening in the world than a bit of soccer. But let’s start this off by cheering up the Brazilians with Lais Ribeiro.

Warren G. Harding is often considered one of America’s worst Presidents. If not for a cover-up of a lengthy affair, Harding may never have won the Presidency. (New York Times)

Major Canadian law firm Heenan Blaikie collapsed earlier this year. Here’s a look at what went happened. (Canadian Lawyer)

The BBC is taking the first step to clean up the news. They’ve banned giving equal time to climate change deniers. It’s just the facts from now on. (Salon)

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Sunday Link-Off: Culture

genevieve-morton-nathanpaul14-05Another 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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