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Entertainment Link-Off: Frenemies

katherine-mcnamara-findingdory16-01After a week off to spam E3 coverage (which isn’t done yet), the ELO is back. I’m in for Jackie who is on some sort of world tour. And by world tour, I mean he’s probably trying to drive through Australia to experience all four seasons in a week.

Anyway, Hollywood brings us two movies on what is an extraordinarily hot weekend in my part of Canada. You have your choice of Finding Dory and Central Intelligence. I’d imagine most everyone will go see Finding Dory because it’s a Pixar movie. I suppose that means that it’s another weekend where no one is going to see Warcraft. Well, there’s always Netflix.

Anyway, let’s kick off today’s post with Katherine McNamara at the Finding Dory Premiere.

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Wednesday Link-Off: Vigilante

You know, I’m getting pretty bad at remembering to finish off blog posts. The whole of the links were done but I forgot to actually write the intro and hit publish. The good news is that I’m working on a bunch of stuff for next week so something will be ready to publish if I remember to hit publish. For example, E3 is coming soon so expect those previews and recaps starting Sunday.

Recently uncovered documents suggest that the Edward Snowden did try to whistleblow through the proper channels but was ignored by the American government. (The Liberty Conservative)

It’s not just Flint. Up to 33 other US cities might have high levels of lead in their drinking water. (The Guardian)

The incoming President of the Philippines sure sounds like he’s going to encourage vigilantism. (The Journal)

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Sunday Link-Off: Crime and Punishment

salma-hayek-red16-01You know, somehow, I forgot to have the weekly Game of Thrones review post on Friday. The change of month screwed up the post scheduling so expect a double dose of GoT this week. We’ll also have the start of E3 news at the tail-end of the week. Next Saturday will probably be a Saturday Link-Off rather than an ELO because Sunday will be E3 previews.

Anyway, since it’s Sunday, we have to do the links. Let’s kick things off with Salma Hayek.

A Secret Service agent from the Clinton White House is writing a tell-all book. That’s probably not good for the Clinton campaign. (Daily Mail)

By the way, Hilary hasn’t held a press conference in half-a-year. (Washington Free Beacon)

Make sense of this: A judge sentenced a Stanford student who raped an unconscious woman to six months in prison because a lengthy prison sentence would have a “severe impact” on him. (New York Magazine)

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Sunday Link-Off: Back to Canadian Politics

jessica-chastain-cannes16-02We’ve been focusing so much on American politics / that gong show they called a Presidential election that someones Canadian stories get pushed below the fold. Today, we’re leading with a bunch of stories that are relevant to Canadians.

Anyway, it’s Sunday which means that it’s time for us to do the links. Let’s kick off with Jessica Chastain.

The CBC is in the news again over allegations of being an unhealthy workplace. (Yahoo News)

The Conservative Party tried making #ThankYouStephenHarper a thing. It didn’t go well. (CBC)

If you’re like most Canadians, you’re wages are going up slower than prices. (Huffington Post)

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Wednesday Link-Off: Playoff Politics

daisy-ridley-mtvmovieawards16-01bOkay, if politics had a playoff season, it would definitely be in the run between the conventions and the election. However, since the Stanley Cup Playoffs start tonight, that’s an appropriate title for this post. I’d much rather try to survive playoff hockey than politics. 

Anyway, it’s Wednesday which means that we have to do the links. Let’s kick off with MTV Movie Award winner and occasional wearer of a Mark Hamill backpack Daisy Ridley.

As part of a settlement with the US Department of Justice, Goldman Sachs effectively admitted that it misled investors about mortgage-backed securities in the run up to the 2007 financial crisis. (Fortune)

Donald Trump has made tens of millions of dollars in charitable donations, that much is true. However, very little of his charitable contributions are his own money. (Washington Post)

As we push towards the Republican National Convention, could Donald Trump secretly be hoping to get bounced out of the nomination at the convention? (GQ)

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Sunday Link-Off: Don’t Sweat the Lawsuit

taylor-swift-instagram16-01Well, this has been an interesting week for the press. Over in the gaming world, you have Jim Sterling facing a $10 million lawsuit for being a games critics. Gawker just lost a $100 million lawsuit over its interpretation of the First Amendment. It makes you wonder why little outlets like this exist. All you have to do is say the wrong thing and someone could try to ruin your life with a multimillion lawsuit. Of course, when you’re a small site, you should probably get a nice letter first because the Streisand Effect is real.

Anyway, it’s Sunday which means it’s time for the links. Let’s kick off with the picture that took Reddit by storm and start with Taylor Swift.

Hulk Hogan won $115 million in his sex tape lawsuit against Gawker. Interestingly, the matter of the First Amendment as it relates to Hogan’s privacy wasn’t really considered by the trial judge. (Reuters)

Gawker is planning to appeal because a number of matters that were a part of an FBI investigation related to the sextape were sealed and not permitted to be shown in evidence to the jury. Now that they have been unsealed, Gawker has a stronger case. (New York Magazine)

Whether he takes the Oath of Office or not, Donald Trump has already had a major impact on American politics. (The Atlantic)

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Wednesday Link-Off: On the Sidelines

kate-bock-si16-04bIt’s been a while since we’ve done a sports-heavy set of the links but that’s what we have today. Don’t worry. They aren’t very fluffy stories about sports. From a look at how sports stories grew TMZ to sports media stories and more, it’s our usual sorts of stories but related to sports rather than politics.

Anyway, it’s Sunday which means it’s time for us to do the links. Let’s kick off with Canadian model Kate Bock.

Apple and the FBI are fighting over what seems to be something as simple as decrypting an iPhone. The FBI really wants a backdoor built into the iPhone. (Krebs on Security)

Another week, another article about whether the Republican Party can survive a Trump candidacy. (The New Republic)

Here’s a lengthy look inside the might that is TMZ. (The New Yorker)

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Wednesday Link-Off: Use the Force

daisy-ridley-starwars15-01I’m not sure whether I should start this post by saying after a ten-year wait or a thirty-two-year wait. It’s been ten years since the prequel trilogy ended but we’re 32 years past the conclusion of the original trilogy that The Force Awakens picks up from. I’ve basically sequestered myself from all things Star Wars since the trailer in October so I’m going in nearly blind. As I mentioned earlier this week, we’re planning a movie review podcast at some point soon to talk Star Wars.

There are no Star Wars links in today’s set of links. However, that doesn’t mean that we can’t start with Daisy Ridley who stars in the new movie.

A former Romney staffer got into a Donald Trump focus group and found his party completely broken. (The Daily Beast)

Ted Cruz is vaulting up the Republican primary polls but is he any better than either Trump or Carson? (Rolling Stone)

For the next few weeks, the battle will be between Trump and Cruz. I’m still hoping that Rubio surges up the polls. He seems like one of the more sensible candidates now that Christie skewed hard right to make up for getting along with Obama post Hurricane Sandy. (Vox)

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Wednesday Link-Off: You Require More Minerals

salma-hayek-lacma15-01So this week is kind of big in gaming. Yesterday saw the release of Fallout 4, Rise of the Tomb Raider and StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. I’m spending my time with SC2 and I’m hoping to do a two-part review starting with the campaign in a couple of weeks followed by a look at the multiplayer modes. But there looks to be a lot of campaign to sink my teeth into.

Anyway, it’s Wednesday which means that it’s time for the links. Let’s kick this off with Salma Hayek.

The chair of the board of the Toronto Star takes the CEO of Postmedia to task for interfering with editorial during the recent election. (Toronto Star)

“Calling the TPP a free-trade agreement overplays its benefits, plays down its problematic aspects and fundamentally misunderstands what the deal is actually about.” (The Globe & Mail)

Kim Davis keeps fighting marriage equality and keeps losing. (Advocate)

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Sunday Link-Off: Power of Politics

stana-katic-ema15-03While Donald Trump was off doing SNL, Ben Carson was taking command of the GOP Presidential polls. That’s a pretty frightening thought to many people. But there are a lot of scary things in this Sunday’s set of links.

So let’s not waste any more time and get to your weekend-ending linkdump. Let’s kick off with Stana Katic. Have you watched Castle lately? I haven’t but it might get interesting again eventually.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is not a fan of Ben Carson. In fact, he goes as far to say that Carson is bad for African-Americans. (Time)

Wonder what’s in the Trans-Pacific Partnership no more. The Government of New Zealand posted the whole thing online. (New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)

It’s not that football stars get away with things like domestic assault, the problem is that there are seemingly few, if any consequences. Take Dallas player Greg Hardy whose domestic violence charges were expunged despite all the evidence backing up the original charges. (Deadspin)

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