USA

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Wednesday Link-Off: Work Harder, Not Smarter

josephine-skriver-urbanoutfitters15-01I’d love to say that Jeb Bush is alone in thinking that people need to work more to earn their keep but we all know that’s not true. You can be amazing at your job but if the guy one cubicle down is working more hours than you, he’ll get the drop on you if he’s half as good as the next worst person there. Such is life. It’s not about what you’ve done or can do, it’s about what you’ve done lately.

Anyway, if it’s Wednesday, that means it’s time for us to do the links. Let’s introduce a new face to the blog and bring in Danish model Josephine Skriver.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is preparing to sign Canada up to the TPP. Our only saving grace is that he might erode his own base in doing so. (Boing Boing)

A new study says that 95% of women who’ve had abortions don’t regret it. Good! (Time)

The Romney 2012 campaign was effectively done from the 47% comment. Now, Jeb Bush has started his campaign by saying Americans need to work more. Foot meet mouth. (Washington Post)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Sunday Link-Off: The Old Jobs and New

emilia-clarke-iodonna15-01Since it’s Comic Con weekend, I thought a little Game of Thrones joke for the title wouldn’t be a bad idea. You know, the old gods and new that they’re always talking about. There isn’t anything in the way of Comic Con links in this linkdump because Jackie has that covered in the ELO but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have interesting things to read.

Anyway, it’s Sunday which means that we have to do the links. Since I had a Game of Thrones theme for the title, let’s kick off with Emilia Clarke.

The Great Reddit Revolt of 2015 is over. Interim CEO Ellen Pao is out and Reddit co-founder Steve Huffman is in. (Bloomberg)

Former US Attorney General Eric Holder is heading back to his old law firm. It just so happens to have ties to a number of banks that weren’t charged for their part in the financial crisis of a few years ago. (Democracy Now)

Why can’t we fall asleep? (The New Yorker)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Wednesday Link-Off: Inside Story

The story behind the story is one of those little themes I like to bring up when doing the links time and time again. I’m sure some find it a little played out but I wouldn’t keep going back to that theme for the links if I didn’t find it interesting. The reason I got into the news almost ten years ago was because I love news and I love knowledge. You could say that it’s my jam.

Anyway, it’s Wednesday which means that it’s time to do the links. Let’s kick things off with Emmanuelle Chriqui.

As the TPP gets closer to becoming law, the US is faced with another new trade deal that will help the small minority of Americans. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Applying the term “socialist” to a politician used to spell the beginning of the end to their highest aspirations. People see beyond that term that Bernie Sanders has applied to himself. How does that work? (The Guardian)

A North Korean defector is coming to the west with 15 gigabytes of data about biological and chemical weapon tests being performed on humans. There’s a small difference between maybe having those weapons and using them against your own people. (The Age)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Sunday Link-Off: Belated Happy Murica Day

sydney-leroux-alex-morgan-hawaii13-01Okay, so it’s not July 4th anymore but I think it’s close enough that I’m allowed to reference that American holiday today. It’s so cool that you Yanks would name the day your country was created by naming it after a Will Smith move. That reminds me that they’re making a sequel to Independence Day. Nothing like ruining a franchise with sequels it doesn’t need.

Anyway, it’s Sunday so it’s time for us to do the links. Let’s do something special for America Day and the end of the Women’s World Cup with the American soccer duo of Sydney Leroux and Alex Morgan.

Ahead of today’s referendum, Greece’s economy is on the verge of a complete collapse. (The Guardian)

President Obama is working on a big clemency plan to commute the sentences of non-violent drug offenders. I believe it’s called correcting the mistakes of the past. (New York Times)

The Conservative Government will tell you all about the great things they’ve done for the economy but it’s probably not good to be touting that in the middle of a recession. (Huffington Post)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Sunday Link-Off: SCOTUS FTW

charlotte-mckinney-menshealth15-01So this was just ever so slightly an interesting week in the world of politics. Between the Supreme Court making two milestone decisions to the Canadian Government under Stephen Harper showing complete disdain for Canadian citizens, there is something for everyone to talk about.

But today’s Sunday which means I should probably keep the intro to a minimum because we have to do the links. Let’s kick things off with Charlotte McKinney who is making her debut appearance on the blog.

The Supreme Court of the United States had a pretty good week. First, it upheld the federal tax subsidies that help make the insurance markets of the Affordable Care Act viable in a 6-3. (Bloomberg)

On Friday, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that all states in the union are obligated to allow gay marriage. (Washington Post)

Prime Minister Harper’s spokesman dodges question about the Conservative Party’s attack ad that features ISIS-produced video and their anthem and attacks news coverage in a way that makes American politicians look positively sane. (Imgur)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Wednesday Link-Off: See It to Believe It

hilary-duff-cosmo15-06Some news stories can be just a little too far out there for you to believe that they are on the level. While not every odd news story comes from The Onion, sometimes, they sound like something those guys would craft.

Anyway, it’s Wednesday so it’s time for us to do the links. Let’s change things up from the standard and kick things off with Hilary Duff. Remember when she was a thing?

Reports say that the Charleston shooter’s sister was the one who tipped off the FBI as to his identity. (Daily Mail)

The internet has a long memory. Rick Mercer’s old Talking to Americans skit has been dug up and it features then-Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee talking about Canada’s national igloo. (BuzzFeed)

Kim Jong-un claims to have cured AIDS, cancer and ebola with one wonder drug. No, this isn’t a story from The Onion. Okay, the Korean Central News Agency is almost as good as The Onion. (The Independent)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Sunday Link-Off: Maybe Father’s Day

nina-dobrev-lafilmfest15-01I know that today is Father’s Day but with all that’s been happened in the world this past week, I wouldn’t blame anyone if you forgot that. Between Charleston and Spokane and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, there has been a lot in the news occupying us this week.

Anyway, it’s Sunday so it’s time for us to do the links. Let’s kick things off with Nina Dobrev.

As is often the case, Charles Pierce has one of the best takes on a big story. This time, he has the best take on the Charleston shooting. (Esquire)

Whenever a high-profile shooting occurs, people talk gun control. That tends to quickly end when people think it’s not possible. However, that’s just one of several myths about gun control that keep holding it back. (The Guardian)

Good news! While everyone was distracted with the Charleston shooting, the US House of Representatives put the Trans-Pacific Partnership in the fast track to approval. (The Hill)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Sunday Link-Off: Selfie

Hello and welcome to The Lowdown Blog. Okay, that’s the podcast intro but we recorded an episode yesterday and I’m going to start the editing soon. Hopefully, I’ll have it up this week. If not, we’ll be missing some E3 coverage. At least that’ll be on the blog.

Anyway, it’s time for us to do the links. Let’s change things up and kick things off with Kate Hudson.

You’ve probably heard the term about how the rich get richer but it’s actually true. Even the IRS helps the rich get richer as they make more money. (Washington Post)

How did the Americans make their latest strike against ISIS? By back-tracking a selfie. (Washington Times)

Penn Jillette has been watching official videos from Presidential candidates and has found out what might make Bernie Sanders the most formidable candidate on the trail. (CNN)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Wednesday Link-Off: Quick Hits

Tomorrow and Friday is review day this week. We’ll have a couple of Game of Thrones reviews. One will be the TV show review that’s on Fridays of Ice and Fire. Tomorrow, it’s a look at Episode Three of Telltale’s Game of Thrones game. Maybe it should have been Game of Thrones week here on the blog. Mind you, we’d probably get a lot of hits if we did daily GoT content during the season.

Anyway, it’s time for us to do Wednesday’s links. Continuing our photos from Cannes, here’s Irina Shayk.

The Baltimore riots weren’t really about one person dying in police custody. It was the result of an ongoing pattern of police violence that we’ve seen in the news time and time again. (Rolling Stone)

Bad news for America’s political right. Americans are starting to lean back to the left and are more open about identifying as liberals. While President Obama might have started this trend, he won’t be around to reap the benefits. (Washington Post)

Not helping matters for the GOP is that a former Republican Senator has some pretty damning things to say about the party’s legal challenge to Obamacare. (The New Republic)

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Link-Off

Wednesday Link-Off: America, F*ck Yeah

miranda-kerr-cannes15-02A little late but probably better for it, it’s time for the Wednesday links. Today, we’ve got a bit of a ‘Murica themed edition of the links. It includes such timeless links as how many Americans are married to their cousins and… Yes, that is an actual statistical analysis someone did. And, yes, it was an American site that did it.

Anyway, let’s get to the links. We’ve got a lot of pictures from the Cannes Film Festival and let’s start with Miranda Kerr.

How to do the Republican Presidential candidates want to assure you they aren’t all gung-ho about war? They’re now blaming faulty intelligence for the Iraq War. Faulty intelligence that most people saw through. (Mother Jones)

The question everyone wants the answer to: Just how many Americans are married to their cousins? (FiveThirtyEight)

Could Stephen Harper be considered one of the worst Prime Ministers of all-time? Of recent memory, yes. In 50 years, he could go down as one of the most forgettable. (National Observer)

Continue reading →