// Get comments
var q = (
    from C in db.tblComments
    where
        C.CategoryID == Category &&
        C.IdentifierID == Identifier
    join A in db.tblForumAuthors on C.UserID equals A.Author_ID
    orderby C.PostDate descending
    select new
    {
        C,
        A.Username,
        UpVotes = (from V in db.tblCommentVotes where V.CommentID == C.ID && V.UpVote == true select new { V.ID }).Count(),
        DownVotes = (from V in db.tblCommentVotes where V.CommentID == C.ID && V.UpVote == false select new { V.ID }).Count()
    }
)
.Skip(ToSkip > 0 ? ToSkip : 0)
.Take(ToTake > 0 ? ToTake : int.MaxValue);

var q = (
   from C in db.tblComments
   where
      C.CategoryID == Category &&
      C.IdentifierID == Identifier
   join A in db.tblForumAuthors on C.UserID equals A.Author_ID
   // the following two lines are the left outer join thing.
   join voteTemp in db.tblCommentVotes on voteTemp.CommentID equals C.ID into voteJoin
   from vote in voteJoin.DefaultIfEmpty()
   orderby C.PostDate descending
   group C by new { Comment = C, Username = A.Username } into g
   select new
   {
      g.Key.Comment,
      g.Key.Username,
      UpVotes = g.Count(x => x.UpVote),
      DownVotes = g.Count(x => !x.UpVote)
   }
)
.Skip(ToSkip > 0 ? ToSkip : 0)
.Take(ToTake > 0 ? ToTake : int.MaxValue);

db.tblComments.Where(c => c.CategoryID == Category && c.IdentifierID == Identifier)
              .Join(db.tblForumAuthors, c => c.UserID, a => a.Author_ID,
                     (c, a) =>
                     new
                     {
                        CommentID = c,
                        AuthorName = a.UserName,
                        UpVotes = c.Join(db.tblCommentVotes, c => c.CommentID
                                                             v => v.CommentID,
                                                             (c, v) => v).Count(v => v.UpVote)
                        DownVotes = c.Join(db.tblCommentVotes, c => c.CommentID
                                                              v => v.CommentID,
                                                              (c, v) => v).Count(v => v.DownVote)
                     });