Saturday, October 10, 2020

Seduction

Broadly speaking, Singaporean author Balli Kaur Jaswal’s third novel, Erotic stories for Punjabi widows, reminds me of Anita Heiss’ choclit books like Paris dreaming (my review). By this I mean it presents as an escapist romcom genre novel but within it is some serious intent. In this case it relates to the oppression of women, particularly widows, and, more specifically, the problem of honour killings, in Britain’s Punjabi Sikh community.

Balli Kaur Jaswal, Erotic stories for Punjabi widows (#BookReview)


Last Straw: Movie Chain Closes All Its Theatres After James Bond Movie Postponed

Cinemark is the largest circuit in the U.K with more than 120 sites, and the second-largest in North America, where it operates roughly 540 locations under the Regal Cinemas banner. While many of its U.K. theaters had reopened at the end of July, a substantial number of its U.S. sites had remained shut after being forced to go dark because of the coronavirus pandemic. – The Hollywood Reporter







The Ethics Of Euphemism In News Reporting

“What some studies have found is that people are actually more likely to use euphemisms to save face socially than in consideration of the feelings of others. This, coupled with the desire to sound neutral, objective, and authoritative, can lead journalists to use euphemistic language to reframe a story obliquely, even when the facts themselves are indisputable.” (For instance, collateral damage or officer-involved shooting or misrepresentation.) “Such tentative reporting not only reveals hidden biases and value judgments, it also can fall into ethical traps that have real-world and legal repercussions.” – JSTOR Daily


How Exactly Should We Define ‘Book’ In 2020? (Or Anytime, For That Matter?)

“[Considering] this great variety of materials and uses that define books over some 5,000 years and in every part of the globe, … how adventurous can we be in attributing to material objects — from clay to digital tablets — the characteristics which make them books? … And as forms of print and print in conjunction with script and illustration increased in complexity, how catholic does our definition of ‘book’ become? Do we include maps and sheets of music, fold-out panoramas, and gathered-together illustrations and prints?” – Literary Hub


To understand seduction, we must consider both Pamela and the modern pickup artist. So claims a new book, dubiously  seduction 



Paying ransomware demands could land you in hot water with the feds ars technica


Twitter Says You Cannot Tweet That You Hope Trump Dies From COVID Vice