As a person of wealth and power, Rowling’s inevitably punching down when she engages with critics.
Rowling does a lot of charity work. Is a good person. And should simply stay quiet online — like MacKenzie Scott.
As a big fan of Rowling’s books, this one wastes too much time describing the good and bad of online fandom. Not enough on the painful but entertaining relationship between lovely Robin Ellacott and gruff, unlovable Cormoran Strike.
My best guess is that her mind was not on Robin & Cormoran while writing — but on personal grievance.
And after all this — I still don’t understand her position on those few individuals (0.1% to 0.6% of the population) born with gender identity or gender expression that does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth.
Personally, I don’t care if you are trans, from Transylvania, or choose to medically transition to another sex.
Everyone should have equal opportunity.
OF COURSE when it comes to what sport to play there should be rules. And each sport should set those to be as fair as possible to all participants.
The Devil’s Hour tells the story of Lucy who wakes up by terrifying visions every night at exactly 3:33 AM, in the middle of the so-called devil’s hour between 3 AM and 4 AM.
Her eight-year-old son is withdrawn and emotionless.
Her mother speaks to empty chairs.
Her house is haunted by the echoes of a life that isn’t her own.
When Lucy’s name is inexplicably connected to a string of brutal murders in the area, the answers that have evaded her all these years will finally come into focus …
Not sure I can recommend this acclaimed British TV series.
It’s 94% on Rotten Tomatoes — but I found it somewhat confusing.
To be fair, however, Erin Doherty deserves all the acting awards. This is a challenging role.
A mystery about obsession, deceit, identity, and grief …
A lonely twentysomething, Becky Green, becomes obsessed with the suicide of her estranged childhood friend Chloe and assumes a new identity as Sasha to investigate how Chloe died.
Becky starts an affair with Chloe’s widowed husband, Elliot; whereas the rest of the group including Elliot’s mother disapproves of their relationship.
Becky is a confused, unreliable narrator. Her web of lies painful to watch.
On October 21, 2020, it was reported that Purdue had reached a settlement potentially worth $8.3 billion, admitting that it “knowingly and intentionally conspired and agreed with others to aid and abet” doctors dispensing medication “without a legitimate medical purpose.” Members of the Sackler family will additionally pay US$225 million and the company will close.
Arthur Sackler (born 1913) was an impressive person in many ways. The eldest son of Jewish grocer immigrants in New York.
“No single individual did more to shape the character of medical advertising than the multi-talented Dr. Arthur Sackler. His seminal contribution was bringing the full power of advertising and promotion to pharmaceutical marketing.”
He did many, many things. But the Sackler empire was mostly built on how Arthur popularized dozens of medicines including Betadine, Senaflax, Librium, and Valium through direct marketing to physicians during the 1960s.
I have more respect for the direct competitor in 2022 ➙ House of the Dragon on HBO. Though it can be hard to watch, I feel Dragons justifies the cost: under US$20 million / episode, far less expensive than Games of Thrones. Far less expensive than Rings of Power.
It begins during a time of relative peace and covers all the major events of Middle-earth’s Second Age: the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, and the last alliance between Elves and Men.
These events take place over thousands of years in Tolkien’s original stories but are condensed for the series. …
The final episode was disappointing. Though I did like the resolution of Meteor Man, aka the Stranger. That was original and surprising.
