The Lancet
Medical and Magazines & Newspapers
App
The Lancet Available for both iPad & iPhone, the new and improved The Lancet app is free to...
Surviving AI: The promise and peril of artificial intelligence
Book
Artificial intelligence is our most powerful technology, and in the coming decades it will change...
A Beginner's Guide to Structural Equation Modeling
Randall E. Schumacker and Richard G. Lomax
Book
Noted for its crystal clear explanations, this book is considered the most comprehensive...
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Hopes and Triumphs of the Amir Sisters in Books
Oct 5, 2020
The Hopes and Triumphs of the Amir Sister is the third book in a series that features the Amir sisters. In this book the spotlight is on Mae, the youngest sister of them all. I haven’t read the other two books, but I hope they are better than this one.
Mae was a very annoying character.
And the fact that she was the main character in this book was probably the main reason I didn’t enjoy listening to this book. She has grown up watching her sisters be in the spotlight, living their lives, getting married, having children. She has always been there to help them with everything they might need, because that is her responsibility as their sister.
When Mae heads to university, she fails to fit into any group and make friends. Whenever she goes home and tries to talk about her university life, her stories are lost to the more important stories of her sisters and their babies. Mae feels angry and upset, which leads to her making some decisions that are perhaps unlike her, and also hide some important news from the whole family.
I think the whole family had many issues as a whole, and each individual member had problems on their own.
It is possible that I have never read about a more dysfunctional family that doesn’t work together, but pretends it does. I have seen families that just accept the fact that something is wrong. But this family just keeps going in this weird direction, and it made me uncomfortable throughout the whole journey.
The book in itself handles a lot of sensitive topics, such as sexual advances, public shaming on social media when women put makeup on the train, racism, sexuality, religion, cultural beliefs etc. I felt that this was the only bright spot in the book, to make the readers aware of what is happening, and how some characters respond to it.
Mae was the character I couldn’t relate to the most. Her thoughts and opinions, her way of seeing life was just something I did not agree with. I can understand that she might have been living in a bubble her whole life before moving to university. However, to be so unaware of the outside world and the people around it was just beyond me. I couldn’t agree with how she accepted defeat as something that comes to her by default, and how she was so uninterested to do anything that can make her happier. Refusing to improve in any way is a big character flaw, and I cannot agree with it.
Honestly, I did not enjoy The Hopes and Triumphs of the Amir Sisters.
I am not sure why, but there was so much unnecessary drama, without any real reasoning behind it. Perhaps the fact that I consumed this book as an audiobook has something to do with it as well. The narrator’s voice was really annoying and high-pitched.
The ending was average and very predictable. I didn’t feel as if the characters actually learnt anything in particular about themselves or each other. In conclusion, this book was not for me and I didn’t enjoy it.
The Times & The Sunday Times: World News & Sports
News and Magazines & Newspapers
App
Enjoy quality journalism from The Times and The Sunday Times anywhere with one app, seven days a...
Corkz - Wine Reviews, Database, Cellar Management
Food & Drink and Travel
App
One of TIME Magazine’s top 50 apps “Corkz if the best all-purpose wine app available for...
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated The Night Of - Season 1 in TV
Jul 19, 2017
Preacher, Westworld and Stranger Things are widely considered to be the best new TV shows of 2016, but I reckon that The Night Of is probably the most important new show broadcast this year. In the wake of a plethora of horrific, recent terror attacks across the world and following the vote to elect Donald Trump as the president of the most powerful country in the world, (a man who once expressed the desire to ban all Muslims from entering the USA,) this show seems unfortunately more relevant than ever. The show doesn’t shove any explicit propaganda down your throat, but there is no denying the racist undertones present and the social issues that the show presents to us. The writing is also fantastic throughout and this is by far the most painfully realistic show I have seen in the last few years. The show isn’t without its quirks though, but the consistently realistic nature of the writing and the performances are what make this show so immersive. The series also takes the viewer on a journey of discovery, constantly dropping unexpected character twists and new hints towards what really happened on the night referred to in the show’s title. This show throws so many interesting conversation starters into the viewership’s collective mind and constantly keeps you guessing as a spectator to these gruesome events.
This is a show that everyone should try, in a post brexit world where racial tensions are at an extreme high, this show is painfully relevant to people on either side of the argument. The crime itself becomes a background element as we see the biased treatment of a young Muslim man by the system and the assumptions made for and against him. There are so many backdoor deals being made between lawyers and other law officials and really the worst light is thrown on the criminal justice system itself and how broken the whole thing is. By halfway through the series’ 8 episodes, the issue of whether or not Naz actually committed the crime is irrelevant, the most important thing at this point being trying to keep everybody involved with this high profile case happy.
Although the moral points that this show chooses to pursue are unflinching and extremely well handled, the more technical aspects of the show are also expertly executed. I have already spoke about Riz Ahmed and John Turturro’s stand out performances, but the show’s supporting cast doesn’t contain any weak spots either and features a well rounded variety of races, ages and social classes. Naz’s family are all brilliant as are the other lawyers that make up the case. I have also already spoke about the high quality script present in the show, but I feel that the show’s writing team can’t be praised enough for the consistently high quality script they have produced. The cinematography of the show is also impressive throughout, with each shot perfectly complimenting the tone that the show sets and framing the actor’s performances masterfully. The use of light is also well implemented and adds to each shot composition and the overall aesthetic of the show. As highlighted above the actor’s performances are fantastic, but they are guided very well by the show’s directors. The score is also a nice addition to the tone of the show, as are all of the sound effects and audio used throughout.
Overall, this is the definition of great television and is the example that all other TV shows should aim for. Even if you don’t agree with the moral compasses of the show’s characters, it is objectively impossible to deny the show’s high caliber of technical filmaking. This is without a doubt one of the best shows aired in 2016 and could even be considered as one of the best seasons of a TV show of the last decade.
5 Minute Movie Guy (379 KP) rated Blinded by the Light (2019) in Movies
Sep 16, 2019
One stormy night, fueled by his frustrations with his family, Javed turns to the cassette tapes he borrowed from his friend, and listens to “The Boss” for the very first time. It’s an instantly cathartic and unforgettably life-changing experience. The words speak to him in a way that no song ever has before. The lyrics speak of his ambitions and know his struggles and pain. It’s as if suddenly through the songs of Springsteen, Javed has found his voice and a guiding light. He’s instantly transformed by it, and is given a purpose and a passion to pursue it. For him, the music is the spark to light the fire to his ambitions; to leave his small town, to escape poverty, to resist his father’s oppression, to live on his own accord, to become a writer, and to feed his hungry heart.
As a writer and a lover of Springsteen myself, I connected with Blinded by the Light on a profoundly personal level. Springsteen’s music has spoken to me in a similar fashion as it does to Javed in the film. While I’m not the super fan that he is, I like to think we all have comparable experiences with certain musical artists who resonate with us deep in our souls. Bruce’s music in particular speaks to the common man, and it rallies against the injustices of the world in the pursuit of the American dream. I can’t think of a single musician that I personally find to be more motivational than him. It is my hope that people will watch this movie, particularly those who are unfamiliar with the music of Bruce Springsteen, and they’ll have a reaction to it much like Javed in this movie.
It goes without saying that the soundtrack in Blinded by the Light is fantastic. It has a nice mix of classic hits as well as some lesser known Springsteen songs, including some live versions, and they’re all put to good use here. Out of all of the recent movies inspired by real-life musicians, including Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, and Yesterday, Blinded by the Light is by far my personal favorite. There are no poor cover songs nor bad lip synching to be found here. What you get is 100% The Boss. In a few parts, the movie even breaks out into full-on dancing musical numbers. While they’re a little cheesy and even feel a bit out of place, I found that they remained true to the music and were simply too much fun not to enjoy.
Director Gurinder Chadha does a fine job crafting Javed’s story and all of its complexities while also paying homage to The Boss. The movie explores our innate desire for freedom and finding ourselves, while also exposing the sacrifices we often must make in life for those we love. The film additionally explores social issues of the era, including political turmoil, fascist movements, and racism, which Javed faces first-hand as a Pakistani in England, and which unfortunately still feel uncomfortably relevant today. Javed is played by Viveik Kalra in his motion-picture debut, and he is immensely likable and relatable in his performance. The cast as a whole is pretty good, with the standouts being Hayley Atwell as Javed’s teacher, Ms. Clay, who encourages him to continue with his writing, as well as Kulvinder Ghir, who plays Javed’s controlling father. I also liked Aaron Phagura as Roops, Javed’s loyal Bruce-Springsteen-cassette-tape-sharing friend. We all could use more friends like him!
Overall, Blinded by the Light is a loving tribute to the music of Bruce Springsteen, but more than anything, it’s an emotional, identifiable, and uplifting tale about reaching for your dreams. The struggles that Javed faces resonate brilliantly with the messages of the music, and his story is an inspiring one worth hearing. Springsteen fans in particular definitely won’t want to miss this movie, but I think regardless of your interest or familiarity with Springsteen and his music, you’re likely to find something to enjoy here. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll even walk out of the theater as a fan.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Titanfall in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
The rise of social media has only added to the frenzy as the race to get a title trending has publicists constantly in motion. Like many things though, the danger of hype and expectations being greater than the final product is always a constant threat.
TitanFall in many ways is the biggest release of 2014 to date and is one of the most watched, analyzed, and anticipated games in recent memory. Created by Respawn, the talents behind Infinity Ward and the Call of Duty series, a game mixing first person shooter and Mech combat with eye-popping graphics is one that was sure to grab attention.
When it was announced the game would be exclusive to the Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles there was some concern from a gamer base eager to experience the game on as many platforms as they could. Thankfully the game was also released on PC and that is the platform in which conducted my review.
The game is online only and mixes live opponents with bots in a series of campaigns and matches where players not only try to eliminate as many enemy units as possible, but they also can battle to capture and hold strategic points and other objectives.
The game has a high degree of customization as players level up based on kills and in game achievements and leveling up allows access to new weapons, attachments, and abilities which really help the tide of battle.
The campaigns are told from two different perspectives and once players complete the Militia campaign they get to experience the same campaign from the other side of the conflict, The IMC Corporation. What you do or do not do does not really change the outcome of the story as the campaigns are essentially cut scenes as a level loads and do not really give a full explanation of the story. It almost seemed to me as if a full campaign was planned at one time and then scrapped, but elements were left in for the sake of ambiance.
Story aside, the action in the game is intense. Running at full settings on PC with an NVIDIA card, the action was fast, smooth, and amazing. On rare instances when I could look up safely, I saw ships overhead engaged in heated battles and the detail level of the cites and combat locales were great. I especially liked one that had dragon like creatures around while combat raged on.
Players have options for their Titans ranging from the Atlas, Styrder an Ogre which aside from missile and ballistic weapons have energy shields, temporary jet boosts and a devastating punch which can reduce enemy units to pulp.
Finding the right mix of speed, agility, power, and weapons is a matter of personal choice and being able to eject from a damaged unit or ride along on an allied unit is great fun. The best experience for me was jumping onto an enemy unit and blasting it down but hanging on and shooting into a control port.
As much fun as the Titan combat is, players will spend a good chunk of their time on foot. Getting up close and personal with a melee kill is great as is feasting on bots and other A.I. units. The challenge of taking on other pilots is tough, but highly enjoyable as when you take one down you have earned it. Players will have power ups known as Burn Cards which come in handy especially when two minutes is about what players can expect to wait for their Titan to arrive after they have lost one.
I enjoy using the personal cloak of my pilot to sneak up on an enemy unit and my new tactic is to dismount from my mech and set it in Guard or Follow mode. It will engage an enemy or another Titan which allows me to flank and attack from a cross fire.
Aside from some minor connection issues during the first two days, I was able to get into games with no issues and my lag was minimal as I was able to ping in the low 50s for most games.
While the campaigns were fairly short, the multitude of Deathmatch, Hardpoint, and last Titan Standing multiplay options ensures several hours of gaming ahead.
I have not really touched on the wall walking and double jump features as pilots can scale walls, buildings, and such with ease which brings a new dimension to combat and comes in very handy when running to catch your ride.
I hope that the developers will offer more maps in the near future and will work to tweak a few minor things such as play balance which saw me unload multiple machine gun rounds into an enemy yet see them able to withstand that and dispatch me with a single kick.
It is hard to find much to complain about the game as not only on PC is it a visual joy, but the fast paced action and highly satisfying and diverse combat options makes the game incredibly fun to play and an early contender for our Game of the Year Awards.
http://sknr.net/2014/03/12/titanfall/
We Have Your Daughter: The Unsolved Murder of Jonbenet Ramsey Twenty Years Later
Book
New information from We Have Your Daughter has been revealed. Here is some of it. The Family As a...