Eliora Guardian Angel – My journey From Leftism to Sanity by Melanie Phillips (Post Hill Press 2018) The author is a leading British journalist, broadcaster, and public commentator. In Guardian Angel, Phillips writes a short autobiographical memoir. A reader will get through the paperback quickly but may need to check out
theplumlist.com The highly anticipated Netflix Original movie about Sherlock Holmes’s teen sister was met with widespread praise from critics. NPR says, “The world of this film is a pleasure to disappear into, and in Enola, Brown has found a role to which she seems perfectly – even uncannily – matched.
A handful of ex-employees who designed software for social media companies left their jobs and are on a mission to tell the world about the manipulative software they now regret. A cynic might suggest they’re after their own slice of media revenue. When I was there I felt it
The motivations and tactics of an ultra-wealthy minority bent on governing the world have been laid bare in Climate Hustle 2, a film just released on-line. What began in 1968 as the Club of Rome with a campaign to limit world population growth, found in 1988 that they could use
Francis Forde P-hacking, HARKing, outcome switching, and Salami-slicing. Despite sounding like a list of manoeuvres to improve your sexual prowess, the research practices depicted by these terms paint a much less alluring picture. In his new book Science Fictions, Kings College lecturer Stuart Ritchie discusses the many shameful research practices
Without a doubt, Mignonnes, or Cuties as it is titled on Netflix, is the most controversial film of this and probably many years to come. Much of the controversy has come about sight-unseen, something I always try and avoid. So, I steeled myself to watch it. Is it as bad
Eliora With All Due Respect by Nikki R. Haley – 2019 I recommend this easy to read book. A family member told me she could not put it down and finished it in two sittings. It could be described as lightweight, but the interesting part in Haley’s book is finding
Secrets, lies, dark matter, Chernobyl, twisted family trees, child abduction, murder, betrayal and the end of the world: Netflix’s Dark has it all. As they used to say in the intro to Soap, “Confused? You will be”. I’m just two episodes from the series end and I’m
Francis Forde I was filled with equal parts excitement and disappointment upon receiving Thomas Sowell’s latest book Charter Schools and Their Enemies. Sowell is known for his dauntingly long ventures into historic migratory patterns, cultural differences, and economic problems. Although many of his books strain to five hundred pages,
NZ’s favourite show is back for season 2, which I wasn’t expecting since the season 1 finale seemed to have wrapped up all the storylines. Stars of 1pm Daily Update the TV series 10/10 Season Two The first episode was incredibly gripping, although I must admit I
Bianca Coleman theplumlist.com This 2018 series, now on Showmax, is not to be confused with Wolfgang Petersen’s brilliant 1981 movie of the same name. It’s not a remake, and it’s not really a reboot, although it has been referred to as a “sequel” as the action
Francis Forde Dear Professor Flynn I am contacting you in regard to your manuscript “In Defense of Free Speech: The University as Censor.” [We] believe that its publication, in particular in the United Kingdom, would raise serious concerns. By the nature of its subject matter, the work addresses sensitive topics
Bianca Coleman theplumlist.com The long-awaited fifth season of the British crime drama Peaky Blinders, now on Netflix, opens in 1929 with the financial crash that crippled the world – the Shelby family included. There’s a lot of scrambling as they quickly find their feet again. Meanwhile, Tommy’s grappling
Sir Bob Jones nopunchespulled.com I read a rich variety of books. One I bowled through recently was now 65-year-old San Francisco poetess Kim Addonizio’s “Bukowski In A Sundress”. I’m not a Bukowski fan as this uniquely American genre always strikes me as trying too hard to say
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Know Your Place by Golriz Ghahraman The story of a child refugee who faced her fears, found her home and accidentally made history When she was just nine, Golriz Ghahraman and her parents were forced to flee their home in Iran. After a terrifying and uncertain journey, they landed in
