Katie Couric and Gays In Chechyna

The disturbing situation where gays are allegedly being detained in concentration camps in Chechnya is finally making it into the mainstream. Here is a link where Katie Couric questions a Russian spokesperson about what’s going on, and the response the spokesperson gives will make you cringe. And Couric does NOT let her off the hook.

However, one subject apparently off the table was the recent reports of concentration camps in Chechnya that are holding gay men, many of whom are tortured and, in some cases, killed.

You can watch the video clip here. I haven’t seen anyone squirm so much since the last Republican debates. And it only makes me worry more about what’s really going on over there.

At least it’s not being ignored by the mainstream media anymore.

Another Slanted Article On E-books

One of the things you rarely ever see is a reader slamming print books. I only read e-books now. I switched to e-books in 2008, and I haven’t actually purchased a hard copy print book since then…and I buy books. Even though I don’t read print books anymore, I would never knock them. I get that people want choices, and I even release my own books now in both digital and in print for that reason. I want to give my readers choices.

And I’ll even admit that e-books are not without issues. My own e-books have been pirated from one end of the globe to the other and there’s nothing I can do about it. But I still only read e-books myself.
 
These slanted articles about e-books never seem to end. Unfortunately, she sounds so backward and out of date. I have to wonder if she still records TV shows on a VCR.

“It was new and exciting,” says Cathryn Summerhayes, a literary agent at Curtis Brown. “But now they look so clunky and unhip, don’t they? I guess everyone wants a piece of trendy tech and, unfortunately, there aren’t trendy tech reading devices and I don’t think people are reading long-form fiction on their phones. I think your average reader would say that one of the great pleasures of reading is the physical turning of the page. It slows you down and makes you think.”

I think a lot, while I’m reading and when I’m not reading. And I think she’s full of crap. For me, there’s nothing more comfortable than getting on my treadmill, propping up my iPad, and reading Anne Tyler’s latest book in digital format while I workout. I could never do that with a print book.

This article reads a lot like a slanted advertorial, as most of these things tend to do. One of the main reasons why e-book sales flattened out is because the lines have been drawn, and I think they will remain that way for at least another decade.

In any event, the good thing is that we still have a choice. I love that. If you want to read print books, you can still do that. And if you prefer e-books, you can do that, too. The main point I’m trying to make is that I don’t see any reason to slam either one.

You can read the article in full here. It’s not totally without merit and there are a few good points at the end. In some cases I even agree. But there is a slant, as there always has been from people within the old trad publishing industry whenever the topic of e-books comes up.

When “Mr. Right” Is HIV Positive

Here’s an article that discusses Charlie Tredway who won Mr. Gay New Zealand 2017, and who also happens to be HIV positive.

He’s sick of countering myths, he’s sick of explaining the difference between HIV and AIDS, he’s sick of defending his right to have a pleasurable sex life, he’s sick of educating when he could be cruising. He’s sick, but not because of a virus, but because of a community that seems so far behind.

You can read more here. It’s really a call for people to learn more about HIV, and it’s long overdue. Unfortunately, some of the comments only promote the stigmas.