FACE ATTACK in indirect accusation Face as a term in the theory of politeness means a reputational status of the recipient of the message. FACE ATTACK in the example below illustrates ignorance, arrogance and bad manners – something our officials are notorious for. Russian forces invaded our country more than seven years ago -- an illegal act that the international community has yet to succeed in reversing. https://edition.cnn.com/2021/04/21/opinions/ukraine-russia-op-ed/index.html

I was clear with President Putin that we could have gone further, but I chose not to do so. I chose to be proportionate. The United States is not looking to kick off a cycle of escalation and conflict with Russia. We want a stable, predictable relationship. If Russia continues to interfere with our democracy, I’m prepared to take further actions to respond.

A single piece of jewellery reveals the true meaning of Assyrian reliefs from the 7th-Century BC. Kelly Grovier explores how images depicting a staged lion hunt were used to proclaim a king's greatness.

During her interview with Oprah alongside husband Prince Harry, Meghan Markle said: “There is an active role that the Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us." She's referring to the institution of the royal family, but if you haven't heard the term "The Firm" before, you're not alone. Reportedly often used by Prince Philip to describe the family he married into, "The Firm" is a darker and somewhat more cynical term than "The Crown," the term for the royal family that the titular Netflix series used. "The Firm" is one of the more derisive nicknames for the royal family—but it's reportedly the one that the family itself sometimes uses. In The King's Speech, Colin Firth notes in his role as King George VI: "We're not a family, we're a firm"—a line reportedly spoken by the real King George VI. In truth, the royal family is both: a sprawling business with wide-ranging financial ties, and also a large family that, like any family, has suffered up and downs through generations. https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a35718554/the-firm-royal-family-meghan-markle-prince-harry-oprah-interview/

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that US President Joe Biden’s comments about Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin, in which he called him a “killer”, were “unacceptable” and “not fitting of a president”. In a TV interview broadcast on Wednesday, Biden said “I do” when asked if he believed the Russian president was a killer, plunging diplomatic ties to a new low. Putin later responded “it takes one to know one”. “Mr Biden’s comment about Putin does not suit a head of state,” the Turkish president told reporters after Friday prayers in Istanbul, lauding Putin for giving a “smart” and “classy response”. The fact of Turkey's being a NATO ally of the USA throws weight behind Erdogan's opinion and puts the diplomatic exchange in a proper perspective. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/19/turkeys-erdogan-says-biden-comments-on-putin-unacceptable Clearly, by having violated the norms of diplomatic discourse Biden has shown himself to be a weak leader who does not measure up to the great country. At the same time the Russian proverb that was used by Putin has triggered off quite a lively discussion in the world of translation.

For some, positivity has been essential to coping with the crisis – many have relished a chance to slow down and reevaluate, felt grateful to still have a job or kept the good things in perspective (even while balancing virtual schooling, remote work and keeping the family safe). Of course, staying upbeat and expressing gratitude are hardly adverse practices, but this unrelenting optimism – known as ‘

toxic positivity

’ – paints negative emotions as a failure or weakness. Plus, there are few things more grating than encountering a toxic positivist when you’re grappling with grim reality. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210302-tragic-optimism-the-antidote-to-toxic-positivity

Indeed, in academia, some men say they prefer to drop their titles to foster more informal relationships with colleagues and students. Not all women can afford to make the same choice, as their expertise is less likely to be taken for granted. Kretzenbacher believes that the gendered difference is “an expression of male privilege – that you as a male academic, you get the benefit of the doubt that you’re an expert, or that you are a professor or a doctor or something”. That benefit of the doubt gets extended to women, and certain types of women, less often. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210216-why-do-professional-titles-actually-matter

We will not hesitate

to raise the cost on Russia

and defend our vital interests and our people. And we

will be more effective

in dealing with Russia

when we work in coalition and coordination with other like-minded partners.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/02/04/remarks-by-president-biden-on-americas-place-in-the-world/minded partners. 1) to raise the cost on Russia = to demolish the economy of Russia 2) will be more effective = will defeat (Russia) 3) when we work in coalition and coordination = when we lead 4) other like-minded partners = our satellites Biden should have studied history first before starting to brandish thinly-veiled threats against Russia. The arrogant sonofabitch!

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210209-the-worlds-most-misunderstood-novel If it is so misunderstood, then chances are that it was badly written. And what makes the author of the article believe that his interpretation is the right one? Good books are NEVER MISUNDERSTOOD. If the author lets in the tactic of "plausible denial", then he is either afraid of the repercussions or he simply can't help being ambiguous - then he can't write. Deplorably, the history of American literature abounds in ambivalent writers. But American literature owes its fame to the authors who are absolutely clear in their messages: Mark Twain, Theodore Dreiser, Jack London, O. Henry, Irwin Shaw, Stephan Heym. Herman Wouk and others who do not need brainstorming on the part of the reader.

The name of this "successful" poet and turn-coat of Russian extraction does not tell you much, but her words define her as someone who knows a taste of the Great: 'I remember the first book that set my soul on fire was Turgenev's masterpiece 'First Love'', she said, adding: 'Reading the author's description of how the male protagonist falls in love for the first time, those emotions resonated with me so strongly, it was as if a hand reached out from the past and it has stayed with me ever since.