The voting process for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Class of 2021, ended on December 31. The ballot has 25 candidates in total, and eight of them spent at least part of their career with the New York Yankees.

Bobby Abreu, A.J. Burnett, LaTroy Hawkins, Nick Swisher, Roger Clemens, Andruw Jones, Andy Pettitte, and Gary Sheffield are among the Yankees that are eligible for immortality.

However, as of right now with 115 ballots published, no one is making the cut to get in. Players in the ballot need to get a minimum of 75% of the votes to gain immortality. So far, Clemens (72.2%) is the closest of the former Yankees, with Barry Bonds and Curt Schilling also flirting with the minimum threshold.

The results will be announced on January 26, and the inductees will be honored in Cooperstown, New York, on July 25, barring any COVID-19-related postponement.

So far, here are the former Yankees and their progress through 115 votes, per NJ Advance Media:

Four first-time candidates were elected to the Hall in the last three years: Chipper Jones and Jim Thome in 2018, and former Yankees legends Mariano Rivera in 2019 (unanimous election), and Derek Jeter in 2020.

Jeters case was notorious, as he fell just one vote short of being the second unanimous election to the Hall after his friend and former teammate Rivera.

Abreu appears destined to get the minimum votes to see his name on the ballot for next year (5%), but Burnett, Hawkins, and Swisher, so far, look as one-and-done candidates.

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How are former Yankees doing in the Hall of Fame voting? - Empire Sports Media

by Victor Chan

SPOILERS FOR SOUL AHEAD: PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Dumbledore once described music as a magic beyond all we do here (SS 128), a statement that Joe Gardner, the protagonist of Pixars Soul, would agree with. Indeed, Id like to believe that the magic of music is studied at the Department of Mysteries. Harry Potter and Soul both explore abstract concepts such as being in the zone, along with death and the meaning of life through a humanist approach. In Soul, characters search for their purposes in life, and although Harry was the Chosen One, he still had the agency to choose his life path. Here are three things that Harry Potter and Soul can teach us about the meaning of life.

At the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry is presented with two choices: go back or go on. Likewise, at the end of Soul, Joe is given another chance at life. Both character-defining moments occur in the heads of Harry and Joe. In Soul, 22 describes the Great Before as an illusion and hypothetical. In Deathly Hallows, when Harry asks Dumbledore where he thinks they are, Dumbledore replies, This is, as they say, your party (DH 712).

At the core of both Harry Potter and Soul is the idea that it is our choices that show what we truly are. The circumstances that we are placed in define us less than how we respond to being placed in those circumstances. In Harry Potter, Hogwarts students are Sorted into Houses based on their personalities and values. Soul explores the concept of a beforelife where souls are readied for life on Earth. One particular scene early on shows souls being assigned personalities, seemingly arbitrary. Joe asks, This is where personalities come from? to which another character replies, Do you think people are just born with them?

However, even though Hogwarts students are Sorted into Houses and souls are assigned personalities, Harry Potter and Soul reject determinism. In fact, in the Great Before, souls need to find their own spark.

In Harry Potter and Soul, characters grapple with the fear of the unknown. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore tells Harry that it is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness (HBP 566). In Soul, 22 has a cynical attitude toward what they think living on Earth will be like. In Harry Potter, Voldemort fears what Dumbledore describes as the next great adventure (SS 297). When Joe finds himself on the way to the Great Beyond at the start of Soul, he runs away from the light. Later in Soul, Joe says, Im just afraid that if I died today, then my life would have amounted to nothing.

Fear of the unknown holds people back from chasing that spark that makes life worth living. In Soul, we see an unnamed character with a stable, well-paying job in finance who is unhappy with their life but scared to make a career change.

Dumbledore believes that even though people fear the unknown in death, thats what makes it the next great adventure. This is shown in 22s character arc in Soul. When we first meet 22, they do not want to leave the Great Before to begin life on Earth. However, after they accidentally get sent to Earth and experience simple joys such as tasting pizza, feeling the wind blow, and catching a falling leaf in the palm of their hand, they do not want to return to the Great Before.

In Soul, when Joe tells his mother that music is all he thinks about, she says, You cant eat dreams for breakfast. Joes mother wants him to be realistic and settle on a career. This interaction transported me to Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone when we are introduced to the Mirror of Erised. According to Dumbledore, the Mirror shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts, and men have wasted away before itnot knowing if what it shows is real or even possible (SS 213). Dumbledore tells Harry not to dwell on dreams and forget to live (SS 214).

This idea of forgetting to live is explored in Soul. In the Great Before, lost souls are souls belonging to people who are disconnected from life because they cannot let go of their obsessions. Those souls are stuck in a state of limbo. In Deathly Hallows, a fragment of Voldemorts soul becomes stuck in limbo at Kings Cross. He was so obsessed with killing Harry that he never considered the possibility of Lily invoking an ancient form of magic, and he was so obsessed with immortality that he never considered that splitting ones soul could cause eternal pain and suffering in the afterlife. In Half-Blood Prince, a conversation between Voldemort and Dumbledore takes place where Voldemort says, Nothing I have seen in the world has supported your famous pronouncements that love is more powerful than my kind of magic, Dumbledore (HBP 444). In truth, Voldemort never searched for the power of magic based on love because he was obsessed with using the Dark Arts to gain power and immortality.

In Sorcerers Stone, Dumbledore tells Harry that people have wasted away before the Mirror of Erised, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible. When Joe finally gets his big break as a musician, he has an existential crisis. He had been dreaming of this moment his entire life, but when the moment finally arrived, it was underwhelming because he didnt feel any different. During a pivotal scene in the film, Joe realizes that its the little moments of joy that make life worth living, even if they may seem infinitesimal in comparison to the bigger picture at the time.

In Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore says that Voldemort was in such a hurry to mutilate his own soul, he never paused to understand the incomparable power of a soul that is untarnished and whole (HBP 511). Although Joes dream of a career in jazz is not as extreme as Voldemorts quest for immortality, both Harry Potter and Soul convey the importance of living in the moment and not developing tunnel vision.

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The Meaning of Life According to Harry Potter and Soul - MuggleNet

As we leave a very difficult 2020 behind, were grateful to have had so many incredible voices as part of Magazine, and for the places their words, ideas, images, and music have taken us. We asked some of our contributors to share a wish for 2021 in a form of their choosing; something theyre looking forward to, something they hope for, or something theyd like to see. Their responses below show the connections we still find through artand the uninhibited dancing in a crowd we still seek.

In 2021, may we welcome a world that is closer together. The pandemic has made us understand that we are one species, sharing similar goals and aspirations. The pandemic has also acted as a mirror, reflecting our good traits and exposing the hate and anger that all too often is the weak response to challenge. May we see this point in history as an opportunity for global compassion and kindness.

Read Taken for Granite: A Climber Sees Yosemite from a New Vantage Point

Image courtesy of Conrad Anker

Image courtesy of Conrad Anker

I am reading a great novel called The Ministry for the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson. My wish for 2021 is that this becomes a massively popular book that youd see on the coffee table in every home. This book encourages the kind of innovative thinking humanity needs. I also wish for all artists, musicians, and creative people to come out of this stressful time with healthy minds, so they can get back to making beautiful things.

Listen to A Portable Embrace

A wish for 2021: for a continued, widening arc of engagement, critical discourse, and art-work that is responsive to the seismic transitions of this present moment. This hope is that the growth and learning we have done together both in art and in the world over this past year continues to expand our perspectives and transform us alongside the transformations we see in the world.

Read Re-Imaging America

I cant imagine 2021 outside of my hope and dream of an end to COVID-19.

Explore Virtual Views: Faith Ringgold

In a year that has brought so much radical change to so many people, my wish is for a 2021 that brings increasing clarity and perspective, inner calm and balance, alongside enduring attention and commitment to systems of creative and holistic care of workers and artists and art workers through and beyond institutional spaces. Id also love to see it become possible to reconvene again on a dance floor as a collective celebration of continuing to hold and make space; the imagination and possibility there is one weve all longed for as weve sashayed across our living room floors alone with the speakers bumping at different points. Movement spurs thought and so my hope is for more ways to movemove our bodies, move one another, move the world.

Read Re-Imaging America

Like everyone, I wish for the return of civility and liberalism in our national discourse and the retreat of the virus that is COVID and the sickness that is Trumpism. In addition, I wish for antidepressants that dont have sexual side effects; my childrens recovery from the relative isolation that the virus has engendered; an honest reckoning with police brutality; more things sold with less packaging; travel; easeful death for people I love who are in decline; recovery for other people I know who are in decline; a boom market; more curiosity in my children; a release from the bonds of the screen for people who grow lonely as they interact with it; reduced anxiety; cures for what wants curing but not for anything else; art that is full of complex meaning but also looks nice on the wall; to stay the age I am a while longer; to keep my children from telling lies; to see the opioid epidemic stemmed rather than revenged; a pair of brown monk strap shoes; an end to global warming; peace in the Middle East; peace outside the Middle East; a new generation dedicated to equality but also respectful of merit; the end of the stigma around, indeed the word for, appropriationism; the rebuilding of the American educational system; beauty and truth in every day; a Pulitzer prize; a cure for psychosis; the cancellation of Brexit; a chance to go into orbital flight; the reuniting of separated children at the US border with their parents; immortality; the breakup of oppressive monopolies; athletic grace; and the ability, for me and everyone, to learn from human suffering.

Listen to The Case for Artistic Genius

I figure the planet-level stuff is sort of obvious. Personally, though? That Shuhada Sadaqat (Sinead OConnor) feel good and put out another record, that my 15-year-old start listening to me about her posture, that I get better about forgiveness and finishing things.

Read Another Country and listen to The Deepest Cuts

I dont have a wish, per se, but I have a new song and video called Cant Escape into Space, which is kind of a wish.

Wolfgang Tillmans, Cant Escape Into Space. Music written by Wolfgang Tillmans, Tim Knapp, Bruno Breitzke. Produced by Tim Knapp, Bruno Breitzke, Wolfgang Tillmans. Vocals and lyrics by Wolfgang Tillmans.

Listen to On My Own

Heres my wishI wish people would stop dying from COVID-19. I wish a vaccine was just a shot, a neutral thing that prevented a deadly disease. Thats a privileged position. Vaccines, like illnesses, are always loaded with cultural and political meaning. We are collectively deciding how much trust to place in our government institutions (and pharmaceutical companies), perpetrators of systemic white supremacy and violence against marginalized bodies. I hope we can trust these shots, and the trust is not broken. I hope we can be free.

Look at Love Sick

I wish that in 2021 we will be able look back on this strange and terrible year with relief and satisfaction that its over, and some prideeven joyin how we and our friends and colleagues and neighbors responded to its many challenges with dignity, responsibility, solemnity, but also creativity and humor. And that the habits and abilities forged in crisis dont leave us too quickly or fully.

Read Can Drawing Be a Crime?

My wish for 2021 is to de-center the human and to foreground the phenomenon within nature.

Read and watch Cooking with Artists: Anicka Yi

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We Are All Related: Artists, Writers, and More Share Wishes for 2021 | Magazine - MoMA

Any conversation around Infinity Gauntlet and Gems leads to Thanos, the Mad Titan.

But another important name in this context is Adam Warlock.

Although he has surprisingly not appeared in any MCU movie, he was mentioned in the mid-post credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

As he is now expected to appear in Vol. 3, here is his fascinating origin story.

Adam was created by the Beehive, a group of researchers, who wanted him to be a godlike creature, capable of achieving greatness.

However, since their intentions were not noble, their own creation, who was known as 'Him', sensed that something was wrong.

So he lashed out, damaged the research complex, injured his creators, and escaped.

However, Uatu (The Watcher) sent him back to Earth.

As he returned, he decided that Asgardian Goddess Sif was going to be his mate.

Since he had no experience as a living form, he opted to abduct the Goddess.

A bad decision by all means since Sif was a close friend of Thor, the God of Thunder.

As expected, Thor attacked 'Him', who proceeded to create a regenerative cocoon around himself to escape.

Upon his rebirth, 'Him' met the High Evolutionary, who renamed 'Him' as Warlock.

The High Evolutionary became a guide for Warlock as he gave him purpose and the Soul Gem.

Warlock then went to the High Evolutionary's artificial planet, Counter-Earth, where he fought the Man-Beast, and received the name, Adam.

However, in the process, he died and was reborn with more cosmic awareness.

Adam has cosmic awareness, which allows him to perceive cosmic and mystic occurrences from virtually anywhere in the universe.

His regenerative cocoon not only ensures his immortality but also makes him more powerful every time he's reborn.

He has superhuman strength and abilities like teleportation, flight, and much more.

Lastly, the Soul Gem allows him to move in and out of the soul world.

Warlock has played a significant role in every big event in the Marvel Universe since he is basically a Marvel God.

Furthermore, the possession of the Soul Gem has brought him face-to-face with entities such as Thanos and Mephisto on multiple occasions.

But, with his powers and constant allies like Pip the Troll, Gamora, Moondragon, and Drax the Destroyer, he is almost unbeatable.

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#ComicBytes: Know about the origin story of Adam Warlock | NewsBytes - NewsBytes

As powerful as many of DC's heroes and villains are, they pale in comparison to the literal gods and goddesses that exist in that multiverse.

The DC landscape is filled with characters that absolutely boggle the mind in terms of unfathomable power. From heavy hitters such asThe Man of Steel, The Flash, and Shazam, these "terrestrial" heroes, for lack of a better term, pale in comparison to some of the entities that are capable of flipping these heroes worlds upside down.

RELATED:Flash: The 10 Most Powerful Villains Of The Fastest Man Alive

From reality warping to time-travel, these cosmic-level beings can, and in some instances, have made reality their will, bringing in the question of whether The Presence is obsolete in his position of DC's Supreme Being.

Superboy-Prime is an unfathomable force to be reckoned with that has thrashed both DC heroes and villains alike. Following the obliteration of his home universe in Crisis on Infinite Earths, Superboy-Prime would return from the Paradise Dimension alongside Alexander Luthor with a twisted scope of what he saw as a failing superhero landscape.

Believing the Post-Crisis heroes to be feigning heroism instead of upholding his idea of altruistic heroism, Super-Boy tumbled down the villainous rabbit hole, becoming the very thing he resented. Debatably the most powerful incarnation of Superman due to a lack of weakness to green kryptonite, Superboy-Prime has shattered dimensional barriers with sheer strength; subdued the JSA, Teen Titans, and Doom Patrol all at the same time; escaped the Speed Force; and was even held in a guarded quantum containment field after dispatching almost the entirety of the Green Lantern Corps.

Known as the First Lantern, Volthoom became the first being to harness the power of the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum, making him the most powerful ring bearer amongst all other Lanterns. Searching for a remedy to his now-dead homeworld, Volthoom used a device capable of multiversal space/time travel called the Travel Lantern to venture into the multiverse.

Coming across the Maltusians in the main DC universe, Volthoom would aid the ancient aliens in bearing their experimental power battery in exchange for being able to take it back to his universe. However, upon being exposed to the infinite power the spectrum wields, Volthoom's psyche shatters, turning him against the Maltusians and killing hundreds of them. His constructs are physical manifestations as opposed to light constructs, lending credence to the idea that reality-warping is well within his abilities, not to mention being nigh-immortal.

Father to the Raven of the Teen Titans, Trigon is the quasi-manifestation of evil and hatred in the DC universe whose existence stretches back before the Big Bang. While his "demonic" appearance gives the idea of him being some variety of a Hell Lord, he is, in fact, a decedent of an ancient celestial alien race called The Divine.

This race would summon the evils of a hundred galaxies called the Heart of Darkness to cleanse Trigons' corrupted soul but Trigon, in turn, wouldabsorb the energy, elevating his cosmic power and slaying The Divine. Capable of a myriad of abilities ranging from molecular reconstruction, immortality, and metamorphosis, Trigon also swindles women from other worlds into bearing his children, spreading his evil across countless universes.

Hailing from the 5th Dimension, a dimension where the laws of physics are none existent, Mr. Mxyzpltk is an imp who has been a prankster to the Man of Steel for nearly 80 years. Originally a jesterin the 5th Dimension, Mxy uses his reality-warping abilities to jovial lengths to annoy Superman until he is undoubtedly sent back to his dimension once Superman gets him to say his name backward.

RELATED:Superman: 9 Amazing Mr. Mxyzptlk Cosplay That Look Almost Just Like The Comic

Despite this nuanced caveat, he can travel through space/time and dimensional barriers; break the fourth wall; is immortal and completely self-sufficient; and theoretically can do anything his imagination wills such as increasing his size and defeating the Spectre by cracking the earth over his head.

The Anti-Monitor is the OG cosmic menace that was the main antagonist in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Having multiple retcons to his origin, his most recent one revealed he is the offspring of an ultra-cosmic being called Perpetua, who along with his brothers, the Monitor, and the Forger of Worlds, were in charge of creating, examining, and destroying multiverses.

Hell-bent on destroying all things in existence, his vast reality warping capabilities have seen large contingents ofDC superheroes face-off against him and fail. He can wipe out entire universes, distribute portions of his Anti-Matter power to other beings, and even wield the anti-life equation to dominate the wills of those he chooses. It is said that if he "dies," he is reborn in the 6th Dimension, the highest plane of existence that exists beyond time and imagination.

The Spectre is the physical embodimentof Gods' vengeance in the DC universe. Having multiple hosts over the character's tenure, the Spectre rejected the notion of mercy and in turn, was made to bond itself to a human soul in hopes that it would mitigate the wrath of God.

Originally an angel named Aztar who sided with Lucifer during his rebellion, Aztar would come to repent for his violation and as punishment was made to be the embodiment of God's judgment. Having faced off with immensely powerful characters including the Anti-Monitor and Parallax, the Spectre derives its power from The Presence, the end-all-be-all creator in DC comics, making him nigh-omniscient and nigh-omnipotent.Even when "killed" he can reconstitute himself, effectively making him immortal.

Originally from theWatchmenseries by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Doctor Manhattan and the rest of the Watchmen began strategically segueing into the DC Universe at the start of DC Rebirth in 2016. When Nuclear physicist Jon Osterman is ensnared in an intrinsic field subtractor,a machine that utilizes radiation to remove "intrinsic" fields from solid objects, he reconstitutes himself as a godly being who can perceive all space/time, at the same time, relative to his life personally.

Now a quantum being with unlimited power, Manhattan can telekinetically control subatomic matter making his capabilities unfathomably grand in scope. From limited time-travel,size-alteration, and immortality tobeing able to create life and alternate universes, Doctor Manhattan is truly acosmic being that is in a category of his own.

Lucifer was originally an Archangel named Samael whose existence extended back well before the creation of the DC universe. Rebelling against his father, The Presence, at the dawn of time, Lucifer's war against Heaven would result in him being cast into a void dubbed The Chaoplasm which would transform into a desolate and barren region known as Hell.

RELATED:Doctor Manhattan Vs. Lucifer Morningstar: Who Wins In A Fight?

Awaiting the day to be freed, Lucifer's frustration of a deceitful pre-destination being intrinsically tied to him overrides his positionand he releases the souls of Hell and retires to Earth, leaving Dream of The Endless to watch over the bleak dimension. From nigh-omniscience, chronokinesis, and reality alteration, Lucifercan manipulate any external force to the extent he desires, making him one of DC'smost powerful characters.

Crisis on Infinite Earths had the Anti-Monitor.Zero Hour had Parallax.Infinite Crisis had Superboy-Prime. Every "crisis-event" in DC served as either a character rework or line-wide, hard reboot, each withan antagonist giving the heroes, and sometimes villains, a rude awakening in how inept they were against their vast abilities.

Now, what if there was a cosmic menace so grandiose they were actually the puppetmaster, pulling the strings on these crisis-events to obtain complete and total control of the Multiverse? Well, that would be Perpetua. Hailing from the 6th Dimension, Perpetua is a Super Celestial who wastasked by the Judges of the Source to create new life within the Omniverse, however, desired to eliminate the judges instead. Now free of her captivity after being imprisoned, Perpetua is on a quest to destroy and recreate the Multiverse as the ultimate, end-all-be-all DC enemy.

Where Marvel has The One Above All, and Image Comics has Mother, DC's omnipotent creator of all things is known as The Presence. Only making a handful of nuanced appearances, The Presence is the Source of Creation, birthing the vast cosmic energies that inhabit the multiverse. His power, like his counterparts, extend beyond the multiverse and into the Omniverse. Anincorporeal entity whose power is the source of every other power or energy, The Presence is one of a kind among DC characters.

NEXT:10 Superheroes Who Have Beaten A God

Next 5 Characters Spider-Man Lost To But Shouldn't Have (& 5 He Beat But Shouldn't Have)

Trevon Gibbs is a 22 year old entertainer living in California with a keen interest in all things involving the overall medium of superhero epics. Trevons journey as a writer is in its beginning stages, but its one hes excited to be embarking on, and bring his eye and imagination of comic book superheroes, to you.

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10 Strongest Gods In The DC Pantheon | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue has been causing quite a stir in the book community and for good reason.

This beautiful book totally enchanted me and I ended up reading it two times in one month because it was just that good.

I initially picked up this book as the early reviews were raving and the premise of a romance including a character of the literal devil was intriguing.

But this novel blew my already high expectations out of the water.

V.E.Schwab wrote an epic tale of romance with a fast plot which kept me on my toes the whole time.

Addie LaRue makes a deal with the devil but not all is what it seems as instead of immortality he makes her invisible, figuratively.

She can live forever but any person that she meets will forget her as soon as she is out of their eyesight.

Leading to a rather miserable existence for the main character.

The novel follows Addie from the 18th century to present day and how she finds ways to leave a mark on the world despite the devil's curse.

This book brought about a few existential crises in myself as it forces you to ponder your own impact and what you would do differently if you never aged.

The biggest pleasure of this book was the unravelling of Addies past as she travels the world and slowly grows into herself.

Schwab doesnt give you all of this information in one go.

She slowly drip feeds you the secrets of Addies past which constantly surprise me.

By the end of this book I was an emotional wreck, Schwab tears out the reader's heart several times and I loved it.

If like me the never ending pandemic is extending your singledom then I would highly recommend this novel to fill that romance hole.

If you want to hear more of my book thoughts you can follow me on Instagram @lauraandrew95

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Book review: V.E. Schwab writes a book to leave you weeping and heartbroken - Sheffield Telegraph

-Essay-

MADRID The Three Ages of Man and Death, by the 16th century German painter Hans Baldung, is a portrait of the ravages of aging. In it, a female skeleton holds an hourglass to indicate our inexorable fate, while above, to the right of the figures, a cross points toward the heavens as our only possible hope after death.

The painting, housed in Madrid's Prado museum, is a good reminder that religion was where we long turned for consolation concerning fatality. But today, technology may be usurping that space. And by 2030, it may perpetuate our lives artificially.

This is what the artificial intelligence (AI) pioneer and futurist Ray Kurzweil terms "singularity," a concept that is depicted in science fiction as either simulation of human conduct or replication of people who have died.

The Three Ages of Man and Death by Hans Baldung Wikipedia

The computerization of all our digital data would effectively come to constitute a decoupling of what we are our identity from biological chains. In this digital transcendence, our consciousness would outlive our body or rather 'inhabit' or survive in a machine.

An embryonic version of all this is the Eternime project, a startup founded by MIT fellow Marius Ursache that saves people's stories, thoughts and memories forever, and allows them to create avatars that can interact with others, or even themselves, through their digital fingerprints.

An episode of the science fiction series Black Mirror, entitled Be Right Back, depicted immortality in those terms. Depending on the data available on a person, the algorithm can create and relive predictable behaviors. Patterns identified through data analyses would allow construction of intelligence systems superior to the Turing Test. People might even be replicated.

In some ways this form of transcendence is the same one poet and philosopher Miguel de Unamuno attributed to writing. The writer leaves his or her imprint for posterity, and his readers will encounter a part of the departed writer. "In my absence, this will be a memento of what I was," he wrote. Or it can be a painting, like Salvador Dal's The Knight of Death.

The computerization of all our digital data would effectively come to constitute a decoupling of what we are our identity from biological chains.

The novelty with digital perpetuation is that our bequest will not be static, like a picture, photograph or lines written in a memoir. It will be our conscience, reconverted into AI, able to interact and learn over time and adapt to new situations, through what is termed machine learning and deep learning.

All technology purports to be the solution to a problem, and death is certainly a problem. But it's also one of our fundamental taboos, the unmentionable. It constitutes a break with our idyllic view of life, especially in a time when happiness seems to have become a moral (and commercial) obligation. Death, therefore, must be removed from this model life plan.

El cavaller de la mort Photo: Fundaci Gala - Salvador Dal

The cultural historian Philippe Aris duly warned that from a familiar conception of death, we have moved toward an inability to accept the fact that we are finite. We have moved from death as an inevitable and quotidian part of our lives, and an experience to be lived like any other, to death as a curse. It must be systematically hidden from our view because it reminds us in spite of our efforts, that we are limited beings.

We fear death to the point of leaving the dying in solitude, as the sociologist Norbert Elias pointed out in his last years of his life. The dreams of transhumanist perfection and prolonged existence after our biological death thus clash with the notion of a limit. It is the limit that defines us and distinguishes us from others.

But would life without limits make sense? Is conscience stretched through computation not a simulation rather than an authentic prolongation of our being? Again, fiction helps us understand it.

All technology purports to be the solution to a problem, and death is certainly a problem.

The Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges observed in his short story The Immortal that in winning eternal life, the race of tired immortals comes to see the infinite value of all that is limited, and the irredeemable nature of a single life. Humans, he wrote, merit pity for their "ghostly" condition and their inevitable disappearance, "like the face of every dream."

Mario de Andrade, the Brazilian writer, offered his own take on the mortality question. "We have two lives," he wrote in his poem My Soul is in a Hurry. "And the second one begins when you realize you have but one..."

What if that life were eternal? For Borges, Baldung, Unamuno, Dal and Andrade thanks to their immortal writings and paintings it already is.

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Making Sense Of The Movement Toward Digital Immortality - Worldcrunch

Hes a master class in how to play the game as a celebrity. Case in point: his Fast Times at Ridgemont High table-read performance. Photo: CORE/YouTUbe

To succeed at celebrity is to master the art of image construction and management. It is to turn yourself into a brand in which performance is the method and the point. The step and repeat on the red carpet. The reaction to a seemingly impromptu paparazzi swarm. The interviews. The magazine covers. The charity events. Its all in service of an image created, not born. Throughout the history of Hollywood, there have been figures who buckled against the weight of the personas they walked behind, like Errol Flynn and Lana Turner during the height of the studio system. There have been others whose image-making was so refined as to make it hard to tell where the real person began and the star ended, la Archibald Leach, better known as the debonair Cary Grant. After the fall of the classic studio system in the 1960s, much changed in the imagination of what Hollywood could be. Chiefly, stars were free agents unwed to a single studio. But the tricksy, mercurial alchemy that goes into becoming and remaining a star endured. No one has proved more adept at playing this game lately than Brad Pitt.

In the wake of his contentious, ongoing divorce from Angelina Jolie on the heels of their grand, volcanic romance that bloomed on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, when he was still married to Jennifer Aniston, causing a tabloid obsession that continues to this day 15 years later Pitt has played the celebrity game with slippery splendor. While Jolie has kept relatively quiet, Pitt has been more forward-facing. His star persona is that of the high-school quarterback: charismatic and beloved. (If anything, Hollywood at large comes across as a more knotted version of petty high-school politics anyway.) Pitt hasnt played the game perfectly so much as invisibly his relationship with his new 27-year old girlfriend, whom he took to the chateau he shared with Jolie, might read like a rote, midlife-crisis sort of scenario. And one of the most cunning turns in Pitts recent approach to his own image is to once again position himself in solidarity with his ex-wife, Jennifer Aniston, an alliance that bloomed during the 20192020 awards season, perhaps helping him nab an Academy Award for his supporting performance in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Now, in the middle of a pandemic, hes sidling up to Aniston once more, for a recent Fast Times at Ridgemont High table read.

What better way to shore up goodwill than painting yourself as the breezy, charming man who easily spends time with an ex-wife with whom people are still obsessively hold out hope youll reunite? Hi, Aniston, he croons. Hi, Pitt she replies before calling him honey. I could practically feel the heat index increase on Twitter in that moment. Personally, I have never been invested in the Pitt and Aniston relationship; I was far more intrigued by the sexual heat and emotional complexity between Pitt and Jolie. But the dynamic between Pitt and Aniston demonstrates the ways in which the personal can be leveraged for the professional for celebrities. And Pitt isnt just good at it, he ranks as one of the best, a talent fully on display during this table read. Hes more than merely charming, hes a supernova of lightning-bright presence. Hes more than willing to be silly and carefree, listening with full-bodied attention. Its a way of being hes mastered, that helps him to create indelible moments in celebrity history, like his suburban-themed photo shoot of curdled domestic bliss with Jolie in the pages of a 2005 issue of W magazine and now this video alongside Julia Roberts and Morgan Freeman. Pitts unique skill comes in how effortless he makes everything look, which takes his star image away from feeling studied and makes it seem natural. Every celebrity is playing the same game. But the ones who make it seem like they arent performing, and instead are speaking directly to us with some conspiratorial intimacy, are able to carve the kind of immortality actors dream of.

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God, Brad Pitt Is So Good at This - Vulture

The first season of Dating in the Kitchen has just premiered on Tencent Video, but who are the cast of this new romantic-comedy-drama?

If you are a fan of romantic-comedy dramas, Dating in the Kitchen is definitely a series you should check out.

The first season has only just debuted on Tencent Video, but fans are already falling in love with the characters as they start to fall for each other, but who are the stars of the show?

Zhao Lu Si (English name Rosy Zhao) is a popular Chinese actress from Chengdu in Sichuan Province.

Viewers will recognise Rosy from her roles in Untouchable Lovers (2018) as Ma Xue Yun, Oh! My Emperor (2018) as Luo Fei Fei, I Hear You (2019) as Bei Er Duo, Love of thousand Years (2020) as Qin Chuan and in The Romance of Tiger and Rose (2020) as Chen Xiao Qian.

The 21-year-old has also appeared in Love Better Than Immortality (2019), Prodigy Healer (2019), Autumn Fairy Tale (2019) and Cinderella Chef (2018).

Rosy is set to have a busy few years ahead of her, with main roles in The long Ballad (2020), A Female Student Arrives at the Imperial College (2021), Please Feel At Ease Mr. Ling (2021) and New Generation (2021).

You can follow Rosy on Instagram @rosy.zls.

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Lin Shen (also known as Lin Yushen) is a popular Chinese actor from Longyan in Fujian who has appeared in a variety of blockbuster movies and television shows.

The 39-year-old is best known for his performances in Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying (2019) as Yang Xiao, If Paris Downcast (2018) as Dai King Jie, Under Cover (2017) as Bao Yu, To Love Somebody (2014) as Lin Fan and Crazy in Love (2007) as Ah Kang.

Shen has also appeared in The Twin Flower Legend (2020), Im Lucky (2017), Flower Pinellia (2013), Single Child (2013), Stand By Me (2011) and The Frightening Night (2011), amongst many others.

Shen will play the main role in the upcoming drama Detective A & B, which premieres in 2021.

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Dating in the Kitchen cast: Meet the stars of the latest hit Chinese drama - HITC - Football, Gaming, Movies, TV, Music

Woody Woodburn, Columnist Published 8:56 a.m. PT Sept. 18, 2020

As long as Shoeless Joe Jackson and the other ballplayers in the movie Field of Dreams stay on the magical baseball diamond in an Iowa cornfield, they remain forever young.

We learn this when young outfielder Moonlight Graham steps across the first-base foul line and becomes his elderly self as Dr. Archibald Graham, giving up immortality in order to save Ray Kinsellas young daughter from choking.

In response to my column last week, readerLindsay Nielson shared a humorous anecdote about feeling like he had crossed the foul line in the opposite direction during his annual physical with Dr. Geoff Loman.

I told him, Doc, I think I am immortal, Nielson wrote in an email. Really? Why is that?came his response.

I rattled off all the things I had been through two heart attacks; a fall that resulted in three screws to hold my hip together and a titanium bar in my femur; a few stent implants; back surgery that resulted in eight screws in my spine; and my second home in Palm Springs had burned to the ground, etc.

Dr. Loman said, Wow, Lindsay, that is something. But, I went to a pretty good medical school and it is my opinion that you probably arent immortal.

As the mortal Dr. Graham, Burt Lancasters character sagely says of his disappointing one-game career in the Big Leagues without an at-bat: If Id only gotten to be a doctor for five minutes now thatwould have been a tragedy.

Rick Throckmorton feels it would have been a tragedy had his own family doctor not had a long medical career, writing: Your column brought back old memories of Dr. Albert Crites, who founded the Port Hueneme Belinda Hospital, later Adventist Hospital. I dont know if he was a poet or not, but I remember him as surely being an angel or saint in disguise on earth.

Dr. Crites treated my grandmother, who was a sad hypochondriac, and who visited him almost daily with her alleged aches and pains. Once, I accompanied her while I was on a leave from the Army. I remember him saying, Bessie, now you know theres nothing wrong with you, but I have something that might help. Its a wonder medicine. He would give her a vial of what I later learned were plain sugar pills, but Grandmom was always better after taking them!

Dr. Crites once fixed my broken finger (before splinting it) by pulling it straight after telling me, Ricky, this is gonna hurt a little! I was in the seventh grade and a fly ball had hit squarely on top of my ring finger and broke it to 90 degrees. It hurt like heck, but Dr Crites soothing words calmed the tears.

Some years later, I was involved in a serious accident while in Hueneme High School and the ambulance took me to Adventist Hospital. I had not seen Dr. Crites since the broken-finger incident and there he was. He said again, Ricky, looks like this is gonna to hurt a little as he treated my severe burns.

Dr. Crites took care of my mom, too, as she had to have full hysterectomy; and my WWII veteran dads bad heart; and I was there with Dr. Crites when dad passed away early from a massive heart attack.

In the movie Field of Dreams, James Earl Jones character Terence Mann says, Every town has a Doctor Graham, Throckmorton concluded. Andevery town has, or should have, a Doctor Crites.

If not, now thatwould be a tragedy.

Woody Woodburn writes a weekly column for The Star and can be contacted atWoodyWriter@gmail.com. His books are available atwww.WoodyWoodburn.com.

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Woodburn: Every town has its own 'Moonlight' - VC Star

FRIDAY, Sept. 18

Old School FridaysThe Palm RoomNo cover | 5 p.m.-closeJoes Palm Room, the famous Russell jazz club, has been reopened and reinvented by Black business owner Marcus Withers. Check it out at the Palm Rooms new, weekly event, Old School Fridays, featuring The Palm Room House Band and happy hour from 5 to 9 p.m. and music and live visuals from DJ K-Dogg from 9 p.m. to close. Calling all steppers and ballroom dancers, organizers say.

Arrest the Cops RallyOffice of the Attorney General, Louisville Branch OfficeFree | 5:30 p.m.Protesters, led by the family of Breonna Taylor, are rallying at the Kentucky Attorney Generals Office to demand that the police officers who fired their weapons in the raid that led to Breonna Taylors death are arrested. This event is also organized by Until Freedom and Louisville activists.

Statements After an Arrest Under the Immortality ActOnlineFree | 8 p.m.UofLs Department of Theatre Arts presents this reading of a play about a white librarian and a Black school principal in South Africa, whose love affair is reported to the police during apartheid. You can watch virtually on Friday or on Saturday at the same time. After the performance, there will be talkbacks with specials guests. On Friday, hear from Actors Theatre of Louisville Executive Artistic Director Robert Barry Fleming, playwright and translator Amlin Gray and UofL Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Cherie Dawson-Edwards. And, on Saturday, playwright Larry Muhammad, former South African resident Shachaf Polakow and UofL law professor Enid Trucious-Haynes, will discuss the show.

Voter Services Pop-upPortland KrogerFree | 11 a.m.-1 p.m.The Louisville Democrats will have a booth at the Portland Kroger offering help for voters. You can get started on requesting an absentee ballot, register to vote and, if youre formerly incarcerated, volunteers can check to see if your voting right has been restored. Then, on Sunday, the League of Women Voters is sponsoring a rally encouraging the public to vote. Bring noisemakers and signs to the corner of Douglass Boulevard and Eastern Parkway from 4 to 6 p.m. (The event is nonpartisan; organizers ask that you do not bring signs promoting specific candidates.)

Taking Up Space: Art as BusinessChange Today, Change TomorrowFree | 7-10:30 p.m.This is a new, monthly networking and educational space for Black creatives, created by Change Today, Change Tomorrow and A Well Written Photograph. This month, Ashley Cathey, a Louisville painter, will speak about Art as a Business over free cocktails and food from My Cafe, a locally-owned Back eatery.

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How To Support Racial Justice, Diversity And Activism This Weekend In Louisville (9/18) - Louisville Eccentric Observer

In Web of Venom: Wraith #1, Wraith searches for answers about the Exolon and faces Knull, god of the symbiotes -- and it doesn't exactly end well.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Web of Venom: Wraith #1 by Donny Cates, Guiu Villanova, Dean White and VC's Clayton Cowles, on sale now.

Web of Venom: Wraith #1 picks up on a story that first began in 2019's Guardians of the Galaxy #3. In the latter, the Kree warrior known as Wraith joined Eros' Dark Guardians of the Galaxy, a team whose mandate was to hunt down Gamora, the adopted daughter of Thanos. Wraith is generally more of an anti-hero, so his presence on the team was curious. But the truth is he only joined the team because Eros promised him something in return: answers about the Exolon, the dark parasites that have granted him immortality for so very long.

Wraith seeks to put an end to his curse and, in Web of Venom: Wraith #1, he goes on a quest for answers. However, what none of us expect is that this turns out to be Wraith's final adventure in the Marvel Universe.

RELATED: King in Black Teaser Unleashes a Swarm of Grendels on the Marvel Universe

Wraith firstappeared in 2007's Annihilation: Conquest event. The character played a central role in the cosmic story, but he didn't have a whole lot of appearances outside of it. However, his return in 2019's Guardians of the Galaxy was noteworthy, especially considering that Eros teased the character had some sort of connection to Knull, the god of the symbiotes.

Now, in Web of Venom, Wraith uses a teleportation device and coordinates left to him by Eros to get the answers he so desperately wants. He starts by visiting his father's old lab, where he discovers thatthe scientist knew about Knull, and the threat of his darkness. It's why his father tried to invent a powerful source of light, to counter the menace Knull represented.

After learning of this connection, Wraith then travels to the planet Klyntar, which is essentially a cage that the symbiotes built to contain their god. Little does Wraith know however that at this very moment, on Earth, Cletus Kasady collected all of the symbiote codices to awaken Knull, as seen in the 2019 event,Absolute Carnage. Therefore, shortly after Wraith arrived on Klyntar, the planet is ripped apart and the god of the symbiotes reveals himself toWraith.

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Venom: Knull Just Killed a Dark Guardian of the Galaxy | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources

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Cubs pitcher Tyler Chatwood has likely thrown his last pitch for the team. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

Despite carrying the second-best record in the National League into Wednesday nights matchup with the Cleveland Indians, the Chicago Cubs have a great deal of uncertainty around them.

The pitching staff feels like trying to plug holes in a sinking ship using your fingers, guys you counted on to carry the offense havent showed up and beyond 2020, the financials for the organization will be a huge focus for ownership.

Underperforming stars like Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Willson Contreras, Kyle Schwarber and Javier Baez arent going anywhere. Why? Because Theo Epstein isnt about to sell low on any of them. It seems far more likely the club hopes for a return to form with eyes cast toward some potential trade deadline deals in 2021.

Chicago is hoping to pull off one more deep postseason run before the group that gained baseball immortality in 2016 begins to go its separate ways. Next years Cubs could look vastly different and for a variety of reasons, these three guys seem highly unlikely to be a part of the 2021 club.

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Cubs: 3 players whose futures with team are doomed after shortened season - Cubbies Crib

In DCeased: Dead Planet, one of the Justice League's most powerful foes is even more dangerous after the end of the world.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for DCeased: Dead Planet #3 by Tom Taylor, Trevor Hairsine, Gigi Baldassini, and Rain Beredo, on sale now.

One of the Justice League's most dangerous supervillains, Amazo, is back in DCeased: Dead Planet #3. Amazo has plagued the Justice League since the 1960s and proves to be as formidable a foe as ever. In this issue,the surviving members of the Shadowpactenter the Southern Bunker they believe houses more survivors. What they find in the Southern Bunkeris just as terrible as the horrors that lie outside.

After Zatanna kills the infected Plastic Man, who was guarding the Southern Bunker, the remaining survivors enter the fortress and are greetedby Maxwell Lord, the Penguin, and Jason Blood. It's revealed that the Southern Bunker was built by billionaires long ago as a place of refuge after the fall ofcivilization. Jason Blood pulls Constantine aside and takes the form of Etrigan and tellsthe Hellblazer that the souls of the infected and dead are "locked inside the anti-living," and that Hell isn't pleased that it's not getting its fair share of souls. Etrigan tells Constantine that Trigon is planning towipe out everything on earth, both the infected and the living, and plans to start all over again.

Related: DCeased Turns Every DC Hero Into A Stone-Cold Killer

To try and save what is left of this world, the billionaire super villains have been creating an army of Amazo androids. Amazo is a Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky creation and first appeared in The Bold and the Brave #30. After it's debut in 1960, Amazo has gone on to become one of the most fearsome and powerfulJustice Leaguevillains.

Amazo was created by the mad scientist Professor Ivo who was obsessed with immortality. Ivo programmed Amazo to focus on the Justice League in the hopes that their defeat would prove his genius and grant him immortality. Amazo is built using Ivo's Absorption Cell technology, which makes the android able to absorb all the natural skills and super abilities of any hero. When Amazo gets close enough, he can absorb, for example, the superpowers of Superman and the speed of the Flash. Even worse, the android can physically replicate the weapons and equipment of heroes as well. Amazo can simulate Green Lantern's power ring, Harley Quinn's huge hammer, and Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth.

Related: DCeased Revives A Doomed Fan-Favorite DC Team

Though originally created as a mindless android, Amazo achieved self-awareness over time due to its ability to adapt to any situation. Now able to think on its own, Amazo is constantly upgrading itself, becoming more and more intelligent and powerful. The limits to Amazo's power haven't been reached and it has evolved into being able to use multiple powers at the same time. Amazo has confronted and beaten the Justice League on several occasions.

All these powers are what one Amazo android can do. In DCeased: Dead Planet #3, Ivo has created an army of Amazo droids. One Amazo has proven capable of handily defeating the Justice League. An army of Amazos could easilyconquer the world, which is what it seems Jason Blood, is hoping for. If they are able to save the planet, then Trigon will not interfere, and the villains will then be in control of everything. This is a win-win situation for the super villains and just made the heroes' jobs that much more difficult.

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DCeased Makes the Justice League's Most Powerful Foe More Dangerous Than Ever - CBR - Comic Book Resources

Even before the onset of the pandemic, which has increased the demand for all manner of so-called organic immunity elixirs, wellness-minded Americans were warming to mushrooms. To be clear, mushrooms dont cure Covid-19, but they are thought to provide a host of other benefits, from serving as an aphrodisiac to bolstering ones defenses to toxins. As Ligaya Mishan explains in her essay for Ts Fall Mens issue, Eastern cultures have long been enthusiastic about edible fungi, both in culinary and health contexts mushrooms are rich in umami, the Japanese fifth taste that denotes savoriness, and woody species such as reishi are often prescribed in traditional Chinese medicine while the West has been more ambivalent. Today, though, American cooks and diners delight in foraged morels and matsutakes, while others mix mushroom-based powders into shakes and teas. In an article published in 2014 over 80 years after the British scientist Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the powerful group of antibiotics derived from the fungus Penicillium the mycologist Paul Stamets, best known for the TED Talk 6 Ways Mushrooms Can Save the World, described mushrooms as natures miniature pharmaceutical factories.

Fungi have the ability to soak up and escort waste from our cells, and have a digestive system almost identical to that of humans, says Liz Smithers, who studied Ayurvedic medicine and herbal sciences before launching the sustainable Kauai-based nutrition brand Laka Living with her sister, Kate, in 2015. The line includes a chocolate-flavored hemp protein ($34) containing mushrooms such as lions mane (shown in studies to reduce anxiety and prevent cognitive decline), and Super Shroom Dip ($30), a macadamia nut butter laced with a five-mushroom blend. At this point, only 7 percent of the worlds fungi have been discovered, and Hawaii, the most isolated archipelago in the world, has some of the most understudied species, says Benjamin Lillibridge, the Kailua-Kona-based founder of the wellness company Mlama Mushrooms, and of the Hawaii Fungi Project, a nonprofit dedicated to the discovery and responsible use of the islands native species. Of course, there are also plenty of noteworthy mushroom nutraceutical ventures Stateside see Shizu Okusas brand Apothkary, which has teams in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. but Lillibridges wider point, perhaps, is that with so much still to discover about fungi, who knows what heretofore unknown powers they may possess? Here, a list of just some of the beneficial properties mushrooms are thought to have, and where to find the best blends.

I grew up in a super-traditional immigrant Japanese family where my parents wouldnt give me Tylenol or Advil, says Okusa, who was instead given dark, oozy drinks of mushrooms and dried herbs that had been brewed for days in stone pots. Last year, she launched Apothkary, offering her Immunity Set ($45), a trio of different mushroom powders that draw on the blends of her youth: One pairs reishi with ashwagandha root to reduce inflammation, while another is made purely of ground reishi and meant to be used as a concentrated booster in teas and smoothies by advanced herb users, she says. Reishi by itself can be a bit more difficult, taste and potency wise. Meanwhile, Steven Gundry, a Palm Springs-based cardiologist, has grouped what he calls the big three reishi, chaga and coriolus, the latter two best known for their high antioxidant content and immune support benefits in his Gundry MD M Vitality immune support tonic ($66), drops of which can be applied directly to your tongue. If youd prefer something sweeter, consider Forest Juice ($31), a reishi- and chaga-infused maple syrup from Rainbo, a line of mushroom-based supplements and food products founded by the holistic chef and nutritionist Tonya Papanikolov.

Lions mane, which has the look of a shaggy, faux-fur ottoman, was found in a 2016 study published by the Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine to promote peripheral nerve regeneration in rats. For humans, the mushroom is typically used with the goal of enhancing concentration, memory and mental clarity. It has a mild taste and is fantastic sauted in butter, says Wooden Spoon Herbs founder Lauren Haynes, who gets hers from Oregon and upstate New York. For the brands Mushroom Cocoa powder ($38), a scoop of which can be added to your morning coffee, fruiting bodies of lions mane and other varieties are extracted via a long-simmer method and flavored with vanilla and mesquite. Another option for those hoping to improve recall is Gaia Herbss Mind Spring powder ($35), which contains lions mane and turmeric. Cordyceps, on the other hand, whose stems often resemble Cheetos in both shape and color, may contribute to physical acuity. In the 1993 Olympics, three Chinese runners were screened for steroids, but all the panel found were cordyceps, says the naturopathic doctor Nadia Musavvir. She recommends Four Sigmatics Instant Mushroom Coffee With Chaga and Cordyceps ($15) the chaga is purported to neutralize caffeine jitters.

Tremella is amazing for boosting gut and skin health from the inside out its been revered as a beauty mushroom in Asia for hundreds of years, Stephanie Park, the founder of the Brooklyn supplement label Wylde One, says of the vitamin D-rich variety. Wrapped in single-serving packets, the brands Golden Glow Up ($29) adaptogenic turmeric latte blend contains astragalus and tremella, also known as silver ear mushrooms, along with cardamom, black pepper and digestion-enhancing ginger. Another option is Moon Juices Collagen Protect powdered creamer ($58), which incorporates organic tremella extracts and rice bran-derived tocotrienols, or tocos, natural sources of vitamin E that lend a mildly malty finish. Picking up some raw shiitake mushrooms from your local farmers market might also be a boon: Jeannette Graf, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, says the familiar umbrella cap contains significant levels of vitamin D, selenium and zinc, which help to maintain skin health. And then theres Sun Potions Astragalus the Great Protector ($57), made with ingredients grown wild at high elevations, and filled with polysaccharides, which have long been endorsed as natural aids for hydration and soothing stomach ulcers.

The repeatedly invoked cure-all of functional fungi is reishi. Its most popular and well-known benefits are its ability to reduce stress and fatigue, and, in general, help chill you out, says Lillibridge, who suggests Mlama Mushroomss Reishi Mushroom Extract Powder ($30). When taken consistently, the multitasking queen healer, as reishi is sometimes called, is even believed to help regulate rest cycles: Its been shown to increase deep delta-wave sleep, Lillibridge says. For a soothing nightcap enjoyed half an hour before bed, try the reishi- and valerian root-filled Sleep Superfood Water Enhancer by BareOrganics ($12), which will dissolve in liquid at any temperature, or Kamu Labs Dream nightly sleep drops ($60), which enhance the mushrooms calming effects with those of CBD and California poppy. Its no wonder emperors of the Qing dynasty were said to exchange gifts of ceremonial ruyi scepters sculpted to resemble reishi, the so-called mushroom of immortality.

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Are Mushrooms the Future of Wellness? - The New York Times

In I'm Thinking of Ending Things, a young female character receives mysterious phone calls, so who's on the other end? Here's our breakdown.

WARNING: Spoilers for I'm Thinking of Ending Things.

In I'm Thinking of Ending Things, a young female characterreceives mysteriousphone calls, so who's on the other end? The Netflix film initially plays out like a quirky relationship drama, but then evolves into a surrealist character study about love, loss, and regret. Written and directed by the eclectic filmmaker Charlie Kaufman, I'm Thinking of Ending Thingsis based on Iain Reid's 2016 eponymous novel.

Starring Jesse Plemons andJessie Buckley,I'm Thinking of Ending Things' titular concept stems from insecuritiesfaced by a couple during the early stages of their relationship. On a snowy evening, Jake (Plemons) drives girlfriendLucy (Buckley) to his parents' home for a first meeting, only something feels off from the start. Jake can seemingly hear Lucy's inner dialogue, and then behaves oddly when arriving at the country destination; he refuses to enter his formerhome right away, and instead gives Lucy a property tour while explaining the deaths of various sheep and pigs. When the couple finally joins "Mother" (Toni Collette) and "Father" (David Thewlis) for dinner, Lucy comes to realize that Jake most likely had a difficult childhood. But what troubles her the mostare incoming phone callsthat she doesn't respond to.

Related:I'm Thinking Of Ending Things: How The Movie Compares To The Book

Within the first 10 minutes of I'm Thinking of Ending Things, Lucy receives a call from someone named "Lucy."Shortly after, Jake references an early 19th century poem by English writerWilliam Wordsworthentitled "Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood." Jake then informs his girlfriend Lucy thatWordsworth once wrote a series of poems for a woman named Lucy, whom he describes as a "beautiful, idealized woman who dies young." Later, during the family dinner, Lucy notices that she has several missed calls from "Lucy" and now"Louisa." After the family dinner, she spots a photo that appears to be herself as a child, and theface then changes to a younger version of Jake during a second glance. Seconds later, Lucy receives a phone call from "Yvonne." From this point forward, it's heavily implied in I'm Thinking of Ending Things that Lucy is a figment of Jake's imagination, and that the older janitor (Gus Boyd) - who frequently appears in side sequences -has dreamed up the entire narrative while reflecting about his life. The mysterious calls are messages from the janitor to his subconscious.

The cryptic phone calls in I'm Thinking of Ending Things thematically link tothe opening minutes. During voiceover narration, Lucy states that "It feels like I've known Jake longer than I have." The character stands on a city sidewalkand looks to the sky as snow falls, and then feels drawn to something in the second or third level of a nearby building. The aforementioned janitor looksdown at Lucy and mutters to himself: "The assumptions are right. I can feel my fear growing. Now is the time for the answer. Just one question." Seconds later, Plemons' Jake shows up, and the narrative properly begins, or so it seems. With this early passing moment in I'm Thinking of Ending Things, Kaufman establishes the premise for the cryptic phone calls, evidenced by the fact that the mid-movie voicemail from"Yvonne" includes a line from the opening: "There's only one question to answer."

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I'm Thinking Of Ending Things: Who The Caller On The Phone Is - Screen Rant

Richard Poffenbaugh, In the Garden Published 5:58 a.m. ET Sept. 15, 2020

It would be helpful if plant breeders and growers would rate plants according to their maintenance level, such as low-medium-high. Any veteran gardener can quickly classify a plant according to a maintenance rating.

For example, my rating for the tall bearded iris is high, the peony low. But I must add the peony is an exception; not too many plants have a low rating.

The indoor plant like the African violet would be high maintenance. My mother grew them, and she spent hours caring for her plant collection.

The garden rose is another high maintenance plant. Gardeners spend many hours growing these special plants.

The peony is an unusual plant in that it has a short bloom period of only one week. I'm amazed some breeder hasn't come up with a peony that blooms for at least a month.

As I used to tell my biology classes, "The world is wide open for new ideas in the plant world." And this is certainly true in horticulture.

If you want a low maintenance plant for the landscape, the peony should be at the top of the list little or no maintenance. Deadhead the flowers and fall cleanup is all. It's a perfect plant for the lazy gardener.

A tall bearded iris displays exceptional colored flowers in late May. Some are rebloomers with another flower in the fall.(Photo: Richard Poffenbaugh Photo.)

Then we come to the tall bearded iris; a very high maintenance plant in the garden.

The tall iris stem with large colored flower on top puts on a strong color display. But the thick roots grow fast and require frequent attention to prevent crowding. Generally, this plant is a fast grower, which means extra labor. Most of this work is best done on your hands and knees, which is no easy task. There are few iris growers working beyond age 80-85.

My active iris growing was from age 45 to 60. The later years included growing reblooming iris. These plants had two bloom periods during the year spring in late May and a second bloom period in September into October.

I remember one year there was a very late iris bloom and also late watermelon ripe in the garden at the same time. Timing was not right for both of these plants, but it did happen.

Reblooming iris are gaining in popularity. I visited a grower and breeder of them named Earl Hall in 1995. He grew hundreds of them at his home at West Alexandria, Ohio (near Dayton). It was the only time I saw gravel used as mulch in his fields of iris plants. Normally you do not mulch iris, but he said the gravel had great drainage and helped control weeds.

One of Earl's colorful pink rebloomers he named Pink Attraction, and it had a beautiful pink color.

A favorite catalog with assorted plants for fall planting, this large catalog has 103 pages with a wide assortment of plants. Call 1-800-803-9624.

It includes all the typical bulbs for fall planting plus, rarely found in catalogs, rebloomer iris like Immortality and Pink Attraction; also organic fertilizers from Espoma in New Jersey.

Richard Poffenbaugh is a retired biology teacher and active home gardener since 1960. He is a member of the Mansfield Men's Garden Club and was editor of the club newsletter (The Greenhorn) for 21 years. He resides in Ontario with his wife, Barbara. Reach him at 419-529-2966.

Poffenbaugh, Richard(Photo: NJ file photo)

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In the Garden: Peony is the perfect plant for lazy gardeners - Mansfield News Journal

With his feature directorial debut, the Spielbergian family adventure and drama The Water Man, actor David Oyelowo shows that he might have a true knack for big budget blockbuster filmmaking. An unabashed love letter to young adult literature and the slightly-scary coming of age stories that were all the rage in the 1980s, The Water Man is a moving, well performed, and gorgeously shot effort that should entertain viewers of almost any age.

Twelve-year-old bookworm and budding graphic novelist Gunner Boone (Lonnie Chavis) sets aside his dream of writing a detective series when he learns his mother (Rosario Dawson) is battling an aggressive form of leukemia. With his father (Oyelowo) not offering much support, Gunner puts all his bookish efforts into trying to find a cure for moms suffering. One day, he stumbles upon a young girl named Jo (Amiah Miller) telling a bunch of kids about her encounter with a mythological legend known as The Water Man, an immortal humanoid creature that dwells in the forests. Gunner goes down another rabbit hole of research and begs Jo to help him find The Water Man, believing that the mythological beings immortality holds the key to curing his mothers cancer.

Oyelowo and screenwriter Emma Needell refuse to take easy or hammy shortcuts with their story, instead preferring old school, layered storytelling and character work over jump scares, set pieces, and teary eyed manipulation. Unlike many family films pitched at a similar level, The Water Man (executive produced by Oprah Winfrey) comes about its adventure and heart-tugging emotions naturally, with Oyelowo preferring to focus on performance and story. Its a story that couldve been cheesy in lesser hands, but Oyelowo and his young stars who boast exceptional chemistry together have crafted a genuine, cynicism-free bit of wonderment.

The Water Man is nostalgic and modernist in equal measure, with lots of nice touches that enhance the overall tone and entertainment value. Theres some clever use of animation, delightful supporting performances from acting luminaries Alfred Molina and Maria Bello (as a local historian and the town sheriff, respectively), and it builds to a perfect emotional payoff. Hopefully this film finds the audience it deserves, because The Water Man has the potential to be a family movie classic in the making.

The Water Man screens at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival outdoors at the Visa Skyline Drive-In at Cityview on Saturday, September 19 at 7:30 pm and indoors at TIFF Bell Lightbox on Saturday, September 19 at 4:00 pm. It will also be available to stream online for a limited time during TIFF 2020 via Bell Digital Cinema starting at 6:00 pm on Saturday, September 19. All online screenings during TIFF 2020 are geolocked to Canada. If seeing a film in cinemas, please take all necessary precautions. Practice social distancing, wear a mask, and stay home if feeling ill.

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The Water Man | TIFF 2020 Review | The GATE - The GATE

Francisco Solares-Larrave's "Perspective" (September 2, 2020).

Sometimes, I take a walk through a cemetery near my house. There's nothing morbid about it. In fact, I enjoy cemeteries, and during a trip, I insisted on seeing the cemetery of a small French town, and we found the tomb of Marc Chagall. I felt vindicated.

The one near my house has no celebrities that I know of. It looks a bit abandoned, despite some shiny headstones here and there. When I walk through it, I stop to contemplate some groups.

There's an entire family -- they have the same last name -- that makes me think they're together, like sharing an eternal Thanksgiving.

There are also several small headstones with a man's name first, and a woman's below it, with the title "wife" added. Were they stoic? Were they good neighbors? Did they like music?

I also find it mystifying that some headstones have just one name, nothing else, as if that were enough.

Is this immortality? That you may be known by your first name? That your family will be buried around you, in a section of the cemetery? It may seem odd, but to me there is some measure of immortality in their choice of headstone. That's how those Finnish, Swedish, German and British last names tell stories of struggles, success or failure. They left an imprint visible today. If that's not immortality, tell me what is.

I am Francisco Solares-Larrave, and that's my perspective.

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Perspective: A Sign Of Immortality | WNIJ and WNIU - WNIJ and WNIU

Image: On a Pale Horse/ Del Rey Books

Piers Anthonys Incarnations of Immortalityseries may not be for everyone, but as more content creators look for ways to woo viewers, this eight-book saga could give the right network season after season of excellent content.

Incarnations of Immortalityexplores the realms that lie beyond our everyday lives. We cant see them, but theyre where immortal agents engage in an eternal battle between good and evil. Each book covers a different supernatural office, with different mortals being drafted to fulfill these roles over time. The offices are Death, Time, Fate, War, Mother Nature, Satan, God and Night. This is a series that will grip you early and surprise you at the end.

But before we get to why this series work so well on TV, lets find out who these immortals are. Throughout the series, we learn how these beings become immortal.On a Pale Horse, which came out in 1983, tells the story of Death, who roams the world collecting souls and balancing the scales of good and evil to determine their fate in the eternal realms.

Bearing an Hour Glasstells us the story of Time, who lives his life backward, knowing the future but not the past.

With a Tangled Skeinintroduces us to Fate, she who controls the threads of mortal life, and immortal life as well.

Wielding a Red Sword introduces us to War, the incarnation of immortality who feeds souls to Death, and lives to coax men to evil deeds.

Our last Immortal is Mother Nature, whom we meet in Being a Green Mother. The other Immortals trust her, possibly at their peril.

The final two books in the series, For Love of Evil and And Eternity(1990) bring us face to face with Satan and God respectively, but with a twist. (Theres also a final book,Under a Velvet Cloak, which came out in 2007, but it has a different setting probably wouldnt be adapted as part of the main series.)

So those are the basics. Why are these books so ripe for adaptation?

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5 reasons why the Incarnations of Immortality books would make a great series - Winter is Coming