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Top 7 Jamaican & Caribbean News Stories You Missed The Week Ending March 6th, 2020 – Jamaicans.com

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

THIS WEEKS TOP NEWS STORIES

Top 7 Jamaican & Caribbean News Stories

CHARLES TO LEAVE POST AS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE IN JAMAICAPearnel Patroe Charles, a veteran Jamaica Labor Party political leader and current Speaker the House of Representatives, will leave this post in a few weeks. As the veteran politician and trade unionist steps down, it will mean the end of his lifetime career in representative politics. It is expected that Parliamentary Secretary Robert Morgan will be the front-runner for the position.

GOVERNMENT PORVIDES GUIDANCE ON PREPARING FOR COVID-19Karl Samuda, Jamaicas Minister with Oversight for Education, has provided guidelines for parents and guardians of children who may show symptoms of the coronavirus, also known as covid-19. Samuda told parents and guardians that they should keep their children at home. He also warned that if the virus reaches a school, exams would be postponed. Samuda announced the guidelines at a meeting of Jamaicas National Disaster Risk Management Council, which was held at Jamaica House.

CARIBBEAN NATIONS IMPOSE TRAVEL BANS ON CRUISE SHIPSCruise ships in the Caribbean have had to be diverted as countries in the region implement travel bans in response to the risks posed by coronavirus. The cruise ships Carnival Horizon and Carnival Freedom, which were set to dock in the Cayman Islands and Jamaica were diverted when the companys CEO Arnold Donald failed to get timely assurances that the ships would be allowed to dock. Donald told Caribbean leaders that he needs more certainty about being able to call before maintaining the regular schedule.

CABINET APPROVES NATIONAL DIASPORA POLICY FOR TABLINGThe National Diaspora Policy (NDP) has been given approval, in its draft form. The Cabinet approval was announced on March 3, 2020, by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, made the announcement during her speech to the members of the Diplomatic Corps at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston. The address was part of the activities relating to Diplomatic Week 2020, which has as its theme Delivering a Decade of Resilience for All. The policy seeks to provide an institutional structure and path for meaningful engagement with the Jamaican Diaspora, a population dispersed among many different countries.

HOLNESS, BARTLETT BREAK GROUND FOR US$1 BILLION DEVELOPMENTJamaicas Prime Minister Andrew Holness and the countrys Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett broke ground on February 28, 2020, on a US$1 billion multi-resort development project known as Sugarcane Bay Jamaica. The project is located in Llandovery, St Ann, and is being developed by Karisma Hotels and Resorts on a site comprising 220 acres. It will bring 4,700 additional rooms to Jamaicas tourism sector.

13TH ANNUAL REGGAE MONTH DEEMED SUCCESSWhen the 13th staging of Reggae Month ended on March 1, 2020, with the final portion of the Jamaica Music Museums Grounation Series, the consensus was that it provided a spectacular showcase of Jamaicas music and musical talent and culture. The theme of the 2020 staging was Come Ketch di Riddim. The final event was held at the Institute of Jamaica and included the Prime Ministers Reception at Jamaica House. The 13th annual celebration of reggae encompassed many events hosted by Jamaicas Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport.

JAMAICA SCORPIONS CAPTAIN READY TO MEET TEAM GOALSJohn Campbell, the captain of the Jamaica Scorpions, is working to meet the goals of his team rather than his own personal milestones. The team is set to meet the Windward Islands Volcanoes during the seventh round of the West Indies Championships in Grenada. While Campbell only needs four runs to reach 3,000 Championship runs, he stated that his personal achievements come second after the needs of the team. He is focusing on getting the Scorpions return to a winning track and rise in the rankings.

Talking Death and God With Zoey Deutch – The Cut

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

Photo: Emma McIntyre/BAFTA LA/Contour by Getty Images

Zoey Deutch is fixing me with a soft stare that does not match the intensity of the questions she just asked me, which are: Do you believe in an afterlife? Do you believe in reincarnation? What do you believe in? Were nursing pots of black tea at the Plaza Hotel across from Central Park, and shes been interviewing me for nearly two hours.

I dont think its fair for a writer to come and look me up and me not look them up, she says, explaining that shed Googled me extensively; I read all your stuff, looked through your things. And she had, including a small novel on immortality; apparently, now, she wanted to get her moneys worth by asking me about death and God and other things I wasnt prepared to talk about at high tea.

Shes barefaced today, with her hair in a tiny ponytail and a minimalist, designer outfit; its focal point is a Kenzo coat covered in Illuminati eyes. I call it my conversation piece, I could talk about it all the time. I wear it so much that I have my lines I got eyes everywhere, I got eyes everywhere! she hoots, throwing out finger guns.

The bit reminds me a little of Peg Dahl, the fast-talking heroine of Deutchs new movie Buffaloed. The film is sort of like a blue collar Big Short, with Peg as its charismatic center; she dreams of a college education and financial freedom, but ends up in prison after scalping Buffalo Bills tickets. Eventually, she starts running her own debt-collection business in Buffalo, New York; mafia-style shenanigans with a rival business ensue.

Like Peg, Deutch speaks in quick, full paragraphs, dad jokes on hand. But her in-person demeanor is more like Harper Moore, her character in the 2018 Netflix romcom Set It Up, a 20-something intern trying to figure it out in New York. Deutch, who is 25 now, has the same kind of intense, self-deprecating moxie that makes Harper so charming.

Photo: Emma McIntyre/BAFTA LA/Contour by Getty Images

As we talk, Deutch, who calls herself a connection junkie continues to turn on me with her what about you? refrain. I havent been a journalist for long, but one thing I have experienced when speaking with celebrities is that they mostly know the bare minimum about whom theyre speaking with; who you write for, your name, maybe. I was bewildered by Deutch, who knew things about me that are hard to find on the internet. But wed had some Champagne, so I explained to this woman Id just met my thoughts on death and God. That I was raised in a mixed-race, Sikh household that was religious and fractious and isolated. Probably, as a result, Im extremely not religious.

Deutch nods thoughtfully. She starts to tell me about her approach to spirituality, which she qualifies comes from a place of privilege. She recalls, fondly, her Bat Mitzvah, and how religion for her is all about being a part of something greater and asking questions and being curious. Given this sort of liberal spiritual oeuvre, I wonder why she passed on palm reading, the activity Id suggested in lieu of fancy tea. Well what if I found something scary? she shudders. Her grandmother, Deutch says, was a psychic, and her mom, actress Lea Thomspon (Back to The Future) is a little bit too. Ill get scared about something and Ill be like, What if Im psychic? she says of her own intuition, but itll be so wrong.

Inevitably, she faces charges of nepotism her father is director Howard Deutch (Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful) but critics agree on her talent, labeling her with terms like powerhouse, force of nature, scene-stealer, and virtuoso in reviews. And her work is good, and versatile: she recently starred as a baby-voiced victim of Munchausen syndrome by proxy in The Politician and a late-aughts Paris Hilton composite in Zombieland: Double Tap. I loved her most as a high-school mean-turned-nice-girl in Before I Fall, a sort of YA Russian Doll. For the most part, like the real-life Deutch, her characters are smart, funny women who are more complicated than they first seem.

Deutch lives in Chinatown now, where she says no one recognizes her. But it may not always be that way. I dont know. I dont really know anything at all, she says of whats up next. But acting, she says, is what shes always wanted to do. Her tattoos including a giant YES to remind her to stay optimistic are all ankle-down so she doesnt have to spend too much time in makeup. I would love to know. Literally right before we met I was on a call, like trying to figure out that question, whats in the future.

She gazes at a neighboring table; her expression one that I recognize in myself and my peers. Those decisions are hard, but I havent made them yet. Theyre fine right now, because Im here having tea with you. What about you?

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Talking Death and God With Zoey Deutch - The Cut

Queen Mother of the West and Her Peaches of Immortality – Ancient Origins

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

Xiwangmu (), whose name means Queen Mother of the West is a goddess in the Taoist pantheon, and worshipped in Chinese folk religion. Xiwangmu is considered to be one of the most prominent female deities in early Chinese mythology, and her importance continued in later times as well.

Due to her significance in Chinese folk religion, Xiwangwu appears in many myths and legends. In some of these legends, certain historical figures are said to have had the opportunity to encounter Xiwangmu. In addition, there are many artistic representations of Xiwangwu, and she is often portrayed in paintings and sculptures. Xiwangwu is still worshipped by the Chinese today, and has even been incorporated into popular culture.

Although Xiwangmu is originally a Chinese goddess, she is also worshipped in other East Asian countries. In Japan, for instance, she is called Seiobo, whilst in Korea, she is referred to as Seowangmo. Even in Chinese mythology, Xiwangmu is known by a number of titles. One of the most popular of these is Jinmu Yuanjun (), which means Primordial Lady Golden Mother. Colloquially, Xiwangmu is known as Wangmu Niangniang (), which means Aunt Queen Mother.

Seiobo, the Queen Mother of the West, in Japanese art. (Xianshan / Public domain )

The earliest mention of Xiwangmu is found in the Shanhaijing (), meaning Classic of Mountains and Seas. This work may be regarded to be an early geography of China , and tradition states that it was written during the semi-mythical Xia Dynasty . Modern scholars, on the other hand, believe that the Shanhaijing was compiled over a long period of time, i.e. from the Warring States period until the early Han Dynasty.

Xiwangmu is mentioned in the second section of the Shanhaijing, the Xishan Jing (), meaning Classic of the Western Mountains, in which she is said to reside on Yushan (), meaning Jade Mountain. The Shanghaijing presents Xiwangmu as a powerful and terrifying figure, and she resembles a monster more than a goddess. Although Xiwangmu is portrayed as having a human body, she is also sad to have a leopards tail, and the fangs of a tiger. In addition, she wears a crown over her wild and tangled hair. Xiwangmu is also said to preside over the catastrophes of the sky, and the five destructive forces, hence making her a dangerous and inauspicious character. Xiwangmu is believed to have the power to cause natural disasters, including floods, famine and plagues.

In another section of the Shanhaijing, the Dahuang Xi Jing(), meaning Classic of the Great Wilderness: The West (Section 16), Xiwangmu is said to live on the mythical Kunlun Mountain (not to be confused with the Kunlun Mountains on the Tibetan Plateau), between the Red River and Black River.

In yet another section, the Hainei Bei Jing (), meaning Classic of the Regions within the Seas: The North (Section 12), Xiwangmu is described as sitting on a raised stool, and holding a staff in her hand. She is attended by three green birds who gather food for her. At this point of time, Xiwangmus male counterpart and husband was Dongwanggong (), meaning King Father of the East, who ruled in the East. Xiwangmu, however, was more popular than her husband, and overshadowed him.

Depiction of the goddess Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West. (Dr. Meierhofer / CC BY-SA 3.0 )

As time went by, Xiwangmu is said to have repented, and was therefore transformed from a ferocious monster into an immortal deity. The beastly attributes of Xiwangmu were discarded, and she is now presented as wholly human. In one instance, she is described as having whitish hair, indicating that she is an elderly woman. Although Xiwangmu retained her powers, she is now a benevolent force, rather than malevolent one.

According to some versions of the myth, Xiwangmu became the consort of the Jade Emperor, one of the most important gods in Chinese folk religion. This is testament to the power and importance that she retained after her conversion from monster to goddess. As the wife of the Jade Emperor, Xiwangmu is said to have been the mother of many deities, the three most important being Zhusheng Niangniang, Yanguang Niangniang, and Zhinu.

Depiction of the Chinese deity, the Jade Emperor who was the husband of Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West. ( Public domain )

The first was a fertility goddess whose aid was sought by couples wanting to have children, whilst the second was the protector of the blind. The third is immortalized in one of the best-known Chinese folk tales, The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, in which she falls in love with a mortal cowherd, and is punished for this transgression.

In many accounts, Xiwangmu is reputed to live on the Kunlun Mountain . One representation of the goddess realm is seen in an earthenware lamp from the 1 st / 2 nd century AD, kept today in the Yale University Art Gallery. Xiwangmu is the central figure of this artefact, and is shown seated on a throne. The goddess throne is flanked by the moon and the sun, which represent the two cosmic forces, yin and yang, and she is attended by three of her followers a rabbit pounding the elixir of immortality, a three-legged bird, and a nine-tailed fox.

Below the goddess are two supplicants with staffs kneeling before an open door. It has been suggested that the door represents the entrance to the realm of immortality, which the goddess presided over. On top of the goddess is a drum on the back of a feline creature topped by a canopy-parasol, and flanked by a pair of mounted drummers, one on each side. Below the drummers are a pair of cup-bearing attendants on the back of tigers. This assemblage is supported by a bear-like creature, who is standing on a giant tortoise, the latter reflecting the belief that the Kunlun Mountain rests on the back of tortoise.

Xiwangmu is closely associated with the secrets of immortality, in particular, the Peaches of Immortality. In Chinese mythology, these peaches are known also as Pantao (), meaning Flat Peach, and are reputed to grow in Xiwangmus garden. According to one version of the story, the peach trees bear fruit once every 3000 years, and a sumptuous banquet would be hosted by the goddess to celebrate the joyous occasion.

Such a banquet is also believed to be held on Xiwangmus birthday. In some artistic representations of Xiwangmu, the goddess attendant is shown holding peaches. Additionally, the Peach Banquet is a popular subject amongst Chinese artists.

A Qing Dynasty porcelain depicting Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West, and her attendant holding peaches. (Vassil / Public domain )

The most famous story regarding Xiwangmus banquet is found in the Journey to the West , one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. In this tale, one of the novels main character, Sun Wukong, known also as the Monkey King, was appointed as by the Jade Emperor as the Protector of the Peaches. On the first day of work, Sun Wukong learned that there were 3600 peach trees in the orchard. These were divided into three groups, each bestowing on those who ate them certain miraculous properties,

The ones growing at the front have tiny blossoms and small fruits, and they ripen every three thousand years. Anyone who eats them becomes an Immortal and understands the Way, and his body becomes both light and strong. The twelve hundred in the middle have multiple blossoms and sweet fruits, and ripen every six thousand years; whoever eats them can fly and enjoy eternal youth. The back twelve hundred are streaked with purple and have pale yellow stones. They ripen once every nine thousand years, and anyone who eats them becomes as eternal as Heaven and Earth, as longlived as the Sun and Moon

The Queen Mother of the Wests Peach Banquet. ( Public domain )

In the next few days, not only did the mischievous Sun Wukong neglect his duties, he also stole the most valuable peaches, i.e. the ones that ripen once every 9000 years. Sun Wukongs misdemeanor was realized when Xiwangmu sent her attendants to the orchard to collect peaches for a banquet. At that time, Sun Wukong had shrunk himself, and was sleeping under a leaf, having had his fill of peaches.

Xiwangmus attendants began picking the peaches, but when they came to the trees at the back, they realized that there were no ripe peaches left, except one, and went to pluck it. The peach, in fact, was Sun Wukong, who had shape-shifted into the fruit. The Monkey King, thinking they were thieves, shouted angrily at them, and questioned them, thereby learning about Xiwangmus banquet.

Sun Wukong also learned that he might not have been invited to the banquet, and left the orchard to find out. On the way, however, he encountered the Barefoot Immortal, and came up with a trick to attend the banquet. Having sent the immortal away, Sun Wukong took his form, and attended the banquet. The Monkey King arrived at the banquet before the other deities, got himself drunk, and wrecked the banquet. Only at this point did Sun Wukong realize that when the other gods arrive, they would be furious with him. Therefore, he hastily fled the scene. What Sun Wukong did after this is another story.

Although the Peaches of Immortality are believed to be reserved for the immortals alone, legend has it that Xiwangmu bestowed some of these divine fruits to certain Chinese emperors. For instance, a story about Emperor Wu of Han and Xiwangmu is related by Zhang Hua, a writer during the Western Jin period. According to this tale, Emperor Wu was on a quest for immortality, when Xiwangmu sent an embassy presenting white deer to him.

Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West, visiting Emperor Wu of Han. (Ding Guanpeng / Wang Fanyue / Public domain )

On the night of the seventh day of the seventh month, Xiwangmu herself visited the emperor. Incidentally, this date, known also as the Qixi Festival (meaning Evening of Sevens), is believed to be the only time in the year that Zhinu, one of Xiwangmus daughters, is allowed to meet with her mortal lover. In any case, when Xiwangmu visited the emperor, she took out seven peaches, and gave five of them to him.

Emperor Wu ate the peaches, and expressed his desire to plant the stones. At this, Xiwangmu laughed, explaining that it took 3000 years for the peaches to grow. In the former tale, it is not stated if Xiwangmus peaches bestowed onto Emperor Wu immortality. In a later adaptation of Zhang Huas story, however, Xiwangmu is said to have provided the emperor with a set of instructions, which would grant him immortality, if he were to follow them faithfully. As may be expected, the emperor fails to follow the goddess instructions, and therefore inevitably dies.

The secrets of immortality were not the only gift presented by Xiwangmu to the Chinese emperors. In some accounts, the goddess is said to have presented the emperors with the Mandate of Heaven, which legitimized the rule of the emperor. For example, Emperor Shun, the last of the legendary Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, is said to have received the Mandate of Heaven from Xiwangmu. As another example, Qin Shi Huang , the first emperor of imperial China, is said to have had the opportunity to meet Xiwangmu, but wasted it. As a result, he did not receive the Mandate of Heaven, and his dynasty was destroyed not a few years after his death.

Throughout Chinese history, Xiwangmu retained her importance as a major deity in the Taoist pantheon. As early as the late Tang Dynasty, Taoist literature shows that the status of Xiwangmu is second only to the Three Pure Ones, the highest gods of the Taoist pantheon. In addition, Xiwangmu was an extremely popular deity amongst the common people.

She is believed to wield power over health, longevity, and fertility, and her blessings are often sought by the people. In some instances, people prayed to Xiwangmu for rain and good harvest. It may be mentioned that these areas of everyday life are normally associated with other deities. The fact that people were praying to Xiwangmu for these things shows that she was both a powerful and important goddess.

The worship of Xiwangmu continues even today, and the goddess has even been absorbed by popular culture. For instance, she is a character in several video games, and mentioned in literature. An example of the former is Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom , in which she appears as a hero, whilst an example of the latter is Amy Tans The Joy Luck Club , the last section of which being entitled Queen Mother of the Western Skies. This is evidence that Xiwangmu is still regarded to be relevant in todays society, not only in a religious context, i.e. as a goddess, but also in a cultural one, i.e. as a representative of Chinese culture.

Top image: Representative image for Queen Mother of the West. Source: wichansumalee / Adobe Stock

By: Wu Mingren

en.chinaculture.org, 2020. The Queen Mother of the West -- the Wife of the Jade Emperor. [Online]Available at: http://en.chinaculture.org/gb/en_aboutchina/2003-09/24/content_25164.htm

en.daoinfo.org, 2009. The Queen Mother of the West. [Online]Available at: http://en.daoinfo.org/wiki/The_Queen_Mother_of_the_West

Hamilton, M., 2020. Xiwangmu, Queen Mother of the West. [Online]Available at: https://mythopedia.com/chinese-mythology/gods/xiwangmu/

New World Encyclopedia, 2008. Jade Emperor. [Online]Available at: https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Jade_Emperor

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2010. Pantao. [Online]Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/pantao

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2014. Xiwangmu. [Online]Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Xiwangmu

The Metropolitan Museum of Art., 2020. Paying homage to Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West. [Online]Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/45666

The Metropolitan Museum of Art., 2020. Queen Mother of the West. [Online]Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/45736

The Yale University Art Gallery, 2020. Lamp Representing the Realm of the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu). [Online]Available at: https://artgallery.yale.edu/collections/objects/61132

Theobald, U., 2010. Xiwangmu , the Queen Mother of the West. [Online]Available at: http://www.chinaknowledge.de/Literature/Religion/personsxiwangmu.html

Wu Chengen, Journey to the West [Online]

[Jenner, W. J. F. (trans.), 1955. Wu Chengens Journey to the West .]Available at: http://www.chine-informations.com/fichiers/jourwest.pdf

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Queen Mother of the West and Her Peaches of Immortality - Ancient Origins

Auston Matthews’ Pursuit of Maple Leafs Immortality TheLeafsNation – The Union Journal

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

Its been a long period of time given that a Leaf racked up 50 objectives. Its been an also longer time given that a Leaf won the Hart Trophy.

This year, Auston Matthews is damn near certain to complete the very first accomplishment and also he can additionally locate himself in the discussion for the various other. At this factor, we must be discussing where Matthews period rankings amongst the most effective in Leafs background.

You need to go back to 1993-94 to locate the last time a Leaf racked up 50 objectives. That was when Dave Andreychuk hidden53 Its occurred 4 various other times. Rick Vaive did it 3 times, when in 1981-82 when he racked up 51, once more the list below year in 1982-83 when he racked up 54, which is the franchise businesss all-time single-season document, and also again in 1983-84 when he racked up52 Gary Leeman additionally racked up 51 objectives in 1989-90

So, yeah. Its been a while given that a Leafs struck the 50- objective plateau. John Tavares came close in 2015 when he racked up 47 in his very first period with the club after notoriously signing up with the group in complimentary company, however Matthews, that has 45 objectives with 66 video games and also an additional month to play, must lastly obtain it done.

The concern for Matthews currently isnt whether hell strike the 50- objective mark. Its whether hell pass Vaive for the majority of objectives in a period in Leafs background.

Matthews has 16 video games delegated deal with and also the Leafs require him to be at his ideal as the playoffs are much from a warranty. As I stated, Matthews has 45 objectives in 66 video games. Thats helpful for a 56- objective speed over the training course of 82 video games. 10 objectives in his last 16 video games, which the basically the precise speed hes run in any way period, would certainly suffice to obtain it done.

If Matthews does capture Vaive, his period will most certainly be discussed as one of the most effective in franchise business background. As it must be. Breaking the franchise businesss all-time single-season objective document in a period in which racking up objectives is far more challenging than it remained in the 80 s and also very early 90 s is extremely excellent.

But could Matthews period be the most effective? Its truly challenging to state since were considering efficiencies throughout numerous various ages. I imply, exactly how do you contrast Matthews 2019-20 period to what Busher Jackson or Charlie Conacher carried out in the 1930 s? Or what Frank Mahovolich carried out in the 60 s? Or what Darryl Sittler carried out in the 70 s? Or also what Mats Sundin carried out in the dead-puck very early 2000 s?

Its also challenging in baseball, a sporting activity in which statistics have actually been videotaped given that the 1860 s, to contrast gamers from age to age. But Hockey-References Point Shares device efforts to accomplish the exact same feature as baseballs BATTLE device, affixing a worth to gamers based upon their payments, readjusted by age.

Based on that particular device, Matthews has actually deserved 10.4 factor shares this period, which places 7th in Leafs background. Tavares launching period in 2015 places 4th at 11.3, Dave Andreychuk abovementioned 53- objective period places 3rd at 11.4, Babe Dyes 1924-25 period in which he racked up 46 factors in 29 ready theSt Pats places 2nd at 11.7, and also Darryl Sittlers 117- factor 1977-78 period places initially at 12.2.

At his present speed, Matthews would certainly additionally wind up passing Tavares, Andreychuk, Dye, and also Sittler for the best period in Leafs background based upon factor shares. Obviously, the device isnt excellent, however, at least, it assists us pile gamers that played a century apart side-by-side, which is something thats basically difficult to do or else.

Weve discussed the objectives, however what regarding the equipment? Again, its been a long period of time given that a Leaf won the HartTrophy A truly, truly long period of time. You need to go back well past their latest 50- objective period to locate their latest Hart Trophy recipient right to Ted Kennedy in 1954-55 That was a lot more of a recognition of his occupation than a real Most Valuable Player nod, as he completed greater than 20 factors behind Boom Boom Geoffrion and also Maurice Richard for the racking up lead.

Though he has an uphill struggle to really take house the honor, Matthews should have to be in the conversation for the Hart Trophy this year. Hes conveniently been the Leafs MVP, a constant, steadying existence in the center of a period ripe with dramatization. Matthews has actually racked up objective after objective after objective while his colleagues have actually coped depressions and also a wide range of injuries.

Without Matthews efficiency this period, points truly can have wound up really going southern. Leon Draisaitl will likely wind up taking the Hart Trophy house because of leading the organization in factors and also dragging the Oilers with Connor McDavids injury, however, for the very first time in a long period of time, therell be a Leaf in the thick of the conversation.

If I needed to fill in a tally now, I would certainly have Draisaitl primary, Artemi Panarin 2nd, Matthews 3rd, David Pastrnak 4th, and also Connor Hellebuyck 5th. Theres still plenty of time, however, so a great deal can transform. Draisaitl will not obtain that love if the Oilers elope of the playoffs. If Matthews can leap over Pastrnak and also win the Rocket Richard race and also the Leafs run warm right into the playoffs, his instance all of a sudden ends up being more powerful.

Well see what occurs over the following month. Matthews has probably the best period by a Leaf all-time within his reach. Itll be amazing to enjoy.

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Auston Matthews' Pursuit of Maple Leafs Immortality TheLeafsNation - The Union Journal

Alitor and Ronnie O’Sullivan chase sporting immortality at the Cheltenham Festival and World Snooker Championship – Sportinglife.com

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

Richard Mann Journalist

07:19 March 04, 2020 6 min read

Richard Mann ponders whether the mighty Alitor and Ronnie O'Sullivan can defy father time in their quest for sporting immortality this spring.

It might have been Alastair Down who once quipped that 'Cheltenham is no place for old bones.'

It's certainly a saying that has stuck with me over the years and the sight of Kauto Star and Istabraq before him being pulled-up in their respective bids for one last hurrah did nothing to weaken that theory.

The white-hot heat of the Cheltenham Festival is a gruelling test for horses and punters alike. The track provides a unique test for the thoroughbred with its undulations and stiff uphill finish requiring horses to be nimble enough to travel and jump well through the early part of their races before having the guts and desire needed to navigate the final and famous climb for home.

For punters and racegoers it isn't much easier, four days of top-class and incident-packed action often leaving even the strongest feeling weary by Friday evening.

In many respects, Cheltenham is the ultimate test, particularly for the chasers who must negotiate some notoriously difficult fences, and you can usually feel satisfied that winners of the Champion Chase and Gold Cup are deserving champions, blessed with that rare mix of class and heart that sets the very best apart from the chasing pack.

One horse who has done just that at the last four Cheltenham Festivals is the mighty Altior, a brilliant winner of a vintage renewal of the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle before bolting up in the Arkle and then claiming glory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase two years running.

Put simply, Altior is a racing superstar and while arguments will rage across the land, in public houses and on social media platforms, about just where he stands in the pantheon of National Hunt greats, he remains, until a week on Wednesday at least, the undisputed king of the two-mile chasing division.

With a CV as decorated and distinguished at the one Altior can boast, it is hard to believe there is anything left for him to achieve or to prove to anyone, not least the racing public that have taken him to their hearts, if not to the same level of adoration enjoyed by former stablemate Sprinter Sacre or indeed Tiger Roll.

Should he claim a record-equalling third Champion Chase at Cheltenham, there will be no question that he will have elevated himself to racing immortality but for now, the vultures are circling on and off the track.

On it, Defi Du Seuil and Chacun Pour Soi are two young pretenders with age on their side and in the midst of stellar campaigns.

In the case of Defi Du Seuil, he has already this season brushed aside the same rivals Altior had to work hard to see off at Cheltenham last year and as an improving seven-year-old with an impressive record at Prestbury Park, he looks to have a huge chance of dethroning the reigning champion.

It's not just the prospect of two progressive, younger rivals snapping at his heels that will worry Alitor fans either. Nicky Henderson's stable star lost his proud unbeaten record over obstacles when left toiling in Cyrname's wake at Ascot in November as plans for a possible tilt at the King George were torn to shreds in the Berkshire mud.

Seventy-seven days later, Altior finally returned to the track to defeat old foe Sceau Royal in the Game Spirit at Newbury but there are chinks in his armour now that we hadn't seen previously. His big, bold jumping is now making him appear slow and sluggish at his fences while his customary flat spot threatens to see him caught out with fatal consequences against younger, fresher legs in the Champion Chase.

Henderson's faith in Altior is unwavering but his charge is now ten years old and just about to face the toughest test in a career that has already seen him dig deep at four previous Festivals and again as recently as November when finishing very tired at Ascot.

Just how much is left in the tank will be revealed next week but there is no doubting the Champion Chase is brewing up to be the race of the week. A clash of the titans, young rising star against old champion, the prince hoping to dethrone the king and take the crown as his own.

It's not just at Cheltenham where this narrative promises to play out this spring, with Sheffield once again hosting the World Snooker Championship where Ronnie O'Sullivan appears to be going all out in his quest for a sixth Crucible crown and record 37th ranking title.

Like Altior, O'Sullivan has entered the twilight of his career and despite dominating snooker for much of the last 30 years, he now finds himself fighting to hold off the advances of a relentless Judd Trump, whose richly fruitful last 18 months have already seen him rise to the top of the world rankings.

When O'Sullivan lifted the UK Championship for a record seventh time in December 2018, passing Stephen Hendry's record for Triple Crown victories in the process, he appeared untouchable as he belied his advancing years with a level of snooker we thought might never be bettered.

Ronnie O'Sullivan reigns supreme in York

Of course, elite sport moves quickly and within a matter of months Trump had become world champion for the first time, routing John Higgins in the final, while O'Sullivan currently finds himself out of the top 16 in the one-year world rankings having failed to enjoy the level of success this term we have become so accustomed to.

Last week's Players Championship went ahead without its defending champion, O'Sullivan having failed to quality, and in claiming his fifth ranking title of the season in that event, Trump will line up as hot favourite for this month's Coral Tour Championship with The Rocket again a notable absentee.

The most significant thing about O'Sullivan's slide down the rankings is that it can't be blamed on a lack of focus or the carefree approach to the game that undoubtedly cost him titles earlier in his career, when he was troubled by personal problems.

O'Sullivan has remained dedicated to the sport and despite opting to skip this year's Masters in a bid to freshen himself up for the latter part of the season, he fought tooth and nail when beaten by Graeme Dott in the World Grand Prix recently and again in the semi-finals of the Welsh Open against Kyren Wilson a week later.

It was the same in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Open and when losing out to Trump in a high-quality final of the Northern Ireland Open earlier in the campaign.

The hunger and desire remains but at 44 years of age, his powers are on the wane and he is struggling to keep the wolves from the door.

The pack, led by Trump, Neil Robertson and Shaun Murphy, are circling for the kill but beware the wounded warrior, especially one as good as O'Sullivan, and his earlier victory at the Shanghai Masters and that final defeat to Trump in Belfast illustrate that he remains a very fine operator.

We might ponder where Altior stands amongst the National Hunt greats of the past but most observers have already concluded that O'Sullivan will leave snooker as the best the sport has seen and while his peers will arrive in Sheffield on the back of long and arduous seasons, he won't.

As Eurosport pundit Neal Foulds has suggested in recent weeks, that might work in O'Sullivan's favour given his last two World Championship bids saw him fall early at the end of trophy-laden campaigns and while 37 remains the magic number, he is sure to prepare well for what might be his last realistic chance of again tasting Crucible glory.

Passing Hendry's record remains the ultimate goal, the icing on the cake for a career that has seen O'Sullivan master his craft like no other, and it would be typical of the man to become the most decorated player in snooker history by winning the World Championship in the most iconic snooker venue of them all.

Like Altior, O'Sullivan is fighting to defy Father Time and a host of younger pretenders snapping at his heels in two of the most intriguing sporting events I can recall.

Cheltenham might be no place for old bones, The Crucible Theatre, too, but these great warriors aren't listening and they'll need to be carried out on their shields if they are denied one final triumph in the autumn of two remarkable careers.

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Alitor and Ronnie O'Sullivan chase sporting immortality at the Cheltenham Festival and World Snooker Championship - Sportinglife.com

Episode 21 – Blade of the Immortal – Anime News Network

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

If Act Twenty One Trap proves anything about Blade of the Immortal, it's that the show might finally be starting to do justice to its female cast, even if it still has a somewhat juvenile preoccupation with boobs and butts. For the longest time, Rin was the sole woman that we could consistently rely on to get any manner of character development, and even then it often felt like she was mostly there to motivate Manji's requisite bouts of bloodletting. Makie was a welcome addition to the story, but her presence in the overall tapestry of the show has been fleeting, and she too exists mostly as the distaff counterpart to Kagehisa. Things picked up quite a bit when Hyakurin became a semi-regular addition to the cast, though we wouldn't get a woman whose character arc wasn't in some way explicitly defined by romantic trauma/sexual assault until Doa joined Rin in rescuing the victims of Habaki's immortality experiments.

Now, not only has Rin's agency and role in the story been much more clearly defined, we also have Meguro and Tanpopo to add some much needed comic relief while still being competent warriors in their own right. None of the women in Blade of the Immortal have roles that are not in some way tied to the men in their lives, but we've at least reached the point where they feel like individual people in their own rights, with desires and strengths that allow them to stand apart in the ensemble. The opening scene where Magatsu, Meguro and Tanpopo help nurse Rin and Manji back to help works because we've come to care for these men and women in spite of their mixed and muddled allegiances. Even when the show's pacing isn't exactly doing the scripts any favors, the heart and soul of the story comes through in the end in moments like these, where a handful of barely held-together killers (and one incredibly stubborn teenager) are able to be friends, if only for a little while.

I wish I was as on board with Renzo's presence in the story, which hasn't lived up to its dramatic potential for me. I always figured the cost of Rin's vengeance would come back to her eventually, but the show is intent on drawing out story beat with unnecessary obfuscations. It takes forever for Rin to admit her role in the death of Renzo's father, and she still refuses to implicate him in the torture and murder of his parents; even Magatsu insists on sending Renzo out to discover the truth about his old man and the Itto-ryu on his own. I get why Rin would want to preserve whatever respect the child has for his dad, but it makes for a decidedly unsatisfying payoff to a story thread that can't have many more places to go in the few episodes that remain in Blade of the Immortal's run. We're at the point where the worst thing the show can do is waste time. Just tell the kid his pop was a sociopathic monster, hash out whatever drama comes from that, and move on already.

Even if Rin and Manji don't accomplish much other than standing up on their own two feet again in the first half of Trap, the plot keeps moving at the very least, whisking us back to Ryo's mission to fulfill her role in her father's clan and destroy the Itto-ryu. This second half of the episode begins somewhat slowly, but it eventually picks up into yet another thrilling battle to the death, which Blade of the Immortal has been excelling at lately. She's joined by Inroku Ban, a shifty warrior who favors pistols over the blade, and though Ryo and Inroku get within a hair's breadth of killing each other, they eventually join forces when they come to blows with one of the most fascinating Itto-ryu members yet: Koji.

Koji is an elderly fighter who uses subterfuge and his expertise in survival and poison-making to launch his solo assault against Habaki's troops. What makes this sequence especially fun is how trippy it gets; Ryo and Inroku both get asphyxiated with the jars of carbonic acid Koji has littered across the mountainside, giving the episode a chance to flex the surreal visuals that have marked some of the series' most compelling chapters. It's also just a great fight, with Inroku's painful death and Ryo's incredibly close victory giving the whole thing a sense of shifting balance and momentum, a hallmark of all great fight scenes.

Ryo's conflict is a bit simplistic compared to the other women in the cast she wants to live up to Habaki's expectations, though she's his last living descendant, which puts her at odds with Habaki's men but it is powerful indeed. I would never want her to actually win against Rin and Manji, but I'll be upset if she doesn't get some kind of vindication before her story is done. There are only a few weeks left before the Blade of the Immortal story concludes for good, and all of these disparate warriors are bound to meet eventually. It is possible Ryo might get her happy ending, just as it is possible that Hyakurin and Giichi might find some kind of peace in their life together, or even Rin and Manji for that matter. There are no guarantees in this web of revenge, though, and I can't even hold out too much hope that our heroes will be able to make it out intact.

Rating:

Blade of the Immortal is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop-culture, which can also be found on Twitter, his blog, and his podcast.

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Episode 21 - Blade of the Immortal - Anime News Network

Holi Festival 2020: how the thwarting of a Hindu demon king led to the colourful celebration – The Telegraph

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

Holi, a traditional Hindu festival whichcelebrates the beginning of spring as well as the triumph of good over evil, is set to takeplace next week.

Although the festival originated in India and is still widely celebrated there as a religious festival, it has been adopted in many places around the world.

Here is everything you need to know about it, from where it came from to why the powder, known as gulal, is thrown.

Every year the festival celebrations take place over two days, beginningaround the time of the full moon that comes in 'Phalguna' (between the end of February and the middle of March). This year, the Holi Festival takes place on Monday March 9,the same day theWorm Moon will grace our skies, and Tuesday March 10.

The first evening is known asHolika Dahan, or Chhoti Holi. Festival-goers traditionally gather around a bonfire to celebrate the victory of good over evil. They perform religious rituals, which include prayers that any evil inside of them is destroyed.

The following day is calledHoli, or Rangwali Holi. This is when the famous colourful powdersare thrown, mixing with water from water guns and water balloons so that the powder sticks to people.

Holi's different celebrations come from various Hindu legends, although one is widely believed to be the most likely origin.

In it, the celebration's name refers to Holika,the sister of the Hindu demon king Hiranyakashipu. The demon king was granted immortality with five powers:

When his immortality turned him evil and he began to kill anyone who disobeyed him,his son, Prahlad, decided to kill him. When the king found out, he asked his sister Holika for help; in their plan she would wear a cloak which stopped her from being harmed by fire and take Prahlad into a bonfire with her.

However, the cloak flew from Holika's shoulders while she was in the fire and covered Prahlad; he was protected but she burnt to death.

In the legend, the Lord Vishnu then appeared to killHiranyakashipu by sidestepping his five powers.

He took the form of Narasimha, who was half-human and half-lion; he met him on a doorstep, which is neither indoors nor outdoors; he appeared at dusk, which is neither daylight nor dusk; he placed his father on his lap, which is neither land, water nor air; and he attacked him with his lion claws, which are neither projectile nor handheld weapons.

While Hiranyakashipu and Holika came to represent evil, Vishnu and Prahlad came to represent good. The story shows the victory of good over evil, which is why it is tied to the festival.

The other most popular origin of the festival is the legend of Krishna. The Hindu deity, embarrassed by his dark blue skin, told his mother he was worried his love Radha would not accept him. She told him to colour Radha's facewhatever colour he wanted; when he did, they became a couple.

The coloured powder - or gulal -thrown on the second day of the festival comes from the legend of Krishna. Anyone at Holi is fair game to be covered in the perfumedpowder as a celebration of Krishna and Radha's love, regardless of age or social status. The powder also signifiesthe coming of spring and all the new colours it brings to nature.

Historically, the gulal was made of turmeric, paste and flower extracts, but today synthetic versions are largely used.

Thefour mainpowder colours are used to represent different things. Red reflects love and fertility, blue is the colour of Krishna, yellow is the colour of turmeric and green symbolises spring and new beginnings.

Peshwari naan

A delicious side dishfor aHoli Festival feast. The coconut in this naan bread also makes it a great sweetener to any spicy meal.

Sweet potato and lentil curry

This healthy, yet tasty, curry, is perfectfor a Holi Festival-inspired lunch.

Red lentil tarka dal

Packed with garlic, ginger and chillies, this dish can be enjoyed as a soothing soup on its own, or with a dollop of yogurt.

Spring onion bhajis

These crispy onion bhajis, made with spring onions, shallots, fresh coriander,turmeric and chilli flakes,offer a zip of freshness.

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Holi Festival 2020: how the thwarting of a Hindu demon king led to the colourful celebration - The Telegraph

The Role of Death in Life Topic of March 10 Philosophy and Religion Forum | The University of Southern Mississippi – Southern Miss Now

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

Thu, 03/05/2020 - 13:59pm | By: David Tisdale

Dr. Sheldon Solomon, a professor of psychology at Skidmore College whose research focuses on the effects of the uniquely human awareness of death on behavior, will present The Worm at the Core: On The Role of Death in Life at the next University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Philosophy and Religion Forum. This free event is set for Tuesday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m. in Gonzales Auditorium in the Liberal Arts Building on the Hattiesburg campus.

The co-author of In the Wake of 9/11: The Psychology of Terror and The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life, Dr. Sheldon is an American Psychological Society Fellow and recipient of an American Psychological Association Presidential Citation (2007), a Lifetime Career Award by the International Society for Self and Identity (2009), and the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs Annual Faculty Award (2011).

Dr. Sheldons research on death and its intersection with human behavior has earned support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Ernest Becker Foundation, and was featured in the award-winning documentary Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality.

"We're really looking forward to having Dr. Solomon with us for the March 10 Philosophy and Religion Forum, said Dr. Amy Slagle, an associate professor of religion in the USM School of Humanities and coordinator of the forum series. His research on the ways that the existential fear of death, and its denial, impacts the formation of human cultures and conflicts is compelling. I believe his talk will have broad appeal to USM students and faculty, and members of the Hattiesburg community."

For information on this event, contact Dr. Slagle at a.slagleFREEMississippi.

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The Role of Death in Life Topic of March 10 Philosophy and Religion Forum | The University of Southern Mississippi - Southern Miss Now

Church of Greece Urges Prevention and Prayer on Coronavirus – The National Herald

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

By TNH Staff March 4, 2020

Meeting of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis with His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece.(Photo by Eurokinissi/ Christos Bonis, File)

ATHENS The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece issued an announcement recommending to the faithful that they remain calm, follow the prescribed preventive measures and, of course, pray to Jesus Christ Who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light.

Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece and asked for the Churchs assistance in informing the faithful. Archbishop Ieronymos reassured Prime Minister Mitsotakis that the Church of Greece stands by the Greek State and will lend all its support to the progress of the Greek people.

The Holy Synod in an encyclical, calls on the faithful to intensify all our prayers to Jesus Christ, Who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light, in order to safeguard His creation in a healthy and complete way.

In addition, the Holy Synod recommends that those who have symptoms of the disease temporarily refrain from public activities as well as from embracing and kissing other people for the sake of public health.

Finally, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece points out that that every difficulty even disease can be an opportunity for cohesion and highlights the positive side of human relations, which can be expressed with courage, calmness, and solidarity, adding that all Orthodox Christians are called to serve the will of God, knowing that the divine and dignified treatment of illness constitutes peoples participation in the martyrdom of conscience and sacrifice before God[their] essential help and co-operation in order to prevent the diseases transmission leads to love.

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Church of Greece Urges Prevention and Prayer on Coronavirus - The National Herald

Lent with Bossuet Meditations on the Gospel (1) – FSSPX.News

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

We need a great grace against such vivid terror as that of death. We do not feel it as long as we have health and hope, but when there is nothing left, either of health or of hope, the blow is terrible. The blow is weakened, however, if we firmly believe that Jesus conquered death.

He conquered death in a twelve-year-old girl who had just died and was still in her bed (Mk. 5:35-42), and also in a young man who was being buried (Lk. 7:12-15). Finally, He conquered it in the tomb and in the heart of putrefaction, in the person of Lazarus (Jn. 11:41-44). It remained for Him to prevent corruption.

Jesus had conquered death in persons who had died a natural death. He still had to conquer it when death would come through violence.

Those whom He had brought back to life remained mortal. It remained that with death, He might even conquer mortality. It was in His person that He would show so complete a victory. After He had been put to death, Jesus arose from the dead to die no more, without even having ever experienced corruption. As the Psalmist chanted: thou wilt not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption (Ps. 15:10; Acts 2:27).

This which was done by the Chief or Head will be accomplished in His members. Immortality is assured us in Jesus Christ by greater right than when it had first been given to us in Adam. Our first immortality was not to die; our last immortality will be to die no more.

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Lent with Bossuet Meditations on the Gospel (1) - FSSPX.News

Altered Carbon: How Inclusivity Is Hardwired Into the Future of the Netflix Sci-Fi Drama – IndieWire

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

According to Altered Carbon showrunner Alison Schapker, the secret weapon of Netflixs cyberpunk sci-fi drama is the most compelling rule of its technocratic world: That souls can transfer bodies. That simple premise allows the series to bring fresh talent to its lead character each season as well as bring other characters back from the dead in myriad ways, not to mention imagining a world where women of color are powerful and in charge. Inclusivity is baked into the DNA of the show and that may be its strongest selling point.

Based on Richard K. Morgans 2002 novel, Altered Carbon imagines a future where a persons brain can be digitized into a portable stack, and then swapped into a new body (or sleeve) to achieve immortality. In only two seasons, the shows militant lead character Takeshi Kovacs has been played by three different actors. Kovacs is the last envoy, a centuries-old interstellar warrior who possesses intuitive powers. The original Kovacs is played by Will Yun Lee, whose stack was transferred into hulking all-American Joel Kinnaman for Season 1. In the second season, Anthony Mackie took up the mantel of the self-serious hero, enlivening a show that can sometimes feel derivative despite having boundless possibilities.

[Editors Note: The following portion of this article contains spoilers for Altered Carbon Season 2, including the ending.]

At the beginning of Season 2, Kovacs is haunted by visions of his long-lost love Quellcrist Falconer (unstoppable force Rene Elise Goldsberry), leader of the peoples revolution. However, he doesnt know if shes alive or simply a figment of his mind. By seasons end, they have rekindled their love and reversed roles, with Kovacs appearing as a voice inside Quells head. That means even if Altered Carbon recasts Kovacs for a potential Season 3, which it most likely will, theres a possibility that Mackie could return in some capacity.

I would always consider it, but the thing about Altered Carbon is nothing is ever shut down, so any of the Kovacs could potentially come back, Schapker said of a potential Mackie return. Even Quell leaves with him as a ghost in her mind, I love that flip. I think its painful to say goodbye to the Kovacs, anyone youve spent the season with, so the short answer is yes. At the same time, part of the challenge of the show is, Whos next? Im totally open to working with Anthony again, and if theres a reason for him to come back, I think he would be into it, too.

Rene Elise Goldsberry in Altered Carbon

Diyah Pera/Netflix

Mackie said he would gladly return to the show, but his reasoning is decidedly less motivated by narrative.

I would love to, I shot this show for five and a half months and I did not have one bad day of work, Mackie told IndieWire by phone. He does have some other concerns, however. If we could shoot it in Montreal or Toronto, I would love to be Takeshi for as long as I could. Theyre just amazing cities. (Season 2 of Altered Carbon shot in Vancouver.)

While the rotating cast allows for so much creative freedom, it also presents a challenge in keeping the audience connected to the throughline of the character. As a television fan herself, Schapker is always conscious of this tension. It is important to me as a fan and as a writer that the Kovacs who is living through the seasons is being carried forward in some way shape or form, she said. I care a lot about pleasure in watching television, so its always that tightrope that as youre challenging people to make new identifications youre also rewarding people for coming back to the show.

Thats part of why she left the ending of Season 2 how she did, with Poe (Chris Conner) making a data copy of a mysterious stack the identity of which wont be unveiled until a potential Season 3. (Netflix has yet to renew the series.)

I really left the chess pieces where I wanted them. I love that Quells out there, I love that Kovacs prime is out there, and I love that Poe made this copy, said Schapker, stopping herself before revealing the copys identity. I guess I have people I wanna bring back, and I have ideas.

Mackie has his own ideas about who the copy might be.

In Season 3, I would love to see Poe bring Takeshi back, he said. But I would love for Poe to bring Takeshi back, and for Takeshi and Kel to go on to stimulate the society that theyve been working for for over 500 years now, and thats giving the common man the power from the government.

As for the possibility of a woman Kovacs? Hundred percent open to that, Schapker said. I think its all on the table.

Originally posted here:

Altered Carbon: How Inclusivity Is Hardwired Into the Future of the Netflix Sci-Fi Drama - IndieWire

On religion: During times of plague, priests do what priests need to do – Hastings Tribune

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

The second wave of influenza in the fall of 1918 was the worst yet. By the time Father Nicola Yanney reached Wichita, Kansas, a citywide quarantine was in effect.

A 16-year-old girl had already died, creating a sense of panic. The missionary priest his territory reached from Missouri to Colorado and from Oklahoma to North Dakota couldnt even hold her funeral in the citys new Orthodox sanctuary. As he traveled back to his home church in Kearney, Nebraska, he kept anointing the sick, hearing confessions and taking Holy Communion to those stricken by the infamous Spanish flu.

After days of door-to-door ministry in the snow, Yanney collapsed and called his sons to his bedside. Struggling to breathe, he whispered: Keep your hands and your heart clean. He was one of an estimated 50 million victims worldwide.

A century later, many Orthodox Christians in America especially those of Syrian and Lebanese descent believe Yanney should be recognized as a saint. And now, as churches face fears unleashed by the coronavirus, many details of his final days of ministry are highly symbolic.

Father Nicola got the flu because he insisted on ministering to people who had the flu, said Father Andrew Stephen Damick, creator of The Equal of Martyrdom, an audio documentary about the man known as The Apostle to the Plains.

For priests, there are risks, said Damick. But you cannot turn away when people are suffering and they need the sacraments of the church. You go to your people and minister to them. This is what priests do.

Few acts in ministry are as intimate as a priest huddled with a seriously ill believer, hearing what could be his or her final confession of sins. Honoring centuries of tradition, Christians in the ancient churches of the East also take Communion from a common chalice, with each person receiving consecrated bread and wine mixed together from a golden spoon.

With coronavirus cases increasing in Europe, the leader of the Romanian Orthodox Church urged his people to be careful but to stay calm. The rules for receiving Holy Communion would remain the same.

Hasty judgments must be avoided, and we must firmly reaffirm the Orthodox belief that the Holy Eucharist is not and can never be a source of sickness and death, but a source of new life in Christ, of forgiveness of sins, for the healing of the soul and the body, wrote Patriarch Daniel. That is why, while believers receive Holy Communion, we chant: Receive the Body of Christ, taste the Fountain of Immortality.

Meanwhile, Orthodox leaders in South Korea closer to China and the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis have released stronger guidelines for priests, in reaction to warnings from national health officials. The first instruction states: During the Divine Liturgy, all believers will wear masks.

Also, worshippers in South Korean parishes will be asked to follow these instructions: Before entering the Church, they will disinfect their hands with a disinfectant present at the entrance of the church. They will not shake hands with anyone. They will not kiss the hand of the clergy. They will not kiss the Icons, but they will bow before them. ... The Agape Meal will not be served following the Sunday Liturgy.

Clergy in church traditions that use a common cup have spiritual reasons for believing what they believe. However, they also know that decades of secular research have failed to find significant risks linked to use of a common chalice. Looking at this from a materialistic point of view, said Damick, it helps to know that silver and gold chalices dont harbor germs and that the alcohol in the wine used in Holy Communion can kill germs.

In the weeks ahead, its likely that religious leaders will release more statements addressing ways for believers to lower their risks and prepare for possible quarantines.

I would not cancel services unless told to do so by my bishop. If local officials order people to close everything down, then I would call my bishop and ask him how to handle that, said Damick. What I hear our bishops saying is something like this: We are not going to stop doing the Orthodox things that we do. We are going to take some precautions.

(Terry Mattingly leads GetReligion.org and lives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He is a senior fellow at the Overby Center at the University of Mississippi.)

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On religion: During times of plague, priests do what priests need to do - Hastings Tribune

This photographer holds the secret to eternal youth – i-D

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

Whether its simply a preoccupation for celebrity gossip mags, or something more idyllic derived from fiction, the notion of eternal youth is open to interpretation. Defined as the concept of human physical immortality free of ageing, it is, ultimately, a common theme within current popular culture. For 17-year-old Dan Hall, the expression was a neat summary with which to label his ongoing photo series; a collection of images informed concurrently by the spirit of youth and the perspective of our grandparents.

Picking up a camera at a young age -- my father enjoyed taking photographs and has several cameras, so I learnt the basics from him and eventually got into it myself, he says -- Dans early interest has remained ever since, resulting this weekend in his debut solo exhibition at Notting Hills JM Gallery.

Characterised by a curiosity for the different expressions, characters and identities of his subjects, Eternal Youth captures couples embracing, friends playing, and flashes of Dan looking in the mirror. Here, ahead of the show's opening, the young photographer shares his thoughts on intimacy, rejecting digital, and why hes using the exhibition to help Young Minds and Age UK.

How do you define eternal youth?It suggests that, whatever age a person is, they always have a sense of youthfulness. The young want to be old and the old want to be young. Even though the people in the series are at opposite ends of adulthood, they all share youthful spirits.

Intimacy is a key theme in the photos, yet difficult to manufacture or feign. How did you create that ease between you and your subjects? The people that I photographed are close to me, so it allowed me to delve deeper into their vulnerability and how their character is portrayed or concealed through the image.

Youve mentioned previously the contrasts and similarities between young and old. Can you elaborate?Both groups are at the opposite ends of adulthood: young people are about to experience everything for the first time whereas older people are doing things for the last time. I discovered, after having conversations with both groups, that they share similar feelings of loneliness but have differing attitudes to beauty. The younger group are more self-critical whereas the elderly tend to accept the ageing process and wish they had appreciated their youthfulness more.

The images are all shot on an analogue camera. As someone whos grown up in a predominantly digital age, why do you think so many young photographers today are drawn to film?For me, the more tactile experience of shooting film took me away from digital. I can slow down and focus more on the composition of an image, connect with the subject more fully. The outcome isnt instantaneous and each frame counts.

Do you have a favourite image from the series?My favourite is 'Grandmas Hands', because it shows the evidence of a long and varied life -- the lines and details in her delicate hands show her age and theres beauty in that.

What can you tell me about the book?It contains an extended selection of images from the series, with additional text written anonymously by people, describing their experiences of being young or old. Its an accompaniment, and I think the text adds another layer and hopefully more depth to the photographs.

Profits from the book and any print sales you make are going to Young Minds and Age UK. Whats your relationship to those particular charities?I chose these two charities because they support mental health in the young and elderly, which reflects the people photographed. Amongst young people nowadays there is a lot of discussion surrounding mental health, whereas older generations are often forgotten about -- they grew up [in a time] when mental health wasnt talked about so openly. These charities can help both groups of people get the right support they need, so theres a nice link between the subjects and charities.

'Eternal Youth' by Dan Hall runs Friday 6 Sunday 8 March 2020 at JM Gallery, 230 Portobello Road, London W11 1LJ.

Credits

Photography Dan Hall

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This photographer holds the secret to eternal youth - i-D

‘Kaamyaab’ Movie Review: A Moving Tribute To The Unsung Heroes Of Cinema – HuffPost India

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

HuffPost India A still from Kaamyaab

In the cut-throat world of the film industry, the hierarchies of power are well-established. Unlike some other Western film industries, India is all about its stars. Then, perhaps the producer, um, no, the stars managers, the director and so on. In this social scale that determines your importance on a movie set, the role of an extra (yours truly has had the pleasure of being one in a Netflix ad) is exactly what it says it is: required but not essential. And yet for every extra, every bit role is another chance at potential stardom, a stab at cinematic glory, a shot at artistic immortality.

Hardik Mehtas Kaamyaab exists to illuminate these faces, often eclipsed by the spotlight that shines solely on the stars. Sanjay Mishra plays Sudheer, a retired side actor whos had some degree of success and what one would call, a cult following. When a TV interviewer points out that as per IMDB hes done 499 films, Sudheer excavates his dusty wig, polishes his boots, tightens his belt and embarks on a mission to turn that figure to 500.

Mishras Sudheer, much like his existence on movie sets, has a lonely life. By his own choice, he lives alone, refusing to stay with his concerned daughter and her family. He adores his granddaughter but its evident that he has a fractured relationship with her mother. Evenings are spent drinking with his old friend, reflecting on the abyss that stares in front and a past that could never honour his true potential. So when his old friend, Dinesh Gulati, who runs a casting company with the tagline, No Couch, Only Casting, gets him the role of the father in a Baahubali-type epic historical, Sudheer jumps at the chance.

But things dont go as per plan.

Recreating melodramatic scenes from 80s movies, from the doctor who declares inko dawa ki nahi, dua ki zaroorat hai or the shattered lawyer or the philosophical henchman, Mehta creates a world soaked in nostalgia and melancholy, while examining the broken dreams of someone whos observed the world from a periphery. In a heart wrenching scene, Sudheers daughter, frustrated with his fathers whims, asks, What will happen after your 500th film? Youll still remain an extra. Sudheer has no answers because shes probably right. But what she doesnt realise is that the record hes seeking isnt for the world, its for his own validation, to tell himself that he still has it in him.

Another scene that stands apart is the one where Sudheer auditions for the part. In his original takes, Sudheer is atrociously hammy, over-the-top and what millennials would call extra. Its only after Gulatis direction that he delivers a more understated, quiet performance. That scene singularly captures the generational shift, not just between artist and director but between cinema and audience, and how far weve travelled from what we used to be. Sudheer, though, is still a victim of his times, a prisoner of a past thats no longer relevant.

Because so much of Kaamyaab is about the quest for relevance, a desire to see and to be seen. While it loses its heft in certain scenes, which go against its grain, Mehta has remarkable control over his story and crafts a terrific climax. While Deepak Dobriyal is delightful as the casting director (lowkey inspired by a popular Bollywood casting director), Mehta has an assorted bunch of peculiar faces of yore populating his narrative, adding a meta touch to his drama.

From Avtar Gill, Manmauji to Guddi Maruti and Lilliput, the film honours the contribution of these actors by putting a spotlight on them, one that has forever eluded them. However, the real star of this film is Sanjay Mishra, who delivers a heartbreaking and pitch perfect performance. Whether its projecting an air of self-importance or crushing vulnerability, you get the full spectrum of Mishras astounding talent. In one terrific scene that encapsulates how the lines between fiction and reality have blurred, Mishras Sudheer takes a moment to realise when hes called by his actual name:Babulal Chandola.

Because, ultimately, Kaamyaab is a story about stories that have disappeared in the relics of the past, broken and forgotten in their quest for acknowledgement. And in what could happen only in a cinema hall, just when the film ended, and the audience was still enraptured, and when Mishra, an actor whos only now getting his due, was finally getting his big moment, in walked the films co-producer, Shah Rukh Khan.

And yet again, as he had been so many times in reel, Sudheer was once again relegated to the backdrop, eclipsed by the great superstar. Just another day in showbiz.

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'Kaamyaab' Movie Review: A Moving Tribute To The Unsung Heroes Of Cinema - HuffPost India

Overwatch Competitive Hero Pools: Week 1 Winners and Losers – The Game Haus

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

Season 21 of Overwatch Competitive was released yesterday and with it came the first round of hero bans. For those who have not seen the bans, they are: Orisa, Hanzo, Mei and Baptiste.

Now that the Week 1 bans are public, it is time to see the winners and losers of the first round of hero bans.

These two are grouped together because of their reliance on being up close and personal with the opponent. Now that Mei and Baptiste are removed from the hero pool, other heroes may be given more of a spotlight. There will be no Baptiste to throw an Immortality Field to reduce a Dragonblades effectiveness. Mei wont be able to freeze attackers with her primary fire or by dropping a Blizzard. These changes give these unique heroes a chance to shine in a way they have not the past year.

Roadhog is still a fun hero to play, that has not changed. What these bans did was reduce its viability. This issue is mainly due to the removal of Orisa from the hero pool. The duo of Orisa and Roadhog is one of the most synergistic tank pairings in the game. Orisa can halt to pull people off the map or into line of sight so Roadhog can hook them. They both have increased survivalist whether it be from Fortify or Take a Breather. With the removal of Orisa, Roadhog becomes much less viable than it previously was and should see minimal play at higher levels.

One thing these bans seem to do is take out heroes that at lower levels require little effort to be effective. There is no Orisa for players to be a tank version of Bastion, or as McGravy calls it, playing Tower Defense. Mei will not be freezing up multiple targets, walling off teams or wiping teams with a single use of her ultimate. Hanzo will not be able to just spam his arrows into a shield and get a kill. Add to that now players cant hold left click and heal a team in what feels like seconds. These bans shift the focus onto more skill based heroes in a way that can only help make the player base better.

how the hell am i supposed to practice my orisa now ???

The one bad part about the stratification of the OWL and competitive map and ban system is that they are completely different. If OWL pros wanted to practice the pro meta in competitive, the pros are not able to do that. This complicates streaming along with content creation because of the lack of continuity between the two. While some casual players may like the separate pools when it comes to weeks like this week, it is overall harmful to the product.

One thing that can be argued about this patch is to what level it benefits dive. The removal of Mei and Baptiste certainly help the composition. There is no longer Mei Walls to split the team, nor is their immortality field to survive the massive amount of damage typically focused on the dive target. Besides dive stars Doomfist and Genji being buffed by the bans, Winston benefits as well. For similar reasons mentioned above, Winston steps up a tier in terms of viability. When in comp.go dive.

What do you think? Tell me on Twitter at @TheWiz_SPM

Featured image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment

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Overwatch Competitive Hero Pools: Week 1 Winners and Losers - The Game Haus

View: The sacred balance of power – Economic Times

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

By Devdutt Pattanaik Across religious scriptures, we come across the concept of balance of power in the unlikeliest of spaces. We hear of charismatic kings who control people (at least warriors) that enable them to wrestle power and make themselves overlords of a kingdom. But how does one maintain balance with these kings? How do you prevent them from becoming dictators?

The balancing force always came through spiritual authorities. It was the job of a prophet or a priest, who had direct access to God. The conversation between the spiritual and the temporal has been the basis of balance of power. This must be kept in mind especially now, when we see the legislative power of the country dominated by a single political party. And simultaneously the balance of power that was supposed to be maintained by the judiciary and by the media is crumbling and a single force is becoming authoritative, making it dangerous. Lets see how a similar situation is explained in the Puranas.

In the Bhagavata Purana, there is the story of king Vena who plunders the earth causing great distress to the earth goddess. So, the rishis come together and, using a magical formula, transform blades of grass into missiles to kill him. This is clearly a story of an assassination. We are told that the body of the king is then churned by the rishis. The negative element is sent to the forest where it can live on as awild animal or as a wild person. The positive element of civilization is churned into a new king called Prithu.

Prithu then is given a bow of kingship: an indicator of balance, by the gods themselves. Thus, the rishis intervene in the misbehaviour of the kings.

The relationship of raja or Vedic king and rishi or Vedic sage is a recurring theme in mythology. In the Rig Veda, kings like Divodasa and Sudas rely on sages and their chanting to bring divine power into their lives. A king did not believe his power came from himself but that it came through the gods. We find Vishwamitra, Vashishtha talking constantly to kings like Dasharatha. In the Mahabharata, rishis like Sanat Sujata go to Dhritarashtra to stop the war; they are unfortunately unsuccessful. Such engagements maintained a balance of power. It restrained kings from crossing the line.

We find the same idea in the Bible. In the Bible, the prophets were connected with God and spoke to man. Through the prophets, kings were advised how to function. The prophets propped up kings, prophets pulled them down. King Saul is made king by Samuel, but when he disobeys the word of God, he is rejected and replaced by David. David falls in love with another mans wife called Bathsheba. Then another prophet Nathan calls him out for his misdemeanour. David was punished for adultery and not allowed to build the temple of God, which he so aspired to do. Instead his son Solomon built the temple.

The same idea is found in the Islamic world. In India, when the Delhi Sultanate came into being, the Delhi Sultans often sought the help of Sufi saints for power. For example, when the Mongols besieged Multan, the local Sufi Sheikh, Bakhtiar, gave an arrow to the ruler Kubacha with instructions to let it loose into the darkness against the army of unbelievers. In the morning, the Mongols were defeated. Thus, the kings success was seen as coming from spiritual guidance.

This idea, in its earliest form, is seen in the Zoroastrian tradition where the king is related to the divine realm through the tree of immortality. In early days, the king and priest were one and the same, but the separation came about to ensure balance of power.

Nowadays, politicians are often connected with gurus, but here the guru functions as the vote bank, providing a vast source of power to the king. He is not functioning as the balance of power calling truth to power. He is instead subservient to the king. There is a pretence of a relationship between the spiritual and the temporal. Just as secular institutions failed at maintaining balance of power, so have these self-proclaimed spiritual institutions.

Devdutt Pattanaik is author of Business Sutra.

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‘Altered Carbon’ Season 3 Needs A Bigger Budget, If Netflix Renews It At All – Forbes

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

Altered Carbon

Im not sure what to make of the future of Altered Carbon, the Netflix series which just debuted its second season this past weekend. Season 1 was one of my favorite seasons of sci-fi TV ever, and while I liked season 2, its hard to say it fully lives up to the first.

There are a lot of open questions about what happens with Altered Carbon next. Netflix is known for killing shows after two seasons a lot of the time unless they are total breakout hits. Does Altered Carbon qualify? Im not sure. Season 2 was not a sure thing for a long time, until it was finally greenlit, and while I am seeing Altered Carbon in Netflixs new Top 10 list of whats being watched (its #4 today), we dont know if thats enough for Netflix to renew a series thats probably more expensive than most of their others by a wide margin.

And the problem? It needs to be even more expensive.

Going into season 2 of Altered Carbon, I noticed that it was quite a bit shorter than season 1. Not only were there two fewer episodes, 8 instead of 10, but most of the episodes were sub-50 minutes, where most season 1 episodes were 50+. That struck me as a possible cost-cutting metric, but after watching the show, thats not the only thing that seemed like a budget reduction.

One of the core problems with Altered Carbon season 2 is that is just seems so muchsmaller than season 1. One of the best parts of the first season was its worldbuilding, and how it created this massive, Blade Runner-like world of immortality with minds jumping through different bodies. It felt like a blockbuster movie in TV form and spanned a wide variety of fascinating locations from the towering mansions of the rich to floating illegal sex clubs in the sky.

Altered Carbon

Altered Carbon season 2 hasfar less of that.

The most obvious cost-saving metric is to reuse the exact Edgar Allen Poe-themed hotel for a large number of scenes, despite being on a totally different planet. There is a technological explanation for this given in the show butyeah, its a little goofy.

Past that, the other environments are justkind of uninspired. They feel like small sets, like a crowded grungy corridor in town, or a lot of stuff just filmed in some random woods or caves. Even when we start to get into the fantastical, a blissful utopia where consciousnesses go free of their bodies, its just like, a local park with a weird color filter on it. The world just feels smaller and faker than what we saw in season 1, and again, this feels like a budget issue.

This may be part of the reason that this season isnt being as well-received by fans as the first. Curiously, critics are reviewing season 2 better than season 1 (82% versus 68% on Rotten Tomatoes), but fans are the polar opposite. Season 1 has a 90% fan review score while season 2 has crashed down to a 38%.

Altered Carbon

From my view, neither of these assessments are correct. Season 2 is not better than season 1 as these critic scores would have you believe, but neither should season 2 be crashing down to a failing 38% as fans are saying either, as its not that much worse. But clearly there is some sort of disconnect going on here, and I am curious what thats about. I do think part of it is the smaller, shorter, lower budget season. And I also think Joel Kinnaman was a better Takeshi Kovacs than Anthony Mackie, though thats not a problem a potential season 3 would have, as no doubt he will be recast again.

I dont know what Netflix will decide to do with Altered Carbon. Season 2 ends with a pretty obvious cliffhanger and the potential for more stories to come. There are three books in the original series by Richard K. Morgan, so it stands to reason Netflix should just let those run their course, at least. But come on, loosen those purse strings just a little bit so you can have a sci-fi show to rival Amazons The Expanse again. It needs the help, judging by how this past season went.

Follow meon Twitter,FacebookandInstagram. Pick up my new sci-fi novelHerokiller, and read my first series,The Earthborn Trilogy, which is also onaudiobook.

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'Altered Carbon' Season 3 Needs A Bigger Budget, If Netflix Renews It At All - Forbes

Eternals Gives the MCU Its First Bollywood Dance Scene Says Kumail Nanjiani – MovieWeb

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

Marvel's Eternals movie will feature a massive Bollywood dance scene. Kumail Nanjiani revealed the information in a new interview. The actor also stated that the highly anticipated movie uses a lot of practical effects instead of relying on green screen for everything. While a lot of Hollywood projects with a budget have been going with the more practical look, there are some filmmakers, like Jon Favreau, who are stretching the imagination with new and innovative green screen technology.

In Eternals, Kumail Nanjiani plays Kingo, a character with near-immortality, super-strength, flight, energy projection, and molecular manipulation. This is the version of the character from the comics. However, it looks like the movie is changing the character up a little. Nanjiani had this to say about it.

Kingo goes undercover and becomes a huge Bollywood movie star. This sounds like there's plenty of room for Kumail Nanjiani to bring some of his comedic talents out in Eternals. While his "undercover" choice is questionable, it allowed Nanjiani to get some professional dance training in real-life for a massive Bollywood dance scene in the movie. He explains.

From the sound of things, the Bollywood dance number won't be a big part of Eternals. It will more than likely focus on how ridiculous Kingo's choice has become. Whatever the case may be, it's been benefitting Nanjiani. He had to get physically ripped for the movie, which got him a ton of attention on social media, even gaining some notoriety on Pornhub, along with a free subscription to their premium content. Now, he has some Bollywood dance moves that he'll more than likely have for the rest of his life.

As for what the rest of the Eternals movie will look like, Kumail Nanjiani says it's pretty natural. "It looks beautiful and it's all mostly practical. Like we didn't do very much green screen at all." Principal photography on Eternals just wrapped and it's now in the post-production phase, which means some of the first footage should be on its way. With the movie premiering at the end of the year, we could see a teaser in front of Black Widow in May. However, we could see a delay over the coronavirus. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. The interview with Kumail Nanjiani was originally conducted by Deadline.

Topics: The Eternals

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Eternals Gives the MCU Its First Bollywood Dance Scene Says Kumail Nanjiani - MovieWeb

Star Wars Reveals How Palpatine Survived Return of the Jedi | CBR – CBR – Comic Book Resources

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

Generations of Star Wars fans -- to say nothing of George Lucas -- believed for the better part of 36 years that Emperor Palpatine met his end in Return of the Jedi, when Darth Vader hurled his master into the reactor shaft of the Death Star II, which was then destroyed by those meddlesome Rebels. Expanded Universe aside, that indeed appeared to be the case, until The Rise of Skywalker revealed he not only survived those event but secretly had been playing the galaxy's puppet master. Unfortunately, however, the film skimps on the details, leaving most of the true revelations to the upcoming novelization.

Leaks from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: Expanded Edition, by Rae Carson, have already confirmed the Palpatine in the film was a clone, explained how Rey gave Kylo Ren the lightsaber, and revealed his final words. Now add to the list what actually happened after Palpatine was betrayed by his apprentice in Return of the Jedi's final act.

RELATED: The Rise of Skywalker Novelization Basically Makes An EU Plot Point Canon

Posted on reddit, the passage details the Emperor's memories of the moment, which flood into Rey's mind:

Falling ... Falling ... Falling ... down a massive shaft, the betrayal sharp and stinging, a figure high above, black clad and helmeted and shrinking fast. His very own apprentice had turned against him, the way he himself had turned against Plagueis ... whose secret to immortality he had stolen.

Plageuis had not acted fast enough in his own moment of death. But Sidious, sensing the flickering light in his apprentice, had been ready for years. So the falling, dying Emperor called on all the dark power of the Force to thrust his consciousness far, far away, to a secret place he had been preparing. His body was dead, an empty vessel, long before it found the bottom of the shaft, and his mind jolted to a new awareness in a new body -- a painful one, a temporary one.

Although the Emperor had planned on Vader's inevitable betrayal, the moment arrived sooner than expected: "The secret place had not completed its preparations. The transfer was imperfect, and the cloned body wasn't enough. Perhaps Plagueis was having the last laugh after all. Maybe his secret remained secret. Because Palpatine was trapped in a broken, dying form."

RELATED: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's Deleted Scenes Will Be in Comic Adaptation

That explanation is strikingly similar to the one in Star Wars: Dark Empire, the 1990s Dark Horse comics series now relegated to Legends. There it was revealed Palpatine survived his apparent death in Return of the Jedi by transferring his essence ... into the body of an old, decaying clone. He purportedly had experimented with the process for years, his spirit hopping from one body to another, cheating immortality through a combination of dark power and technology. (It was later clarified the Palpatine depicted in the films wasn't a clone.)

These new details from the novelization flesh out the clone revelation (so to speak), while bolstering the mystique of Plagueis and confirming the Sith Rule of Two makes the apprentice's betrayal of his master inevitable. It's no wonder, then, that Palpatine was likely planning to murder Vader.

At the same time, they will undoubtedly cue another chorus of groans from disappointed fans who wonder why such plot details couldn't have just been included in The Rise of Skywalker. The film, not the novelization.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: Expanded Edition goes on sale March 17.

NEXT: Elijah Wood Throws Shade At The Rise of Skywalker's Storytelling

Star Trek Vs Coronavirus: Vulcan Salutes Replacing Handshakes Is... Logical

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The Futurists Redefining What it Means to be Human – PHmuseum

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Danzig

Art director Gem Fletcher attended a few meetings in London called the futurists meetup, where people discuss what the future holds for humanity. Fascinated by the subject, she involved photographer David Vintiner, and they started to investigate people who decide on their own evolution.

David Vintiner, from the series Futurists

Transhumanists are a group of individuals harnessing the power of tech to transcend our human biology, photographer David Vintiner and art director Gem Fletcher introduce their project, Futurists. Their 5-year long research covers a broad range of such engineering, from people designing news senses such as an implant that allows its color-blind receiver to hear colors, to those who are on a quest to extending life expectancy.

We should not be afraid of becoming something else, says Moon Ribas, who has developed a sensor which is implanted in her elbow and vibrates whenever there is an earthquake, allowing her to feel global seismic activity in real time. Her portrait by Vintiner is extremely expressive contortioned on the floor, she seems to prolong Earths movements despite the concrete screed that separates them.

David Vintiner, from the series Futurists

What is true for this portrait applies to all of them. Vintiner isnt announcing the end of the world nor making the apology of unlimited bio-science. He simply doesnt judge. We are just trying to explore and explain the movement to other people, he confirms. It took me about a year to get an understanding of what transhumanism is. These people seem really eccentric at first but the more I learned, the less crazy and wacky they seemed. They are just purely thinking about the technology and ignore fuzzy ideas such as what is the soul.

His approach translates into a neutral aesthetics. In most cases, his portraits are shot in mundane locations - a teenagers bedroom, an empty garage, an office, a classroom or a living room featuring basic technology such as a TV or a music player. This is happening now, it's not the future; they're all real people. As much as possible, we photographed them in their homes or in all the places where they do their experiments, he explains. No cold light either.

David Vintiner, from the series Futurists

Some devices might remind of super-heroes, but Vintiner doesnt amplify that aspect. Transhumanists may seem to transcend the barriers of both senses and ethics, but in most cases, they just happen to be thinking in a very pragmatic, scientific way. I dont really feel like I have transcended the barriers of traditional sense, I just feel like I am an asshole who is missing an eye and got an eye camera, one of his subject says.

Yet, a portrait of Nick Bostrom, the Director of the Future of Humanity Institute, Oxford University, raises a question, if not a warning. The co-founder of the World Transhumanist Association, Bostrom also warns about the dangers of artificial intelligence being unregulated. He further reasoned that the creation of a superintelligent being represents a possible means to the extinction of mankind. Even though transhumanism is based on science, it has that religious idea of immortality to it, of playing God with biology, Vintiner concludes. Till where?

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David Vintiner is a British photographer based in London focusing mainly on portraiture. You can support his first book's I Want To Believe kickstarter campaign here.

Laurence Cornet is a writer and curator based in Paris focusing on cultural and environmental issues. She is also the editorial director of Dysturb.

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This article is part of our feature series Photo Kernel, which aims to give space to the best contemporary practitioners in our community. The word Kernel means the core, centre, or essence of an object, but it also refers to image processing.

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