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Immortality or Scam? Russian Company Offers to Freeze Dead Brains to Revive Them in Future – News18

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

Immortality has always been one of the biggest human obsessions. From fantasy to science fiction, eternal life is often depicted both a boon and a bane. And now, a Russian firm could be making these dreams of immortality real - for only Rs 25 lakh.

A Russian firm by the name of KrioRus is offering to freeze human brains and cadavers in cryogenic cylinders for the sum of Rs 25 lakh. the bodies will be frozen in liquid nitrogen for an unspecified time until the technology becomes available for reanimating the body again.

If it sounds like a nightmare out of Dr Frankenstein's head, you are probably not far off the mark.

When Alexei Voronenkovs 70-year-old mother passed away, he paid to have her brain frozen and stored in the hope breakthroughs in science will one day be able to bring her back to life.

It is one of 71 brains and human cadavers that KrioRus calls its patients - floating in liquid nitrogen in one of several metres-tall vats in a corrugated metal shed outside Moscow.

They are stored at -196 degrees Celsius (-320.8F) with the aim of protecting them against deterioration, although there is currently no evidence science will be able to revive the dead.

I did this because we were very close and I think it is the only chance for us to meet in the future, said Voronenkov who intends to undergo the procedure, known as cryonics, when he dies.

The head of the Russian Academy of Sciencess Pseudoscience Commission, Evgeny Alexandrov, described cryonics as an exclusively commercial undertaking that does not have any scientific basis, in comments to the Izvestia newspaper.

It is a fantasy speculating on peoples hopes of resurrection from the dead and dreams of eternal life, the newspaper quoted him as saying.

Valeriya Udalova, KrioRuss director who got her dog frozen when it died in 2008, said it is likely that humankind will develop the technology to revive dead people in the future, but that there is no guarantee of such technology.

KrioRus says hundreds of potential clients from nearly 20 countries have signed up for its after-death service.

It costs $36,000 (about Rs 25 lakh) for a whole body and $15,000 (about Rs 10 lakh) for the brain alone for Russians, who earn average monthly salaries of $760, according to official statistics. Prices are slightly higher for non-Russians.

The company says it is the only one in Russia and the surrounding region. Set up in 2005, it has at least two competitors in the United States, where the practice dates back further.

Voronenkov said he set his hopes on science. I hope one day it reaches a level when we can produce artificial bodies and organs to create an artificial body where my mothers brain can be integrated.

KrioRus director Udalova argues that those paying to have dying relatives remains preserved are showing how much they love them.

They try to bring hope, she said. What can we do for our dying relatives or the ones that we love? A nice burial, a photo album, she said. They go further, proving their love even more.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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Immortality or Scam? Russian Company Offers to Freeze Dead Brains to Revive Them in Future - News18

Immortality: Lowry and Arcidiacono to Have Their Numbers Retired in February – Villanovan

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

Villanova Basketball announced on Tuesday that as a part of its 100th season, it would be retiring two jerseys of former Wildcat legends. The two players who will receive the honor include Ryan Arcidiacono, who will have his ceremony Feb. 12th vs. Marquette, and Kyle Lowry, who will have his jersey retired Feb. 26th vs. St. Johns.

Each point guard had a profound impact throughout their tenure at Villanova. Arcidiacono, widely known as Arch, sported the number 15. Throughout his four years at the university, he averaged 11.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest in 144 career games. Arcidiacono was dominant from start to finish during his time as a Wildcat. Entering his freshman year in the 2012-2013 season, he was named team captain, and immediately productive and made the Big East All-Freshman team. In his junior season, Arcidiacono received the 2014-2015 Big East Player of the Year award. During his senior season, the 63 point guard excelled as a player and a leader. Arcidiacono led the team to go 27-4 throughout the regular season, then win the schools first National Championship in 31 years. He memorably brought up the ball and dropped off a pass to a trailing Kris Jenkins, who hit the game-winning shot to win the title. In addition to being on the 2015-2016 All-Big East second team, Arcidiacono was on the 2016 NCAA All-Tournament team, 2016 NCAA Tournament All-Region team, and was named the 2016 Final Four Most Outstanding Player. Arcidiacono had an outstanding impact at the university and helped bring the Villanova basketball program to another level. As a result, his well-known 15 will not be worn by any other mens basketball player and will hang proudly in the rafters.

Lowry, who donned number 1 at Villanova, played only two seasons with the team before moving on to the professional level. However, throughout his brief period as a Wildcat, he played a critical role to the teams success. Lowrys freshman year was in the 2004-2005 season. The 6 guard averaged 7.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2 assists per game, as he was named to the Big East All-Freshman team. In the following season, Lowry improved his overall game, and emerged as one of the best players in the conference. He played six more minutes per game, and averaged 11 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Lowry also improved defensively as he averaged 2.3 steals per gameincreasing from 1.3 steals per game from the season prior. Lowry was named to the 2005-2006 All-Big East second team, and declared for the 2006 NBA Draft. He was selected as the 24th overall pick and has since built himself a well-rounded NBA career. Today, Lowry is a five-time NBA All Star, and recently made history by helping the Toronto Raptors win their first NBA championship last season. After excelling in his two years as a Wildcat, Lowry has proudly represented Villanova basketball throughout his professional career. Hence, the former Villanovan will be honored as one of many great players to have contributed to the program.

Being given this honor solidifies players as all-time greats within a program. Arcidiacono and Lowry made enormous contributions to the school which have helped shape what it is today. Their jerseys will hang in the rafters, as their legacies will forever be engrained at Villanova University.

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Immortality: Lowry and Arcidiacono to Have Their Numbers Retired in February - Villanovan

On the brink of immortality | LSU – American Press

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

LSU Tigers running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (22) looks for a hole in the Texas A&M Aggies defense to run through during the Southeastern Conference matchup at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Saturday, November 30, 2019.

Clemson vs. LSU 7 p.m. ESPN

NEW ORLEANS Ed Orgeron and No. 1 LSU stand on the brink of immortality with one hill left to climb in this tour de force of a season.

To call it a magical run feels disingenuous given the relative ease with which LSU romped its way to the College Football Playoff National Championship. LSU has taken a blowtorch to the sports offensive record book. Only a handful of opponents managed to give the Bayou Bengals a 60-minute fight.

But if youre going to become the champions, eventually youre probably going to have to go through the champions. Thats the challenge that awaits LSU in No. 3 Clemson as the two teams play for a title in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome tonight.

This ones for all the marbles, but Orgeron has preached to his team to approach this game exactly like it did the 14 victories that came before it.

We didnt talk about going to play for the National Championship, Orgeron said. We talked about we have to prepare to beat Clemson, one game at a time, just like weve done. We have trusted the process. Today is focus Friday. The guys are getting excited. They are getting antsy. I can feel it. Im getting antsy, too. But I think we have to continue to work up through game time.

Something has to give in this meeting of dominant teams. LSU has played three one-score games this season and outscored its opponents by an average margin of 27.2 points per game. Clemson only had two such close calls and outscored opponents by a whopping 33.8 points per game.

They are going to make plays. Were going to make plays, Orgeron said. We have to work for 60 minutes and focus on winning the game and not worry about all the other stuff, block out all the noise just like we did all year.

An LSU win would cement Orgeron a place among the programs legendary figures. It would complete an unbelievable redemption arc for a coach whose career was reduced to a punchline after a disastrous stint at Ole Miss, and its happening a mere two seasons after a loss to Troy that felt like rock bottom.

Being from Louisiana and Cajun heritage are essential pieces of Orgerons soul. To lead LSU to the pinnacle of the sport right here in New Orleans is the kind of storybook script that Orgeron couldnt have dreamt up during his year off from coaching in 2014.

Orgeron has turned his career around by staying in the moment and never making it about himself, but what an oh-so-sweet moment that would be for the 58-year-old football lifer.

Im excited to be at LSU at home where were proud of our Cajun heritage, Orgeron said. Were proud to be from Louisiana. I just feel at home here. People that made fun of my accent before, I thank them. That gave me internal motivation to do better, so I thank them.

None of that is to suggest that anything will come easy tonight. The opposing group of Tigers havent lost since Jan. 1, 2018, and Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence hasnt finished second in a game since he was a senior in high school.

For all of Swinneys bellyaching about a perceived lack of respect for Clemson nationally, his program has undoubtedly become the preeminent force in college football arguably even more so than Alabama.

Clemson is playing for both its 30th consecutive victory and its third national championship in four years under Swinney. With a win, Clemson would become the first team this century to go undefeated while winning back-to-back titles.

Thats a dynasty any way you slice it. Clemsons prodigious accomplishments during this run rank up there with some of the hallowed teams in football history. Swinney wants his team to embrace their chance at history without losing sight of the task at hand.

Certainly we reinforce from time to time what their opportunity is, but its not like were giving them anything they dont know, Swinney said. They know. Theyre very well aware of what theyve been able to achieve. And listen, regardless of what happens in the game tomorrow night, its really been a historic run.

One way or the other, history will be made in New Orleans on tonight.

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On the brink of immortality | LSU - American Press

The Witcher Fan Theory Explains Why Jaskier Is Seemingly Immortal In Show – TheGamer

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

One Witcher fans theory on why Jaskier doesnt seem to age in the show seems like the best explanation yet.

We get that The Witchers timeline can be a bit confusing--especially since there isnt a lot of evidence on screen to suggest that time has passed. Geralt is a Witcher, so he ages extremely slowly, but so too do all the mages that populate The Witchers cast.

Jaskier isnt a mage; hes a bard. But he still seems to be as ageless as everyone else, and thats more than a little weird.

Between the first episode when Jaskier and Geralt meet and episode five, Jaskier himself says that 10 years have passed. And yet it seems as though Jaskier hasnt aged a day. Why is that?

One Witcher fan posted their theory on the Witcher subreddit. User Tumbleweed223 believes that Jaskier just pulled a Jaskier and put his mouth where it doesnt belong.

"They say they messed up on Jaskier by not aging him with all the time jumps in the show. I say he just bull****** his way to immortality by drinking some potion, thinking it was wine. Cause thats just a very bard thing to do."

RELATED: New Witcher Photos Show Off Jaskier In Iconic Dandelion Hat

This sort of wraps up the mystery, although it becomes strange that Netflix decided to cut the "Jaskier Accidentally Becomes Immortal" episode from the show's first season.

Another fan had a different theory and thought that Jaskier was just exaggerating how long he and Geralt had known each other. According to another user, however, 22 years have passed since the first and last episodes, putting Jaskier's age from 18 in the beginning to 40 at the end. He's one good-looking 40-year-old, and a life of wine and singing just isn't enough to explain away Jaskier's lack of wrinkles.

Potion of immortality. It just has to be.

Heres hoping that Jaskiers apparent immortality means well be seeing a lot more of him in season 2.

Source: Reddit

NEXT: Hello Kitty Becomes A Gundam Pilot In Bizarre (And Adorable) Series Of Shorts

Hello Kitty Becomes A Gundam Pilot In Bizarre (And Adorable) Series Of Shorts

Actually a collective of 6 hamsters piloting a human-shaped robot, Sean hails from Toronto, Canada. Passionate about gaming from a young age, those hamsters would probably have taken over the world by now if they didn't vastly prefer playing and writing about video games instead.The hamsters are so far into their long-con that they've managed to acquire a bachelor's degree from the University of Waterloo and used that to convince the fine editors at TheGamer that they can write "gud werds," when in reality they just have a very sophisticated spellchecker program installed in the robot's central processing unit.

The rest is here:

The Witcher Fan Theory Explains Why Jaskier Is Seemingly Immortal In Show - TheGamer

Colorado Rockies news: Walker will be inducted as immortalat least by one team – Purple Row

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

Rockies to retire Larry Walkers No. 33 before game against Cardinals in April | The Denver Post

Larry Walker has achieved baseball immortality by one big league team for certain. His jersey retirement will come on a Sunday afternoon this April, and well find out within the next week if his immortality will be furthered in Cooperstown.

Walkers number 33 is to join Todd Heltons 17 as the only Rockies numbers adorned on the face of the right field mezzanine. Walker spent his first six big league years in Montreal, the following nine and a half in Colorado, and then his final one and a half in St. Louis. He made one All Star appearance in Montreal, four in Colorado. A 1997 NL MVP with the Rockies cements his legacy in Colorado, and his collective resume has been deemed of sufficient regard for no Rockie to ever wear 33 again.

The Baseball Hall of Fame will announce the class of 2020 on Tuesday night, so this announcement cant really stand as a Hall of Fame marketing ploy for some votes. With Walkers final year on the ballot almost up, the timing of his jersey retirement does seem more than just mere coincidence, however; the team could have realistically done it at any point in the last 15 years. The motives behind why its upon us now, rather than before, make for interesting discussion.

If he were labeled as worthy as Helton, perhaps his number would have been retired over 10 years ago. If he didnt play for Montreal, maybe the number would have been retired by now, too. If Helton didnt suit up for all 17 of his years in Denver, maybe the immediacy of the number 17 jersey retirement wouldnt have been as quick, either.

Walker is also a prime topic of discussion in Rockies news at the moment, and celebrating him now is sure to give him a sizable ovation when his number is revealed in a few months.

Helton nearly doubled Walkers time in a Rockies uniform. He collected five All Star appearances, all consecutive. The serious longevity of Heltons tenure paired with his successes in Colorado made the decision easy for his number to be honored, so much so that it happened months after his retirement. Mix in a 2007 World Series appearance (and arguably the most iconic moment in Rockies history) and it makes that decision a no-brainer.

That discussion shouldn't knock Walkers accomplishments in the slightest; it exists more to reason where the standards may be for future Rockies jersey retirements. Walker and Heltons circumstances have been different in a lot of ways. With only two players receiving number retirement recognition thus far, its hard to determine the exact qualities necessary.

It also seems that nine years in Denver and an MVP, or 17 years and a World Series appearance, is a good place to start.

Jackie Robinsons 42 and the initials of Keli McGregor are recognized in the same space where Heltons number is, and Walkers will be. Robinsons 42 at Coors Field used to be on the actual fence in right field, as were McGregors initials. The addition of Helton as the third honoree prompted a move to their current location, above the visitor bullpen in right-center field.

Walker is not the final Rockie to ever wear 33; Justin Morneau did so in 2014 and 2015.

Whos On Track To Make The Baseball Hall Of Fame? | FiveThirtyEight

The projection thus far: Walker, 85.5 percent, 10.5 above the cutoff line. If Walkers name is indeed read off Tuesday night for a bronze Hall of Fame plaque, this would make for quite the month for him.

Hall of Fame ballot tracker Ryan Thibodaux has collected the results of over 150 ballots by voters that have made their votes public. The data collected gives a general idea for what may be to come, but a large margin of error remains with over half the remaining ballots unaccounted for.

The projections are also subject to their own sets of scrutiny, and a sampling that has inherent bias. The sabermetric-savvy voters are probably the tech-savvy ones, and likely use social media with ease to share their results. Someone that looks at less sophisticated stats may take a less sophisticated view to their Twitter account too, and keep their ballot private. A small Hall voter who picks significantly under 10 maximum players may be fed up with people telling them to fill out their boxes, so they might decide to stay private. Theres a reason for every voters decision to go public or private.

Essentially there are two outcomes on tweeting out your ballot: either most people agree and theres little commentary, or most people disagree and all hell breaks loose.

The less popular ballots in the public eye can understandably be labeled the ones that stay private. Three people didnt vote for Ken Griffey Jr. or hed have been unanimous. We still dont know who those three writers are to this day.

A private ballot challenges a fundamental principle of journalism. It wards off media transparency. The Baseball Writers of America vote for the Hall, and a professional writer or journalist should most definitely understand their job is completely dependent on revealing the truth (or at least it should be). Its what has kept them employed.

The privacy of a ballot can ensure votes remain integral without outside influence, however. The writers likely know more than anybody that publishing a less-popular take comes with baggage, even if they firmly believe in their particular take. Facing backlash they label as unnecessary isnt a real productive use of time, especially on a responsibility like the ballot they assessed for hours.

85.5 percent of public ballots have been serious about Walker. That would be over a 30 percent increase from last years results, which would get him his plaque. That number can understandably decrease when the private ballots are calculated, and likely will, but the 10.5 percent safety net provides at least some degree of cushion for a number likely to fall.

For the sake of a Rockies induction, hopefully that net is sufficient. Well know for real in three days.

Colorado Rockies news: Walker will be inducted as immortalat least by one team - Purple Row

Williams and Baldens new X-FACTOR series to explore mutant immortality in the Marvel U – Comics Beat

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

One of the biggest game-changers to come out of the recentJonathan Hickman-led relaunch of the X-titles was the introduction of The Five, a group of mutants who, through the combination of their unique abilities (and the psychic back-ups kept of every mutant living on Krakoa by Charles Xavier), can create a perfect copy of any mutant. The Fives powers make all mutants essentially immortal, and weve already seen at least half-a-dozen mutants resurrected by The Five, from Shinobi Shaw to Charles Xavier himself. Now Marvel will be exploring the implications of and rules surrounding those resurrections in X-Factor, their latest addition to the X-line of books, per an announcement made via Polygon.

Written by Leah Williams and illustrated byDavid Balden,X-Factor will follow a team of mutants who investigate missing mutants to determine if theyre deadand thus candidates for resurrection. The team of detectives will be led by Northstar, and include Polaris, Prestige (Rachel Summers), Daken, Prodigy, and Eye Boy. The book will also focus on The Five themselves, to whom the team will report, and explore the impact immortality has on mutant culture on Krakoa.

Along with a focus on the Five, Williams and Balden will also be exploring the relationship dynamics between the members of X-Factor and their significant others. Of particular interest to Williams, according to her interview with Polygon, is the relationship between Northstar and his husband, Kyle, a human living on Krakoa:

Kyleisa human living in a world built for and by mutants comparatively an outsider [], Williams said. Well see a lot of their married life and will be exploring all the important nuance to their living situation in Krakoa. (Well actually see a lot ofeveryX-factor team members romantic life) Tini Howard [Excalibur,Thanos] and I might also be collaborating on a really exciting story involving human existence in Krakoa, so be on the lookout for clues about that in one of our books!

While this newest iteration ofX-Factor is clearly rooted in the current status quo for Marvels merry mutants, it does share some thematic DNA with its predecessors. The title has had an investigative aspect at its core since the second volume of the series launched in 2005, with the mutant-centric P.I. firm X-Factor Investigations serving as the crux of that title.

Check out the cover and a few pages of unfinished preview art by Balden for X-Factor #1 below. The first issue of the series will clock in at 48 pages, and is due out in comic shops and digitally in April.

Go here to see the original:

Williams and Baldens new X-FACTOR series to explore mutant immortality in the Marvel U - Comics Beat

Sealed for Your Protections – North Bay Bohemian

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

Shrink-wrapped, used paperback books. It's a thing. I spotted a rack of them in a Calistoga drugstore.

Among the titles were the usual suspects like Sue Grafton's "infinite alphabet" series (Z is for Zomebody Please Kill Me) and the no-doubt scintillating Her Ideal Man. Because they trapped the book inside form-fitting plastic, I couldn't thumb through itbut I suspect it's about a man who is ideal and, maybe, Fabio.

This kind of literary sleuthing is what an English degree is forI bet. Whether or not a melted, transparent film appreciably increases the resale value of these titles, I cannot say. But if it does, I'm going to insist the Bohemian get the plastic treatment. Will it up the newstand value? Trick questionthe Bohemian is free. Besides, you can't put a price on the freedom of the press, can you? Don't answer that.

Shrink-wrapping is a lens through which we can perceive something exquisitely on its own tattered terms. If we could shrink-wrap the perfect imperfections of our souls, we'd probably be better for it. And not because we'd all suffocate. Though I have to admit to a Sylvia Plathlike, by-way-of-polyvinyl-chloride-compulsion to stick my head in a shrink-wrap machine.

Perhaps I'd become like those saints whose bodies don't decompose, the so-called "incorruptibles," who no matter how green and leathery they look, are somehow in an everlasting state of beatification. At this point, that's about as close to literary immortality I'm going to getso crank up the machine.

Speaking of plastics, Buck Henry, the screenwriter behind one of the most iconic lines from The Graduate, died. As a refresher, the line went like this:

Older family friend, Mr. McGuire, corners recent grad Benjamin, played by Dustin Hoffman.

Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word.

Benjamin: Yes, sir.

Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?

Benjamin: Yes, I am.

Mr. McGuire: Plastics.

That, and an Oscar nomination, will keep you working in the biz for half a century. Henry was 89.

No word if they'll preserve Henry via plastination, the technique for preserving biological tissues pioneered by German anatomist Gunther von Hagens.

The results are life-sized Visible Man anatomy models. Hagens tours a show called "Body Worlds" that features dozens of plastinized cadavers, splayed and filleted in a variety of ways. It's like walking into Nirvana's In Utero album cover but without having to endure the '90s.

When performing his anatomical dissections, von Hagens insists on wearing a black fedora as a sort of sartorial reference to a hat depicted in Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp. It's also sinister as hell when he's pumping corpses full of plastic.

I'll stick with paperbacks.

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Sealed for Your Protections - North Bay Bohemian

Eagles great Harold Carmichael on making the Hall of Fame: ‘I feel like I’m dreaming’ – CBS Sports

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

Harold Carmichael wasn't even in consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame the first time around, never becoming a semifinalist when he was eligible for the modern-era ballot. The centennial class of 2020 gave Carmichael a second chance at football immortality, and the Philadelphia Eagles all-time leading receiver was inducted into the Hall of Fame Wednesday.

Getting the call from Pro Football Hall of Fame President and CEO David Baker was a dream come true for Carmichael, one that didn't seem possible until the past year.

"This is so much of an honor, oh gosh. Never thought this would happen. But thank you, God," Carmichael said to Baker when he received the call. "Thank you for telling me this, David. Appreciate you. I feel like I'm dreaming. I don't know what to feel. I feel so numb."

Carmichael owns every major receiving record in Eagles franchise history -- quite the impressive feat since he hasn't put on an Eagles uniform in 36 years. He is the Eagles all-time leader in receptions (589), receiving yards (8,978), and touchdowns (75). He also caught a pass in 127 consecutive games from 1972 to 1982, which was a NFL record until Steve Largent broke it in 1986.

Carmichael is 28th all-time in receiving touchdowns to go with his two All-Pro selections. He also was member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame 1970s all-decade team (second team) and the 1980 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. Only four wide receivers were in the Hall when Carmichael retired and five when he was up for induction in 1989, which explains why he was overlooked in the first place.

When Carmichael's NFL career ended, he was fifth all-time in catches, seventh all-time in yards, and tied for sixth in touchdowns. Carmichael led all NFL wide receivers in receptions (549), receiving yards (8,414), and receiving touchdowns (77) from 1973 to 1983.

"I just had a flashback from 60-some years ago and thinking about the guys that helped me to get here," Carmichael said on Good Morning Football. "Seventh-round draft choice, nobody expected me to make it. To be a part of the 2020 centennial class, is just...I'll tell every kid, be prepared to do this. This is the ultimate, ultimate honor you can get in the National Football League."

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Eagles great Harold Carmichael on making the Hall of Fame: 'I feel like I'm dreaming' - CBS Sports

‘Texting Thru Recovery’: Our hearts know there is something more – Indiana Gazette

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

This isnt the column I began with. I wanted to tell a love story. Our kids took my honey and me on a trip down memory lane on our 50th anniversary. We toured our early IUP haunts, viewed a memory book, listened to 60s music, enjoyed a festive family dinner, thanked God for family.

Our children surprised us that morning at a coffee shop. I was sipping a mug of peppermint latte, embossed with the word Writer, when they waltzed in and announced our chariot was waiting.

As I started to write about it just now I paused to ask, Who am I writing this for? Thats pretty important, right?

Writing is my passion. Id write for a single reader, or just myself. For pay or for free. Writing is in my DNA, as surely as Im designed to be a tall, white, near-sighted female. A day never passes without my jotting a sudden inspiration on an envelope or scrap of paper.

If youre a writer, you understand. If you want to be one, start saving envelopes. Youll need them.

Someone on Facebook kindly said I was born to inspire. Maybe. I think were all born for something beyond ourselves. To connect to the Sacred Three, to people, the world.

Life is too short to worry if theres a preposition at the end of my sentences. We have this one, solitary moment that passes in the blink of a cats eye. When I reach the end of mine, I want to know I did more than dust furniture and pull weeds (neither of which I do well, or often).

My daughter in Philly said she and her husband went for a three-hour bike ride recently. Jim and I walked our furry dog that January night and I said, Imagine us ever doing that!

Well, we raised three kids and that was like a three-hour bike ride, every day

What Im formed to be differs from my children, husband, siblings, friends. And our activity, the stuff we do, may not be as important as our attitude, our being. God cares as much about our mindset as how we spend our nine-to-five.

This is the year to sort through more stuff I couldnt part with, before. I want fewer ties to temporary belongings. Everything thats out the door makes life lighter and simpler.

Remember drawings in schoolbooks of multiple levels of the earths crust? They reminded me of a cake from the best bakery, concocted with cherries, walnuts and chocolate cream, layer upon luscious layer. Life is more like that than a one-dimensional apple pie.

Theres this earthy world in which we move about as mortals, with a beginning and an end. It takes most all our effort to get through a day, crowded with activities, assignments, anxieties. We know in our heart of hearts there is more to the universe than this walking-around existence that consumes all our energy and oxygen.

For me, it makes living with the uncertainties of cancer an easier horse pill to swallow.

Look in the eyes of the next person you encounter and know youre looking at a creature without permanent tethers to this physical landscape. We each began in the heart of God and go about our days in search of how to return.

This is why I say God may be more interested in our attitude than our daily footsteps, important as they are. God knows were both flesh and spirit. Finite, fragile mortals created for immortality. Jesus entered history so we could spend eternity around the table with the Sacred Three.

One of the advantages of being a writer is I can express on paper what until then is floating around like vague blobs of consciousness, without form or substance. Thats why I couldnt present you with an itinerary of our anniversary celebration and feel it was worth your time. It lacked substance for you, my reader.

I write for my spirit to acknowledge yours, to affirm your personhood and your infinite value as my companion during these few orbits around the sun. Another dear friend passed through the veil last week, making eternity one step closer for those who loved him.

This is why I write. To walk the journey with you. To encourage your passion.

Maybe this is a love story, after all ultimately, Im writing a love letter to God.

P.S. If youd like to know what we did on our anniversary, Ill gladly tell you over a cuppa tea.

The rest is here:

'Texting Thru Recovery': Our hearts know there is something more - Indiana Gazette

That’s gotta be Kane! The Big Red Machine returns to the WWE ring on Friday Right – WBIR.com

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

WWE Superstar Kane, known to many locally as Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, made a grand return to the WWE ring for Friday Night Smackdown in North Carolina.

Kane cut right to the chase at the start of Smackdown -- talking about his storied past in the Royal Rumble and saying he wanted one more go at Wrestlemania.

"30 lost souls will put their mind, body and souls on the line for the opportunity of a lifetime... a chance to compete at Wrestlemania. A match where you go to hell... but the reward is a chance for immortality," Kane said before being suddenly interrupted by Bray Wyatt.

RELATED: Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs to return to the WWE ring as Kane for SmackDown

After talking about their less-than-friendly past, 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt suddenly rose out of the ring.

"What took you so long?" Kane said as his former tag team partner Daniel Bryan rushed into the ring and ambushed The Fiend with a running knee, pummeling him before he vanished.

The reunion of duo sent the crowd cheering 'Yes!' with the two leading them on.

Shortly after backstage, Bryan proposed a Strap Match for his title match against Wyatt at Royal Rumble on Jan. 26.

As many know, just about anything can happen in the Royal Rumble. Surprises are the norm, such as the time Drew Carey showed up in the ring and then promptly eliminated himself after Kane showed up.

With all the foreshadowing, reunions and Kane's timely return... will the Big Red Machine be in Houston next week? Guess we're going to have to wait to truly find out.

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That's gotta be Kane! The Big Red Machine returns to the WWE ring on Friday Right - WBIR.com

Egyptian mummies are coming to Halifax – HalifaxToday.ca

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

Haligonians will soon have the opportunity to learn more about Egyptian history.

The Egyptian Mummies and Eternal Life exhibit will make its North American debut at the Museum of Natural History.

"This will be an extraordinary opportunity to see the richness of Egyptian culture and will capture the minds and imaginations of all," said Communities, Culture and Heritage Minister Leo Glavine. "I encourage Nova Scotians to enjoy this amazing journey that showcases 6,000 years of history."

Visitors will get to see more than 100 original artifacts, including mummies, painted sarcophagi and burial items that evoke the mythical, mysterious landscape of the tombs and pyramids of ancient Egypt.

"In ancient Egypt, death was not considered the end of life but a time of passing from one form of life to another, that continued in the eternal afterlife," says a post on the museum's website. "The soul had to be prepared for this journey into immortality, to be reincarnated in its own body, which had to be preserved forever."

"The exhibition ... offers clear explanations of misconceptions that all the funeral rituals, even the most macabre, did not serve to simply preserve the body of the deceased, but rather to ensure the continuation of life beyond the grave. "

Egyptian Mummies and Eternal Life opens Feb. 22 and runs to June 21.

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Ed Wall: The King of Ducks – Havelock News

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

This fall and winter, thus far, has been tough for duck hunters in eastern North Carolina.

For the last few months icy, sometimes violent, storms have traveled across Midwestern states toward the northeast. Rather than pushing waterfowl down the Atlantic Flyway, they created meteorological systems that pulled warm air from the southeast.

As a result, ducks and their kin have remained ensconced to the north of us, content to feed and loaf in the comfortable confines of Maryland and Virginia.

Certainly there have been a few ducks hereabouts. But, for the most part, they have been native wood ducks and small, scattered bunches of scaup, ruddy ducks, mergansers and, of course, the ubiquitous coots. The larger numbers of gadwall, widgeon, pintails, mallards, redheads and canvasbacks just havent arrived, and may not before the season ends on January 31.

I thought about that recently as I stood, gazing across the Pamlico River from the south side at a spot about halfway between Mauls and Core points.

At that point, its four miles wide and, when the wind is ripping across its relatively shallow expanse, can resemble the ocean. On this day, though, it was more like a swimming pool flat and glassy. I mused about the possibility of paddling a canoe all the way across, maybe to the small town of Bath, and the fact that Indians and early European colonists might have done just that in years gone by.

I also thought about a time about fifty years ago, when I stood at that same spot and viewed something that has remained in my bank of memories like an indelible watercolor painting.

It was a huge flock of Canvasback ducks that extended upstream and down almost as far as I could see and out toward the rivers middle for a hundred yards or so. The birds were well out of shotgun range, and seemed to take no notice of me or what I was about. Beyond the Cans, as if providing a white backdrop to their more colorful cousins, a huge raft of tundra swans rested on the calm water, twisting their long, slender necks this way and that, and making their characteristic barking sound.

Canvasbacks were legal game then as they are now, but that day was not for hunting. Like some weve had recently, it was unseasonably warm, better suited for exploring and pondering the wonders of nature. I, obviously, never saw the vast herds of buffalo as they congregated on the Great Plains in the 1800s but I think that those who did must have had some of the same feelings I experienced standing on that bank of the Pamlico River.

Its physical attributes make the Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) a creature worth viewing or, for sportsmen, hunting. Its one of the largest North American ducks (22 long, 3 lb.) and, at least according to some studies, the fastest flying. A diving duck, it can feed from the surface to as much as 30 feet down.

Canvasbacks have been referred to as the King of Ducks because of their impressive physique and striking appearance.

The drakes have a dark red head and neck, black chest, light gray back, long, sloping, blackish-bill and gleaming red eyes. (Their eyes are actually yellow at birth but, at about ten weeks, begin to turn red). Hens have buff-brown heads and chests, and brownish-gray backs.

Hunters can recognize canvasbacks on the wing by their red heads and necks, and sloping bills. The drakes wings appear almost all white in the air. They travel in various-size and shaped flocks, and can come sailing into a spread of decoys with little warning other than the swoosh sound their wings make at close range.

The call they make is a low grunt that, unlike a mallards, is not very distinctive.

That is why you rarely see duck hunters carrying Canvasback calls. Because they are diving ducks, their feet are set toward the rear of their body and, when they take off from the water, Cans have to get a running start. Once in the air, however, they can accelerate and maneuver with the best of them.

The Canvasbacks scientific name is a clue to why it was such a popular game bird during the market hunting days of the 1800s. Vallisneria Americana is the Latin name for wild celery, one of Cans favorite foods.

Its also a plant that gives the ducks that consume it a delicious flavor. Consequently, untold numbers of them were harvested, packed in barrels and shipped to places like Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York where they showed up on the menus of high-dollar restaurants.

Their popularity in that regard was almost the undoing of Canvasbacks.

Fortunately, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 outlawed market hunting and, with the establishment of refuges along the birds migratory flyways, they began a comeback.

Canvasback populations have fluctuated a good bit since the 1950s. Low numbers in the 1980s caused them to be listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a Species of Special Concern. During the 1990s, their numbers increased significantly, though, and today are estimated to be around 700,000.

A bird as special as the Canvasback deserves to be closely monitored and the USFWS does just that. Based on yearly surveys of nesting areas in Canada and the Prairie Pothole Region of the U.S., as well as conditions along the flyways, they calculate the number that can be harvested, erring on the side of being more conservative if necessary.

This season, the daily bag limit on Canvasbacks in North Carolina is two per hunter.

Factors other than hunting affect Canvasbacks, though. The most significant of these is habitat. Eastern North Carolina is a major stopover for Cans as they migrate down the Atlantic Flyway each winter but they dont show up on the Pamlico River where I saw them fifty years ago in the amazing numbers they once did.

Many biologists feel that is because of the absence of the submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) that attracted them in years past. In addition to wild celery, Cans feed on other aquatic plants as well as organisms such as mollusks. There used to be a lot of both of those in the Pamlico. When they began to disappear because of human activities in the river and its watershed, the Canvasbacks (and swans) started to go elsewhere.

Protecting our rivers and adjacent lands is more than just about us having clean drinking water. It can mean life or death for many other species like Canvasbacks.

The King of Ducks and his kin need and deserve a healthy environment.

Ed Wall can be reached at edwall@embarqmail.com or 252-671-3207. His website is http://www.edwalloutdoors.com

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Theater review: Musical ‘9 to 5’ offers up some sweet revenge – The Daily Gazette

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

'9 to 5: The Musical'

WHERE: Schenectady Light Opera Company, 427 Franklin St.

WHEN: Through Jan. 26

HOW MUCH: $28-$18

MORE INFO: 518.730.7370, or sloctheater.org

By PAUL LAMAR

For The Daily Gazette

SCHENECTADY -- Just this past week the state of Virginia finally ratified the Equal Rights Amendment.

This year is the centennial of the ratification of the 19th amendment and the founding of the League of Women Voters.

And the Me Too Movement is alive and kicking.

No wonder, then, that Friday nights audience at SLOCs energetic production of 9 to 5: The Musical applauded and hooted at Dolly Partons score (book by Patricia Resnick) exposing sexism and celebrating sisterhood, with the biggest response for Get Out and Stay Out, Judys (Kelly Sienkiewicz) savage dismissal of her unfaithful husband, Rick (Michael Camelo).

This 2009 musical follows the 1980 movie plot line. Franklin Hart, Jr. (Nick Foster) heads a company generically called Consolidated, though all of the power is consolidated in him. Workers suffer under his stringent rules, which are reinforced by his devoted secretary, Roz (Amanda Rogner); and the women suffer further with his unwanted sexual advances, with the full-figured Doralee (Erica Buda-Doran) especially prone to his assaults. Furthermore, Violet (Joan M. Horgan) is bypassed for promotion by men she has trained.

Aided in truth-telling by pot one evening, Violet, Doralee, and Judy consolidate their grievances. They kidnap Hart, take over the management of the office, and --- well, now what? Their happiness seems short-lived in the face of potential jail time.

However, like other feminist revenge comedies (Lysistrata and The Merry Wives of Windsor come to mind), a solution appears, this time in the guise of a deus ex machina, Mr. Tinsworthy (the delightful Jeffrey P. Hocking, dressed in angel white).

Played on a colorful and cleverly fashioned set by Marc Christopher, the production zips along, with the stars backed by a hard-working ensemble. Musical director Adrienne Shermans work with the singers and the pit band makes Partons bright lyrics and tunes come alive. Choreographer Sara Paupini and director Stephen Foust have used the ensemble in a generally creative way. They mask the scene changes with little dance routines; their arm gestures often reflect hour hands at 9 and 5; and their movement around the stage is frequently eye-catching. But sometimes less dancing would be less distracting, and in One of the Boys, for example, the frenetic hoofing takes our eye off Violet and seems, in spots, to be a stretch for the performers. The visionary Foust is backed by a fine production staff (kudos, set construction crew), with a special nod to co-stage-managers Cece Widomski and Bri Westad, who keep tabs on everything/everyone through rehearsals and the run.

John Meglino as Joe, Violets love interest, is sweetness itself, and he and Horgan make a tender moment of Let Love Grow. Rogners rendition of Heart to Hart is the kind of cameo that wins best supporting actress honors at the Tonys. Here for You is male chauvinism set to music, and Fosters slithering rendition and insufferable pomposity elsewhere make us feel that any punishment Hart gets is less than he deserves.

The talented brunette-blond-red-headed trio at the top beautifully complement each other. Horgans stirring delivery of Violets speech near the end is the emotional apotheosis of the show; Buda-Dorans amusing and poignant Backwoods Barbie surely reflects Partons experience: I've always been misunderstood because of how I look. Don't judge me by the cover 'cause I'm a real good book. Sienkiewiczs voice shows to great effect as Judy leads all the women in what amounts to the shows self-actualization anthem: I Just Might.

Revenge: it feels good, and its the source of much humor here. But as Foust says in his program note, Weve come a long way, baby, but still have a long way to go.

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Theater review: Musical '9 to 5' offers up some sweet revenge - The Daily Gazette

Lebanon to release protesters detained after night of riots – Daily Journal

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

BEIRUT Lebanons public prosecutor ordered the release Sunday of more than 30 people detained the previous evening, according to the National State News agency, in the worst day of violence since protests erupted three months ago.

The public prosecutor said all 34 arrested are to be released, except those with other pending cases.

The clashes took place with the backdrop of a rapidly worsening financial crisis and an ongoing impasse over the formation of a new government. The Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned in late October.

Protesters have called for more rallies on Sunday.

Riot police fired volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets in Beirut on Saturday to disperse thousands of protesters rallied outside the parliament and in downtown. The protesters, who came from the countrys north, east and Beirut, lobbed flares at security forces, metal bars, stones and tree branches.

The pitched street battles lasted for nearly nine hours and were among the worst scene of rioting since protests broke out in mid-October.

At least 220 people were injured in the clashes, according to the Red Cross. More than 80 of those were treated in hospitals, including a protester who sustained an eye injury, as well as security force members. The clashes also took place in the courtyard and steps of a mosque downtown. The top Muslim Sunni Fatwa office called it inappropriate and said protesters had taken refuge inside the mosque and were taken care of.

Protesters smashed windows and the facade of the headquarters of the countrys Banking Association with metal bars. Security forces set fire to a few tents set up by protesters nearby.

Interior Minister Raya El Hassan said Saturday that security forces were ordered to protect peaceful protests. But for the protests to turn into a blatant attack on the security forces and public and private properties, this is condemned and totally unacceptable, she tweeted.

However, Human Rights Watch described the security force response as brutal and called for an urgent end to a culture of impunity for police abuse.

There was no justification for the brutal use of force unleashed by Lebanons riot police against largely peaceful demonstrators in downtown Beirut, said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at HRW. Riot police showed a blatant disregard for their human rights obligations, instead launching teargas canisters at protesters heads, firing rubber bullets in their eyes and attacking people at hospitals and a mosque.

The protesters have rallied against the countrys political elite who have ruled Lebanon since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. The protesters blame politicians for widespread corruption and mismanagement in a country that has accumulated one of the largest debt ratios in the world.

Panic and anger have gripped the public as their local currency, pegged to the dollar for more than two decades, plummeted. The Lebanese pound lost more than 60% of its value in recent weeks on the black market. The economy has seen no growth and foreign inflows dried up in the already heavily indebted country that relies on imports for most of its basic goods.

Meanwhile, banks have imposed informal capital controls, limiting withdrawal of dollars and foreign transfers.

Prime Minister-designate Hassan Diab had been expected to announce an 18-member Cabinet on Friday, but last minute disputes among political factions scuttled his latest attempt.

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Lebanon to release protesters detained after night of riots - Daily Journal

Love Island twins Eve and Jess are unrecognisable in old school photos – The Sun

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

LOVE Island twins Eve and Jess look unrecognisable in old photos posted online following their TV debut.

Snaps of the 20-year-olds from Cambridge at school reveal they looked completely different - before they became glamorous reality stars.

A Twitter user called Emma has claimed she went to school with the identical sisters and shared two grainy photos from their yearbook.

The snaps reveal the twins as fresh faced teenagers and include inset photos of them as young girls with sweeping fringes.

Later the girls - who entered the Love Island villa as bombshells and have caused quite a stir - developed their sparkling smiles and had ditched the cute hair-dos.

But there were no signs of the layers of make-up, fake eyelashes and bleached hair in their old snaps.

Others photos have revealed that the girls used to be red-heads in 2015.

The pair, who are part of the show's winter line-up, are seen smiling in vest tops in the days before they discovered blonde hair dye and fake tan.

They posed in tiny denim shorts alongside a pal, whose identity we have kept hidden.

Eve and Jess are from Cambridge, but moved to London and until Love Island worked as waitresses at Embargo Republica on Chelsea's famous King's Road.

They both insisted they would never argue over a boy - but it got quite heated last night when they both wanted to pair up with Callum.

However they got over their blip, and Jess explained before entering the villa: "Boys often say: 'Right, I fancy you both, which one of you wants me?'

"Some boys will be messaging me and Jessica at the same time, I don't think they think we talk! But weve got so much respect for each other, were not going to argue over a boy."

Eve's claim to fame was that she had messaged Kylie Jenner's ex Tyga to try to meet up for a "fling" in Ibiza.

Also appearing is Lewis Capaldi's stunning ex Paige Turley, 22.

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Love Island twins Eve and Jess are unrecognisable in old school photos - The Sun

Teri Orr: The Year of the Rat leads down a rabbit hole – The Park Record

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

This is The Year of the Rat it is an immutable fact not just my opinion it dates back centuries in the Chinese culture. There are 12 animal characters that rotate every 12 years and they determine the strengths and weaknesses of the year ahead. And the strengths and weaknesses of the people born under these signs.

The Lunar New Year started in a soft way on Jan. 17 (with the Kitchen God Festival or Little New Year a time to sweep with a clean new broom and sweep away bad luck). The official holiday begins on Jan. 25 (you must not sweep on this day or you will sweep good luck away) and the holiday ends on Feb. 8 as all good holidays do with fireworks. It is the time of the Lantern Festival. And during this time you can now expect to receive lucky red envelopes filled with cash.

I grew up 20 minutes outside of San Francisco and my birthday falls on the same date of course in the Gregorian calendar but in different parts of the cycle of Chinese New Year. My oft-divorced, mostly single mother loved controlled adventure she was a lifelong Republican so venturing into Chinatown at night was wildly and somehow acceptably exotic. Each year for my birthday we would attend the final nighttime parade with the serpentine dragon carried by dozens of Chinese people through the streets of Chinatown at night. We would sit inside at a window table on the second story of a Chinese restaurant and eat bowls of noodles and drink pots of tea and try to understand the coded messages in our fortune cookies. There were firecrackers and candied ginger and coconut.

This fall I had a magical visit to San Francisco to meet family I never knew I was related to until now who turn out to be funny and smart and lovers of fine Chinese cuisine. After a perfect morning at the San Francisco MOMA (where we saw the most remarkable exhibit by mysterious photographer JR) they took me to a hip Chinese restaurant owned by a longtime San Francisco Chinese family and we ate family-style dishes cooked at the table right before us. On my last day before I headed to the airport I went into Chinatown and sat down for a slow tea ceremony with a lovely woman who didnt have to work too hard to convince me to buy two pounds of fragrant tea blueberry oolong and rose bud.

It was just the heads of the animal characters of the zodiac brought to life. It was dizzying to look up and see them all and to meander between the animals.

In 2012 on a business trip to Washington, D.C., I was fortunate to witness the magical and exotic art from Chinese dissent artist Ai WeiWei. It featured 12 giant bronzes surrounding an outdoor fountain at the Hirshhorn Museum (part of the Smithsonian). It was just the heads of the animal characters of the zodiac brought to life. It was dizzying to look up and see them all and to meander between the animals. I had heard WeiWei speak in 2011 while he was under house arrest in China. He was on a cellphone while he was in a closet in his home and I was in the audience at the annual TED conference where it was broadcast to us. We sat in our seats in the auditorium in Vancouver holding our breath fearful he might be discovered as he explained his art and his risky brave life.

This week I saw a press release that stated WeiWei would be among the rock star folks from the arts and culture world who would be speaking on a panel during Sundance. The rabbit in me hopped up and down. And I tried to remember what this was the year of the and a song popped into my head, Year of the Cat. (Which it is not of course it is The Year of the Rat we have established that fact already). But in the Vietnamese zodiac The Year of the Cat (not found in the traditional Chinese zodiac) becomes wait for it the Year of the Rabbit. My year. So, the fact the popular, haunting Al Stewart song recorded at the iconic Abbey Road studios in 1976 when it was actually the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac which was made the Year of the Cat in the Vietnamese version seemed somehow cosmically connected or just the kind of midnight connections that happen when sleep evades a wandering mind.

And then I got to thinking about the intersections between Sundance and the Chinese New Year and Ai WeiWei being here and I imagined the parade of my childhood winding down Main Street one night during the film festival. A serpentine, brightly colored dragon and firecrackers and candied ginger tossed out to the crowds that would gather and it seemed like an idea that begs to take wings or get legs or whatever animal euphemism you are comfortable with

This week about half a cord of beautiful pion pine firewood arrived on my front porch perfectly stacked in a crisscross manner while I was at work. It was better than a crisp bill in a red envelope. Starting a new year this week makes perfect sense to me separating it apart from the Christian holidays. I am ready to light some firecrackers and sip fragrant exotic tea and bundle up to stand in a line in the hopes of getting into a panel where the greatest voices shaping arts and culture in the world will appear at the Sundance Film Festival. And this year that festival will start on the eve of the Chinese New Year, which is something to prepare for this Sunday (dont forget to shop for a new broom) in the Park

Teri Orr is a former editor of The Park Record. She is the director of the Park City Institute, which provides programming for the George S. and Dolores Dor Eccles Center for the Performing Arts.

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Teri Orr: The Year of the Rat leads down a rabbit hole - The Park Record

This Indigenous designer’s gowns are turning heads on the red carpet and busting down barriers – CBC.ca

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

When etalkanchor Lainey Luiset foot on the Golden Globes red carpet wearing this gown,she instantly made waves and found herself on a number of best-dressed lists. The Telegraph, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post and Queer Eye's Karamo Brownall raved about her look. Lui responded by saying, "I'm a Canadian-Asian woman and I wanted to wear an Indigenous designer's work." That designer is 25-year-oldLesley Hampton, who started her own clothing line three years ago when she was still in college. She joined q's Tom Power live in studio to talkabout how she uses fashion toworkthrough tough issues, from body positivity to mental health.

Download our podcast or click the 'Listen' link near the top of this page to hear the full conversation withLesley Hampton.

Produced by Jennifer Warren

Miss an episode of CBC q? Download our podcast.

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This Indigenous designer's gowns are turning heads on the red carpet and busting down barriers - CBC.ca

The Crossing: What to watch as impeachment heads to Senate – rdnewsnow.com

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

What to watch Wednesday as the House transmits the impeachment articles to the Senate:

____

AT ISSUE

Under Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the House voted Dec. 18 to impeach Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from his conduct toward Ukraine. Trump is the third president to be impeached in U.S. history. The others are Clinton and, in 1868, Andrew Johnson. President Richard Nixon resigned before the House could impeach him.

Pelosi delayed the transmission of the articles to the Senate, holding out for more specific terms of the trial.

___

THE CROSSING

Pelosi Wednesday morning named he seven House managers who will make the case to senators that Trump abused his office by pressuring Ukraine to investigate the son of political rival Joe Biden, and then obstructed Congress search for what happened. The House formally signed off on the managers and the transmission to the Senate, voting 228-193.

The team is led by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, who led the impeachment investigation and hearings. The others are Reps. Zoe Lofgren of California, Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Val Demings of Florida, Jason Crow of Colorado and Sylvia Garcia of Texas.

Pelosis choices suggests an emphasis on professional experience (many are lawyers) and subject matter expertise. She nodded to the 2020 elections, choosing what House members said was geographic diversity by appointing managers from beyond Democrat-dominated states.

And in choosing Garcia and Crow, she acknowledged the class of freshmen lawmakers who helped flip the House in the 2018 elections. Crows appointment, too, is a nod to the seven national security freshmen who had resisted impeaching Trump, but then wrote an op-ed calling for it after the Ukraine scheme broke.

A Democrat familiar with how most managers were chosen said they were notified in a two-step process. First, they were told they were being considered. Then they were summoned to Pelosis office to meet with the speaker one-on-one. Inside, Pelosi told them she had chosen them for the high visibility role. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to convey the order of developments.

Later Wednesday, the whole prosecution team will line up behind House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving and House Clerk Cheryl Johnson, who will be holding the articles in folders. The procession will walk through National Statuary Hall, past Pelosis office, across the Rotunda and to the doors of the Senate.

The managers will return to the House until the Senate admits them.

___

FURNITURE AND OATHS

The Senate then considers some mundane-sounding details, as well as some historic ones, according to the precedent of Clintons impeachment trial.

First, theyll consider resolutions on such things as how to arrange the chamber to accommodate the prosecution and defence teams, and who can watch from the galleries. Then, according to a memo circulated among senators, comes a series of formalities, including the reception of the House managers.

By the end of the week, the managers are expected to exhibit the articles of impeachment. Roberts and the senators will take their oaths. And the senators will sign an oath book used since 1986 for presidential and judicial impeachment trials that has been stored at the National Archives.

___

THE SENATE CONVENES AS A COURT

Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! All persons are commanded to keep silent, on pain of imprisonment, while the Senate of the United States is sitting for the trial of the articles of impeachment.

So proclaimed James Ziglar, then the Senate sergeant-at-arms, at Clintons trial in 1999.

Senate rules say the trial then begins, and runs six days a week not on Sunday until its resolved. But senators could vote to change the schedule.

Arguments in Trumps trial begin next Tuesday, according to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

___

NO DISMISSAL

Trump has said he wants a full trial with witnesses while also suggesting hed favour a dismissal.

But it takes 51 of 100 senators to do almost anything during a trial, and even Republican senators have rejected the idea of a dismissal.

___

WITNESSES?

The jury is out on whether the Senate calls witnesses, but its possible.

Former national security adviser John Bolton has agreed to testify if subpoenaed, and some Republicans have been meeting privately to guarantee that witnesses can be called. With a 53-seat Republican majority, four GOP senators would have to vote with all Democrats to reach the 51-vote threshold.

On this, watch GOP moderate Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.

Any plan for witnesses would likely involve depositions and testimony from people called by Republicans and Democrats.

Trump has said he wants the Senate to call Pelosi and Schiff, but thats highly unlikely.

During the Clinton trial, former White House intern Monica Lewinsky was deposed privately but not called to testify. She and Clinton had had an extramarital relationship, they both said.

___

THE FOUR

Senators are fond of talking and any politician wants to stay connected to constituents. So the impeachment trial rule against speaking or consulting their phones on the Senate floor has the potential to make all of them cranky.

None moreso, however, than the four Democratic senators forced to decamp from Iowa less than three weeks before the elections leadoff caucuses. Look for Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Michael Bennet of Colorado to send surrogates to Iowa or make short trips back and forth.

Ive told them this trial is your responsibility as senators and scheduling is not going to influence what we should do, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told The Associated Press in an interview last month. He said none of them objected. There are benefits of running as a senator, Schumer added, and there are liabilities.

___

Follow Kellman on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/APLaurieKellman

___

This story has been corrected to show Johnson, not Jackson, was impeached.

Laurie Kellman, The Associated Press

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The Crossing: What to watch as impeachment heads to Senate - rdnewsnow.com

Powerless Plays: Wings lose 4-1 and go 0 for 7 on the powerplay – Winging It In Motown

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

Three pregame notes of importance.

First, apparently a WWII veteran is an usher at LCA and he dropped the puck for Military Appreciation Night.

Second, Mick is once again rocking the pre-game flannel with a cheeky attitude to match.

Third, the starting line combos are something.

Acciari gets a great scoring chance thanks to Daley but Jimmy stops it. And just like that Red Wings get a powerplay at 1:43! Connolly for roughing Bertuzzi. The Wings give up a shorthanded chance after Zadina gets clipped in the visor/ear with a high stick (no call), but Jimmy makes another save. Powerplay over after nothing exciting happened in our favor.

Another penalty! Pysyk trips Bowey. Wings back on the powerplay at 6:07 after a tripping call on Pysyk [pronounced like a sound you make at a cat that is rudely ignoring you]. And another powerplay over! The Wings did get 4 shots.

Nemeth gets a double minor for high sticking (it was not on purpose and Ekblad really is bleeding) at 8:36. Penalty kill time! Nice toe save by Jimmy on Huberdeau to kick things off. Jimmy and the posts have been busy but all are in full Tiberius mode and keeping it locked down. Penalty killed!

Biega DANGLES? It doesnt work but that was fun.

13:47 and Hronek takes exception to a clean hit and grabs Trochek and throws some punches. Throws punches TO THE RIBS. BODY SHOTS. WHAT A MANIAC. Take a note Big Tony, thats how you do something stupid without breaking your hand.

The refs break it up before it becomes a real fight. Hronek gets a 2, 5, AND 10 for instigator/fighting/misconduct. Blash is doing the lizard squint thing he does when hes a certain level of annoyed. Panthers back on the powerplay with 6 minutes to go and Hronek down the tunnel.

Penalty killed and smart to have Fabbri sitting in the bad boy box for Hronek so he can grab a scoring chance right when the penalty expires. All the Wings players are energized and putting together scoring chances.

Until.

Dadonov is wide open and has all the time in the universe to crash the net and score. Not Jimmys fault and its 1-0 Panthers.

And then Pysyk makes it 2-0 Panthers.

Two quick goals against at the end of the period? This NEVER happens to us! Jimmy kept it from being much worse, but was no match for Mike Green and Madison Bowey.

Stop me if youve heard this one before. A PENALTY HAS BEEN CALLED! Dylan Larkin was FRAMED for slashing Pysyk at 3:06 and were back on the penalty kill.

Nemeth, a lefty, broke his stick and had to use LGDs right hand stick which is imbued with all the magical backhand power which helped him shovel the puck out of the zone. Art. Abdelkader also managed a shorthanded breakaway but he didnt score. Not Art.

But then, fresh out of the penalty box, DYLAN LARKIN SCORES GOAL #100! 2-1 Panthers. Beautiful goal from the future captain at 5:15.

ANOTHER PENALTY. Malgin interfered with Ehn at 5:50. Red Wings on the powerplay again. Powerplay over and we learn that Filppula will not return to the game due to a lower body injury of some sort. Not sure when that happened.

OH MY TAP DANCING KEN DANIELS ANOTHER PENALTY. Connolly tripped Bowey at 8:08. Wings back on the powerplay, a new powerplay, with the same people, but a minute after the other one. But this one is also not successful. Were 0/5 on the powerplay so far tonight if you havent been counting.

The second half of the period is a whole lotta nothing, which is far from bad news for the Red Wings. The Panthers have beaten the Wings the last 5 times but the Wings are showing a lot of energy, hustle, heart and definitely grit tonight. Its been mostly a battle of goaltending so far, with the difference coming from how easy it is to crumble the Wings defense.

But not giving up a shorthanded goal is still a type of victory.

Hronek shoves at Trochek again, maybe a little crosscheck from a cross Czech, and a little later in his shift Trochek hunts him down and lays him flat. That gets Trochek called for interference and Red Wings on the powerplay!

Bowey manages to get a piece of Barkov to stop a shorthanded chance. Powerplay has had a tough time getting anything set up tonight but this one did have a bit more consistent zone time, after the almost-shorty. Another powerplay over.

Larkin also took a Mike Green shot off the instep, but seems fine.

I literally just looked up my ceiling and screamed because there are TWO MORE PENALTIES TO REPORT. 6:29 has Malgin high-sticking Fabbri and 6:50 has Larkin FALSELY IMPRISONED for the sports crime of tripping against Acciari. Well play 4 on 4 for a bit.

Great save by Jimmy on Ekblad! Hes been Mr. Slidy Saver this homestand. Vatrano is trying to sell a performance hoping for yet another penalty call but the refs arent buying.

NIELSEN ON A BREAKAWAY.

HE FAILS.

TWICE.

TWO TIMES A FAILURE.

Barkov gets a break the other way, and he gets two chances, and Jimmy stops them both! Poetry. Penalties expire and its 5 on 5 again with 11 minutes to go. Still 2-1 Panthers. Bobrovsky and James Tiberius are putting on a show tonight, and it would be nice if Bob would stop.

Speaking of things that should stop, multiple reports are rolling in that the Woos have started up again.

Vatrano is in some pain and Hronek is leaning over the boards saying something at him, Mick thinks its funny anyway. Biega heads to the box for inflicting said pain in the family gems. He gets a major penalty for spearing and a game misconduct, but its under review. After review, its knocked down to a 2 minute slashing penalty. It was a garbage move in any case and we end up with Biega 2 minutes for slashing at 12:50. Penalty kill time!

The penalty is not killed. Barkov makes it 3-1 Panthers. Jimmy should be furious at Biega for taking that stupid penalty. Again, Jimmy has been fantastic all night.

BUT GUESS WHAT ITS POWERPLAY TIME! AGAIN! Sceviour unsportsmanlike conduct at 13:45. Im not sure how Green going after Pysyk for hitting him in the face and Larkin coming to help out Green ends up with Sceviour in the box but its been a confusing game. Were now 0 for 7 on the powerplay. But still have not given up a shorthanded goal so...victory!

Two minutes to go, Jimmy still fantastic and amazing in full Tiberius mode but ready to head to the bench at any moment. Hes to the bench and the puck is in the empty net. Malgin makes it 4-1 with the empty netter.

Game over. Wings lose 4-1 with shots 38-28 in favor of the Panthers.

Once more, Jimmy was great.

JIMMY WAS GREAT.

Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou heads back to B.C. court one year later – The Globe and Mail

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Danzig

Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou arrives at her probation office in Vancouver, on Dec. 12, 2018. If convicted, Ms. Meng could face a significant prison sentence.

Jimmy Jeong/The Canadian Press

When Meng Wanzhou makes her latest court appearance on Monday, it will be more than a year since she was first escorted into Courtroom 20 for her bail hearing. Inside the high-tech, high-security fortress in the basement of the B.C. Supreme Court, a packed gallery of curious supporters and media from around the world studied her face through bulletproof glass.

Ms. Meng will be back in that courtroom on Monday for the start of her formal extradition hearing, a protracted process that could stretch on for months. At the end of it, a judge will ultimately decide whether the Huawei heiress and chief financial officer will be extradited to the U.S. to face fraud charges.

U.S. prosecutors allege Ms. Meng made misrepresentations to foreign banks, including HSBC, about Huaweis relationship with Skycom Tech. The U.S. Department of Justice describes Skycom as a Huawei subsidiary that sold telecommunications equipment to Iran, putting the financial institutions at risk of violating U.S. sanctions against the Middle Eastern country. If convicted, Ms. Meng could face a significant prison sentence.

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Ms. Meng has spent her year of partial house arrest in Vancouver, accompanied by her husband and a rotating cast of family members. Her mundane existence has given few hints that she has become a potent flashpoint in U.S.-China relations and spurred China to block billions of dollars in Canadian agricultural imports.

Ms. Meng has given no interviews over the past year, but open letters and notes she has written to employees and supporters, coupled with sightings and interviews with those who know her, offer a glimpse into her past year.

Her first message to the public came on Dec. 11, 2018, when she released on $10-million bail and moved to her home in the affluent Dunbar neighbourhood. With journalists staking out the property and passersby snapping photos, the 47-year-old executive posted a short note to WeChat, Chinas most popular messaging app.

I am in Vancouver and back with my family, she wrote. I am proud of Huawei, I am proud of my motherland. Thanks to everyone who cares about me.

She included an image of a ballerinas feet, one neatly wrapped in a satin pointe shoe, the other bare, mangled and bandaged. Behind all greatness is suffering, reads the accompanying text. Its an image repurposed from an old Huawei ad intended to convey the hard work that went into building the company the largest private enterprise in China.

There are indications Ms. Meng is not close with the man who runs the telecom giant her father, Ren Zhengfei. Huaweis founder did not learn about his daughters arrest in December, 2018, from Ms. Meng directly. Instead, she called the companys legal department first, who passed the news on to Mr. Ren.

In an interview with The Globe and Mail in December, he waved away a question on the subject. Of course she should contact the legal department first, as this is a legal issue, he said.

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Throughout last winter and spring, Ms. Meng attended procedural hearings, each time rushing from home to waiting vehicle to courtroom as shutters clicked, reporters shouted questions and the security detail she is paying for court-imposed, to ensure she abides by her bail conditions acted more as personal bodyguards. She dressed down in hoodies and yoga pants, tuques and newsboy caps. She said not a word to the public.

In May, Ms. Meng relocated to her other Vancouver property, a newly renovated home recently assessed at $13.6-million that her legal team said would offer better security. The 8,100-square-foot, seven-bedroom house with manicured lawns stands in stark contrast to the living conditions of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who have languished in Chinese prisons since being detained in apparent retaliation for Ms. Mengs arrest.

Within days of the move, Ms. Meng sent a letter to Huawei employees expressing gratitude for their support, which she said buoyed her spirits despite the constraints of her bail conditions, which stipulated that she must wear a GPS monitor, remain under constant surveillance and stay away from the airport.

Every time a court hearing has finished, I have seen Huawei employees staying up all night just to follow my case in distant time zones. This has brought me to tears, read Ms. Mengs letter, which the company translated into English. Your concern has warmed my heart and your support has filled me with power.

By then, more than five months had passed since her arrest, and the U.S. moved to level economic sanctions against Huawei. Mr. Ren, who initially passed off Ms. Mengs incarceration as a misunderstanding, began to think of his daughter, whom he called innocent, as a pawn in a larger U.S. action against the company.

Asked how he expected to resolve the issue, he made no comment about his daughter, answering instead that Huawei began to speed up efforts to improve our internal systems and product development.

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In Vancouver, Ms. Mengs life plodded along. She was seen perusing the luxury retailer Holt Renfrew and eating at its French-inspired caf. An onlooker who recognized the high-profile detainee at the next table, where she sat with two companions, snapped photos of the group eating yam fries and salad before a member of Ms. Mengs security detail directed a waitress to put a stop to it.

As summer turned to fall, there was a sudden change: Ms. Meng began attending court proceedings in head-to-toe designer outfits: Chanel dresses, Jimmy Choo stilettos, a Hermes handbag valued at upwards of $10,000, by some accounts.

Instead of rushing about, she now walked confidently with her shoulders back and head held high. She thanked supporters for attending and media for covering her case.

There have been countless studies, from MIT to Princeton University, that showcase the power of appearance in swaying public opinion on issues like trustworthiness or competency, said Lexi Pathak, vice-president and partner at Faulhaber Communications, a marketing agency that specializes in lifestyle brands.

Ms. Meng has gone from hiding her face and wearing nondescript clothing like yoga pants to openly engaging with the press and dressing in an extremely polished manner... that actually draws attention to her GPS monitor. In this case, one might surmise that she is taking an active stance to exude grace, calm and confidence in the public eye to help influence how she is being perceived.

In fact, those were the exact descriptors that began to circulate among Chinese netizens. Chrison, one of the countrys top fashion bloggers, with more than nine million followers on Weibo, posted about Ms. Mengs court apparel, saying it upended the Western publics preconception of the smart but drab Chinese businesswoman.

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Wilson Hu, senior vice president of public affairs at Huawei Technologies Canada, said Ms. Meng wasnt in the mood to care about her outfits after her arrest. However, after months of recovery, she started to return to her normal state.

Its her in normal life. [She] didnt deliberately try to show anything, he said, noting those appearances fit her social status, fortune and taste.

But he said her distress at her current situation has never changed.

Her inner stress and the anxiety about the uncertainty of future are always there, he said in an interview.

On Oct. 1, Chinas National Day, she emerged from her home in a red Gucci dress with a China flag pin over her heart, pausing briefly to speak with Chinese-language media.

I wish my mother country happy birthday, and wish [her] to be thriving and prosperous, Ms. Meng said. Wherever we are, our hearts are always with our motherland. Thank you, everyone.

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Later in the month was another birthday: her fathers. In an open letter, Ms. Meng reminisced about the family getting together every year on this day to eat her fathers cooking.

Today though, I cant be there with you, eating the food you make, listening to you chitchat, touching your wrinkles or kissing your face, she wrote. And I cant be there to take your critical advice. Remember, you owe me this. Please make it up after I get back home.

The letter was signed Piggy.

As Ms. Meng rounded the corner on one year in Vancouver, she took on a more introspective tone. In an open letter marking the anniversary of her detention, she wrote of the fear, pain, disappointment, helplessness, torment, and struggle she had felt, and how her heart and been warmed by the kind words of supporters.

Long work hours and chaotic days back in Shenzhen gave way to the glacial pace of her house arrest conditions, she wrote: It is so slow that I have enough time to read a book from cover to cover. I can take the time to discuss minutiae with my colleagues, or to carefully complete an oil painting.

The letter garnered considerable attention on Chinese social media but likely not for the reasons Ms. Meng had hoped. Days earlier, a former Huawei employee had gone public about being jailed for 251 days after the company accused him of extortion.

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On Weibo, numerous replies to a post about Ms. Mengs letter slyly included the number 251: "Have you been illegally detained in your high-end mansion for 251 days? one person wrote.

You deserve it. At least you are living in a mansion," wrote another. Our ordinary people can only live in a prison cell.

Chinese prosecutors ultimately dropped the charges against the employee because of unclear criminal facts and insufficient evidence."

Around the same time, Mr. Ren spoke to The Globe in an interview that spanned two hours. In it, Mr. Ren spoke extemporaneously except when asked about the condition of his daughter. Then, he pulled out a notecard and read a prepared statement: As parents, he read, we do miss our children. And, he added, this current situation has had a certain impact on her life. But her mother and her husband have been taking turns to fly to Canada and keep her company.

Mr. Ren has not travelled to Canada.

We can talk on the phone thats good enough," he said.

With a report from Nathan VanderKlippe

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Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou heads back to B.C. court one year later - The Globe and Mail

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