Why Michael Jordans Bulls would have won title No. 7 if they brought the band back together – ClutchPoints

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Michael Jordan revealed during the last episode of The Last Dance docuseries that he would have come back with the Chicago Bulls during the 1998-99 season if Phil Jackson was still the head coach.

After Chicago won the 1998 Finals over the Utah Jazz for the franchises sixth championship in eight years, Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf told Jackson he could return despite general manager Jerry Krauses statement that the famed head coach would not be back for the following season.

Jackson told Reinsdorf that it was time to retire, though. The Zen Master could sense that his relationship with Krause had reached its end and that it would put the late Bulls architect in an awkward position after what happened at the beginning of the 1997-98 campaign.

Krause famously told the Chicago media that the 1997-98 season was going to be Jacksons last year as head coach, even if the team went 82-0 and won the title. The Bulls replaced Jackson with Tim Floyd and the rest is history. Chicago hasnt been back to the Finals since the Jordan-Jackson era.

Meanwhile, Jackson won five more titles after moving on from the Bulls.

After hearing that Michael Jordan would have signed a one-year deal to chase title No. 7 in 1998-99, its only fair to wonder if His Airness could have led the Bulls to the championship during the 1998-99 season which only featured 50 games in the regular season because of a lockout.

If Michael Jordan could have convinced Scottie Pippen to stay one more year and the other key pieces on the team such as Steve Kerr, Dennis Rodman and Ron Harper remained, theres a good chance the Bulls do win No. 7. Of course, convincing Pippen to stay would have been difficult given his fat contract offer from the Houston Rockets, but the idea of ring No.7 and true basketball immortality would have certainly been enticing for Pippen since he was Jordans No. 2 guy.

The San Antonio Spurs wound up winning the title in 1999. They defeated the New York Knicks in five games, with Tim Duncan winning Finals MVP at the age of 22. Its safe to say Duncan wouldnt have averaged 27.4 points on 53.7 percent shooting from the field if he was going up against a defense led by Jordan, Pippen and Rodman.

You also have to factor in Luc Longley and his 7-foot-2 frame.

MJ was forced to retire because Phil wasnt the head coach of the Bulls anymore. Jerry Krause should have never publicly said that Jackson was going to be let go after 1997-98. Sure, it gave us The Last Dance, but Bulls fans missed out on a chance to watch Jordan and Co. capture ring No. 7.

Since it was the lockout year, Jordan would have been fairly fresh for the 1999 playoffs had he and Jackson decided to run it back. Its impossible to predict what would have happened, but we can only look at history one that has shown us that you really shouldnt doubt Michael Jordan.

The Last Dance docuseries provided ample examples of Jordan using little things as motivation to destroy his opponents. One can only imagine what Jordan would have done if he played in 1998-99 had pundits said the Bulls couldnt win No. 7.

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Why Michael Jordans Bulls would have won title No. 7 if they brought the band back together - ClutchPoints

10 X-Men That Are Surprisingly More Powerful Than Iron Man | CBR – CBR

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Tony Stark's unparalleled genius has given him the means to construct a powerful suit of armor with numerous applications - from creating resilientdefenses to delivering destructive attacks. Unlike Iron Man's, the extraordinary skills and talents of the X-Men have been acquired from birth but manymutants are unpopular or underrated in comparison.

RELATED: 10 Avengers That Are Surprisingly More Dangerous Than The X-Men's Wolverine

Some of Marvel's most consistently formidable heroes are X-Men. Asurprising number of them are capable of defeating a battle-ready Tony in a confrontation orare superior to him in terms of the feats they can pull off through their abilities.Here are 10 X-Men that are surprisingly more powerful than Iron Man.

Wade Wilsonis armed with nothing but a pair of katanas and he can't fly. However, the Merc with the Mouth has frequently used a teleportation device to enter or leave a battle and his blade strikes are capable of cutting through surfaces harder than diamond. This gives Deadpool a legitimate chance of getting close to Stark,negating his suit's ranged and technological capabilities and take him out. Wilson's immortality, superior speed, and greater fighting skill ultimately make him the stronger superhero.

Iceman's powers are limited to just a single element in contrast to Stark's numerous abilities but the mutant still has the right tools to overpower Tony. Firstly, he is capable of defending himself and attacking by creating ice out of thin air, which candestabilizethe Iron Man armor and shut it down. Secondly, Robert Drake has the power to control water on a molecular level meaning that some truly nasty stuff can happen to Tony's body and the billionaire is not popular for his stable health -considering the arc reactor in his chest.

The fact that Psylocke is willing to enter a fight without too much physical protection around her shouldn't give anyone the false impression that she is vulnerable. Hertelekinesis, which allows her to move and reform solid objects is all the defense that she needs.

RELATED: 10 X-Men That Are Surprisingly More Powerful Than Thor

Through it, Elizabeth Braddock can create impenetrable force field shielding as well as close combat and ranged weapons and render herself invisible. Psylocke'stelekinesis is more powerful and focused than Stark's and she is completely invulnerable to magic, psionics, and space-time alterations.

Despite being a born flier, Warren Worthington's naturalgifts don't look too threatening when compared to the high-tech weaponryof Iron Man. However, Archangel does possess some deadly technology of his own. Hecan use the metallic armament of his wings to fly at several times the speed of sound, attack with devastating blades from a distance and protect himself from destructive assaults, such as the bio-nuclear strikesof the mutant Holocaust. Archangel's body is far more resilient - he has the capability to swiftly regrow tissue even if it was completely destroyed.

Although for many, Iron Man isMarvel's perfect merger of man and machine, Cable isan immensely talented and skilled mutantand Tony will have to push the boundaries of Earth technology even further if he hopes to match his prowess. Nathan Summers' huge skillset can be broken down into 4 separate sections. Telepathy is out of Stark's reach but he is impervious to it.

RELATED: X-Men vs. A-Force: Who Would Win?

Time travel is something Iron Man has achieved(like in the MCU). Techno-organic physiology provides Cable with super strength and endurance. The one thing, in which Iron Man is inferior is telekinesis, which is mastered by Cable to such a degree that he can literally disassemble complex devices (like Tony's armor).

Negasonic Teenage Warhead's rather innocent looks should notfool anyone. She can easily evade the enemy attacks because of her superhuman speed and her ability to warp reality. The two powers, which make Ellie Phimister a worthy and superior opponent to Stark are her particle manipulation and absorption, which allow her to consume energies, use them to attack and to completely transform certain materials and her telekinesis, which will let her to control Tony's suit of armor in a hypothetical confrontation.

For all of his unlimited resources and spectacular scientific knowledge, there are some forces, which are out of Tony Stark's reach such as the interstellar, cosmic powers of Magik. Illyana Rasputina can travel through both time and space. Additionally, she is a powerful sorceress and is capable of performing some of Doctor Strange's most complex spells.

RELATED: 10 Marvel Villains Who Defeated The X-Men All By Themselves

Magik can put up powerful psionic shields around her mind, which even the greatest of telepaths can't penetrate. Which of the two heroes wields greater power will always be a difficult question to answer because each individual can attack the other in ways that would render the opponent defenseless. However, since Rasputina is capable of dealing as much physical damage as Stark is, the scales should rightfully tip in her favor.

Tony Stark has his incredible suit of armor and Karima Shapandar has her potent Sentinel tech so the contest between the two is quite even. Iron Man's firepower is matched by the specialized weaponry of Omega Sentinel. Shapandar can consume and project energy and therefore - create various types of protection around her. She can also fly.The mutant is gifted with another, very special skill, which possibly gives her a slight advantage - Technopathy. Through it, Omega Sentinel canrestructure and take control of nearby machines. She is not hacking, so Stark's A.I. will likely prove to be helpless when Karima takes advantage of thisparticular ability.

An intense duel of firepower,Havok versus Iron Man is a battle, the outcome of which is quite difficult to predict. Both can fly and absorb energy that they can then transform into a power source. While the mutantis invulnerable toany and all forms of heat attacks (like Iron Man's ray strikes), Tony's armor can protect him from a nuclear blast. However, while Stark is using Earth technology to power up his repulsors, Alexander Summers' source is cosmic. His energy absorptionand resilience passed the ultimate test when he was dropped into a large star and survived. Given his technology's origins, Iron Manpulling through such a challenge is quite uncertain and rather unlikely.

Iron Man's suit is equipped with numerous levels of protection and defensive mechanisms that guard him against magnetic, telepathic and various super-powered attacks so Alison Blaire's ability to project light doesn't immediately seem like too much of a problem for the famous Avenger. Well, as a matter of fact, if Dazzlerfocuses her light beams, she can cut through virtually anything with the produced laser. Additionally, she is capable of creating a destructive shield that doesn't simply protect her but incinerates anything thattouches it.Stark's armor might very well be able to hold out against her specialized light strikesbut as Avengers: Endgame unfortunately proved, Tony most certainly can't replicate Alison's most special and unexplained power - to get resurrected every time she is killed in battle.

NEXT: 5 Reasons Why Cyclops Is The Smartest Summers Brother (& 5 Why It's Havok)

Next5 Marvel Cosmic Beings That Are More Powerful Than Galactus (& 5 That Arent)

Deyan Angelov is a writer and short film director based in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. In the past, he has worked as an online film reviewer and news writer for Film-book.com, covering the London Film Festival in 2013 and 2018. He has written and directed two short films and has undergone several courses in Nu Boyana Film Studios. He has graduated from the University of Royal Holloway and is currently a writer in training for Comic Book Resources. He likes to write short scripts and stories in his spare time.

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10 X-Men That Are Surprisingly More Powerful Than Iron Man | CBR - CBR

Save 67% on Superior Iron Man, Spider-Gwen, and other Marvel reads from $1 – 9to5Toys

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With a Marvel Secret Warsand Deluxe DC sale already underway this week, ComiXology isnt letting its foot off the gas by launching yet another batch of discounted reads. This time, youll be able to save up to 67% on a variety of comics by famed author Tom Taylor, with prices starting at under $1. Amongst all of the deals, one standout is onSuperior Iron Man Vol. 1: Infamous at $2.99. Youd typically pay $9 for this novel, with todays offer matching the lowest weve seen on a digital copy.In Superior Iron Man, Tony Stark decides to give every smartphone-wielding citizen of San Francisco access to his most powerful suit yet, the Extremis armor. But Daredevil isnt down with Starks new vision of the future, and the two will battle it out.Head below for all of our top picks.

Dont forget that ComiXology is currently offering a 60-day free trial of its Unlimited service, which offers digital access to thousands of comics and even an extra 10-15% off a wide selection of comics. Learn more in our ComiXology getting started guide.

How much would you pay for perfection? Beauty? Immortality? Tony Stark knows, and hes ready to give it to you but at a terrible price! The AXIS effect has changed Tony: Hes more stylish, more confident and more cunning than ever before. And hes ready to lead San Francisco into the future but the first step is to release Extremis upon the entire city!

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Save 67% on Superior Iron Man, Spider-Gwen, and other Marvel reads from $1 - 9to5Toys

The Proto-Communist Plan to Resurrect Everyone Who Ever Lived – VICE UK

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This article originally appeared on VICE US.

Is there anything that can be done to escape the death cult we seem trapped in?

One of the more radical visions for how to organize human society begins with a simple goal: lets resurrect everyone who has ever lived. Nikolai Fedorov, a nineteenth-century librarian and Russian Orthodoxy philosopher, went so far as to call this project the common task of humanity, calling for the living to be rejuvenated, the dead to be resurrected, and space to be colonized specifically to house them. From the 1860s to the 1930s, Fedorovs influence was present throughout the culturehe influenced a generation of Marxists ahead of the Russian Revolution, as well as literary writers like Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky, whose novel, The Brothers Karamazov, directly engaged with Federov's ideas about resurrection.

After his death, Federovs acolytes consolidated his ideas into a single text, A Philosophy of the Common Task, and created Cosmism, the movement based on his anti-death eschatology. Federov left the technical details to those who would someday create the prerequisite technology, but this did not stop his disciples: Alexander Bogdanov, who founded the Bolsheviks with Lenin, was an early pioneer of blood transfusions in hopes of rejuvenating humanity; Konstantin Tsiolkvosky, an astrophysicist who was the progenitor of Russia's space program, sought to colonize space to house the resurrected dead; and Alexander Chizhevsky, a biophysicist who sought to map out the effects of solar activity on Earth life and behavior, thought his research might help design the ideal society for the dead to return to.

The vast majority of cosmists were, by the 1930s, either murdered or purged by Stalin, muting the influence of their ambitious project but also leaving us with an incomplete body of work about what type of society resurrection requires or will result in, and whether that wouldas some cosmists believe nowbring us closer to the liberation of the species. Now, I think it is obvious thatdespite what todays transhumanists might tell youwe are in no position, now or anytime soon, to resurrect anyone let alone bring back to life the untold billions that have existed across human history and past it into the eons before civilizations dawn.

To be clear, I think cosmism is absolute madness, but I also find it fascinating. With an introduction to Cosmism and its implications, maybe we can further explore the arbitrary and calculated parts of our social and political order that prioritize capital instead of humanity, often for sinister ends.

**

What? Who gets resurrected? And how?

At its core, the Common Task calls for the subordination of all social relations, productive forces, and civilization itself to the single-minded goal of achieving immortality for the living and resurrection for the dead. Cosmists see this as a necessarily universal project for either everyone or no one at all. That constraint means that their fundamental overhaul of society must go a step further in securing a place where evil or ill-intentioned people cant hurt anyone, but also where immortality is freely accessible for everyone.

Its hard to imagine how that worldwhere resources are pooled together for this project, where humans cannot hurt one another, and where immortality is freeis compatible with the accumulation and exploitation that sit at the heart of capitalism. The crisis heightened by coronavirus should make painfully clear to us all that, as J.W. Masonan economist at CUNYrecently put it, we have a system organized around the threat of withholding people's subsistence, and it "will deeply resist measures to guarantee it, even when the particular circumstances make that necessary for the survival of the system itself." Universal immortality, already an optimistic vision, simply cannot happen in a system that relies on perpetual commodification.

Take one small front of the original cosmist project: blood transfusions. In the 1920s, after being pushed out of the Bolshevik party, Bogdanov focused on experimenting with blood transfusions to create a rejuvenation process for humans (theres little evidence they do this). He tried and failed to set up blood banks across the Soviet Union for the universal rejuvenation of the public, dying from complications of a transfusion himself. Today, young blood is offered for transfusion by industrious start-ups, largely to wealthy and eccentric clientsmost notably (and allegedly) Peter Thiel.

In a book of conversations on cosmism published in 2017 titled Art Without Death, the first dialogue between Anton Vidokle and Hito Steyerl, living artists and writers in Berlin, drives home this same point. Vidokle tells Steyerl that he believes Death is capital quite literally, because everything we accumulatefood, energy, raw material, etc.these are all products of death. For him, it is no surprise were in a capitalist death cult given that he sees value as created through perpetual acts of extraction or exhaustion.

Steyerl echoes these concerns in the conversation, comparing the resurrected dead to artificial general intelligences (AGIs), which oligarch billionaires warn pose an existential threat to humanity. Both groups anticipate fundamental reorganizations of human society, but capitalists diverge sharply from cosmists in that their reorganization necessitates more extraction, more exhaustion, and more death. In their conversation, Steyerl tells Vidokle:

Within the AGI Debate, several solutions have been suggested: first to program the AGI so it will not harm humans, or, on the alt-right/fascist end of the spectrum, to just accelerate extreme capitalisms tendency to exterminate humans and resurrect rich people as some sort of high-net-worth robot race.

These eugenicist ideas are already being implemented: cryogenics and blood transfusions for the rich get the headlines, but the breakdown of healthcare in particularand sustenance in generalfor poor people is literally shortening the lives of millions ... In the present reactionary backlash, oligarchic and neoreactionary eugenics are in full swing, with few attempts being made to contain or limit the impact on the living. The consequences of this are clear: the focus needs to be on the living first and foremost. Because if we dont sort out societycreate noncapitalist abundance and so forththe dead cannot be resurrected safely (or, by extension, AGI cannot be implemented without exterminating humankind or only preserving its most privileged parts).

One of the major problems of todays transhumanist movement is that we are currently unable to equally distribute even basic life-extension technology such as nutrition, medicine, and medical care. At least initially, transhumanists vision of a world in which people live forever is one in which the rich live forever, using the wealth theyve built by extracting value from the poor. Todays transhumanism exists largely within a capitalist framework, and the countrys foremost transhumanist, Zoltan Istvan, a Libertarian candidate for president, is currently campaigning on a platform that shutdown orders intended to preserve human life during the coronavirus pandemic are overblown and are causing irrevocable damage to the capitalist economy (Istvan has in the past written extensively for Motherboard, and has also in the past advocated for the abolition of money).

Cosmists were clear in explaining what resurrection would look like in their idealized version of society, even though they were thin on what the technological details would be. Some argue we must not only restructure our civilization, but our bodies so that we can acquire regenerative abilities, alter our metabolic activity so food or shelter are optional, and thus overcome the natural, social, sexual, and other limitations of the species as Arseny Zhilyaev puts it in a later conversation within the book.

Zhilyaev also invokes Federovs conception of a universal museum, a radicalized, expanded, and more inclusive version of the museums we have now as the site of resurrection. In our world, the closest example of this universal museum is the digital world which also doubles as an enormous data collector used for anything from commerce to government surveillance. The prospect of being resurrected because of government/corporate surveillance records or Mormon genealogy databases is sinister at best, but Zhilyaevs argumentand the larger one advanced by other cosmistsis that our world is already full of and defined by absurd and oppressive institutions that are hostile to our collective interests, yet still manage to thrive. The options for our digital worlds development have been defined by advertisers, state authorities, telecom companies, deep-pocketed investors, and the likewhat might it look like if we decided to focus instead on literally any other task?

All this brings us to the question of where the immortal and resurrected would go. The answer, for cosmists, is space. In the cosmist vision, space colonization must happen so that we can properly honor our ethical responsibility to take care of the resurrected by housing them on museum planets. If the universal museum looks like a digital world emancipated from the demands of capital returns, then the museum planet is a space saved from the whims of our knock-off Willy Wonkasthe Elon Musks and Jeff Bezos of the world. I am not saying it is a good or fair idea to segregate resurrected dead people to museum planets in space, but this is what cosmists suggested, and its a quainter, more peaceful vision for space than what todays capitalists believe we should do.

For Musk, Mars and other future worlds will become colonies that require space mortgages, are used for resource extraction, or, in some cases, be used as landing spots for the rich once we have completely destroyed the Earth. Bezos, the worlds richest man, says we will have "gigantic chip factories in space where heavy industry is kept off-planet. Beyond Earth, Bezos anticipates humanity will be contained to O'Neill cylinder space colonies. One might stop and consider the fact that while the cosmist vision calls for improving human civilization on Earth before resurrecting the dead and colonizing space, the capitalist vision sees space as the next frontier to colonize and extract stupendous returns fromtrillions of dollars of resource extraction is the goal. Even in space, they cannot imagine humanity without the same growth that demands the sort of material extraction and environmental degradation already despoiling the world. Better to export it to another place (another country, planet, etc.) than fix the underlying system.

Why?

Ostensibly, the why behind cosmism is a belief that we have an ethical responsibility to resurrect the dead, much like we have one to care for the sick or infirm. At a deeper level, however, cosmists not only see noncapitalist abundance as a virtue in of itself, but believe the process of realizing it would offer chances to challenge deep-seated assumptions about humanity that might aid political and cultural forms hostile to the better future cosmists seek.

Vidokle tells Steyerl in their conversation that he sees the path towards resurrection involving expanding the rights of the dead in ways that undermine certain political and cultural forms,

The dead ... dont have any rights in our society: they dont communicate, consume, or vote and so they are not political subjects. Their remains are removed further and further from the cities, where most of the living reside. Culturally, the dead are now largely pathetical comical figures: zombies in movies, he said. Financial capitalism does not care about the dead because they do not produce or consume. Fascism only uses them as a mythical proof of sacrifice. Communism is also indifferent to the dead because only the generation that achieves communism will benefit from it; everyone who died on the way gets nothing.

In another part of their conversation, Steyerl suggests that failing to pursue the cosmist project might cede ground to the right-wing accelerationism already killing millions:

There is another aspect to this: the maintenance and reproduction of life is of course a very gendered technologyand control of this is on a social battleground. Reactionaries try to grab control over lifes production and reproduction by any means: religious, economic, legal, and scientific. This affects womens rights on the one hand, and, on the other, it spawns fantasies of reproduction wrested from female control: in labs, via genetic engineering, etc.

In other words, the failure to imagine and pursue some alternative to this oligarchic project has real-world consequences that not only kill human beings, but undermine the collective agency of the majority of humanity. In order for this narrow minority to rejuvenate and resurrect themselves in a way that preserves their own privilege and power, they will have to sharply curtail the rights and agency of almost every other human being in every other sphere of society.

Elena Shaposhnikova, another artist who appears later in the book, wonders whether the end of deathor the arrival of a project promising to abolish itmight help us better imagine and pursue lives beyond capitalism:

It seems to me that most of us tend to sublimate our current life conditions and all its problems, tragedies, and inequalities, and project this into future scenarios, she said. So while its easy to imagine and represent life in a society without money and with intergalactic travel, the plot invariably defaults to essentialist conflicts of power, heroism, betrayal, revenge, or something along these lines.

In a conversation with Shaposhnikova, Zhilyaev offers that cosmism might help fight the general fear of socialism as he understands it:

According to Marx, or even Lenin, socialism as a goal is associated with something elsewith opportunities of unlimited plurality and playful creativity, wider than those offered by capitalism. ... the universal museum producing eternal life and resurrection for all as the last necessary step for establishing social justice.

In the conversations that this book, cosmism emerges not simply as an ambition to resurrect the dead but to create, for the first time in human history, a civilization committed to egalitarianism and justice. So committed, in fact, that no part of the human experienceincluding deathwould escape the frenzied wake of our restructuring.

Its a nice thought, and something worth thinking about. Ours is not that world but in fact, one that is committed, above all else, to capital accumulation. There will be no resurrection for the deadthere isnt even healthcare for most of the living, after all. Even in the Citadel of Capital, the heart of the World Empire, the belly of the beast, the richest country in human history, most are expected to fend for themselves as massive wealth transfers drain the public treasuries that mightve funded some measure of protection from the pandemic, the economic meltdown, and every disaster lurking just out of sight. And yet, for all our plumage, our death cult still holds true to Adam Smith's observation in The Wealth of Nations: "All for ourselves, and nothing for other people, seems, in every age of the world, to have been the vile maxim of the masters of mankind."

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The Proto-Communist Plan to Resurrect Everyone Who Ever Lived - VICE UK

Star Wars Hints Palpatine Became the Embodiment of the Dark Side – Screen Rant

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The junior novelization for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkersuggests Emperor Palpatinehas grown beyond being a Sith Lord, and is now the physical embodiment of the dark side itself. The return ofPalpatine in Star Wars 9remains a major talking point for the sequel trilogy and with good reason. His re-emergence is miraculous, and with no concrete on-screen rationale, it was made all the more unbelievable.

One of the fans many complains about The Rise of Skywalker is that Palpatine's return felt rushed at best, with no substantial time devoted to how he evaded death in Return of the Jedi. Regardless, the film trudged on, requiring books and comics to fill in the blanks after the fact. In the end, the Emperor's original form was pronounced dead with his spirit living on inside of a clone body, as confirmed in The Rise of Skywalker novelization. There may be more to this story, as thejunior novel makes a game-changing claim about his bond with the dark side of the Force.

Related:Star Wars' Rey Skywalker Ending Would've Been Great (Without Palpatine)

The Resistance first learns of Palpatine's return via Poe Dameron, who breaks the news to them all at once. There is initial fear among the crowd, but it doesn't take long for speculation to begin on how this is possible. Franchise newcomer Beaumont Kin theorizes it is a result of secret Sith techniques, including dark science and cloning, but there is no way to be sure. Poe goes on to say that "the Emperor did die, but something came back." Thissuggests that whileSheev Palpatine's physical figure is really gone, his soul lives on as one with the dark side,meaning his appearance in The Rise of Skywalker is as amanifestation ofthe Forceitself.

The Emperor's story arc across all 9 Skywalker saga movies gives this possibility more credence. Dating back to the clone wars era, he was fixated on the concept of creating life, which he indirectly confessed to Anakin in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Immortality is the key to everlasting power, which Sith desire above all else. During his confrontation with his technical daughter Rey on Exegol, he refers to himself as "all the Sith", indicating there is more to him than meets the eye. His power is not his own, channeling those who came before him in a bid for galactic domination. He is the dark side incarnate at this point, void of any semblance of humanity.

At any rate, Palpatine succumbed to his lightning yet again, ridding the galaxy of he and the Sith. For the time being, the Force is in balance with the dark side dissipating alongside the former Emperor. Considering how convoluted his survival was, it was a given there were more powerful entities at play. The Rise of Skywalker is scrutinized to this day for how it handled the iconic villain, but this was the most logical course to take. It only makes sense that he found a way to merge his being with the dark side, becoming its physical manifestation.

Next:Star Wars Offers ANOTHER Origin For Palpatine's Rise Of Skywalker Fleet

Star Wars: Clone Wars Retcons How Ahsoka Survives Order 66

Shane started at Screen Rant in late 2019. From blockbusters to indie ventures, he's there on opening night. He is currently attending the University At Buffalo for a Bachelor's in Film Studies and has been studying film independently for years. He has also delved into the tedious world of stop-motion animation, putting together a handful of short films. When he's away from movies, he can often be found in the gym. Of course, when he needs to wind down his Xbox controller is never far away. He can be found on all social media platforms @sheamus_oneill.

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Bill and Ted Comics Suggest That Rufus Is Actually The True Great One – Screen Rant

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A Bill and Ted comic suggest that for all his help and motivation, George Carlin's Rufus is the true Great One of the future instead of Bill and Ted.

In Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, we learn that Bill S. Preston, Esq and Ted "Theodore" Logan are destined to be the Two Great Ones who will usher in a golden age of humanity based on their music and philosophy. One of those citizens named Rufus, portrayed by the late actor and comedian George Carlin, is tasked with going back in time and ensuring Bill and Ted pass their history class, thus keeping the timeline intact. Rufus would return to assist Bill and Ted more than once and his faith and intervention, according to one Bill & Ted comic series, would suggest that Rufus is the true Great One instead of the iconic laidback duo.

In the Excellent Adventure, Rufus arrives at San Dimas in 1988 in the Circle K parking lot where he introduces himself to the freaked outBill and Ted whose doubts are put to rest when they meet themselves from a few hours in the future who vouch for Rufus' authenticity. Rufus explains to them how the time machine, in the shape of a telephone booth, works and any important instructions they should keep in mind but will most likely forget. Rufus doesn't show up again until the end when he brings along Bill and Ted's medieval love interests, removed from their arranged marriage and reunited with Bill and Ted so they can fulfill their destiny in Wyld Stallyns according to Rufus. In Bogus Journey, Rufus opposes Chuck De Nomolos' plan to rewrite history by sending murderous robot duplicates of the historical duo back in time. Hitching a ride, Rufus arrives in San Dimas earlier than expected and disguises himself as Ms. Wardroe who is in charge of the San Dimas Battle of the Bands. Making sure Wyld Stallyns is in the competition, Rufus reveals himself and his role in the drama after Bill and Ted defeat their heinous doppelgangers and their master De Nomolos. Never wavering in his faith, Rufus' patience and hard work pays off when Bill and Ted accomplish their destiny with music that seemingly unites the world.

RELATED:Bill and Ted Already Faced The Music In Amazing Comic Book Series

In Bill and Ted's Triumphant Return, a comic series by Brian Lynch, Jerry and Penelope Gaylord, intended to be the long-awaited third sequel- Bill and Ted have traveled to the future in hopes of curing their writer's block by "borrowing" their then-historical music and bringing it back to their present. Sidetracked in San Dimas 2645 with a mission to "Rufus" an ostracized and ridiculed young Chuck De Nomolos, the future Great Ones vow to teach Chuck how to play guitar in hopes of changing his nefarious ways. It is here, in the historic San Dimas High School, that a school report by De Nomolos' crush Claudia suggests that Rufus is actually the true Great One due to all of his assistance with Bill and Ted and that it was Rufus' idea to customize all the abandoned phone booths into time machines, which certain extraterrestrials got the idea to do with British police booths.

Although Bill and Ted get immortalized as the Two Great Ones, hopefully, Rufus gets his fair share of immortality for his role in that masterpiece for his faith in those two remained unbreakable.In the series when De Nomolos is given the opportunity to twist and rewrite history so he inherits all of Bill and Ted's power which leaves Rufus unemployed and a failure, he still manages to appear and inspire Bill and Ted to set things right despite the twisted and depressing future they find themselves in. Although Rufus won't reappear in the upcoming Bill and Ted: Face the Music, we're glad to hear that the late George Carlin will somehow make a cameo in the film. Although this comic series has been deemed non-canonical along with the other comic and television-related series, it's just good to see someone give credit where credit is due. One can only imagine what Bill and Ted, and essentially human history, would have been like if Rufus didn't appear in that Circle K parking lot all those years ago. It would have been most heinous, indeed. Last but not least to Rufus and George Carlin, youare missed and you truly were one of the greatest...

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The Avengers Are About To Face The PHOENIX FORCE

Drew is a reader, writer, artist, and creative professional based in Westchester, New York. He dabbles into cosplay, movie references, comics, and some anime while also being a Ghostbuster. He has a Bachelors in History, a Masters in Publishing and is excited to be working with Screen Rant. Previously his articles have been featured on Comic Book Resources and Iron Age Comics and he's excited to see what happens next!

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Bill and Ted Comics Suggest That Rufus Is Actually The True Great One - Screen Rant

Fr Frank’s Homily The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Catholic Outlook

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Homily for the Solemnity ofThe Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

15 August 2020

To be honest, Ive never quite known what to say when it comes to preaching about the Immaculate Conception, the Virgin Birth, or todays feast, the Assumption of Mary into heaven. Like most Catholics, I pray to Mary especially at those times when I am in need and when I feel a little overwhelmed by the deity, whether it be God as Father, Son or Holy Spirit, or God as Creator, Redeemer or Sustainer. After all, Mary is one of us. She was a young woman with freedom who, while subject to all the ordinary expectations and pressures, said the most faith-filled human yes to God in history. And she stored everything in her heart, including the crucifixion of her son.

Part of my hesitation about Immaculate conception, virginity and assumption is that they seem to be attributes which distinguish her absolutely and definitively from any of us, rather than affirming that it was one just like us who said yes at the Annunciation and carried all that she did. Over the years, I have found that almost all Catholics are pleased to have Mary at their side and on their lips when they are hospital-bound, especially when they are on their death bed. The feminist theologian Elizabeth A Johnson in her book She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse has pointed out that many Catholics tend to substitute Mary for the Holy Spirit: this village woman, mother of Jesus, honoured as Mother of God, functions as an icon of the maternal God, revealing divine love as merciful, close, interested in the poor and the weak, ready to hear human needs, related to the earth, trustworthy and profoundly attractive. Those of a more Protestant bent are more likely to find this feminine aspect of God in the Holy Spirit.

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Early in my Jesuit life, a new provincial changed my work plans. Instead of starting my work as a lawyer committed to Aboriginal rights, I was asked to spend a year teaching Year 10 Mathematics at Xavier College here in Melbourne. The highly irreverent Fr Geoffrey James SJ who was on the staff there and who knew that I was not immediately overjoyed by this change of plans wrote to me saying Isnt God clever? When the feast of the Assumption came around, he told the boys with a touch of mischief that this was the day when we assumed that Mary was in heaven. Geoff died young, and presumably now knows the answer. Presumably, we celebrate more than the assumption made by Geoff James. We celebrate the reality with faith and hope.

Back in 1950, Pope Pius XII published an apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus in which he declared: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. He made this definitive declaration after surveying the bishops of the Church. He asked the bishops if they judged that the Assumption of Mary can be proposed and defined as a dogma of faith and whether they desired it. About half the bishops of the world responded to the survey. Only six of those who responded voiced any reservations.

In 1963, the bishops at the Second Vatican Council debated whether to publish a separate decree on Mary. In the end, they voted against a separate decree, deciding by 1,114 to 1,074 to include their deliberations on Mary as an extra chapter of Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. The Church Fathers declared that preserved free from all guilt of original sin, the Immaculate Virgin was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory upon the completion of her earthly sojourn.

Shortly after Pius XIIs declaration, the Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner turned his attention to an interpretation of this dogma. What do we mean when we say that Mary was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory? Rahner was upfront admitting that it is usual for theologians today to reply to the question as to the place of heaven by merely saying that it is above all a condition and that it is, in fact, impossible to say just where heaven is.

Rahners starting point and centrepoint is always Jesus, not Mary. He tells us: Christs body remainseternally a piece of this world, bound up with it in its deepest and inmost ground; otherwise the mortal world would not have attained to eternal life or the unity of the world would be split asunder. He then considers Mary: if Mary is the ideal representation of exhaustive redemption because of her unique place in saving history, then she must even now have achieved that perfect communion with God in the glorified totality of her real being (body and soul) which certainly exists even now. Rahner thought that those of a Protestant mindset would see this as ultimately only a promise whereas those of a more Catholic mindset would see it as existing even now, although it has not embraced everything yet and for us here below has not yet become apparent. He concluded: That this state of salvation should be attributed to Mary in its entirety and fullness will not seem an impossibility to someone who knows that this salvation was born of her in virtue of the consent of her faith and in consequence, has had its most perfect effect in her.

Author and poet Peter Steele, who was scholar in residence here at Newman College for many years, in one of his last interviews for ABC Radio National said: Ive written about all sorts of things in my various writings, one of the great subjects has always been mortality, and it is a comfort to me that our mortality, as I firmly believe, is a conditionlets call it a room, which is what John Donne called it, which precedes and leads into a capacious and entirely blessed and secure immortality, one of whose names is heaven. And I believe in that very, very strongly. And I probably believe that more strongly than almost anything else.

On this feast of the Assumption, we celebrate Marys capacious and entirely blessed and secure immortality here and now. We Catholics who have trouble understanding or sympathising with the formal declaration of the doctrine can draw some consolation from St John Henry Newman, the patron of our college.

As an Anglican, Newman always had a true devotion to the Blessed Virgin. He was, of course, the vicar of the University Church of St Mary the Virgin at Oxford. In his tracts on Romanism prior to his conversion, he was strongly pointing out the impossible barriers which lie between us and Rome and he gave as an example, the worship of the Virgin.[1] As a Catholic, he gave a series of meditations on the Assumption. Just as Pius XII was to do a century later, he conceded that there was no direct scriptural warrant for Marys Assumption. But he pointed to Matthew 27:52-3 in which the gospel writer declares that at the moment of Jesus death, the tombs opened and the bodies of many holy people rose from the dead, and these, after his resurrection, came out of the tombs, entered the Holy City and appeared to a number of people. If there were to be some enjoying an earlier resurrection than the rest of us, then surely Mary would have joined them immediately on her death. Newman asked, Can we suppose that Abraham, or David, or Isaiah, or Ezechias, should have been thus favoured, and not Gods own mother? Had she not a claim on the love of her Son to have what any others had? Was she not nearer to Him than the greatest of the Saints before her?

The early Christians went to extraordinary lengths to treasure the mortal remains, belongings and locations of the first saints these lengths sometimes included devotions and claims which had no basis in fact. There is no evidence of such practices in relation to Mary. Newman asked, If her body was not taken into heaven, where is it? How comes it that it is hidden from us? Why do we not hear of her tomb as being here or there? Why are not pilgrimages made to it? Why are not relics producible of her, as of the saints in general? What chance would St Peters in Rome have had if there were St Marys somewhere over the purported tomb of Jesus mother! In a letter to Robert Charles Jenkins on 11 January 1879, Newman wrote, I do believe it, tho the Church has not defined itIt is to me impossible to hold what we hold about Mary, as the second Eve, and the Mother of God, and yet deny her Assumption, though we have no direct proof of it. Not even Pius XII could produce that scriptural proof 71 years later.

With the Church having defined the doctrine, another cardinal of our Church who was a convert, Avery Dulles SJ, invested considerable effort in dialogue with the Lutherans trying to reach agreement on what we might say about Mary. After seven years, the US theologians from both Churches could not reach agreement. But in the course of the dialogue, Dulles described Pius XIIs method of defining the doctrine as regressive in that he gave pride of place to the prevailing view of the present-day bishops and the faithful and only then sought to garner support in Scripture and tradition. Dulles asserted that the definition proceeded backward from the present situation of Mary in glory rather than forward from her earthly history, thus avoiding many of the problems raised by the lack of reliable historical testimonies, and by conflicting theological speculations, about the death and entombment of Mary. In their final statement, the US Catholic and Lutheran theologians suggested that our two churches would make greater progress toward fellowship by taking two further steps within the framework of common study and dialogue.

One step would be a Lutheran acknowledgment that the Catholic teaching about Mary as set forth in Vatican II does not promote idolatrous belief or practice and is not opposed to the gospel. Another would be acknowledgment by the Catholic Church that in a closer but still incomplete fellowship, Lutherans, focusing on Christ the one Mediator, as set forth in Scripture, would not be obliged to affirm Marys assumption.

Celebrating the mystery of Marys Assumption today without quite knowing what it means or what it is, we give thanks for the access we have and the empathy we experience from Mary who is with her Son Jesus enjoying capacious and entirely blessed and secure immortality. Praying Hail Mary, full of grace, we celebrate and affirm the female aspect of our loving God. In her last book Consider Jesus: Waves of Renewal in Christology, Elizabeth A Johnson takes a justified pot shot at even the most sophisticated theologians who fall into the trap of saying, God is not male, He is spirit. She asks, Why does it alwayshave to be he? It is because we are operating within an androcentric framework, supported by the maleness of Jesus, whichpresumes that God always has to be considered male.

Johnson warns us, Thegender of Jesus has been taken to be the mode or paradigm of what it means to be human. This is interpreted literally to mean thatmaleness is closer to the human ideal than is femaleness. She says, Proof of this attitude is seen in reactions to a hypothetical question about theincarnation. The Word became flesh: God who is beyond gender became a human being. Could God have become a human being as awoman?

Yes, God could. But as it turns out, Jesus was a man. His mother Mary, a woman, enjoys capacious and entirely blessed and secure immortality with her Son here and now, body and soul. Thats what we celebrate today. Happy Feast Day. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

[1] Letter to Hugh James Rose, 23 May 1836

Fr Frank Brennan SJ is the Rector of Newman College, Melbourne and the former CEO of Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA).

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Happy Navratri 2020: History and significance of the 9 days of celebration of the Hindu festival – Hindustan Times

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Navaratri, also called Sharada Navarati or Navrata, is a major Hindu festival that is celebrated by Hindus around the world and in India over a span of nine nights post monsoon autumn. It is essentially a celebration of good over evil. Navratri has a different significance all over India and is celebrated in the Hindu calendar month of Ashvin, mostly around September and October.

This year Navratri starts from October 17 with Shailputri and ends on October 26 with Vijay Dashami and Durga Visarjan (the immersing of the idol). The Ghatasthapana Muhurta falls on Pratipada Tithi and will start at 6:23 AM till 10:12 AM on October 17.

Navratri translates to Nav meaning nine and ratri meaning nights and honours the divine Goddess Durga who defeated the demon king Mahishasura in a battle.

History

Legend has it that the demon king Mahishasura was granted immortality by Lord Brahma, with the condition being that he could only be defeated by a woman.

Mahishasura attacked all the three spheres, Trilok, which includes Earth, Heaven and Hell, and nobody could defeat him. Then Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva combined their powers to create Goddess Durga.

What ensued was a 15-day log battle between Mahishasura and Goddes Durga, during which the demon king kept changing his form to confuse the goddess. When Mahishasura turned into a buffalo, Goddess Durga slayed him with her trishul. It was the day of Mahalaya when Mahishasura was killed.

Significance and celebration

Over the course of the nine days the different avatars of Goddess Durga are honoured They are Goddess Shailputri (Day 1), Goddess Brahmacharini (Day 2), Goddess Chandraghanta (Day 3), Goddess Kushmanda (Day 4), Goddess Skandamata (Day 5), Goddess Katyayani (Day 6), Goddess Kaalratri (Day 7), Goddess Mahagauri (Day 8) and Goddess Siddhidatri (Day 9).

During this festival families and friends get together to celebrate it as per their tradition. In Gujarat, dandiya is played during the festival and mostly people fast and spend their time in prayer.

In the East of India the festival is celebrated as Durga Puja while in the North, Ram Leela, a visual retelling of the Ramayana is held and the nine days end with Dussehra during which straw effigies of Ravana are burnt to depict the victory of good over evil.

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Madhya Pradeshs new cabinet shows that a slow Congressisation of the BJP is happening – ThePrint

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New Delhi: The newly-formed Madhya Pradesh cabinet signals the Congressisation of the BJP, ThePrints editor-in-chief Shekhar Gupta said in episode 512 of Cut The Clutter.

An analysis of the cabinet, and where the loyalty of its members lie, shows that MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been cut to size. In fact, he has been rendered a lame duck whos also been kneecapped.

Fourteen of the 33 cabinet members are former Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindias loyalists; they had defected to the BJP with Scindia back in March. This means more than 40 per cent of the people, who arent even members of the House yet, have been made ministers.

Three others are loyalists of BJPs Narottam Mishra while three are loyalists of the partys national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya. This leaves just 13 ministers who are actually CM Chouhans loyalists, which means he has very little space to do or say anything.

But it isnt just Madhya Pradesh which is showing these signs. Of the 17-NDA ruled states, BJP has its chief ministers in 12, but a closer look reveals a slow move towards a complete Congressisation of the BJP.

For one, this indicates the rise of a high-command culture in the BJP, just like that of the Congress. Only one person or a couple of people own that high command space similar to how the Congress is presently run by just a few people, such as Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.

This also shows that the BJP now has very weak CMs as well as cabinet ministers. This is because all the power within the party emanates from one source.

One of the main reasons why Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power with such a resounding mandate in 2014 was due to the fact that the BJP had built very strong Chief Ministers who could always swing elections in their states for him. But six of these strong CMs are nowhere to be seen now.

Former Rajasthan CM Vasundra Raje is out of power as is former Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh.

Gujarat had Narendra Modi as its powerful vote-catching CM, but his shift to Delhi moved that power with him. In Maharashtra, Nitin Gadkari, who could swing elections single-handedly, has now been sidelined.

In Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan has also been sidelined, cut to size and rendered powerless despite being the CM.

On Wednesday, at the swearing-in ceremony, he cryptically commented that amrit (nectar of immortality) comes out of the churning of the ocean as Shiva consumes vish (poison), in whatmay be a metaphorical reference to himself.

Other BJP-ruled states signal a similar trend. The formula of keeping your chief minister reduced to a nobody who gets instructions from Delhi for anything he wants to do is being repeated in all the states.

For instance, Assams CM Sarbananda Sonowal is seen to have very little power. In fact, it is the Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who is considered the face of the Assam government. He is also seen as the face of the BJP in all of the Northeast. He won the Northeast for the BJP.

In Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar has had to share power with his deputy and JJP leader Dushyant Singh Chuatala, after the two parties were forced to form a coalition government. Cabinet minister Anil Vij too occupies a very important, powerful position in the state government.

In Gujarat, CM Vijay Rupani is remote-controlled from New Delhi, which is a well-known fact.

Manipur CM Biren Singh was forced to restore the portfolios of his deputy CM, National Peoples Party leader Y. Joykumar Singh, as part of the understanding reached between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the NPP delegation led by its national president and CM of neighbouring Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma.

This means that while Singh may be the CM, the real authority and power lies with the high command in Delhi.

In Karnataka, B.S. Yediyurappas authority has been undermined time and again, most recently when none of his Rajya Sabha nominees were selected by the party high command, which instead backed those of Yediyurappas rival, B.L. Santosh.

The one exception to this rule is Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath. He was seen as a political lightweight with no real following of his own. But the fact is that the way Adityanath has conducted himself has not only made him more of a Hindutva brand ambassador but also a brand ambassador for Modi and Shah. He wasnt chosen to be an exception, but just turned out to be one.

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Madhya Pradeshs new cabinet shows that a slow Congressisation of the BJP is happening - ThePrint

Start with a Polaroid, Then Add Disinfectant. Here’s the Result – Smithsonian Magazine

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In mid-March, days before Britain instituted a lockdown, I flew from my native Bermuda, where Id been documenting the islands diverse identity in a personal photo project, to my home in the London neighborhood of Bermondsey. My husband and I began to self-isolate.

Suddenly confined to our house and worried about the worsening Covid-19 outbreak, I picked up my camera and started taking Polaroid photographsof my husband, myself and our surroundings. At first, I saw capturing these quiet domestic scenes as a way to get my mind off the outside world.

In this new reality, the repetition of unfamiliar routines that were intended to keep us safedisinfecting all the groceries when we came home, washing my hands so much the skin began crackingmade me feel more anxious and frustrated.

So I started applying the chemicals that now seem to define our days to the images themselves. While the Polaroids develop, or soon after, I pour bleach, dishwashing liquid, hand sanitizer and other disinfectants onto them. Even when I take a photograph I dont want to alter, I make myself do it as part of recording the surreal time were living through.

This intervention is an effort to visualize the invisible forces that have been permeating our daily livesfrom the lethal, microscopic coronavirus to our unseen, yet acutely felt, unease.

But its also a representation of the new and unknown world that will come out of this momentperhaps we will emerge more connected and resilient than before.

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Start with a Polaroid, Then Add Disinfectant. Here's the Result - Smithsonian Magazine

Five Welshmen named in the top 10 greatest Lions of all time but no place for two-time skipper Sam Warburton – Wales Online

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His record as skipper of the British & Irish Lions reads one drawn series with the All Blacks in 2017 and a winning tour to Australia four years earlier.

On leadership qualities alone Sam Warburton would figure among many pundits' lists when asked to name their top-10 Lions of all time.

But while naming five Welshmen in his 10 all-time greats, former England and Lions No.10 Stuart Barnes can't find space for the ex-Welsh back-row talisman, despite his record as skipper on the last two tours standing up to the closest of scrutiny.

And for that matter the same could be said for his coach on those two tours in Warren Gatland, with the selection criteria not restricted to players only.

The esteemed pundit and newspaper columnist has ranked his top-10 and there would be few complaints with the former Bath man having Willie John McBride as his No.1 choice.

And Sir Ian McGeechan's coaching record and playing career sees the Scotsman coming in second.

On The Times website, Barnes has Phil Bennett as his greatest ever Welsh Lion, saying about the dazzling feet of the Llanelli No.10: "He danced his way through the tour of South Africa with barely a hand laid on him.

"This was the tour where after his role in THAT Gareth Edwards try in 1973 he side-stepped out of the laconic shadow of Barry John. Three years later he led the Lions in New Zealand but 74 alone ensures his immortality as a Lion."

Edwards himself is named next in line, with Barnes going on to say: "Barry John was the genius in 71, Bennett scored 10 as a No.10 in 1974.

"What links these two greats is the man inside them, firing out the passes, taking the punishment (and making more than his share of their tackles), the greatest scrum-half of them all, Gareth Edwards.

"These were and remain the greatest of the Lions tours and Edwards was at its very epicentre."

Barnes plumps for Irish wing Tony O'Reilly and England's 2003 World Cup winning captain Martin Johnson, who led the Lions in 1997 and 2001, as his fifth and sixth picks before heading back to Wales and JPR Williams as his seventh choice.

"JPRs soaring drop-kick is one of the most enduring of all Lions images the kick that sealed a 14-14 draw and won the Lions their first ever series in New Zealand in 1971," says Barnes.

"He was a rock on that tour, and three years later he played so hard and fast in South Africa that he was more asteroid. A man of bloody action."

England's prince of centres and BBC pundit Jeremy Guscott comes in at No.8 before Barnes ends with two Welshmen in Barry John and coaching innovator Carwyn James, who led the took charge of the Lions' only series win in New Zealand back in 1971, being his 10th pick.

He said of John: "Sacrilege perhaps to have him as low as nine but the memories are so grainy, the footage so often the same stuff.

"The man of myth who glided through New Zealand, untouchable outside Gareth Edwards 1968 was a less successful tour but he will always be remembered for 71."

James he says was "the poet coach who plotted the Kiwi demise.

"They expected the usual European set-piece game and got a kaleidoscope coming at them from all angles," he added.

"A fading footnote for some but to me James represents the very best of the Lions, winning against the odds but never looking as if it was at all costs. He made the Lions beautiful."

Stuart Barnes' top-10 Lions ranked: 1: Willie John McBride; 2: Sir Ian McGeechan; 3, Phil Bennett; 4: Gareth Edwards; 5: Tony O'Reilly; 6: Martin Johnson; 7: JPR Williams; 8: Jeremy Guscott; 9: Barry John; 10: Carwyn James.

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Five Welshmen named in the top 10 greatest Lions of all time but no place for two-time skipper Sam Warburton - Wales Online

Seven Deadly Sins, everything you need to know about the new season. – Finance Rewind

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Seven Deadly Sins is yet another manga series turned into a televised version because of its popularity. It was premiered in October 2014. The series gained its popularity as a shounen manga named Nanatsu no Taizai.

Nanatsu no Taizai is one iconic anime series about seven strong Knights known as the Seven Deadly Sins.

Seven Deadly sins is a show set up in the mediaeval Liones is the princess of the kingdom.The Throne of the king is overthrown and the royal family is held captive by Holy Knights, who were primarily meant to protect the kingdom.The show is about journey of Elizabeth and The Seven Deadly Sins. And how they go on to save the kingdom from the Holy Knights.

Elizabeth, the Princess of Liones Kingdom, is set on a journey to save her family and her kingdom from Holy Knights who betrayed their king and imprisoned the royal family.

Elizabeth had to face a lot hardships in her journey. In order to save her family and her Kingdom she has to find the Seven deadly sins.

She first finds Meliodas the leader of the seven deadly sins. And now with the help of him she finds the other members.

The series is an action packed series. It has some quality fight scenes. The amazing part is that the fight scenes are worth watching with the very well illustrations.

The series also offers us a love story between the main characters of the show.

The series has a lot to offer with amazing illustrations, magnificent fight scenes, a good storyline. The cherry on the cake is the music. The series has three parts as of now. And it is streaming on Netflix.

Seven deadly sins Season three ended with several revelations made about Meliodas. We get to know that he is been cursed with immortality. Love is still there in between Elizabeth and Meliodas. We can expect a new fight this season.

The series will get its renewal in the month of July. We still dont have an exact date for its release. But we can anticipate it in the first week of July.

The show will be aired on Netflix. We still dont have a trailer for the new season.

The announcement of the new show was made by Netflix via Twitter.

Also read:-Copy linkSanta Clarita diet season 4 ultimate knowledge about its release, cast and story

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Seven Deadly Sins, everything you need to know about the new season. - Finance Rewind

From the archives: CSM wins first Nor Cal title – San Mateo Daily Journal

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Given the suspension of athletics in the county, the Daily Journal decided to five into our 20-year archives to bring readers some of our favorite stories over the years.

NOV. 23, 2009 There comes a time in every game it can be a moment that defines a season when a play just has to be made.

With his College of San Mateo football team clinging to a precarious four-point lead against a Reedley squad driving in for the potential game-winning score late in the fourth quarter, the sophomore outside linebacker returned an interception CSMs third of the day 76 yards for a touchdown to seal the host Bulldogs 31-20 win in the 2009 Bulldog Bowl, which also served as the Northern California championship game.

It was a dream come true, said Watson, who picked a good time to come up with his first interception of his college career. I was just reading the quarterbacks eyes and once I started running no one could catch me. As I was heading to the end zone, I didnt know if it was real or if I was just knocked out and imagining this.

Reality was better than a dream for CSM (10-1), which advances to its first-ever state title game, when it will host the as-to-be-yet determined Southern California champion. The Bulldogs might not have gotten there had it not been for Watson, whose touchdown occurred with 1 minute, 15 seconds left in the game to account for the final margin.

Reedley (6-5) had a second-and-9 from the CSM 27-yard line when Watson picked off a Jesse Lownsbury pass at his 24 in the middle of the field. From there Watson took off to the right sideline and had a couple of teammates as an escort en route to the end zone.

The electrifying play put a exclamation point on a bruising, white-knuckle, mano-a-mano contest that featured three ties and four lead changes.

The Bulldogs arent used to being involved in games that go down to the wire they suffered a one-point loss to Foothill and beat City College of San Francisco by six but impressively trampled the rest of their competition by an average score of 48-19.

This one we had to scratch and claw for, CSM coach Bret Pollack said.

Indeed, Valley Conference champion Reedley proved tough to the end. The Tigers held the Bulldogs to a season-low 132 yards rushing, making CSMs task all the more tougher. But the Bulldogs showed their mettle, coming up with just enough plays in the crucible of a championship game.

It wasnt pretty, but it was effective, Pollack said. We did what we had to do to win the football game. You have to adjust, adapt, and thats why were a great football team.

With their vaunted ground game being shut down, the Bulldogs had to dig deep and basically will themselves to victory. Quarterback Matt Pelesasa was vital to CSMs success, completing 14-of-27 passes for 209 yards, including touchdown throws of 35, 10 and 19 yards.

The last two he connected with offensive player of the game John Webster (five receptions, 57 yards), who made several acrobatic grabs, none better than his leaping 10-yard TD catch in the right back corner of the end zone over a Reedley defender who was in perfect position to at least knock the ball down.

But the 6-2, 200-pound Webster had a considerable size advantage on the defender and simply made the play in what amounted to be a jump ball. The catch gave CSM a 17-10 lead with 21 seconds left until halftime. One play earlier, Pelesasa hooked up with Rahsaan Vaughn (three catches, 74 yards) for a 36-yard gain to set up the score.

But the Bulldogs had to survive a game effort from the Tigers, who scored on the games opening drive of the second half and then put the clamps on defensively. Reedley held CSM to without a point in the third, just the fourth time all season the Bulldogs were held scoreless in a quarter.

Fortunately for CSM, its defense was up to the task. After tying things up, the Tigers couldnt generate anything offensively until it was too late. The Bulldogs finally broke their second-half scoring drought with 8:51 to play, when Pelesasa hit Webster for a 19-yard TD.

It was another superb effort from Webster, who was grappling with the Reedley defender the whole way yet still made the catch under heavy duress. Key plays on the drive included a diving 29-yard catch from Vaughn who also displayed tremendous athleticism and focus with a couple of highlight-reel catches and a 10-yard scramble from Pelesasa on a third-and-7 from the Reedley 29.

The Tigers answered on the ensuing series with a field goal to cut their deficit to four, and after forcing CSM to punt they got the ball back at the Bulldogs 43 with 2:46 left and two timeouts remaining.

In other words, they had an eternity for a potential game-winning drive. Reedley didnt waste much time marching down the field, as Lownsbury completed passes of 7 and 10 yards. After a run play netted a loss of a yard, the Tigers had a second-and-9 from the 27 when Watson came up with the biggest play of his life. Pelesasa said his team received a little divine intervention.

(Before the ball was snapped) I was kneeling down on the sideline praying to God, he said. And he answered our prayer. Ashanti and the defense definitely sealed the deal. When he made that play, all the emotions came out. I feel like Im on Cloud Nine. Im going to have to come down eventually, but this feeling is going to last for a while. It feels wonderful.

Pelesasa has been vital to CSMs success this season. Pollack has praised the signal callers decision making, and the numbers dont lie. The Bulldogs are ranked second in the state in turnover margin, and as the quarterback Pelesasa plays a major role in ball protection.

The sophomore out of Woodside High has 24 touchdown passes to only three interceptions while averaging a robust 16.5 yards per completion. Against Reedley, Pelesasa (team-high 62 yards rushing on 11 carries) picked up some critical first downs on scrambles, as often times he went back to pass and no one was open.

But Pelesasa just like many of his teammates all year found a way to make a play. Thats what separates the potentially great teams from the merely good ones, and thats why the Bulldogs are one win away from immortality they have a number of players who have come up big in the critical moments. Watson said making plays are nothing special its expected of everyone, especially the defense.

We pride ourselves on being a defensive team, he said. We know its on our shoulders, and we want the responsibility to win the game. We trust all of our players to make a play. Our coaches put us in a position to make plays, and thats exactly what I did. When I picked off that pass, it felt like I was in a dream.

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From the archives: CSM wins first Nor Cal title - San Mateo Daily Journal

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God Season 2 What Is The Status Of Renewal? And Is It Cancelled? – Pop Culture Times

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Guardian: The Lonely and Great Godaired its very first season on January 21, 2017. Its final episode was highly shared and reviewed by the viewers increasing its rank up to fifth highest-rated drama in the history of Korean TV series. South Korean has been in the news because of the cultural en-richness caused by the show!

Other than fame and number of viewers, the series also has won Grand Prize (Daesang) for writer Kim Eun-sook and Best Actor for Gong Yoo at the 54th Baeksang Arts Awards.

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His master kills the Goryeo Dynastys military general Kim Shin as a result of the traits he seems to have committed. Now even after dying, his life is no less painful as he is given the curse of immortality and is subjected to unpleasant deaths of his beloved in front of his eyes. Only the Goblins bride can put an end to his eternal immortality.

The plot then takes a swift turn with a young girl, Ji Eun-Tak, summoning the goblin which results in the mixing of their fates. Then there is a house rented by a Grim Reaper from the Goblins nephew Yoo Deok-Hwa. The plot later derives some connection between the reaper and the young girl reaching out for a very dark ending to season one.

The season two could work upon the exhibited knots in season 1. The relations could be justified and may Kim Shin attains a solution to his everlasting problem.

As for the casts, the members of season 1 will again play roles in season two to proceed with the ongoing plot and solve the mysteries. The following are:

For more updates on the series, follow up the informative articles on popculturetimes!

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Guardian: The Lonely and Great God Season 2 What Is The Status Of Renewal? And Is It Cancelled? - Pop Culture Times

Why is the 2000s the PBA’s forgotten decade? – ESPN

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It was only a couple of decades ago, but the 2000s already seems like another era altogether. This is especially true when you look back at what the Philippine Basketball Association was like back then. In this series, we harken back to the time of two-network broadcasts, a two-conference format, Fil-Shams, and other events that defined the PBA in the first decade of the new millennium.

Let's venture back in PBA history. Remember the league's first decade? Of course! That was dominated by Crispa and Toyota, perhaps the most storied rivalry in Philippine sports. By the time Toyota disbanded after the 1983 season and Crispa exited at the end of 1984, the two teams had combined to win 76 percent of the championships up for grabs since the inaugural 1975 season.

As regards to imports, it was the era of the big, defensive-minded ones like Cyrus Mann and Andrew Fields, the high-scorers like Larry McNeil and Lew Massey, and the do-it alls like Billy Ray Bates and Norman Black. There were many legitimate PBA superstars to choose from, almost all of whom are considered among the best to have ever played in the league, with more than a handful mentioned in greatest-ever discussions. We do not need to name them - they are household names for any real PBA fan - but we must note the four MVP awards of Ramon Fernandez scattered every couple of years ('82, '84, '86, '88) throughout the 1980s.

In the mid to late '80s, the former amateur stars slowly entered the league, replenishing the stock of basketball heroes that was slowly dwindling as the pioneers and early outstanding performers retired. Great Taste and Tanduay had their share of winning, and San Miguel Beer closed the decade out with a Grand Slam performance (winning all three tournaments for the year), proving that Crispa did not have a monopoly on the feat after garnering it twice before.

What was the PBA like in the 2000s? Here are some stories that defined the league in the first decade of the new millennium.

The 'Fil-sham' controversy Red Bull, Sta. Lucia among notable titles Shifting to a two-conference format Memorable milestones in the 2000s Lang, Freeman & other notable imports When the PBA tried a parallel broadcast

Several teams, including Purefoods, Shell, Ginebra, and Swift tried staking their claim to greatness in the new decade, the 1990s. Each won championships, but would not emerge as the ultimate winner of that span of the PBA. That honor has to go Alaska, which at one point went to eight straight Finals series and ended with nine championship trophies (10 if you count the year 2000 as part of that decade).

Import Bobby Parks etched himself in PBA annals with a stack of Best Import Awards, which led to the award now being named after him. Tony Harris took the league by, well, hurricane. Resident Alaska import Sean Chambers became the yardstick for reinforcements of that time. As a side note, amidst all of this, the popularity of Ginebra rose to unequaled proportions, which remained consistent despite the team's inconsistent win-loss records. Alvin Patrimonio was clearly "the face" of the league, as he won four MVPs of his own. It was also the era of "The Aerial Voyager", "The Flying A", "The Bull", and "The Tower of Power". Again, you know who those are.

Of course, each fan has his own vivid memories of the achievements of his team, the matchups, the notable moments, particular imports, regardless of era. But, the true mark of a particular timeframe is when it is etched in the minds of the majority, if not most, and even, all.

The decade that just passed brings PBA memories of San Miguel Beer (five straight Philippine Cup crowns) and June Mar Fajardo (six straight MVPs). Of course there is a dabble of TNT, an occasional Rain or Shine, a smacker of Barangay Ginebra (always in the discussion), and of course, a big chunk of San Mig Coffee - a Grand Slam winner as well. There're Denzel's free throws, Brownlee's three, and Balkman's choke. Those are some of the standout memories, without a doubt.

But, what about the 2000s? San Miguel started out the decade strong, making it to five straight finals and winning three. Danny Ildefonso won back to back MVPs. And then, things got, well, different. In 2002, three different teams won championships. It was the same case in 2003. When the PBA shifted to a two-conference format starting the 2004-2005 season, two different teams won the championship each year until the end of the decade, and the champions were any of six different franchises, or 60 percent of the PBA's member teams. Championship trophies were passed around like hot potatoes. The one "evil villain" team that everyone else wanted to defeat did not exist.

MVP-wise in the 2000s, Willie Miller and James Yap also garnered two awards each, but they won theirs years apart from each other (i.e., Miller in 2002 and 2007, Yap in 2006 and 2010). There were no overwhelming MVP awards by any means. There were several legitimate contenders each year, so there was no runaway MVP winner for the entire period, if you really think about it.

In short, it was open season. It was anybody's ballgame. It was, dare we say, a time of parity - perhaps the most overall parity the league ever had.

Even as far back as the early '80s, the league was striving for parity. Certain players, all big men, were banned from playing on the same team, to spread out the talent. When the powerhouse teams disbanded, their players were not absorbed by just one new franchise. The team-less cagers were distributed to two or three other teams to "level the playing field." The idea was that parity would make the league more interesting because everyone had a chance to win. Most agree with this because, which serious participant in a major sporting competition would be happy if it had no chance at all to win? When winning is within everyone's reach, everyone will try to grab it, right? However, the question arises: While everyone may want parity, does parity leave lasting memories?

For PBA fans, there's nothing like nostalgia. A handful of ESPN5.com writers present interesting and timeless pieces, tackling a wide range of unique topics.

45 interesting trivia about the PBA Ranking the near-Grand Slam teams Memorable PBA backcourt tandems Memorable PBA frontcourt tandems Greatest PBA 'what-ifs' (1970s-1990s) Greatest PBA 'what-ifs' (2000s-2010s) 5 potential Greatest Players additions Players who became stars after trade

One's memory generally retains only so much. Unless one was personally involved and actually immersed in the experience, the ordinary or irrelevant happenings and goings-on will not oftentimes stick, and recollection would entail a little Q&A, a little research. Try to remember the dynasties, though, or the highly dominant teams and individuals. If they shined brightly for more than a fleeting moment, they made lasting impressions, regardless of a fan's affiliation. Toyota-Crispa? Check. San Miguel Grand Slam? Yup. Alaska dynasty. How can we forget? Tim Cone Grand Slam, again? Oh, yes. Everyone wanting to beat SMB in the All-Filipino? Of course. June Mar is MVP? Some may say the MVP race had become boring. But they remember!

With no disrespect at all meant to the teams and individuals that won in the 2000s, it does seem that that decade is left wanting when it comes to branding the brains of the regular (and maybe even avid) fan. It is not anyone's fault in particular. That may just be the way it is. Is the age of seeming parity to blame? Perhaps.

Consider these questions: Was there a PBA dynasty in the 2000s? Did any team win a Grand Slam? (No, it was the only decade that none did.) Are any of the championship teams from that decade included in a top-of-the-head list of the greatest champion teams in PBA history? Were there one or two, or let's say a definite group of players that just played so dominantly well in that time, such that they are included in the greatest-ever debate? Sure, there will be those who will posit an argument here and there, but will the people around him agree or engage him in debate immediately, without looking the matter up on the internet or elsewhere for verification? This all leads to another question. Does the brain of a fan, in hindsight, actually prefer when there are more dominant teams and players, who, in theory, are more memorable, rather than a drab flatland of equal opportunity?

Others will look to explain the seeming disinterest in the results of the 2000s PBA wars. Foremost would be the fact that their teams did not perform too well in conferences other than the ones they won, if they won at all. Naturally, if your team is not in the thick of things, you will lose interest. Perhaps there was controversy. The fake Fil-Am problem that hit just at the beginning of that decade without a doubt led many fans to turn away in disregard. Also, the hoops heroes of many from the late eighties and throughout the earlier nineties were either in retirement or in a downward spiral heading there, playing-wise. Fans may have been still acquainting themselves with the new blood, especially in the early part of the decade. It might have been that the imports just weren't as talented as they used to be, and several had questionable characters to boot. It could be partly these reasons or a host of other things.

The bottom line is, in the PBA's 45 years or four or so decades of being, it is arguably (but not too arguable) the 2000s that, while being the most evenly matched, results-wise, whether for teams and individually, are the years that require a little more thinking when it comes to discussions of teams, players, and achievements. A parting point to ponder: Was the period of parity actually an impediment to PBA immortality?

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Why is the 2000s the PBA's forgotten decade? - ESPN

Legends of Tomorrow Is About to Go Full-On Shaun of the Dead – CBR – Comic Book Resources

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The Legends find themselves in the middle of a London-based zombie outbreak in an upcoming episode of Legends of Tomorrow.

As DC's Legends of Tomorrow Season 5 moves closer to its finale, the Arrowverse series is about to take cues from British zombie films like Shaun of the Dead and 28 Days Later.

The CW has released the synopsis for the season's 13th episode, titled "I Am Legends," poking fun at its zombie apocalypse premise. The episode has the team stranded in John Constantine's London home, with the British capital in the midst of a zombie outbreak.

RELATED:Legends of Tomorrow: Matt Ryan Explains Constantine's Relationship With Lucifer

STICKING TOGETHER After drinking from Chalice, the Legends have immortality for 24 hours, which gives them time get to the Waverider and use the Loom of Fate. However, they quickly discover that the sisters have stolen the Waverider and they are stuck at Constantines (Matt Ryan) house in the middle of nowhere in London during a Zombie Apocalypse. Meanwhile, Gary (guest star Adam Tsekham) is left on the ship and once he discovers what is going on, he takes something important to the sisters. Caity Lotz, Dominic Purcell, Nick Zano, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Jes Macallan, Tala Ashe and Olivia Swann also star. Andrew Kasch directed the episode written by Keah Poulliot & Emily Cheever (#513). Original airdate 5/19/2020.

The second half of Season 5 has seen the season's true overarching villainLachesis surface, with the Loom of Fate to rewrite humanity's past, present and future. While the Legends have gained temporary immortality, they might find themselves with their hands full during a full-on zombie apocalypse.

RELATED:Matt Ryan Explains Why He Loves Playing Constantine

Airing Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, DCs Legends of Tomorrow stars Caity Lotz, Dominic Purcell, Nick Zano, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Tala Ashe, Matt Ryan and Jes Macallan.

HBO Max Launch Casts Doubts on DC Universes Long-Term Future

Sam Stone is a 10th level pop culture guru living just outside of Washington, DC who knows an unreasonable amount about The Beatles. You can read his work in the pages of Image+, follow him on Twitter @samstoneshow, and listen to his podcast Geek Out Show on iTunes and Google Play.

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Legends of Tomorrow Is About to Go Full-On Shaun of the Dead - CBR - Comic Book Resources

The Old Guard: Charlize Therons Netflix film gets July 10 release date – Hindustan Times

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Hollywood star Charlize Theron's much-awaited Netflix project, The Old Guard will premiere on July 10. The 44-year-old actor shared the news in a post on Twitter, sharing four stills from the movie.

"@oldguardmovie @netflix July 10," she wrote in the caption. Written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the film is based on the comic book series of the same name by Greg Rucka.

The story is about on a small group of immortal soldiers, led by a woman named Andy, who have been working as mercenaries for centuries. But the group gets a shock when they find a new immortal woman, not long after they discover an evil group has video evidence of their immortality.

Also read: Betaal trailer: Shah Rukh Khans new Netflix series unleashes army of zombies

Besides Theron, The Old Guard also features Kiki Layne, Marwan Kenzari,Luca Marinelli,Harry Melling,Van Veronica Ngo,Matthias Schoenaerts, andChiwetel Ejiofor.

Theron has also produced the project through her company Denver and Delilah, alongside Skydances David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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The Old Guard: Charlize Therons Netflix film gets July 10 release date - Hindustan Times

Silicon Valley Noir And The Deeper Questions Of How We Live – The Federalist

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Spoilers abound.

The current age of television is marked by the outsized growth of Silicon Valley Noir a style of dark, foreboding looks at the ethically complex and morally questionable elements of advanced technology and how they alter the way we live and die. There are patterns and repeated story arcs in these creations, and in the context of the current pandemic, when so many of us are stuck in our homes streaming away, they offer us a glimpse of certain elements these stories might be leaving out of their narratives and the deeper questions they often choose to ignore entirely.

You can draw multiple common connections through Devs (FX/Hulu), Mr. Robot (USA), Homecoming (Amazon), most episodes of Black Mirror (Channel 4/Netflix), Maniac (Netflix), Electric Dreams (Amazon), and of course Westworld (HBO). Every major streaming entity has something in this space, and there are plenty of other examples.* These stories frequently pit dark, moody, hoodie-wearing misunderstood geniuses against the encroaching forces of government and corporate America, typically backwards old white men.

The most prominent creators operating in this space are Alex Garland, Sam Esmail, Charlie Brooker, Jonathan Nolan and spouse Lisa Joy, and Cary Joji Fukunaga all born in the 1970s, and half of them Englishmen. Production company Anonymous Content worked on most of the series listed above. The plotlines they favor regularly focus on those who seek to use technology to achieve a higher existence or a form of immortality. Narrators will be unreliable, timelines will overlap, and people will suddenly commit suicide or otherwise force their death in public spaces.

Bringing back family gets a hefty amount of attention. Nick Offermans Devs CEO has the same motivation as the Kingpin in 2018s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse an attempt to bring his family back to life after a tragic car crash (although the Kingpin has less moral compunction or is it dimensional preference? about stealing a wife and child from an alternate timeline). B.D. Wongs White Rose in Mr. Robot is similarly willing to do anything, including an attempt to rip apart the known universe, to restore a happy life with a lost loved one, while Emma Stone in Maniac would sacrifice her sanity to stay with her lost sister. The attempt to use hosts to achieve an uploaded form of immortality crops up often in Westworld and Black Mirror.

(Also, in multiple entries, emotionally or drug-addled characters take doomed leaps of faith to demonstrate their deep-down belief there are other worlds than these. Theres a TV Trope for that.)

Nearly all these series use social media as a reference point in the narrative, but there are significant differences in the way it is applied. In Mr. Robot, social media is often something the protagonists can use almost at will to get their message out, creating flashmobs and social movements as if the people were all clued in, and maneuvering around the presumptive corrupt media and the slowpokes in the corporate and governmental space. In Black Mirror, it is most often a tool for mob destruction series creator Brooker describes the phenomenon as we as an animal arent yet adept to use this incredible new power weve been given. Its like a new limb weve grown and were flailing around and knocking all the furniture over.

While each of these series is interesting for different reasons, one thing they have in common is an abiding sense of political and moral incoherence. The concept of godhood is merged into the code and the cloud. They are anti-corporate and anti-government, pro-technology and pro-science which often functions in ways indistinguishable from magic.

But the storytellers often cant decide whether these structures typically operate as genius-level omnipresent, omniscient entities with the power to see the future and eliminate anyone, anytime, anywhere or whether they are dull, monotonous, slow-witted Goliaths confounded and confronted by hacker-champion Davids.

In Mr. Robot, a repeated trope is multiple people delivering hard, dangerous, anti-establishment, chaos-inducing truths while wearing masks. Esmail, the creator of Mr. Robot, has been tweeting quite a lot of late, mocking the people protesting for reopening the economy, including sharing something the other day about the irony of people protesting that things must reopen while wearing masks. Of course, theres no conflict there. The real irony is that, for something as anti-capitalist as Mr. Robot to exist, a lot of capitalism (or magic) is required.

(Note: Mr. Robot ran on USA Network, which, like its parent company NBCUniversal, is owned by Comcast, which is significantly invested in China, where they built their largest Universal theme park. As their CEO said last September, to do business in China: You dont start talking about the leadership in China. You would be crazy to bring up Hong Kong, Taiwan You would never start talking that way. You just focus on what you are trying to do.)

These stories consistently assume these individualistic loner hooded weirdos are fundamentally right about the makeup of the universe and how it ought to be remade, or where the ethical limits of remaking it are drawn. Along the way, these disruptors of humanity with whatever moral motivation they have leave a trail of societal breakdown, and in some cases a tidal wave of institutional destruction, all toward a path they assure us will be better.

These stories consistently show us the hoodied heroes are right. They were human or fallible for a moment, they may lose the argument to the more socially well-adjusted or the less-intelligent authority figure, but after the people who talk instead of type move on, give the hero a laptop and he can prove his rightness, typing away his magic code in ancient incantation. If only it worked out that way for social media postings. If only it worked for Theranos.

The Silicon Valley noir genius hacker chaos bringer thinks he or she is the hero, and is provided multiple bad actions by others along the way to prove this heroism internally. But the abiding sense of loneliness and abandonment still doesnt send characters toward the institutions of community that free people to find their path to a life well-lived.

It brings to mind the plot twist in Braid, a video game where you think youre playing a noble-minded person seeking to save a princess from a castle only to discover that youre actually a troubled stalker shes been wanting to run away from all along. In seeking an alternative to things that were part of normal human experience for thousand of years, Silicon Valley built us new limbs we dont know how to use without damaging others or ourselves.

Theres a level of insight contained in the last sequence of 1975s Three Days of the Condor, ending with its infamous questioning of confidence in The New York Times as an institution, largely lacking from these series. The protagonists frequently presume they can break a story wide open and have some instantaneous societal changing effect.

Rarely do they pose the question: even if the deep dark truth you believe youve found is published, will the people care? Rarer still do they wrestle with the notion that perhaps people will care, but not the way they hope: that theyll turn on the creators of chaos, and seek to crush them for the good of the herd. Maybe they will hate you for it. Maybe they just want to be left alone. Or maybe a fork on a table is just a fork on a table.

The pandemic has thrown into question how much we depend on this entertainment as soma to keep us from asking deeper, harder questions about ourselves and how we live and die. For all the advancement of our age, an astounding amount of it has focused on entertaining ourselves and making for a more convenient and comfortable life.

Instead of devoting ourselves to questions of the soul, weve watched characters on the screen act out such endeavors. Weve been too busy bedding Taylor Swift every night inside the Oculus Rift or for the hoodie-wearing heroes, trying to make that Oculus work even better.

Alex Garland, the most interesting of the creators, wrote his debut novel at 25 about the promise and failure of an island utopia in The Beach. His science fiction has evolved over the years, including writing or adapting the films Sunshine, Never Let Me Go, Ex Machina, and Annihilation, but if his latest series is any indication, his perspective on the possibility of utopia seems to have shifted.

At the end of Devs, the protagonist, Lily, is told she should be happy, that she is in paradise a created, artificial utopia strung together out of lines of code. The new sprite version seems uncertain whether she ought to take this instruction at face value, and be happy in this newly created dimension spanning reality. It brings to mind that other, more famous line from Condor: You think not getting caught in a lie is the same thing as telling the truth?

While Devs doesnt provide an answer, Lily is right to be uneasy about the artificiality of this impending future, disconnected from everything thats truly human, where God is whatever we watch on the screen.

So should we.

* (This leaves aside the less noir and more hilarious/realistic entries like Silicon Valley, Halt and Catch Fire, and The IT Crowd, and the more traditional biotech suspense series like Orphan Black. Parts of Legion season 3 could be included, despite not being tech-focused, because the character of Switch is basically a time-hacker. The OA should not be included in this list because it is far too stupid.)

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Silicon Valley Noir And The Deeper Questions Of How We Live - The Federalist

Eyes already turning to 2021 National Baseball Hall of Fame induction – WXXI News

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With the sports world still reacting to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museums decision to cancel the 2020 Hall of Fame Weekend, Hall of Fame President Tim Mead said the preparation for next years induction will begin almost immediately.

As I was new to the staff last summer, replacing my good friend Jeff Idelson, I saw preparation for Induction Weekend 2020 began the next week following the July ceremony of 2019, said Mead, who took over his current post of president in June 2019. Obviously we arent all there in Cooperstown right now, but those discussions will start right away.

And what an event 2021s induction weekend could become. The Class of 2020, now waiting an extra calendar year to enter baseball immortality, included the much-anticipated induction of New York Yankees great Derek Jeter, along with Larry Walker, Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller. With recognizable former stars in Barry Bonds, Curt Schilling and Roger Clemens each appearing on the ballot for the ninth time - not to mention players such as Mark Buehrle and Torii Hunter making their first appearance - the 2021 ceremony could be outsized even among those featuring multiple classes of electees.

Obviously itll be unique because well have two classes, so we will look at all the elements involved in that. But there is a quality, and standards, established with this weekend and they will be maintained and enhanced, Mead said.

The last ceremony to include multiple classes was in 1949, when the Classes of 1948 and 1949 were inducted together. But with the potential pool of players entering the Hall of Fame, 2021 may attract an audience far larger even than the record-setting crowds of recent years.

We are going to wait and see what happens in January of 2021. We cant get ahead of ourselves, but just this year was certainly going to be a big weekend and challenge attendance records, Mead said. The last few years have been well-attended weekends as well. So what were going to focus on is the execution and implementation of a great program for the inductees, their families, the village of Cooperstown and everyone that joins us for this special event.

While discussions about managing the rare circumstances of the 2021 induction will get under way quickly, Mead said specific preparations for any event, especially one more than a year away, are difficult during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. And with the museum being closed since mid-March, the Hall of Fame staff has more immediate problems to address.

We are kind of in a wait-and-see mode. Our next priority is getting the Hall opened up, and we are waiting for that like so may other places across the state, and country, he said.

So while Mead and the Hall of Fame staff have short-term goals ahead of them, the long-term goal of next summers induction is already set. And who knows? The 2021 induction could the event that makes local residents, and the rest of the country, for that matter, feel like normality has returned.

Theres definitely disappointment, but we all know that ceremony (2021) is going to be a special one, and to have two classes in 2021 will be unique and memorable, Mead said. And I say we not just as the Hall of Fame, but as part of the village, and a part of the surrounding area. We are all looking forward to a tremendous celebration in 2021.

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Eyes already turning to 2021 National Baseball Hall of Fame induction - WXXI News

Once And For All: 5 players we never debated – Sports Radio 94 WIP

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In preparation for Once And For All week on 94WIP, which begins May 18th, we have been spending the last week deciding which teams and players are the most debated or controversial in Philly sports history.

The lesson? Very few players have escaped the wrath of the fanbase and media during their time in the city.

These five, somehow, did:

Brian Dawkins: If they ever build a Mt. Rushmore of Philadelphia athletes, there is little doubt who the first player carved into immortality would be. Dawkins won over the city almost immediately with his hard-hitting, intense style of football that captured how fans would like to think they would play if they got to suit up in midnight green for a Sunday. Despite being on teams that often came up short in the playoffs, Dawkins never caught heat from the fans, and to this day remains one of the most popular jerseys you see at Lincoln Financial Field.

Chase Utley: There are very few things fans in Philadelphia obsess over like hustle. If you are labeled a guy that doesnt try hard, there is almost no coming from it. If you are the poster child for giving your all on every play, you escape criticism forever, and that is certainly the case with Utley. Viewed as a player that gave 110% each time he ran to first, Utley backed up that hustle by being one of the best players on the team during their World Series win in 2008. Although it was ultimately topped by Jason Kelces epic Super Bowl parade speech, Utley's labeling of the Phillies as World (expletive) Champions only added to the legacy he built during his time in Philadelphia.

Julius Dr. J. Erving: Philadelphia is a huge basketball city at heart, and the teams acquisition of Dr. J In 1976 was a big reason why. Dr. J immediately turned the Sixers into a 50-win team and started a string of epic battles with some of the bestteams in league history, like Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers and Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics. The battles that Dr. J and his teammates had to go through together grew a special bond between him and the city, something you don't see as often today with players changing team so frequently. When Dr. J finally broke through in 1982, beating the Lakers in the NBA Finals, it cemented his place as one of the most beloved athletes in the citys history. You would be hard pressed to find anyone who has something bad to say about Dr. J.

Bernie Parent: Speaking recently during his Sunday show with Glen Macnow, Ray Didinger said that the stretch of play Bernie Parent put together from 1973 to 1975 was some of the best goal tending he has ever seen in the history of the league. It is hard to argue. Parent played 141 games over those two seasons, winning the Vezina Trophy both seasons while also coming in first in goals-against average. The images of him playing in the old-school goalie mask still resonate with fans, and Parent has become a staple in the Philadelphia community, still rooting for the Flyers and interacting with fans whenever he can.

Reggie White: The Minister of Defense became one of the best defensive ends to ever play the game in Philadelphia. White finished with double-digit sacks in each of his eight seasons with the Eagles, and in one of the more impressive accomplishments in league history, finished with more sacks in an Eagles uniform (124) than games played (121). Even though he would go on to win a Super Bowl in Green Bay, White will always be remembered as an Eagle, and one of the greatest athletes to ever play in the city.

You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!

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Once And For All: 5 players we never debated - Sports Radio 94 WIP