Dwyane Wades all-time starting 5 features players he won titles with – ClutchPoints

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Former Miami Heat (and Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers) star Dwyane Wade made it known who his starting five would be if he could draw up one squad from his tenure in the league.

During an interview with Complexs Alex Wong, Wade lays out who his five would be, starting with himself being the point man of the group.

Its gotta be the guys I won championships with, Wade said. Ray Allen at the two, LeBron at the three, Bosh at the four and Shaq at center. And wed have Udonis Haslem as the sixth man.

That would be a formidable squad to say the least. Alongside James and Bosh, Wade collected two NBA championships, while his first was won with Shaquille ONeal anchoring the squad in the post.

Allen, of course, hit one of the most pivotal threes in league history during the 2013 NBA Finals, forcing a Game 7 against the San Antonio Spurs, which led to the Heat claiming their second consecutive ring.

Maybe the most interesting inclusion is that Wade sees himself running the point with James working off the ball. It comes as no surprise that Wade would stack his top five with players that helped lead him to basketball immortality, even as he could make a strong case for having suited up with the strongest collection of teammates in league history.

While James is the only active member still getting up shots in the league, never say never for this quintet, who could still likely get theirs on any given day.

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Dwyane Wades all-time starting 5 features players he won titles with - ClutchPoints

Immortality | Tardis | FANDOM powered by Wikia

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Seeking Immortality - The Five Doctors - BBC

Lord President Borusa claims immortality and finds himself trapped, undying in stone. (TV: The Five Doctors)

Immortality was the ability to live forever, or at least a vastly long time. Most beings called immortal were not also indestructible, but there were exceptions.

Lord President Borusa determined that Rassilon had discovered the secret of true immortality, and used the first five incarnations of the Doctor to obtain it. This turned out to be the immortality of a living statue. (TV: The Five Doctors)

According to Iris Wildthyme, she defeated Morbius's attempt to obtain Rassilon's gift of immortality. (PROSE: The Scarlet Empress)

Queen Xanxia of Zanak attempted to create an immortal body for herself using the energies stolen from other planets. (TV: The Pirate Planet)

Mawdryn and his group of scientists stole a metamorphic symbiosis regenerator from the Time Lords and used it on themselves to gain immortality, only to find that theirs was one of unending mutation and regeneration. (TV: Mawdryn Undead)

Astrolabus, who was in his final incarnation, attempted to gain immortality by stealing Voyager's star charts. (COMIC: Once Upon a Time Lord)

Qataka, afraid of death and having heard stories of the Time Lords, experimented with cybernetics in an attempt to gain immortality. (PROSE: Timewyrm: Genesys)

Professor Richard Lazarus invented a device which would reverse the ageing process, providing a form of immortality, but it also mutated him into a monster. (TV: The Lazarus Experiment)

The Family of Blood pursued the Tenth Doctor in an attempt to gain his body and become immortal. As punishment for their crimes, the Doctor granted them immortality in various unpleasant ways. (TV: The Family of Blood)

Joshua Naismith attempted to use the Vinvocci Immortality Gate to make his daughter immortal. (TV: The End of Time)

Angelo Colasanto attempted to make himself immortal after seeing Jack Harkness die and come back to life. (TV: End of the Road)

When the Great Intelligence were uploading humans' souls to the Wi-Fi in 2013, Miss Kizlet described it as "immortality, only fatal." (TV: The Bells of Saint John)

According to Greek mythology, one of the Greek goddesses asked Zeus to make Tithonus immortal, but she forgot to ask for eternal youth. He became so ancient and decrepit, he eventually shrank into a cicada. He begged for death. (TV: Rendition)

In the 2nd century, Helena gained immortality after she accidentally encountered a crashed alien ship. (PROSE: The Three Faces of Helena)

In the 9th century,[1] a Viking girl named Ashildr was granted immortality when, after her death, a Mire repair kit was placed in her head. This device would keep repairing her, so she would never die. The Twelfth Doctor later gave Ashildr another chip to give to someone she would want to keep with her. (TV: The Girl Who Died) Her immortality remained for billions of years, up to the last 5 minutes of the universe, outliving every other immortal. (TV: Hell Bent) The second chip was subsequently used to revive highwayman Sam Swift, though the circumstances left the Doctor uncertain as to whether the result would be immortality in his case. (TV: The Woman Who Lived)

Clara Oswald gained a measure of immortality when she was extracted from her death at the hands of the Quantum Shade by the Time Lords. Her physical processes time looped, she lost all life signs (such as heartbeat, breathing and even ageing), but was functionally speaking immortal. However, as her death was a historically established event, she could not delay it indefinitely without the risk of incurring paradoxes on a scale which could damage the universe; her immortality ceased when she finally returned to Gallifrey and was sent back to her pre-destined death on the trap street in London, after spending an undetermined amount of time travelling with Ashildr. (TV: Hell Bent)

The Cybermen gained immortality by replacing their body parts with cybernetic ones, but they lost their emotions and humanity in the process. (TV: The Tenth Planet)

The race known as the Olympians had the power of immortality. (COMIC: The Life Bringer!)

Jack Harkness, after being resurrected by the Bad Wolf, would always come back to life after being killed, and his ageing was slowed down. The Tenth Doctor explained that when Rose Tyler was the Bad Wolf she brought him back but couldn't control the power and brought him back forever. (TV: Utopia) He lost this immortality on Miracle Day, (TV: The New World) but regained it when the Miracle ended. (TV: The Blood Line)

Suzie Costello, after being brought back to life, was unable to die again until the resurrection gauntlet that was keeping her alive was destroyed. (TV: They Keep Killing Suzie)

Ursula Blake gained immortality when she became a face on a concrete slab. (TV: Love & Monsters)

Katsura Sato gained immortality after having been rescued by Nanodrones (COMIC: The Road to Hell), but lost it when Kroton took control of the Glory. (COMIC: The Glorious Dead)

Thomas Vaughan discovered the secret of immortality in the mid-17th century. (AUDIO: Hidden)

In 1895, Lord Jack Corrigan and his men used stolen Drelleran technology to gain the longevity required for interstellar travel, allowing them to live for centuries. They died on Space Dock Nerva after being exposed to a Drelleran anti-virus. (AUDIO: Destination: Nerva)

In an alternate timeline, the Nimon granted immortality to Sebastian Grayle. (AUDIO: Seasons of Fear)

In another alternate timeline, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was given immortality in 1791 by one of his clones from the far future. He later came to regret this as this meant that he lived long enough to become a hack. (AUDIO: My Own Private Wolfgang)

In another alternate timeline, the inhabitants of Stockbridge were given immortality between 1950 and 2009, courtesy of Viridios. Towards the end, they begged for death. They were given it when the timeline was reversed and they died when they were originally intended to. (AUDIO: The Eternal Summer)

Grayvorn gained immortality from the Relic. (AUDIO: Excelis Rising)

Erasmus Darkening gained immortality. (TV: The Eternity Trap)

In 2011, during an event dubbed by the world press as "Miracle Day", the human race stopped dying due to Jack Harkness' immortal blood being introduced to The Blessing. It was reversed when Jack's mortal blood was introduced. (TV: The Blood Line)

Rex Matheson apparently gained immortality through means not understood after a complete transfusion of Captain Jack's then-mortal blood during the Miracle Day events. (TV: The Blood Line)

The Sisterhood of Karn gained immortality due to the Elixir of Life. However, they could only live as long as they drank the elixir, which means they could still die if they were not able to produce more of it. It was also shown that they could still be killed. (TV: The Brain of Morbius)

The Three Who Rule gained immortality when they were transformed into vampires by the King Vampire. (TV: State of Decay)

The disembodied heads of the members of the Order of the Headless lived on, even when they were reduced to skulls. (TV: The Wedding of River Song)

Shara created an energy converter which enabled him to transfer his life energy into a time loop in the Time Vortex, giving him eternal bliss. Jal Dor Kal lived for centuries by absorbing energy from Shara's relic. (AUDIO: Nekromanteia)

Vilus Krull used the power of the Dark Flame to transfer his mind into different host bodies upon their deaths, allowing him to live for centuries. (AUDIO: The Dark Flame)

The Mechanistrians gained immortality by having their brains placed in machines. (PROSE: Peril in Mechanistria)

According to Olivia Colasanto, there was a species of jellyfish on Earth that was rendered functionally immortal by being able to revert to a more youthful state. She speculated that some jellyfish had lived for thousands of years. (TV: End of the Road)

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Resurrection – Dallin H. Oaks

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The book of Job poses the universal question, If a man die, shall he live again? (Job 14:14). The question of resurrection from the dead is a central subject of scripture, ancient and modern. The resurrection is a pillar of our faith. It adds meaning to our doctrine, motivation to our behavior, and hope for our future.

The universal resurrection became a reality with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (see Matt. 27:5253). On the third day after His death and burial, Jesus came forth out of the tomb. He appeared to several men and women, and then to the assembled Apostles. Three of the Gospels describe this event. Luke is the most complete:

Jesus saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

Then opened he their understanding,

And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day (Luke 24:3639, 4546).

The Savior gave the Apostles a second witness. Thomas, one of the Twelve, had not been with them when Jesus came. He insisted that he would not believe unless he could see and feel for himself. John records:

And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed (John 20:2629).

Despite these biblical witnesses, many who call themselves Christians reject or confess serious doubts about the reality of the resurrection. As if to anticipate and counter such doubts, the Bible records many appearances of the risen Christ. In some of these He appeared to a single individual, such as to Mary Magdalene at the sepulchre. In others He appeared to large or small groups, such as when he was seen of [about] five hundred brethren at once (1 Cor. 15:6).

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ records the experience of hundreds who saw the risen Lord in person and touched Him, feeling the prints of the nails in His hands and feet and thrusting their hands into His side. The Savior invited a multitude to have this experience one by one (3 Ne. 11:15) so that they could know that He was the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and [had] been slain for the sins of the world (3 Ne. 11:14).

During the course of His personal ministry among these faithful people, the resurrected Christ healed the sick and also took their little children, one by one, and blessed them (3 Ne. 17:21). This tender episode was witnessed by about 2,500 men, women, and children (see 3 Ne. 17:25).

The possibility that a mortal who has died will be brought forth and live again in a resurrected body has awakened hope and stirred controversy through much of recorded history. Relying on clear scriptural teachings, Latter-day Saints join in affirming that Christ has broken the bands of death (Mosiah 16:7) and that death is swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. 15:54; see also Morm. 7:5; Mosiah 15:8; Mosiah 16:78; Alma 22:14). Because we believe the Bible and Book of Mormon descriptions of the literal Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we also readily accept the numerous scriptural teachings that a similar resurrection will come to all mortals who have ever lived upon this earth (see 1 Cor. 15:22; 2 Ne. 9:22; Hel. 14:17; Morm. 9:13; D&C 29:26; D&C 76:39, 4244). As Jesus taught, Because I live, ye shall live also (John 14:19).

The literal and universal nature of the resurrection is vividly described in the Book of Mormon. The prophet Amulek taught:

The death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death.

The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time;

Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame (Alma 11:4244).

Alma also taught that in the resurrection all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame (Alma 40:23).

Many living witnesses can testify to the literal fulfillment of these scriptural assurances of the resurrection. Many, including some in my own extended family, have seen a departed loved one in vision or personal appearance and have witnessed their restoration in proper and perfect frame in the prime of life. Whether these were manifestations of persons already resurrected or of righteous spirits awaiting an assured resurrection, the reality and nature of the resurrection of mortals is evident. What a comfort to know that all who have been disadvantaged in life from birth defects, from mortal injuries, from disease, or from the natural deterioration of old age will be resurrected in proper and perfect frame.

I wonder if we fully appreciate the enormous significance of our belief in a literal, universal resurrection. The assurance of immortality is fundamental to our faith. The Prophet Joseph Smith declared:

The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1938], 121).

Of all things in that glorious ministry, why did the Prophet Joseph Smith use the testimony of the Saviors death, burial, and Resurrection as the fundamental principle of our religion, saying that all other things are only appendages to it? The answer is found in the fact that the Saviors Resurrection is central to what the prophets have called the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death (2 Ne. 11:5).

In our eternal journey, the resurrection is the mighty milepost that signifies the end of mortality and the beginning of immortality. The Lord described the importance of this vital transition when He declared, And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his probationthat by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe (D&C 29:43). Similarly, the Book of Mormon teaches, For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection (2 Ne. 9:6). We also know, from modern revelation, that without the reuniting of our spirits and our bodies in the resurrection we could not receive a fulness of joy (D&C 93:3334).

When we understand the vital position of the resurrection in the plan of redemption that governs our eternal journey (Alma 12:25), we see why the Apostle Paul taught, If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain (1 Cor. 15:1314). We also see why the Apostle Peter referred to the fact that God the Father, in His abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Pet. 1:3; see also 1 Thes. 4:1318).

The lively hope we are given by the resurrection is our conviction that death is not the conclusion of our identity but merely a necessary step in the destined transition from mortality to immortality. This hope changes the whole perspective of mortal life. The assurance of resurrection and immortality affects how we look on the physical challenges of mortality, how we live our mortal lives, and how we relate to those around us.

The assurance of resurrection gives us the strength and perspective to endure the mortal challenges faced by each of us and by those we love, such things as the physical, mental, or emotional deficiencies we bring with us at birth or acquire during mortal life. Because of the resurrection, we know that these mortal deficiencies are only temporary!

The assurance of resurrection also gives us a powerful incentive to keep the commandments of God during our mortal lives. Resurrection is much more than merely reuniting a spirit to a body held captive by the grave. We know from the Book of Mormon that the resurrection is a restoration that brings back carnal for carnal and good for that which is good (Alma 41:13; see also Alma 41:24 and Hel. 14:31). The prophet Amulek taught, That same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world (Alma 34:34). As a result, when persons leave this life and go on to the next, they who are righteous shall be righteous still (2 Ne. 9:16), and whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life will rise with us in the resurrection (D&C 130:18).

The principle of restoration also means that persons who are not righteous in mortal life will not rise up righteous in the resurrection (see 2 Ne. 9:16; 1 Cor. 15:3544; D&C 88:2732). Moreover, unless our mortal sins have been cleansed and blotted out by repentance and forgiveness (see Alma 5:21; 2 Ne. 9:4546; D&C 58:42), we will be resurrected with a bright recollection (Alma 11:43) and a perfect knowledge of all of our guilt, and our uncleanness (2 Ne. 9:14; see also Alma 5:18). The seriousness of that reality is emphasized by the many scriptures suggesting that the resurrection is followed immediately by the Final Judgment (see 2 Ne. 9:15, 22; Mosiah 26:25; Alma 11:4344; Alma 42:23; Morm. 7:6; Morm. 9:1314). Truly, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God (Alma 34:32).

The assurance that the resurrection will include an opportunity to be with our family membershusband, wife, parents, brothers and sisters, children, and grandchildrenis a powerful encouragement for us to fulfill our family responsibilities in mortality. It helps us live together in love in this life in anticipation of joyful reunions and associations in the next.

Our sure knowledge of a resurrection to immortality also gives us the courage to face our own deatheven a death that we might call premature. Thus, the people of Ammon in the Book of Mormon never did look upon death with any degree of terror, for their hope and views of Christ and the resurrection; therefore, death was swallowed up to them by the victory of Christ over it (Alma 27:28).

The assurance of immortality also helps us bear the mortal separations involved in the death of our loved ones. Every one of us has wept at a death, grieved through a funeral, or stood in pain at a graveside. I am surely one who has. We should all praise God for the assured resurrection that makes our mortal separations temporary and gives us the hope and strength to carry on.

We are living in a glorious season of temple building. This is also a consequence of our faith in the resurrection. Just a few months ago I was privileged to accompany President Hinckley to the dedication of a new temple. In that sacred setting I heard him say:

Temples stand as a witness of our conviction of immortality. Our temples are concerned with life beyond the grave. For example, there is no need for marriage in the temple if we were only concerned with being married for the period of our mortal lives.

This prophetic teaching enlarged my understanding. Our temples are living, working testimonies to our faith in the reality of the resurrection. They provide the sacred settings where living proxies can perform all of the necessary ordinances of mortal life in behalf of those who live in the world of the spirits. None of this would be meaningful if we did not have the assurance of universal immortality and the opportunity for eternal life because of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We believe in the literal, universal resurrection of all mankind because of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel (2 Ne. 9:12). We also testify of The Living Christ, as was said in the recent apostolic declaration of that same name:

We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary.

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostlesthat Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come (The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles, 1 Jan. 2000).

I testify of that reality and of the reality of His Resurrection and ours, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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Resurrection - Dallin H. Oaks

Review: The Monstrous Heart, Traverse, Edinburgh, Four stars – HeraldScotland

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Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

Neil Cooper

Four stars

A storm is brewing from the off in Oliver Emanuels searing new play, which reunites a mother and daughter for one last showdown before theyre blown apart forever. Mag is holed up in an isolated wooden shack in the Canadian outback, and has been hibernating there for some time, giving gunned-down wildlife a kind of immortality as a taxidermist. Hence the dead grizzly bear on her kitchen table.

Mags daughter Beth has just blown in like shes escaped from a maximum security zoo, full of fire and thunder for some perceived hand-me-down sins neither can truly escape from. At first Mag is a cowering mouse under siege from Beths no-holds-barred assault. By the end, the animal mentality of both women both blazes into self-destructive life, as the law of the jungle decrees the survival of the fittest.

Emanuels writing is seriously off the leash here in a furious seventy-five minutes, as it attempts to dissect the old nature versus nurture debate before each woman gets in touch with the killer within. As Mag and Beth, Christine Entwisle and Charlene Boyd are forces of nature of two very different kinds. As Beth, Boyd is a volatile rocket set to explode, while Entwisle presents Mag as a more bunged-up figure. Confined inside Cecile Tremolieres wooden shack of a set in Gareth Nicholls turbo-charged production, the pair are at respective breaking points as their damaged vulnerability evolves into an instinctive rage.

There is a discipline to all this, that gives it an intensity beyond mere hysteria. This comes across in both in the writing and the performances, with each gradual reveal impressively teased out. In this respect, Emanuels play possesses the unhinged emotional and psychological wildness of a Sam Shepard epic. Like that particular literary outlaw, Emanuel tethers his yarn to a rigid structure and fiercely intellectual line of inquiry. Rather than neuter it, this gives the play a weight that bolsters the plays theatricality with an untamed savagery that roars.

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Review: The Monstrous Heart, Traverse, Edinburgh, Four stars - HeraldScotland

IMMORTALITY & RESURRECTION, INC. – Giza Death Star

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Just when you thought the aspirations and plans of modern science couldn't possibly become more diabolical (or, if one prefer, sacrilegious), an article comes along to renew your hope that the world continues on its path of normalcy, and that many scientists are, indeed, just as wild-eyed-nuts as you always thought them to be. And this week, apparently many people were relieved and reassured that the mad scientist is not a thing of the past or a species that died out, but a real, living creature deserving of our awe and respect. Ms. M.W. and many others found this, and shared it, doubtless because they were concerned that I was losing hope that there were no more mad scientists:

Could we soon REVERSE death? US company to start trials 'reawakening the dead' in Latin America 'in a few months' - and this is how they'll do it

Way back when I first started writing about these strange topics in The Giza Death Star, I made the observation that physical immortality might not be such a good thing, without a commensurate and corresponding improvement in human spirituality and morality. In this, I took my cue from an ancient Greek Church Father named St. John Chrysostom, who warned about the same thing, and who stated that it was death, in fact, that formed the crucial condition for the possibility of human repentance and a change of mind, for it cut off further progress in evil. Taking this as my cue, in the final pages of that book, I asked people to imagine if such immortality were possible, or even a dramatically extended life span were possible - both of which are now being openly discussed and touted in serious and not-so-serious literature - what it might mean for the resulting civilization? One thing that would result, I pointed out, was a vastly expanded and accelerated scientific and technological development. One individual would, in such a condition, be able to learn and to master several academic disciplines, not just one.The explosion of technology and science would dwarf anything we have seen thus far. But the other consequence would be for moral progress. Imagine, I said back then, an Albert Schweitzer having not a century, but centuries or even millennia to do good things, or, conversely, a Mao Tse-Tung, a Josif Stalin, a Pol Pot or an Adolf Hitler, having that long to "perfect their progress in evil," and one gets a clear picture of the sharp moral contradictions such a society would be in. And please note: this problem is not a problem that, to my knowledge, is receiving anything close to the attention it needs in the transhumanism-virtual immortality community. The sole focus is on the science; if we can do it, we should do it.

Now we have this:

Bioquark, a Philadelphia-based company, announced in late 2016 that they believe brain death is not 'irreversible'.

And now, CEO Ira Pastor has revealed they will soon be testing an unprecedented stem cell method on patients in an unidentified country in Latin America, confirming the details in the next few months.

To be declared officially dead in the majority of countries, you have to experience complete and irreversible loss of brain function, or 'brain death'.

According to Pastor, Bioquark has developed a series of injections that can reboot the brain - and they plan to try it out on humans this year.

They have no plans to test on animals first.

...

The first stage, named 'First In Human Neuro-Regeneration & Neuro-Reanimation' was slated to be a non-randomized, single group 'proof of concept' study.

The team said they planned to examine individuals aged 15-65 declared brain dead from a traumatic brain injury using MRI scans, in order to look for possible signs of brain death reversal.

Specifically, they planned to break it down into three stages.

First, they would harvest stem cells from the patient's own blood, and inject this back into their body.

Next, the patient would receive a dose of peptides injected into their spinal cord.

Finally, they would undergo a 15-day course of nerve stimulation involving lasers and median nerve stimulation to try and bring about the reversal of brain death, whilst monitoring the patients using MRI scans.

Light, chemistry, and stem cells and DNA. If one didn't know any better, one would swear one was looking at the broad chronological progression of Genesis 1.

But I digress.

The problem here is, one notices, the almost complete avoidance of the moral question. Let's assume the technology works and that one can, literally, resurrect the dead scientifically. And let us assume the project reaches the stage of perfection envisioned by the Russian Cosmists, like Nikolai Fedorov. The cosmists, recall, want to extend the resurrection-by-science principle to the entire history of one's ancestors. But should this occur, then what about resurrecting people like Stalin, Mao, or Hitler? The sad truth is, some people still "revere" those twisted and murderous people as heroes. The sad truth is, some people would attempt to do it, if given the means to do so.

But there's an even bigger problem. The entire project is predicated on the materialist assumption that "brain function equals the person." Regular readers here know that I have never subscribed to such a view, nor have I subscribed to the view, conversely, that there is no relationship between a person's "personhood" and the functions of their soul, which would include, of course, the functions of their will, intellect, emotions, and brain. It is, I suspect, a very complex phenomenon not neatly divided into tidy Cartesian dualisms, with numerous feedback loops between the two. This said, however, the problem arises then that the brain is not the creator of individuality, but rather, its transducer (and, if I may employ a more ancient version of the term, its traducer). Thus, the possibility arises that one might "revive" a brain, and traduce or transduce a different individual than one "recalls" being present prior to brain death. Already some psychologists have written - and published - papers suggesting that certain mental disorders such as bipolarity and schizophrenia might not be disorders in any standard sense, but rather a phenomenon where an individual is inhabiting two very different and parallel universes at the same time. In this they draw upon the many worlds hypotheses of qauntum mechanics.

In short, for my money, I have no doubt that ultimately, some sort of "scientific" resurrection technique might be possible. But I suspect it will be a Pandora's box of spiritual phenomena which, once opened, will be difficult if not impossible to close again, and that before we open it, we should give lengthy, and due consideration to all the moral problems it will engender.

See you on the flip side...

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IMMORTALITY & RESURRECTION, INC. - Giza Death Star

5 romantic comedies to raise your spirit during the MCO – The Star Online

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Love will help us get through this period of self-quarantine and social distancing. So will laughter. That's why romantic comedies are a good choice for pausing pandemic anxiety for a few hours. Here are five that fit the times in their own special ways.

The Holiday (2006)

You're in safe hands for a cinematic getaway when director Nancy Meyers is in charge. She makes movies that are funny, sophisticated images of a dream life. Her films also provide ideas for dream date, dream best friends and dream kitchens.

Meyers achieved cable-rerun immortality with The Holiday, a rom-com too good to limit to December. The house-swap escapade sends a high-powered Hollywood exec (Cameron Diaz) off to vacation in a cozy English cottage, while its usual resident, a British columnist (Kate Winslet), borrows the exec's luxurious Los Angeles trophy home.

What's the best part of a film that's as comfortable as fuzzy socks and flannel pyjamas? Is it Jude Law's take on a humble, awkward widower? Jack Black's sexy side? Winslet's friendship with an elderly screenwriter played by the great Eli Wallach? Yes, all that, plus Diaz's endless supply of off-white winter knitwear. Keep watching over and until you feel much better about life.

The Big Sick (2017)

It's a counterintuitive pick, maybe, but star and co-screenwriter Kumail Nanjiani's tender comedy about a man who breaks up with his true love, then sticks by her through a medically-induced coma makes a hopeful statement about surviving a medical crisis.

Nanjiani is wonderful in a plot based on his real-life courtship of his wife, co-screenwriter Emily V. Gordon. Whether dealing with his strict Pakistani parents (Anupam Kher and Zenobia Shroff)m who are pushing an arranged marriage, or facing the skepticism of his girlfriend's mom and dad (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano), he depicts the learning curve that anyone goes through when love is tested by uncontrollable outside forces.

Same goes for Zoe Kazan, who is superb as a woman who realises that perfection in a relationship is unattainable, but extreme loyalty might be even better. If you think it's impossible to laugh in a time of viral peril, the funny human moments here will correct that impression.

You've Got Mail (1998)

Oh, the simple days of AOL email accounts. This classic Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan reboot of 1940's Shop Around The Corner directed and co-written by the great Nora Ephron is set in the dinosaur age of technology, yet it's just the thing for coping with 2020.

What better way to conduct a flirtation right now than through online chatting and never actually meeting? And what more charming conflict than a feud between an indie bookstore owner (Ryan) and the scion of a mega-bookstore chain (Hanks)? It almost (but not quite) makes you forget your library is closed and your local bookstore is taking a big financial hit.

And given how much we all need a cathartic cry, the moment where Hanks wipes away Ryan's tears "Don't cry, shopgirl" is one of the most exquisite weeping inducers of the last 30 years. Someday, when social distancing is no longer necessary, find someone who touches your face the same way.

Jumping The Broom (2011)

Paula Patton and Laz Alonso star as the gorgeous young couple whose lavish wedding on Martha's Vineyard seems destined to be disrupted. But it's still a reminder that family gatherings with dozens of testy relatives may not be the worst thing to endure.

As Patton and Alonso see their plans begin to unravel, a strong supporting cast finds comedy gold in the tensions of clashing relatives and in-laws. With Angela Bassett and Brian Stokes Mitchell as Patton's snooty parents, Loretta DeVine as Alonso's clingy mother, and Meagan Good and Gary Dourdain as the maid of honour and reception chef who send sparks flying, you'll be saying "I do" to this comedy of misunderstandings, unearthed secrets and, eventually, blessed reconciliation.

And extra kudos to Tasha Smith as Patton's best friend who is pursued by a much younger man and Julie Bowen of Modern Family as the frazzled wedding planner.

The American President (1995)

The biggest problem faced by President Andrew Shepherd, at least for much of this politically themed rom-com, is convincing a florist he is not prank-calling when he tries to order flowers for the lobbyist who has stolen his heart.

Sure, there is some agonising over an environmental bill and a mini-scandal involving the lobbyist's youthful involvement in the protest movement. But rest assured, the ride in this star vehicle driven by Michael Douglas and Annette Bening is a smooth fantasy version of high-profile love affairs, not to mention government in action.

And if the ballroom scene in Beauty And The Beast animated or live action is your ultimate in swoon-level dances, check out Douglas and Bening's twirl at a White House state dinner. As they used to say in 1995 (or maybe it was 1935?), yowza! Julie Hinds/Detroit Free Press/Tribune News Service

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5 romantic comedies to raise your spirit during the MCO - The Star Online

AAAI enters the scene in order to prevent idea thefts – afaqs

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In the wake of the issue that has hit the advertising industry, the AAAI has come up with an idea to protect an agency's creative ideas.

Alan Moore, in his novel 'V for Vendetta', wrote, Behind this mask, there is more than just flesh. Beneath this mask, there is an idea... and ideas are bulletproof.

Truer words have never been spoken. Ideas are, indeed, immortal and endure the best and harshest of times in human existence. But, their immortality doesnt mean that they are immune from theft.

Yes, idea theft. It is one of the worst acts that can take place. One persons original thought is used by someone else, who ends up getting the credit for it, too. Unfortunately, the advertising industry has been a victim of this crime many times.

For instance, when Ariel released its latest ad from its long-running Share the Load campaign in March 2020, Mayank Arora, an assistant manager - social media (new Supply) at Swiggy, spoke out on social media, claiming idea theft. He said the ad was based on his insight that he had presented to an agency as a test.

In response, BBDO India, the makers of the ad, stated that they didnt have any dealings with Arora. Josy Paul, chief creative officer at BBDO India, said, "We did not meet him or give him an assignment or test. He did not present or mail anything to us. We did not work with any 'digital agency' in the conceptualisation and creation of the idea and script. The idea was originated, developed, scripted and created in-house by talent that work full time at BBDO India on the Ariel brand. Every year, we unravel a new truth about inequality at home, that no one has spoken about before. Thats what we did this year, too."

This is just one example. Unfortunately, idea theft is rampant in the industry, especially during the time of pitching, when several agencies present their creative ideas to clients.

According to a report in ETBrandEquity on March 19, 2020, the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), keeping this issue in mind, is in the process of developing a digital locker.

Hosted on AAAI's website, agencies can upload the creatives (or ideas) that theyve created for pitches. Once confirmed, a certificate will be issued to the agencies as proof of work.

This idea was presented to agencies because, despite not choosing to work with a particular client on a project, they (the agencies) end up seeing the clients use their ideas.

In 2019, Ogilvy India (part of WPP) took smartphone maker Vivo and creative agency Dentsu Impact to court over allegations of plagiarism. According to Ogilvy India, Vivos new ad, made by Dentsu Impact (part of DAN), was similar to the amusement park storyboard idea shared by Ogilvy Indias Brand David during a pitch.

Also in 2019, production house Matheno Films said it would initiate legal proceedings against Citi, claiming the latter's Diwali ad 'Spread More Cheer This Diwali' resembled their 2017 film 'Cup of Tea'.

The digital locker idea may help clamp down on idea thefts, which hurts a lot of agencies on the creative as well as the financial side.

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AAAI enters the scene in order to prevent idea thefts - afaqs

48 SECONDS FROM IMMORTALITY: The story of the 1990 Concord Minutemen – Goshen News

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DUNLAP On March 24, 1990, more than 41,000 people packed the Hoosier Dome to watch a high school basketball game.

Most were there to see Damon Bailey, a living folk hero in Indiana. The states all-time leading scorer, Bailey had been recruited by then-Indiana University head coach Bob Knight since eighth grade. A senior now at Bedford North Lawrence, Bailey had one last chance to add a state championship to his already legendary resume.

But there was another team on the court that night the Concord Minutemen. A team from near the Michigan border, the Minutemen entered the 1990 IHSAA State Championship Game with a 28-0 record, the No. 1 ranking in the state and four future Division-I college basketball players on the roster.

In many aspects, the Minutemen were the other team. They were the other team in the title game. They were also the other Concord team, as the 1988 team, led by future NBA all-star Shawn Kemp, went 28-0 en route to a championship game appearance. The 1990 Concord Minutemen believed, though, and it put them within 48 seconds of a state championship.

This is their story.

After finishing as the state runner-up in 1988, Concord had a disappointing 1989 season. They finished 18-4, but failed to get out of the sectional round. They played the entire 1989 season without Bill Mutch, though, a 6-4 forward/center who started on the 1988 team as a sophomore. Mutch was suspended for the 1989 season due to off-the-court reasons.

With Mutch coming back for his senior season, along with players like senior Jamar Johnson, senior Micah Sharp, junior Mike Swanson and junior Jeff Massey, the preseason expectations were simple: championship or bust.

I thought anything less than a state championship would be a failed year, Mutch said. The two goals I had that year were to go undefeated and win a state championship. Those were the goals that I wrote down and looked at every single night.

It was such a strong belief that the teams motto for the season was Believe. They wore wristbands with the word on it, broke every huddle by saying 1-2-3, believe! and head coach Jim Hahn even put a banner up with the word on it inside the locker room accompanied by a picture of the Hoosier Dome.

Greg and Austin are joined by legendary Concord boys basketball coach Jim Hahn (11:45-end) to discuss the 1990 Minutemen team that finished st

We just wanted to make it a mindset that this is really what we believe that we can do and where were going to get, Hahn said.

The Minutemen faced minimal resistance to start the season. In their first 11 games, only two of them were decided by less than 10 points. Concord had moved up to No. 4 in the Indiana Associated Press rankings following an 81-68 victory over Penn to improve to 11-0 on the season.

What awaited the Minutemen next, though, was a showdown with No. 1 Warsaw. Not only was the Northern Lakes Conference championship going to be decided in this game, but the No. 1 ranking in the state was potentially on the line as well.

Factor in the Tigers beat Concord by 26 the year prior, and the Minutemen were more than ready for the biggest game in the state that week.

Going into that week, nobody had to really pump us up, Sharp said. We were ready to go because we had all remembered what had happened the year before, and now they were coming into our house.

Concord alums, like 1989 graduate Dave Preheim, went out of their way to see the top-5 matchup.

I was going to college in Kansas, and I talked to one of my college professors into letting me out of a final, or moving one of my finals, so that I could come home because we were playing Warsaw, Preheim said.

The game wasnt much of a game. Concord fed off its home crowd and stomped Warsaw, 98-67. Johnson scored 35 points as the Minutemen left no doubt who the top team in the state was.

Nobody was going to beat us in McCuen Gym, period, Mutch said. That was just not going to happen even under our watch. And it didnt. It turned out to be The Jamar Johnson Show. The four of us starters kind of stepped back and watched it happen.

That was probably just a magical night for me," Johnson added. "Just because I knew that night, everybody in the state was looking at that game. If I wanted to make All-State, this was the moment for me to make my mark. ... And man, did the stars align for us that night.

Concord seniors Bill Mutch, left, and Jamar Johnson, right, celebrate winning the 1990 regional boys basketball championship.

Concord moved to No. 1 in the following weeks rankings and stayed there for the rest of the season. They entered the 1990 state basketball tournament with an average winning margin of 21.2 points.

The Minutemen then faced no resistance in the early rounds of the tournament. They beat Goshen, Penn and Elkhart Central to win the sectional; Bremen and East Noble to win the regional and Whitko in the semistate semifinal.

All that stood in the way between Concord and a state semifinals berth literally were Jon and Joe Ross of Northfield. Standing at 6-9 and 6-10, respectively, the Ross twins posed the biggest threat to Concord throughout the postseason run. The Minutemens tallest player? Mutch, at 6-4.

I was more worried about how we were going to defend them than was worried about our offense because, offensively, I thought if wed be able to score, wed be fine, Hahn said. I was just concerned about defense.

The game came down to the final seconds. With the score tied at 52, Concord had possession. Mutch wound up with the ball and passed it off to Massey, who put up a shot. As the shot was coming down, Jon Ross blocked it, causing a goaltending call. The basket counted, and the Minutemen went up 54-52 with two seconds left in the game.

The 1990 Concord boys basketball team takes a team picture after winning the semistate championship, advancing to the state semifinals.

Northfield still had one more chance to score, but Jon Ross missed a layup as time expired. Concord was the semistate champions and on to the state semifinals the next weekend at the Hoosier Dome.

I just remember beating the crap out of those guys, Swanson said. We committed so many fouls because we were so much smaller than those guys. It was a very difficult matchup because of their height. The goaltending at the end of the game was a dramatic way to win the game.

Our whole team, we just always played as a unit, Johnson added. I think the magical moment to show that we were destined to go to Indianapolis was that last play. I mean, how does a 6-10, 6-11 guy miss a layup at the buzzer? Were talking destiny now.

Back in the single-class system, the state semifinal and final games were played on the same day. In the 1990 northern semifinal game, Concord played the Anderson Indians. The southern draw saw Bedford North Lawrence against Southport.

Concord entered the weekend with the No. 1 ranking, but they were far from being the favorites.

I talked to several of the coaches from the southern schools that (Bedford North Lawrence) played and they all told me the same thing when we talked: Jim, you have a really good team youre not going to win a state championship, Hahn said. And Im like, What do you mean? And theyre going, Damon Bailey is going to win the state championship.

The atmosphere around Concord all week was electric.

I remember getting a lot of ticket requests, I can tell you that, Mutch said.

A lot of that stuff is kind of a blur, but I do remember when we were getting on the bus to go down to state, we had a charter bus and they had police in the front and the back trailing us down to state, Sharp added.

The team went down to Indianapolis on the Friday before the state games to do a shootaround. Hahn let the team walk around the Hoosier Dome for 15 minutes before the team practiced in the former home of the Indianapolis Colts.

The Hoosier Dome hit me when we walked in there for our shootaround for our practice on Friday, Johnson said. They let all teams in there for an hour and 15 minutes; thats when it hit me. Thats when I thought, This is crazy. This is crazy.

Concord senior Jamar Johnson, left, drives up court during the 1990 state semifinal game against Anderson.

Concord played the first semifinal game that Saturday. After going up by 20 points on Anderson, the Indians came back to tie the game late. Anderson ran out of energy, though, and Concord was able to hang on to a 70-66 victory.

Playing in the Hoosier Dome wasn't that hard, according to Swanson.

The Hoosier Dome, because of the way the floor was setup we could communicate with each other because the crowd was so far away from you, and it was such a large place, Swanson said. Thats kind of what struck me. It was amazing to look around, but while we were on the floor, it was like we were in the gym by ourselves talking to each other.

Bedford North Lawrence defeated Southport, 58-55, in the second semifinal game, setting up the matchup everyone wanted: The No. 1 team in the state vs. the No. 1 high school player in the country.

We wanted to beat him because we knew he was an Indiana legend, and thats kind of how our team was we wanted to beat the best and we wanted to beat Damon Bailey, Swanson said. It was definitely something we looked forward to because we had a lot of confidence in ourselves to win that game. We wanted to beat the best because we knew if we win the state championship and beat any other team, theyre not going to look at it (the same).

There was no doubt in the Concord locker room who was going to win the state championship that night.

We thought we were going to win state when we got on the bus, so when we got to the championship game, we still were thinking were going to win the game, Sharp said.

Swanson was tasked with guarding Bailey first, something the junior knew hed have to do.

Almost every game, whoever the best player was, whether it was a point guard or a big guy, I would take on their leading scorer as a defender, Swanson said. It was kind of my role, so I knew I was going to have to guard him.

Bailey and the Stars started the game strong. The states all-time leading scorer had 11 points, BNL shot 9-of-12 from the field and they took a 24-18 lead over Concord after the first quarter.

Hahn knew he wanted to rotate different defenders onto Bailey throughout the game. After the first quarter, a defensive change was made.

I believe Jamar came into the huddle between quarters and I asked, You want to guard him? And he said, Yeah, absolutely. Thats what you want, Hahn said. You want your best player to step up to that challenge.

The adjustment worked. Bailey was held scoreless in the second quarter and Concord outscored BNL, 19-8, in the frame. The Minutemen took their first lead of the game, 31-30, on a three-point play from Mutch with 4:35 to go in the half. They led 37-32 at halftime.

"Me and Damon probably played three or four times that summer in AAU against one another," Johnson said. "So, he knew me, I knew him. Damon was the type of player where he was smart; he was a smart basketball player. Maybe I did slow him down Id like to think that."

Bedford didnt go away easily, though. They fought back to tie the game at 46 going into the fourth. Bailey scored eight points in the period to send the Stars and Minutemen into a dramatic fourth quarter.

Just intently focused on the mission at hand, Mutch said. Weve got eight minutes to go win a state championship, period. At that point, it didnt matter if there were 40,000 people in the gym or 2,000 people in the gym. We knew what needed to be done.

I dont think anybody was in fear, not even (Massey), Sharp added. Its close now, but were just going to have to squeak it out like we did at semistate.

Concord came out strong to start the fourth. It built its biggest lead of the game, 58-52, with 2:38 to go in the contest. The Minutemen could taste a state championship.

We had a possession in there as we were running the offense, there was a thought in the back of my mind, Do we pull it out? Do we make them foul or take nothing but a layup? We were probably one possession away from doing that, and we didnt, Hahn said.

Bailey wouldnt go quietly into the night, though. He went on a 7-0 run of his own to give the Stars a 59-58 lead with 59 seconds remaining in the game. Concord called a timeout.

After the break, the Minutemen executed a perfect play for Johnson. The all-state senior buried a jumper on the baseline, giving Concord a 60-59 lead with 48 seconds left in the contest.

And then, it happened.

Following the Johnson field goal, Bailey took the inbounds pass and started running up court. The BNL senior headed straight towards the basket and ran right into Mutch. The referee called the foul on Mutch.

Everyone in green and white disagrees.

When I saw it, I originally thought, That is a charge! And so then, I looked up at the screen because they had the big screens and I wanted to see the replay, Sharp said. And they showed a Prudential Insurance advertisement, and I was like, Wheres the replay? Still to this day, I believed that it was a charge.

My mind hasnt changed since my original thought on that, Hahn added.

Bailey sank both free throws to put BNL ahead by one with 40 seconds left.

On the ensuing possession, the Minutemen missed a potential go-ahead bucket. While going up for the rebound, Bailey was fouled. He made two more free throws to give the Stars a 63-60 advantage with 24 seconds left.

Concord had one more chance to tie the game. The Minutemen wound up getting four cracks at knocking down a 3 in the final 17 seconds of the game.

Johnson took the first one and missed, but Johnson grabbed the rebound and passed it to Massey. His 3 attempt then rattled out, but Sharp grabbed the rebound. Sharp ran beyond the three-point line to take a shot, but his attempt also missed. Massey grabbed one last rebound and fired another 3, but it was short. BNL junior Jason Lambrecht grabbed the rebound, the clock ran out and Bedford North Lawrence were the state champions.

"Believe" was the slogan for the 1990 Concord boys basketball team.

A cheerleader holds a "believe" sign up during a timeout at the 1990 state championship game.

The final buzzer sounds in the 1990 state championship game.

Concord coach Jim Hahn, right, consoles senior Jamar Johnson after the 1990 state championship game.

Concord cheerleaders show their emotions after the boys basketball team lost in the 1990 state championship game.

Members of the 1990 Concord boys basketball team walk off the court with the state runner-up trophy.

Concord seniors Bill Mutch, left, and Jamar Johnson, center, receive the 1990 state runner-up trophy from then-school Athletic Director Larry Jackowiak at a school rally the Monday after the state championship game. Seated clapping is coach Jim Hahn.

"Believe" was the slogan for the 1990 Concord boys basketball team.

A cheerleader holds a "believe" sign up during a timeout at the 1990 state championship game.

The final buzzer sounds in the 1990 state championship game.

Concord coach Jim Hahn, right, consoles senior Jamar Johnson after the 1990 state championship game.

Concord cheerleaders show their emotions after the boys basketball team lost in the 1990 state championship game.

Members of the 1990 Concord boys basketball team walk off the court with the state runner-up trophy.

Concord seniors Bill Mutch, left, and Jamar Johnson, center, receive the 1990 state runner-up trophy from then-school Athletic Director Larry Jackowiak at a school rally the Monday after the state championship game. Seated clapping is coach Jim Hahn.

I had nightmares after that, Sharp said. I had nightmares about that shot. I actually had a dream where that shot went in, and then I woke up and I realized it was a dream.

I was in disbelief and I had this overwhelming thought of, I just let all of my teammates down and I letdown coach Hahn, Mutch added. At that time, my heart broke for Jamar, and my heart broke for coach Hahn. That was it. Those were the two people that it bothered me the most that we couldnt finish the job.

It took Johnson and Sharp 25 years to watch the game back through its entirety. Mutch has watched it multiple times, but not in 15 years. Hahn said it took him 27 years to watch it back. Swanson refuses to watch the game.

I literally will never watch that game, Swanson said. It didnt end the way I wanted it to end. I know the result; theres no reason for me to breakdown that film and watch it again.

Mutch has the unique role of being at the center of the controversial block/charge call to end the game. While he still thinks it shouldve been a charge, hes accepted the events that transpired in that moment.

I dont mind that call being a block in that, over the past 30 years to reflect, I think Damon Bailey deserved that call, Mutch said. I am OK with it, given what he did for his entire career in Indiana high school basketball.

Concord finished the season 28-1 for the second time in three years. The 1990 team is one of five boys basketball teams from Elkhart County to ever reach the state championship game. Only one 2004 Jimtown won a state championship, under the new class system that had been implemented in 1998.

Individual stats from the season.

Team stats from the season.

Games 1-15 of the season.

Games 16-29 of season. Games 21-29 were postseason contests.

Individual stats from the season.

Team stats from the season.

Games 1-15 of the season.

Games 16-29 of season. Games 21-29 were postseason contests.

Thats why many players from the 1990 team believe theyre the best team to ever come from the county even better than the 88 Concord team led by Kemp.

I think our legacy has to be the best team in the history of Concord basketball. I really do, Johnson said. The 88 team was the most talented, but I think the 90 team goes down as the best team in the history of Concord basketball thus to this point. First time the schools been ranked No. 1. Statistically, we were probably the best team.

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48 SECONDS FROM IMMORTALITY: The story of the 1990 Concord Minutemen - Goshen News

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: What has the original cast done since? – Metro.co.uk

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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation has become a US TV institution (Picture: CBS)

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation became an addictive must-watch for everyone in the early 2000s with theme song Who Are You? by The Who still ringing in our ears with just a mere mention of the shows name.

Still on telly pretty much constantly, alongside its spin-offs CSI: Miami, CSI: New York and CSI: Cyber, its classic TV as we watch the Las Vegas Police Department do what they do best.

And now weve heard the news that they might be making a comeback to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its launch, weve gone all nostalgic for the series and the grisly crimes they helped solve.

But what happened to the gang since we last saw them?

Turns out, a lot of humanitarian work, some landmark career moments and even a couple of run-ins with the law themselves.

Heres what the cast has been up to since the show wrapped in 2015.

If theres one face you think of when you think of CSI, its Gil Grissom the leading man of the squad.

Gil left the show in season nine in order to track down his love, Sara, who had fled to Costa Rica, and wasnt seen until 2015, when he took centre stage once again in the shows final bow, the two-hour Immortality.

William won a Sag award for his portrayal, got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009, with CSI co-star Marg Helgenberger among those in attendance commemorating his achievements.

Since CSI ended in 2015, he has completely stepped back from the limelight, with no new work beyond his 2015 return as Gil.

He has no social media presence, but fan pages often update with any new snaps of the star.

Night Shift supervisor Catherine was the ultimate right-hand woman, but quit the LVPD and took a job at the FBI at the end of season 12.

She returned for an appearance by Gils side in Immortality in 2015.

Since leaving the series, Marg has had several prominent TV roles including a series adaptation of Stephen Kings novel Under The Dome, and 2014 series Intelligence

Marg can currently be seen on TV drama All Rise, which takes a look at the lives and loves of the lawyers, clerks and staff members of LA County courthouse.

She also often posts photos of the view of her absolutely stunning LA home.

Crime Scene Investigator Nick was Catherines assistant until D.B. Russells arrival in 2015 and he left soon after.

He was one of the most empathetic members of the group, which caused friction a number of times throughout his career as others around him preferred to keep an emotional distance from the cases.

Nicks exit from the series was announced in November 2014 and he made bid farewell in the season 15 finale, leaving Las Vegas for a new job in San Diego.

Following his departure, George starred in CBS action-adventure series MacGyver for three years as Jack Dalton and last year, he featured in the South Korean period film The Battle Of Jangsari.

Captain Jim Brass appeared in a total of 303 episodes and was renowned for adhering to the rules and his witty sarcastic comments when interviewing suspects.

He was written out of the show after the producers decided to end his characters storyline and left in the season 14 finale, but later appeared for the last episode of season 15 and again forCSI: Immortality.

Paul won a Sag award for his portrayal Jim back in 2005 and received three further nominations.

Since his exit, he starred in acclaimed film Spotlight in 2015, and more recently starred in Apple TVs The Morning Show alongside Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston.

Sara, a materials and element analyst who majored in physics at Harvard University, was the longest-running woman on CSI and filmed 296 episodes in total.

She was the assistant supervisor until she left the Crime Lab to join a research team in Costa Rica after marrying former colleague Gil Grissom.

The newlyweds maintained a long-distance relationship while Sara was away, but they broke up in season 13 and eventually reconciled and got back together in the series finale.

Jorja took a step back from acting after CSI, having only appeared in science fiction film 3022 last year alongside Miranda Cosgrove and Kate Walsh.

In 2008, Warrick Brown met a grisly end in season eights finale, when he was shot and killed by bent copper Undersheriff McKeen.

McKeen had framed Warrick for the murder of mob boss Lou Gedda, and so shot him twice to keep him from talking. He was left to bleed out and died in his car.

He had appeared in 185 episodes by the time he was last seen on screen.

Dourdans exit was aired shortly after Dourdan was arrested for drug possession but he had already filmed his final scenes so it was unconnected as to why he left CSI.

Since his appearance on the show, he was arrested again for possession of drug paraphernalia in 2011, and was charged with felony battery on his ex-girlfriend, having to attend domestic violence counseling.

He is now sober and continues to act, with five projects currently in production, as well as music.

Work has included TV series Being Mary Jane in 2015, an episode of Power as Charles Hamilton and starring in action-comedy, All She Wrote, in 2018.

As Chief Medical Examiner at the LVPD, Al wasnt a hyper-clean heavily detailed member of the squad and made for good banter with Gil Grisson.

Appearing in 328 episodes overall, 72-year-old Robert has three, small projects currently in post-production, all of which havent moved since 2018.

After CSI, Robert has been mainly staying out of the limelight.

Robert is a double amputee, losing both his legs after a drunk driver operating an 18-wheeler vehicle ran over his car in 1978, although this was never mentioned in CSI.

As a result, Robert has been a campaigner for disability visibility, and mental health.

Eric has been fairly quiet on the TV front since his time on CSI, with one credit under his belt since the show ended action thriller Shangri-La: Near Extinction in 2018.

He appeared as lab technician Greg in 333 episodes of the crime drama, and gave his voice to his own character in the spin-off video games as well.

Despite not working in the acting world, hes been using his platform to campaign for animal rights, hosting fundraisers to free circus animals.

He also maintains good contact with his former CSI pals reuniting with Marg to watch the Oscars this weekend.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation airs on Channel 5 in the UK.

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MORE: Law And Order star Ron McLarty dies aged 72 after dementia battle

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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: What has the original cast done since? - Metro.co.uk

2020 NCAA Tournament: Two Bids for the Southern Conference is a Campaign Worth Endorsing – Athlon Sports

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One of the most unpredictable and chaotic college basketball seasons in recent memory if not the most leaves us on the doorstep of March with a murky NCAA Tournament bubble.

A postseason as promising for surprises as this one deserves some bold and perhaps surprising moves from the outset on Selection Sunday: The selection committee needs to extend two invites to the Southern Conference.

The Southern Conference has provided March with plenty of madness, both historically and in more recent times. Take Furman, which in 1974 beat a South Carolina team with Hall of Famer Alex English plus Brian Winters, and Mike Dunleavy. Then 21 years later, Western Carolina came a single shot away of becoming the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 seed, 22 years before UMBC pulled off the feat.

Chattanooga chugged into the Sweet 16 a year after Western Carolina's near-date with immortality. In 2008, a Davidson team with a skinny guard named Steph Curry fired its away to the Elite Eight.

Just last year, Fletcher Magee tore down Curry's litany of three-point-shooting records as Wofford reached the AP Top 25. Magee then out-dueled one of this season's leading contenders for National Player of the Year, Myles Powell, when Wofford bounced Seton Hall from the Big Dance.

The Terriers very nearly advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling to Kentucky in a memorable matchup. Wofford's performance in the 2019 Tournament aside, last March could fairly be deemed disappointing for the SoCon.

As is all too often the plight of conferences labeled mid-major, Selection Sunday 2019 left a variety of worthy teams out of the field including Lipscomb, Furman, and East Tennessee State.

The latter two represent the SoCon. Yes, two. As in, the "mid-major" Southern Conference arguably deserved three NCAA Tournament bids in 2019. And yet, in a season when the oft-maligned Pac-12 received three bids, the SoCon was relegated to its usual, lone auto-bid.

Evidently, there's cachet in having power-conference distinction, even a media punching bag like the Pac-12 was a year ago.

The opposite precedent has proven true more often than not for quality mid-majors like Monmouth in 2016, Middle Tennessee in '18, or the SoCon's runners-up in '19. Even with a surefire NBA lottery pick on its roster and run to the Elite Eight a year prior, Davidson couldn't get a call in 2009.

So history suggests one shouldn't hold their breath awaiting two SoCon programs called this time around. Unless...

Three Southern Conference teams again near Selection Sunday with intriguing resumes. Both Furman and this year's SoCon pace-setter, East Tennessee State, are in the mix. So, too, is UNC Greensboro, which last year was a fourth team from the league with a top-100 resume.

This year's SoCon has one less top-100 team, but the chaos of the nationwide college basketball landscape compensates for the league having one less upper-echelon squad. The weekend of Feb. 22-23 provides a fitting snapshot.

The upset bug bit all around the country, most notably with then-top-ranked Baylor, No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 4 San Diego State, No. 7 Maryland and No. 9 Penn State all suffering losses.

And that's just the top 10. No. 17 West Virginia and No. 22 Houston both lost to unranked opponents, compounding the tumult.

In the SoCon, meanwhile, each of ETSU, Furman, and UNCG rallied from halftime deficits to win crucial games that keep their at-large aspirations alive. ETSU is riding an nine-game winning streak and has put itself in an outstanding position with regard to the NCAA NET ratings, hovering right around the top 40 after closing the regular season with a defeat of Western Carolina.

The Buccaneers have won nine straight since Jan. 29, and have just two losses in the 2020 calendar year; one of which came against another SoCon team worthy of some at-large attention.

Furman and UNC Greensboro have work to do. But as far as showing their ability to play with NCAA Tournament-caliber competition, each has done that.

Furman took 2019 Final Four participant and one of this year's SEC front-runners, Auburn, to overtime. UNC Greensboro played top-ranked Kansas tough at Allen Fieldhouse, has a head-to-head win over another mid-major on the periphery of at-large contention, Vermont, and beat at-large contending Georgetown.

The two faced off in the final week of the regular season, and will have a likely rubber match in the SoCon Tournament. Should the tournament go chalk to set up a semifinal rematch, the winner gets another resume boost ahead of a potential title tilt against ETSU.

A quick snapshot of each team's profile:

ETSU

Furman

UNC Greensboro

UNC Greensboro dropping its regular-season finale to Chattanooga weakened the Spartans' resume considerably, dropping them five places in the NET. Furman, on the other hand, climbed considerably into the 60s with its regular-season finish.

A Paladins or Spartans run in Asheville may be the SoCon's best bet for two bids with the strength of ETSU's overall resume. But given the Southern Conference's strength at the top for a few years now, the league deserves at-large consideration regardless.

Written by Kyle Kensing, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network and a sportswriter in Southern California. Follow him on Twitter @kensing45.

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2020 NCAA Tournament: Two Bids for the Southern Conference is a Campaign Worth Endorsing - Athlon Sports

On the brink of immortality | LSU – American Press

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

Clemson vs. LSU 7 p.m. ESPN

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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How Is Immortality Been Affected By Pet Ownership?

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Some People have a will to survive, and a desire to live a long and meaningful life. While there are certain things we can't control, there are many that we can. From a few little things like wearing a seatbelt or eating a piece of fruit, many of us have the keys to our own survival in our hands. 

Most pet owners already know about the pets' positive affect on their health. Just think of all the therapy pets used in hospitals, nursing homes and schools. Simply petting a pet can lower your blood pressure, resulting in a better heart rate. Here are five ways that pets have a profound positive effect on someone in poor health.

  1. Interacting with a pet can lift the spirits of an ailing person. Whether it is a physical illness or someone really down in the dumps, the presence of a pet is sure to elate the person and change their whole attitude and outlook.
  2. A primary caregiver can benefit through a lower risk of stress-related ailments when there is a pet in the home of the patient.
  3. The odds of surviving a heart attack improve dramatically and add to an increased one-year survival rate for those who own a pet.
  4. Studies have shown that the presence of a canine companion can relieve some of the anxiety in an Alzheimer's patient.
  5. Those with mobility can benefit drastically from daily walks. Not only is walking the pet healthy, but you may meet other pet owners along the way.

Caring for a pet, or any pet for that matter can be a chore. For most pet owners it is a labor of love. The rewards of being a pet owner are numerous and the positive effect they have on our health is a fact that cannot be denied. Owning and caring for your pet can actually add a few quality years to your life.

Dogs may truly be man's best friend

They are loyal, happy, and rarely borrow things without returning them. And, going beyond the call of a "true friend," they also increase a person's life.

Several studies have shown that owning a pet lowers a person's blood pressure, increases self-esteem in children, decreases the mortality rates of heart attack victims, decreases cholesterol, decreases depression, relieves stress, and increases family happiness. Pets also make younger people, more likely to participate in extracurricular activities. Some research predicts that those who own pets will outlive those who don't by an average of seven years.

If you are approaching the retirement years of your life then this is a great time to make an addition to the house by buying a new pup. Your schedule is going to be a lot more flexible than ever before and this gives you a plethora of time to love and tend to your puppy.

Make sure to do a little research first on dog breeds that will be compatible with your retirement years. If you are in need of a relaxed and quiet environment, then certain dogs will not fit well in your house and others may be a bit on the noisy side. But don't be too concerned, there is a perfect dog for every person out there.

Busy young adult going to college or just getting started your own business: 

Getting a puppy can also suit you well even if you are a younger person who is busy with school or starting out in a new career. There is nothing like coming home from a long day of work or a busy class schedule, and right into the arms of your lovable puppy that has an endless amount of love to give you. First, you have to consider the responsibilities of a new puppy, especially for your hectic lifestyle.

  1. Don't forget that dogs, especially young puppies, need one-on-one attention almost constantly.
  2. Most adults are on a very tight budget and if you are one of them - you need to consider the cost of maintaining a puppy. Between pet food and vet check-ups, these costs can really add up.
  3. Always think long-term. Where are you going to live in five to ten years? Are you willing to keep your pet around for that length of time? Remember that dogs are not a temporary relationship - you can't break up with them. These lovable pets will be with you for the next 5 to 10 years.

Are you married to Childs?

There should be no doubt in your mind that a new pet would be great for your family, especially kids. I have yet to meet a child that does not love every puppy they see. Getting a new dog will also teach your kids a little bit about responsibilities and how to take care of an animal. Just use caution when selecting a breed to introduce to your children. Some puppies are not able to handle the rough play that most kids engage in.

Conclusion:

Caring for a dog, or any pet for that matter can be a chore. For most dog owners it is a labor of love. The rewards of being a dog owner are numerous and the positive effect they have on our health is a fact that cannot be denied. Owning and caring for your dog can actually add a few quality years to your life.

Kiszla: As Broncos safety Steve Atwater knocked patiently on door to Pro Football Hall of Fame, heaven couldnt wait to take his mother – The Denver…

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As Steve Atwater contemplated football immortality bestowed by the Hall of Fame, one of the toughest tacklers ever to play in the NFL began to cry, thinking about how much that gold jacket would have meant to his late mother.

You got me all teared up, said Atwater, slipping an index finger under his glasses to dab the puddle forming in his right eye, as we sat together at Broncos headquarters.

As the most ferocious hitter ever to wear a Denver uniform knocked patiently on the door to the Hall of Fame, heaven couldnt wait to take his mother. On Oct. 5, Jessie Atwater passed away at her home in St. Louis. She was 75 years old, the same age as franchise owner Pat Bowlen when he died.

Same year, same age as Mr. Bowlen, Atwater told me. Man, I would have liked to gotten in (the Hall) while she was alive.

The bronze bust sculpted for every player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is built to last 40,000 years. During his second time as a finalist for the sports greatest honor, Atwater came oh-so-close in 2019 to earning an invitation to join teammates John Elway, Shannon Sharpe and Terrell Davis in Canton, Ohio.

So this 53-year-old former Broncos safety will again gather with his family inside a hotel room in Miami on Super Bowl eve, with one ear angled toward the door, hoping to hear that happy knock from Hall president David Baker, with the wonderful news Atwater has been accepted into the NFLs most exclusive club.

In a quest for football immortality, whats another 12 months in the grand scheme of things? Well, heres why waiting is the hardest part. The people we love arent built to last 40,000 years.

It was crazy, said Atwater, who still has difficulty believing the surreal manner in which he watched his mother die.

The fifth of October is the birthday of Atwaters sister, who was celebrating at their parents house. Late that autumn evening, the former Broncos stalwart answered his cell phone in Indianapolis, where Atwater was on a business trip, for a video conference with loved ones in St. Louis. His mother had already gone off to bed. His sister walked into Jessies bedroom, so Steve could say hello.

My little sister held the phone next to my moms bed, and I said: Mom! Wake up, wake up! Its me, Steve! But she didnt move, even when my sister started shaking her, Atwater said.

When the paramedics got over there to the house, next thing I know, my sister video-called me back. The paramedics had my Mom on the floor by her bed, pumping her chest. I saw all of it, man.

Roaming the field at Mile High Stadium, wearing No. 27 for the Broncos from 1989-1998, he was fondly known as the Smiling Assassin. But at the dinner table in St. Louis, Atwater was Jessies little boy. How a mother would have cherished seeing how dashing Steve looked when fitted for a shiny gold jacket from the Hall of Fame.

When the finalists were announced, recalled Atwater, she called me and said: Hey, Steve. I saw you were on the list, Son. Congratulations! And .I said: Oh thanks, Mom. Well see how it goes this year.'

As the memory of that conversation with Mom washed over Atwater, he paused, choked back tears and confided: I was really hoping it wouldve happened, you know, during her time.

After decades that saw the Broncos grow an inferiority complex as big as the Rocky Mountains because a proud, successful franchise felt repeatedly slighted by the Hall, has orange become the new black in Canton?

Mr. B and cornerback Champ Bailey were both honored in the Class of 2019. With an expanded roster of inductees coming this year as part of the NFLs centennial celebration, there is legitimate hope it is prime time for Atwater, as well as Orange Crush linebacker Randy Gradishar and perhaps coach Dan Reeves, to bust down those museum doors.

They better all get in, said team president Joe Ellis, who listed the accomplishments of overlooked Broncos, then added: We dont have enough players in there. Pat always felt that. And I do, too.

Pins and needles are warmer and fuzzier than the anxiety a finalist feels during the final hours before new Hall members are announced. A year ago, Atwater and his family huddled inside a hotel room on the first Saturday of February in Atlanta, site of Super Bowl LIII.

We had a knock on the door, said Atwater, setting up the punch line, and it was the maid.

One false knock broke every heart in the room. Even the most devious novelist could not possibly imagine such a wicked plot twist, so cruel Atwater can do little now except laugh at the burnt-in-the-memory image of opening the door to the face of a maid so apologetic she nearly evaporated from embarrassment.

Nobody asked me, but the Hall of Fame has some house-keeping to do. How is it possible Atwater, who was named to the NFLs all-decade team of the 1990s and practically invented the concept of the viral video with an unforgettably loud tackle of Kansas City running back Christian Okoye nearly 30 years ago, doesnt already own a gold jacket?

This year, on selection Saturday, after the 48 members of a blue-ribbon panel vote five modern-era players into the Hall, the knock on Atwaters door better be from Baker this time.

No offense to the maid, of course.

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Will immortality take place by 2050? | Columns – Grand Haven Tribune

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Can humans ever become biologically immortal? There are some people who believe that someday that could happen.

Biological immortality the ability to never die attracted my interest recently when I watched an old TV episode of Twilight Zone called Long Live Walter Jameson. In the storyline, Jameson, a college professor, is a 2,000-year-old man who hadnt aged since agelessness was stowed upon him by an ancient alchemist. His co-worker discovered Jamisons agelessness and asked if he could help him live longer. I wont reveal any more of the story line, but Jameson reveals that living 2,000 years has its pitfalls.

So, that got me wondering if there are people who believe in immortality. It turns out that there is at least one person believes immortality is not only possible but will happen sometime in this century.

According to an online article in The Sun, futurologist Dr. Ian Pearson believes that humans are very close to achieving immortality. Pearson predicts that by the year 2050, humans will have the ability to at least have their brains live forever.

He told the Sun that there are several different ways we could live forever. He suggested that biotechnologies and medicine might be able to be used to renew the body and rejuvenate it. No one wants to live forever at 95 years old, but you could rejuvenate the body to 29 or 30, you might want to do that, he told the Sun.

Most likely, though, he believes brains could be connected to robots. The mind will basically be in the cloud, and be able to use any android that you feel like to inhabit the real world, Pearson told the Sun.

If youre not rich, dont expect immortality right away. Pearson said initially the first brain-to-machine links will cost millions of dollars and will only be available to the rich and famous. By 2060, he predicts working and middle-class people willbe able to afford achieving immortality; and by 2070, it will be available to low-income people.

Pearsons theories are certainly interesting. As technology keeps improving, no one knows for sure what is in store in the next 50 years. Will there be cures for cancer and other diseases? Will there be immortality?

There will be opposition to mortality efforts. Besides the ethical and religious questions, some believe that living forever could be extremely boring, because there would be no incentive to accomplish anything.

I know that Im not going to be around in 2050, so I wont be able to see if Pearsons predictions come true. I do know, like many of you, that I have enjoyed my life, even though aging takes a toll on us. My friend, Jack Perko, and I sometimes joke about how bodies are like used cars and need replacement parts.

It also saddens me to learn that some of my good high school friends have passed away. I am in my 70s and hopefully I have a few more good years left, barring any diseases, or an accident.

Depending on what report you read, the life expectancy for Americans is 80 years. I have a brother who will turn 81 in April. Some of my aunts and uncles lived until their 90s.

Both of my parents died in their 60s. Both were heavy smokers, and my father worked in coal mines and steelmills, which certainly could have affected his health.

Even at present, technology has come a long way in helping us live longer. Potentially fatal illnesses can now be treated. Complicated surgeries in the past have become more routine now.

I know that I wont reach immortality or live for 2,000 years, but I have been happy with my life.

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21 active stars who should have their jersey retired someday – ABS-CBN Sports

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FILE - CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 05: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrates after hitting the game winning shot to beat the Toronto Raptors 105-103 in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 5, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

By Sekou Smith, NBA.com

Tony Parker is the latest all-time great to see his jersey raised to the rafters for his years of service in San Antonio.

But he wont be the last of his generation to be honored that way. Parker big night in San Antonio generated some interesting conversation about who, among current NBA players only, would be in line for similar honors someday.

Keep in mind that the standards for a retired jersey with one franchise differs from one to another. Winning titles in Los Angeles or Boston -- or even Chicago or Golden State -- is a tougher sell than it is where there arent already multiple championship banners.

Accomplishments matter and so does sentiment, too. There are always unique variables at work when it comes to retiring jerseys, which is a much more significant honor than inducting a player into a franchises ring of honor.

With Parkers star-studded ceremony still fresh in our minds, heres a list of other stars who will one day be able to see their jerseys up in the rafters:

* * *

LeBron James (Cavs and Heat): If there is anyone thats an absolute lock to see his jersey raised high when he calls it a career, its LeBron. He delivered Cleveland a title, ending the citys 52-year title drought, in his second stint with what is essentially his hometown team. Before that, he was the catalyst for the Heats four straight Finals trips (2011-14) and back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013. The standard to join the Lakers retired-jersey fraternity is tougher, of course. The greatest Lakers get statues -- a fate that might await LeBron in Cleveland one day.

Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala (Warriors): Also known as the Hamptons 5, they will all be immortalized someday by Golden State. All five played a role in the championship fun and excitement they generated during the franchises golden era of the past half-decade. You can make case for all five of them to enjoy jersey retirement ceremonies on their own. That, however, would go against everything their Strength In Numbers era was about. Rest assured, though, that all five of them will have their day.

James Harden (Rockets): Harden started his career as a super sixth man in Oklahoma City before rewriting his legacy after a trade to Houston. Hes already one of the most prolific and creative scorers the league has seen. The Rockets have had their fair share of legendary players and know what its like to bask in the championship glow provided by the rise of a transcendent player. Hardens jersey will be in good company some day, perhaps right next to Hakeem Olajuwons No. 34.

Russell Westbrook (Thunder): In an era where nearly every other elite superstar of his generation made a move via trade or free agency, Westbrook stuck to his roots in Oklahoma City until he had no choice but to move on. He endeared himself to generations of OKC fans by playing at a fever pitch from start to finish, earning All-Star, All-NBA and Kia MVP honors there. Being a part of a Finals team with Durant and Harden helped cement his legacy. Although hes now in Houston, hell always have a place in the hearts of Thunder fans.

Damian Lillard (Blazers): Lillard personifies the values of a basketball-mad fan base in a city that adores its team and stars in a unique way. The Blazers did their homework on the unheralded point guard from Weber State and have enjoyed everything thats happened since. From his Kia Rookie of the Year campaign in 2013 to today, he has played out better than anyone could have imagined. Lillard, one of the most underappreciated stars of his generation, couldnt have found a better match in a city and franchise.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks): The rise of the "The Greak Freak" from obscure prospect to Kia MVP in just six seasons gives his story extra dramatic flair. His relentless work ethic helped change the culture in Milwaukee and branded him as a potential successor to James as the face of the league. The fact that he authored the greatest individual season in Bucks history since Kareem-Abdul Jabbars days has carved out a permanent space for Antetokounmpos jersey in franchise lore.

Kemba Walker (Hornets): The face of the franchise in Charlotte for the first eight years of his career, Walker has since moved on to Boston. But he remains the Hornets career leader in several categories and was a beloved fan favorite for a team that never achieved any sustained postseason success. Few players of his or any era forged a connection to a city and franchise as Walker did with Charlotte.

Derrick Rose (Bulls): Born and raised in Chicago, Rose (at 22) became the youngest player to win the Kia MVP in 2011. He also joined Michael Jordan and Elton Brand as the only Bulls to win Rookie of the Year honors. Even though knee injuries derailed his career in his hometown, he piled up enough early career accolades to one day be honored with a retired jersey. Although he never led the franchise back to championship prominence, he is the the most decorated Bull since MJ.

Vince Carter (Raptors): How many players can say they served as the basketball inspiration for an entire nation? Carter can. His time with the Raptors served as the spark for generations of future NBA players, many of whom have gotten the chance to play with their childhood idol in the twilight of his future Hall of Fame career. His five seasons with the New Jersey Nets solidified his status as one of the best players of his generation. But his star was never brighter than it was from 1998-2004 when Vinsanity inspired Canada.

Marc Gasol and Mike Conley (Grizzlies): These two should grit and grind their way to the rafters in Memphis, on the same night if possible. They helped usher in the greatest run in franchise history, spearheading a feisty and physical style that spoke to the citys blue-collar ways. The Grit and Grind Grizzlies validated their rise to prominence with a West finals run in 2013 steered by Gasol and Conley.

Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan (Raptors): Lowry and his best buddy DeRozan were separated before they could realize their dreams of winning a title together in Toronto. Lowry realized it last season alongside Kawhi Leonard, thus cementing his legacy as an all-time great Raptor. Hell always have a place to call home north of the border because of the franchise-altering success that took place on his watch. DeRozan was a fan favorite who wanted to finish his career in Toronto. He, too, will always have a home in the city.

Blake Griffin and Chris Paul (Clippers): The LA end for these two was messier than it should have been, especially since they oversaw the Lob City era that revitalized the franchise. Time will surely heal all wounds, somewhere down the road. History will be kinder to the Clippers climb out of the doldrums than anyone was during their injury-tortured run. Griffin and Paul are locks for the Hall of Fame one day. Plus, a franchise without much history to celebrate could use a couple of jerseys to jazz up their new building.

Kawhi Leonard (Raptors): Is a one-year surreal playoff run enough to warrant franchise immortality? Clippers fans are hoping Kawhi and Paul George give them a reason to raise their jerseys to the rafters someday, too. Right now, Leonard is a seeming lock for the honor with the Raptors, where his brief-but-fruitful stay there gave their rabid fan base their first NBA championship.

Dwight Howard (Magic): After his first eight seasons in Orlando, Howard had a near slam-dunk case for the Hall of Fame and retired jersey status. Yes, his exit from Orlando was messy. And he has yet to find a way to part ways with any of the other franchises on good terms. Still, you cant overlook his Magic-era feats: All-Star berths, three Kia Defensive Player of the Year awards, five All-NBA first team nods and a Finals trip in 2009.

Sekou Smith is a veteran NBA reporter and NBA TV analyst. You can e-mail himhere, find his archivehereand follow himon Twitter.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.

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21 active stars who should have their jersey retired someday - ABS-CBN Sports

NASA Reports 2,034-Foot ‘Potentially Hazardous Asteroid’ Will Fly By Earth Before Thanksgiving – Outer Places

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I never tire of thinking about how humanity will eventually go the way of the dinosaur. I find a strange kind of comfort in considering the fact that despite all of its collective vanity, aspirations towards immortality, and denial of death, humans, as a species, will eventually return to the dust whence they came. It puts life's petty hassles, indignities, and agonies into a perspective that transcends "this too shall pass" and other platitudes. Once extinct, there will be no history. There will eventually be no trace of us. If we are alone in the universe though we should remember that no evidence of extraterrestrial life does not mean there is evidence of no extraterrestrial life our planet will simply become an unmarked grave, incapable of even being forgotten because there won't be anyone left to forget.

You might want to mention that to your family and friends this Thanksgiving, because we'll be getting a little reminder of our fragility in the form of a 2,034-foot asteroid named 481394 (2006 SF6) by NASA'sCenter for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).481394 (2006 SF6) has been dubbed "potentially hazardous" by the agency due to its orbital proximity toEarth on November 20th, when it will come perilously close 2.7 million miles, according to the International Business Times to our lovely, blue-green planet that, up to this point in human history, seems to have been exceptionally lucky in not being obliterated by a flying space rock.

For context, the 56-foot Chelyabinsk meteor which exploded over Russia in 2013 struck Earth with the force of 30 atomic bombs. If481394 (2006 SF6) were to be steered by an exceptionally bellicose extraterrestrial force or whatever into Earth, the results would be devastating, though they would negate the necessity of tolerating your vaguely-racist Aunt Sharon and sneaking off to chug vodka purloined from your parents liquor cabinet the following week. In any case, it's something to think about the next time you're admiring the stars or wondering how many miles you'll have to run to burn off that second helping of green bean casserole.

Fortunately, this one won't hit us. Unfortunately,NASA has a history ofnotnoticing incoming asteroidsand has already admitted it may be unable to stop an apocalypse-by-asteroid, so count your blessings on Thanksgiving.

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NASA Reports 2,034-Foot 'Potentially Hazardous Asteroid' Will Fly By Earth Before Thanksgiving - Outer Places

In an Immersive Play, Scrolling Through Grief at the Coffee Shop – Bedford + Bowery

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(Photo via Dante or Die Theatre on Facebook)

To actor Terry ODonovan, a coffee shop isnt just a less-expensive WeWork or a Tinder date option. A coffee shop is one of the many places we humans go to be alone together. And in his site-specific play User Not Found, a coffee shop becomes a place where you might suddenly learn that your ex-partner has died, that before he died he made you his digital executor, and now you have to decide whether to delete or preserve all his social media accounts.

Since User Not Found debuted in 2018, ODonovan, the co-creator of the one-man show, has performed it over 120 times, including its most recent 10-day run at the Greene Grape Annex in Brooklyn, as part of BAMs Next Wave 2019. Throughout the immersive performance, Terry (as played by ODonovan) walks, dances, slithers, and weeps between the coffee shops tables as he scrolls through old tweets of the lover who left him twicefirst with a breakup, then with a premature death. At times, hes so close to audience members that you can smell the poppy-seed muffin as he stress-eats it.

Upon arriving at the show, stage assistants hand every audience member (each of whom passively assumes the role of coffee shop patron) a set of headphones and a smartphone. On the phones screen, you see what Terry sees: incoming text messages filled with shallow condolences, and old tweets and Facebook posts of his now-deceased ex-partner Luka. Reading along with him felt like a violation. I was more voyeur than audience member, and I couldnt look away.

With each performance, ODonovan pushes the audience members seated at the cafe tables around him to consider or reconsider their digital afterlives. As you watch Terry debate whether to delete or keep his deceased ex-partners social media accounts, youre confronted with the reality of your own internet mortalityor immortality as the case may be: Do you want your Facebook to become an online gravesite of sorts, with folks leaving posts on your wall in lieu of flowers? Or is there a loved onea digital executoryou trust to make this decision for you after you die?

On opening night, I sat down with ODonovan before the show to pick his brain on community, death, and how social media is shaping both. At first I was a bit confused by his decision to meet up at the Greene Grape Annex, where hed be performing in a few hours. The tables were so close that I could read the Google doc of the person sitting next to me had I felt curious enough. And the 80s music in the background played too softly to offer our conversation any walls of privacy. But a few minutes into our back-and-forth, I realized that was sorta the point. In User Not Found, Terry pokes holes in our separate concepts of public and private, revealing how they spill into each other whether we like it or not.

So why set the show in a coffee shop? ODonovan answered by looking around the room. So what if that person there got a text message and found out that their partner was dead? he asked me. Would they reach out and ask us for help? Would they just sit there alone? If I saw someone crying would I reach out to them or not?

You get the feeling he would. ODonovan wore a diagonally striped sweater that looked like Banana Republics take on a 90s sitcom outfit. His face is kindslightly tired in a comforting new-dad kinda way. He bathed his answers to my questions in high-stakes words like connection, comfort, touch, humanize. User Not Found aims to humanize buildings and phones but ultimately convey that neither are fair trade-offs for the fleshy real stuff.

Despite us having these phones and laptops, we come to these communal spaces because people need people to get through the hard things in life, ODonovan said. Theres something about sharing that air and that space thats very important.

Sappy (though true) as that sounds, ODonovan told me more than once that he isnt sentimentalnot when it comes to life and death and the artifacts that linger on. We all have a friend whos died and their Instagram profile is still there, he said. You dont really want to unfollow that friend, he tells me, but you also dont want to carry around this reminder of their death in an app that stays in your pocket, that sleeps next to you each night. In large part, ODonovan created this play with his creative partner Daphna Attias to interrogate this tension. They wanted to know, Does social media help or hinder the grieving process?

ODonovan did his research on this question as he worked with director Attias and writer Chris Goode to create User Not Found. They talked to hospice workers, picked the brain of an expert at the Center for Death and Society at the University of Bath, and interviewed a woman who obsessively curates her Facebook page with the plan of giving it to her daughter as a gift once she dies.

There are a couple different types of people, ODonovan told me: keepers and deleters. In other words, those who want their Facebook page to be memorialized once they die, and those who go into their account settings and click delete after death. And there is a third type of course: those who dont want to decidelike Luka. They are the people who would rather let a designated loved one (a legacy contact) choose for them. As Terry says in User Not Found, Death is a story told by the living.

I asked ODonovan whether hes a keeper or deleter. The question doesnt really exist, because you cant get rid of anything, he said, but still answered anyway: Im definitely a deleter. It didnt make me happy to look at Facebook, and he imagines his Facebook page wouldnt make the loved ones who survive him that happy either.

His answer didnt come as that big of a surprise. After all, ODonovan is the same man who cherishes the tangible, creating site-specific plays set in swimming pools, anchored boats, hotel rooms, and storage containers so that audience members can touch everything the actors can touch. The digital world just isnt enough for him, dead or alive.

Touch is so important to being human, ODonovan told me right at the beginning of our interview. When we have a baby, its all about comfort, touch, making sure they feel secure you know?

User Not Found explores what it means when that security is gone. Its about how we grieve, he said. Weve always grieved and now weve added this new thing into the grieving process. If youve got all these photos and all these videos, are they helping us or hindering us to grieve? Because humans need to forget and move on in order to carry on in life. We cant remember everything because otherwise wed go crazy.

During a climactic moment of User Not Found, Terry is flooded with memories of his ex-partner. Suddenly, after scrolling through some of Lukas 30,000+ tweets, he remembers his former lover dancing around their home, reading from his iPad, sleeping next to him in bed. It overwhelms Terry. He crumbles a cookie in his hand, letting the crumbs fall to the floor before belting out: Do not go gentle, says Dylan Thomas. Horseshit! say I. I will take gentle at the end, that much I know for sure. But I cant figure out what is the more gentle thingto push the button or not to push the button.

Jenna Barnett (@jennacbarnett)is a writer and editor currently pursuing her Masters in Journalism at NYU, where shes studying Literary Reportage. She has published her work in McSweeneys, Sojourners, and the Belladonna.

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In an Immersive Play, Scrolling Through Grief at the Coffee Shop - Bedford + Bowery

On the road to immortality – Hindustan Times

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Born to French-Canadian parents, Jack Kerouac excelled in sports from a very young age. Initially, never interested in literature, Kerouacs athletic pursuits won him a sports scholarship at Columbia University in the early 1940s.

At the same time, Allen Ginsberg, also won a scholarship at Columbia University and then met Lucien Carr. Carr, a well-read academic, was popular for his views and writings, which were infamously anti-establishment.

This is the time when, the core members of the Beat Generation Kerouac, Ginsberg, Carr, Herbert Huncke and William S Burroughs would go on to start a movement that would inspire generations to come. Through their prose and poetry, they would advocate spiritual awakening, purification, and illumination through heightened sensory awareness. This, they argued, might be induced by drugs, jazz, sex, or, in the later years, Zen Buddhism. But it was Kerouacs book titled On the Road, and his friendship with Ginsberg, that made headlines every now and then.

In the 1960s, as their writing gained momentum, adoration was closely followed by denunciation. However, their works, in time, influenced these popular trends, then engulfing the world.

The hippie movement

I was surprised, as always, by how easy the act of leaving was, and how good it felt. The world was suddenly rich with possibility, wrote Kerouac in his seminal work, On The Road. Published in 1957, this part travelogue part novel, took Kerouac only three weeks to write. Written in a single, effortless flow, the book was inspired by Kerouacs travel across the rapidly changing post-war United States.

Cited by legendary artistes including, Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison and David Bowie as an influential read, Kerouacs work inspired a generation of hippie trails. The quest for soul searching, lied in travel, and for him, the journey he underwent before writing the book, was just a start. Unsurprisingly, American teens read the book cover-to-cover and before late, he became a literary icon.

The manuscript of On the Road

In fact, the term hippie was introduced in the 1960s. Before that, the American media coined the term, beatnik, to describe Americans, setting on a long journey inspired by Kerouacs writings. His works, acquired a global reach after hippies became prevalent around the world. The trail, required Americans to fly to Europe, which is where it would start. The final stop, more often than not, being Southern India, the travellers used the passes through pre-revolution Iran, and Afghanistan, before it was invaded, finally crossing over to Pakistan and entering India before settling in the southern states of Goa and Kerala.

Countercultures

Arguably, nothing influenced music and literature the way counterculture did. Constantly associated with liberation, one can see the rise of ideals of pacifism, LGBT acceptance and marijuana legalisation when one reads works like Post Office by Charles Bukowski or Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson.

Counterculture literature grew with time when authors, notably, used their writings as a tool to critique the establishment that was governing them. Risking imprisonment and sedition charges, Kerouacs contemporary, Allen Ginsberg penned his much acclaimed poem, Howl. Ginsberg regularly mentions Kerouac in his works.

Allen Ginsberg in Banarasin 1963(HT PHOTO)

What is obscenity? And to whom? he wrote in the initial pages of his book, Howl and Other Poems. Ginsberg was frustrated that the rapidly growing American economy was masking the countrys military ventures. He accused the everyday white collar worker of ignoring the countrys atrocities. I saw the best minds of my generation who threw their watches off the roof to cast their ballot for Eternity outside of Time, & alarm clocks fell on their heads every day for the next decade, he wrote about how the US government was fooling them by luring them with jobs, as a way to mask Vietnam Wars atrocities. Subsequently, he had to face sedition charges.

Religion and spirituality

In Kerouacs final days, which would also mark the conclusive years of the Beat Generation, he set out in search of spirituality and was fascinated by Eastern religions. Ginsberg made a historic trip to India and Kerouac published, The Dharma Bums, what is now considered the hippie handbook.

My karma was to be born in America where nobody has any fun or believes in anything, especially freedom, he wrote. Raised a devout Roman Catholic, Kerouac after being introduced to Buddhism, mentions Bodhisattva frequently in his works which followed The Dharma Bums. Moreover, this was the early 1960s, when hippies, in their Volkswagen buses, thronged the beaches of California chanting Hare Rama, Hare Krishna.

First Published:Oct 11, 2019 15:42 IST

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On the road to immortality - Hindustan Times

Yotes closing in on Frontier Conference title – Idaho Press-Tribune

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CALDWELL One hundred and forty seven miles and three hours from immortality.

The College of Idaho football team is so close to the goal of clinching a conference title that it can reach out and grab it today. The Yotes (7-0, 7-0 Frontier Conference) travel to La Grande, Oregon, for a 2 p.m. MDT game against Eastern Oregon. With a win, the College of Idaho will match a 66-year-old program record with its 14th straight win and at least a share of the Frontier Conference title, its first league title since winning its fourth-straight Northwest Conference championship in 1955.

It feels like all the work weve been putting in over the past four years is paying off, said senior offensive tackle Josh Brown. We dont want to look too far ahead, we want to make sure we focus on one game at a time, one play at a time and keep what weve been doing going.

The one-game-at-a-time mentality has been a focus for the Yotes during their 13-game win streak, dating back to when it started with a 28-7 win against Carroll on Oct. 6, 2018. After starting last season 0-5, they ended the season on a six-game winning streak, then have methodically knocked off one opponent after another through their first seven games of the year.

For the No. 6 Yotes, that focus needs to remain intact today, as they focus on the Raiders, trying not to look at the matchup next week against Montana Western which could propel them into the NAIA Playoffs for the first time in program history.

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We always have to be humble, said senior defensive tackle Demetreus Taua. Our main focus is just one day at a time, one play at a time, one game at a time. We just have to focus on ourselves and out-prepare everyone out there. Keep working harder than every opponent that we go up against.

Perhaps theres no better example of the Yotes keeping focused on the task at hand than coach Mike Moroskis response to a question this week about the 1953 team, which started the season 8-0 to extend its winning streak to 14 games.

When posed the question, Moroski was curious about the interest in that team, seemingly being surprised by the connection between that teams run and the current one the Yotes are on.

Thats one of those records thats just cool when you figure it out, Moroski said. We have more important things, mainly to win the game and to put ourselves in contention for a conference championship, which would be the first in a long time and first ever in the Frontier Conference. So thats huge for the program. But the 14 (wins), I think that speaks to the growth of the program, the hard work thats been put in by so many people.

Todays game will be the second time this season the Yotes have faced the Mountaineers (2-6, 2-5). The College of Idaho opened the season with a 48-12 win against Eastern Oregon at Simplot Stadium. In that game, the Yotes rushed for 377 yards, jumping out to a 27-0 lead.

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Yotes closing in on Frontier Conference title - Idaho Press-Tribune

Immortality (novel) – Wikipedia

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Immortality (Czech: Nesmrtelnost) is a novel in seven parts, written by Milan Kundera in 1988 in Czech. First published 1990 in French. English edition 345 p., translation by Peter Kussi.[1] This novel springs from a casual gesture of a woman, seemingly to her swimming instructor. Immortality is the last of a trilogy that includes The Book Of Laughter And Forgetting, and The Unbearable Lightness Of Being.

Divided into seven parts, Immortality centers on Agnes, her husband Paul and her sister Laura. Part One: the Face establishes these characters. Part Two: Immortality depicts Goethe's fraught relationship with Bettina, a young woman who aspires to create a place for herself in the pantheon of history by controlling Goethe's legacy after his death. Part Three: Agnes and Laura fight, while focusing on the deteriorating state of Laura's relationship with Bernard Bertrand. Part Four: Homo Sentimentalis chronicles Goethe's afterlife and postmortem friendship with Ernest Hemingway. Part Five: Chance sees Agnes' death, and intersects these fictional events with Kundera's seemingly autobiographical account of a conversation with Professor Avenarius. Part Six: the Dial introduces a new character, Rubens, who had an affair with Agnes years prior to the onset of the main events in the plot. Part Seven: the Celebration concludes the novel in the same health club where Kundera first observed the inspirational wave gesture.

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Immortality (novel) - Wikipedia