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‘Doctor Sleep’ tries, but ultimately fails to live up to its unforgettable source material – Bangor Daily News

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Danzig

Doctor Sleep, the latest cinematic adaptation of a Stephen King novel to hit the big screen, has everything going for it to be a really good movie. Excellent actors, such as Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson. Artful, restrained cinematography. Thrilling source material.

Unfortunately, Doctor Sleep a sequel to The Shining, both on the page and on screen just cant live up to either Kings novel or to the iconic 1980 Stanley Kubrick film that came before it. Its not a bad movie. Its just not a good movie. Its an OK movie.

The plot revolves around a grownup Dan Torrance (McGregor), the child protagonist of The Shining. A recovering alcoholic, he has run away from his childhood trauma and now lives in rural New Hampshire, where he uses his psychic powers (his shine) to help hospice patients pass away comfortably. Hes living relatively peacefully until he encounters Abra Stone, a teenager who has the same sort of psychic powers that he does except even more powerful.

Abra, it turns out, is being chased by a dangerous cult called the True Knot, who search out people with those psychic powers, torture them and then literally feed off their power before killing them. This gives the cult members immortality, essentially, as well as some other limited powers of their own.

The True Knot is led by Rose the Hat, played with malevolent relish by Rebecca Ferguson. Ferguson is by far the best part of Doctor Sleep her villain is sexy, sensual and decidedly evil, and its a delight to hate her as she does her wicked deeds.

McGregor plays Dan Torrance in a fairly subdued way which may make sense, given the amount of trauma the character has undergone in his life, but makes him far less interesting than Rose, or than his teenage companion Abra, played by the young actor Kyliegh Curran, who imbues her with youthful energy.

As with so many Hollywood movies these days, Doctor Sleep is simply too long, clocking in at more than two and a half hours that tend to drag, in between flashes of excitement. In that way, it might have been better served as a limited TV series, rather than a feature film.

It also is haunted by a very real ghost: the ghost of Kubricks The Shining, a truly iconic piece of filmmaking that, all perfectly reasonable criticisms of Kubricks work aside, it is near-impossible for director Mike Flanagan to live up to. Flanagan is clearly a skilled filmmaker, but trying to follow something like The Shining is really a thankless job.

It is reminiscent of another recent movie that suffered from the weight of an unforgettable original film: Blade Runner 2049, a film that, try as it might, was just never going to be as good as the original Blade Runner. Despite having all the cinematic pieces in place acting, art direction, script, source material it just leaves you wanting to watch the first one instead.

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'Doctor Sleep' tries, but ultimately fails to live up to its unforgettable source material - Bangor Daily News

Meet F*ck Fifty, a MN-made face oil brought to you by two business- and beauty-savvy friends – City Pages

Posted on November 17, 2019 by Danzig

Now that F*ck Fifty serum is out in the world, City Pages chatted with the two about how they met, why they decided to venture into the skincare world, and how many formulas it took until they landed on their final product.

City Pages: The serum isnt just for people 50 and up, right? What skin types is it best for?

Susan Griak: The serum is for every age, race, gender, and skin type.... We want people to feel liberated by who they are, and not constantly feel like they have to change something about themselves in order to look the part. Why cant a 20-year-old have gray hair? Why cant a 50-year-old wear a tube top? I mean, really, wear what you want, be what you want, just so long as you take care of yourself and feel great.

CP: You two are friends. How did you meet?

Griak: I was walking [my youngest child] around Lake of the Isles with my dog and heard a loud, Hey, lady with a baby! You have a baby, I have a baby! You have a doodle, I have a doodle! Lets be friends! And so our friendship began.

CP: How did the idea for F*ck Fifty come about?

Griak: Zelda is always brewing up something, whether its a delicious and healthy meal or a magical mixture for your body. She started giving friends face oil, and when she was interested in coming up with branding, she sent me a text late one night. Literally the first thing that popped into my head was fuck fifty, even though I worried it was maybe a little polarizing. It turns out lots of people loved it.

CP: How did you start formulating?

Curti: I was determined to research and make my own skin- and body-care product. I wanted the ingredients to come from nature. I also wanted to know what the beauties of all time used on their skin, so I researched Cleopatra, geishas, the Princess of Nerola, Italywhere the neroli scent we use in our serum is from.

CP: How many tries did it take until you got it right?

Griak: We tested the product on ourselves first, then on our spousesI think my husband uses it more than I doand then friends. No animals. How many tries? Too many to count. Way more than 50.

CP: Tell us about the blend you created for the Glow Infusion serum. How did you land on those ingredients?

Curti: As a former English teacher, I couldnt help thinking of the line from Shakespeares Macbeth Double, double toil and trouble. Fire burn, and cauldron bubbleas we were brewing this infusion. We added some of the most powerful skin-enhancing plants into our cauldron: Reishi mushroom, for example, which is called the mushroom of immortality.

CP: Will you branch out into other products?

Curti: We are already concocting a couple of super great body products with the top CBD manufacturer in Colorado, because we just love the effects of it on the muscles and joints. At the end of the day we just want you to use our products and look in the mirror and say, Fuck aging. I feel and look great!

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Meet F*ck Fifty, a MN-made face oil brought to you by two business- and beauty-savvy friends - City Pages

The Flash Season 6 Review: 6 Ups & 1 Down From ‘The Last Temptation Of Barry Allen, Pt. 2’ – WhatCulture

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Danzig

Contains spoilers from The Flash Season 6, Episode 8.

Barry Allen may have spent this season of The Flash convincing everyone around him that he was processing the news of his imminent death well and that we should all be focused on helping his Team Flash friends and colleagues come to terms with it instead, but it appears that this isn't all that true after all.

Yes, last week's installment, 'The Last Temptation of Barry Allen, Pt. 1', delved deep into the Scarlet Speedster's psyche - a result of him becoming infected with Bloodwork's disease - and highlighted just how desperate he is to live. And while nobody could surely blame him for feeling that way, this desperation led him down a surprisingly dark path.

But that was only the beginning for what we're now calling Dark Flash because this week's offering, the predictably titled 'The Last Temptation of Barry Allen, Pt. 2', highlighted the impact of Barry's moment of weakness and how, in spite of his newfound immortality, he has somewhat died inside. The urgency of his rampage made for a thrilling edge-of-seat adventure that successfully managed to set the stage for Crisis On Infinite Earths.

First, the negative...

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The Flash Season 6 Review: 6 Ups & 1 Down From 'The Last Temptation Of Barry Allen, Pt. 2' - WhatCulture

Wayde van Niekerk, the anti-Usain Bolt, on way to athletics immortality – iNews

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Fredricko

Wayde van Niekerk is half-way to becoming an athletics icon. As if he needs any more help, after the fastest man in the world endorsed him.

The man who Usain Bolt believes has the chops and charm to take over track and field blasted apart a stellar field on Tuesday night in a 400 metre race overshadowed by the controversy concerning Botswanas Isaac Makwala being ruled out of the race by the IAAF on suspicion of norovirus despite the athlete and his coach saying he was healthy to form the first part of his ambitious World Championships 400m-200m double.

You can see why Bolt is so impressed. Van Niekerk sauntered into the London Stadium on Tuesday to the strains of Guns and Roses Welcome to the Jungle with a laconic grin on his face, before cantering to victory in 43.98 seconds, almost half a second clear of Stephen Gardiner of the Bahamas, with Qatars Abdelah Haroun in third.

He barely smiled after his victory. After all, he goes again on Wednesday, in the 200m. He later said the dank London summer evening was a little freezing.

But Bolts anointment of the South African goes beyond him being able to run fast.

The Jamaican, whose reach is so broad that he has been hailed in some circles as the man who saved athletics, knows a thing or two about how to transcend a sport.

And since Van Niekerk broke Michael Johnsons ancient 400-metre record at the 2016 Olympics, he has steadily moved from the confines of athletics into the public consciousness, bringing with it sponsorship deals totalling seven figures with brands including Audi and Visa.

He has even become a household name in his native country, where usually you have to chuck a rugby ball or wield a cricket bat to move beyond the back pages.

His rise to prominence is no doubt connected with the fact that Bolt named Van Niekerk as his heir apparent.

There is a story that after his first World Championship victory, in 2015, Van Niekerks mother was the only person to meet him at the airport.

If he does the double in London and becomes the first person to achieve the feat since Johnson in 1995 you can bet there will be a few more to greet him.

Van Niekerk has little of the swagger and showmanship of Bolt. You wont see dance moves at the start line as his name is being called out.

In fact on Tuesday night, as he normally does, he merely held his hands together in prayer. Whoever he spoke to must have listened.

Nor will you hear bon mots that we have become used to from Bolt the Jamicans admission that he ate chicken nuggets all through the 2008 Olympics still stands out from Van Niekerk.

In place of Bolts cheeky chutzpah, there is modest politeness and prolific mentions of the Almighty from Van Niekerk. But one thing they do share is an ability to run darn fast.

And if things go to plan on Wednesday and Thursday, Van Niekerk will get ever closer to Bolts exalted status.

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Wayde van Niekerk, the anti-Usain Bolt, on way to athletics immortality - iNews

Overwatch exploit gives Baptiste, Mercy and more an unfair ‘buff’ – Dexerto

Posted on October 28, 2019 by Danzig

A newly discovered exploit with Baptiste's Immortality Field can allow Overwatch players to live for longer thanks to its lingering effect, and as it turns out, the same effect applies to other abilities too.

While many abilities in Overwatch have a lingering effect, this is often by design. For instance, Moiras primary healing lasts a few seconds after applied. However, it does less healing overall, which implies it was intended by the developers.

With Baptistes Immortality Field drone and a few other abilities, the effect lasts completely even after a player leaves its proximity for a short amount of time something that may not have been intended by the games developers.

Blizzard Entertainment

Baptiste's Immortality Field can save enemies from dying.

A Reddit user by the name of 'kaiomm' posted a replay clip of gameplay on Nepal in which a Reinhardt pinned another player who had only a fraction of health left. During the pin/charge animation, the Reinhardt getting pinned was briefly in the line of sight of a friendly Baptiste Immortality Field.

As the charge continues, the Reinhardt doing the pinning hits his opponent into the wall, which should have done enough damage to result in a kill. Instead, it appears as if the drone continued to keep the player alive even after being pinned outside of its area of effect.

Some abilities which buff friendly players function the same way. As 'Lightning_Laxus' pointed out in the comments, A lot of abilities are like that. Lucio's aura and Orisa's Supercharger for example. Supercharger is easier to visualize because of the giant beam. They both linger for 1 additional second after leaving the range and/or LoS.

Lucios aura and Orisas Supercharger/Mercy's beam could potentially be taken advantage of to help secure a kill or restore a player's health even though they've left the effective range.

For instance, a player chasing after a retreating enemy could fire one last shot or use one last ability with the buffed damage from Orisa's Supercharger briefly after turning a corner and leaving its line of sight.

With Baptiste, a way to counterplay the Immortality Field, aside from just destroying it, is to boop or knock foes out of its line of sight. But with a one second lingering effect, players may need to wait a moment before using an ability to confirm a kill on foes knocked outside of the field or else it wouldnt result in a kill.

For anyone playing against a Baptiste, its something to consider before wasting ammo or a cooldown on a target who leaves the drones effective range.

Blizzard Entertainment

Baptiste had such a knowledge of the drone that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying.

But if you're playing with one on your team, taking advantage of the lingering effect could cause your enemies to waste cooldowns and making your opponents waste cooldowns could win you the game.

It will be interesting to see what Blizzards stance on lingering effects in Overwatch is and if they address this problem in a future patch.

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Overwatch exploit gives Baptiste, Mercy and more an unfair 'buff' - Dexerto

From JFK the TV president to Trump and Twitter – How US Presidents communicate – IrishCentral

Posted on March 2, 2020 by Danzig

As the US presidential election edges ever closer, aspiring candidates are sure to ramp up their political communications campaigns in a bid to win a ticket to the White House.

There is nothing that influences public opinion like a coherent campaign communicated in a succinct and easy-to-understand manner.

All told, a successful campaign can be the difference between a theoretically good candidate fading into obscurity and a bad candidate on paper writing their way into immortality.

There has been a wide range of political campaigns in presidential elections in the post-war era and each has affected the voting public in different ways.

From TV debates to Twitter, political communications have moved with the times and each emerging technology has brought with it a new form of political campaigning.

In this year's debate, the successful Democratic nominee will have to fight a tireless campaign on social media if they are to defeat Donald Trump and take residency in the White House.

However, they will also have to use lessons from these post-war campaigns

It didn't look good for Harry Truman in 1948.

The then-current US President had previously served as Franklin D. Roosevelt's Vice President and assumed the role of president when Roosevelt died in 1945.

One of the most universally liked presidents in modern American history, Roosevelt left big shoes to fill and Truman simply couldn't win the public over like his predecessor did.

With civil rights tensions mounting and an increasing hysteria and paranoia around communism, Truman faced a difficult campaign to persuade the average American that he was the man to deal with the job.

Many in the Democratic party even favored nominating someone else for the 1948 election and it seemed a formality that Republican Thomas Dewey would ease to victory.

Such was the media faith in Dewey that the Chicago Daily Tribune erroneously (and infamously) printed "Dewey Defeats Truman" on its front page the day after the election.

Truman gleefully held the incorrect headline aloft

To combat this, Truman undertook one of the most exhaustive campaigns in recent memory to cause a stunning upset.

With television still in his infancy, he couldn't use the new technology to influence the masses and so embarked on an altogether more old-fashioned campaign.

With everyone from national newspapers to officials within the Democrat party telling him he had no chance of success, Truman went on a 21,000-mile 'whistlestop' tour where he gave over 350 speeches across the country.

He traveled by train from town to town delivering his message to the American electorate from the back of his rail car.

The speeches drew huge crowds and as many as one million people gathered to see him in New York City.

Truman's campaign was extremely effective and he won a stunning come-from-behind victory against Dewey, a feat that was even more remarkable given that he polled at just 36% in early 1948.

Read more:A tale of two winter White Houses, Truman's and Trump's

While Truman actually delivered the first televised presidential address in 1947, it was John F. Kennedy who made the medium his own 13 years later.

Kennedy famously took part in the first-ever presidential debates to be broadcast on live television and it helped to completely swing public opinion in his favor.

Richard Nixon, his much older opponent, Kennedy was considered to be the underdog given Nixon's experience as a Vice President.

However, Kennedy's youth would work in his favor. He embraced television and all that came with it and he agreed to wear television make-up, something that Nixon reportedly eschewed because of its feminine ties.

Kennedy and Nixon prior to their first debate in Chicago in 1960 - Wikimedia

As a result, Nixon looked pale and appeared to boast a five o'clock shadow during the debate.

Kennedy, on the other hand, looked handsome and energetic, a paragon of youthful exuberance.

In terms of performance in the debate, there was little to separate the two candidates. Listeners on the radio actually thought that Nixon had edged it.

Yet, viewers believed that Kennedy had landed a resounding victory and he swept to the oval office in the November election, proving that a political campaign was as much about appearance as it was about content.

Read more:Bon Jovis "2020" album cover inspired by John F. Kennedy

Twitter may have existed during the 2012 presidential election when Barack Obama won reelection to the White House, but Donald Trump really made the medium his own four years ago.

The current US President has sent just shy of 50,000 tweets from his official account @realdonaldtrump.

He used it with great effect during the 2016 election to whip his supporters into a frenzy about media bias, to denigrate his opponent Hillary Clinton with slander and to parrot conspiracy theories about a "rigged" election system.

Phrases like "drain the swamp" and "Crooked Hillary" became synonymous with Trump's Twitter account and his tweets regularly wound up on the front pages or being discussed on news shows.

Wow, just came out on secret tape that Crooked Hillary wants to take in as many Syrians as possible. We cannot let this happen - ISIS!

Trump was a media mainstay throughout 2016. His controversial statements simply generated thousands of clicks to each story and, in turn, Trump got billions of dollars worth of free campaign advertising.

Leslie Moonves, the CEO of CBS, summed up the relationship in 2016.

"It may not be good for America, but it's damn good for CBS."

Trump's name was ubiquitous in the media thanks to his Twitter activity and it kept him in the minds of the voting public.

After decades of lies and scandal, Crooked Hillary's corruption is closing in. #DrainTheSwamp! pic.twitter.com/YivCacmkKq

Bernard Cohen, a former Democratic delegate in Virginia, famously said in 1963 that the press "may not be successful much of the time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling its readers what to think about."

His words may have never been more pertinent.

Because, while Trump may have repulsed certain voters, his message appealed to countless others and the media gave him a free platform to communicate that message to the undecided masses.

Read more:Trump officially launches 2020 Irish American Heritage Month

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From JFK the TV president to Trump and Twitter - How US Presidents communicate - IrishCentral

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

Posted on March 7, 2020 by Danzig

Altered Carbon

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

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

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

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

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

Altered Carbon

Altered Carbon season 2 hasfar less of that.

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

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

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

Altered Carbon

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

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

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

WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Highlights and Analysis from March 6 – Bleacher Report

Posted on March 7, 2020 by Danzig

The gauntlet match to determine which team would enter last in Sunday's Elimination Chamber match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships kicked off with former champions The New Day's Kofi Kingston and Big E battling fellow babyface tandem Heavy Machinery just moments after Otis was shot down by Mandy Rose backstage.

Thanks to some solid tandem offense, Otis and Tucker rolled heading into the break.

Back from the commercial, a hot tag to Kingston sparked the former champions' comeback. Kofi downed Tucker and delivered a Boom Drop. Heavy Machinery thwarted the onslaught, halted the momentum and pinned Big E following the Trash Compactor.New Day eliminated.

Lucha House Party's Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik entered next, looking to use their speed and agility to combat the strength of their opponents. The massive Heavy Machinery cut them off and wore Dorado down, Otis squeezing the fight out of him with a bearhug.

Dorado battled back with a jawbreaker and tagged Metalik into the match. The luchador quickened the pace while a big splash from a rejuvenated Dorado earned the masked team a near-fall. Tucker tagged Otis back in the ring and the big man delivered the caterpillar to Dorado to earn the win.Lucha House Party eliminated.

The Usos hit the ring next. They worked over an exhausted Tucker and appeared to be rolling when Jimmy and Jey uncorked a pair of superkicks. As the latter went to pin Tucker, though, the big hoss countered into a rollup of his own for the shocking upset.The Usos eliminated.

New SmackDown tag team champions The Miz and John Morrison were out next, looking to earn the right to enter their championship defense Sunday last. The titleholders paired off on Tucker, looking to punish and defeat the tired big man.

Every time Tucker tried to tag his partner in, Miz or Morrison cut him off. The Hollywood A-Lister dropped Otis off the apron and Morrison delivered a cartwheel elbow drop to Tucker. An inside cradle by Tucker to Morrison, though, stunned the champions and led to another massive upset.Miz and Morrison eliminated.

The champions, sore losers, drove Otis through the timekeeper's area while Mandy Rose watched from backstage, concern painting her face while Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode made their way to the ring.

The resilient Tucker fought, scratched and clawed, determined to keep his team in the fight. Otis, meanwhile, recovered at ringside and drove Roode into the announce table. He returned to the corner, ready awaiting the tag from a tag team partner desperately in need of it.

Tucker finally made the tag and Otis exploded into the match to a thunderous ovation. He bumped Roode around, feeding off the adrenaline. He dodged a blind charge in the corner but Roode made the blind tag to Ziggler.

The charismatic big man looked to deliver the caterpillar but Ziggler blasted him from out of nowhere with a superkick to score the win.

Result

Ziggler and Roode defeated Heavy Machinery, Morrison and Miz, The Usos, Lucha House Party and The New Day

Grade

Analysis

This was some great old school building that made absolute stars out of Heavy Machinery and just as fans were ready to see Otis overcome the odds and stick it to Ziggler, The Showoff got the win to really suck the energy from the crowd.

The booking accomplished two things: it lent great credibility to a team that had been, to this point, little more than a fun-loving comedy act and it left fans wanting more.

Too often, the booking decisions implemented by WWE Creative suck the air out of the building with no real light at the end of the tunnel to be found. This was different. This left fans wanting to see Otis get his hands on Ziggler and win the match.

That may very well happen Sunday on PPV but to see it, you will have to subscribe to the WWE Network and watch the event to find out.

The Otis-Ziggler-Rose storyline has been so simplistic yet so entertaining, and has made stars of the beloved babyface, again proving that sometimes, keeping it sensible rather than overwriting things is to the benefit of all involved.

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WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Highlights and Analysis from March 6 - Bleacher Report

The Good Place finale: What was it really about? – Deseret News

Posted on February 18, 2020 by Danzig

Note: This article contains spoilers for all seasons of The Good Place.

The Good Place explored a lot of questions over its four-year run: Did Aristotle actually know what he was talking about? Is drinking almond milk a sin? Is it noble to fix a broken tricycle for a child who is indifferent to tricycles? And just what are the ethical consequences of buying a tomato?

But the biggest and most controversial question came during the shows finale last month: Is finitude necessary for life to have meaning?

The answer to that question is a solid no for Pamela Hieronymi, who was a philosophy adviser for the NBC sitcom.

Theres an ongoing philosophical debate about immortality and whether it would be a good thing or a bad thing, the UCLA professor told the Deseret News. The view that was taken by the show, namely that an infinite trouble-free life would be meaningless I disagree with that.

But Hieronymi made her mark on the show in other ways. Her influence began early on, as showrunner Michael Schur (Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) was developing the idea for The Good Place a story NBC gave him absolute freedom to create.

As he was reading Aristotle and toying with different conceptions of the afterlife, Schur cold-emailed the UCLA professor and asked if shed be interested in talking about the philosophy behind his show.

Hieronymi isnt much of a TV watcher, but she rarely turns down an opportunity to chat about ethics. So she said yes. A few days before her meeting with Schur, she Googled his name.

Oh wow, this is a big deal TV guy, she said.

The NBC sitcom about four people navigating the afterlife put an entertaining twist on philosophy. It also came with a lot of plot twists.

Twist No. 1: At the end of season 1 we learn that Michael, the charming architect played by a bow tie-wearing Ted Danson, is actually a demon. The self-absorbed Eleanor (Kristen Bell), indecisive ethics professor Chidi (William Jackson Harper), celebrity name-dropping Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and clueless Jason (Manny Jacinto) were in the Bad Place all along, selected by Michael to torture each other for eternity.

Twist No. 2: The four humans designed to torture each other had actually helped each other become better people. The rest of The Good Place follows the unlikely friends as they try to make it to the real Good Place.

Twist No. 3: The Good Place isnt that good.

In the shows penultimate episode, the group reaches its destination and quickly discovers that everyone in the Good Place is bored. Turns out having every desire instantly fulfilled is only exciting for so long. After some thought, Eleanor proposes an afterlife solution that the longtime Good Place residents approve with ecstatic cheers: the chance to leave.

Good Place residents can stay as long as they like, waiting for friends and family on Earth to join them. But when theyre ready, they can walk through a doorway that will presumably end their existence. Just having that option seems to immediately lift the residents spirits.

Hieronymi said that storyline reflects the view of the shows other philosophy consultant, Clemson professor Todd May, who writes in his book Death that the fact that we die is what makes what we do and who we do it with matter.

Both Hieronymi and May have cameos in the shows finale. Mays brief moment in the spotlight shows him discussing a line from Death with Chidi.

Hieronymi, who stands firmly on the other side of the debate, said she considers May to be an immortality curmudgeon.

I dont understand why you would think that removing the limit of life would suddenly deprive it of meaning, she said.

The final episode of The Good Place, which aired Jan. 30, shows Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani and Jason living through thousands of Jeremy Bearimys. They each live out their personal versions of paradise and resolve the issues they had on Earth. And eventually, they each peacefully come to the decision that their time in the Good Place is up.

But its Tahanis choice that Hieronymi said she respects the most. Instead of walking through the door, the socialite who spent her mortal life bragging about her faux philanthropy actually chooses to become a philanthropist, designing afterlife tests that will help more people make it to the Good Place.

In my opinion, Tahani got the right answer, Hieronymi said. I think thats the way I wouldve ended the show, is let it be this ongoing process of becoming better yourself and then facing the challenges of also helping other people as they come in.

Hieronymi has one line in The Good Place finale: Bring ponchos. It gets messy.

Its the warning she gives when Chidi who even in the Good Place continues to teach people ethics tells his class theyll be studying the trolley problem the following week.

Its the perfect line for the professor, who had a lot to do with The Trolley Problem episode from the shows second season in fact, at the start of that episode, Hieronymis name is written on the blackboard Chidi uses for his lessons.

To prepare for the episode, Schur invited Hieronymi to the writers room to break down the moral dilemma the trolley problem poses. Yes, most people would agree that its best to pull the runaway trolleys lever and switch tracks in order to kill only one person and save five, Hieronymi told the writers.

But what about a scenario where a transplant surgeon has five ailing patients each in need of a different organ? Do you sacrifice one healthy patient to save the other five?

Thats the Trolley problem, Hieronymi said. Why is it that were getting one answer in one case and the opposite answer in the other case? And thats used to sort of reveal that in the first case youre focused on outcomes like a consequentialist or utilitarian and in the second case you tend to focus on rights and respect what gets called a deontologist.

Those contradictions literally come to life in The Good Place. And the professor is right it gets really messy.

Throughout The Trolley Problem episode, Michael creates and recreates the experiment for Chidi and Eleanor and it turns out the problem is a lot more complex than it is on paper.

Its just a simulation; I would never make you kill real people, Michael calmly tells a traumatized Chidi, whose indecisiveness has caused him to run the trolley over five people.

Oh well thats reassuring because some of the parts of the fake people flew into my mouth! Chidi responds.

The Trolley Problem, in all of its hilarious messiness, is one of the shows most popular episodes. But it isnt Hieronymis only mark on the show.

Hieronymi almost stood Schur up for their first meeting back in the fall of 2015. A self-described absent-minded professor, she got lost in her musings and lost track of time. A phone call from Schur brought her out of that world, and she rushed down the street to the coffee shop to meet him 45 minutes late.

Over coffee, the pair talked for more than three hours, covering everything from utilitarianism to contractualism. Hieronymi liked the overall idea of The Good Place, but there were some aspects she disagreed with like Schurs idea of a point system that ascribes value to good and bad deeds determining who ends up in the Good Place (Example from the show: Hugging a sad friend gets you 4.98 points while stiffing a waitress costs you -6.83 points).

It absolutely generates this problem about the motives for doing the things that get you points, Hieronymi said. You cant aim at the points and earn them at the same time.

So Hieronymi introduced Schur to T.M. Scanlons What We Owe to Each Other, a book about contractualism that Schur has since called the spine of his show (the book is both a conversation piece and a literal prop throughout the series).

The professor used the example of a driver cutting off another driver to explain why its important to consider the implication of an action and not just the good or bad result of that action.

That person has maybe cost us 15 seconds in our attempt to exit the freeway. So the actual cost of that, the thing they actually brought about, wasnt a big deal, she said. But they think theyre special. The disrespect that they have shown is all out of proportion with the actual cost theyve incurred to us.

The central wrongdoing is thinking youre special, thinking that you get to make an exception for yourself, Hieronymi continued. That was actually the thing that Mike (Schur) was most interested in.

And that became the heart or spine of the show. As the series goes on, the flaws and limitations of the point system are revealed, leading to the shocking discovery that no one has made it to the Good Place in 521 years. Contractualism reigns supreme as new afterlife tests give people the chance to help each other and redeem themselves.

That storyline has Hieronymis name written all over it, but the professor still takes issue with the skeptical view of immortality put forth by the ending although she feels a little better about it when she thinks of it in the context of a TV show coming to an end.

If a TV show keeps going on forever it becomes meaningless; that seems correct to me, she said. Bringing the show to the end, and bringing the show to the end when Mike Schur was ready to, and not due to external forces thats a really nice angle on it.

Ending aside, though, Hieronymi values The Good Place for doing something few, if any, TV shows have done before: Finding an entertaining way to bring philosophy into the mainstream.

Its such a feel-good show. Its hard not to enjoy watching it, she said. The storyline is exploring philosophical questions rather than explaining philosophical theories, and that to me was the more interesting part.

Continued here:
The Good Place finale: What was it really about? - Deseret News

A Cyberpunk 2077 Themed Xbox One Controller Could Be On Its Way – Player.One

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Danzig

South African retailerRaru has recently listed a new product that suggestsa Cyberpunk 2077 themed Xbox One controller is in the works. The discovery was first found by a Reddit user, who shared a screenshot of the website that refers to "Microsoft - Xbox One Wireless Controller - Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition (Xbox One/Windows 10)", though there are no images that accompany the information.

Talking about Raru, it is a reputable retailer in Africa, which meansthisinformation is likely notfake. Additionally, we are not surprised seeing gaming peripherals being themed in Cyberpunk 2077 skins as the release nears.

The product description on the page only suggests that it is a standard Xbox One controller, though I still hope that Microsoft comes up with a futuristic and dystopian skin for the controller itself.Now that the possibility of anXbox One controller themed with the game's skin has been found, it also suggests that a Cyberpunk 2077 limited editionXbox One console could be on the way. However, there isn't any information about whether a PlayStation variant is in the works or not.

Since we are on the topic of Cyberpunk 2077, developer CD Projekt Red has delayed the game's launch to September of this year. The game was originally set to release in April, but due to some polishing work that neededto be done, the game had to bedelayed.

Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world, action-adventure RPG game set in a fictional Night City.Night City is a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour and body modification. You step into the shoes ofmercenary outlawV, who is going after a one-of-a-kind implant that is the key to immortality.Cyberpunk 2077 lets you customize your characters cyberware, playstyle, and skillset. Your choices in the game will shape the world around you.

Cyberpunk 2077is set to launch on PC, PS4, and Xbox One in September.

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A Cyberpunk 2077 Themed Xbox One Controller Could Be On Its Way - Player.One

You need to play The Cat Lady – PC Gamer

Posted on February 18, 2020 by Danzig

You need to play is a video series where we highlight games new and old that every PC gamer should check out.

Classic adventure games are heavily associated with comedy, but Harvester Games' The Cat Lady is pure horror and introspection. You play as Susan, recently deceased by her own doing and subsequently resurrected by an eldritch monstrosity wearing the skin of an old woman called The Queen of Maggots. The price for bringing you back from the dead is immortality (Susan isn't happy to be alive) and the job of taking out five murdering psychopaths. It's a lot.

But The Cat Lady cuts the violence and Lovecraftian world-building with some serious subject matter. Between jobs, Susan goes about her life, bumping into another downtrodden person in need of some love. Depression and hopelessness are the true adversaries here, with the killers functioning as the worst-case-scenario byproducts of our society's worst cultural ills. Living with mental illness ain't easy, but The Cat Lady is something of an existential victory lap for a former misanthrope turned stubborn optimist, all because the right person showed up at the right time.

Corofin ease past Nemo as they near football immortality – Galway Advertiser

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Danzig

On paper it should have been a highly competitive fixture. Instead it turned into a disappointing game.

A Nemo side that ought to have had the bit between their teeth, considering the previous fixture between these two great clubs, was largely flat for the duration of this contest. It was an underwhelming performance by the Cork and Munster champions who can count themselves lucky the margin of defeat was only six points, 1-10 to 0-07, given the authority which Corofin had over the game.

Many supporters were still outside the stadium or just making their way in when Corofin had the ball in the back of the Nemo net iside the opening 35 seconds. It must be said it was baffling only two turnstiles were open at the Ennis venue which resulted in numbers of fans from both teams missing the opening exchanges of the match.

The goal came when Gary Sice picked out Martin Farragher, who turned and dinked a delicate pass into the path of the inrushing Michel Lundy. He rounded the goalkeeper and buried the ball into the net - a wonderful move which epitomised what Corofin are all about. The quick ball from Sice, the vision and skill of Farragher to find Lundy, and then the ruthlessness of Lundy to deliver the goal when in position.

The game was effectively over as a contest after 20 minutes as Corofin led by 1-04 to no score. Points from Jason Leonard (45 ), Ronan Steede, Martin Farragher and a Gary Sice free put the reigning All-Ireland champions in a comfortable position.

An experienced side like Corofin is never going to give up a seven-point lead if they are given such a strong start, and it was not not until the 23rd minute when Nemo finally opened their account with a point from the left boot of Alan ODonovan. The point of the afternoon soon followed as Corofin went the full length of the field in three kickpasses, which saw Kieran Molloy fist the ball over the bar at the end of the move. The sides went into the break with the score at 1-05 to 0-02.

In the second half there was never really any real fightback from Nemo, and Corofin never let their lead slip below five points as they strolled through the remainder of the game to win by 1-10 to 0-07. There was, however, some sloppy shooting from the champions. Corofin missed some routine point chances and were casual in their execution of a half chance at goal which we are used to seeing them take.

Nemo never stood a chance against Corofin once their main forwards were shut down. Colin Brady did excellently on Paul Kerrigan, Kieran Fitzgerald snuffed out the threat of young Mark Cronin, and Liam Silke destroyed Luke Connolly who could not get by him all afternoon. It was only a switch to wing forward away from Silke which saw Connolly prove any sort of threat.

Corofin are now back in Croke Park for a third year in succession and on the cusp of history.

They will face Down and Ulster champions Kilcoo who overcame Ballyboden St Endas in the other semi-final. They are managed by Mickey Moran who knows all about playing Corofin in Croke Park as he managed Slaughtneil in 2015 when they lost out in the final to Corofin.

Kilcoo are a strong running outfit and they will not fear Corofin. It is hard to see Corofin being stopped on their relentless quest for more glory.

Originally posted here:
Corofin ease past Nemo as they near football immortality - Galway Advertiser

How to Get the Dragon Balls & Make a Wish in DBZ: Kakarot – Heavy.com

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Danzig

One of the major things that set the Dragon Ball universe apart from various counterparts is through the use of Dragon Balls themselves.

These magical objects will grant wishes to anyone who collects all seven, making them important items to track down.

Early on in Dragon Ball Z, we see both Vegeta and Frieza wanting to get their hands on them to wish for immortality.

While Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot will not let you become immortal with them, they are very much worth tracking down.

Heres where you can locate the seven Dragon Balls and how to make a wish once you obtain them all.

Bandai NamcoFinding the Dragon Balls isnt too hard.

You cant just start gathering the Dragon Balls immediately in Kakarot, so youll need to progress through the story a bit before you do so.

Once players complete the Frieza Saga, which is the second main story beat in the game, then players will unlock the ability to track down the Dragon Balls themselves.

When this option is unlocked, its actually pretty easy to find the Dragon Balls themselves. Although you dont have a tracker like Bulma does, the giant orange balls will actually reveal themselves on your map, making it incredibly easy to find them on your own.

Dragon Balls are marked on the map.

The World Map will make marked with an orange dot, so players will have to first travel to those locations. Upon arrival, open up the area map and the Dragon Ball should be marked already. Place a waypoint down on this and head straight there.

Repeat this method seven times and youll be able to make a wish in no time.

Shenron is waiting for you.

Once you collect all of the Dragon Balls, making a wish is even easier. All youll have to do is open up the Pause Menu and scroll down to the Dragon Ball section.

If you have all seven, youll see them all sitting there for you and from there you can summon Shenron and make a wish. Remember, doing this 10 times will earn you an achievement or trophy.

Players have four different options to choose from when it comes to wishes:

Once you complete your wish, the Dragon Balls will scatter across the world and youll have to track them all down again if you want to continue making wishes.

They will automatically respawn upon the passing of 20 real-world minutes, so dont waste time looking for them right away as they wont be there. They also wont go back into the same spots, so theres no sense waiting around in the previous spots either.

With that, theres nothing else you need to know about making wishes, so get out there and become the richest person in all of West City.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is out now for PS4, Xbox One and PC.

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How to Get the Dragon Balls & Make a Wish in DBZ: Kakarot - Heavy.com

Did You Know About This Land Of Immortals In Japan? – Outlook India

Posted on November 2, 2019 by Danzig

The secret to immortality might be closer than we think. Okay, maybe not immortality, but certainly a long and healthy life. Okinawa is a group of islands in the south of mainland Japan, and is known to have the highest rate of centenarians, or people who live to be a hundred years old, in the world.

This proverbial secret to their good health lies predominantly in their diet and lifestyle choices, while genetic and environmental factors are still under research. A study conducted by the Okinawa Prefectural Universitys College of Nursing states 82% of individuals were still functioning independently at a mean age of 92 years and almost two-thirds were still functioning independently at a mean age of 97 years.

The local diet is rich in vegetables, soy products and seafood, with very little processed foods, reducing the environmental impact. Rich in flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamin E and lycopene from fruits, vegetables, legumes and proteins, this diet reduces the risk of heart disease, dementia and even some kinds of cancer. This, along with smaller portions during meals, seems to be one of the most influential factors in the regions longevity.

Diet alone, however, is not the answer. The Okinawans live a physically active life with deep community bonds. Humans are social animals, and positive mental stimulationbeing part of a larger communityalso plays a huge role in overall good health.

But as is true with most places, globalization in Okinawa has proven to be a double-edged sword. Automobiles are slowly replacing walking or cycling, and younger generations are eating more processed meats and fast foods. As a result, the number of people living to be a hundred is dwindling.

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Did You Know About This Land Of Immortals In Japan? - Outlook India

Big in 2020: Cyberpunk 2077 will give us a glimpse into the next generation of RPGs – GamesRadar

Posted on January 8, 2020 by Danzig

Key info

(Image credit: CD Projekt)

Game Cyberpunk 2077DeveloperIn-housePublisher CD ProjektPlatformsPC, PS4, Xbox OneRelease April 16, 2020Pre-order Cyberpunk 2077

It isn't a question of if Cyberpunk 2077 is going to revolutionise the RPG, but rather a question of how drastically. With The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, developer CD Projekt Red left what is arguably the deepest impression on the genre since The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim reignited our imaginations. And it certainly looks as if it is set to do it all over again in this ambitious 2020 adventure, as we set out across Night City in search of a prototype implant that is said to be the key to immortality.

And I say "looks as if" because nobody outside of the studio ecosystem has had the opportunity to get their hands on Cyberpunk 2077 just yet. Truth be told, that isn't all that surprising; CDPR handled the run-up to The Witcher 3 in a similar fashion, navigating the swelling tide of skepticism and delays with a gentle wave of walkthrough demonstrations and revealing interviews. Cast your mind back to 2014, The Witcher 3 seemed too good to be true. Until it wasn't, of course; the game set a new standard for the fantasy-RPG, one no other developer has been able to match since. CD Projekt Red is the type of studio that likes to let the final product do the talking.

What, then, will Cyberpunk 2077 have to say for itself? That's difficult to pinpoint, because the scope of this game appears to be absolutely out of control. Cyberpunk 2077 puts you in command of V, a mercenary outlaw that lives in a claustrophobic cityscape that is becoming consumed by violent turf wars. CDPR is designing Cyberpunk 2077 to give you the space to shape your adventure and to navigate the escalating tensions threatening to tear apart Night City as you should so desire. It's attempting to deliver an experience where you have the freedom to customise your character's cybernetic enhancements and skillset to your heart's content, with the game bending to breaking point to facilitate your preferred playstyle.

It's a little difficult to conceptualise, but it's here that the true impact of Cyberpunk 2077 should be measured. If this game lands as it has been pitched, it will surely set a new benchmark for immersive quest design in the RPG-space. Night City is clearly an energetic ecosystem, full of depth and detail; a space that seems to exist around you rather than in spite of you and it's the way in which it will intertwine with the choices that you make, and reflect back consequences earned, that will truly set it apart from anything else in the genre. For CDPR, it's a monumental undertaking, one it intends to meet head on.

"The philosophy behind our quest design is that, if a player should logically be able to do something if the character would logically be able to do it in the world then you should be able to do it in the game," says Patrick Mills, veteran quest designer at CDPR. "Obviously, we can't provide for every contingency and every option, but we want to provide enough of them that you always feel like you have a robust suite of choices in front of you."

Cyberpunk 2077 is the riskiest and most ambitious project in CDPR's history. The studio spent a decade exploring the carefully outlined boundaries of The Northern Kingdoms, but, with Cyberpunk, it will be diving into a property that has experimentation and innovation built into its foundational design.

"We want you to always feel like you have a robust suite of choices in front of you."

Cyberpunk was established by creator Mike Pondsmith to encourage free-form play at its most fundamental level, as a conduit for enthusiastic players to explore a dense and detailed science-fiction world. It's that spirit the studio is embracing for Cyberpunk 2077.

The Witcher, on the other hand, is a series that has been naturally scoped by the presence of its iconic hero CDPR knew where the line was, and it built one hell of a fantasy playground within it all. "Geralt actually let us narrow down the choices players had, because there are certain things that Geralt is just not going to do. We can be a lot more open with V than we could with Geralt, because we want the character that you create to be a collaboration between us and the player."

When CDPR speaks of collaboration between studio and player, it's suggesting that we will truly be given the space to role-play as V in Cyberpunk 2077. It means that the team's efforts to create a dense and detailed playing space full of hand-crafted main and side-quests will be actually capable of funnelling your choices out across the story and the world around you. Cyberpunk 2077 might be quick to catch the attention of anybody that puts their eyes on it, but it is the quest design that will hold it.

On the eve of the next-generation, Cyberpunk 2077 is setting its sights on reinvigorating the RPG. It's giving us an insight into what the next generation will hold for the RPG genre and, should CDPR pull this off, who knows if it'll take another generation cycle for other developers to clear the high benchmark it is sure to set.

GamesRadar+ is tracking the 20 biggest games that will define the final year of the generation. For more, click through to our Big in 2020 hub.

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Big in 2020: Cyberpunk 2077 will give us a glimpse into the next generation of RPGs - GamesRadar

Chapter 13: Preparing for Eternal Progression

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Danzig

President Brigham Young was a learner. He began as a furniture maker and later developed the skills necessary to become a missionary, colonizer, governor, and prophet. He saw this life as a time to live fully, grow, and prepare for eternity, not as a time to prepare to die. He encouraged the Saints to be engaged in worthwhile activities, to broaden and deepen their understanding, and to treasure up truth as they reached toward perfection. By so doing, they would eventually go forward to enter the spirit world and continue on the glorious path of eternal progression.

What are we here for? To learn to enjoy more, and to increase in knowledge and in experience (DBY, 87).

The object of this existence is to learn, which we can only do a little at a time (DBY, 87). The whole mortal existence of man is neither more nor less than a preparatory state given to finite beings, a space wherein they may improve themselves for a higher state of being (DBY, 87).

The first great principle that ought to occupy the attention of mankind, that should be understood by the child and the adult, and which is the main spring of all action, whether people understand it or not, is the principle of improvement. The principle of increase, of exaltation, of adding to that we already possess, is the grand moving principle and cause of the actions of the children of men. No matter what their pursuits are, in what nation they were born, with what people they have been associated, what religion they profess, or what politics they hold, this is the main spring of the actions of the people, embracing all the powers necessary in performing the duties of life (DBY, 87).

We are placed on this earth to prove whether we are worthy to go into the celestial world, the terrestrial, or the telestial or to hell, or to any other kingdom, or place, and we have enough of life given to us to do this (DBY, 87).

This is a world in which we are to prove ourselves. The lifetime of man is a day of trial, wherein we may prove to God, in our darkness, in our weakness, and where the enemy reigns, that we are our Fathers friends, and that we receive light from him and are worthy to be leaders of our childrento become lords of lords, and kings of kingsto have perfect dominion over that portion of our families that will be crowned in the celestial kingdom with glory, immortality, and eternal lives (DBY, 87).

Hear it, all ye Latter-day Saints! Will you spend the time of your probation for naught, and fool away your existence and being? You were organized, and brought into being, for the purpose of enduring forever, if you fulfil the measure of your creation, pursue the right path, observe the requirements of the celestial law, and obey the commandments of our God (DBY, 87).

Human beings are expected by their Creator to be actively employed in doing good every day of their lives, either in improving their own mental and physical condition or that of their neighbors (DBY, 88).

We are here to live, to spread intelligence and knowledge among the people. I am here to school my brethren, to teach my family the way of life, to propagate my species, and to live, if in my power, until sin, iniquity, corruption, hell, and the Devil, and all classes and grades of abominations are driven from the earth. That is my religion and the object of my existence. We are not here merely to prepare to die, and then die; but we are here to live and build up the Kingdom of God on the earthto promote the Priesthood, overcome the powers of Satan, and teach the children of man what they are created forthat in them is concealed the germ of all intelligence. Here is the starting-pointthe foundation that is laid in the organization of man for receiving a fulness of eternal knowledge and glory. Are we to go yonder to obtain it? No; we are to promote it on this earth (DBY, 88).

The Latter-day Saints throughout the valleys in these mountains and throughout the world ought to be learning what they are on this earth for. They are here to increase and multiply, to enlarge, to gather the House of Israel, redeem Zion, build up the Zion of our God, and to promote that eternal intelligence that dwells with the Gods, and begin to plant it in this earth, and make it take root downward and bring forth fruit upward to the glory of God, until every obnoxious principle in the hearts of men is destroyed, and the earth returns to its paradisiacal state, and the Lord comes and dwells with this people, and walks and talks with them as he did with Father Adam. That is our business, and not to suffer all our energies to be expended in merely preparing to die (DBY, 89).

The purpose of our life should be to build up the Zion of our God, to gather the House of Israel, bring in the fulness of the Gentiles, restore and bless the earth with our ability and make it as the Garden of Eden, store up treasures of knowledge and wisdom in our own understandings, purify our own hearts and prepare a people to meet the Lord when he comes (DBY, 88).

Photograph of the Logan Temple. President Young taught that the ordinances of salvation and personal faithfulness prepare us for eternal progression to a more glorious and exalted sphere (DBY, 16).

This work is a progressive work, this doctrine that is taught the Latter-day Saints in its nature is exalting, increasing, expanding and extending broader and broader until we can know as we are known, see as we are seen (DBY, 90).

We are in the school and keep learning, and we do not expect to cease learning while we live on earth; and when we pass through the veil, we expect still to continue to learn and increase our fund of information. That may appear a strange idea to some; but it is for the plain and simple reason that we are not capacitated to receive all knowledge at once. We must therefore receive a little here and a little there (DBY, 91).

He gives a little to his humble followers today, and if they improve upon it, tomorrow he will give them a little more, and the next day a little more. He does not add to that which they do not improve upon, but they are required to continually improve upon the knowledge they already possess, and thus obtain a store of wisdom (DBY, 90).

Simply to take the path pointed out in the Gospel by those who have given us the plan of salvation, is to take the path that leads to life, to eternal increase; it is to pursue that course wherein we shall never, never lose what we obtain, but continue to collect, to gather together, to increase, to spread abroad, and extend to an endless duration. Those persons who strive to gain eternal life, gain that which will produce the increase their hearts will be satisfied with. Nothing less than the privilege of increasing eternally, in every sense of the word, can satisfy the immortal spirit (DBY, 93).

We can still improve, we are made for that purpose, our capacities are organized to expand until we can receive into our comprehension celestial knowledge and wisdom, and to continue, worlds without end (DBY, 90).

Shall we ever be learning and never be able to come to a knowledge of the truth? [See 2Timothy 3:7.] No, I say we shall not; but we shall come to the knowledge of the truth. This is my hope and anticipation, and this is my joy (DBY, 9091). We have the principle within us, and so has every being on this earth, to increase and to continue to increase, to enlarge and receive and treasure up truth, until we become perfect (DBY, 91).

We are prepared for some things, and we receive just as fast as we prepare ourselves (DBY, 95).

Instead of pleading with the Lord to bestow more upon you, plead with yourselves to have confidence in yourselves, to have integrity in yourselves, and know when to speak and what to speak, what to reveal, and how to carry yourselves and walk before the Lord. And just as fast as you prove to him that you will preserve everything secret that ought to bethat you will deal out to your neighbors all which you ought, and no more, and learn how to dispense your knowledge to your families, friends, neighbors, and brethren, the Lord will bestow upon you, and give to you, and bestow upon you, until finally he will say to you, You shall never fall; your salvation is sealed unto you; you are sealed up unto eternal life and salvation, through your integrity (DBY, 93).

This is the greatest gift that can be conferred on intelligent beings, to live forever and never be destroyed (DBY, 96).

It is written that the greatest gift God can bestow upon man is the gift of eternal life. The greatest attainment that we can reach is to preserve our identity to an eternal duration in the midst of the heavenly hosts. We have the words of eternal life given to us through the Gospel, which, if we obey, will secure unto us that precious gift (DBY, 96).

The intelligence that is in me to cease to exist is a horrid thought; it is past enduring. This intelligence must exist; it must dwell somewhere. If I take the right course and preserve it in its organization, I will preserve to myself eternal life (DBY, 96).

We are going to have the Kingdom of God in the fulness thereof, and all the heights and depths of glory, power, and knowledge; and we shall have fathers and mothers, and wives and children (DBY, 97).

Suppose it possible that you have the privilege of securing to yourselves eternal lifeto live and enjoy these blessings forever; you will say this is the greatest blessing that can be bestowed upon you. What blessing is equal to this? What blessing is equal to the continuation of lifeto the continuation of our organization? (DBY, 96).

The Lord has blessed us with the ability to enjoy an eternal life with the Gods, and this is pronounced the greatest gift of God. The gift of eternal life, without a posterity, to become an angel, is one of the greatest gifts that can be bestowed; yet the Lord has bestowed on us the privilege of becoming fathers of lives. What is a father of lives as mentioned in the Scriptures? A man who has a posterity to an eternal continuance. That is the blessing Abraham received, and it perfectly satisfied his soul. He obtained the promise that he should be the father of lives (DBY, 97).

If men are faithful, they and their Creator will always be one, they will always be of one heart and of one mind, working and operating together; for whatsoever the Father doeth so doeth the Son, and so they continue throughout all their operations to all eternity (DBY, 97).

The Lord would like to see us take the course that leads unto the strait gate, that we might be crowned sons and daughters of God, for such are the only ones in the heavens who multiply and increase. The rest take an inferior kingdom, where this privilege is denied them. It is for us to choose whether we will be sons and daughters, joint heirs with Jesus Christ, or whether we accept an inferior glory (DNSW, 8Aug. 1876, 1).

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Chapter 13: Preparing for Eternal Progression

Absolute Immortality | Superpower Wiki | FANDOM powered by …

Posted on February 10, 2019 by Danzig

Absolute ImmortalityPower/Ability to:

Possess "true" immortality.

The power to be eternal and indestructible. Sub-power of Omnipotence. Absolute version of Immortality.

The user is absolutely immortal, and can not to die, age, get sick, be permanently wounded, is absolutely self-sustained and, as their mind and soul are as immortal as their biological bodies, they are immune to mental/spiritual damage. Any injuries the user suffers immediately heal, even if the user's body is disintegrated or blown up or completely erased and even if the user is completely destroyed to the sub-atomic level, they will still return to life. Alternately, some users are absolutely immune to all harm, and can never die from any natural causes.

The user's existence and soul become completely free and independent of even the concept of reality, making them unbound to the subjects of life, death, and manipulations. Also, the power cannot be removed, rendered truly perfect and absolute.

Immortality (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) – Wikipedia

Posted on October 6, 2019 by Danzig

2015 finale of the television series CSI

"Immortality" is the two-hour series finale of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation aired on September 27, 2015, on CBS.

When a suicide bomber detonates his vest on the floor of the Eclipse casino, owned by Catherine Willows, the FBI special agent returns from Los Angeles to join the investigation. Gil Grissom, meanwhile, working to preserve sharks in international waters, is arrested for trespassing at the Port of San Diego, and D.B. Russell offers Sara Sidle the chance to supervise the local investigation into the bombing. Sidle, who is vying for the position of director of the Las Vegas Crime Lab, is initially irked when Sheriff Conrad Ecklie inquires about Grissom's location when "Lady" Heather Kessler is linked to the crime. Ecklie ensures Grissom is released from custody, and Willows and he, alongside Eclipse security officer Jim Brass, assist in locating the suspect.

As the team works to restore safety to the streets of Las Vegas, Russell decides it is time for him to "head East" and pursue new challenges, while he places a plaque, dedicated to the memory of Julie Finlay, alongside his personal possessions. Willows expresses an interest in leaving the FBI and working alongside her daughter Lindsey in the Las Vegas Crime Lab, noting that, should Sidle reject the promotion she is going to be offered, Willow will accept it in lieu of her former colleague. The series ends with the newly promoted Sidle, upon hearing a recording of Grissom confessing his love for her, sailing from the Port of San Diego with Grissom.

Off-screen, Sidle resigns, and Willows is hired as lab director. Scenes were filmed to explicitly depict the transition, although they were cut from the aired episode.[1] A second scene, featuring Willows and her daughter, was also deleted; in it, Willows informs Lindsey that she should only resign if she does not feel like "King Kong on cocaine" following her first arrest. She then informs Lindsey that Holly Gribbs was killed in the line of duty.[citation needed] A third deleted scene shows Russell visiting Finlay's grave.[citation needed]

The finale was shot over 17 days. Filming for the principal cast began on July 29, 2015, and production wrapped on August 21, 2015.[4] The finale was filmed with the option to be broadcast as two episodes under the titles "Immortality Part I" and "Immortality Part II", respectively. The production codes for the episodes are 1601 and 1602.

During the CBS 2015 Upfront, Les Moonves and Nina Tassler announced that former lead actors Marg Helgenberger and William Petersen would reprise their roles as Catherine Willows and Gil Grissom, respectively.[5] Ted Danson, who starred in the series since the beginning of the 12th season, also returned as D.B. Russell.[5] On July 24, 2015, it was confirmed that both George Eads, who played Nick Stokes for 15 seasons, and Elisabeth Shue, who played the lead role of Julie Finlay for four seasons, had declined options to return. Elisabeth Harnois, Jorja Fox, Eric Szmanda, Robert David Hall, Wallace Langham, David Berman, and Jon Wellner all reprised their roles,[6] as did Paul Guilfoyle.

Melinda Clarke, who appeared as Lady Heather Kessler, a long-time friend of Grissom, also returned.[6] Katie Stevens was cast as Lindsey Willows, Catherine's daughter, a CSI level 1.[7] Recurring guest star Marc Vann also returned as Sheriff Conrad Ecklie,[8] as did Larry Mitchell as Officer Mitchell.[9]

The episodes were directed by Louis Shaw Milito, and written by series creator Anthony E. Zuiker. William Petersen assisted in the breaking of the story.[10] Like the series, the finale used "Who Are You" by The Who as the opening and closing theme. Executive producers included Ann Donahue, Carol Mendelsohn, Anthony E. Zuiker, Jerry Bruckheimer, William Petersen, and Cynthia Chvatal. The episodes were produced by CBS Television Studios, distributed by CBS Television Distribution, and broadcast on CBS. The film's run-time was 88 minutes.

Following the end of the series, Ted Danson joined the cast of CSI: Cyber in his role as D.B. Russell. This relocation was alluded to in the movie, with Russell announcing his intention to "head east".[11] Elisabeth Shue's Julie Finlay was featured prominently in archive footage during the Cyber episode "Hack ER".

The episode received 12.22 million viewers and an 1849 rating of 1.8.[12]

Upon reviewing the series finale, Gavin Hetherington of SpoilerTV named the episodes "the perfect send-off for such an epic show".[13] He later called the episode a "dream come true" for fans of the series with the reunion of Gil, Catherine and Sara.

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Immortality (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) - Wikipedia

Immortality – Page 2

Posted on August 21, 2018 by Danzig

I do not wish to start a debate so anyone who is religious or believes in souls or the afterlife please stop reading...

I started thinking the other night about immortality and how it could be achieved through Science. I believe that the human body has no soul. The only 'soul' it has or is, is simply a series of brain connections. These brain connections create a spark. This 'spark' is the essential 'you' which cannot be pictured in the imagination. This spark was created by your brain in all of its complicated brain connections. I do not believe in 'souls' because if we did really have a soul that moved from body to body wouldn't it be justifiable that we would 'remember' these past bodies and experiences?

Now if all we are is brain connections then we are essentially a organic machine. We are not our body or our brain..the only thing we are is those brain connections which created ourselves. What if before we die our brain was preserved and fed oxygen and blood and everything else it needed - couldn't we be kept alive until we had the technology to do a body transplant ?

Ok - taking it a step further what about finding those 'brain connections' which make us up. couldn't we somehow transfer those connections to another brain when technology permitted it ? Could we then achieve immortality ? When you think about the body and Science you understand that the body and brain is nothing more than a machine. What if after death those 'connections' were turned back on - we would essentially come back from the dead.

Taking it a step further one more time.. what if once we have those brain connections which are 'consciousness' what if we found some material or liquid which can preserve and keep it in a timeless state - then once the person is ready to come back to life it is simply connected into a new brain.

Any thoughts?

It is perfectly possible, theoretically, to recreate a person's neural patterns upon his death and transplant it across bodies. Off the top of my head, nanotechnology and bio-engineering could devise methods to weld the 'circuitry' that makes up a person's personality. The same technology can surely be applied to powering said circuitry. Which I'm sure would be far easier than trying to recreate, down to the strictest neuron, a person's life.

However, the issue is the programming behind the circuitry. And that is where the most effort must be put; understanding the basic codes which is able to produce an infinite number or reactions, perceptions and experiences against the stimuli of the world. This is the difference then between producing an automaton, and achieving a probable immortality.

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Immortality - Page 2

The Illusion of Immortality: Corliss Lamont, John Dewey …

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Danzig

In clear and unflinching language, Dr. Corliss Lamont states the case for human mortality--the finality of death. But, he argues, the illusion of immortality is an affirmative vision, not a negative one.

"Extraordinarily complete and well informed...worthy of the serious attention of all thoughtful persons." (John Dewey)

Born in Englewood, New Jersey, in 1902, Dr. Lamont graduated first from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1920, then magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1924. He did graduate work at Oxford and at Columbia, where he received his Ph.D. in philosophy in 1932.

He was director of the American Civil Liberties Union from 1932 to 1954, and is currently chairman of the national Emergency Civil Liberties Committee. A leading proponent of the individual's rights under the Constitution, he has won famous court decisions over Senator Joseph McCarthy, the CIA, and in 1965 a Supreme Court ruling against censorship of incoming mail by the U.S. Postmaster General.

Dr. Lamont has long been associated with Humanism, and authored the standard text on the subject, The Philosophy of Humanism, in 1949. He taught at Columbia, Cornell, and Harvard Universities, and at the New School for Social Research. Corliss Lamont is currently honorary president of the American Humanist Association.

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