Monthly Archives: July 2020

Doctor Who season 12 revealed the true origin story of the Time Lords - but just how does Rassilon, founder of Gallifrey, fit into this?

The Timeless Child is the biggest retcon in the history ofDoctor Who - but how does Rassilon, founder of Time Lord civilization, fit into this?Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall promised that season 12 would change everything, and he wasn't understating the case. TheDoctor Who season 12 finale, "The Timeless Children," revealed the Doctor's true history has been concealed all this time."They lied to us," the Master revealed. "Everything we were told was a lie. We are not who we think. You or I. The whole existence of our species - built on the lie of the Timeless Child."

The Doctor is the Timeless Child, a mysterious being found at the foot of a Boundary into another universe. She was discovered by a Gallifreyan explorer named Tecteun, who took the Timeless Child as her own. Then, one day, tragedy struck. The Timeless Child suffered what should have been a fatal accident, but instead of dying she regenerated. Tecteun was astounded at what she had seen, and she set about trying to understand the Timeless Child's powers. The Timeless Child thus became thebase genetic code for all Gallifreyans within the Citadel, and the Time Lords were born. This is easily the biggest retcon in the history ofDoctor Who; in general it's foreshadowed fairly well by classicDoctor Who,thoughit sits uncomfortably with the post-2005 relaunched series.

Related:Former Doctor Who Showrunner Changes Regeneration Rules

There is one curious omission, however: Rassilon. Generally regarded as the founder of Time Lord civilization, Rassilon was an explorer who longed to see more of the universe than any man could in one lifetime. According to classicDoctor Who, and countless previous tie-ins, under Rassilon's reign the Gallifreyans discovered the secret of regeneration and became Lords of Time. Rassilon himself is immortal, although he believed no other Time Lords were worthy of this, and left the Game of Rassilon behind as a trap for any successor who would seek immortality. The Time Lords brought Rassilon back to lead them in the Time War, and he was opposed byDavid Tennant's Tenth Doctor in "The End of Time."

Rassilon is apparently entirely absent in "The Timeless Children," which seems odd given that Chibnall is an old-schoolDoctor Who fan. It is important to note, however, that "The Timeless Children" confirms Gallifreyan history has been deliberately obscured; that leaves a lot of wriggle-room. The most likely solution is that Tecteun, the scientist who discovered the Timeless Child and unlocked the secret of resurrection, was in fact Rassilon. Both have been portrayed as explorers who sought immortality; Tecteun gained the power of unlimited regenerations but chose to limit other Time Lords, just as Rassilon believed he alone should be functionally immortal. It's true that Tecteun was female while Rassilon was male, but that is hardly an issue given that regeneration allows a Time Lord to change biological sex.

This is a simple retcon, and it fits rather well. If this is the case, then during the Time War the Doctor found himself going up against the one being who truly understood what he was capable of. Little wonder Rassilon was so shocked and surprised in "The Day of the Doctor," when he realized how many incarnations of the Doctor were in play. It is ironic that Rassilon, the explorer who sought immortality to explore the cosmos, ultimately led Gallifrey to a pocket dimension where his people lived on in isolation, unable to return.

More:Doctor Who Already Has The Perfect 15th Doctor Actor

Snowpiercer Episode 8's Wilford Twist Is Smarter Than The Movie

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant's staff writers, and he's frankly amused that his childhood is back - and this time it's cool. Tom's focus tends to be on the various superhero franchises, as well as Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Star Trek; he's also an avid comic book reader. Over the years, Tom has built a strong relationship with aspects of the various fan communities, and is a Moderator on some of Facebook's largest MCU and X-Men groups. Previously, he's written entertainment news and articles for Movie Pilot.A graduate of Edge Hill University in the United Kingdom, Tom is still strongly connected with his alma mater; in fact, in his spare time he's a voluntary chaplain there. He's heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will quickly learn that he's interested in British politics as well.

Read the original here:

Doctor Who Theory: How Rassilon Fits Into The Timeless Child Retcon - Screen Rant

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) Some young people have been throwing coronavirus parties, a gathering where people who have COVID-19 attend.

The goal for the guests? To win money by being the first to be infected.

Its so alarming, says Dr. Brian Lamb, a primary care internist at the Allegheny Health Network, flaunting what they feel is their immortality.

With a coronavirus infection, many young, otherwise healthy people, only have mild symptoms but some have a severe illness.

We dont know whos going to have the severe reaction, said Dr. James Deangelo of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Associates.

Thirty-eight percent of those sick enough to be hospitalized are younger than 55 years old. For people ages 20 to 44, four percent of those hospitalized die.

A young person from Penn State who died of complications from coronavirus, says Dr. Lamb. You dont want to get this disease.

The big problem with young people getting coronavirus and not having significant symptoms is they can spread it to others and not realize it.

You now have exposure at a party, you go home, you infect your sibling, your parents, grandparents, says Dr. Deangelo.

People who are actually going to get sick from it, added Dr. Lamb.

Somewhere down the line, theres a death, says Dr. Deangelo, Its negligence.

And if you get invited to this kind of party?

I would decline, and quite frankly, I would report it, Dr. Deangelo says. I do think the health department should listen if you hear about such a party taking place.

You really need to rethink your friend circle, Dr. Lamb recommends. Are these people that are making the best decisions in their lives? Are these people I want to be friends with? Are these people I want to associate with?

In Allegheny County in the last 10 days of June, seven of the people hospitalized were in their 20s and 30s.

The rest is here:

Its Negligence: Young People Hosting Coronavirus Parties, Betting On Who Gets Infected First - CBS Pittsburgh

Photography#birds#boats#India#religion#rivers

All images Sankar Sridhar, shared with permission

When Dehli-based photographer Sankar Sridhar visits the Yamuna River in winter, he observes hundreds of gulls, terns, and other birds as they flock to the Ganges tributary that flows through the Indian city. Despite the rivers inability to maintain a thriving ecosystem in that stretch, the avians are spurred by site fidelity as they migrate each year, a ritualistic act Sridhar recently captured in a series titled Long Live the River.

Because the tributary attracts such an influx of avians, its also a site of religiosity and legend. People travel to the water to feed the birds, an act thought to bring good karma, and disperse offerings for their loved ones whove died. My approach to documenting life along a small stretch of this river was driven by the deep connection of rivers and life and divinity in Hindu texts, mythology, and legend. The fact that the Yamuna is considered the only river with the power to grant immortality to humans seemed an irony that could not be overlooked, the photographer says.

Fifteen drains of untreated wastewater from household, municipal, and industrial sources flow into the tributary, saturating it with chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals, and garbage that eliminate aquatic life. However, Sridhar notes that in 2017, officials recorded 24 bird species residing in the rivers wetlands. This finding came as a surprise, given the greatly degraded water quality of the Yamuna, he says.

Using a low shutter speed, Sridhar captures the annual rituals through clouds of Dehlis thick smog, blurring the flying creatures as they swoop over the water. The obscured visitors mar clear shots of boats and the horizons as they appear to linger above the water in shadowy flocks. I aimed to impart a surreal touch to the images by using the boats as the fabled transport into the afterlife while flight-paths of the birds as metaphors as much for the souls of the dead as the mad chaos in our world that blinds us to the damage we do to the environment, he says. Throughout, though, the river remains a giver of life, despite having the life sucked out of her.

An avid outdoor photographer, Sridhar shares his projects focused on Himalayan landscapes and local communities on Behance and Instagram.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member and support independent arts publishing. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, apply for our annual grant, and get exclusive access to interviews, partner discounts, and event tickets.

Here is the original post:

Through a Blur of Migratory Birds, Photographer Sankar Sridhar Captures the Rituals of the Yamuna River - Colossal

VANCOUVER, BC - JULY 05: Carli Lloyd of USA celebrates scoring her third goal from the halfway line ... [+] during the FIFA Women's World Cup Final between USA and Japan at BC Place Stadium on July 5, 2015 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Stuart Franklin - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

My goal since the beginning was to become the most complete player in the game.It is up to other people to formulate their own opinion of me" the words of Carli Anne Lloyd, a double World Champion, a double Olympic champion and a double World Player of the Year. A minor knee injury has ruled her out of the ongoing NWSL Challenge Cup but approaching her 38th birthday, Lloyd has no desire to rest on her laurels.

Five years ago today in Vancouver she scaled heights of achievement unparalleled in the sport. Within 15 minutes, 5 seconds of the World Cup Final, Lloyd had scored a hat-trick which not only destroyed her Japanese opponents and secured the United States their third world title but secured her immortality in the history of the game's greatest showpiece.

The third goal, a shot from the center line, left commentators and fans gasping for superlatives. After two unsuccessful World Cup campaigns, Lloyd now had the only international medal missing from her collection. For most players there would be nothing left to achieve in the game but for Lloyd there is always another challenge. "People approach me all the time about that game and always bring up the long-distance goal I scored", she admits "but I try not to think about that game too often because Im still playing and want to focus on what is coming up next while continuing to build the best possible version of myself.

Four years earlier, it couldn't have been more different. Against the same opponents in the 2011 World Cup final, Lloyd was one of three United States players to miss their spot-kick in a shoot-out defeat. Speaking on the eve of the 2015 tournament, Lloyd admitted that experience was "a really tough thing to go through. It's tough, but I think that builds character. There's nothing I want more than to go to Canada this summer and hold that trophy".

USA's midfielder Carli Lloyd reacts after missing a penalty during the FIFA Women's Football World ... [+] Cup final match Japan vs USA on July 17, 2011 in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. Japan won 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out after the final had finished 2-2 following extra-time. AFP PHOTO / JOHN MACDOUGALL (Photo credit should read JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images)

After an indifferent start to the 2015 World Cup in Canada, Lloyd had failed to score. In the group stages of the World Cup, I knew I could be better and our team knew it could be better.I was playing in a more reserved defensive role and once I was moved to the attacking midfielder position it enabled me to create and play with more freedom and help my team in a more effective way.Fitness played a part in it but so did my determination to maintain my spot as a pure attacking midfielder".

In her 2016 book "When Nobody Watching: My Hard-Fought Journey To The Top Of The Soccer World", a New York Times Bestseller, Lloyd admits to dealing with the challenge by "going back to work. By working when nobody is watching, and then working some more". Five years on, she believes that unquenchable desire to improve still pushes her. "From day one, the goal is to keep adding layer of improvements with each day and this is what fuels me to keep going".

The move into her more natural position yielded startling dividends. Lloyd scored in successive knockout games against Colombia, China and Germany, to score again in the final would be an unprecedented achievement in the history of soccer.

There, the United States would remarkably face the Japanese again, the two had also contested the 2012 Olympic final, with Lloyd scoring both goals in a 2-1 victory. There was never any chance she would allow this World Cup final to be decided in a penalty shoot-out lottery. My only goal was to help my team win a World Cup" she recalls. "There was so much riding on that game, and I remember us all feeling ready and charged up!"

Within five minutes, Lloyd had scored twice from almost identical set-piece moves, on both occasions anticipating the play in the crowded Japanese goal-mouth as if predestined to score. "The first two goals were the result of being in the zone. My mind was ready, I was on my toes and anticipated where the ball was going to go and let my instincts do the rest".

Lauren Holiday added a third goal before Lloyd's strike for the ages made it 4-0 with barely a quarter of an hour on the clock. "After I scored the third goal, I remember being in a huddle with my team-mates celebrating. The feeling was incredible. It was like we knew we were going to be world champions".

The USA's Carli Lloyd (C) celebrates a goal with teammates during the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup ... [+] final between the US and Japan at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia on July 5, 2015. AFP PHOTO/NICHOLAS KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)

The remaining 75 minutes turned into a coronation party for the American fans in the sold-out crowd. The final winning margin of 5-2 is the most decisive in the history of any World Cup. Lloyd remembers that the 2015 World Cup Final was very special to me for a number of different reasons. I felt rewarded for all the hard work I had put in and it stands out in terms of how good our team really was on the day".

Lloyd and her world champion team-mates should now be preparing to win the Olympic soccer tournament in Japan but the postponement of the Tokyo Games until 2021 means the Sky Blue midfielder will be a week past her 39th birthday when the first match is played. Already a double Olympic champion, Lloyd is undeterred, viewing the break as an opportunity gained rather than lost. "Having the Olympics postponed for another year is giving our team more time to learn from Vlatko (Andonovski). Personally, it has given me the opportunity to tweak my training program and get ready for the year ahead".

The opportunity to join former team-mates Christine Rampone, Heather Mitts, Heather O'Reilly and Shannon Boxx as a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist is there for a player who continues to drive herself relentlessly in her pursuit of greatness. "I just want to be remembered as a player that never gave up on her dream and proved that with hard work, sacrifice and dedication anything is possible. I want young players around the world to be inspired by my journey".

Read the rest here:

Carli Lloyd: I Want Young Players To Be Inspired By My Journey - Forbes

Weve got all heard of a contemporary world. This world will have flying cars and trains, and even buildings as high as the skies. We would even have floating towns! What will the human race do should they eventually figure out immortality using technologies?

Altered Carbon paints a beautiful image of exactly what a technological future would look like. It reveals the upsides and drawbacks to modern technology and tells you that the future may be innovative but you may not enjoy it!

- Advertisement -

This itself garnered half the press attention that the series received. Using technology and machines, the fast-paced activity sequences along with the mystery of some unsolvable crimes make the fans completely addicted to the show.

Altered Carbon is an American cyberpunk net collection. Its a version of a novel by Richard Morgan. Its a Netflix original show, making Netflix the key show distributor.

The very first installation consisted of 10 episodes. The show was revived for another year with eight episodes on 27th July 2018.

The series revolves around Takeshi Kovacs. He is a trained mercenary who works for the Protectorate, a galactic security organization. Takeshi has a traumatic past and the only family hes left is his sister Reileen.

Technology allows humans to store their whole memory in electric discs calledstacks, and its the essence of living. If you damage your pile, you are dead for good. If your system is damaged, you can attach your heap into another body. They call the entire bodies assleeves.

Takeshi is set from sleeve to sleeve, used by different people for their particular purposes. On his trip, he meets Quellcrist Falconer, the leader of this rebellion against immortality. He falls in love with her and aligns himself with her cause.

The narrative proceeds across two seasons with death, loss, and a lot of time jumps. You may not be able to decode the true story till the finish and that adds allure into the narrative.

The Attractiveness of Altered Carbon is that numerous actors have played the same role:Joel Kinnaman, Anthony Mackie and Ray Chase as Takeshi KovacsJames Purefoy as Laurens BancroftMartha Higareda as Kristin OrtegaChris Conner as Edgar PoeDichen Lachman and Elizabeth Maxwell as Reileen Kawahara/GinaAto Essandoh as Vernon ElliotKristin Lehman as Miriam Bancroft and Naomi BancroftTrieu Tran as Mister Leung/ GhostwalkerRenee Elise Goldsberry as Quellcrist FalconerLela Loren as Danica HarlanSimone Missick as TreppDina Shihabi as Dig 301Torben Liebrecht as Jaeger/ Ivan Carrera

No official cast list was released for the upcoming season. But it will be fun to see what a brand new cast member brings to the table.

- Advertisement -

View original post here:

Altered Carbon Season 3 : Release Date, Cast, Plot And Other News - Auto Freak

Text Size:A- A+

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ThePrint is now on Telegram. For the best reports & opinion on politics, governance and more, subscribe to ThePrint on Telegram.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Read this article:

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

In Batman Beyond, Bruce Wayne must use his modified Lazarus Pit in order to save his son's life after a failed assassination attempt.

When it comes to family, its hard to not follow in their footsteps regardless if you want to or not. In Batman Beyond #44, former leader of the League of Assassins Damian Wayne follows in the footsteps of his grandfather Ra's as he uses a Lazarus Pit in order to escape death. The real kicker is that it's a Lazarus Pit owned by his father, Ra's persistent nemesis Bruce Wayne.

Created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert, the genetically-engineered son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul spent his childhood raised by the League of Assassins as he was groomed to either inherit his father or grandfather's empires. Choosing to rebel against these predestined plans, he chose to stay with his father and became the newest Robin. This new identity and the responsibilities that came with would clash with Damian's personality and temper but in the end, it helped him become a better person. Throughout his career, different possibletimelineswere shown of Damian inheriting the mantle of Batman from his father or in this instance, in a world where Bruce retired and eventually let the mantle of Batman be succeeded by Terry McGinnis, he became the new Ra's Al Ghul and commanded the League of Assassins. Although Terry and Damian's last interaction didn't end on the best of terms, Terry's return to his role as Batman is interrupted by the appearance of Goliath, Damian's pet bodyguard, who leads him through Neo-Gotham to find Damian's tattered and unconscious body at death's door.

RELATED:DC's Most EVIL Version of Batman Beyond Has Arrived

As Terry and Goliath fly through Neo-Gotham while alerting Bruce of their situation, they are interrupted by the League of Assassins eager to finish the job their leader, the mysterious Mr. Zero, had failed to do when he usurped Damian from his current title. As they are unsuccessful, Terry and company are able to get to the current Batman headquarters where Damian is placed in a recovery pod whose rejuvenation powers and design look a little too familiar. When Terry comments on it, Bruce reveals that the pod is his own interpretation of Ra's famous Lazarus Pit, the ooze responsible for Ra's iconic longevity, and that it should heal Damian so they can find out who wants him dead and why.

Comic book characters escaping near death situations isn't news and it hasn't been the first time that Damian has almost or actually died but the real surprise is at the revelation that Bruce Wayne technically owns a Lazarus Pit. Having seen firsthand the power of the Pit and the price those who use it pay for their "immortality", it feels like Bruce justified crossing a line that could end up being a slippery slope all for Bruce's crusade against crime and evil. Although Bruce claims to have borrowed some of the elements from the Pit, he clearly hasn't tweaked the madness that overcomes the subject upon immersion as Damian emerges in a feral frenzy, attacking Terry with an alert Goliath prepared to protect his master. Although Bruce defuses the situation in a surprising manner, it still doesn't shake the fact that Batman himself has a working Lazarus Pit, something that in the Batman Beyond history he was once offered and refused, and it makes you wonder what other surprises he has stored away.

Although Damian survives and fills everybody in on his usurper Mr. Zero and his plans to execute one of his grandfather's old doomsday plans, it's clear that the rejuvenated former Robin will waste no time working alongside Terry and his father in stopping him. Although he is both Bruce's son and Ra's grandson, Damian proves that he chooses to make his own destiny regardless if he gravitates to one lifestyle or another. The lingering concern is more about the morality of his father and his ownership of one of his greatest enemies signature weapon. Although he chooses to use it for good, Batman Beyond's Bruce Wayne is playing with the forces of life and death and the price for that is usually unclear until it's too late.

NEXT:Batman Beyond & Damian Wayne Are Saving The Future Gotham

Should Hela Be Thor's Sister, or Loki's DAUGHTER?

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

The rest is here:

Batman Beyond Just Brought The Future [SPOILER] Back To Life - Screen Rant