Category Archives: Immortality

Just over a century ago, Cecil Griffiths had a glittering athletic career ahead of him. At just 20 years old, he won gold at the 1920 Olympic games in Antwerp for the 4 x 400m relay, making him to this day the second youngest of all British track and field athletes ever to win an Olympic gold medal.

It was no mean feat for the working class Welsh runner, who hailed from a poor family in Neath and had been headhunted by the highly selective Surrey Athletic Club. A contemporary newspaper article later dubbed him "the best runner Wales has produced" - a title which his family believe he still holds to this day.

But three years on from his precocious Olympic triumph, the runner's full opportunity to shine was cruelly taken away from him - all because he had inadvertently broken a rule for amateur athletes as a teenager. The Amateur Athletics Association discovered that six years ago, aged 17 and with no ambitions yet as a runner, he had accepted a couple of pounds as a prize money when running for charity events back home in Neath. It was enough of a contravention that the Association deemed him no longer an amateur, and banned him for life from competing for Great Britain internationally in the sport.

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The ban robbed Cecil of further Olympic glory at the pinnacle of his career, as it was instated just before the famous 1924 'Chariots of Fire' Games in Paris. If he had been allowed to compete, there's a chance he would have added to his Olympic medal tally. Just a few weeks before the games, he had "comfortably" beaten his main competitor, Douglas Lowe, in the half-mile race, according to his grandson-in-law and biographer John Hanna.

The ban didn't stop Cecil from succeeding in races at home. But the Great Depression of the 1930s saw him lose his job in a factory and for he sold his gold medals - save for his Olympic one - to provide for himself and his family. But his death aged 45 in 1945 left his wife in poverty, and it was never possible for the family to raise money for a headstone at the Olympian's grave in Edgware, London.

After researching Cecil's life, John and his wife, Vanessa - Cecil's granddaughter - have set out to make sure he is remembered. They have done this by telling his story far and wide, and, most recently, finally marking his grave, almost 80 years after his death. On May 13, a headstone, with the Olympic rings and medal in gold leaf, was unveiled in a moving ceremony at the spot where the runner is buried at St Lawrence's Church in Edgware.

John and Vanessa had originally started crowdfunding for the memorial in August 2021, and donations got the plan in motion. But Mossfords Memorial Masons in Cardiff stepped in and offered to make and donate a headstone, after hearing about Cecil's remarkable story. The unveiling of the stone saw Gwalia Male Welsh Voice choir sing the Welsh National Anthem, as well as Cecil's surviving family members - including his great-great-grandchildren - in attendance to celebrate his life and achievements.

Explaining the decision to erect the headstone after so long, John said: "When I first met Vanessa back in the late 1970s, there was always this tantalising information about her grandfather being an Olympic medal winner who had been banned as a youth for taking money. And this tantalising story stayed with me for lots of years". A major car accident in which John broke his back meant he had time on his hands to research the story - and he found it so fascinating that he decided to write a book on Cecil's life called Only Gold Matters, published in 2014.

"As I found out about his life, I realise what an amazing man he was - what an amazing life he had, how badly he had been treated by the athletics authorities to be banned so early - and I wanted his story to be told. And in telling that story, I realised the situation could be redressed for him being forgotten - because he had been forgotten, by Welsh Athletics and by history." John rectified this with the book, and made pledges within it - to get a blue plaque erected for Cecil, a road named after him, and finally a headstone for his grave.

John and Vanessa succeeded getting the plaque and street name in Neath, before focusing on the grave. Their campaign to make sure Cecil isn't forgotten has seen Welsh Athletics induct him into their hall of fame, and the runner's story has become more known and appreciated by the nation and by athletics.

"I think it's important all families have a tangible connection with their ancestors, and I think it's even more important when their ancestors had achieved so much for their country," said John, adding: "That's why we're so passionate about him being remembered because we we've righted a wrong. This came out loud and clear at the ceremony, last week. So many people said, 'You have done so much to rectify the wrongs done against him.'"

Cecil came from a working class family in Neath and his father died when he was just eight. A natural sportsman, he played for the junior branch of his town's rugby club. He left Neath to join the Army in 1918, and it was this which kickstarted his running career. "He realised he could run and he represented the army. And of course, it probably saved his life - because he won so many races for them, they didn't send him to the Western Front, they kept him back in London to run for them," explained John.

And so Cecil made a name for himself in the sport, and was snapped up by Surrey Athletic Club at the end of the war - the dominant, all-conquering club at the time, which cherry-picked all the best athletes. Part of his package was a new home in London and a job in the club owner's shirt factory, which he stayed working in throughout his career, until it closed down in the Great Depression.

Two years on, at just the start of his career, he achieved success most athletes only dream of - a gold medal in the 1920 Olympic Games. He was integral to his relay's team gold medal, as he put them in the lead right from the start, meaning they were not hampered by the "brutal" first relay change which John says was like a "scrum" in those days as athletes jostled with each other to get into the right position.

"He is the second youngest of all British track and field athletes ever to win an Olympic gold medal. There are about 70 of them - he is the second youngest and only four of them are Welsh," said John. He thinks Cecil's experience of running on unkempt, muddy tracks and rugby fields in Wales served as an "apprenticeship" that put him in good stead for the "awful state" of the track in the Games.

It was just the start for Cecil, who enjoyed the peak of his career in the next few years. "He ran incredibly for three to four years throughout the early 1920s - he broke many records. Some of his Welsh records for the quarter mile and the half mile set in the early 20s weren't beaten until the late 1950s - 30 years those records stood. Nearly 15 years after he died were those records beaten."

And so, he was on track to compete in the 1924 Olympics as the reigning half-mile British champion. But in the midst of the glory, tragedy struck - and, it seems, the decision to cut short Cecil's progression, at least on an international level, was a calculated one. Explaining the context behind the ban, John said that Cecil had taken part in "low-key" running races at charity events in his home town. Such events were put on by local towns, who, anticipating an invasion by Germany in the middle war, had to raise money for their own defence, as this wasn't funded by the government.

"Cecil won three of those events, each winning a couple of pounds. Now, he could have accepted a prize - in those days, you could accept a prize to the value of seven pounds. But you couldn't accept a penny cash," said John. Under the stringent rules of the Amateur Athletics Association, if you accepted money for a sport at any point in your life - even if you were a schoolboy, didn't belong to any club, and didn't run for your country - you were liable to be banned from ever being an amateur again.

"He had no ambitions at that point of ever becoming a runner as a career - that was miles away, that was four years down the line," said John. Asked why the Amateur Athletics Association was ferreting around in Cecil's past six years later, John is quite clear as to the unfortunate reason.

"Because he was a working class lad from the Welsh Valley. He was beating the Oxbridge, and other university, upper class athletes. The Amateur Athletics Association was totally dominated, as were many sports, by the ruling upper class. That period of our history was extremely class-orientated and for Cecil to be beating upper class athletes - this working class lad beating these wealthy, privileged, upper class athletes - they didn't like it. So they had to get him out of their hair."

For Cecil, the decision was devastating, as is clear from a poignant passage in the November 1924 All Sports Weekly article that hailed him was Wales' best runner. "He collapsed when told this, and for weeks was positively ill in mind," it reads. "In the circumstance, it is not surprising that he failed to run with his usual dash in the half mile championships of 1924."

The ban stopped him from competing in the Olympics and other international events, but not from competing entirely. As John puts it, he was allowed to run "in Great Britain, but not for Great Britain". Even after the decision, he was still able to win some big races, notably the British half mile championship in 1923 and 1925. There are records of Cecil running until 1929, and his feats throughout this period are a testament to his status as Wales' - and possibly Great Britain's - best.

"He was in the top three of the British Championships, in either the quarter of a mile or the half mile for every year between 1919 and 1927 - nine consecutive years in the top three at the British Championships," said John. "I have researched every athlete I can find in the modern era and historic era. I can't find anyone that shares that statistic, even near that statistic."

He was badly spiked in the British Championships at Stamford Bridge in London in 1928, causing him a bad leg injury, and he had to be carried off the track, covered in blood. This was his last big event, and his career tailed off soon after. He lost his job in the factory when the Depression hit in the early 1930s, and was forced to sell his valuable medals, many of which were solid gold, in order to keep his family afloat. While his family still treasures many of his silver medals, the only gold one Cecil kept, which they still have, was his Olympic medal.

"We don't know whether that was because he valued it emotionally," said John, "or the fact that it wasn't worth a lot of money in those days, because it's not solid gold - it's silver, and it's got a thin gilt covering on it." In the late 1930s, Cecil got a job with the coal board in London and worked for Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes in London, until his untimely death from a heart attack in 1945.

"He was on his way to work there when he died - actually on Edgware station," John said. "What is very emotional for us is that just three or four days before he died, he wrote a letter to Vanessa's father, arranging to meet him. They were going to meet at Paddington Station the day after he died. He'd gone to work that morning looking forward to meeting his son the next day."

He continued: "It's a very lovely and moving letter. It shows what a wonderful warm, caring loving man he was. That quality is passed down to Vanessa's father and to Vanessa. I loved it about her when I first met her 50 years ago, and that's never changed." Though Vanessa never met her grandfather, she has a particularly strong emotional connection to him. Her father - Cecil's youngest son - continued living in Cecil's house in Edgware after he died, and she was born in the house her grandfather had lived in, nine years after his death.

John says Vanessa, who has a rare terminal cancer, has found the journey to erect the gravestone highly emotional. "Getting her to the graveside was really when the emotion kicked in. To really see that headstone, and be sitting their beside her grandfather's grave was an immensely powerful moment for her." In turn, this has been moving for John: "I knew how important this was going to be for her to see this memorial finished, established, placed, and for her to appreciate it."

Describing a recent visit to Cecil's grave since the unveiling ceremony on May 13, John said the presence of the stone had changed the atmosphere "completely". He said: There was the recognition of his beautiful memorial stone, with all the love and respect paid just a week ago. That atmosphere still lingered and will linger forever for us when we visit that churchyard, because we now know there is a tangible memorial to him."

Continued here:

Wales' forgotten greatest athlete who was robbed of the chance of immortality - Wales Online

This Liverpool team will have stories told about it one day. And when those tales are spoken about, loudly and proudly in the years to come, the month of May 2022 might just feature as prominently as any other.

At its midway point, it's shaping up to be some of the greatest few weeks ever seen, even at a club as decorated and as revered as the one from Anfield.

For the third time since late February, Wembley shook to the Liverpool sound. One kiss is all it takes and under all of the lights they're just so glad that Jurgen is a Red. What an incredible ride this team has taken their supporters on this season. And, just a thought, the best could be yet to come in Paris on May 28 as a seventh European Cup is chased.

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Since reaching the Carabao Cup final in January, Jurgen Klopp and his players have had an uncomfortable millstone hanging around their necks. They might not have felt it themselves as they have blitzed their way to the brink of a treble while still remaining in contention for the Premier League title until the final days, but these months have been critical.

After all, for all the garlands that had been deservedly laid at their feet in recent years, more success was needed - so goes the argument, rightly or wrongly - for them to be considered one of the iconic teams of English football history.

Klopp insisted just a few weeks ago that trophies will not define his time here and given the starring role this charismatic German has played in re-energising, rebuilding and re-asserting Liverpool Football Club as one of the planet's true behemoths, that is a fair assessment to those who have witnessed the revolution first hand since October 2015.

It was a theory he reiterated this week, saying: If we are all only happy when we are really winning in the end when your race finishes, what life would that be? When I say 'enjoy the journey' I mean it. Enjoy the journey as there have been so many great moments already."

That simple directive is certainly being adhered to; they're enjoying this particular journey possibly more than they ever have.

But it is ultimately the silverware haul that will define Klopp's legacy to those outside of the Liverpool bubble in years to come. So an eighth FA Cup means more in the grander scheme of things than simply who the trophies were handed to in the year of 2022.

Klopp made five changes to the side that beat Aston Villa on Tuesday as captain Jordan Henderson stepped in for the hamstrung Fabinho and Andy Robertson returned alongside Mohamed Salah, Thiago Alcantara and Ibrahima Konate.

The outstanding Luis Diaz started like an express train and sent in two dangerous crosses inside the first five minutes before he was denied by Edouard Mendy after being put clear by a gorgeous Trent Alexander-Arnold pass.

Liverpool were rocked shortly after the half-hour mark when Salah was forced off with an injury after going down near the centre circle. Diogo Jota was sent on in his place down the right of the front three.

It's the second time Salah has had the misfortune of being withdrawn through injury during a major final and the irony is it now puts the chances of his own personal redemption story against Real Madrid in the Champions League in serious jeopardy.

Salah's replacement had a great chance to break the deadlock at the end of the half but Jota could only steer Andy Robertson's cute cross over the bar with the outside of his foot.

With 20 minutes of normal time left, Klopp sent on James Milner for Naby Keita and Liverpool's best chances arrived in quick succession. First, Diaz rattled the outside of the post before a stunning break from front to back, involving Alexander-Arnold, Thiago Alcantara and Milner, ended with Robertson crashing the ball against the post. It was, by some distance, the best move of the game and deserved to be the winner.

It was the first goalless 90 minutes of an FA Cup final since 2007 and Klopp sent on Joel Matip for Virgil van Dijk as another half-hour beckoned. Roberto Firmino was summoned for an exhausted Diaz eight minutes into extra time as Jota moved out to the right.

The Brazil international was clearly still nowhere near 100% after a recent foot injury and neither side were able to create anything in the final stages as they settled for another dramatic showdown on penalties.

And after Mason Mount missed with the score level at 5-5, it was left to Kostas Tsimikas, on for Robertson in extra time, to rattle home the decisive kick. The 'Greek Scouser' settled it for the thousands of actual Scousers behind him. In a season of disbelieving highs, this was the peak.

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Until Paris that is, when it could yet reach a new level entirely at the Stade de France.

Whether he would care to admit it or not, Klopp is now playing to garnish his Liverpool legacy; to ensure his time at Anfield is referred to as a dynastic one comparable to the finest eras that went before, without the aid of hyperbole or recency bias.

Events between June 2019 and July 2022 - when Liverpool picked up the Champions League, Club World Cup and Premier League - have long cemented Klopp as a legend on Merseyside and the most talismanic figurehead since Sir Kenny Dalglish in the 1980s will surely one day be immortalised outside Anfield with a statue in his honour.

But after signing a new contract a little over two weeks ago, the next four years give him the opportunity to rack up the kind of glittering collection not seen at this club for decades. It must surely bring a rare kind of serenity to Klopp knowing that the aim of the game from here on out is merely to furnish an honours list that now stands at six in as many years.

Klopp can add this FA Cup to his collection, making him the first manager to win all four of the League Cup, FA Cup, European Cup and league championship at Anfield. In fairness, the German can still do all that before the end of this month, such are the times. Add in the fact he is the only Reds boss to lift the Club World Cup and we're talking about a manager whose name belongs in the conversation of the all-time greats of the Liverpool dugout.

And with the biggest game in club football to come in Paris in two weeks' time, what a thought that must be for the planet's elite coach, one who is in possession of one of world football's most enviable squads. These times simply must be savoured.

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Jurgen Klopp reaches Liverpool immortality but the best could be still to come - Liverpool Echo

This is not a piece I was dying to write. Its about death. The great equalizer.

The reason I bring up the subject today is that I read a piece recently that scientists are looking seriously at ways to keep us alive forever. No more wakes. No more inflated obituaries. No more people saying nice things to the family about us they really didnt mean. No more squabbling over who gets what in the estate.

Some deep-pocketed moguls seem to think there might be some big bucks in the effort. Big bucks, as in an estimated $610 billion by 2025. According to my abacus, thats two-and-a-half years from now. This tells me that we must be worth more alive than dead. Sorry about that, estate planners.

Heavy hitters like Paul Thiel, co-founder of Pay Pal and Jeff Bezos, Amazons chairman plus whoever is running Google these days are all funding initiatives to figure out a way to keep us and them, I would assume from kicking the bucket. The ideas range from rejuvenating cells to hacking the little boogers in order to recode them. If some nerdy kid locked away in his bedroom can hack my computer, how hard can hacking a cell be?

At a recent conference at the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences which I was unable to attend because it occurred the same week I had scheduled to rearrange my sock drawer, director Thomas Fink told a Washington Post reporter that life could be engineered to live longer if we could figure out why we age in the first place. Scientists agree that all organisms degrade over time and eventually break down. That is probably why my knees ache.

Forrest Sheldon, an associate at the institute, thinks that if the aging process is a mechanism inside the cell controlled by a transcription program, we might be able to influence it. Ill take his word for it because I have no idea what he is talking about.

This isnt the only effort at trying to figure out a way to help us achieve immortality which I will say modestly that I think I have already managed to do, thanks to my witty and thought-provoking columns. (Pause for applause.)

There is cryonics where they freeze your body, hoping to figure out how to thaw you out which seems still to be a bit of a problem. And then there is something called mind-loading which involves scanning the brain accurately enough to copy it to a computer in digital form. The computer would then supposedly be able to experience feelings and have a conscience. What it would not be able to do is write witty and thought-provoking columns which, by the way, doesnt require a conscience.

Searching for eternal life on this earth is nothing new. It has been going on for eons and to no avail. Remember Ponce de Leon who came to Florida supposedly looking for the Fountain of Youth? All he found was water that smells like rotten eggs and a tourism industry.

The big question that must be asked is do you really want to live forever? That means if you can, so can a nutcase like Vladimir Putin. And that little fat guy with the bad haircut who runs North Korea. And the Supreme Whoever in Iran that hates Israel and wont let women ride bicycles. Not to mention the woke crowd, Cancel culturists and robocallers.

On the other hand, I would have humor-impaired wingnuts on both ends of the political spectrum to gig into all eternity as well as more tut-tut special interest groups than a yard dog has fleas, assuring me of an endless supply of witty and thought-provoking columns and further immortality. Not to mention a bunch of cranky emails.

I could paint forever and eat banana pudding forever and avoid broccoli forever, hoping the stuff couldnt get its cells hacked and might disappear forever. I could bleed red and black and never run dry and watch You-Know-Where Institute of Technology win three games a year into perpetuity.

Alas, scientists admit all of this is a long way off and might not even happen not the three wins a year for YKWIT, thats a given Im talking about staying alive forever. Evidently, hacking rejuvenated cells isnt as easy as it sounds. Rats.

I guess I will just forget all the science talk and get back to churning out witty and thought-provoking columns. After all, there is more than one way to be immortal.

Dick Yarbrough is a longtime Georgia resident and former public relations executive. Reach him at dick@dickyarbrough.com; at P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta, Georgia 31139; or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/dickyarb.

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Dick Yarbrough: Who needs to live forever to be immortal? - Daily Citizen

Depending on who you ask, Black Adam of the Shazam family of powers is either an anti-hero or a downright villain. The character is slated to make his big-screen debut this year, played by Dwayne Johnson, but before that happens, he'll star in a new ongoing series written by Christopher Priest, who's known for not just reinventing characters, but challenging the white-centric mythos that accompanies many legacy characters at Marvel and DC.

With his take on Black Adam, Priest is once again pushing the envelope, and he says he's surprised DC is letting him do so much. In addition to dialing in on Black Adam's Egyptian heritage and tackling the more political aspects of the character and his power, Priest is also writing the character strictly as a villain who's well past the point of getting a redemption arc.

Black Adam #1 follows the titular character, aka Theo Teth-Adam, as he chooses a descendent to help him bear the weight of the Shazam power while he's on the brink of death. The series features art by Rafa Sandoval, colors by Matt Herms, and letters by Willie Schubert, and it debuts in June.

We spoke with Priest about his reasons for signing onto the series, why he finds Black Adam interesting, how he and the creative team are evolving the character, and what makes him nervous about seeing the series actually hit shelves.

Samantha Puc for Newsarama: Priest, what most appeals to you about the character of Black Adam?

Christopher Priest: I think in general, what appeals to me about him is kind of that Vandal Savage thing, in that this is a guy who is cursed with immortality. Immortality sounds like a good deal, but it's kind of like retirement. I know some guys who retired and they said to me, 'For the first five, even ten years, it was great. We took vacations. We slept in. We did whatever we wanted to do. And then we realized, oh my god, this is boring.' I think, as I see it, immortality is like this overcoat. A heavy, winter coat that becomes burdensome to wear after a while. You need to take it off every now and then.

In our series, we will see as much of Theo Teth-Adam the man, the human being, as we will of the immortal Black Adam. What would this guy be like? What goes on inside this guy's head? If there was a challenge for me, that would be it.

Nrama: You've talked about being hesitant to take on this series. How did your editor, Paul Kaminski, win you over and convince you?

Priest: I did what I always do, which was open my big mouth. Sometimes I try to say something to scare an editor away. I try to get him to go away, or to explain why I'm the wrong guy for this book. [So I said,] 'If I was going to write a Black Adam series, I would do something like this.' I went into how I would focus more on his ethnicity. I said, 'Look, by the way, Egypt is in Africa. You gotta stop drawing him like a white guy. You gotta stop treating him like a white guy.' There's all this unexplored country within the character's makeup, and DC's never gone there. They've never said, 'OK. This is a guy from the Middle East who lives part-time in America, where he would be subject to a certain level of scrutiny and bigotry.' There would be these political forces around Kahndaq that are pressing on him externally: He's right next door to Jordan and Israel's not that far away, and then the real Egypt is to the west of them.

Then you have internal forces. You have a growing democracy movement. Black Adam's trying to be very progressive. Kahndaq the city is full of all these ancient monuments, but we're also seeing all of these construction cranes dotting the landscape because he's trying to transform it into something more like Wakanda. So he's modernizing and up are going these amazing glass towers, and things like that. The people of Kahndaq are split over that. Some people like that: 'Yes, we'd like a secular government. We like you progressive.' But some want Sharia Law and they want traditionalism. So there's this tension going on there. He can't support a democracy movement, not because he doesn't want his people to be free, but because American-style democracy is a very difficult thing to attain and a very difficult thing to maintain, as we are seeing in our own country. Ironically, I agree with Black Adam, where Black Adam is against democracy in Kahndaq. I think he's right.

These are the kinds of issues that I would want to explore if I was doing a Black Adam book, and I just assumed that Paul Kaminski, my editor, would hang up on me. I'm surprised that he didn't and that we continued having a discussion about it, but I'm even more surprised that this book is actually coming out. I never thought we'd get this far. I just thought somebody, somewhere, in some office, wearing a tie, was going to see this thing and go, 'Oh my God, fire that guy! We can't print this! This is too edgy for what we do here.' But apparently not, so I apologize to DC. I apologize to Paul Kaminski.

Nrama: How much input has the creative team had in shaping this new take on the character?

Priest: I don't want to speak for Rafa [Sandoval, the series artist], but I believe we are really forming a good partnership. There are some things we communicate as a group with Paul and with Matt Herms, our colorist, and Chris Rosa, our assistant editor, but there's an awful lot of one-on-one communications in the middle of the night between Rafa and I where we're talking about character. I feel like the more he understands character, and the more he understands where I'd like the series to go, the better informed his creative choices. A lot of times I'm asking him, 'Do you think better with, or better without?' I'd like to think that we are building a very productive partnership, rather than just, 'Well, I write.'

Nrama: Why was it important for you to create a story about Black Adam and about Theo Teth-Adam that stands on its own?

Priest: First of all, I had assumed that we'd be coming out after the movie. I'm a little nervous no, I'm a lot nervous that the film got delayed. Apparently, all of the VFX houses are all backed up because of what's been going on, so we're out of the gate before the movie, much to my horror. There's so much attention on the movie itself and so the sharks are circling, just looking for something to do while they're waiting for the movie to come out. And they're like, 'Aha! Here's this Black Adam comic. Let's rip that to shreds.' I'm like, 'Please be nice to me!'

Beyond that, I had assumed that people would come out of the Black Adam film and hopefully pick up the Black Adam comic book. I didn't want them to immediately be confused if I had to explain why all the heroes are dead and all this other stuff, and so forth, so our first act of our series the first six issues if you want to place them in continuity, they actually take place just before the Justice League all gets squashed like bugs. Issues #1-6 take place before that, and the events of Dark Crisis and the death of the Justice League will be reflected in issue #7 onward. That way, if you've never read any DC, you don't have to prepare yourself. You don't have to study. You don't have to read anything or learn anything or know anything. If you've never read a comic book in your entire life, you could pick up Black Adam #1 and not feel confused.

Nrama: What changes or evolutions are you most excited about exploring?

Priest: I, personally, have never seen a comic book about a villain where the villain is getting what he deserves. We did a little of that with Deathstroke, where his character flaws led him to be kind of like Wiley Coyote just kept having the anvil dropped on him. Our theme here is that there is no redemption for Black Adam because there really isn't. They've gone too far with the character. He's done too much harm. He's killed too many people. He's dropped too many babies on their heads. This is a bad guy. As much as DC or Warner Bros. or my mom or whoever would like me to turn him around and make him a hero so they can sell lunch boxes with Black Adam on them, this guy is a villain. That's how I see him and that's how I'm going to write him until somebody wises up and fires me.

This is a guy who's obsessed with legacy, and he would like the last years of his history to reflect a better person than the earlier years of his history. He's obsessed with his legacy, but he's trying to clean up his act for the wrong reasons for reasons of ego and building a monument to him or whatever the story is. Superman helps us because Jonathan Kent taught him to help us, because Martha Kent taught him to help us. Black Adam helps us because it looks good on his resume. He's doing the right thing for the wrong reason.

Nrama: What can longtime fans expect from this series?

Priest: There's subtext in the series for longtime fans. There is stuff that they can read between the lines. Obviously, there are characters who pop up who shall remain nameless for now that longtime fans will recognize. New readers won't know who they are, necessarily. There are a couple little Easter eggs for long-term fans, and I hope they will find the Black Adam character recognizable even as we evolve him. It's the same character, but a completely new take on him that I think will make long-term fans say, 'Well this is really interesting, that they found some new ground to explore with the character and take him in this new direction.' Hopefully, they'll be excited and interested to see where we're going and what we have in store. Fingers crossed.

Nrama: What makes you the most nervous about putting this book out, aside from it coming out before the movie?

Priest: How aggressively negative the social media atmosphere is, where it's more fun to tear something down and attack something than it is to give it a chance or give it a thumbs up. I've been driving everybody crazy, and my apologies to my editor and our marketing guy, Nicholas Valente. I'm just biting people's heads off and I'm in a foul mood because I really have high hopes for this book. It would really upset me if the book got shafted before it even got to the stands. I'm at least trying to get it on sale, get it to your comic shop before people start tearing into it.

I'm not sure why, but it feels like a lot of these people who are critics of Marvel or DC but especially DC, people really have a hard-on for DC don't actually buy the books. They've not actually read the books. They've read about the books. Jonathan Kent is bisexual. Attack, attack, attack, attack! Have you actually read the book? It's pretty good! I'm not really sure what the problem is, but this is what I'm talking about. It's not like pre-Internet when we had more control over the marketing. I'm just trying to get the baby delivered into mommy's hands and get a fair shot. I hope the book finds an audience. I'm having so much fun writing it, and believe me, I'm a cynical guy. I'm not a very good liar. If I wasn't enjoying writing the book, I wouldn't say so.

Nrama: Can you tell us about the new character that's introduced in Black Adam #1?

Priest: His name is Malik. The origin story we are using for Black Adam is derived from the New 52, where he kills his nephew Aman and steals the Shazam power. In our series, he comes across a descendent I'm sure he has many, many, many descendants and circumstances bring them together. Eventually, Black Adam grows to see this descendent, this young man, Malik, as kind of a proxy if not a replacement for Aman. The Black Adam power was always meant to be shared between Adam and Aman, but Adam was fearful that Aman would force him to be a nice guy. In the end, he axed the kid. That's the original sin. That's the moment that haunts Black Adam through eternity, and Malik represents a second chance. A second bite of this particular apple. We'll see what happens.

Nrama: What are you hoping readers take away from this series?

Priest: I think we're exploring the nature of heroism and why some people are heroes and some people are not. Being a hero is not as simple as tying a cape around your neck. I really hope readers will see a little of themselves in Black Adam and a little of themselves in Malik, and realize that all of us man, woman, non-binary, Black, white, Asian, Latino, Democrat, Republican we all are sharing this human experience. There are shades of Black Adam and shades of goodness in all of us. It's really about the human struggle and how it's worth being a positive contributor.

Nrama: Is there anything you'd like to add?

Priest: I'm very excited, very hopeful about the book. I think the quality of the book owes as much to my editor, Paul Kaminski, as it does to any single person on the creative team, especially me. I have driven everybody crazy because I'm so neurotic and I really want this book to succeed. I really wanted to carefully control the pre-flight messaging, so we have the best fighting chance of being received. Everybody here is just swinging for the fences. I've never seen better art come from Rafa Sandoval. Matt Herms, the colorist, is someone I did not know until now and wow! Oh, just wow. I'm very hopeful, very thankful to everybody, including our letterer, Willie Schubert. We're just hoping for the best.

Black Adam #1 goes on sale June 21.

If you're not sure who Black Adam is or what his powers are, check out our explainer.

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Black Adam writer Christopher Priest hopes readers give the series a fair shot - Gamesradar

Content Warning Mentions of and Allusions to Depression and Suicide

With it being Mental Health Awareness Month, it has become a time filled with many difficult discussions. Talking about mental health is never easy, whether it be because the topics themselves are triggering or because opening up about ones inner thoughts is easier said than done. When I wrote this poem originally in middle school, I truly didnt understand the complexity of mental health at the time; I was mainly focused on this notion of comparing the idea of gravity with that of suicide and depression. During my poetry class I decided to revisit this poem and tweak it until this middle school thought was fully fleshed out. As it covers a rather sensitive subject, please dont read this lightly.

Gravity

I see you lost your sense of gravity.

There were no farewell speeches, nor bidding

adieu, just a missed call or two,

it rang

and rang

but since when does that end in tragedy?

Youre more like a doll, now not quite Barbie,

but this model comes with scars from cutting

away the string that held you down. Theres nothing included

to provide immortality.

Youve left me behind, just like you used to:

Like at prom, my last soccer game, or that night

when we almost got matching tattoos

with our initials engraved in our thighs.

Now Im standing here

in this crowded room

with those you left behind this year,

who glance around to affirm

that they still have a tight grip on their

sense of gravity.

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Pen and Ink The Lawrentian - The Lawrentian

Country

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IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe

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DICK YARBROUGH: Taking the easy route to immortality - The Albany Herald

Immortality is for vampires not TV shows. The CW announced the cancellation of Legacies earlier this month, and the June series finale will bring The Vampire Diaries Universe to an end after nearly 13 years.

Its the Red Wedding at WBTV/CW today, executive producer Julie Plec tweeted on May 12 after Legacies was among more than half a dozen shows canceled at The CW.

A day later, Plec thanked the fans, cast and crew and gave a little tease of whats to come. She confirmed that the writers had a heads up about a possible cancellation, so the Legacies season 4 finale was written to function as a series finale.

Mark Pedowitz & his team at The CW had the class & grace to warn the shows that they might not survive, even if The CW wanted them, Plec shared via Twitter on May 14. Because of that, the season finales of both shows were carefully crafted to also work as series finales.

Plec helped start The Vampire Diaries Universe in 2009 when she and Kevin Williamson adapted L.J. Smiths novels for TV. The show which starred Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder as Elena, Stefan and Damon, respectively quickly veered away from the source material and created a whole new world for the small screen that initially focused on vampires before introducing witches, werewolves and even gods.

The flagship vampire drama ended in 2017 after eight seasons, and The Originals, its first spinoff, ended in 2018 after five seasons. Legacies premiered the following fall, bringing together characters and stories from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. Hope (Danielle Rose Russell), the daughter of Original vampire Klaus (Joseph Morgan, star of The Originals) attends the Salvatore School, an educational facility for magical beings created in the series finale of The Vampire Diaries by Caroline (Candice King) and Alaric (Matt Davis).

Hope has come into her own as the only living tribrid (thats a vampire-witch-werewolf hybrid) and is trying to make sure she can be a hero, despite her fathers dark history. While her father had his family, Hope has her classmates to rely on. The Super Squad, led by the tribrid and Alaric, includes Lizzie (Jenny Boyd), MG (Quincy Fouse), Landon (Aria Shahghasemi), Kaleb (Chris Lee), Cleo (Orono Okojie), Ethan (Leo Howard), Finch (Courtney Bandeko) and Jed (Ben Levin).

Legacies loves giving TVD fans some easter eggs, whether showing Lizzie drive Damons old car or quick references to characters like Elena, who is now a doctor. Expect even more fun nods in the final episodes of the spinoff.

I can speak for #Legacies in saying that Brett and I and the writing team poured all kinds of love into it, Plec shared two days after the cancellation via Twitter. And there are a couple surprises for long-time #TVDU fans that may just blow your mind. .

Heres everything we know so far about the end of Legacies:

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Legacies Final Episodes Will Include Surprises: Everything to Know About the End of The Vampire Diaries Universe - Us Weekly

Celtics title celebrations went into full swing with a six-goal hammering of Motherwell.

There were a host of Hotline calls playing tribute to Ange Postecoglou and his players. But with a Europa League Final for Rangers looming, there were also some postcards from Seville.

Peter Lyons, Blantyre, said: "What an incredible day at Celtic Park, the emotion shown throughout the match was fantastic. I am now in my 60s and have supported this fabulous club for over 55 years and for all the trophies I have seen won, this in my opinion has been the best.

"It supersedes Wim Jansen stopping the 10-in-a-row and also our centenary Double. Now on to next season."

Stephen Mulhern, Dumbarton, said: "From a season of despair to a season of delight. Id like to thank Postecoglou for taking Celtic from second best to simply the best. I also hope Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers will stay, the after match celebrations on Saturday might have just clinched their decision to sign on."

Lance Little, Erskine, said: "What a fantastic day of celebrations Saturday was. Having our trophy returned to us after a faultless 6- 0 final match was amazing. The celebrations in Glasgow after the game were even better. No rioting, no carnage, no broken benches. The fans gave a masterclass on how to celebrate properly."

George Wilson, West Sussex, said: "There were only four points in it in the end. Celtic manipulated the fixtures by having games postponed after Christmas to allow their injured players to come back and new signings to come in. Rangers stumbled at this point and drew a few games having previously been on a good run. If the fixtures had remained the same I dont think there is any doubt Rangers would have won the league."

Gary Stevenson, Newtonhill, said: "I'm having a brilliant time here in Seville. I don't think the other half of Glasgow would like it though as Spanish television only covers elite level football no Dragons Den, Masterchef or The Repair Shop. I'm away for some more paella and sangria."

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Robert Livingstone, Palm Beach, said: "This is surely one of the most momentous weeks in the history of Rangers with two winner-takes-all games. It started well with a virtual reserve side that comprehensively beat Hearts and included stand-out performances from future stars Cole McKinnon and Alex Lowry."

John Davidson, Armadale, said: "It was nice to see Gio van Bronckhorst giving youth a chance against Hearts in the last game of the season and the kids didn't let him down. The future looks really good down Ibrox way."

John Bruce emailed: "Hearts supporters must be demoralised after watching their team being comfortably beaten by a Rangers youth team. Even more so with Scotland's player of the year being beaten three times by those kids and it being one week before facing Rangers' first team in the Scottish Cup Final.

"Rangers fans will have been delighted at the first team debut of young Adam Devine and a man-of-the-match performance by Alex Lowry, along with three or four other strong performances from fellow starlets. Lowry is an exceptional talent and could possibly save Rangers from spending millions of pounds on a new player in the summer."

Gordon Ferguson, Kilwinning, said: "Now that the sideshow is over and the title is back in the east end of Glasgow, lets get on with the main event as Rangers can take Scottish football to a new high with victory in Europe. It's time to show Rangers the respect they deserve. The Phoenix has risen it's time to become immortal Bears."

Bruce Bayne, Carronvalley, said: "Can I urge Rangers to please help your fans with the shambles that is booking the fan zone stadium in Seville. Your lack of positive help for your loyal fans is shameful. There have been no updates, assistance, information or care."

And finally.

Alan Graham emailed: "Congratulations to Inverness for a real backs-to-the-wall performance on Friday in difficult conditions against Arbroath. It was not the greatest football display but a fantastic result. Dick Campbell said after the game that Christmas had come early for Inverness, but come on Dick, it was Arbroath that received the Christmas presents after two dreadful sending off decisions."

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Rangers fan turns Winston Churchill with impassioned call that pleads for immortality Hotline - Daily Record

Last night, Peral Jam performed at the Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. as part of their Gigaton Tour. Drummer Matt Cameron was absent from the performance due to COVID-19; Pearl Jam made due by enlisting touring memberJosh Klinghoffer, Seattle-based drummerRichard Stuverud and on one track, welcomed a local drummer from the band The Alive, Kai Neukermans.

The show started with Vedder performing a solo cover of Hunters & Collectors Throw Your Arms Around Me. He then introduced Klinghoffers Pluralone for the opening set during which Pearl Jams guitarist Stone Gossard sat in. Pearl Jams main set saw Klinghoffer and Stuverud switching off on drums. Klinghoffer kicked things off and opened the show with Long Road, Given To Fly, Once,and Corduroy, incorporated a cover of Pink Floyds Interstellar Overdrive.

Stuverud then took to the kit cover of Neil Youngs Throw Your Hatred Down, Quick Escape, Dissident and WMA. After WMA which saw both drummers squaring up, Vedder spoke into the mic. This is very exciting for us. I saw this group play called The Alive and they just blew my mind. Theyre pretty young for how hard they can play and how much impact they had, said Vedder. They were playing their own songs and then they had a Metallica cover that blew doors [open]. My daughter reminded me that theyre from here in Mill Valley. We reached them this afternoon. He hasnt graduated high school yet. I think this is the year, right? Please welcome to the stage Mill Valleys own Kai Neukermans!

Neukermans joined them on stage for Mind Your Manners, off of 2013s Lightning Bolt. After what was a core memory for Neukermans, Klinghoffer returned to the stage for Brain Of J and Low Light. Stuverud then hopped back in for Even Flow before giving the reins back to Klinghoffer for Immorality and Do The Evolution. They continued to switch off until they arrived at set closer Rearviewmirror which closed as Mike McCready smashed and tossed his guitar on stage.

Pearl Jam encored with Vedder and Ament on acoustic guitar for a stripped-down Bee Girl. The rest of the band joined them for Smile, Better Man, and a cover of Victoria Williams Crazy Mary which served as the final song of the night with Klinghoffer handling drums. The encore continued with Stuverud for Porch, Alive and finally, The Whos Baba OReilly.

Pearl JamOakland Arena Oakland, Calf.May 13, 2022

Pre-set: Throw Your Arms Around Me

Set: Long Road, Given to Fly, Once, Interstellar Overdrive (Pink Floyd cover), Corduroy, Throw Your Hatred Down (Neil Young cover), Quick Escape, Dissident, W.M.A. (first time since 2016), Mind Your Manners, Brain of J., Low Light, Even Flow, Immortality, Do the Evolution, State of Love and Trust, Seven OClock, Rearviewmirror

Enc.: Bee Girl, Smile, Better Man*, Crazy Mary (Victoria Williams cover), Porch, Alive, Baba ORiley (The Who cover)

Matt Cameron was absent due to COVID-19.

Josh Klinghoffer Tracks 2-6, 12-13, 15-16, 19, 21-23)

Richard Stuverud Tracks (7-10, 14, 17-18, 24-26)

Kai Neukermans Track (11) filled in on drums.

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Pearl Jam Perform with Rotating Drummers in Oakland - jambands.com

Eddie Kingston wants to live forever by participating in the G1 Climax Tournament.

Eddie Kingston bears his soul in everything he does in professional wrestling. It is part of what connects professional wrestling fans to his journey on such a deep level. A huge part of that journey and Eddie Kingstons love of professional wrestling is his fondness for Japanese wrestling. Kingston has openly admitted that he takes a lot of his move set from top Japanese stars such as Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi, and others.

XFL Strikes Multiyear TV Rights Deal With Disney

In a new interview with Sean Ross Sapp, Kingston further explains his love of Japanese wrestling and how he feels about the working relationship between AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling ahead of the Forbidden Door pay-per-view on June 26 and his upcoming match against Tomohiro Ishii at NJPW STRONG Capital Collision.

I dont think people fully understand. Yes, my favorite wrestling was All Japan during the 90s. But I watched New Japan as well, Kingston explained. Cause I remember the Three Musketeers. I remember Keiji Muto, aka the Great Muta, who was the first Japanese wrestler I ever saw. Then, of course, theres Masahiro Chono. I thought the STF was the deadliest move in the world. I remember Jim Ross screaming about it on commentary and Chono learned it from Lou Thesz. Thats a name you know, even if you have never seen him wrestle. But you know the name. Then you had Shinya Hashimoto, who was just a badass. He was my personal favorite.

I know the history and it means a lot, Kingston continued. Thats why I mentioned Tenryu and Riki Choshu to Ishii, to let him know, I know who trained you, dog. I watched them. I studied them as well. So I know who they are. I know the history. Thats why wipe my feet, of course, and I give a kiss to the logo in the middle of the ringtake my hand, put a little kiss on it. out of respect. It feels great. All that political stuff, I didnt see it. As soon as I was able to work with AEW, and I was lucky enough and blessed enough to do it, STRONG hit me up a couple of weeks later and AEW, even before this working relationship, was like, Yeah, okay. Do it. So I never saw all the political side. But for those that did, sorry. Now you dont have to see it.

Speaking more directly about the Forbidden Door event and concept, Kingston size that in his two decades in wrestling, he has never seen promotions come together the way so many have in recent years.

Its amazing. Its an amazing feeling. In my twenty-year career, I have never seen it like this where everybodys working together, he said. "Theres no political B.S. where, I dont like this person because of whatever. Its, Oh, you want to do the show? Fine, go make your money or Thats a really good match-up. Maybe we can show it here. Everybodys starting to work together, which is what I thought wrestling was. Remember, Im an 80s baby. So I grew up at the tail end of the territories. So I saw, at one point in time, all the territories trying to work together to beat Vince. So I thought thats the way it was supposed to be. Not to beat Vince, but to work together and have more places to work. I think its great. Ive never seen it like this.

Kingston did not want to overthink about his potential position on that card on June 26 because he isn't sure if you will even be booked yet. However, he does name a dream opponent from Japan that he would like to face, Jun Akiyama, who although he was never one of the four pillars of AJPW in the 90s, was always across the ring from Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, Akira Taue, and Toshiaki Kawada, and eventually made a major name for himself when NOAH was formed in the early 2000s.

Kingston also said he would like to face Hiroshi Tanahashi or Yuji Nagata, if given the opportunity.

Well, I already have Ishii at STRONG. So, that was number one for New Japan [Shin Nippon Puroresu]. Hopefully, I said it right. Ishii was the guy," said Eddie. "Tanahashi, to me, saved puroresu at one time. Especially for New Japan. Of course, him. Nagata, of course, cause when that whole run he had with the IWGP title going sixty [minutes] with Chono and other matches, facing off against the shooters during a time period that was a little rough. But he was in there. He was a warrior. But for Forbidden Door, I dont know if it can happen, but if we talk about the Forbidden Door, itd be Akiyama. I know he doesnt work with New Japan or hes not with them, I know hes with DDT, but Forbidden Door, right? Thats what everybody [is]."

For now, Eddie remains hopeful that he will be on the card which will emanate from Chicago's United Center.

Yeah, again, I dont know anything about that. I just say, Hey, this is my dream match or Hey, this is the dude I want to work with. Either Chris Daniels comes back to see me and says, Tony says no or Tony said yes or Tony, when he gets excited, hell tell me yes, he said.

Of course, actually wrestling in Japan again remains a huge goal for Eddie Kingston who has not been in Japan in over a decade. During the interview with Sean, Kingston took the time to say that he wants to compete in the G1 Climax tournament, as he sees that tournament as his chance to live forever.

Yeah. The last time I was in Japan was in 2011 for Osaka Pro, at the time," he recalled. "Yeah, G1 has always been a goal. I was talking to somebody the other night, it was a youngin in the locker roomIm not gonna say whobut I was trying to explain that when I broke in my biggest goals were ECW, right before they closed; All Japan, at the time, before the NOAH split; and then New Japan and I wanted to be in all the tournaments. So, of course, the G1s always a goal. If not this year, then itll be a goal next year. For me, personally, the competitor in me, its not just about being invited to the G1. Its about actually winning. Not just doing good. Not just making it to the finals and other people would be happy about that. No, Im trying to live forever. Im trying to have my legacy live forever, so Im trying to win the whole thing. So G1. Theres your answer. To anyone listeningG1! Lets go.

For now, Eddie Kingston turns his attention to Tomohiro Ishii and their match at NJPW Capital Collision on Saturday, May 14. You can view the updated card here. Fightful will have coverage of the event on Saturday beginning at 8 p.m. ET

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Eddie Kingston Wants To Win An NJPW G1 Climax Tournament And Earn His Squared Circle Immortality - Fightful