For National Authors Day on Nov. 1, the University of Mary Washington is sharing a few of the latest books from faculty authors.

From fields as diverse as English, physics and political science, these professors have penned a new collection of poetry, an expos about the most brilliant of minds and a text that traces the evolution of late-night political humor.

Read on!

Award-winning poetry by Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing Laura Bylenok.

An exploration of transformative thinkers by Professor Emeritus of Physics Bulent Atalay.

A look at late-night political humor co-authored by Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth.

Living Room

By Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing Laura Bylenok Published by University of Nebraska Press, Oct. 1, 2022

Bylenoks most recent book, Living Room, won the Backwaters Prize in Poetry. The text explores life at a cellular level, coaxing readers to slow down and use their senses. The network of poems explores such themes as grief, motherhood, mortality and self by weaving scientific ideas together with ethereal language.

Poems in the collection describe the lived reality of various types of life, including animals, plants and bacteria conjuring lessons in biology, genetics and neurochemistry and also such things as buildings and rocks in a poignantly poetic way.

Language becomes solid, palpable as fruit, reads the books description. Long lines propel breath and push past the lungs capacity.

I wroteLiving Roomas an act of empathy, an attempt to understand being human by trying to put myself into nonhuman experience, Bylenok said.

Language is a tool for understanding our world, and I experiment with perspective and metaphor to get to some sense of self human, non, genetic, generational, fractioned, fragmented that allows being multiple and simultaneously always incomplete. Its a book full of grief and family trauma and a book of forgiveness and self-forgiveness. I wrote it to get at that, to practice listening to the parts of my brain and the world that dont make narrative sense but constitute us nonetheless.

Bylenok also is the author of Warpanda/0. Her poetry has appeared in the likes of Crazyhorse, Guernica, Ninth Letter,Arts & Letters andDIAGRAM. She holds a bachelors degree from the University of Washington, an MFA from the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University, and a Ph.D. in literature and creative writing from the University of Utah.

Beyond Genius: A Journey Through the Characteristics and Legacies of Transformative Minds By Professor Emeritus of Physics Bulent Atalay Published by Pegasus Books, Nov. 7, 2023

In his most recent book, Beyond Genius, Atalay explores the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci, William Shakespeare, Isaac Newton, Ludwig von Beethoven and Albert Einstein, all considered transformative geniuses who redefined their fields or introduced new realms of thought.

The book examines the elusive concept of genius and how these five masterminds seemed to leap effortlessly from one monumental achievement to another. In dissecting their habits and traits, however, Atalay maps their paths to immortality, revealing patterns in their lives and legacies, and finding that the men fit more of a mold than one might imagine.

Where did these masters draw inspiration to produce some of the most stunning achievements in human history? the books description on Amazon asks. Were their brains wired differently than ours?

Atalay is also the author ofMath and the Mona LisaandLeonardos Universe. He was a professor of physics at UMW and, concurrently, an adjunct professor of mathematics at the University of Virginia and a member of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton.

Late-Night in Washington: Political Humor and the American Presidency By Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth Published by Routledge, Sept. 1, 2023

With co-authors S. Robert Lichter and Farah Latif of George Mason University, Farnsworth continues his quest to explore late-night political humor in his most recent book, Late-Night in Washington.

On the heels of his 2019 publication, Late Night With Trump: Political Humor and the American Presidency, Farnsworths new book continues to investigate this celebrated comedic genre and its relation to the United States commander in chief.

Late-Night in Washington cites everything from Richard Nixons appearance onLaugh-Into Donald Trumps avatar onSaturday Night Live, considering also how late-night comedy treats Joe Biden, who arguably offers less comedy fodder than his predecessor.

Using content analysis, public opinion surveys, and other quantitative and qualitative research, this book is for students and scholars of politics and media, as well as political pundits and the general public.

Farnsworth also has authored or co-authored The Nightly News Nightmare: Media Coverage of U.S. Presidential Elections, 1988-2008; Presidential Communication and Character: White House News Management from Clinton and Cable to Twitter and Trump; Spinner in Chief: How Presidents Sell Their Policies and Themselves; The Mediated Presidency: Television News and Presidential Governance and The Global President: International Media and the US Government. He is director of UMWs Center for Media and Leadership Studies.

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Cold-Weather Reading: Cozy Up With UMW Faculty Members' New ... - University of Mary Washington

Ahsoka hasdone the maximum to expand the Star Wars canon. Through Ahsoka, Dave Filoni has brought many ideas and characters that previously existed only in books and animation to live-action, ensuring that the franchise moves forward with endless possibilities for the future.

While the Mortis Gods play a significant role in The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, the wider Star Wars audience that hasnt seen the animated series has little to no knowledge of their existence. Ahsoka changed this and opened a door of possibilities by introducing the Gods of Mortis on Peridea. However, The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels have only introduced 3 of the Morits Gods: the Father, the Son, and the Daughter. That might change in Ahsoka Season 2 as all signs point to the series bringing yet another powerful divine entity from Star Wars Legends to the canon: the Mother.

And whats more, the Mother could be Shmi Skywalker, a character were all very familiar with.

Shmi Skywalker is an important name in Star Wars, and for good reason. Shes Anakin Skywalkers mother, but according to a new theory, there may be more to Shmi Skywalker than we thought. Shmis home planet is unknown, but she and her parents were sold into slavery in 66 BBY. She spent most of her life as a slave on Tatooine and gave birth to Anakin Skywalker in 41 BBY. According to Shmi, Anakin had no father, and she raised him on her own.

Years later, Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano were called to the realm of Mortis by the Father. The Father is the keeper of balance between his children, the Son and the Daughter, both of whom represent the two sides of the Force. The Fathers wish was for Anakin to take his place as he was getting too old for the job. Anakin refused, and after a harrowing ordeal in which all three of the Mortis Gods perished, Anakin and his Jedi friends all escaped Mortis. But according to a new theory, the Father may have called on Anakin because Anakin was his son, and Shmi Skywalker may have been the Mother, or Abeloth, a character from the Star Wars Legends novel Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse.

In Legends, Abeloth was a mortal who became a powerful dark Force entity to achieve immortality. Abeloth was a servant to the 3 Mortis Gods, and as a result of her bond with them, she came to be known as the Mother and completed their family. However, due to her mortality, Abeloth grew fearful of losing her family, which led her to bathe in the Pool of Knowledge and drink from the Font of Power. Her actions corrupted her, and she became so evil that the Father abandoned her and took his children with him. While the Mortis Gods died in the Star Wars Canon, perhaps Abeloth is still out there. Many fans believe that its Abeloth whos calling out to Baylan Skoll on Peridea, and her return could be bad news for the galaxy.

Both Shmi and Abeloth spent most of their lives serving others, and both were abandoned by their families. Both are mother figures, though only Shmi has a biological child. But the question is, whos Anakins father? Did Darth Sidious manipulate the midi-chlorians to create Anakin, or is Anakin someone elses son? Perhaps the Father called Anakin to Mortis because Anakin is his son and, therefore, a demi-God. How could this be possible?

Shmi Skywalker was sold repeatedly and may have ended up on Mortis at some point in her life. However, just like Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka, she has no memory of what happened to her on Mortis. Shmi might have visited Mortis and conceived a child with the Father, but after losing all memory of events there, she started to believe that Anakin had no father.

If true, this explains the importance of Anakin Skywalker as The Chosen One beyond just his role of bringing balance to the Force. Perhaps Anakin wasnt only meant to bring balance to the Force but meant to keep that balance as well. He was the Fathers natural successor because the Father is more than just a divine entity, but family. This completes the family of Mortis Gods, with Shmi representing the missing piece as the Mother or Abeloth. At the end of Ahsoka, Anakin may be doing more than just fulfilling his duties as Ahsokas master. Anakin may also be doing what the Father asked of him and keeping the balance between the dark and light sides of the Force, and this is a role Anakin may have to fulfill for a long time to come.

Whether Shmi has any connection to Abeloth is something only time will tell. However, Abeloth may soon join Star Wars Canon and pose the biggest threat to peace in the galaxy since Darth Sidious.

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Theory: Is Shmi Skywalker actually Abeloth from Legends? - Dork Side of the Force

When a player scores 35 points in a blowout victory over a conference opponent, and in the process claims the all-time Big 10 scoring record and moves into second place on the NCAA all-time scoring list, you don't expect to be talking about how broken her jumper looked.

But it's true: Caitlin Clark's jumper was beat last night. She shot 3-of-12 from three-point range, and all of her other points were scored either at the rim or the free-throw line. She went through an entire game with her signature long-range shots repeatedly finding back rim and air, and still scored 35 points, and still shot 50 percent from the field, and still beat Northwestern by 36. That set of facts speaks to how good, and how complete, of a player Clark has become in her final season as a collegiate athlete, which will end with her sitting alone at the top of all-time scoring list.

There was maybe a time, earlier in Clark's career, when she could have been described as a step-back merchant. But that hasn't been true for a long time, and the performance she put together on Wednesday night was a perfect example of her ability to control a game through any method she desires. Whereas lesser players may have been helpless to stop a dreadful shooting night from pulling them into the muck, Clark took it as a sign to try something else. It was kind of funny to watch: Every time Clark put up a three that missed badly, you could see a look that said Fuck this briefly fall across her face, and then she would spend the next few possessions driving menacingly to the rim, where she would either score, get fouled, or kick out to an open teammate.

The highlight reels that populate TikTok and Instagram would have you believe that the scariest thing a defender can be confronted with in college basketball is Caitlin Clark stepping back and getting ready to launch from near the logo, but the actual stuff of nightmares is Clark grabbing a defensive rebound, seeing a pathway to the opposite rim, and deciding to travel it as quickly and forcefully as possible. It's a part of her game that might get overlooked sometimesand with good reason, those step-backs from the logo are gorgeousbut Clark is a demon in transition and semi-transition. Nobody on Northwestern was quick enough to stay in front of her or strong enough to challenge her in the paint without fouling, and so Clark spent most of her Wednesday night bludgeoning them at the rim, where she scored 16 of her points and got herself to the line 10 times.

Clark is now just 103 points away from the No. 1 spot on the all-time scoring list, which has been occupied by Kelsey Plum since 2017. She has eight games left to play, and is averaging 32 points per game, which means that her claiming of the record is a foregone conclusion barring injury. The scoring record will just be another addition to the absurd constellation of numbers that have come to define Clark's career at Iowa. There's the 27-7-7 she's averaged over the course of her career, the 50 30-point games, the 11 40-point games, and the 15 triple-doubles. All of that adds up not to describe just one of the greatest college basketball players we've ever seen, but a player who has achieved a virtuosity in her sport. That's what was on display on Wednesday night: It wasn't grit or determination or will that allowed Clark to score 35 despite not having the use of her jumper; it was mastery.

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Caitlin Clark Keeps Gliding Towards Immortality - Defector

Fate plans to take revenge on Hado by letting him find him so that he can kill him at last. Berserk of Gluttony Episode 5 will continue Fate's story and reveal how his revenge plan unfolds. The new episode is set to premiere this week.

The final release date of the next episode of the anime will be November 2, 2023, as per the schedule of Crunchyroll. All the episodes of the anime will be found only on the official pages of Crunchyroll. We will be sure to update this section as soon as there is any more detail on this.

The title of the fifth episode of Berserk of Gluttony will be 'To Galla.' In the next outing, Fate may finally confront Hado and exact revenge for his past wrongdoings. Roxy embarks on her perilous mission, facing danger in Galia. Gluttony's hunger for powerful souls could pose a growing threat. Aisha's impending death weighs heavily on Fate's shoulders as he attempts to support Roxy.

Meanwhile, Rafale and Memil continue their quest for immortality, delving deeper into mysterious forces. The future holds uncertainty and danger for the characters in this unfolding story.

The title of the previous episode of Berserk of Gluttony was 'Crowned Beast.' In this episode, we see Fate, known as the Corpse Lich, meeting Roxy at the Hart vineyards, where her mother senses an attraction between them. Kobolds threaten the vineyards, and Fate encounters a mysterious Galian girl. Roxy leads a hunt, unaware of the presence of a deadly Crowned Kobold.

Fate kills the Crowned Kobold, but Gluttony's hunger becomes uncontrollable. Roxy suspects the Galian girl. Aisha, terminally ill, secretly entrusts Fate with supporting Roxy. Gluttony craves more powerful souls, turning one eye red. Hado hunts Fate, and Roxy, manipulated by the Vlericks, accepts a dangerous mission. Rafale and Memil seek immortality in Tenburn. Unable to stop corruption, Fate plans revenge on Hado.

It will be interesting to see what the story brings to the table. At last, keep an eye on Pinkvilla for more intel on this.

ALSO READ:6 Time Travel anime to watch if you can't get enough of Marvel's Loki Season 2 on Disney; Tokyo Revengers, and Steins;Gate are a must watch

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Berserk of Gluttony Episode 5: Fate's revenge; release date, where to watch and more - PINKVILLA

Just outside the city of Clemson, South Carolina, on a two-lane bypass around the main highway into town, stands Macs Drive-In, a Clemson touchstone for more than half a century. Its tiny, not much bigger than a high-school classroom, and every free surface is covered in Clemson Tiger memorabilia, from glossy photos to autographed pants to a goal post that wraps around one corner.

The Dabo Swinney years have presented a welcome new challenge to the nearly 60-year-old diner: How to fit piles of new championship merchandise into an already-stuffed diner. A championship banner hangs in front of the goalpost. Over in one corner, a photo of a gloating Swinney next to an ACC champion trophy leans against a plastic tiger atop a Toy Taxi claw machine. But the odds are very good that there wont be many relics of the 2023 Tigers adorning the walls of Macs anytime soon.

Theres a sign that hangs throughout Clemsons football palace, too: Best is the Standard. In Swinneys tenure, theyve hit that standard more often than not. Clemson has exactly one losing season: his second, in 2010, when the Tigers finished 6-7. Since then, Clemson has won double-digit games every single year, captured two national championships and seven of the past eight ACC championships.

But the Tigers are now in a full-on headed-for-the-guardrails skid. As recently as last year, Clemson was 8-0 in the ACC, but losses to Notre Dame and South Carolina cost the Tigers a chance at the College Football Playoff. Clemson this year is 4-4, just 2-4 in conference play, and looking as lost as it ever has under Swinneys illustrious reign. Those two ACC wins came against Syracuse and Wake Forest, which have a combined conference record of 1-8. Clemsons other two wins have come against 4-4 Florida Atlantic and Charleston Southern of the FCS.

On the field, quarterbacks D.J. Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik havent matched the national championship standard of Trevor Lawrence and Deshaun Watson. Turnovers have brutalized the Tigers, who can now only watch as Florida State, Duke, North Carolina and NC State race past them up the ACC standings.

Rage and frustration have been simmering for a while now in Clemson, and everything boiled over on Monday night, when Tyler from Spartanburg called into Swinneys radio show and launched himself into college football fan immortality. Tyler needled Swinney into a defensive, defiant five-minute rant both justifying his own accomplishments and ripping those who would doubt him and his team.

"The expectation is greater than the appreciation. And that's the problem, Swinney seethed. "We've won 12 10-plus-win seasons in a row. That's happened three times in 150 years. So if you wanna know why. Clemson ain't sniffed a national championship for 35 years. We've won two in seven years. And there's only two other teams that can say that: Georgia and Alabama. OK?"

Its a long, hard fall for a school that was trading haymakers with kaiju like Alabama and Ohio State so recently that its current seniors were freshmen. Put it this way: At this point in the season, nobodys paying attention to the 10th-place teams in the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 or Pac-12 anymore. Yes, Clemson is now in the company of Auburn, Northwestern, Texas Tech and Cal. Maybe the Pride of Spartanburg did Clemson a favor, or maybe Tyler just reminded everyone of how far from grace this years squad now stands.

Its entirely possible that Swinney used Tyler from Spartanburg as a handy motivational catapult, much like a baseball manager getting himself thrown out of a game to fire up his team. Consensus seems to have coalesced on the idea that Tyler was pretty harsh given the woeful state of Clemson before Swinney but also that its perfectly fine to expect better than 4-4 out of a coach with an eight-figure annual salary.

Assessments of whats gone wrong with Clemson center on a few key facts: Swinneys reluctance to look outside the Tiger family for help, his deep aversion to the transfer portal, the programs failure to produce stars who can achieve greatness out of the gate the way Lawrence, Watson and Travis Etienne did. Swinney is like a poker player who once held a mountain of chips and is now down to a handful; he can play his way back into the game, but hell have to be smart, disciplined and opportunistic in a way hes never been before.

In the wake of Mondays spectacle, this weekends game takes on a whole new meaning. Notre Dame arrives in Death Valley a three-point favorite in a matchup that surely looked a whole lot more appealing a few years ago when it was scheduled. Now its just a chance for two dented blue-chip programs to burnish their reputations at the others expense.

When someone writes the story of the Swinney Years at Clemson, the Tyler from Spartanburg Incident might be the spark that gets Clemson fired up again, or the last splash of water that doused whatever flickering flame was left. We wont know for a while yet, but well get a sense over the next few games; after the Irish, Clemson faces Georgia Tech, North Carolina and South Carolina with a bowl bid and self-respect still on the line.

The question now is whether Clemson under Swinney will have more high points to look forward to or whether it will have to be content with all the memorabilia of past glories.

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Dabo Swinney and Clemson have our attention again, but can they ... - Yahoo Sports

Lebron James' infamous "Cramp Game" jersey worn during Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals will be sold at Infinite Auctions!  Marketscreener.com

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Lebron James' infamous "Cramp Game" jersey worn during Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals will be sold at Infinite Auctions! - Marketscreener.com

Much of the plot is shown through secret footage the player reveals by manipulating the footage from the films, TV interviews, etc.; because of this, the plot progresses in a non-chronological, broken narrative format. This synopsis follows chronological order.

Two immortal beings, "The One" and "The Other", predate humanity and are able to live indefinitely by taking on the forms of humans and living their lives. This ostensibly ends the human's life, though elements of their personalities and memories mingle with the beings' own personalities and memories. Their kind's numbers have dwindled since human civilization began. They can regenerate from being killed, though some methods, especially burning, are implied to be physically permanent.

The One is fascinated with humanity, particularly their proclivities for sex, violence, and art. The Other is ambivalent toward Humanity, seeing them as inferior copies of the immortal beings, and believes that the immortals and humans should exist separate from each other. However, they indulge The One in their exploration of humanity.

The One becomes Marissa Marcel, a French girl who is implied to have been mortally wounded by German soldiers in World War II and absorbed by The One as a mercy. In 1968 she auditions and is awarded a role in Ambrosio, a film based on the gothic novel The Monk by Matthew Lewis. During filming she becomes romantically involved with director of photography John Durick. The film's director, Arthur Fischer, steals the negatives, which prevents the film from ever being released.

Two years later, John directs Minsky, a detective story set in New York City's avant-garde art world. Marissa is lead and co-writer. The Other takes the form of lead actor Carl Greenwood. While filming a scene, Marissa shoots and kills Carl with a prop gun at point blank range. To the rest of the cast and crew, this appears to be a tragic accident; the truth is that The One intentionally killed The Other. Carl's death causes filming to halt, and the film is never released. Marissa reveals to John her and Carl's true natures as immortals, and that she killed Carl. John is horrified by this, which disappoints The One. They kill John and takes on his form, shedding Marissa's form. The general public assumes Marissa became a recluse.

Nearly 30 years later, Fischer gives the negatives from Ambrosio to John in an attempt to free himself from deathbed regrets. The nostalgia causes The One to remember Marissa fondly and take on her form simultaneously with John's form, essentially existing in two bodies at once. Meanwhile, actress Amy Archer watches footage of Carl's death, which allows The Other to take her form. John, Marissa, and Amy begin work on a new film, Two of Everything, where pop star Maria allows her coincidentally-identical body double Heather to take her place at a billionaire's birthday party. John directs and Marissa plays both Maria and Heather (paralleling The One's attempt to exist as two people). Amy plays the billionaire's wife who has Heather murdered, thinking she is Maria, to cover up an attempted rape by her husband. During filming, Marissa is sometimes unresponsive and suffers nosebleeds, and both she and John occasionally collapse in exhaustion. John is frequently absent during filming, implying that he vanishes when The One cannot maintain both forms. Amy pleads with Marissa to take breaks, but Marissa rebuffs her concerns. In the movie's last-filmed scene, Marissa spontaneously bleeds from her head. The One asks the Other to help her die onscreen as The Other did, and therefore become truly immortalized in film. Amy films herself burning an inert Marissa's body. Two of Everything never finishes filming.

The grid containing the clips they've collected during the game slowly disappears, revealing the face of The One. They tell the player they are "part of you, now," implying the player is their new host.

Immortality received "generally favorable" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.[12][13]

In an early review due to its print format, Edge awarded Immortality a perfect 10/10 score, the 24th game in its history to do so.[25]

In addition, Immortality has been praised for its acting performances, notably that of Manon Gage, who has received critical acclaim for her performance as Marissa Marcel. Edge called her performance "outstanding." Vulture's Lewis Gordon called it "a knockout performance."[26] PJ O'Reilly of Pure Xbox said Gage "provides a core performance that marks her out as an absolute superstar in the making."[27] Vice's Cameron Kunzelman noted: "...watching Gage play Marcel playing these characters is like watching someone juggle while riding a unicycle in the middle of the Indy 500, and she does it perfectly and without breaking a sweat. Its really something."[28]

Charlotta Mohlin has also been praised for her performance, with Edge calling her "remarkable",[25] and Tristan Ogilvie of IGN calling her "spellbinding."[29] Well Played AU's James Wood said "[Mohlin's] work is something I will be thinking about for years to come."[30] Nate Hermanson of Video Games Are Good noted Mohlin "[makes] us cry, laugh, shudder, and blush in almost every scene she [is] in."[31]

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Immortality (video game) - Wikipedia

The human mind knows no boundary not even the universe. Welcome to the world of metaverse a world designed by the human mind. Its delivering experiential and immersive environments to learn, enjoy, interact, collaborate, create and trade. Its a world thats witnessing massive technological advancements and an ever-expanding bouquet of use cases.

At its core, the metaverse allows an individual to do things that might be improbable in the physical world. Its also an avenue to experience the internet in an alternate and augmented form. While the gaming industry has been at the forefront of its adoption, its embrace is unlikely to exclude any. An avatar and its real-world alter ego, exhibit undivided attention while absorbing the contents of this virtual world a dream come true scenario for advertisers. Doctors can learn intricate procedures while operating on digital twins. A breakdown on the factory floor could be analyzed by experts from around the world using a photorealistic virtual environment. An avatar empowered by AI/ML technologies can even self-learn. One can not only enjoy a Justin Bieber show, but also own a house next to his. All this is now within the realm of possibility in a metaverse. Or should we call it a multiverse?

The Business Opportunity

Interestingly, avatars arent, just yet, capable of moving into a different universe, necessitating the need for multiple identities. Blockchain based solutions that delink the underlying data layer from the application layer, could hold the key to this problem. The content, platforms, technology, governance, interoperability standards, security features etc. for the metaverse are in their infancy. It represents the next wave of digitalization opportunity for technology companies. Producers, far and wide, with computing power, devices, software, experience, NFT and content, will partake in this opportunity, which promises to be as large as the internet itself. The world will increasingly see tie-ups like the one that has been announced between Nvidia and Siemens to harness the potential of the metaverse.

With the absence of a universal standard, every enterprise is building its own version of the multiverse. Since the metaverse is going to be built from scratch, its music to the ears of Indian tech majors. It plays into their strength of custom developing solutions. For greater worldwide adoption, cost will be an important consideration, and the depreciating rupee keeps Indian IT perpetually cost competitive. No wonder, according to Xpheno, at last count, there were already 55K open job positions for metaverse related solutions in India alone.

The Governance Conundrum

There are, of course, two sides to any coin. The risks of a digital divide, addiction, AR induced depression, VR hangovers etc. are all real concerns. What fascinates me even more are the challenges around crime and punishment in a virtual world. If an avatar misbehaves in the metaverse, who needs to be held accountable the platform, the creator or the avatar? Remember, in an AI/ML world, an avatar can self-learn and can potentially act without the creators consent. How would we deal with crimes that spillover from the metaverse into the physical world say a Blue Whale equivalent? Would there now be a digital police force? Given that metaverse is digital, which countrys jurisdiction would apply to prosecute any misdemeanor? Maybe it is a fit case to apply the law of high seas, where the laws of the country where the ship is registered is used to prosecute a crime committed on that ship, while sailing in international waters. In essence, the domicile of the platform would determine the jurisdiction.

At an individual level, what degree of IP protection could be offered to an avatar? Will it pertain to the physical features or even around its behavioral characteristics? Think of a virtual Gabbar Singh. Since an avatar can outlive its creator, besides inheritance, it brings into play moral and ethical considerations. One can immortalize a digital twin, but what if the originator thought otherwise?

The Road Ahead

A generational change in technology is upon us. What direction it takes from here, and how long it takes to become mainstream is still a trillion-dollar question. What is certain is that it would be more than the internet in 3D. Enterprises would vie to shape its evolution rather than be shaped by it. Analysts are already predicting revenues from the metaverse to exceed US $ 10 trillion by 2030. McKinsey has estimated a cumulative investment of US $ 120 billion by funds and enterprises within the first five months of this year itself. While death and taxes have been certain, the metaverse promises a sliver of immortality in the ether.

Views expressed above are the author's own.

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Immortality in the Metaverse - Times of India

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There's a reason Immortality is getting a cult reputation since it was released back in August. An FMV game that's also one of the best movies and TV miniseries of 2022. just came out whose plot is the mystery of what happened to a promising young actress named Marissa Marcel. She starred in three movies, one in the 1960s (an adaptation of the real-life 1796 gothic novel The Monk, no less), an erotic thriller in 1970, and a psychological thriller in the 90s, all never released. Each movie is shot in the style of their era: 1960s Eurotrash-arthouse exploitation,1970s psychological thrillers (explicitly referencing Klute but also pulling the plot from Basic Instinct, 1990s Cinemax-style exploitation thrillers with a vague feminist edge and David Lynch.

Immortality can get tedious. You, the player, comb through the "recovered" footage of the three unreleased movies to piece to find out what the movies were about, who the lead actress is, and what happened to her. The mystery of Marissa Marcel ties it all together. It's too long to be a single movie, which puts it in the realm of a TV miniseries. There are at least six layers of meaning and theme operating here. You click on an object, pixel-hunting to unlock more clips, so if you're just playing a game, you might get frustrated. If you immerse yourself into the rabbit hole of the movies and what's going on underneath, that's where you might get hooked. Menon Gage gives possibly the most layered performance of the year, grounding the whole story as she acts in different styles specific to their genres and time periods, on top of the evolution of Marissa Marcel from fresh-faced ingenue to increasingly jaded but ambitious artist as well as the fiction characters Marissa plays in the three movies.

To anyone who's ever worked on movies or been on a set, the whole cast gives utterly authentic performances as professionals on a set. The behind-the=scenes drama of mounting tensions, the abusive personalities, the predatory directors, the commentary on the abuse and exploitation of women in the industry, and the lasting damage it does is the story's biggest theme. These women's thoughts, emotions, and revenge is also the payoff. The three movies, Ambrosio, Minsky, and Two of Everythingaren't jokey spoofs like FMV games often are. They're co-written by Allan Scott, who wrote for Nic Roeg and most recently The Queen's Gambit, Amelia Gray, a writer on Mr. Robot, Maniac and Gaslit, and Barry Gifford, author of Wild at Heart and collaborator of David Lynch, who worked with director Sam Barlow to make them feel true. Each movie is shot with an aspect ratio and color scheme that replicates era-specific film stock and design. All these elements come together to make us feel immersed in the story more than the clicky gameplay. Players to engaged as audience members, observers rather than gamers, forced to think about their own relationship to movies, particularly sex, nudity, and the predatory impulses behind the camera that drive the male gaze. What you find is a story of heartbreak and tragedy in the pursuit of Art over more than 30 years.

More than one YouTube commentator has cut together videos that line up the clips in a linear manner to explain clearly the three movies and what happened to Marissa Marcel on the literal, surface level. It is an example of Gnostic storytelling where there is a hidden meaning to the world. To spoil that final mystery is to deprive you of the pleasure of discovering it yourself. It is meant to be found first by accident while you play, then it reveals itself more consistently once you know where and how to look for it. It is as strange and mysterious and immersive as Neil Gaiman's The Sandman and the works of David Lynch, both already proponents of Gnostic storytelling. It's a meta-commentary about filmmaking and creating art and their parasitic nature. It's really about trying to achieve immortality through Art.

Immortality is now out on Xbox Game Pass and Steamand will be on Netflix's mobile games platform for iOS and Android phones and tablets, which points to it being a game/movie/TV show binge hybrid.

Review by Adi Tantimedh

9/10

Sam Barlow's latest FMV game Immortality is his most ambitious yet, a meditation and deconstruction of filmmaking, the creation of Art and the exploitation of women in the film industry as players uncover a decades-spanning mystery filled with heartbreak and tragedy.

Also Available On

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Review: Immortality The Game Is The Best Movie & TV Series Of 2022 - Bleeding Cool News

In addition to its effects on the immune system and quality of life, reishi mushroom has been studied for its potential to improve other aspects of health.

One 12-week study of 26 people showed that reishi mushroom may increase good HDL cholesterol and decrease triglycerides (26).

However, other research in healthy adults showed no improvement in these heart disease risk factors (10).

Moreover, a large analysis demonstrated no beneficial effects for heart health after examining five different studies containing around 400 people. The researchers found that consuming reishi mushroom for up to 16 weeks did not improve cholesterol (27).

Overall, more research is needed in regard to reishi mushrooms and heart health.

Several studies have indicated that molecules found in the reishi mushroom can decrease blood sugar in animals (28, 29).

Some preliminary research in humans reported similar findings (30).

However, the majority of research has not supported this benefit. After evaluating hundreds of participants, researchers found no benefits for fasting blood sugar (27).

Mixed results were seen for blood sugar after meals. In some cases, reishi mushroom lowered blood sugar, but in other cases, it was worse than a placebo.

Again, more research is needed here as well.

Antioxidants are molecules that can help prevent damage to your cells (31).

Because of this important function, there is substantial interest in foods and supplements that can enhance antioxidant status in the body.

Many claim that reishi mushroom is effective for this purpose.

However, several studies have found no change in the levels of two important antioxidant enzymes in the blood after consuming the fungus for 4 to 12 weeks (10, 26).

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6 Benefits of Reishi Mushroom (Plus Side Effects and Dosage) - Healthline

Its striking to watch this in such close proximity to Andrew Dominiks Blonde, another tale of Hollywood predation centered around a fictionalized, brutalized Marilyn Monroe. For my money, "Immortality" has far more to say about the voyeuristic nature of the film camera and the leering male eyes that look through it. We watch Marissa in various states of vulnerability and undress (sex and nudity are major components of the first two films, in particular), sometimes encouraged by Marissa but inevitably colored by the power dynamics of the men she works with. In so doing, we understand the carnivorous way Fischer and Durick look at Marissa and see it reflected in ourselves. As our eyes scan footage of her frame-by-frame, or you click on an exposed breast to match-cut to another scene of the same, its hard not to feel complicit in that same consumption.

And Barlow, much like Dominik in Blonde, is hardly immune from criticism on that front. Whether Marilyn or Marissa, both figures revel in the transgressive nudity of their subjects under the guise of critiquing the male gaze that hungers for it so ravenously.

Beware: major spoilers for a fundamental layer of "Immortality"s gameplay follows.

But what makes "Immortality" more elusive (and consequently more gripping) is that aforementioned third layer, which lies beyond the thin veneer of celluloid that separates reality from the movies. Its subtle at first, that low, bassy thrum that plays over specific stretches of footage. Stop the tape and roll it back slowly, and something akin to a jump scare comes; where Marissa stood, you see a mysterious woman (a haunting, revelatory Charlotta Mohlin) in her place, slinking through the frame like a serpent. Her words are enigmatic and spare but speak volumes, especially as you apply the same trick to more and more clips, uncovering the darker, anguished side of Marissas life as an artist.

Is she something supernatural, the living embodiment of the Greek muses? Is she the metaphorical expression of Marissas sublimated frustrations about the artistic process and her place in it? Blissfully, this element of the game makes room for both interpretations.

Through Mohlins staggering performance, anchored with centuries of pain and hurt, comes "Immortality"s most beautiful moments. This culminates (for me, at least, you can view the proceedings in whatever order you like) in a gut-punch lip-sync of Lou Reeds Candy Saysa mournful love song about transgender woman Candy Darling, one of Andy Warhols superstars (a figure who himself floats in the periphery of Marissas New York artist world).

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Scratching the Celluloid Surface of Sam Barlow's Hollywood Lament Immortality | Video Games - Roger Ebert

It wouldnt be Spooky Season without a new vampire show, and AMC is helping to bring back some of the most beloved vampiric characters of all time. Interview With The Vampire, a new adaptation of the classic Anne Rice novel, is coming to AMC on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 10 p.m. ET. Watch Louis and Lestat come together once again, in an epic story of love, blood, and the perils of immortality with a 5-Day Free Trial of DIRECTV STREAM.

Episodes will air simultaneously on AMC+. The first two episodes will debut on AMC+ on Oct. 2.

A sensuous, contemporary reinvention of Anne Rices revolutionary gothic novel, Interview with the Vampire follows Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid), and Claudia (Bailey Bass) in an epic tale of romance, violence, and the pitfalls of immortality, as told to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian).

Chafing at the limitations of life as a Black man in 1900s New Orleans, Louis finds it impossible to resist the rakish Lestat de Lioncourts offer of the ultimate escape: joining him as his vampire companion. But Louis intoxicating new powers come with a violent price, and the introduction of Lestats newest fledgling, the child vampire Claudia, soon sets them on a decades-long path of revenge and atonement.

Interview With The Vampire has yet to debut, but is generating so much buzz that its already been picked up for a second season.

There are six major streaming providers that offer Live TV Streaming. Five of these providers allow you to watch Interview With The Vampire using iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, and Web. You can stream it with DIRECTV STREAM, fuboTV, Sling TV, Philo, and YouTube TV.

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How to Watch 'Interview With The Vampire' Series Premiere For Free on Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV and Mobile - The Streamable

Marcus Ericsson fears his girlfriend is a bigger fan of the clay bust sculpted by Will Behrends than the actual head on his shoulders. Behrends version of the Indy 500 winner has one major advantage for Iris: It doesnt talk back.

Sitting by the pool in Tryon, North Carolina, where the Swede and Iris were joking with each other and relaxing on Tuesday, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver took a few moments to reflect on his life-changing victory in May that led him to take part in one of the events final traditions in posing for Behrends and having his likeness added to the $3 million BorgWarner trophy.

I was impressed, Ericsson told RACER. Hes done a good job. This is the cool thing with the 500, all the traditions and all the things you get to do after winning. And this is probably one of the very coolest things with this sculpture and getting your face on the trophy. I think thats pretty incredible and pretty unique in the sporting world.

Indy 500 winners have a few days to celebrate the achievement before returning to the IndyCar circuit and racing the following weekend. With the season now over, Ericssons enjoying the opportunity to continue celebrating the win without the pressures of driving the No. 8 Honda to worry about.

Its tough, because you go straight from the 500 and the season gets so intense from then onwards with so many races, and obviously, I was right in the thick of that championship hunt for the rest of the year, he said. So you have to put all your efforts into that. And you put so much focus and determination to try and win that championship, its a bit hard to really enjoy and embrace the fact that I won the 500.

So going on a trip like this, and going through this whole process with the sculpturing, its been a new chance to enjoy the result we had in May. And its not confirmed yet, but I think we might get to bring the BorgWarner trophy to Sweden, so that would be amazing.

Ericsson had the honor of being Behrends 33rd Indy 500 winner to sit for the BorgWarner trophy. Hes also becoming accustomed to being introduced as the winner of the worlds biggest open-wheel race.

I think the biggest change since winning is just the fact that you will always be presented as the Indy 500 winner and thats going to be with me for the rest of my life, he said. And also, in the racing industry, you move up a lot of steps and also with the fans because of the 500 Theres been a lot more focus on me, which is different, but Im very proud of what we achieved.

We had a plan going into the month of May and we would follow that plan and execute that plan to perfection. Really, we were strong all month, we did an excellent race and it was just it was just all those things combined for Chip Ganassi Racing. So doing this sculpture and knowing it will be on the trophy for all of us forever, it just makes what we did even more special.

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Ericsson takes another step towards BorgWarner Trophy immortality - RACER

Baseball fans could be treated to a double-dose of home run immortality this week, as both Aaron Judge and Albert Pujols are closing in on historic milestones.

In the Bronx, Judges incredible season for the New York Yankees rolls on, as he enters play Tuesday with 59 home runs on the campaign. Judge belted a pair of home runs for the New York Yankees on Sunday, in the Yankees 12-8 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, leaving him just two shy of Roger Maris American League record of 61 home runs in a season, set back in 1961.

Judges second blast on Sunday was a no-doubter off the bat, as you can tell by the reaction from Brewers pitcher Luis Perdomo:

As you can hear from the crowd after that moon shot, the calls for Judge to win American League Most Valuable Player continue to grow. Judge leads the league in a number of offensive categories, including on-base percentage (.419), slugging percentage (.701) and on-base plus slugging (1.120). His 59 home runs leads the majors, and also puts him 20 home runs ahead of Kyle Schwarber, who ranks second in baseball with 39 home runs.

But perhaps the best case for Judges MVP candidacy comes via Wins Above Replacement. Heading into play Tuesday, Judges WAR of 9.6 leads the league, putting him ahead of Shoehei Ohtanis mark of 8.7.

It is also the highest since the 10.7 posted by Mookie Betts during the 2018 season, when he won MVP.

Then there is Pujols, who is closing in on one of baseballs most elite clubs: The 700 club.

Currently, that elite club has just three members: Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth. Pujols is on the cusp of joining them. After a slow start to the season, Pujols locked in as August began, and has 12 home runs since August 10th. On that date, Pujols launched a solo shot off Austin Gomber of the Colorado Rockies, kicking off his late-season hot streak at the plate.

On Friday night, Pujols launched this rocket to deep left off Raynel Espinal of the Cincinnati Reds, giving him 19 home runs on the season, and 698 for his career:

The week ahead should give Judge ample opportunities to reach Maris mark. The Yankees kickoff a homestand tonight, starting with a quick two-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates are expected to start Luis Ortiz on the mound Tuesday night, having just recalled him to Pittsburgh after an injury to J.T. Brubaker, and Roansy Contreras on Wednesday.

Judge has yet to face either pitcher this year, but Ortiz, the young flamethrower, has bounced around between AA, AAA and the Pirates this season. Contreras, another younger arm in the Pittsburgh organization, has spent time at both AAA and with the major league club this season. In just over 83 inning of work with the Pirates, Contreras has allowed ten home runs.

Should Judge get through this two-game set with the Pirates without notching another home run, hell get his chance against the Yankees bitter rivals when the Boston Red Sox come to town for a four-game series, the final meeting between the rivals this season. Judge has 5 home runs in 14 games against Boston this season, and two of those came against Nick Pivetta, slated to start for the Red Sox on Saturday.

Pujols might face a tougher road to reach his milestone, at least in the early part of the week. The Cardinals travel west to start a West Coast swing, starting with three games against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mike Clevinger gets the ball for the Padres on Tuesday night, and Pujols has just a single hit in 14 career at-bats against him. Wednesday night will see lefty Blake Snell on the bump for San Diego, and Pujols has just one hit off Snell in his ten career at-bats.

His best chance might come Thursday, when Joe Musgrove is expected to get the call for the Padres. Pujols homered off Musgrove back in April of 2017, when he was with the Los Angeles Angels.

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Aaron Judge, Albert Pujols closing in on baseball immortality - SB Nation

Aaron Judge has achieved baseball immortality, and yet he wants more. The New York Yankees star has already reached the exclusive 60-HR season club a few days ago. With almost two weeks left in the season, though, many are rooting for Judge to break the 71-HR record set by San Francisco Giants star Barry Bonds.

Another Judge story, though, will pique Giants fans interest. The Yankees star is set to be a free agent in the 2023 offseason. Because of that, Barry Bonds is campaigning for Aaron Judge to join the San Francisco Giants instead. Its certainly going to be an intriguing move if it happens. (via Yahoo! Sports)

I hope he (Aaron Judge) signs here (with the Giants), Bonds said. Can it happen? I dont know. It depends on what the Yankee payroll is. But we would love to have him, Ill tell you that. We in the Bay Areahes a Bay Area boywe hope they dont sign him, and we can get him, Bonds said. I would. Hes that good.

Indeed, Aaron Judge grew up in California, and even grew up as a Giants fan. Nabbing the hometown hero would be a massive win for San Francisco, especially after this disastrous season. A year removed from their magical 100-win season, the team has been completely mediocre, and is in danger of missing the playoffs.

The Giants will have plenty of competitors for Judges services, thats for sure. The Yankees, of course, will try their hardest to keep their star. Other teams such as the Red Sox, the Dodgers, and the Padres could be in the running as well.

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Barry Bonds delivers Aaron Judge take that Giants fans will love - ClutchPoints

Everyone wants to live forever. Few, if any, of us will ever achieve such a thing, but its not for lack of trying. Well try every new miracle cure, every wellness fadessential oils, stuffing lord knows what into who-knows-where, generally following the dubious influence of people more attractive than we are. Because if they look like that, then surely theres something valid to this outlandish claim, we think, overlooking the fact that theyre 20 years younger than we are and born with a silver IV drip.

You cant outrace death, which is in part where the idea of a church promising eternal paradise comes ina personal network thatll help reserve you a seat in the afterlife. If death is a certainty, then people can hardly be faulted for not only holding fast to the idea that something elsesomething better, evenis still yet to come, but that we can maneuver our way to the right place. In more far-fetched scenarios, theres also resurrection and reincarnation, but in the event that our bodies eventually break down, and the next plane is a bust, theres always immortality the old fashioned way: Living a legend that exists well after youre gone.

Short of being bit by a vampirejurys still out on that onethe last way is the most achievable way to immortality, but its by no means easy. The shelf-life on a posthumous legend is roughly a generation or two. We typically reserve the plaques and the monuments for those who changed history in some way, and not always necessarily for the bestworld leaders, pioneers in groundbreaking fields, explorers, heroes, saints. But even celebrities arent immune to fading into historys unforgiving ether. Shakespeare made it a few centuries and The Beatles probably have a good shot at being remembered in whatevers left of our world a few hundred years from now. But the rest of us probably wont be so lucky to have documentaries made about our lives and books written about us. And as much as we try to leave an impression through digital means, the Internet isnt forever. Take it from someone whos had to remind himself to download PDF copies of the stories written for websites that no longer exist.

Dying young, however, has an ironic way of making immortality seem strangely closer to achievable. Its in the morbid glamour of the 27 clubartists gone before their time, such as Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Kurt Cobain, who feel permanently ingrained in our popular culture. In fact, there was once an entire genre of song based around young lovers meeting tragic ends at the end of a fiery speedway. It began with the Cheers Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots in 1955, eerily just before the untimely death of James Dean, and continued through the following decade through songs like Dead Mans Curve, Last Kiss and, most famously, 60s girl group The Shangri-Las morbid hit Leader of the Pack.

Leader of the Pack is one of the most popular examples of a teenage tragedy song, alternately known as splatter platters. They were a bit like murder ballads but produced for a youth demographic, romantic in their depictions of car wrecks and airplane crashes and other manner of grisly demise. Sometimes with a class ring still on their hand, in the case of Teen Angel, or given a touch of ghostly effects in Johnny Remember Me. And occasionally, like in Jody Reynolds Endless Sleep, they survive in a last minute twistthough Reynolds original version was written with a tragic ending, his label (Demon Records, interestingly enough) thought it too depressing to release as is.

Leader of the Pack is also a work of fiction. Written by Brill Building songwriters George Shadow Morton, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwhich, supposedly after consuming a bottle of champagne and some cigars. Intended as a follow-up for the groups prior single Remember (Walking in the Sand), it tells a fairly simple story of love between a girl and her ill-fated, motorcycle-straddling misfit suitorthink Arthur Fonzarelli but more of a reckless rider. The song is heavy with the sounds of revving hogswhich the group replicated in their own performances, supposedly by bringing an actual motorcycle backstageand dripping with teenage naivet.

The songs most famous line is arguably its first: Is she really going out with him? Borrowed by Joe Jackson and The Damned, its become an oft-repeated pop culture reference point, one of the great opening lines in popular music, but here its intended as an innocent bit of adolescent gossip that slowly walks us into a familiar story between narrator Betty and her hellraiser boyfriend Jimmy. Girl falls for bad boy (My folks were always putting him down (down, down)/They said he came from the wrong side of town), girl breaks it off with bad boy because dads being uncool (and pretty classist, it would seem), bad boy speeds off toward his imminent doom (As he drove away on that rainy night/I begged him to go slow, whether he heard/Ill never know). And with a Look out, look out, look out!, and a climactic instrumental crash, Jimmys story comes to a violent end. Or as Barry in High Fidelity puts it, The guy fuckin beefs it on his motorcycle and dies, right?

Strange as it might have been for youth audiences to be as enamored with the idea of songs about loved ones getting mangled in wrecks 60 years ago, its not exactly a mystery why Leader of the Pack became a hit song, reaching as high as number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Its catchy! I dont imagine there are many of us who wouldnt recognize the title hooktheres immortality for you!and it essentially follows the basic rules of a great pop song, in and out in less than three minutes, memorable chorus, simple melody, dont keep the audience waiting for the hook, and so on. But its also a very weird song in some respects. There are a lot of spoken word parts, and the reverb-laden middle section in which Betty says goodbye to the doomed Jimmy feels pretty weird to sandwich into an otherwise upbeat pop song, but then again, its a pop song about rowdy teenagers meeting an untimely demise, so I suppose it fits. You can hear its echoes on an album like Bat for Lashes The Bride, which uses similar aesthetics in an album that turns the trope upside down by spending most of it working through the aftermath and the grief. And, to a lesser extent, Fucked Ups David Comes to Life.

Leader of the Pack and the many other teenage tragedy songs of the 60s are connected Stagger Lee or Ode to Billie Joe in that they essentially descend from a similar folk tradition of grim and tragic narratives told through song. In fact, folk music had something of a resurgence in popular music at the time, which also saw murder ballads like Tom Dooley, popularized by The Kingston Trio, made into contemporary favorites. The difference is perhaps in the marketabilitythe songwriters behind Leader of the Pack and Dead Mans Curve saw a listenership that craved this macabre romanticism, likely in part because it echoes the inevitable sense of rebellion that every American teenager will at some point embrace. Sure, Jimmys dead, but at least he didnt have to ride his motorcycle responsibly. Safety is for squares.

But maybe theres another, more hopeful explanation is the one that goes back to the idea of immortalitythat if you go out in a fiery inferno with your engagement ring still on, or you lose control of your speedster so you can win your best girls affection, perhaps the tale is just too good not to turn into a song. Sure, eternal youth comes at a cost, but its a lot harder to sell a song about growing old and being forgotten.

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"Leader of the Pack" and the Teenage Tragedy Song | Treble - Treble

By Jacob Lev, CNN

With back-to-back home runs Friday, St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols became the fourth player in Major League Baseball history to hit 700 career home runs.

After hitting his 699th career homer in the 3rd inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pujols hit a three-run blast in his next at-bat in the 4th inning to achieve baseball immortality.

Dodger Stadium erupted in cheers as Pujols rounded the bases, and his Cardinals teammates came to greet him outside the dugout as he crossed home plate. Pujols saluted the crowd and Dodgers players showed their respect to the 42-year-old legend.

Pujols joins Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron as the only players to hit 700 home runs or more in their careers.

Pujols is also the second player in MLB history to join the 3,000-hit and 700-home run club, along with Aaron.

Earlier this month, Pujols passed Alex Rodriguez for fourth on the all-time home runs list, hitting his 697th home run.

The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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Albert Pujols becomes the 4th player in MLB history to hit 700 career home runs - kuna noticias y kuna radio

Lizzie Conklin

The soul of man is immortal and imperishable Plato

Resurrection and rebirth remain a mainstay of ancient mythology and modern tropiness; Achilles was carried from the flames of his funeral pyre into immortality, the nymph Daphne lived on as a sacred laurel tree and that dog in A Dogs Purpose kept dying and being reborn as a new dog in order to find its original owner (full disclosure, I once sobbed to this movie on a plane). Recently, the clich found a new home; on Sept. 7, influencer and My Chemical Romance-cosplayer Trisha Paytas announced on Twitter, 1 cm dilated! Woo hoo! The next day, the United Kingdoms Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch in history, died peacefully at Balmoral. Social media was ablaze with joking speculation that the Queen would be reincarnated as Paytass then-unborn child.

But alas, Trish was still pregnant. On Sept. 9, she took to Instagram herself, writing Sorry to the royal family and my baby alongside a picture of her bump. But the momentum had taken off; the internet had latched onto the joke. As so often happens, the bit took on a life of its own, entirely separate from the verity of the situation.

The jokes inception can be traced to TikTok. On Feb. 14, Paytas announced she was pregnant. Two days later, a video describing how Elizabeth was holding on for dear life so she doesnt get reincarnated as Trisha Paytas baby went viral on the platform. The joke eventually died out, before roaring back to life in early September, when a flurry of memes about the alleged reincarnation of the Queen as Malibu Barbie Paytas-Hacmon flooded the internet.

Its no secret that meme culture has risen to internet prominence over the last decade as a pithy, short-form way to spread jokes and news around the online world; a friend admitted to me yesterday that she found out about Brexit via a meme (she lives in London). Memes are often downplayed as silly, brainless or inane. Yet, as with any form of media, they say something about the culture they arise from.

The Queen Elizabeth memes struck me not just because some of them were really funny and also in really poor taste, but because on some level they signal the enduring influence of the late monarch. The fact that the Queens death pervaded a form of pop culture so quintessential to Gen Zs online experience speaks both to her undeniable importance over the past century and to modern disillusionment with aristocracy.

Its no secret that Gen Z has caught on to the anti-imperialist tide. Various memes reference Queen Elizabeths death with jokes about the contestants on RuPauls Drag Race, a photoshopped picture of the Lisa Rinna M&M at Balmoral and that one really funny photo of an old lady in a lavender coat clinging onto a wrought-iron fence. You know the one.

And, of course, Malibu Barbie Paytas-Hacmon. The very equating of the late queen with the daughter of Trisha Paytas who is known for controversy-laden mukbangs, an OnlyFans account called OnlyTrish and a song called I Love You Jesus which sounds exactly like youd expect it to feels like a sign of the times.

The essence of the joke, of course, lies in its irreverence. To insert the 96-year-old monarch into the life of a YouTuber with an EP called Daddy Issues and a My Strange Addiction episode where she comes out as a tanning addict is to disparage the validity of the monarchy, to relegate it to the recesses of KnowYourMeme.com.

I first intended to write a jokey POV about the Queen waking up in baby Malibu Barbies body; in fact, I latched onto the idea with a borderline-sadistic excitement. But upon sitting down to write it, the joke had lost some of its hold on me. Maybe its just because I really love The Crown, or because I watched one too many funny Queen moments TikTok compilations, or because her dogs are really cute, but I think I harbor a respect for the Queen that I wasnt aware of until I tried to undercut it so openly.

Though entangled with the ethical concerns of her seat, the Queen carried herself with finesse and grace through a job that I thought I would love at age six but now, frankly, sounds really hard and annoying. It remains to be seen what will come of the British monarchy, and I will keep laughing at baby Malibus rumored ascension to the throne, but I cant quite bring myself to be the one making the jokes.

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God Save the Meme - Yale Daily News

For 16 former NFL stars that we were lucky enough to see in the kelly green or midnight green of the Philadelphia Eagles (some longer than others), the journey to football immortality is one step closer. The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 129 modern-era nominees earlier this week. Each name belongs to a man that is worthy of the honor, but if were being honest, if you bleed green, were pulling for some guys a lot harder than were pulling for others.

No disrespect is intended. Still, much like the great Al Davis once said about his team, Once a Raider, always a Raider, in many ways, the same can often be said in the City of Brotherly Love. Once youre a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, youre always an Eagle.

The Hall added six quarterbacks, 17 running backs, 20 wide receivers, three tight ends, 21 offensive linemen, 14 defensive linemen, 17 linebackers, 19 defensive backs, ten punters/kickers, and two special-teams players to their list. Here were the former Eagles who were named.

Randall Cunningham is one of those players who is in his own lane, and hes responsible for the road guys like Steve McNair, Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and so many others have all traveled on.

Regardless of how you feel about him now, you cant deny his talent. Statistically speaking, Donovan McNabb is the best Eagles quarterback that has ever lived.

Once called upon to save the Eagles season, Jeff Garcia did would he always did. He gave it everything he had, and Birds fans will love him forever.

Long forgiven for that For who? For what? statement, Ricky Watters racked up 3,794 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns in three seasons and found his way onto the Pro Bowl roster twice in an Eagles jersey.

Brian Westbrook is, without question, one of the greatest do-it-all running backs the NFL has ever seen. He would have been successful in any era of football at any level of football.

Probably more remembered for his days in Washington, Brian Mitchell spent three years in Philly and NEVER put his team in jeapardy with any decision he made as a returner. He had a memorable 85-yard run in 2000 and scored four touchdowns as a kick returner or punt returner.

By the time Irving Fryar arrived in Philadelphia, his best years were probably behind him, and he still managed to carve out 1,100 yards or more during two of his three seasons with the Eagles. He also found his way onto two Pro Bowl rosters.

Simply put, any conversation about Buddy Ryan, Reggie White, and Jerome Brown will eventually lead you to an equally lengthy conversation about Clyde Simmons. He racked up 720 tackles, 76 sacks, and 12 forced fumbles in eight years as a member of the Birds. He led the NFL in sacks in 1992 and made two Pro Bowls.

Its hard to mention Takeo Spikes name without smiling. He wasnt here long, one year to be exact, but he definitely made his presence felt. He hasnt been forgotten.

Seth Joyner is one of those guys that you can make an argument for there being a lapse in judgment for him not already being inducted. He was a two-time First-Team All-Pro (1991, 1993), a two-time Second-Team All-Pro (1991, 1992), and a two-time Pro Bowler during eight seasons in an Eagles jersey.

Eric Allen should already be in the Hall of Fame. No one with an opinion that we respect or trust believes otherwise. He possesses all of the best traits of every great Eagles corner that has followed him while owning none of their weaknesses. Hed be successful in any era of Eagles football.

Asante Samuel just had a nose for the football, didnt he? He spent four seasons in Philadelphia and racked up 23 interceptions and 64 pass breakups over that time, and he made three Pro Bowls while leading the NFL in interceptions in 2009.

His name garners both respect and admiration. Troy Vincent is a great man who just happens to have been one of the greatest football players that weve ever seen.

Gary Anderson is a member of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team and the 1990s All-Decade Team. If were putting kickers in the Hall of Fame, he should probably already be enshrined. Will this be his year?

Jeff Feagles spent four seasons in Philadelphia and averaged 42.8 yards per boot in 65 games. For his career, hes seen the most consecutive games played by a punter (352) while stacking the most career punt yards (71,211), the most career punts (1,713), and the most career punts downed inside the opposing teams 20-yard line (55

Sean Landeta played for the USFLs Philadelphia Stars from 1983 to 1984 and spent the 1999-2002 seasons in Philly as a member of the Eagles. Like Anderson, hes a member of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team and the 1990s All-Decade Team. Hes also a member of the Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team while stacking 13,488 yards and an average of 41.5 yards per launch.

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16 former Eagles among 129 modern-era 2023 Hall of Fame nominees - Inside the Iggles

Only someone whos lived for centuries could possibly know how to find long-hidden evidence to help settle a protracted legal dispute over an inheritance. In Janeks penultimate opera, the singer Emilia Marty has lived for 337 years, originally named Elina Makropulos and assuming different identities over the many decades, though using the same initials. But tied up in her interest in the case of Gregor v Prus is Martys desperate quest to find again the secret formula for the elixir that granted her immortality. As the young daughter of Hieronymus Makropulos physician to the Holy Roman Emperoror Rudolf II who ordered Makropulos to find a means of extending his life Elina was the hapless guinea pig.

Placing it in the 1920s when the opera was written, and befitting a story whose heroine aspires to being the greatest operatic performer ever, Olivia Fuchs new production for Welsh National Opera has a suitably overblown and flamboyant air. Its also all of a piece with the often tumultuous feel and fast-flowing current of Janeks music, thrillingly delivered here by the orchestra of WNO under its music director, Tom Hanus. Co-editor of the new edition of the score being used, Hanus affinity with Janek was always evident, ravishing details emerging.

In Nicola Turners design, the settings of the three acts the solicitors office, backstage at the theatre where Marty has just sung, her hotel bedroom brought a degree of clarity to the complex narrative, sung in Czech. Ironically, what didnt work was when, between the first two acts and covering the set-change, Mark Le Brocq as himself and as Vitek the clerk addressed the audience in English explaining who was who. It was just naff.

As diva roles go Elisabeth Sderstrm sang in the 1978 WNO production this one demands a commanding presence and soprano ngeles Blancas Guln was certainly that. Amply embracing the vocal challenge, she brought an almost brute physicality to the encounters with the various men whose passions are aroused the young Janek is driven to suicide and her native Spanish flair coloured Martys reunion with her former lover, Baron Hauk (Alan Oke). In the uniformly strong cast, Nicky Spence and David Stout were excellent as the litigants Albert Gregor and Baron Prus.

The essential deeply philosophical question of whether immortality might actually be desirable is core to the closing scene when Martys hitherto cold demeanour begins to thaw, the ageing process now accelerating. In her final exhortation to those around her to celebrate their one existence, Janeks life-affirming purpose is manifest, the music glowing. Significantly, Kristina (Harriet Eyley), the young singer to whom she offers the ancient parchment detailing the elixir, sets it on fire. It is the cue for Marty to finally expire.

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The Makropulos Affair review fast-flowing and flamboyant - The Guardian