Since 2007, the Attleboro Arts Museum has been an active partner in the NEA Big Read: Attleboro. In this National Endowment for the Arts program, participants are encouraged to read the same book at the same time and extend their connection to the chosen text through local arts and culture activities.

This year the City of Attleboro will be reading the novel Circe by Madeline Miller. In response, the Attleboro Arts Museum presents Scylla: The Ugly Truth Revealed, an invitational exhibition inspired by Millers award-winning novel.

The book reimagines the life of Circe, sorceress of the Odyssey. To escape her lonely existence and the cruel gods of her youth, Circe seeks the company of a mortal fisherman, falls in love, and grants him immortality with the help of a magical herb.

When another nymph, Scylla, lures him away, Circe succumbs to jealousy and uses the herb to punish Scylla and reveal the ugliness within her. Scylla turns into a six-headed sea monster who will smash ships and feed on mortals for the next thousand years.

From Sept. 11-18, Scylla: The Ugly Truth Revealed will appear in-gallery at the Attleboro Arts Museum and online at attleboroartsmuseum.org. The exhibition features interpretations of six-headed, ravenous monsters.

The creatures depicted in Scylla are designed to spark reflections and conversations that address emotional and behavioral monsters that can lurk within individuals, museum Executive Director and Chief Curator Mim Brooks Fawcett said. The monsters on view may or may not have six heads and twelve legs, but they will be persistent, powerful and require taming.

On Saturday, Sept. 12, an NEA Big Read 2020 Kickoff and two reservation-only exhibition afternoon viewings will be held at the museum. Space is limited due to state and local health and safety mandates. Reservations are required by Sept. 11

Exhibiting artists will include Laura White Carpenter, Monica DeSalvo, Liz Sibley Fletcher, Ann-Marie Gillett, Ellie Huntress, Gwendolyn Lanier, Madeleine Lord, Susan Medyn, Emily Oliveira, Theresa Pedrotti, Ellen Shattuck Pierce, Nora Rabins, Lisa Redburn, Linda Rogers, Abby Rovaldi, Heather Stivison, Kerry St. Pierre, and Jess Tracey.

Attleboros NEA Big Read 2020 is funded by Bristol County Savings Bank; a grant from the Attleboro Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency; and the Rotary Club of Attleboro.

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

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Attleboro Arts Museum will help kick off Big Read with 'Ugly Truth' exhibition - The Sun Chronicle

The belief that the soul continues its existence after the dissolution of the body is a matter of philosophical or theological speculation rather than of simple faith, and is accordingly nowhere expressly taught in Holy Scripture. As long as the soul was conceived to be merely a breath ("nefesh"; "neshamah"; comp. "anima"), and inseparably connected, if not identified, with the life-blood (Gen. ix. 4, comp. iv. 11; Lev. xvii. 11; see Soul), no real substance could be ascribed to it. As soon as the spirit or breath of God ("nishmat" or "rua ayyim"), which was believed to keep body and soul together, both in man and in beast (Gen. ii. 7, vi. 17, vii. 22; Job xxvii. 3), is taken away (Ps. cxlvi. 4) or returns to God (Eccl. xii. 7; Job xxxiv. 14), the soul goes down to Sheol or Hades, there to lead a shadowy existence without life and consciousness (Job xiv. 21; Ps. vi. 6 [A. V. 5], cxv. 17; Isa. xxxviii. 18; Eccl. ix. 5, 10). The belief in a continuous life of the soul, which underlies primitive Ancestor Worship and the rites of necromancy, practised also in ancient Israel (I Sam. xxviii. 13 et seq.; Isa. viii. 19; see Necromancy), was discouraged and suppressed by prophet and lawgiver as antagonistic to the belief in Yhwh, the God of life, the Ruler of heaven and earth, whose reign was not extended over Sheol until post-exilic times (Ps. xvi. 10, xlix. 16, cxxxix. 8).

As a matter of fact, eternal life was ascribed exclusively to God and to celestial beings who "eat of the tree of life and live forever" (Gen. iii. 22, Hebr.), whereas man by being driven out of the Garden of Eden was deprived of the opportunity of eating the food of immortality (see Roscher, "Lexikon der Griechischen und Rmischen Mythologie," s.v. "Ambrosia"). It is the Psalmist's implicit faith in God's omnipotence and omnipresence that leads him to the hope of immortality (Ps. xvi. 11, xvii. 15, xlix. 16, lxxiii. 24 et seq., cxvi. 6-9); whereas Job (xiv. 13 et seq., xix. 26) betrays only a desire for, not a real faith in, a life after death. Ben Sira (xiv. 12, xvii. 27 et seq., xxi. 10, xxviii. 21) still clings to the belief in Sheol as the destination of man. It was only in connection with the Messianic hope that, under the influence of Persian ideas, the belief in resurrection lent to the disembodied soul a continuous existence (Isa. xxv. 6-8; Dan. xii. 2; see Eschatology; Resurrection).

The belief in the immortality of the soul came to the Jews from contact with Greek thought and chiefly through the philosophy of Plato, its principal exponent, who was led to it through Orphic and Eleusinian mysteries in which Babylonian and Egyptian views were strangely blended, as the Semitic name "Minos" (comp. "Minotaurus"), and the Egyptian "Rhadamanthys" ("Ra of Ament," "Ruler of Hades"; Naville, "La Litanie du Soleil," 1875, p. 13) with others, sufficiently prove. Consult especially E. Rhode, "Psyche: Seelencult und Unsterblichkeitsglaube der Griechen," 1894, pp. 555 et seq. A blessed immortality awaiting the spirit while the bones rest in the earth is mentioned in Jubilees xxiii. 31 and Enoch iii. 4. Immortality, the "dwelling near God's throne" "free from the load of the body," is "the fruit of righteousness," says the Book of Wisdom (i. 15; iii. 4; iv. 1; viii. 13, 17; xv. 3). In IV Maccabees, also (ix. 8, 22; x. 15; xiv. 5; xv. 2; xvi. 13; xvii. 5, 18), immortality of the soul is represented as life with God in heaven, and declared to be the reward for righteousness and martyrdom. The souls of the righteous are transplanted into heaven and transformed into holy souls (ib. xiii. 17, xviii. 23). According to Philo, the soul exists before it enters the body, a prison-house from which death liberates it; to return to God and live in constant contemplation of Him is man's highest destiny (Philo, "De Opificio Mundi," 46, 47; idem, "De Allegoriis Legum," i., 33, 65; iii., 14, 37; idem, "Quis Rerum Divinarum Hres Sit," 38, 57).

It is not quite clear whether the Sadducees, in denying resurrection (Josephus, "Ant." xviii. 1, 4; idem, "B. J." ii. 12; Mark xii. 18; Acts xxiii. 8; comp. Sanh. 90b), denied also the immortality of the soul (see Ab. R. N., recension B. x. [ed. Schechter, 26]). Certain it is that the Pharisaic belief in resurrection had not even a name for the immortality of the soul. For them, man was made for two worlds, the world that now is, and the world to come, where life does not end in death (Gen. R. viii.; Yer. Meg. ii. 73b; M. . iii. 83b, where the words , Ps. xlviii. 15, are translated by Aquilas as if they read: , "no death," ).

The point of view from which the asidim regarded earthly existence was that man was born for another and a better world than this. Hence Abraham is told by God: "Depart from this vain world; leave the body and go to thy Lord among the good" (Testament of Abraham, i.). The immortality of martyrs was especially dwelt on by the Essenes (Josephus, "B. J." vii. 8, 7; i. 33, 2; comp. ii. 8, 10, 14; idem, "Ant." xviii. 1, 5). The souls of the righteous live like birds (See Jew. Encyc. iii. 219, s.v. Birds) in cages ("columbaria") guarded by angels (IV Esd. vii. 32, 95; Apoc. Baruch, xxi. 23, xxx. 2; comp. Shab. 152b). According to IV Esdras iv. 41 (comp. Yeb. 62a), they are kept in such cages () before entering upon earthly existence. The soul of martyrs also have a special place in heaven, according to Enoch (xxii. 12, cii. 4, cviii. 11 et seq.); whereas the Slavonic Enoch (xxiii. 5) teaches that "every soul was created for eternity before the foundation of the world." This Platonic doctrine of the preexistence of the soul (comp. Wisdom viii. 20; Philo, "De Gigantibus," 3 et seq.; idem, "De Somniis," i., 22) is taught also by the Rabbis, who spoke of a storehouse of the souls in the seventh heaven ("'Arabot"; Sifre, Deut. 344; ag. 12b). In Gen. R. viii. the souls of the righteous are mentioned as counselors of God at the world's creation (comp. the Fravashi in "Farwardin Yast," in "S. B. E." xxiii. 179).

Upon the belief that the soul has a life of its own after death is based the following story: "Said Emperor Antoninus to Judah ha-Nasi, 'Both body and soul could plead guiltless on the day of judgment, as neither sinned without the other.' 'But then,' answered Judah, 'God reunites both for the judgment, holding them both responsible for the sin committed, just as in the fable the blind and the lame are punished in common for aiding each other in stealing the fruit of the orchard'" (Sanh. 91a; Lev. R. iv.). "There is neither eating nor drinking nor any sensual pleasure nor strife in the world to come, but the righteous with their crowns sit around the table of God, feeding upon the splendor of His majesty," said Rab (Ber. 17a), thus insisting that the nature of the soul when freed from the body is purely spiritual, while the common belief loved to dwell upon the banquet prepared for the pious in the world to come (see Eschatology; Leviathan). Hence the saying, "Prepare thyself in the vestibule that thou mayest be admitted into the triclinium"; that is, "Let this world be a preparation for the next" (Ab. iv. 16). The following sayings also indicate a pure conception of the soul's immortality: "The Prophets have spoken only concerning the Messianic future; but concerning the future state of the soul it is said: 'Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God beside Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him'" (Ber. 34b; comp. I Cor. ii. 9, Greek; Resh, "Agrapha," 1889, p. 154). "When man dies," says R. Mer, "three sets of angels go forth to welcome him" (Num. R. xii.); this can only refer to the disembodied soul.

Nevertheless, the prevailing rabbinical conception of the future world is that of the world of resurrection, not that of pure immortality. Resurrection became the dogma of Judaism, fixed in the Mishnah (Sanh. x. 1) and in the liturgy ("Elohai Neshamah" and "Shemoneh 'Esreh"), just as the Church knows only of a future based upon the resurrection; whereas immortality remained merely a philosophical assumption. When therefore Maimonides ("Yad," Teshubah, viii. 2) declared, with reference to Ber. 17a, quoted above, that the world to come is entirely spiritual, one in which the body and bodily enjoyments have no share, he met with strong opposition on the part of Abraham of Posquires, who pointed in his critical annotations ("Hassagot RABaD") to a number of Talmudical passages (Shab. 114a; Ket. 111a; Sanh. 91b) which leave no doubt as to the identification of the world to come ("'olam ha-ba") with that of the resurrection of the body.

The medieval Jewish philosophers without exception recognized the dogmatic character of the belief in resurrection, while on the other hand they insisted on the axiomatic character of the belief in immortality of the soul (see Albo, "'Iarim," iv. 35-41). Saadia made the dogma of the resurrectionpart of his speculation ("Emunot we-De'ot," vii. and ix.); Judah ha-Levi ("Cuzari," i. 109) accentuated more the spiritual nature of the future existence, the bliss of which consisted in the contemplation of God; whereas Maimonides, though he accepted the resurrection dogma in his Mishnah commentary (Sanh. xi.; comp. his monograph on the subject, "Ma'amar Teiyyat ha-Metim"), ignored it altogether in his code ("Yad," Teshubah, viii.); and in his "Moreh" (iii. 27, 51-52, 54; comp. "Yad," Yesode ha-Torah, iv. 9) he went so far as to assign immortality only to the thinkers, whose acquired intelligence ("sekel ha-nineh"), according to the Aristotelians, becomes part of the "active divine intelligence," and thus attains perfection and permanence. This Maimonidean view, which practically denies to the soul of man personality and substance and excludes the simple-minded doer of good from future existence, is strongly combated by asdai Crescas ("Or Adonai," ii. 5, 5; 6, 1) as contrary to Scripture and to common sense; he claims, instead, immortality for every soul filled with love for God, whose very essence is moral rather than intellectual, and consists in perfection and goodness rather than in knowledge (comp. also Gersonides, "Milamot ha-Shem," i. 13; Albo, "'Iarim," iv. 29). Owing to Crescas, and in opposition to Leibnitz's view that without future retribution there could be no morality and no justice in the world, Spinoza ("Ethics," v. 41) declared, "Virtue is eternal bliss; even if we should not be aware of the soul's immortality we must love virtue above everything."

While medieval philosophy dwelt on the intellectual, moral, or spiritual nature of the soul to prove its immortality, the cabalists endeavored to explain the soul as a light from heaven, after Prov. xx. 27, and immortality as a return to the celestial world of pure light (Baya b. Asher to Gen. i. 3; Zohar, Terumah, 127a). But the belief in the preexistence of the soul led the mystics to the adoption, with all its weird notions and superstitions, of the Pythagorean system of the transmigration of the soul (see Transmigration of Souls). Of this mystic view Manasseh ben Israel also was an exponent, as his "Nishmat ayyim" shows.

It was the merit of Moses Mendelssohn, the most prominent philosopher of the deistic school in an era of enlightenment and skepticism, to have revived by his "Phdon" the Platonic doctrine of immortality, and to have asserted the divine nature of man by presenting new arguments in behalf of the spiritual substance of the soul (see Kayserling, "Moses Mendelssohn," 1862, pp. 148-169). Thenceforth Judaism, and especially progressive or Reform Judaism, emphasized the doctrine of immortality, in both its religious instruction and its liturgy (see Catechisms; Conferences, Rabbinical), while the dogma of resurrection was gradually discarded and, in the Reform rituals, eliminated from the prayer-books. Immortality of the soul, instead of resurrection, was found to be "an integral part of the Jewish creed" and "the logical sequel to the God-idea," inasmuch as God's faithfulness "seemed to point, not to the fulfilment of the promise of resurrection" given to those that "sleep in the dust," as the second of the Eighteen Benedictions has it, but to "the realization of those higher expectations which are sown, as part of its very nature, in every human soul" (Morris Joseph, "Judaism as Creed and Life," 1903, pp. 91 et seq.). The Biblical statement "God created man in his own image" (Gen. i. 27) and the passage "May the soul . . . be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God" (I Sam. xxv. 29, Hebr.), which, as a divine promise and a human supplication, filled the generations with comfort and hope (Zunz, "Z. G." p. 350), received a new meaning from this view of man's future; and the rabbinical saying, "The righteous rest not, either in this or in the future world, but go from strength to strength until they see God on Zion" (Ber. 64a. after Ps. lxxxiv. 8 [A. V.]), appeared to offer an endless vista to the hope of immortality.

The rest is here:
IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL - JewishEncyclopedia.com

When a character quests for eternal life. Sometimes it's given to them, sometimes it isn't. Sometimes it's given to them and they regret the consequences, but their desire and actions towards immortality are what count towards this trope.Originally, this trope could be used for heroes and villains alike, as evidenced by quests for the Holy Grail and The Epic of Gilgamesh. Later it became one of the typical goals of an Evil Plan and thus the methods of achieving it were nasty, vile, and despicable. When heroes seek it they usually ultimately learn An Aesop and refocus their goals.See Immortality (and in particular Immortality Inducer) for ways to achieve it and Living Forever Is Awesome and Mortality Phobia for why they want to achieve it. Supertrope to Immortality Immorality, where seekers of immortality tend to resort to bad deeds to achieve it. Contrast Who Wants to Live Forever? for people that have immortality and hate it. Also Death Seeker for those seeking death instead. Not to be confused with Glory Seeker, someone who might want to go down in history, but doesn't seek literal immortality.Courtesy of The Epic of Gilgamesh, this trope is Older Than Dirt.

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Immortality Seeker - TV Tropes

Thank you for returning to Western Illinois quest for college basketball immortality in College Hoops 2K8. We introduced this series a few weeks back and laid the foundation for the program with our first full recruiting class in Year 1. We finally made the NCAA tournament in Year 3, winning a thriller in the Summit League title game. Year 5 saw our program win its first NCAA tournament game.

Well have an announcement about the future of the series at the end of this story. But first, heres a recap of what happened in the last post:

Heres a picture of the roster heading into Year 6:

Ballinger has B potential, the highest Ive ever had at Western Illinois. Willis my first top-100 recruit also looks solid at 75 overall with C+ potential. Id love to redshirt Willis, but I would only have eight scholarship players on the roster in that case, so I decide to make him my ninth man and let him backup both forward spots. Ill likely redshirt him a year from now.

Heres a look at the rotation:

It feels like were not quite as talented as last year, and we certainly wont have the same team unity one of the factors teams are evaluated by based on their playing experience together. I still like what we have, though.

You already know Tracy Hehn and Wilbur Messy, a pair of four-year starters who should both be sick scorers on the wing as seniors. Im super excited about Hendriks my first five-star recruit as a JUCO player and the start of his three-year stint as starting point guard. My front court is a little green, with Byfield starting in his first season eligible and Van manning the five as a redshirt sophomore. Ward, a gigantic senior center at 71, 260 pounds will come off the bench. My eight-man rotation is still pretty damn good.

My team is an 89 overall, clearly the best in the Summit League again. No other team is better than 73 Oral Roberts and Southern Utah.

We need everything, and we absolutely cannot blow it in recruiting like we did last year when we went 2-for-5 on available scholarships. Following our recruiting struggles last season, reader James sent an email proposing I overhaul my recruiting philosophy to purposefully limit myself to 2-3 open scholarships per year. Here are his words:

As an invested fan, I wanted to volunteer one thing, considering the limited number of recruiting points at your disposal. The approach that you took in recruiting the class which included Damon Hendriks and Dawud Byfield seems like an approach you could take every year: focusing on two or three more talented guys, and utilizing the redshirt religiously. Treating recruiting and roster management this way seems like it should do two big things for WIU:

1. That you never need to land more than three guys in a given year, and can devote more attention/points to fewer and more talented guys in each recruiting class.

2. It gives you a shortcut to developing regular upper-class depth and roster balance seven or eight rotation-worthy true upperclassmen every season AND two or three redshirt freshmen to draw from.

He then included a scholarship chart:

Its an intriguing offer and possibly the greatest email Ive ever received but I decide to recruit for all six of our open scholarships instead.

I start off targeting four-star shooting guard Lubos Hatten (No. 66 overall, No. 16 SG) and three-star power forward Denver Lane (No. 158 overall, No. 30 PF). Lane is 610, 242 pounds and a 45 percent three-point shooter, so Im thinking he could potentially play three positions for me if I get him.

Heres my full slate of offers:

Im scheduling these nerds every year until I beat them. As a reminder, they whooped my ass last year. Can I get revenge this season?

The Illini are ranked No. 13 in the preseason polls and are a 95 overall. Looks like video game Bruce Weber was able to parlay that 2006 championship game run better than real life Bruce Weber.

Oh my. Blown out, 99-57. Ugly start for my post-Bud Richards era.

Next game: UW-Milwaukee. We win, 76-56. Nelke and Messy each score 15. We have local rival Illinois State after that, and get a 95-69 win. Hendriks balls out with 18 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three his first signature performance in what were expecting to be a long line of them. Ward also chips in 13 off the bench against the Redbirds.

We face Texas A&M next. AGGIES GOING DOWN.

Look at my boy Nelke with a team-high 17 points off the bench. Dude is going to be a stud. Unfortunately, the feel-good vibes from that win are short-lived: Southern Utah beats us by three the following week.

Back on the recruiting front, were sitting pretty with Hatten but dont land him at the end of the early recruiting period even though hes at 98 percent interest. Now Im going to have to waste points calling him the rest of the year, which could have went to other players. Denver Lane ends up getting an offer from Central Michigan, so I drop him. The tough week for recruiting continues when Tyler gets a UConn offer and Fulllove gets a Penn offer. I need to find three new recruits.

Big game against Michigan this week. We take a 77-74 loss. Tough. That drops us to 4-3 on the year. Heres the remainder of the non-conference schedule:

Back to recruiting, Ive maxed out interest in both Hatten and Bowens. Im praying Bowens doesnt get a North Florida offer because hes a Jacksonville kid and his No. 3 priority is being close to home. As long as they dont get a surprise offer late in the process, I should have two really promising recruits locked up as soon as the spring signing period begins.

The rest of my class currently looks less convinced. Im still working on Amous, a solid but unspectacular point guard I offered on the first week, and Ive identified three-star shooting guard Ljubisa Copeland as a potential backup plan if I miss on any of my other guards.

Mcgee gets an offer the next week, so I drop him and set out to find a center. I settle on Jordi Geli Holden, who is ranked only No. 24 at the position but has the right mix of size and AAU production. Full blown conference play is about to start.

I win my next seven games in conference, highlighted by Messy dropping 28 points on Fort Wayne and Byfield scoring 21 on South Dakota State. We hang 101 points on hated enemy Oral Roberts the next game, with Hehn going off for 26 points and Van scoring 22 in the win. The Leathernecks are starting to find their stride at 13-5 overall. Next game is at North Dakota State, and we blow them out, behind 29 points from senior star Tracy Hehn.

We win out the rest of the year and finish the regular season on a 16-game winning streak. Were 22-5 overall and the No. 1 seed in the Summit League entering the conference tournament.

Heres what my roster looks like entering the conference tournament some solid internal improvement from the guys this season. Hehn leads the team in scoring at 15.4 points per game.

We have South Dakota State in the opening around and beat them, 78-57, behind 20 points from Hehn. Next up: Southern Utah. Why am I so nervous for this?

We get a huge win, 103-53. Six Leatherneck players in double-figures, led by Van with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Now I have Oakland in the title game.

We beat Oakland, 78-66. Were going dancing for the second straight year at 25-5 overall.

Were an 11-seed against No. 6 Washington in the first round.

Wow, Washington is a 99 overall. How are they only a No. 6 seed? Classic Lorenzo Romar ball, to be honest. Were a 92 entering the tournament, with seven players rated in the 80s. My team has come along really well, but I still feel like Im a huge underdog. Going to need the seniors Hehn and Messy to play the games of their lives.

I settle down to watch this game (reminder: Im not playing any of the games during this dynasty, just watching the computer sim). That was a big mistake, because Im never getting that hour of my life back.

Blown. The. Hell. Out. Season over. Memphis wins the title. I dont even get any new coaching points.

Hehn and Messy both graduate. Love those dudes.

Now its time to restock my roster for the future with these six open scholarships.

We open spring recruiting by landing two studs: No. 66 overall shooting guard Lubos Hatten and No. 106 overall power forward Joseph Bowens. Hatten immediately becomes the top recruit in program history, replacing Ira Willis, who was once ranked No. 82 overall. Bowens looks fantastic, too. Look at that three-point shooting!

A week later, I win a long recruiting battle for 511 point guard Armein Amous, who is ranked No. 155 overall. Three-star shooting guard Ljubisa Copeland (No. 140 overall) is another guy Ive been recruiting since the fall, and I sign him as well. Jordi Geli Holden, the No. 24 center and No. 259 overall player, also signs on as my fifth recruit in the class.

I decide to take a big swing with my one open scholarship: 69 small forward Phil Powell, ranked No. 103 overall and the No. 15 player at his position. For whatever reason, this guy has very little interest from other programs, which is just what Ricky Charisma wanted to see.

To be fair, this guys offensive stats were terrible in AAU 7.4 points per game on 25.6 percent shooting from the field and 19.2 percent shooting from three. He has great size though and has to be rated this highly for a reason, right?

I land Powell on the last week of recruiting. Super excited to see what hes rated and where his potential is at. And with that, I have filled all six of my scholarships.

Thats a six-man class with three players ranked in the top 110 and five players ranked in the top 155. Centers are always lower in the recruiting rankings for some reason, but I landed a top-25 guy at that position, too. Huge class!

Now I have to set the schedule for next year. I decide to play every team in Illinois, because why not? The Leathernecks want to own this state. This non-conference schedule is beautiful:

Ahead to my seventh season.

Heres a first look at the roster.

Nelke is actually an 86 at shooting guard, but we have to move him to small forward because I dont have anyone else at that position and hes big enough to do it at 66, 217 pounds. Also, my five best players are my five starters, which hasnt been the case previously in this dynasty.

Waller is my best player despite the fact that he hasnt been a starter before his redshirt senior year because Ive had so much depth in front of him. He goes up a couple points when I move him to shooting guard. Were going to have three natural point guards in the starting lineup this year, which sounds extremely up my alley. Waller, Nelke, and Hendriks are all rated 88 or better as three-point shooters, too. Give me all of the high-IQ ball handlers who can shoot with range. I also decide to abandon my plan to redshirt Willis because I need him as sixth man this year who could play either forward position.

Heres a look at how the freshmen are rated:

I decide to redshirt Holden, Powell, Bowens, and Copeland. Hatten is going to the first guard off the bench and the last player in eight-man rotation. The plan is to redshirt Hatten next year when I have more depth. Im also keeping Amous active this year as my ninth man, even though he isnt in the rotation, just for games when guys get into foul trouble.

Heres a look at the rotation:

Western Illinois enters the season at a 90 overall. With four redshirt juniors in the starting lineup, we should be even better next year.

I only have one scholarship to work with. Since Im not totally sure Amous will be good enough to eventually lead a powerhouse team even as fifth-year senior, I decide to put a bunch of point guards on my target list. Eventually, I offer five-star JUCO Darrel Ogunride, a 63 lead guard from Chicago.

An opening night tradition of getting my brains beat in unlike any other. The Illini are already 2-0 and ranked No. 18 in the country when I face them. One time, Leathernecks?

OH, HELL YEAH! 69-63! Holy shit!

Look at those three point guards do work. Im counting this as a program-defining win. Could I have a chance to crack the top 25 this year?

We beat UIC by 20 (Nelke: 17 points, Van: 15 points, 10 rebounds) then beat Loyola, 62-51, (Van: 19 points) to end the next week. As the early signing period begins, we get revenge on Northern Illinois with a 30-point win (Byfield: 26 points, four blocks) and then beat Bradley, 82-56 (Van: 16 points). Were 5-0 to start the year.

Our first loss comes during one of these weird early conference games, where I somehow lose to South Dakota State, 65-62. We scored 16 points in the second half. Was there a killer party in Macomb last night that no one told Coach Rick about?

As early recruiting ends, I have a lead for Ogunride but Illinois is now hot on his trail, too:

Two local heavyweights on the schedule this week: Northwestern and DePaul. First up is the Wildcats.

It didnt go so well:

DePaul also beats me, 68-66. I really thought we could go undefeated two weeks ago.

I got Southern Illinois next, and win, 83-62. Unfortunately, that didnt impress the point guard Im recruiting: we go from first to third for Ogunride in the course of one week. Bummer, because he seems super good. I drop him and extend an offer to my backup plan, Nikola Stockman, a 6-foot point guard from local Peoria ranked No. 104 overall

I beat Illinois State and Eastern Illinois by 21 points each. Waller pops off for 19-5-5 against EIU. Im 11-3 as I get into the thick of conference play. Can I run the table?

We start out 5-0 with my closest win being 19 points. I end up winning out. A lot of red dubs on the schedule this year:

We enter the conference tournament at 25-3 overall. Van somewhat surprisingly leads the team in scoring (15.2 points per game) and rebounding (6.4 per game). Waller (13.1) and Nelke (12.0), and Byfield (11.7) are my other double-figure scorers. Hendriks averages 9.9 points per game.

We have Southern Utah in the first round of the Summit League tournament. And we win, 64-59. Uh, that was kind of tight?

I play Fort Wayne next in the conference semifinals. Another win, 65-53. The only team standing between Western Illinois and another NCAA tournament berth is my old nemesis, Oral Roberts. Im a 92 overall and theyre a 70 overall, so I probably shouldnt be as nervous for this game as I am.

We win, 82-61. WERE DANCING AGAIN.

This is our third straight NCAA tournament appearance. The team is 28-3 on the year. Could I finally get a seed that isnt in the double-digits?

To find out, I actually watch the Selection Sunday show, hosted by virtual Greg Gumble. Remember when I said this game is, like, insanely deep in terms of features in Legacy mode? This is one of them. Even after I eventually start skipping ahead, the show still runs for over nine minutes.

Please, enjoy this ridiculous video game TV show with me:

We get a No. 10 seed our best ever and draw a first-round matchup with No. 7 seed NC State. Winner is likely getting second-seeded Georgetown in the Round of 32.

Before I do this, I check out my roster again. Waller is now a 90, making him the first player in program history to hit that mark. I have seven guys rated at least in the 80s.

My team is pretty nasty: lots of shooting and ball handling in my three-point guard lineup on the perimeter, my lowest-rated starter is an 84 overall, and I have two guys in the 80s coming off the bench.

I think I have enough to make a tournament run this year, but NC State looks tough.

Of course Im watching this one. Music is again provided by my bud Patrick Cosmos from his album Tonal Rotors.

Lets do this.

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

I think Im going to throw up.

I asked my forever colleague Mike Prada to GIF my fucking heart breaking.

Manning absolutely killed me all night (37 points on 15-of-24 shooting), and he ends up hitting a 35-foot dagger at the buzzer to win it. Unreal. We end the year 28-4 overall. Im going to need a couple days to get over this.

Maryland wins the title. Van wins Summit League Player of the Year as a junior. Heres a look at Coach Ricks resume after seven seasons:

I get offered the Wichita State job and turn it down. I only have one available scholarship and that gets wrapped up in the first week when Stockman accepts my offer.

Time to set my schedule for next year. I figure Im going to have a loaded team with four redshirt senior starters, so give us a real test before conference play? Im going at UCONN, at Michigan State, at Arizona, at North Carolina, at Notre Dame, and at Wisconsin.

This is going to be a special season. Heres a first look at the roster.

This is unfortunately the last post on Western Illinois chase for a championship at SB Nation. Im going to continue writing the series entirely for free over here. Please sign up to follow along.

If you signed up for email updates here, you should be transferred over. Year 8 is going to run Saturday or Sunday at the new site. I cant wait to see what next years roster can do. I hope you continue following along. Thanks for reading and engaging.

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We got the greatest simulated video game ending ever with our upstart college basketball team - SB Nation

STICKING TOGETHER - After drinking from Chalice, the Legends have immortality for 24 hours, which gives them time get to the Waverider and use the Loom of Fate. However, they quickly discover that the sisters have stolen the Waverider and they are stuck at Constantine's (Matt Ryan) house in the middle of nowhere in London during a Zombie Apocalypse. Meanwhile, Gary (guest star Adam Tsekham) is left on the ship and once he discovers what is going on, he takes something important to the sisters. Caity Lotz, Dominic Purcell, Nick Zano, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Jes Macallan, Tala Ashe and Olivia Swann also star. Andrew Kasch directed the episode written by Keah Poulliot & Emily Cheever (#513). Original airdate 5/19/2020.

DC's Legends of Tomorrow follows a group of misfit heroes as they fight, talk, and sing their way through protecting THE TIMELINE from aberrations, anomalies, and anything else that threatens to mess with history.

The Legends deal with the aftermath of last season's finale. After saving the world via the power of song and themed entertainment, the Legends are major celebrities. Some struggle with the transition from lovable losers to A-list stars, while others start letting fame go to their heads. When a documentary crew decides to film the Legends in action, distracting them from their original mission, in Hell, Astra Logue (Olivia Swann) frees history's most notorious villains in a bid for power. It's up to the Legends to forgo fame and stop these reanimated souls (who they quickly dub "Encores") from wreaking havoc on the timeline, whether it's Rasputin popping out of his coffin and trying to become an immortal tsar or Marie Antoinette (and her head) turning the French Revolution into a deadly, non-stop party.

Based on the characters from DC, DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti ("Arrow," "The Flash," "Supergirl"), Phil Klemmer ("The Tomorrow People," "Chuck"), Grianne Godfree ("The Flash"), Keto Shimizu ("Arrow") and Sarah Schechter ("Arrow," "The Flash").

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Scoop: Coming Up on a New Episode of DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW on THE CW - Tuesday, May 19, 2020 - Broadway World

When you think of taxidermy, you may imagine a trophy room in which mostly male hunters have mounted the heads of 12-point stags along wood-paneled walls. If so, your image would be incomplete.

Taxidermy has gone through many iterations since gentleman scientists turned to taxidermy to understand anatomy during the Enlightenment. Victorians added a touch of whimsy, decorating their homes with birds under glass and falling in love with Walter Potter's anthropomorphized cats.

Later still, Norman Bates shifted the cultural understanding of taxidermy from art to something more macabre after he (spoiler alert) taxidermied his mother in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.

Today, animal-loving millennial women are taking taxidermy to new levels of artistry and craftsmanship, from rogue taxidermists who mix and match animal parts to the mallard wing bridal veil of a couture taxidermist.

In the end, isn't taxidermy about immortality and how we choose to remember?

GUESTS:

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter

Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired December 5, 2019.

More here:
The Fine Art Of Taxidermy - Connecticut Public Radio

Mar 21, 2020

The search for the Fountain of Youth dates back at least to the writings of Greek historian Herodotus in the 5thCentury BC. Notable figures from Alexander the Great to Juan Ponce de Len searched in vain for a fabled spring from which a drink could halt the ageing process. If such healing waters ever did exist, I suspect the ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba) may have slurped them dry more than 200 million years ago, because recent studies show that this living fossil can grow for thousands of years without any sign of faltering on a cellular level.

The term senescence is the decline in vigor that happens to all or nearly all living things as they close in on their kinds average lifespan. Of course, this varies by individual, and ones environment plays a part as well, but by and large, longevity is a factor of what species you are. There are marine barrel sponges which apparently live for 2,000 years, and some land tortoises make it past the two-century mark. On the other hand, from the time it emerges out of the water, a mayfly has but 24 hours to find a mate before its clock runs out.

Trees also run the age-gamut. Bur and white oaks, massive and picturesque trees native to our area, can live eight centuries or more in good health, while eastern white cedars found on the Niagara Escarpment were seedlings during Europes Dark Ages. In the West we have coastal redwoods older than 2,000 years, and giant sequoias which have seen more than three-thousand winters. Impressive as this is, these old-timers still face the slow decline of senescence.

The mountain ash - live fast, die young. Photo: Giallopolenta, public domain

However, a study published on January 13, 2020 in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesindicates that the ginkgo tree, native to China, gets old but does not age in the way we normally think about that process. Dubbed a living fossil because as a species it has not changed in 270 million years, the ginkgo is best-known to North Americans as a street tree. It earned a place in the hearts of arborists and urban planners because it can tolerate harsh air pollution as well as heavy road-salt use and high soil pH, conditions fatal to many other tree species.

Gingko leaves. Photo: Marzena7, public domain

Unlike most trees, the ginkgo isdioecious, a fancy word for having male and female flowers on separate trees. This is important to keep in mind if you wish to plant one in your yard, because female ginkgoes bear a nut-like seed encased in fleshy pulp. After the seeds drop, this pulp decays. It stinks like rancid butter, and is almost as slippery. Most ginkgoes sold at nurseries are males, but ask just to be sure.

Conducted in Chinas Hubei and Jiangsu provinces, the ginkgo study examined 34 trees ranging from 3 to 667 years old. It looked at genes related to the making of chemicals that protect against disease, and found the same level of protection in trees of all ages. As molecular biologist Richard Dixon of the University of North Texas told CBC Radios Bob McDonald on aQuirks and Quarkssegment which aired on February 28, 2020, In relation to the immunity of the plant against stress or disease, it was hard to tell a 600-year-old tree from a 20-year-old tree. Id wager that line will show up in a marketing campaign somewhere.

Another author of the study, Jinxing Lin of Beijing Forestry University, allows that after thousands of years rooted in the same place, assuming it can avoid bulldozers, chainsaws and storms, a ginkgo tree might eventually die of old age. Thats about as close as a scientist can get to saying ginkgoes are immortal.

For humans and other animals, and every plant save perhaps the ginkgo, theres no way to dodge senescence, which shares a Latin root,senex, with senility. In that regard I envy trees. Their decline is a critical part of the forest life cycle, plus they dont have to remember where they left the car keys, or the car for that matter.

An ISA-Certified Arborist since 1996,Paul Hetzlerwanted to be a bear when he grew up but failed the audition. He now writes essays about nature. His bookShady Characters: Plant Vampires, Caterpillar Soup, Leprechaun Trees and Other Hilarities of the Natural World,is available on Amazon.

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Ginkgo: The Tree of Immortality | NCPR News - North Country Public Radio

Ageing is optional if certain lifestyle factors can be controlled, and there is an emerging economy for people living longer, the Milken Institutes Middle East and Africa summit in Abu Dhabi heard on Tuesday.

We say we are increasing the healthspan not just the lifespan. So people have more years in life but those years are healthier and more productive and fulfilling, Nora Super, director of the Centre for the Future of Ageing at the Milken Institute, told The National.

By 2030, more people worldwide will be over the age of 60 than under 10, according to Milken, a US think tank.

Meanwhile, experiments over the last few years to test the bodys epigenetic clock, which tracks a persons biological age, have been shown to slow down or reverse when given certain medications and hormones, or when the test subjects were able to reduce stress through meditation.

The combination of shifting demographics and recent breakthroughs in our understanding of ageing and longevity represent both a massive challenge and opportunity in the 21st century.

Dr Deepak Chopra, founder of the Chopra Centre and a wellness expert, said that over the past two decades, scientists had begun to more widely accept that ageing was more like a disease that can be cured rather than an inevitability.

No gene has evolved to cause ageing. No one dies of old age, he said at the conference.

Dr Chopra said the idea of well-being and longevity could be achieved by following seven pillars: sound sleep, meditation, physical activity, emotion moderation, plant-based nutrition, time outdoors and self-awareness.

Through the Chopra Centre, he said he was working to identify biomarkers to measure the effects these practices had on a persons ageing process.

Dr Chopra is 73 years old but he claims his epigenetic clock is nearly half that after following 30 years of daily meditation and walking at least 10,000 steps.

As we move into the future, we should be able to create these new algorithms that correlate biometrics to well-being, he said.

In addition to working on measuring the effect of anti-ageing practices on the body, Dr Chopra is working on a project called Digital Deepak, an artificial intelligence based on his writings and teachings.

The AI is still a baby under development, he said, but would be rolled out later this year.

If we dont adapt to technology, we become irrelevant, he told The National.

Dave Asprey, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, who wrote a book on longevity, said mankind's "current best" was 120 years old - a number he said he hoped to beat.

Mr Asprey, a former technology company executive, said he believed if I can hack the internet, I can hack this [ageing issue] and admitted to investing at least $1 million in his efforts.

By prolonging life and increasing well-being, he said, there was a return on investment measured by time.

When we imagine ageing, we imagine being old and thats not a pretty sight: wheelchairs, you cant remember your own name, incontinence, he said. "But these are solvable, hackable problems."

Updated: February 11, 2020 09:29 PM

Excerpt from:
Ageing is 'optional' amid emerging economy for immortality - The National

For years, Silicon Valley hasfundedgroundbreakingscientific research about extending the human lifespan.

From gene therapy,tomolecular biology, toartificial intelligence,we know more about the aging process than we ever have. And perhaps, were close to knowinghow toeliminate aging entirely.

From The Guardian:

Funded by Silicon Valley elites, researchers believe they are closer than ever to tweaking the human body so that we can finally live forever (or quite a bit longer), even as some worry about pseudoscience in the sector.

Scientists and entrepreneurs are working on a range of techniques, from attempting to stop cells aging, to the practice of injecting young blood into old people a processdenounced as quackeryby the Federal Drug Administration [last year].

Theres millions of people now who wont see death if they choose, said James Strole, the director of theCoalition of Radical Life Extension, an organization which brings together scientists and enthusiasts interested in physical immortality.

Is immortality closer to reality than science fiction? And if humans could live forever or at least, for a long time how would that shape what it means to be alive?

Originally posted here:
My Immortal: The Quest To Live Forever - KRCU

Its been a long period of time given that a Leaf racked up 50 objectives. Its been an also longer time given that a Leaf won the Hart Trophy.

This year, Auston Matthews is damn near certain to complete the very first accomplishment and also he can additionally locate himself in the discussion for the various other. At this factor, we must be discussing where Matthews period rankings amongst the most effective in Leafs background.

You need to go back to 1993-94 to locate the last time a Leaf racked up 50 objectives. That was when Dave Andreychuk hidden53 Its occurred 4 various other times. Rick Vaive did it 3 times, when in 1981-82 when he racked up 51, once more the list below year in 1982-83 when he racked up 54, which is the franchise businesss all-time single-season document, and also again in 1983-84 when he racked up52 Gary Leeman additionally racked up 51 objectives in 1989-90

So, yeah. Its been a while given that a Leafs struck the 50- objective plateau. John Tavares came close in 2015 when he racked up 47 in his very first period with the club after notoriously signing up with the group in complimentary company, however Matthews, that has 45 objectives with 66 video games and also an additional month to play, must lastly obtain it done.

The concern for Matthews currently isnt whether hell strike the 50- objective mark. Its whether hell pass Vaive for the majority of objectives in a period in Leafs background.

Matthews has 16 video games delegated deal with and also the Leafs require him to be at his ideal as the playoffs are much from a warranty. As I stated, Matthews has 45 objectives in 66 video games. Thats helpful for a 56- objective speed over the training course of 82 video games. 10 objectives in his last 16 video games, which the basically the precise speed hes run in any way period, would certainly suffice to obtain it done.

If Matthews does capture Vaive, his period will most certainly be discussed as one of the most effective in franchise business background. As it must be. Breaking the franchise businesss all-time single-season objective document in a period in which racking up objectives is far more challenging than it remained in the 80 s and also very early 90 s is extremely excellent.

But could Matthews period be the most effective? Its truly challenging to state since were considering efficiencies throughout numerous various ages. I imply, exactly how do you contrast Matthews 2019-20 period to what Busher Jackson or Charlie Conacher carried out in the 1930 s? Or what Frank Mahovolich carried out in the 60 s? Or what Darryl Sittler carried out in the 70 s? Or also what Mats Sundin carried out in the dead-puck very early 2000 s?

Its also challenging in baseball, a sporting activity in which statistics have actually been videotaped given that the 1860 s, to contrast gamers from age to age. But Hockey-References Point Shares device efforts to accomplish the exact same feature as baseballs BATTLE device, affixing a worth to gamers based upon their payments, readjusted by age.

Based on that particular device, Matthews has actually deserved 10.4 factor shares this period, which places 7th in Leafs background. Tavares launching period in 2015 places 4th at 11.3, Dave Andreychuk abovementioned 53- objective period places 3rd at 11.4, Babe Dyes 1924-25 period in which he racked up 46 factors in 29 ready theSt Pats places 2nd at 11.7, and also Darryl Sittlers 117- factor 1977-78 period places initially at 12.2.

At his present speed, Matthews would certainly additionally wind up passing Tavares, Andreychuk, Dye, and also Sittler for the best period in Leafs background based upon factor shares. Obviously, the device isnt excellent, however, at least, it assists us pile gamers that played a century apart side-by-side, which is something thats basically difficult to do or else.

Weve discussed the objectives, however what regarding the equipment? Again, its been a long period of time given that a Leaf won the HartTrophy A truly, truly long period of time. You need to go back well past their latest 50- objective period to locate their latest Hart Trophy recipient right to Ted Kennedy in 1954-55 That was a lot more of a recognition of his occupation than a real Most Valuable Player nod, as he completed greater than 20 factors behind Boom Boom Geoffrion and also Maurice Richard for the racking up lead.

Though he has an uphill struggle to really take house the honor, Matthews should have to be in the conversation for the Hart Trophy this year. Hes conveniently been the Leafs MVP, a constant, steadying existence in the center of a period ripe with dramatization. Matthews has actually racked up objective after objective after objective while his colleagues have actually coped depressions and also a wide range of injuries.

Without Matthews efficiency this period, points truly can have wound up really going southern. Leon Draisaitl will likely wind up taking the Hart Trophy house because of leading the organization in factors and also dragging the Oilers with Connor McDavids injury, however, for the very first time in a long period of time, therell be a Leaf in the thick of the conversation.

If I needed to fill in a tally now, I would certainly have Draisaitl primary, Artemi Panarin 2nd, Matthews 3rd, David Pastrnak 4th, and also Connor Hellebuyck 5th. Theres still plenty of time, however, so a great deal can transform. Draisaitl will not obtain that love if the Oilers elope of the playoffs. If Matthews can leap over Pastrnak and also win the Rocket Richard race and also the Leafs run warm right into the playoffs, his instance all of a sudden ends up being more powerful.

Well see what occurs over the following month. Matthews has probably the best period by a Leaf all-time within his reach. Itll be amazing to enjoy.

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Auston Matthews' Pursuit of Maple Leafs Immortality TheLeafsNation - The Union Journal

Side chasing third All-Ireland in a row are relentless on and off pitch

In the autumn of 2017, Michael Donnellan had Mountbellew-Moylough in the Galway football final feeling good about themselves, and plenty others feeling even better about them. Corofin were the familiar face greeting them in the final, like the house band on a TV chat show. But people were asking questions whether Corofin could still hold a tune, the sort of questions that seem inconceivable now.

Corofin had scraped their semi-final against Annaghdown by a point while Mountbellew destroyed Monivea-Abbey. Corofin were already in full control of the wheel in Galway with ambitions well beyond that, but recent results suggested a weakening.

Mountbellew trusted the progressive, fast-paced football that swept them to the final. Corofin took a handful of steps backwards, strung a line of players

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Corofin on brink of immortality | Irish Sport - The Times

From when does one read the shma in the evening?Opening words, Mishnah and Talmud

Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One.

This simple sentence in the Hebrew Bible, known by its first word as the shma (hear), is also the first subject addressed in the Talmud and the first biblical verse taught to Jewish children. It is, at once, the most famous affirmation of Jewish belief and the most misunderstood. To appreciate this paradox, we must begin with the text itself, two of whose three brief sections make up a key element in Moses string of passionate valedictory charges to his people in the book of Deuteronomy. Here is the first section (6:4-9), in which the greatest of prophets sums up Jewish theology:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

From the words urging that this teaching be recited when thou liest down, and when thou risest up came the central inclusion of the shma in, respectively, the evening and morning liturgy. And yet, in reciting it, Jews for millennia have added another sentence immediately after the first, and before proceeding to the rest. It is a sentence that appears neither in Deuteronomy nor anywhere else in the Bible and that, notably, is recited in a hushed tone, thereby signaling that it is both a part of and apart from the shma prayer as a whole:

Blessed be His glorious sovereign Name, for ever and ever.

Needless to say, the addition of this sentencethe exact date of its inclusion is unknowndid not evade the gimlet-eyed exegesis of the talmudic sages, who were struck by its oddity. Why is it there in the first place, and, if it is part of the liturgy, why not recite it aloud? In responding, the Talmud tells a tale, according to which the shma originated not with Moses but long before him: with his ancestors, and specifically with one of the biblical patriarchs and his family.

The story goes like this: at the end of his days, Jacob, as described in Genesis, gathers all twelve of his sons around him. Feeling his life and his powers of prophecy slipping away, he expresses concern that one of his children might abandon the Abrahamic mission (something that had already occurred with a child of Abraham himself as well as with a child of Isaac). Seeking to reassure their father on this point, his sons address him by the covenantal name bestowed upon him by an angel (Genesis 32: 22-32). The rabbis explain:

His sons said to him: Hear, Israel our father, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. They were saying that just as there is only one God in your heart, so, too, there is only one in our hearts. At that moment Jacob our father, [reassured that all of his children were righteous], replied in praise: Blessed be His glorious sovereign Name for ever and ever. (Psaim 56a)

For the rabbis, Jacobs relieved exclamation linked the Almightys eternity with his own. That is to say: Gods name will be blessed forever because Jacobs family will serve Him forever. Now included in the shma prayer, this same sentence links Gods immortality with the posterity of every Jewish family. Because the words are not actually those of Moses, the rabbis stipulate that the sentence is to be voiced quietly.

This rabbinic story and its accompanying explanation have been embraced in Jewish law as the normative foundation for the shma as it has been recited until today. Even Maimonides, who so often reads talmudic tales as other than literal, included the ruling in the Mishneh Torah, his code of Jewish law.

In short, in the recitation of the shma, two different statements from two different moments in biblical history are being made simultaneously. In one and the same act, Jews quote the words of Moses speaking to the people of Israel and then the response to the twelve sons by their father Jacob, the original Israel. In the first, the shma is a theological-political statement; in the second, it is an assurance of Jewish continuity. The first is philosophical, the second familial; the first is public and ceremonial, the second private and emotional. Even as Hear O Israel is being sounded aloud, Jews quietly reaffirm their solidarity with the patriarch and his children.

That latter commitment is reenacted with particular force and poignancy in the longstanding practice of reciting the shma before sleep at night. For Jewish parents putting their children to bed and saying it together with them, few rituals are more powerful. At that moment, we are uniquely aware that our children will not always be small and safe under our protection, and that one day we in turn will become dependent on them, and on the family they perpetuate, for our own immortality. As Rabbi Norman Lamm once put it, in saying the shma aloud and then, quietly to ourselves, blessed be His glorious sovereign name for ever and ever, we, just like Jacob, and together with our own progeny, play our part in ensuring that Gods name will continue to be blessed here on earth.

And therein lies another lesson, this one about the nature of Judaism itself. For this purpose, we can compare the Talmuds tale about Jacob and his sons, about the recovery by a dying Jewish patriarch of his familys immortality, with the account of another famous deathbed scene in the ancient world.

In that account, related by Plato in the Phaedo, the Greek philosopher Socrates finds himself on the brink of death in an Athenian cell, attended by his students, pondering his legacy, and reviewing with them the great issues that had long absorbed his mind, not least the immortality of the soul. Serenely he assures these students that he welcomes his impending, self-inflicted death by hemlock as a release from the bonds of physicality that are the curse of earthly humanity. Freed from the constraints of the body and its passions, Socrates hopes for an afterlife happily occupied with the contemplation of eternal verities.

One could hardly imagine a starker contrast between two men. Socrates is wholly absorbed in his students and in his own immortal soul; he seems utterly uninterested in his family, calmly dismissing his wife and their baby son with nary a tear or emotional farewell. Jacob, the father who in creating and rearing faithful children has united his physical life with his spiritual legacy, commands those children to bear his lifeless body to the Holy Land. By rooting it in sacred soil, he will have prepared the way for the eventual return of his offspring to their national home.

As Eric Cohen has written, for all its renown, the death of Socrates seems less fully human than the death of Jacob, which unites the private drama of father and sons with the public drama of Israels beginnings as a nation. Just so; and in contrasting these two very different deaths, Cohen also points to one of the central differences between Greek and Jewish civilization.

In Aristotelian texts, the family merely provides preparation for service to the polis, and the great-souled man embodies the ideal of excellence. Plato goes farther, having Socrates declare in his Republic that in the truly just city, the philosopher-king will produce anonymous offspring whom he will pointedly not raise as his own lest he thereby compromise the universal compassion for all citizens that justice requires.

This, to a Jew, could not be more distant from Gods explanation for his choice of Abraham: For I have known him, that he will command his children and household after him, to keep the ways of the Lord, to perform righteousness and justice (Genesis 18:19). For Jews, the domain of the family is where the blood bond and the spiritual bond are joined, where transmission takes place, where children are taught about the God of their fathers, where the realm of the truly sacred and the truly human conjoin.

The Greek world is not the Jewish world; even attempts to find similarities reveal more about the differences. Take, for example, the frequent likening of the Passover seder to the Greek symposium. Both meals involve a choreographed series of imbibings and a discussion of philosophical and theological subjects.

And yet: would a Greek symposium welcome children, much less focus on them? Is a single child to be found in Platos Symposium? On the contrary, we find the best and the brightest of Greek society: Socrates is there; Alcibiades is there, physicians and philosophers, scholars and statesmen are there. No one has brought his progeny; to do so would ruin the conversation.

The ritual of the seder, for its part, though it may seem superficially Greco-Roman, is actually the inverse: it is all about children and family. In the Haggadah, philosophical inquiry is balanced by imaginative storytelling and covenantal re-creation. Father and mother teach children about the Almighty taking to Himself a people, and in going to sleep the children joyously respond: Hear O -Israel-Father, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

This, finally, returns us to the opening question of the Talmudfrom what time may one recite the shma in the evening?and its seemingly technical answer: from the time that the priests enter to eat their trumah.

The reference in the final word is to the end of twilight, when the priests of the Temple are once again permitted to partake of food they may eat only while ritually pure. But if thats when recitation of the shma can begin, what is the last point at which it can still be recited? Here a debate emerges, with three opinions followed by a story:

Until the end of the first watch. These are the words of Rabbi Eliezer.The sages say: until midnight. Rabbi Gamliel says: until the dawn comes up. Once it happened that [Gamliels] sons came home [late] from a wedding feast and they said to him: we have not yet recited the [evening]shma. He said to them: if the dawn has not yet come up, you are still bound to recite. . . . Why, then, did the sages say until midnight? In order to keep a man far from transgression. (Brakhot 2a).

The children of Gamliel, arriving after midnight but before dawn, and therefore assuming that, since the law accorded with the sages, they could no longer fulfill their obligation, are informed by their father that the sages established midnight only as an ideal deadline, in order to encourage early recital; but as long as dawn has not occurred, the commandment can still be obeyed.

Stop for a moment and consider who is telling this story. The author of the Mishnah is Rabbi Judah the Prince, a grandson of none other than Rabbi Gamliel. Judahs story therefore concerns his own father and uncles interacting with their father. This small succinct story thus shares a subject with the shma itself: the subject, that is, of familial fidelity.

Where, Rabbi Judah is asking, is true wisdom to be found? Gamliels sons have been to a drinking party: the term is often rendered as a wedding, but no textual evidence supports such a reading. More likely, in the Greco-Roman world in which the Mishnah was composed, it referred to a symposium, an event at which, by the lights of that culture, true sophistication and wisdom were to be found. Yet, for these aspiring young rabbis, the symposium has caused them to forget the central obligation of Jewish life. They arrive home thinking that the deadline has passed and contritely confess that they have failed.

At that point, new wisdom is transmitted from parent to child: it is not too late. In the darkness before dawn, this family can still give full-throated voice to the foundational words of Jacobs sons to their father Israel: Hear O Israel-Father, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.

That is why the practices and regulations surrounding this sentence, than which no other sentence is more powerful, are the very first matter taken up by the rabbis of the Talmud, and why it is the sentence occupying so central a place in every evening and morning prayer service, the sentence proclaimed in their dying breath by martyrs throughout history, the sentence repeated in gratitude and joy with children as they drift off to sleep, the sentence uttered as one prepares to bid farewell to this world, sanctifying the Lords name for ever and ever.

See the rest here:
The Mysteries of the Sh'ma - Mosaic

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There is a long tradition of scientists and other intellectuals in the West being casually dismissive of people's spiritual experiences. In 1766, the German philosopher Immanuel Kant declared that people who claim to see spirits, such as his contemporary, the Swedish scientist Emanuel Swedenborg, are mad. Kant, a believer in the immortality of the soul, did not draw on empirical or medical knowledge to make his case, and was not beyond employing a fart joke to get his derision across: "If a hypochondriac wind romps in the intestines it depends on the direction it takes; if it descends it becomes a f, if it ascends it becomes an apparition or sacred inspiration." Another "enlightened" enemy of other-worldly visions was the chemist and devout Christian, Joseph Priestley. His own critique of spirit seership in 1791 did not advance scientific arguments either, but presented biblical "proof" that the only legitimate afterlife was the bodily resurrection of the dead on Judgment Day.

However, there is good cause to question the overzealous pathologization of spiritual sightings and ghostly visions. About a century after Kant and Priestley scoffed at such experiences, William James, the "father" of American scientific psychology, participated in research on the first international census of hallucinations in "healthy" people. The census was carried out in 1889-97 on behalf of the International Congress of Experimental Psychology, and drew on a sample of 17,000 men and women. This survey showed that hallucinations including ghostly visions were remarkably widespread, thus severely undermining contemporary medical views of their inherent pathology. But the project was unorthodox in yet another respect because it scrutinized claims of "veridical" impressions that is, cases where people reported seeing an apparition of a loved one suffering an accident or other crisis, which they had in fact undergone, but which the hallucinator couldn't have known about through "normal" means. The vicinity of such positive findings with "ghost stories" was reason enough for most intellectuals not to touch the census report with a bargepole, and the pathological interpretation of hallucinations and visions continued to prevail until the late-20th century.

Things slowly began to change in about 1971, when the British Medical Journal published a study on "the hallucinations of widowhood" by the Welsh physician W Dewi Rees. Of the 293 bereaved women and men in Rees's sample, 46.7 percent reported encounters with their deceased spouses. Most important, 69 percent perceived these encounters as helpful, whereas only 6 percent found them unsettling. Many of these experiences, which ranged from a sense of presence, to tactile, auditory and visual impressions indistinguishable from interactions with living persons, continued over years. Rees's paper inspired a trickle of fresh studies that confirmed his initial findings these "hallucinations" don't seem inherently pathological nor therapeutically undesirable. On the contrary, whatever their ultimate causes, they often appear to provide the bereaved with much-needed strength to carry on.

Rees's study coincided with writings by a pioneer of the modern hospice movement, the Swiss-American psychiatrist Elisabeth Kbler-Ross, in which she emphasized the prevalence of comforting other-worldly visions reported by dying patients an observation supported by later researchers. Indeed, a 2010 study in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics addressed the need for special training for medical personnel regarding these experiences, and in recent years the academic literature on end-of-life care has recurrently examined the constructive functions of death-bed visions in helping the dying come to terms with impending death.

Kbler-Ross was also among the first psychiatrists to write about "near-death experiences" (NDEs) reported by survivors of cardiac arrests and other close brushes with death. Certain elements have pervaded popular culture impressions of leaving one's body, passing through a tunnel or barrier, encounters with deceased loved ones, a light representing unconditional acceptance, insights of the interconnectedness of all living beings, and so on. Once you ignore the latest clickbait claiming that scientists studying NDEs have either "proven" life after death or debunked the afterlife by reducing them to brain chemistry, you start to realize that there's a considerable amount of rigorous research published in mainstream medical journals, whose consensus is in line with neither of these popular polarizations, but which shows the psychological import of the experiences.

For instance, although no two NDEs are identical, they usually have in common that they cause lasting and often dramatic personality changes. Regardless of the survivors' pre-existing spiritual inclinations, they usually form the conviction that death is not the end. Understandably, this finding alone makes a lot of people rather nervous, as one might fear threats to the secular character of science, or even an abuse of NDE research in the service of fire-and-brimstone evangelism. But the specialist literature provides little justification for such worries. Other attested after-effects of NDEs include dramatic increases in empathy, altruism, and environmental responsibility, as well as strongly reduced competitiveness and consumerism.

Virtually all elements of NDEs can also occur in psychedelic "mystical" experiences induced by substances such as psilocybin and DMT. Trials at institutions such as Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and Imperial College London have revealed that these experiences can occasion similar personality changes as NDEs, most notably a loss of fear of death and a newfound purpose in life. Psychedelic therapies are now becoming a serious contender in the treatment of severe conditions including addictions, post-traumatic stress disorder, and treatment-resistant depressions.

This brings us back to James, whose arguments in The Varieties of Religious Experience for the pragmatic clinical and social value of such transformative episodes have been mostly ignored by the scientific and medical mainstream. If there really are concrete benefits of personality changes following "mystical" experiences, this might justify a question that's not usually raised: could it be harmful to follow blindly the standard narrative of Western modernity, according to which "materialism" is not only the default metaphysics of science, but an obligatory philosophy of life demanded by centuries of supposedly linear progress based on allegedly impartial research?

Sure, the dangers of gullibility are evident enough in the tragedies caused by religious fanatics, medical quacks, and ruthless politicians. And, granted, spiritual worldviews are not good for everybody. Faith in the ultimate benevolence of the cosmos will strike many as hopelessly irrational. Yet, a century on from James's pragmatic philosophy and psychology of transformative experiences, it might be time to restore a balanced perspective, to acknowledge the damage that has been caused by stigma, misdiagnoses and mis- or overmedication of individuals reporting "weird" experiences. One can be personally skeptical of the ultimate validity of mystical beliefs and leave properly theological questions strictly aside, yet still investigate the salutary and prophylactic potential of these phenomena.

By making this quasi-clinical proposal, I'm aware that I could be overstepping my boundaries as a historian of Western science studying the means by which transcendental positions have been rendered inherently "unscientific" over time. However, questions of belief versus evidence are not the exclusive domain of scientific and historical research. In fact, orthodoxy is often crystallized collective bias starting on a subjective level, which, as James himself urged, is "a weakness of our nature from which we must free ourselves, if we can." No matter if we are committed to scientific orthodoxy or to an open-minded perspective on ghostly visions and other unusual subjective experiences, both will require cultivating a relentless scrutiny of the concrete sources that nourish our most fundamental convictions including the religious and scientific authorities on which they rest perhaps a little too willingly.

This article was originally published by Aeon, a digital magazine for ideas and culture. Follow them on Twitter at @aeonmag.

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The history of scientists dismissing spiritual experiences - The Week Magazine

Altered Carbon burst onto Netflix back in 2018, taking its cue from the hard-boiled cyberpunk novels of Richard K. Morgan. The show proved popular and the US streaming service gave the show the green light for a second outing. Heres a look at what fans can expect from the new series.

Netflix hit Altered Carbon is making a comeback this year with the streaming platform yet to confirm a release date.

Filming on season two started in February 2019 with filming reported to have taken place over the course of four months before wrapping up.

Laeta Kalogridis is returning as showrunner with Alison Schapker joining her for the seconding outing.

Season two is going to be having a major cast revamp with Joel Kinnaman being replaced by Anthony Mackie as lead character Takeshi Kovacs.

READ MORE:Altered Carbon season 2 Netflix release date, cast, trailer, plot

There was such a massive scope in terms of the world they created and one of my big episodes was the flashback episode, the origin of Takeshi Kovacs and we spent almost a month shooting that episode.

Lee admitted he had a strict regimen as he got into shape for the role of the mercenary, which he shared with House of Cards actor Kinnaman.

Lee explained: The amount of training that I had to do to try and catch up to Joe Kinsmans body.

The whole show was about sleeves, so you have to make sure your sleeve was correct and doing three workouts a day and cooking chicken breasts and jumping on a treadmill.

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Altered Carbon season 2: Is Will Yun Lee returning as Takeshi Kovacs? - Express

Meanings of Gilgamesh

Joan Acocella, in her review of Michael Schmidts Gilgamesh: The Life of a Poem, captures the timelessness of this ancient story (Books, October 14th). She points out that the poem has been studied for only seven or eight generations, as opposed to about a hundred and fifty for the Iliad and the Odyssey. The comparative recency of the scholarship, she writes, means that there is no real tradition for reading Gilgamesh. This may be true, but it is worth noting that, in Waldorf schools all over the world, fifth graders have been studying this epic as a standard part of the curriculum since the movements founding, in 1919. In my classroom, students read a version of the poem and, using Popsicle sticks as styluses, pressed wedge-shaped cuneiform into clay tablets. As those of us in the boomer generation confront the inevitability of aging and mortality, we should add Gilgamesh to our reading lists.

Maureen ShaughnessyLake Orion, Mich.

I was pleased to see Acocellas article on Gilgamesh, a work that has been important to me as both a scholar and a person. I was surprised, however, by her characterization of the tests imposed on the hero as he seeks immortality as silly. On the contrary, they are a highlight of the poem. To prove that he is worthy of that ultimate prize, Gilgamesh must go without sleep for six days. He accepts the challenge, but sleep swirls over him like a mist, and he succumbs. To mark the passage of time while Gilgamesh sleeps, a loaf of bread is set out each day. By the time he wakes up, the loaves are in progressive states of decay, showing the perishability of living matter, which Gilgamesh, like humanity as a whole, has failed to transcend. The messageif you can conquer your unconscious, you can conquer deathis a profound one, in line with mystical texts from many traditions.

Michael NaglerTomales, Calif.

In the nineteen-sixties, I read Gilgamesh as a literature student at William Penn, a small Midwestern Quaker college. The English translation we had at the time was, as I recall, quite literal, and the sexual parts were rendered in Latin, in what had to have been, even then, an archaic attempt to protect our young minds. Fortunately, I had enough Church Latin to make out the meaning.

Pat SodakOskaloosa, Iowa

Reading Dana Goodyears Profile of the photographer Thomas Joshua Cooper, I was moved by the description of his environmental photography (The Ends of the Earth, October 7th). I always enjoy New Yorker articles about artists and intellectuals, but I couldnt help thinking about what it would be like to live with someone like Cooperor, in the case of his daughters, to not live with him, as he travelled incessantly in the singular pursuit of his art. After I read the scene in which he tries to capture a shot on a beach while his wife, standing next to him, is sick with the flu, my desire to know more about Cooper slackened, and it isnt surprising that his daughter has written a searing essay about growing up in the shadow of her fathers art. We are all familiar with the trope of the difficult but brilliant artistindeed, some of this magazines best recent reporting has been about the painful realities of such people. I find myself wondering how best to celebrate these artists work while taking into account the complexities of their lives.

Jeanne BonnerWest Hartford, Conn.

Letters should be sent with the writers name, address, and daytime phone number via e-mail to themail@newyorker.com. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, and may be published in any medium. We regret that owing to the volume of correspondence we cannot reply to every letter.

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The Mail - The New Yorker

By Shreyan JainNov. 13, 2019

Doctor SleepDirected by Mike FlanaganScreenplay by Mike FlanaganStarring Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff CurtisRated R, Now Playing

Its an old tale that Stephen King had no special love for The Shining, Stanley Kubricks much-acclaimed 1980 film adaptation of Kings own bestselling horror novel. Infinitely more interested in probing the darkness within the human mind than the more fantastical horrors of the supernatural, The Shining simply took one too many creative liberties for Kings personal liking. Fortunately, it appears that the question of whether Kubrick erred in wandering from his source material has finally been settled once and for all. If the box office numbers for Mike Flanagans recently released sequel, Doctor Sleep, are any indication, Kubrick got it right all along.

Doctor Sleep begins by taking us backwards in time to pick up where The Shining left off. Now safely back at home with his mother, young Danny (Roger Dale Floyd) remains traumatized by his memories of the insidious Overlook Hotel, whose demons still haunt his waking and sleeping hours. But when Danny (Ewan McGregor) shines and reconnects with Dick Halloran (Carl Lumbly) or more accurately, his ghost he learns how to use the same psychic power that attracts these ghastly apparitions to protect himself from their predatory presence. The demons go away, but the nightmares dont stop, and as Danny grows older he learns to take a page out of his fathers book, finding his daily refuge by literally drinking his sorrows away. Meanwhile, were also introduced to the mysterious and seductive Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson), the ringleader of a cult that use their shining abilities to sniff out and prey on similarly gifted children, whose essence (or steam) sustains their state of near-immortality. During a frenzied (and graphically over-indulgent) feeding session, Rose senses the presence of a child named Abra (Kyliegh Curran), a veritable white whale of psychic energy that her followers could live off for centuries. From this point, the film proceeds in predictable fashion towards a conclusion that King has surely dreamed of for decades.

Torn between literary integrity and gratuitous homage, Doctor Sleep unfortunately never quite finds its own footing. By deciding to split the difference between Kubrick and King, Flanagan ends up with a final version thats neither a successful standalone piece nor an authentic continuation of the story in the spirit of The Shining. Take the films opening scene, for instance, which just like its predecessor presents us with a sweeping overhead shot of an expanse of greenery, evoking the iconic scenic drive through the Colorado wilderness that frames Jacks trip to the Overlook. We expect a similar effect here, but instead the camera zooms in to reveal a strange, hitherto unseen campsite where a young child unknowingly wanders into a trap set by Rose. Ultimately, the birds-eye shot is nothing more than an unintended and empty MacGuffin, an aesthetic similarity without any narrative or thematic basis.

If Flanagan were less preoccupied with impersonating Kubrick a daunting task for even the most accomplished filmmaker his curiosity about the supernatural forces at the heart of Kings novel could have made for an intriguing narrative. Despite the title, Dannys shining ability was simply a supporting element in The Shining, an additional layer of mystery that both foreshadowed the films sinister turns and added to the uncertainty of the ending. In Doctor Sleep, Kings mythology takes center stage, as we witness the fullest extents of Roses, Abras, and ultimately Dannys own psychic powers. Although the films desire to provide explication on its predecessors supernatural elements is respectable, Flanagans decision to force-feed us visual references and allusions to The Shining detracts from the experience. What made Kubricks film so terrifying and unsettling was not the fantasy elements themselves but rather how much was left unsaid about them, the inherent ambiguity that forced us to question how much of what we saw was actually real. By constantly revisiting and rereading elements such as the Overlook Hotel, Flanagan tries too hard to fill in the essential narrative gaps within The Shining rather than create his own distinct story, resulting in a jumbled mess of a film that feels thematically and narratively incoherent.

Even for those who are unfamiliar with The Shining and wont try to measure up Doctor Sleep against it, the film suffers from several issues that undermine the overall viewing experience, not the least of which is its highly questionable pacing. The first hour of the film consists of a series of flash forwards as we watch Danny transform from terrified child into amoral alcoholic drifter into the titular hospice caretaker over the span of four decades. Unfortunately, all of this character development takes place off screen, keeping Dannys character completely at bay and preventing us from feeling any genuine empathy or identification with him. Once Danny decides to go to his first AA meeting, for example, the film immediately jumps forward eight years, as if his slow upward climb back to sobriety was as effortless and instant as his stumbling descent into substance abuse.

Even when the film gives itself time to linger over important moments of character development, the scenes ultimately ring hollow. The child Danny may be haunted by his time at the Overlook, but Sheila whose experience was nothing short of horrifyingly traumatic displays no signs of PTSD. When Abra realizes her father has been slain by Roses followers, she reacts with something between quiet acceptance and indifference. Whether due to a failure in acting or in writing, the characters are stripped of basic emotions, finding themselves remarkably placid and straight-faced in the face of tragedy. The exception is the scene in which Danny finally confronts the spirit whose presence (or, more accurately, absence) looms over almost the entire film: his father, Jack Torrance. In that moment, Flanagan finally finds his groove and gives us a powerful and nuanced treatment of alcoholism and the disintegration of family, the thematic undercurrent of both of Kings novels. Unfortunately, the moment comes too late to redeem the rest of the film.

Ultimately, the biggest disappointment of Doctor Sleep is its failure as a horror film. Flanagan unabashedly lifts the most terrifying images from The Shining and throws them at his audience time and time again until theyve completely lost any shock value. Around the third time we see the same naked old lady emerge from behind an ominous bathtub curtain, the visual feels more comically absurd than scary. So, of course, Flanagan decides to revisit the image two more times before the end. The most terrifying thing about the film is just how much it detracts from the terrors of The Shining, which wont feel anything like the timeless horror masterpiece it was once youve watched Doctor Sleep, a sequel in name but nothing else. Flanagan might have succeeded in making a film that Stephen King can finally appreciate, but I wouldnt be surprised if the ghost of Kubrick comes back to haunt him for it.

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'Doctor Sleep' might just put you to bed - The Tech

Since 1981, Indiana Jones has been a popular, cultural figure. From having the smug, likable Harrison Ford bring him to life, to have his own ride at Disneyland, it's no wonder many consider the world's best archeologist a real hero and a national treasure.

Although we might not like to hear it, the unfortunate truth is thatIndiana Jones exaggerates the archeologist's profession and often times his adventures are highly illogical. From watching God melt a Nazi's face, to finding the fountain of immortality, all the way to discovering the existence of alien life, here are 10 memes that make Indiana Jones logic highly laughable.

RELATED:10 Most Memorable Quotes From The Indiana Jones Movies

Henry Jones taught Indy everything he knows, including the mastery of over 27 languages. So that probably makes traveling around the country to outrun Nazis an easy task, right? Well according to some vigilant fans that are not the case as we can see in the picture.

Holding his newspaper upside down would probably be a dead giveaway that Jones and his crew are probably not German and most likely three guys on the run. That or reading newspapers upside down is a normal thing in Germany. Good thing Indy is a master at improvising. Otherwise, not a very subtle move Henry Jones.

Being a world-renowned archeologist means Indy is no stranger to brushes with death. In fact, in every movie, Indy is being shot at, punched, and nearly thrown off a cliff, so it's safe to safe to sayhe's pretty quick at thinking on his feet. In fact, it's his quick thinking that saves him from an incoming nuke when he decides his best chance at survival is stuffing himself in a fridge.

Lucky for us, it does just the trick and keeps our favorite history professor out of harms away and radioactive free. He would not recommend you try at home, Dr.Jones is very clearly a professional.

When it comes to rare and ancient artifacts, we all knowthat travel is a must. For Indy, throughout the four movies seemed to be going everywhere around the world, seeing Nazis, British Raj, British Egyptians, and even the Hatay Army.

Luckily for him, the armies got easier as the movies went along because he would've been in big trouble taking on entire armies with nothing but his trusty whip. The logic behind this is hilarious because and the grave robber would've easily been taken out but the armies might have been too soft for him. Keep doing you Indy.

It's funny that throughout his time exploring Indy is considered one of the best archeologists in the world, gaining notoriety. But do we ever actually see him do any? We see him as a history professor, an adventurer, a lover, even a Nazi when he disguised himself, but never actually doing his profession.

Most of the time the treasure falls on his lap or he almost always has some form of help that helps do the minimum work. Not to take away from his knowledge, but we just don't see much of that in the movies. So if he's not an archeologist, what do we call him?

RELATED: 10 Things From The Indiana Jones Franchise That Haven't Aged Well

Being an epic adventurer leaves little time for grading papers or having office hours, so when the 100 students want to talk about the upcoming finals what better way to respond then by just heading out the window.

A move professors probably wouldn't recommend, it's safe to say Indy probably isn't the best professor, given hemost likely misses half the year finding the Lost Ark or a Crystal Skull.Add the fact he's not the most supportive authority figure(see Short Round and Mutt), it's no wonder he chooses to run away rather than face his students. Good luck in History kids.

Being a grave robber, there isn't much Indy hasn't seen, so it's safe to say he's not afraid of much. At least that's what you would think. Indy has seen faces melt, men literally rip hearts out, even seen a man turn into dust and he still manages to dust himself off.

One thing he will absolutely not do is deal with snakes. A long-running joke in the movies, Indy has a crippling fear of the snake, something he wouldn't even touch to save his life. He would definitely not mind if all the snakes in the world would just disappear, something that wouldn't be too far of a stretch in the Indyverse.

In many Spielberg and George Lucas films, there is always some subtle hint that points to something that will happen later in the movie and this meme talk about just that.

For those familiar with The Last Crusade,we know the premise of the movie has to do with God's real name being Jehovah and a puzzle that Indy has to solve to get to the goblet of immortality. In the scene, he forgets the Latin "J" is actually an "I" and almost falls to his death. It was a funny and interesting way of foreshadowing.

RELATED:Indiana Jones: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Last Crusade

As mentioned before, Indy is good at thinking on his feet, quite literally. So when anything goes south, it's easy to bet onDr.Jones to get you out of any pickle. inTemple of Doom,when Indy Short Round and Willie ran off in a train car, they soon found out that the brakes were faulty and they were sure to meet their death.

Indy thought quickly and jumped in front of the train car, attempting to stop it. In an act that probably would've killed most, Indy is left with a bad case of Athletes foot and not much else.

When you're on your way to discovering an artifact that has been lost for 1000s of years, you have little time to brawl. As impressive as his moves are, Jones just takes his gun and with one shot ends it all. Not that Indy doesn't know his way in a fight, he often goes the easy way to concentrate on what really matters. In this case, a guy with swords is less important than the Lost Ark of the Covenant.

In typical fashion, he just shoots the would-be threat, ending any type of conflict then and there. Poor Sword guy.

RELATED:Indiana Jones: 10 Things You Probably Didnt Know About The Temple Of Doom

Short Round made his way into our hearts inTemple of Doom as Indy's trusty and loyal sidekick. As the Robin to Indy's Batman, he actually tried to steal from Indy before befriending and taking him in.

Although Indy isn't the perfect father figure, he still cares for and treats Short Round with some respect. So when Willie accidentally called Indy "Jones" instead of his rightful "Dr.Jones", Shorty made sure she never made that mistake again. As a loyal sidekick, it's nice to see where Shorty sets his priorities and how much he respects the caretaker that took him off the streets.

NEXT:Indiana Jones: 10 Things You Probably Didnt Know About The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

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10 Indiana Jones Logic Memes That Are Too Funny For Words - Screen Rant

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It turns out that all that talk about aHocus Pocus sequel wasnt a bunch of well, you know. Disney+ is developing aHocus Pocus 2 movie withWorkaholics writer and co-producerJen DAngelo set to pen the script. The original cast hasnt been confirmed to return, but DAngelo has reportedly been tasked with bringing back the bewitching trio played byBette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, andKathy Najimy.

Collider broke the news that Disney has tappedJen DAngelo, who served as a writer and co-producer onWorkaholics, to write the script for the long-awaitedHocus Pocus 2. The sequel to the 1993 Halloween cable rerun classic is set to debut on Disney+.

Theres no word on whether the Sanderson sisters, played by Midler, Parker, and Najimy, will return, but Disney is hopeful that the original stars will be involved in some capacity. Whether this means that they will take the stage once again as the sinister witches who kidnap children to attain immortality, or whether they will pass on the torch to a new generation, is uncertain.

But I cant seeHocus Pocus 2achieving quite the same level of success as the original if the terrific trio dont return. Midler, Parker, and Najimys hammy charisma and star presence is what elevated the film from being a forgettable fantasy-comedy Midlers glamorous and campy performance in particular.

The original, directed byKenny Ortegafrom a script byMick GarrisandNeil Cuthbert, was not a major box office hit when it opened in theaters in 1993, but gained new life once it hit the TV rerun circuit. As a Halloween-season staple,Hocus Pocus became an essential part of many a Millennials childhood. Endlessly quoted and memed, nostalgic fans have demanded a sequel for years, but a sequel without the stars that made it would not cast the same magic spell. The original film also starredOmri Katz,Thora Birch,Vinessa Shaw, andDoug Jones, none of which have confirmed to return for the sequel either.

However, ifHocus Pocus 2 is being developed for Disney+, Disneys forthcoming streaming service, I have the sinking feeling this sequel will end up being more of a new-gen spin-off in the vein of the services other titles based on familiar IP likeHigh School Musical. But perhaps Midler and co. will want to return for one more bid at immortality.

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Hocus Pocus 2 Movie is in the Works at Disney+ - /FILM

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