The Hall of Fame Outsiders: No. 23, Fred McGriff – The Athletic

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This offseason, leading right up to the 2021 Baseball Hall of Fame announcement, were counting down the 100 greatest eligible players not in the Hall of Fame and ranking them in the order in which I would vote them in. Each player will receive a Hall of Fame plaque based on the pithy ones that the Hall used to use back at the start. We continue our essay series with No. 23, Fred McGriff.

Frederick Stanley (Fred) McGriffTorontoSan DiegoAtlantaTampa BayChicago CubsLos Angeles Dodgers, 1986-2004

The Crime Dog is one of the most consistent power hitters in baseball history. He hit between 30 and 37 home runs 10 times in his career and knocked in between 102 and 107 RBIs eight times. Beloved player with a whirly-bird follow through, he also gained fame as the pitch man for the Tom Emanski baseball instruction videos.

Lets talk for a minute about Harold Baines. He has been hovering over this entire series...

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The Hall of Fame Outsiders: No. 23, Fred McGriff - The Athletic

‘I just want the music to live’: Barry Gibb reflects on the Bee Gees’ new HBO documentary – USA TODAY

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Bee Gee Barry Gibb says his recent revelation about being a victim of attempted molestation as a child "just sort of came out," but believes it's important to speak out about it. (June 30)

There's more to the story of the Bee Gees than meets the eye.

Brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb formed the Bee Gees, known for hits like How Deep Is Your Love and Love So Right, and became masters of music andof reinvention.

The band's tumultuous early years,commercially successful disco era and everything in between (and after) are chronicled in a new HBO and HBO Max documentary, "The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (Saturday, 8 p.m. EST/PST).

The film, directed by Frank Marshall,goes deep into the archives with never-before-seen footage from concerts, recording sessions and home videos. It also features interviews with Barry, 74, as well as archival interview footage with his twin brothers Maurice and Robin, who died in 2003 and 2012, respectively.

You never know really what's going to be a hit, you just know what you love, Barry Gibb tells USA TODAYby phone from his home in Miami. But you've got to want to do it more than anything else.

The story of the Bee Gees is chronicled in the 2020 HBO documentary "The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart."(Photo: LENNOX MCLENDON/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Gibb says he isnt sure what the Bee Gees legacy will be, but he wants the songs to endure. His coming album, Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1 (out Jan. 8),features mainly country stars such as Dolly Parton and Keith Urban duetting with him on Bee Geeshits.

I just want the music to live, he says. I want people to maybe enjoy it years from now. Doesn't matter about whether people remember us or me or the Bee Gees. Its the music that counts.

For bothcasual listeners and fans who lived through it, the documentary is a trove of discoveries and memories.

Among the most poignant moments:

John Travolta and Barry Gibb on the CBS special "Stayin' Alive: A Grammy Salute to The Bee Gees."(Photo: MONTY BRINTON/CBS)

The Bee Gees navigated the trappings of fame and working with family, providing a blueprint for subsequent starson how to maneuver the industry.

Fame, the ego that comes with it, and sibling spats led to the trio disbanding briefly in early 1970.

We had this fascination with calling the newspapers up. You call NME or Disc or Music Echo and you say, Robin said this about me and I just want to be able to correct the record,'" Barry can be heard saying in the doc, as headlines like Robin Breaks the Silence and Barry says Robin extremely rude flash across the screen.

It wasnt until music executive Robert Stigwood formed a record label and took the Bee Gees with him that the brothers began to communicate again, reuniting and writing Lonely Days.

It was a whole strange episode of our lives, Robin said. We needed time apart to think about it. Wed always been boys growing up together, and I think we came back together as men.

Still, Barry has countless fond memories of making music with his brothers.

There's a lot of great moments between the three of us," he says. "Music always kept us happy and together."

Barry Gibb (from left) joins brothers Robin and Maurice in the studio in 1970.(Photo: MIRRORPIX VIA GETTY IMAGES)

Fellow sibling stars Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers and Noel Gallagher of Oasis appear in the film to talk about the perils and proud moments of working with your brothers.

Brothers in general, its a very complicated thing. Emotions are heightened and theres things that go back to childhood When you magnify that with the whole world, it changes the game a little bit, says Jonas, whose own band turmoil was chronicled in 2019s Chasing Happiness documentary. "Something about entering the world from the same place I think has an affect on your ability to sing together, your creative awareness and your artistic voice.

Making music with your family is equally the greatest strength and the greatest weakness you could ever have in a musical partnership, says Gallagher, who has had public disputes with brother Liam.

The brotherhood is the secret sauce, it seems:

You cant sing like the Bee Gees because when youve got family members singing together, its unique, Gallagher says.

The Bee Gees, photographed here in Britain in 1970, rank third among groups with the most No. 1 singles in Billboard Hot 100 history.(Photo: SOUTH COAST PRESS/SHUTTERSTOCK)

As the group fell into acreative rut in the years following their reconciliation, they decided to relocateto Miami in 1975, where theyfound a new, more Americanized sound and Barrys falsetto.

The result was Main Course, the album that spawned the hitsJive Talkin (the beat of which, Barry says in the documentary, was inspired by the sound of their car going over a bridge on the way to Miamis Criteria Recording Studio) and Nights on Broadway.

That was the turning point where we literally did find ourselves, because we never really knew what we were until that album, Barry says.

When recording Broadway, producer Arif Mardin asked the band to ad lib background vocals. Barrys signature falsetto was born, becoming part of the groups trademark sound.

My whole life, I didnt know I could do this, Barry says in archival footage.

Though Maurice noted we werent the first to sing falsetto, listing The Stylistics and The Delfonics as inspirations, the group made the new sound its own.

The Bee Gees as photographed on June 5, 1979, in Los Angeles.(Photo: ED CARAEFF/MORGAN MEDIA/GETTY IMAGES)

Tragedy and You Should Be Dancing were on rotation at clubs as the then-underground disco scene thrived,when Stigwood tapped the Bee Geesto write songs for 1977s Saturday Night Fever, starring a young John Travolta. Stayin Alive was among the five songs the group penned for the film's soundtrack.

All at once, disco rocketed the trioto the top. The soundtrack was certified 16 times platinum and won album of the year at the Grammys.

Robin, Barry and Maurice Gibb formed the Bee Gees, known for hits including "How Deep Is Your Love" and "Stayin' Alive."(Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK)

But just as suddenly, the '80s revolt against disco, in part because of racism and homophobia, wrapped them in backlash.

Initially, the cultural and musical phenomenon of disco was based primarily in Black, brown and LGBTQ communities, but that didnt stop critics like Chicago DJ Steve Dahl from lumping the Bee Gees and their music in with the takedown of the genre.

A lot of straight people feeling threatened and the corporatization of disco was the straw that broke the camels back, former Studio 54 resident DJ Nicky Siano says in the documentary.

'Stayin' Alive': Bee Gees tune helps hand washing for coronavirus prevention

Even those who think theyve never heardthe Bee Gees have almost certainly heard one of their songs.

Barry reveals the group would write our lyrics in the studio itself instead of composing them ahead of time. The unconventional approach led them to create countless chart-topping hits, with the trio ranking third under groups with the most No. 1 singles in Billboard Hot 100history.

Its very hard to describe how we write, but the only way I can describe how we work at it is by becoming one mind, Maurice said.

Reinventing themselves once again, the band turned to songwriting for other musicians in the 80s and 90s. They wrote songs for Barbra Streisands 1980 albumGuilty, with Barry singing alongside her on the title track; Dionne WarwicksHeartbreaker single; Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers Islands in the Stream duet; Diana Ross Eaten Alive album; and the group'sImmortality duet with Celine Dion.

We just decided to write for other people and to ignore the slings and arrows, Barry says. "You know, let's just write songs (for other artists) and make sure the songs are great songs, and we prove ourselves to be songwriters more than anything else."

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CYBERPUNK 2077 Developer Has Played Over 150 Hours Of The Game And Still Hasn’t Completed It – GameFragger.com

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Cyberpunk 2077 will finally hit store shelves in a few weeks from now, but there are players who have been impatiently waiting for the game to release pretty much since developer CD Projekt RED announced it all the way back in May of 2012; yes, the game's been in development for 8 years.

The developers at CD Projekt RED have poured their hearts and souls into making sure that Cyberpunk 2077 is the top quality product that fans have been waiting to play. While there have been some delays, every time the devsshare new information via the Night City Wire presentations, they prove that these delays werewellworth the wait.

Cyberpunk 2077 is definitely an ambitious project, and a few hints here and there have led fans to believe that the game will be quite beefy in terms of content especially because CD Projekt RED has already mentioned that they want to give each player the freedom to play the game any way they want, to the point that every players will have a very different experience.

The game's open world is definitely massive, and a recent comment made byCD Projekt RED QA Lead for ukasz Babiel has revealed that players will have, at the very least, over a solid 150 hours before they complete the game.

According to a tweet posted by Babiel, he has already put in a massive 175 hours into Cyberpunk 2077, but he does mention that he's taken his time playing the game. Plus, he also reveals that he's taken a stealthier approach, and that he's actually playing the game on the hardest difficulty.

Babiel does recommend that players experience Cyberpunk 2077 in either the Normal or Hard difficutlies first, and not go for Very Hard the first time around. With that said, he does mention that the difficulty level can be changed at any time. Thursday the 10th of December just can't come any sooner.

In the most dangerous megacity of the future, the real you is not enough. Become V, a cyber-enhanced mercenary outlaw going after a one-of-a-kind implant the key to immortality. Customize your cyberware and skillset, and explore a vast city of the future obsessed with power, glamour and body modification. The choices you make will determine the story and shape the world around you.

Cyberpunk 2077 will be releasing for thePlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia on Thursday the 10th of December.

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CYBERPUNK 2077 Developer Has Played Over 150 Hours Of The Game And Still Hasn't Completed It - GameFragger.com

‘Fossil galaxy’ found deep in the Milky Way – Cosmos

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An all-sky image of the stars in the Milky Way as seen from Earth. The coloured rings show the approximate extent of the stars that came from the fossil galaxy known as Heracles. Credit: Danny Horta-Darrington (LJMU), ESA/Gaia, SDSS

Astronomers say they have discovered a fossil galaxy hidden in the depths of the Milky Way that may alter thinking on how our galaxy grew into what we see today.

They have named it Heracles, after the hero of Greco-Roman mythology who received the gift of immortality when the Milky Way was created, and say it may have collided with the Milky Way 10 billion years ago, when our galaxy was still in its infancy.

The remnants of Heracles account for about one-third of the Milky Ways spherical halo, the researchers say in a paper in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, so this newly discovered ancient collision must have been a major event.

That suggests, they add, that our galaxy may be unusual, since most similar massive spiral galaxies had much calmer early lives.

To find a fossil galaxy like this one, we had to look at the detailed chemical makeup and motions of tens of thousands of stars, says Ricardo Schiavon from Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) in the UK.

That is especially hard to do for stars in the centre of the Milky Way, because they are hidden from view by clouds of interstellar dust.

To differentiate Heracles from the original Milky Way, the team used chemical compositions and velocities of stars measured by the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE), which takes spectra of stars in near-infrared light.

Of the tens of thousands of stars we looked at, a few hundred had strikingly different chemical compositions and velocities, says LJMUs Danny Horta-Darrington, the papers lead author.

These stars are so different that they could only have come from another galaxy. By studying them in detail, we could trace out the precise location and history of this fossil galaxy.

Because galaxies are built through mergers of smaller galaxies across time, the remnants of older galaxies are often spotted in the outer halo of the Milky Way, a huge but very sparse cloud of stars enveloping the main galaxy.

But since our galaxy built up from the inside out, finding the earliest mergers requires looking at the most central parts of the Milky Ways halo, which are buried deep within the disc and bulge.

Cosmos is a quarterly science magazine. We aim to inspire curiosity in The Science of Everything and make the world of science accessible to everyone.

Theres never been a more important time to explain the facts, cherish evidence-based knowledge and to showcase the latest scientific, technological and engineering breakthroughs. Cosmos is published by The Royal Institution of Australia, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science. Financial contributions, however big or small, help us provide access to trusted science information at a time when the world needs it most. Please support us by making a donation or purchasing a subscription today.

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'Fossil galaxy' found deep in the Milky Way - Cosmos

Watch the Trailer for The Immortal, the Only Summer Movie I Care About – Vogue

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If you believe as sincerely as I do that the ruthless Naples-set drug-world epic Gomorrah is the best international crime series on TV (and single-handedly justifies a subscription to HBO Max), and you also feel that Gomorrahs recently released season fourwhile gripping and grimy and impeccably shotwas just maybe lacking a little something without the presence of its brooding antihero star Ciro Di Marzio, well...are you in for a summer treat. The Immortal (LImmortale), the Gomorrah spin-off feature film (already a box office hit in Italy), is finally coming to the U.S., and will stream exclusively on HBO Max on July 29.

The trailer just dropped, and I can practically hear the cheers of Gomorrahs obsessives everywhere. Thats because The Immortal represents the return of the actor Marco DAmore as Ciro, the handsome, violent, sensitive, absolutely uncompromising soldier of the Naples underworld. (DAmore also wrote and directed the film.) During three seasons of Gomorrah, which is based on the best-selling book about the Naples mob by Roberto Saviano, Ciro survived one fix after another, losing everyone he loved in the processand he emerges here as a dead-eyed loner with nothing to live for. In The Immortal, Ciro arrives in Riga, the capital of Latvia, and finds himself split between rival violent gangs: the Russian mafia to whom he is selling drugs and a roughneck Latvian crew that wants in on the action. The film also tells the story of Ciros boyhood in Naples. A sequel and an origin story, Gomorrah has the only expanded universe I care about.

The trailer takes you back to the cliff-hanger at the end of season three, and then gives just hints of whats to come on July 29: blasted central European cityscapes, tatted-up tough guys, and Ciro looking soulful and powerful at every turn. Forget the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Forget CGI popcorn spectacles. The Immortal is the only summer blockbuster I need.

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Watch the Trailer for The Immortal, the Only Summer Movie I Care About - Vogue

The hot new trend are perfumes that smell like books – Goodereader

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The global pandemic has closed millions of bookstores all over the world and many people who used to browse their favorite shop, are unable to do so. Most people are now shopping online, but you miss the smell of a used bookstore and musty old paperbacks. One of the big new trends are a series of perfumes and colognes that smell like books.

Powells Books, the beloved independent shop in Portland, recently announced a limited-edition perfume that smells just like its seemingly endless rows of new and used titles. This scent contains the lives of countless heroes and heroines. Apply to the pulse points when seeking sensory succor or a brush with immortality, Powells says about the forthcoming release. Termed an Eau de bookstore, the unisex fragrance was spurred by customers saying they missed the aroma of the shop during the ongoing pandemic. The packaging of Powells by Powells even resembles a bright red hardback that can sit inconspicuously on a shelf with other titles. You can pre-order a bottle now.

Commodity has released a new fragrance called Commodity Book. This crisp, woody fragrance tips its hat to the Hemingways and Fitzgeralds of the world, conjuring the warmth of a quiet moment curled up with a good book. Its complex blend of sparkling bergamot, spicy cypress and creamy sandalwood results in an unexpectedly fresh scent.

Maison Margiela Replica Whispers in the Library has a scent of wood wax and old books, endless bookshelves, and secret passageways are evoked in this eau de toilette. A mysterious Oriental composition, this fragrance for women and men is a bewitching blend of spicy and woody perfumes like pepper, vanilla, and cedar. It costs $38 for the mini size and $158 for the full.

Demeter Paperback evokes a trip to your favorite library or used bookstore. Sweet and lovely with just a touch of the musty smell of aged paper, Demeters Paperback harnesses that scent with a sprinkling of violets and a dash of tasteful potpourri. Ranges in price from $3 to $40.

Michael Kozlowski is the Editor in Chief of Good e-Reader. He has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past ten years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times.

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The hot new trend are perfumes that smell like books - Goodereader

Tale of Immortal is a Chinese open-world RPG thats Steams latest hit – PCGamesN

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Steams latest hit is aChinese RPG game thats launched to an immediately receptive audience.Tale of Immortal, out less than a week, has alreadygathered over 124,000 concurrent players at its peak.

Developed and published by Lightning Games,Tale of Immortal is an open-world game basedaround Chinese mythology.Starting as a mortal warrior, you gradually ascend towards becoming a deity of some form or other, makingparticular choices depending on how you want to resolve things and build your character. Its in Early Access right now, offering six chapters, and the full version is due in about a year, according to the Steam page.

Where Taleof Immortal stands out, however, is that its currentlyonly available on Valves store in Simplified Chinese, meaningmany of these players are from China itself.This is the second Chinese-language game to make a splash on Steam this month, following strategy game House of the Three Kingdoms 8, which topped at around 25,000 players a couple of weeks ago. But what separates the two isTale of Immortal is available everywhere, whereas Three Kingdoms 8 is China-only. Industry analyst Daniel Ahmad points out that China now accounts for a quarter of Steams users, and the success ofboth gamesgoes against the general buying habitsforChinese players.

HeresTale of Immortals trailer:

Taleof Immortal and House of the Three Kingdoms 8 join Bloons TD 6 as curve-ball Steam hits for 2021.Your guess is as good as ours as to whats next. Heres all the best upcoming games to fuel your speculation.

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Tale of Immortal is a Chinese open-world RPG thats Steams latest hit - PCGamesN

Impressions of the Immortal Mystics, the Spanish MOBA that seeks to give a twist to the genre – Inspired Traveler

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Mindiff is a Spanish studio that has been working on an ambitious project for the last five years: The Immortal Mystcs, a MOBA that comes with the intention of giving a little twist to the genre by betting on those characteristics that its own creators would love to see in other titles. This was told to us in a talk in which we were able to discover the project in motion and attend several games of a game that promises.

They themselves told us that they already have an age and that they perceived that the rest of MOBAS required two characteristics that they no longer have: many reflections and a lot of free time. Games like League of Legends or Heroes of the Storm have many micromanages, very specific requirements when it comes to enjoying the games at a competitive level. From Mindiff they wanted to promote another idea and that team play was much more important than these small individual sparkles. Faster games for busy players and a much faster learning line than other titles in the genre. A good cover letter for The Immortal Mystics, which also seeks to satisfy the most purist players.

The Immortal Mystics is a MOBA with all the letters, that these initial investigations do not make you think that it is a game that seeks to simplify the rules and needs of other games on the market. In fact, the study itself commented that in the first years of development they focused on creating the basis for a game of the genre with all the elements intact, taking as a reference other greats in the sector. It has been the last two years where they have dedicated themselves to adjusting the experience and adding the most personal elements that make the experience unique.

Although it is yet to be officially announced and they did not give us many details, Mindiff assured us that in addition to the traditional game modes, The Immortal Mystics will incorporate an additional mode designed for more casual players or for those who want a different experience with the genre. They will be unique maps with their own rules and limitations, so in each of them we will have to face the games in different ways. In about five minutes, we will enjoy these small experiences that seek to find another type of audience that does not want to face only another MOBA on the market.

But lets go where we are, have we really noticed that The Immortal Mystics is different and original? The game is still in an alpha-beta state, so work will continue on it. The launch of its open beta on PC is expected for the summer of 2021, where the game will already appear with all the expected features, store, skins and will begin to function as a product. Yes we have perceived that the games are faster than those of other MOBAs (about 20 minutes) and that many features have been incorporated to make the competitive confrontations somewhat lighter and more dynamic.

For example, teleportations have been incorporated that, at the cost of some points that will increase as the game progresses, we can immediately return to the line where we were before dying or return to the base. Everything suggests that additional speed that will convince players who do not want to spend a lot of time in each game, but without losing the deepest characteristics at the playable level. Because we insist: The Immortal Mystics is a MOBA with all the consequences.

There will be more than 20 heroes (right now they have a total of 28 developed, but they will not release all on the first day) and 3 maps for launch day. All heroes will have their own roles (recognizable within the genre), different special abilities and a series of unique characteristics that will completely vary the way in which we will play with them. The Immortal Mystics has an interesting armor system that we can customize and that will completely change the statistics of each character, even those that are the same. In addition, it will invite the player to play games to try to get different ones.

These armors will be chosen before starting the game and will allow the character to fill their gaps with different gems. These will boost some specific statistics, but it will depend on where on the body they are located. That is, depending on the role and class of the character, it will be convenient for us to have armor with holes in certain places, which will encourage us to get those that we think can better marry each of them. However, this will lead to multiple combinations and strategies, because as the study itself indicated, The Immortal Mystics places a lot of importance on team play.

The Immortal Mystics, in addition to this armor system, incorporates some elemental skills that we also choose at the beginning of each game. This will allow us to choose between fire, water, earth, wind and other natural elements to be able to carry out special attacks (with the F) of this type, but focused on the combination with those of our companions. If we do it close, both elements will be combined, ours and our partners (although they are different) allowing the attacks to be even more devastating. This leads us to the importance of companionship and to act with strategy, since this type of combos can only be carried out if both players have the action available.

For those who are wondering, these types of actions can also be limited to avoid trolling or problems with certain players at the multiplayer level. For example, you can select that your elemental ability is only shared with specific players to limit their actions. Everything that Mindiff has raised seeks cooperation and communication, which will be key to obtaining victory beyond the individual capacity of the best players.

But, with all these very strategic elements, isnt the duration of the games prolonged and the speed and dynamism that was sought is avoided? Indeed, that is why the studio itself has been very aware of this and new minions and different roles have been incorporated into the games to enhance speed despite these original brushstrokes, which require cooperation and patience to find the right moment.

Expect the typical minions that provide the group with gold and experience to level up, bosses, towers, the cores in each base that must be destroyed to win the game, the ultimate abilities of each character Any player who has enjoyed a MOBA will be able to enter The Immortal Mystics without any problem, discovering these differentiating points as incentives to enjoy a well-known but refreshing experience.

Mindiff has had two lines of development in recent years at its headquarters in Tenerife and Malaga. The first has worked on The Immortal Mystics, while the second has continued to perfect the technology of its own engine, Plague, which has been generating RTS and RPG video games for 20 years, to which they recently migrated to MOBAs for this project. A very specific engine for the genre they are going to license, highly specialized and with enormous potential. More than 60 people in total have worked during these years in both projects, which shows the magnitude and importance of the video game.

It will be this summer of 2021 when we can access those more than 20 heroes, 3 maps, 7 roles and more than 100 objects from the ingame store, to which skins and cosmetics of different kinds will also be incorporated. Although nothing is completely defined yet and it will be time and the players who mark the destiny of The Immortal Mystics, the studio is excited and has already told us their intention to continuously incorporate heroes, skins and all kinds of content, as well as keep updating that other game mode more focused on casual players who also want to open a door.

The Immortal Mystics has incredible potential. It seems that it will work very well as an initial MOBA with a much faster and less demanding learning curve than the great exponents of the current genre., along with all its own characteristics that focus on the importance of teamwork ahead of individual sparkles and not exhausting the player with excessively long games. It can be the beginning of something truly immortal.

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Impressions of the Immortal Mystics, the Spanish MOBA that seeks to give a twist to the genre - Inspired Traveler

Activision: Diablo Immortal Sets Stage for Franchise to Expand "Global Reach," Lot of Excitement From "Depth & Authenticity" -…

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While Activision has confirmed that Diablo 4 wont be released this year, there is a Diablo game set to launch in 2021, and thats Diablo Immortal. While some gamers might still not be warm to the Diablo mobile game, Activision has lavished praise on it based on regional testing.

In Activisions quarterly earnings report, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick says that Diablo Immortal has set the stage for the franchise to expand its global reach.

Diablo Immortal our upcoming free-to-play mobile title was extremely well received during its recent regional testing. And this has set the stage for the franchise to meaningfully expand its global reach. Bobby Kotick, Activision CEO

In the same earnings report, Daniel Alegre,President & Chief Operating Officer of Activision confirms that Diablo Immortal is on track for release later this year, and adds that based on regional testing, Immortal garnered excitement due to its depth and authenticity.

Diablo Immortal concluded its first stage of regional testing with very positive player feedback. A lot of excitement about the depth and authenticity, that this latest Diablo experience and strong engagement metrics.

We look forward to getting the game in the hands with more players and further regional testing ahead of a launch planned for later this year. And the Blizzard team is looking forward to channeling the spirit of BlizzCon to engage and celebrate the community once again. At BlizzConline on February 19th and 20th where they will share more about the plans for the franchise. Daniel Alegre, President & Chief Operating Officer of Activision

Hopefully, the mobile game does deliver a proper and faithful Diablo experience on mobile. If it can pull that off, Activision might have another Call of Duty Mobile hit on their hands again.

Father, gamer, games media vet, writer of words, killer of noobs.

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Hulk: How "Return of the Monster" Took Bruce Banner Back to His Roots – CBR – Comic Book Resources

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The 2002 Hulk story "Return of the Monster" brought Bruce Banner back to his roots, sharing many similarities with the beginning of Immortal Hulk.

The highly acclaimedImmortal Hulkseries begins with a simple premise: Bruce Banner wandering through the American Southwest. Along the way, the Hulk occasionally emerges, punishing those who harmed others. This premise is a classic component of the Hulk's mythos, exemplified years earlier in "Return of the Monster," a story that began in 2002's Incredible Hulk#34, by Bruce Jones, John Romita Jr., Tom Palmer, Studio F, Richard Starkings, Wes Abbott and standout covers by Kaare Andrews.

"Return of the Monster" began much likeImmortal Hulk, with Banner aimlessly drifting across the country. As a fugitive from the law, Banner would stay in motels under assumed names. Banner did everything to hide himself, from growing a beard to shaving his head entirely. The only form of contact which Banner had was on an encrypted laptop, frequently messaging the enigmatic "Mr. Blue." During his attempts to stay below the radar, Banner ran into some trouble. For example, a young man named Jerome found himself caught up in local gang violence. Although Banner tried to help Jerome himself, ultimately, the Hulk emerged, beating up a group of street criminals off-panel. Banner also found himself constantly hunted by government agencies. At several points in this story, the Hulk emerged todispatch his pursuers.

Related:Hulk: Maestro Reveals Which MAJOR Marvel Villain Survived the Apocalypse

Eventually, a recurring agency, called Home Base,began hunting down the Jade Giant. Home Base hired agents Jink Slater and Sandra Verdugo to find and capture the Hulk. These highly-trained, deadly killers were approached by Home Base, along with Doc Samson. Banner's old friend turned down Home Base's offer, instead attempting to find and help Bruce.

After a great deal of work, Samson finally tracked Banner down to a diner, where Slater and Verdugo also found the scientist. Samson warned Banner of the impending danger, just in time for the Hulk to emerge and flee through a smokescreen of destruction. Throughout the story, it was assumed that the Hulk was responsible for the death of a young boy, Ricky Myers. When Banner found Verdugo in a secluded cabin, she revealed herselfas Ricky's mother. In truth, Sandra was accused of killing her son and sent to death row. Home Base offered Verdugo the chance to save herself and her son. After she was executed, Verdugo was mysteriously revived by Home Base, who also gave her incredible strength and healing abilities.

Verdugo revealed to Banner that Home Base faked the footage of the Hulk killing Ricky, intending to hunt and use the Hulk for their own purposes. Sandra also told Banner that Samson was Ricky's true father. Before they could make another move, Slater arrived at the cabin, intent on killing Banner. Fortunately, Verdugo blew up the cabin, with Bruce transforming into the Hulk at the last minute. Burying the assassins, Banner moved on to investigate Home Base.

In many ways, "Return of the Monster" brings the Hulk back to his roots. With this storyline, Banner's journey is simplified, removing many of his alternate personas such as Joe Fixit or the smart Professor Hulk. Much like some of his earliest appearances, Banner spends time wandering the Southwest, hiding from his pursuers. Of course, this Hulk is not the friendly, Savage Hulk of the 1960s and '70s. Rather, the Hulk in this tale is more of a looming presence, rarely appearing on the page.

Related:Hulk: How Heart of the Monster Made the Avenger STRONGER Than Ever

The true destruction and devastation that this Hulk brings makehim a true monster. While the inspiration for the 2008 film The Incredible Hulkispresent, the story is also very similar to Immortal Hulk's beginning.This Hulk is fairly similar to the Devil Hulk, in that they both emerge primarily to punish those who harm innocents. There's a clear purpose to what these Hulks do. Both Hulks are part of Banner's aimless wandering, emerging only when night falls or when absolutely necessary.

Still, there are some major differences between "Return of the Monster" andImmortal Hulk. For one thing, Banner ismore of the protagonist in "Return of the Monster" than the Hulk. This story isvery much Bruce's journey, with mere glimpses of the Hulk.Immortal Hulk, on the other hand, gives the Jade Giant his own perspective and voice. The Devil Hulk has long moments of dialogue and action, while "Return of the Monster" rarely shows the Hulk. Additionally, the Devil Hulk is accompanied by other personas, not limited to simply one perspective. As a whole, Banner is also much more ambitious and proactive inImmortal Hulk. "Return of the Monster, " for instance, features Banner on the run, evading his pursuers.Immortal Hulk, however, illustrates the Hulk's long-term goal to end humanity as we know it, taking the fight to corporations like Roxxon. Despite their differences, both "Return of the Monster" and Immortal Hulk found success by emphasizing primal aspects of the Hulk and building their narratives around those ideas.

KEEP READING:Hulk: The POWERHOUSE Ultimate Marvel Hero Never Got His Due

The Flash Dooms a Classic Speedster to a HORRIFYING Future Fate

Nabeel Gaber is a longtime reader of a plethora of comic books. He's based in Houston, Texas, following all of the latest comic book media from movies to television. Nabeel is a graduate of Trinity University, working now as a freelance comic book features writer. In his spare time, Nabeel enjoys running, improv comedy, and all the comics he can get his hands on!

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India vs Australia: From impossible to immortal, will we ever see anything like this again? – Firstpost

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First, you can never take anything for granted. Second, never, ever, ever underestimate the Indians.

On the 19th of December, 2020, 36 all out happened.

Then, India lost Virat Kohli, and Mohammed Shami.

Then Umesh Yadav.

Then KL Rahul.

Then Ravindra Jadeja. And R Ashwin. And Jasprit Bumrah. And Hanuma Vihari.

India lost a lot.

And then, exactly a month on from 36, India won.

***

The lineup that India were able to assemble, eventually, for the decider of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020/21, at Brisbane Fortress Gabba/Gabbatoir/Come to Gabba et al was this:

1. Second away Test as an opener2. Third Test3. Ridiculed for intent4. Stand-in captain5. Recently-dropped opener6. Ridiculed for mostly everything7. Debutant, with no FC game in three years8. 10-ball long Test career9. Second Test half of it riddled with injury10. Third Test on the back of racial abuse, on the back of losing his father11. Debutant potentially ninth-choice fast-bowling option

If you were to make an equivalent Australian XI, considering similar blows and absentees, it could read something like this: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Wade, Joe Burns, Tim Paine, Moises Henriques, Ashton Agar, Sean Abbott, Trent Copeland, Jackson Bird.

Now picture this revised Australian lineup playing a series-decider, against a full-strength India, at Chepauk.

How do you imagine that panning out?

***

The last visiting XI to win a Test at the Gabba read thus: Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Richie Richardson, Carl Hooper, Viv Richards, Gus Logie, Jeff Dujon, Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Patrick Patterson.

When that West Indian team completed their victory, Sachin Tendulkar was a year away from his India debut, Virat Kohli was barely two weeks old, Diego Maradonas Argentina were world champions, and Steffi Graf had just become the first and still remains the only tennis player to achieve the Golden Slam (winning all four majors plus the Olympic gold in the same year).

***

Australia is the first country India made a cricket tour to as an independent nation. Indias travels to the distant land, from 1947 right upto 2018, had been the stuff of folklore even without ever actually winning a series there.

It was a different kind of folklore, though, until that point.

For through the first 70 years of Indian visits to the land Down Under, Indian cricket learned, to quote Christopher Nolan, that there can be no true despair without hope.

Think Brisbane 1968. Think Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide 1977/78. Think Adelaide 1992. Think Sydney 2004. Think Sydney 2008. Think Adelaide 2014.

And then, after seven decades of waiting seven decades of determination enveloped by disappointment, of dedication covered with dismay came the Aussie summer of 2018/19.

The promised land had been met.

But, it would be said in its wake, that it would be an achievement asterisked.

Australia didnt have two of their best players. Australia were a side in transition. Australia were a team inching their way out from their darkest pit.

How about this time, then?

Before the series, India didnt have their senior-most fast bowler. One game into it, they were without their captain/best batsman, and now deprived of two of their three first-choice pacers. Two games in, they were without three of their four first-choice pacers. By the time the last match arrived, they almost had more candidates for a hospital ward than they did to put out on the park.

For years, Australian tours to India had been billed as their final frontier. For India, their tours to Australia were more in the realm of the impossible dream.

Well, as it stands India have more Test series wins in Australia in the last two years than Australia have in India in the last 50.

Perhaps Mr.(Stephen) Kings take fits more nicely than Mr Nolans then: Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.

***

Against Australia, mystically or not, have come some of the most astonishing triumphs in Indian Test history. From Kanpur 1959 to Kolkata 2001, from Melbourne 1981 to Adelaide 2003 to Perth 2008.

They will never be forgotten.

But this summer, this tour, this game this will never die. This now becomes the reference point. The permanent beacon. The forever sign-board, for any and all Indian travellers, feeling lost and out of sync.

From impossible, on the 19th of December, to immortal, on the 19th of January.

First, you can never take anything for granted. Second, never, ever, ever underestimate the Indians.

These words didnt come out of the Indian camp. They came, in a mark of begrudging respect, from the opposite coach, when Justin Langer spoke to the host broadcasters, Channel 7.

***

Oh, Covid youve been beaten! You could not stop one of the greatest spectacles you could see in life. You cannot stop sport. You could not have seen anything better than this!

Who else, but Harsha Bhogle, to illuminate this brightest of all days in the annals of Indian cricket, as Ajinkya Rahane lifted the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and passed it over to T Natarajan before you knew it.

Yes, there are far greater battles for the country as indeed the world to fight.

But for one afternoon, basking in the most glorious glory, a country was happily positive; this was an injection nobody refuted; today, even if briefly so, everyone was united.

Weve always known this is more than a game for India. Today, we knew, if ever it was in doubt, that this is more than a team.

You know the best part? We knew it, even before they stepped out for what will, for now, be the greatest day of their cricketing lives.

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how is the calendar and when are the long weekends in the year – Explica

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After a 2020 marked by the coronavirus, started a new year in which there will be 18 holidays that will seek to shore up tourism, one of the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic.

More than a month in advance, the national government set what will be the three bridge holidays, established in order to promote the activity, through Decree 947/2020, published on November 26.

The standard provided that these will be:

On Monday, May 24, in the prelude to the national day in memory of the May Revolution. On Friday, October 8, in anticipation of the Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity. On Monday, November 22, after the Day of National Sovereignty.

The norm recalls that the Executive Power is empowered to set annually up to three holidays or non-working days destined to promote tourist activity, which must coincide with Monday or Friday.

In the text, it was established that this faculty becomes a policy aimed at boost domestic tourism in the Argentine RepublicAnd, in turn, it was mentioned that those three days are related to helping to reduce the negative effects of seasonality in the tourism sector, trying to distribute them over time.

In addition, there will be 11 fixed holidays, five of which will lead to long weekends:

1 of January New Year). April 2 (Veterans Day and the Fallen in the Malvinas War, and Good Friday). July 9 (Independence Day). February 15 and 16 (Carnival).

Two of the immovable holidays fall on weekends and will not have modifications:

May 1 (Labor Day). 25th December, Christmas).

On the other hand, there will be four portable holidays at the ends of generating long weekends:

Thursday, June 17 (Passage to the Immortality of General Gemes) will be held on Monday, June 21. On Tuesday, August 17 (General Jos de San Martns Passage to Immortality) is moved to Monday, August 16. Tuesday, October 12 (Respect for Cultural Diversity Day) moves to Monday through October 11. Saturday November 20 (National Sovereignty Day) goes to Monday November 22.

January 1: New Years February 15: Carnival February 16: Carnival March 24: National Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice April 1: Holy Thursday April 2: Veterans Day and the Memorial Day Malvinas War, and Good Friday May 1: Labor Day May 24: Holiday for tourist purposes May 25: Day of the May Revolution June 20: Day of the Immortality of General Manuel Belgrano June 21: Day of the Passage to the Immortality of General Martn de Gemes July 9: Independence Day August 16: Passage to the Immortality of General Jos de San Martn October 8: Holiday for tourist purposes October 11: Day of Respect for the Cultural Diversity November 20: National Sovereignty Day November 22: Holiday for tourism purposes December 8: Immaculate Conception of Mary December 25: Christmas

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how is the calendar and when are the long weekends in the year - Explica

10 Strongest Gods In The DC Pantheon | CBR – CBR – Comic Book Resources

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As powerful as many of DC's heroes and villains are, they pale in comparison to the literal gods and goddesses that exist in that multiverse.

The DC landscape is filled with characters that absolutely boggle the mind in terms of unfathomable power. From heavy hitters such asThe Man of Steel, The Flash, and Shazam, these "terrestrial" heroes, for lack of a better term, pale in comparison to some of the entities that are capable of flipping these heroes worlds upside down.

RELATED:Flash: The 10 Most Powerful Villains Of The Fastest Man Alive

From reality warping to time-travel, these cosmic-level beings can, and in some instances, have made reality their will, bringing in the question of whether The Presence is obsolete in his position of DC's Supreme Being.

Superboy-Prime is an unfathomable force to be reckoned with that has thrashed both DC heroes and villains alike. Following the obliteration of his home universe in Crisis on Infinite Earths, Superboy-Prime would return from the Paradise Dimension alongside Alexander Luthor with a twisted scope of what he saw as a failing superhero landscape.

Believing the Post-Crisis heroes to be feigning heroism instead of upholding his idea of altruistic heroism, Super-Boy tumbled down the villainous rabbit hole, becoming the very thing he resented. Debatably the most powerful incarnation of Superman due to a lack of weakness to green kryptonite, Superboy-Prime has shattered dimensional barriers with sheer strength; subdued the JSA, Teen Titans, and Doom Patrol all at the same time; escaped the Speed Force; and was even held in a guarded quantum containment field after dispatching almost the entirety of the Green Lantern Corps.

Known as the First Lantern, Volthoom became the first being to harness the power of the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum, making him the most powerful ring bearer amongst all other Lanterns. Searching for a remedy to his now-dead homeworld, Volthoom used a device capable of multiversal space/time travel called the Travel Lantern to venture into the multiverse.

Coming across the Maltusians in the main DC universe, Volthoom would aid the ancient aliens in bearing their experimental power battery in exchange for being able to take it back to his universe. However, upon being exposed to the infinite power the spectrum wields, Volthoom's psyche shatters, turning him against the Maltusians and killing hundreds of them. His constructs are physical manifestations as opposed to light constructs, lending credence to the idea that reality-warping is well within his abilities, not to mention being nigh-immortal.

Father to the Raven of the Teen Titans, Trigon is the quasi-manifestation of evil and hatred in the DC universe whose existence stretches back before the Big Bang. While his "demonic" appearance gives the idea of him being some variety of a Hell Lord, he is, in fact, a decedent of an ancient celestial alien race called The Divine.

This race would summon the evils of a hundred galaxies called the Heart of Darkness to cleanse Trigons' corrupted soul but Trigon, in turn, wouldabsorb the energy, elevating his cosmic power and slaying The Divine. Capable of a myriad of abilities ranging from molecular reconstruction, immortality, and metamorphosis, Trigon also swindles women from other worlds into bearing his children, spreading his evil across countless universes.

Hailing from the 5th Dimension, a dimension where the laws of physics are none existent, Mr. Mxyzpltk is an imp who has been a prankster to the Man of Steel for nearly 80 years. Originally a jesterin the 5th Dimension, Mxy uses his reality-warping abilities to jovial lengths to annoy Superman until he is undoubtedly sent back to his dimension once Superman gets him to say his name backward.

RELATED:Superman: 9 Amazing Mr. Mxyzptlk Cosplay That Look Almost Just Like The Comic

Despite this nuanced caveat, he can travel through space/time and dimensional barriers; break the fourth wall; is immortal and completely self-sufficient; and theoretically can do anything his imagination wills such as increasing his size and defeating the Spectre by cracking the earth over his head.

The Anti-Monitor is the OG cosmic menace that was the main antagonist in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Having multiple retcons to his origin, his most recent one revealed he is the offspring of an ultra-cosmic being called Perpetua, who along with his brothers, the Monitor, and the Forger of Worlds, were in charge of creating, examining, and destroying multiverses.

Hell-bent on destroying all things in existence, his vast reality warping capabilities have seen large contingents ofDC superheroes face-off against him and fail. He can wipe out entire universes, distribute portions of his Anti-Matter power to other beings, and even wield the anti-life equation to dominate the wills of those he chooses. It is said that if he "dies," he is reborn in the 6th Dimension, the highest plane of existence that exists beyond time and imagination.

The Spectre is the physical embodimentof Gods' vengeance in the DC universe. Having multiple hosts over the character's tenure, the Spectre rejected the notion of mercy and in turn, was made to bond itself to a human soul in hopes that it would mitigate the wrath of God.

Originally an angel named Aztar who sided with Lucifer during his rebellion, Aztar would come to repent for his violation and as punishment was made to be the embodiment of God's judgment. Having faced off with immensely powerful characters including the Anti-Monitor and Parallax, the Spectre derives its power from The Presence, the end-all-be-all creator in DC comics, making him nigh-omniscient and nigh-omnipotent.Even when "killed" he can reconstitute himself, effectively making him immortal.

Originally from theWatchmenseries by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Doctor Manhattan and the rest of the Watchmen began strategically segueing into the DC Universe at the start of DC Rebirth in 2016. When Nuclear physicist Jon Osterman is ensnared in an intrinsic field subtractor,a machine that utilizes radiation to remove "intrinsic" fields from solid objects, he reconstitutes himself as a godly being who can perceive all space/time, at the same time, relative to his life personally.

Now a quantum being with unlimited power, Manhattan can telekinetically control subatomic matter making his capabilities unfathomably grand in scope. From limited time-travel,size-alteration, and immortality tobeing able to create life and alternate universes, Doctor Manhattan is truly acosmic being that is in a category of his own.

Lucifer was originally an Archangel named Samael whose existence extended back well before the creation of the DC universe. Rebelling against his father, The Presence, at the dawn of time, Lucifer's war against Heaven would result in him being cast into a void dubbed The Chaoplasm which would transform into a desolate and barren region known as Hell.

RELATED:Doctor Manhattan Vs. Lucifer Morningstar: Who Wins In A Fight?

Awaiting the day to be freed, Lucifer's frustration of a deceitful pre-destination being intrinsically tied to him overrides his positionand he releases the souls of Hell and retires to Earth, leaving Dream of The Endless to watch over the bleak dimension. From nigh-omniscience, chronokinesis, and reality alteration, Lucifercan manipulate any external force to the extent he desires, making him one of DC'smost powerful characters.

Crisis on Infinite Earths had the Anti-Monitor.Zero Hour had Parallax.Infinite Crisis had Superboy-Prime. Every "crisis-event" in DC served as either a character rework or line-wide, hard reboot, each withan antagonist giving the heroes, and sometimes villains, a rude awakening in how inept they were against their vast abilities.

Now, what if there was a cosmic menace so grandiose they were actually the puppetmaster, pulling the strings on these crisis-events to obtain complete and total control of the Multiverse? Well, that would be Perpetua. Hailing from the 6th Dimension, Perpetua is a Super Celestial who wastasked by the Judges of the Source to create new life within the Omniverse, however, desired to eliminate the judges instead. Now free of her captivity after being imprisoned, Perpetua is on a quest to destroy and recreate the Multiverse as the ultimate, end-all-be-all DC enemy.

Where Marvel has The One Above All, and Image Comics has Mother, DC's omnipotent creator of all things is known as The Presence. Only making a handful of nuanced appearances, The Presence is the Source of Creation, birthing the vast cosmic energies that inhabit the multiverse. His power, like his counterparts, extend beyond the multiverse and into the Omniverse. Anincorporeal entity whose power is the source of every other power or energy, The Presence is one of a kind among DC characters.

NEXT:10 Superheroes Who Have Beaten A God

Next 5 Characters Spider-Man Lost To But Shouldn't Have (& 5 He Beat But Shouldn't Have)

Trevon Gibbs is a 22 year old entertainer living in California with a keen interest in all things involving the overall medium of superhero epics. Trevons journey as a writer is in its beginning stages, but its one hes excited to be embarking on, and bring his eye and imagination of comic book superheroes, to you.

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Harry Potter: Top 10 Objects Fans Would Love To Have (According to IMDB) – Screen Rant

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In the world of Harry Potter, there are plenty of fascinating and magical objects. However, which ones would fans love to bring into the real world?

The story of Harry Potter is about so much more than the 'Boy Who Lived.' It's also about the wizarding world, with JK Rowling creating many objects fans would have loved to become reality. There are items that can be used for the sake of good, such as the Invisibility Cloak and Time-Turner.

RELATED:Harry Potter: 10 Cursed Child Moments That Would Look Awesome In A Movie

But there are also objects that can also benefit evil, such as the Elder Wand and Horcruxes. However, if fans had the choice to pick one, which one would they choose? Based on the entries onIMDB, fans will be able to see which magical objects they want the most.

Rather surprisingly, a Horcrux makes the top 10 as a desirable object. They are first revealed to be in existence during the Half-Blood Prince book and movie, with Horace Slughorn informing Lord Voldemort how to make one. The Dark Lord uses his charm to get the answer he craves and then takes action, making six on purpose and then one more on accident - Harry himself.

In order to create one, you must take a life. And that's something Voldemort has no issue with, with the villain murdering with gusto throughout the franchise. While the perks of immortality are obvious, it's not really worth it. Especially as it disfigures your appearance like it does Tom Riddle.

The sole purpose of the Goblet of Fire is to decide who will enter the Triwizard Tournament, which takes place during the fourth book and movie. So the fact this is another object fans have admitted they would like to own is definitely a surprise.

While it's an impressive tournament, it's extremely dangerous. Who would want to take the chance to square off against a Dragon, dive below the deepwater depths of Hogwarts lake or navigate our way through a dangerous maze, filled with deadly creatures at every turn? Apparently, there is a lot of adrenalin-filled people out there.

Now, this is a desired object that is easy to understand. In The Goblet of Fire, Harry encounters Albus Dumbledore's Pensieve - allowing him the chance to take a trip down memory lane. It's here that he peers into the Hogwarts headmaster's past and witnesses the trial of Barty Crouch Jr. Harry takes another trip in the Order of the Phoenix,Half-Blood Prince,andthe Deathly Hallows: Part 1, though he isn't always happy with what he sees.

RELATED:Harry Potter: 10 Best Double Acts

One has to admit that having a Pensieve would be pretty cool. Imagine being able to look back at one's childhood and it would be good to see other peoples' memories as well.

In the Half-Blood Prince, Harry obtains an old textbook. Within its contents, there are numerous hints and tricks at how to improve your potion-making and this helps the Boy Who Lived become the best in the class, even above close friend Hermione Granger. He actually frustrates Hermione by using the book to help earn a little bottle of Felix Felicis, a brew that brings luck to the drinker.

But imagine having unlimited luck? Every deed you attempt would succeed and it's no wonder everybody within Harry's class was jealous when he obtained some. Draco Malfoy was particularly unhappy, with the Slytherin student hoping it would help him in his mission to get Death Eaters into Hogwarts.

During their time at Hogwarts, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew fashioned together The Marauder's Map. This allowed them to see the whole of Hogwarts from afar, enabling them to plan according to where certain individuals were. If they wanted to sneak into Hogsmeade, for example, they could use it to check whether any teachers were close by.

RELATED:Harry Potter: 10 Reasons Dumbledore Was The Worst Headmaster Of Hogwarts

Harry himself does this when he's given the artifact by Fred and George Weasley during thePrisoner of Azkaban. Technically, with the way modern technology is excelling at a fast past, this one is more than likely to come true. In fact, it is similar to the way tracking devices and phone apps work now.

In the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry, Ron, and Hermione manage to prevent Lord Voldemort from obtaining the stone created by Nicolas Flamel. It renders the drinker immortal, which means Flamel is able to live up to 665 before deciding to destroy the object for good. Had Lord Voldemort managed to acquire the stone with a little help from Quirinus Quirrell, then his return to the land of the living would have happened far sooner.

Again, because of the fact immortality is involved, it's understandable why some would want it. However, living to 665 doesn't sound that appealing - especially if you still age along the way. It's for the best that Flamel opted to get rid of his creation because it would have been coveted by dark wizards everywhere. Voldemort being Voldemort, he had the skills to attempt a robbery but, fortunately, he was stopped in his tracks.

Travelling can be hard if you dont have a car, but even the biggest lover of vehicles would surely jump at the chance to own a Broomstick. Its capable of moving at super-speed, easy to carry around and, generally, looks pretty neat. Harry himself has the Nimbus 2000 before its shredded to pieces in the Prisoner of Azkaban and he then secures a Firebolt from his godfather, Sirius Black.

Broomsticks are usually used in Quidditch in the wizarding world - but they are also used to take Harry away from 4 Privet Drive in both the Order of the Phoenix and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. 'The Boy Who Lived' always seems to get the top of the range model, while many other students are forced to settle for something far cheaper.

The Elder Wand has a chequered past, to put it mildly. But that didnt stop Lord Voldemort from hunting the artifact down in the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, believing he could master it and enforce his villainous rule on the magical community. He wrongly believes Severus Snape to be the true owner of the wand but is left reeling when Harry reveals that it was Draco Malfoy instead - and that the Dark Lord has got his facts wrong.

RELATED:Harry Potter Prequel: 5 Characters We'd Want To See (& 5 We Wouldn't)

Harry uses the Elder Wand against Voldemort to defeat the fallen wizard once and for all. It brings power but the Gryffindor pupil breaks it in two at the end of the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. He doesnt want the heat, but it appears fans would still like to own it nonetheless.

Everybody has one thing they would change if they could go back in time. And, thanks to a Time-Turner, its possible for wizards and witches to do this in Harry Potter. Its used by Hermione Granger to save Sirius Black and Buckbeak from their horrible fates in the Prisoner of Azkaban, while Harry and Ginnys son, Albus Potter, uses it with Scorpius Malfoy in an attempt to spare Cedric Diggory from death in The Cursed Child.

Theyre not easy to use, yet remain coveted by us ordinary folk. A Time-Turner, in the wrong hands, can have dire consequences. The Ministry of Magic attempted to use them but, when Albus got involved, those plans were shelved. Most fans will agree that this isn't very surprising

Lets face it, an Invisibility Cloak would be awesome. At the time, it appeared to be just a neat gift. But its far more than that and plays a major role in the Boy Who Lived bringing Voldemorts villainous rule to an end.

Daniel Radcliffe even revealed he had a kind of half-Invisibility Cloak when speaking on Hot Ones earlier in 2020. He said he was given a jacket that is meant to deflect unwanted picture-taking, saying: Its one of those jackets that only works at night I think. But if you wear it with the hood up and its at night and you take a photo with a flash, it wipes out everything on the camera except for the hoodie. So you just get a photo of a floating ghost hoodie.

NEXT:Harry Potter: 10 Order Of The Phoenix Members Only Book Fans Know

Next 15 Most Inaccurate Movie Character Portrayals Of Mental Illness

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2020, COVID-19 and Reflection on Human Immortality Tunji Olaopa – THISDAY Newspapers

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The year 2020 will go down in history as the annus horribilis for the human race; the year that millions of lives were forfeited to a tiny and inanimate virus with no sensate hope or ambition. Yet, the coronavirus has decimated millions, and left many millions more cowering in our helplessness. This is one terrible year when most humans, for whom death is often a distant thought, came face to face with the possibility of a sudden demise from a COVID-19 ambush. 2020 has been the very definition of uncertainty for everyone, from the mighty to the lowly. We all got sucked into the vortex palpable fearno one knew when the virus will strike, where it could be contracted, or how fatal it could be. COVID-19 became the most lethal of all the enemies humans have ever contended with. And it fueled our uncertainty in the very fact that we had no certain fact about its character and modus operandi.

As the usual tradition goes with the coming of a new year, we all welcomed 2020 with hope and resolutions. Governments made budgets, humans made plans, organizations made projections. The year was to be the usual in the trajectory of human activities and busyness. Children will be born, and adult will grow old and die. There will be achievements all around the world, and calamities too. The usual diseases will keep ravaging humanity, from cancer to tuberculosis. All the states of the world would battle their normal internal crises and predicament, and few resolutions would be made. And yet, we all neglected what had been on humanitys radar since humanity began its civilizational march many centuries ago; the very underbelly of humans desire to transcend themselves.

COVID-19 brought humanity very low. It humbled us at the very height of our civilizational achievements. Ralph Waldo Emerson, the American philosopher, once perceptively remarked: The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization. Since the Stone Age, and then the Industrial Revolution, humanity has grown beyond its cradle which is the earth. We not only concretized the fragility of the earth; we also have turned our attention to the space. Humanity has arrived at what Mark Twain called the limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities. This validates the Yoruba adage that when humans have eaten and are surfeited, they then look for unnecessary distractions.

After civilization had settled the issue of survival, it was then time for humans to transcend themselves, especially through the discoveries of science and technology and its limitless possibilities and dangers in ways that are often indistinguishable. When humans cracked the secret of the atom, we arrived at the nuclear reactor as well as the nuclear atomic bomb. We now contemplate a posthuman world with the breakthrough with artificial intelligence.

In its very essence, civilization commenced as humanitys search for survival. It has now been transformed into an exploration of our possible immortality. To be human is not only to be mortal, but to also have the capacity to perceive the infinite, which we do not see in our finitude. Humanity is trapped in the yearning for infinitude; the desire to undermine our mortality and live forever. Abraham Lincoln puts it better: Surely God would not have created such a being as man, with an ability to grasp the infinite, to exist only for a day! No, no, man was made for immortality. And so, once the first land was tilled and farmed, agriculture enabled humans to conquer starvation. But it also enabled an abundance that helped us to keep staving off death. With medicine, humans started to invade the genetic code to hold off the principle of ageing encoded into our being. We started battling diseases and sicknesses, and also death. Immortality therefore lies in the achievement of civilization for humanity. We have to keep overreaching ourselves in other to be able to overreach our mortality.

Unfortunately, civilization is what makes you sick, says Paul Gauguin, the French post-impressionist artist. But more than this, civilization already puts in stock the pointer to what will eradicate humanitythe nuclear threat, and the virus. Since the combined effort of humanitys brilliant scientists unlocked the secret of the atom, the human race has remained on the precipice of self-destruction. When Hiroshima and Nagasaki snowballed into the atomic mushroom, we saw in that catastrophe, the possibility of undermining our own race for immortality. That is the paradox of civilization: it contained the seed for our immortality and our destruction in unequal proportion. In other words, we are more likely to be destroyed than to achieve immortality. If humanity is destroyed, then there will be no one left to remember us. This is where the insight of Emerson leads usthe civilization we have invented to ensure our immortality is what will most likely kill and efface us and all the infinitude we ever hoped for.

The reality of our accelerated mortality came alive in 2020. Nature rebelled against the unmitigated assault on her sanctity and exploitation. A family of the coronaviruses jumped its boundary and landed in the civilized space of humanity. And we were not prepared because we have always underestimated the virus. After all, we seem to have got the structure of most of the viruses we know and their epidemiological features. The common cold is one of the most dangerous ailment afflicting humanity, but we seem to have tamed it. What can we not tame? Yet, we have arrived at the limit of human hubris. And it is neither yet from aliens in outer spaces nor from artificial intelligence. It is from a lowly virus that is inorganic and inanimate. There is less we know about the virus and its behavior than we really know. The novelty of the coronavirus effectively undermines the accumulated scientific knowledge about its type that we have stockpiled for decades.

Mercifully, 2020 has also become the year in which humanity has managed to get an understanding of the vaccination that will stop the virus in its deadly track. Of course, human beings have the resilience to always overcome whatever adversity is brought on them either naturally or by their own efforts. But then, humanity has brought itself too many times to the precipice of destruction not to take notice of the dangerous side of our existence and the search for immortality. Essentially, it is human hubris that brought the pandemic of 2020 upon us. It is our inability to take stock of our civilizational progress and how far we are willing to go to transcend our humanity. It is certain that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines, for instance, and all the others almost ready for us will provide instant relief from the scourge of the COVID-19. But should the fact of the vaccines, or human resilience in the face of troubles, blind us to how far-fetched our search for immortality is, or how dangerous?

Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, has a piece of wisdom we can draw on: A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his own thought to derive benefit from his illnesses. What insight do we need to urgently derive from this pandemic, and from others that have afflicted humankind? What deep lessons does COVID-19 teach us in 2020? It is simple: there is a need to de-escalate humanitys rush for self-destruction. If this family of coronavirus could make the fatal jump into the human host, there are so many more that can. Thus, the arrival of the breakthrough in vaccination against the coronavirus ought not be interpreted as the resumption of our human normality or the onslaught against nature. On the contrary, it ought to be a time to pause and reassess what it means to be human, and what civilization ought to mean.

And more than this, we need a redefinition of what it means to be immortal. Humans can only be immortal in the face of posterity and the state in which we leave the world. Posterity is our immortality. Unfortunately, the logic of civilization is often oriented towards a further exploitation of the universe with scant thought for what future generations will make of the progress we have achieved, and the failures we leave behind. It ought to be clear to humanity now that civilization is amok.

From the First to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, humans are barely managing the benefits of progress since we are ever confronted with the threat of imploding the world as we know it. 2020 and the pandemic make it very clear to us that we are nearer destruction, and the undermining of our own immortality, that we imagine. The COVID-19, uncontained, has the capacity to kill the whole of humanity. And we have barely even managed to get it arrested. And who knows what the future of more scientific and technological breakthrough holds? The coronavirus is insisting on the imperatives of weighing human progress on the scale of morality. Civilizational progress is not an unconditional good. It needs to be tempered by further thought on how our immortality can be retained in the womb of the future of those yet unborn.

Prof. Tunji Olaopa, Retired Federal Permanent Secretary & Directing Staff, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, tolaopa2003@gmail.com, tolaopa@isgpp.com.ng.

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2020, COVID-19 and Reflection on Human Immortality Tunji Olaopa - THISDAY Newspapers

Exploring the Last Green Valley: Beauty found in December evergreens – Norwich Bulletin

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By Bill Reid, For The Bulletin| The Bulletin

Each pine is like a great green feather stuck in the ground. Myriad white pine boughs extend themselves horizontally, one above and behind another, each bearing its burden of silvery sunlight… from Henry David Thoreaus journal, Nov. 30, 1851

Todays column is the third in a series about finding beauty in nature. My intention is to share the splendor of the natural world I encounter each month as we pass together through the four seasons of The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor. I hope they help you consider what beauty in nature means to you, and I invite you to share your thoughts with me.

Is beauty only in the sight of the beholder? Or can beauty also be something that you smell a pleasant scent that tingles the olfactory gland and draws in a fond memory? The smell of evergreen and cut conifer with sticky pitch oozing from a pine branch or a spruce stump was planted deep in my scent database as a child.

I remember one frosty December day going with my dad and two brothers to a local Christmas tree farm to cut a fresh tree for the approaching holiday. Dad selected the tree, and my oldest brother, with bow saw in hand lay on his stomach under the tree and sliced through the trunk with several quick pulls of the saw. I squatted next to him and the sharp and minty evergreen smell from the blowing sawdust floated over me.

After the tree had been set up in the house it was my job each day to crawl under the sweeping bows to fill the tree-stand reservoir with water. In the warmth of the house the smell of evergreen was sharp and invigorating and a beautiful symbol of the holiday season.

An outdoor ramble in December is when we notice again the conifers. The green and colorful fall foliage of the deciduous trees is gone with the winds of autumn, their brown remnants scattered on the forest floor. Now, it is the white pine and hemlock taking center stage in their green coats to stand out against the naked skeletons of oak, maple, hickory, birch and ash. They share the stage with a supporting cast of spruces, red and white cedar, red pine and pitch pine though it is the lead actors of pine and hemlock that dominate our winter scene.

The white pine stands tall, erect and solid with long branches held out straight from its trunk or slightly elevated to the sun. Usually the tallest tree in the forest, it dominates hill tops and water edges. The branches are long and grow in annual tiers resembling successive platforms of a tower. This characteristic is one reason why bald eagles build their massive nests within the top sections of a pine. It is also a feature that makes for climbing a pine relatively easy.

When I was a boy, I used to walk from tree to tree high above the forest floor, clinging to pitchy pine branches, feet on a bough like a tightrope walker. Andrew Vietze, White Pine: American History and the Tree That Made a Nation.

I too was once a climber of pine trees, though not daring enough to walk branches from tree to tree. Hidden within dark green foliage I would cling to its sturdy trunk as it swayed in a gentle breeze. Remnants of a pine climbing episode would remain with me for a day or two in the dark spots of pitch stuck to my hands and clothing.

If beauty can be found in both the sight and scent of pine trees, then so too is it revealed by the murmur of wind through its boughs. As a child high up in the canopy, the wind could be frightening. But I am no longer a climber of trees, and the sound is but a magical whisper of secrets revealed when least expected.

Joining the white pine among our most common evergreens is the majestic eastern hemlock. Its shape is similar to firs and spruces with a teepee shape perfect for shedding snow. Its topmost branches love the sun but this shade tolerant tree takes its time to get there.

But though the Hemlocks top may rejoice in the boldest sun and brave any storm, the tree unfailingly has its roots down in deep, cool, perpetually moist earth. And no more light and heat than a glancing sunbeam ever penetrates through the somber shade of its boughs to the forest floor. Beside shade, the Hemlock loves rocks; it likes to straddle them with its ruddy roots, to crack them with is growing, to rub its knees against a great boulder. Donald Culross Peattie from A Natural History of North American Trees.

On hot summer days a hemlock forest will be much cooler that the surrounding area. The earth beneath the trees is thick and deep with discarded needles, and the heavy, low sweeping branches shade the forest floor in cool air. In winter those same branches prevent the snow piling too deep and deer will take advantage of this and bed down for the night under the hemlocks or to gather there in numbers to wait out a storm.

On winter forest rambles I like to search beneath the hemlocks for a shallow depression in the snow where the deer had rested. Ill look for tufts of hair clinging to the branches, another clue to their evening sojourn among the hemlocks.

December is here, and though the hills are mostly bare, it is the conifers that bring us the green we long for. Our tradition of bringing evergreen into the house around the winter solstice goes back to European pagans who decorated their homes with fir branches. Through the long winter the shades of green provide color during cold wintertime and symbolize eternal life and immortality.

I hope youll join me in finding beauty in each month even during the winter months ahead. We live in a beautiful place called The Last Green Valley our very own homegrown National Park. Together let us care for it, enjoy it, and pass it on.

Bill Reid is the chief ranger of The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor and has lived in the region for more than 35 years. He can be reached at bill@tlgv.org

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Whats the good word for 2020? – The Hindu

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If lockdown is the word of the year chosen by the Collins Dictionary, the Oxford English Dictionary decided not to choose just one word as it would be difficult to select one to represent a year like 2020 that has seen sweeping changes in the way we we live, work, eat, converse and communicate.

As the pandemic swept across the world, certain relatively obscure words became part of our daily usage, including the word pandemic. Scientific and tech-related jargon were no longer the domain of the nerds.

Lockdown is right up there on the list, along with working remotely, bubble, staycations, workcations and quarantine. Being positive lost its status as a word to indicate a sunny attitude. Social distancing made us zoom; online is where we live our lives as virtual threatens to take over real.

In this new scenario, MetroPlus asks Indian authors to pick one such word that captures the essence of the lost year of 2020.

Anita Nair

After her novel Eating Wasps, Anita wrote The Little Duck Girl, an audio book for children, that was published recently.

Ennui

A lassitude that creeps in with the sameness ( which isnt a bad thing always) of what our days have turned into. I wonder if this is what prisoners in solitary confinement and astronauts feel... I wonder if this is the consequence of thinking that the earth was ours to do with as we please!

Rachna Bisht Rawat

- Journalist-author Rachnas latest book Insomnia is a collection of tales about the Indian Army.

Mask

Earlier associated with swashbuckling heroes like Zorro and Phantom, or sexy belly-dancing beauties, mask is not just the word of the year, it has also been de-glamourised. Everyone is seen wearing one these days. Never a part of our lives till March 2020, suddenly, at present, one cant leave home without one. From an object of mystery and glamour, it has now become a mundane necessity of life.

Janice Pariat

Academic-writer Janice is the author of the The Nine-Chambered Heart, her latest work.

Gratitude

It might seem slightly counterintuitive, I suppose, when talking about a year wrecked by the pandemic and lockdown, but I imagine it to be the only word that might save us as a species; a word that might disallow circumstances to shape up in such a way that we face more outbreaks like this. To live with gratitude towards our planet, is to live respectfully, lightly, ethically, carefully, responsibly. In a time that encourages more consumption and more want, gratitude for what we already have is an act of resistance.

KR Meera

(Author of several landmark works in Malayalam, her latest work is Ghathakan)

Social distancing

Social distancing is a word that disturbs me. The right word should have been physical distancing. Social distancing, somehow, seems to indicate, somewhere in our subconscious mind, a distancing from everything social. There is an echo of political manipulation in that word. We dont react, protest, criticise That worries me. That word comes loaded with a lot of taboos that has roots in our past and hints at the caste divisions that insisted disadvantaged communities to maintain a certain distance from the upper class communities.

Veena Rao

(Editor-in-Chief of the US-based NRI Pulse Newspaper, Purple Lotus is her first novel)

Novel

Novel which meant original, fresh and unique in the good old days, is now inextricably tied to the virus that has been ruling our lives. Novel also means a book of fiction, so to me, this loaded word has been especially relevant this year. My debut novel, Purple Lotus was released this fall. With no scope for book tours, virtual has become my new reality virtuality.

My first ever book event was a Facebook affair. Every week, I log on to Zoom or Skype to chat with my readers or to attend an author friends book launch. It seems like the world has shrunk into my computer screen.

Salil Desai

(Author of murder mysteries, the columnist and author has written a number of short stories)

Vaccine

Vaccine! Everyone is talking about the vaccine as if it is one of those things that will suddenly give us immortality or, at least, will be a panacea for all the problems the world is facing as a result of COVID-19.

This word gives people a feeling that it is a magic cure that will save people from the virus. But it works only if you managed to get vaccinated before getting infected. Even when the vaccine is available and vaccinations start, your turn might take some time. Therefore it is not a cure.

Palash Mehrotra

Sourdough bread

He is the author of Eunuch Park and the editor of House Spirit: Drinking in India

I'd go with 'sourdough bread'. When the pandemic came, my social media timelines were full of pictures of rising dough. I was puzzled; did baking bread somehow help ward off the evil eye of the novel coronovirus? In hindsight, one can thank the advent of the pandemic for making 'sourdough bread' a household name in roti-obsessed India. Also, if I might add, this was very much an April phenomena. While the virus continues to rage, the sourdough pandemic has long since abated.

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Excerpts From Edwin Wilsons Magic Time – The Wall Street Journal

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Dec. 17, 2020 6:13 pm ET

As a schoolboy in the early 1940s, Edwin Wilson saw Al Jolson drop to his knees in the footlights of the Shubert Theatre and belt out Mammy. As a young man he thrilled to the original Broadway productions of A Streetcar Named Desire, Death of a Salesman, Oklahoma!the standard American repertoire aborning. In his memoir Magic Time, Mr. Wilson, now 93, writes fondly of how these and other electrifying moments of New York playgoing led him, circuitously, to Yale Drama School and a lifetime of teaching and making theater happenwriting scripts, directing and producing plays, encouraging young talent, and writing or cowriting three of the most enduring college theater textbooks. At the heart of the book, however, is an account of his long tenure as The Wall Street Journals theater critic, from 1972 to 1994. It was work that, with its first-night tickets and aisle seats, returned him to what drew him to the dramatic arts in the first placean audience members experience of living theater. More than a reminiscence, Magic Time is also a mini-anthology of Mr. Wilsons favorite reviews and other writings for this paper. The critic excelled at profiles, interviews and memorial tributes, four of which are adapted here.

On composer Richard Rodgers, who died at 77 in 1979: For the first 22 years of his professional life, Rodgers collaborated with Lorenz Hart. With Hart, he always wrote the music first, spinning out a waltz, a ballad or a patter song, then Hart would add his intricate, urbane lyrics: Well go to Greenwich / where modern men itch / to be free. When Hart, due to personal problems, could no longer serve as his lyricist, Rodgers turned to Oscar Hammerstein II, and began a second remarkable collaboration. Beginning with Oklahoma! in 1943, Rodgers and Hammerstein turned out hit shows year after year: Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, The Sound of Music. Where Harts lyrics had been sophisticated, often bittersweet, Hammersteins were sincere, straightforward and sometimes even overly sentimental. But Rodgers adjusted: his music took on a warmer, down-to-earth quality. He even changed his composing habits; instead of writing the music first, he set his tunes to Hammersteins completed lyrics. Through all of these changes one thing remained constant: Rodgerss great gift for melody and his solid musicianship. Alec Wilder, whose book American Popular Song is probably the definitive study of the subject, made a detailed analysis of more than a hundred Rodgers tunes. Afterward he wrote: I am more than impressed and respectful: I am astonished. His songs, Mr. Wilder said, revealed a higher degree of excellence, inventiveness and sophistication than any other writer I have studied. Sir Thomas Beecham once remarked, if an opera cannot be played by an organ-grinder, it is not going to achieve immortality. Richard Rodgerss songs have been played by organ-grinders, sung by Ella Fitzgerald, and performed by a thousand dance bands. They have more than met the test and have achieved their own form of immortality.

From a 1987 piece on George Abbott, an insight into the directors ear for talent, elicited from the deadpan comic actress Nancy Walker: I was 19 when I went to tryouts for Best Foot Forward. The last thing in the world I wanted to be was funny; no girl 19 wants to be funny. But Mr. Abbott listened to me sing and later cast me. In his response to my singing those 32 bars he told me who I was. Beginning right there he defined my career and, in fact, my whole life. And I am eternally grateful. . . . Mr. Abbotts genius is that he never let me know I was funny.

A memory of seeing the 1949 London production of Christopher Frys verse play The Ladys Not for Burning, starring John Gielgud: It just so happened that in the Fry play two young actors were making their stage debuts: Richard Burton and Claire Bloom. Some 40 years later, when I was interviewing Claire for a television series, I told her I had seen that production. Every night we were in that show, she said, there was one scene where I could not resist looking at the audience. It was a scene in which John, in that sonorous, unmistakable voice, would be declaiming blank verse . . . but the audience would be staring, not at Gielgud but at Richard silently scrubbing the floor.

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Reminiscing grandmother during days of coronavirus – Hurriyet Daily News

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If there is something that is common to a big number of people right now is fear. Fear is always there, of course, and it is part of our existence. But usually, fear is accompanied by the object of fear. I am afraid of The more specific the object of our fear, the more we could rationalize and gather strength to combat it. The less specific it is, the more difficult it becomes for us to organize ourselves to fight it.

For example, my grandmother was very practical about it. She was always religious, attending mass when she should and when her neighbors would see that she did. As a widow for over forty years, with two living children of the three that she brought to the world, she had to care for her social integrity as well as fending for her family. So, for most of her life, her relationship with God, death, afterlife, and all the rest, was more let us say, practical. She attended all the rites she had to, lit candles for her lost third child who died at the age of five of meningitis, for her husband and her in-laws. She fasted throughout the 40 days of Lent before the Orthodox Easter and never missed weddings, baptisms and funerals.

When she stepped into her 80s, she became more philosophical. Having attended only the first three years in a primary school, her reading capacity was limited. Yet, like all women of her age in their 80s, they know the New Testament almost by heart and there is nothing more that they need. The rest of her intellectual needs was fulfilled by her enormous capacity to recite rhyming proverbs and fairy tales full of poetic imagery and philosophical perceptions. It was during that period, the last decade of her life when she took death seriously. I mean as a logical possibility. And she devised a daily method of dealing with it, a method which was connected with the time factor. So, she started a ritual of daily prayers of thanks that she would do twice a day - one after waking up every morning to thank God for she is alive, and the second before she went to bed for having lived one more day. Even at her very end, she kept at least part of this ritual alive although her brain had already abandoned her.

Why did I think of her? Obviously, because of our current relationship with the fear of COVID-19, a constant underlying fear of being the next victim of this creature, which looks like a surreal colorful sea urchin, and can choose any of us at any moment to put an end to our life. And it is not a real fear that we feel. It is also not a deep feeling of the unavoidable human fate like the one that my grandmother felt and tried to exorcize through her daily prayers of thanks.

The worst is that we are not even afraid of being the next victim; we are in that middle-of-the-road situation where we cannot organize our psychology. We have become desensitized to it but are sure of our self-importance and immortality in this world, unlike my grandmother, who thought that every extra day in her life was a gift.

coronavirus,

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Review: Netflixs Over the Moon succeeds in cultural representation – The Charlatan

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When I first saw Change, the moon goddess of Chinese mythical folklores, depicted as a singing diva in the trailer for Netflixs Over the Moon, I cringed. I expected another disastrous western interpretation of Chinese culture like Disneys live-action adaptation of Mulan. I had no idea it would blow my mindin a good wayand make me laugh, gasp and even tear up a little.

Over the Moon is an animated musical film that tells the story of Fei Fei, a 14-year-old Chinese girl who lost her mom at age 10. Her dad is getting remarried and she grapples with the belief that he has forgotten his love for her mother.

The story takes place while Fei Feis family are preparing for the Moon Festival, which is a traditional East and Southeast Asian holiday, almost like a Chinese Thanksgiving. It is held on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. As one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture, it is the time of the year for family and friends to come together, have a big dinner and give one another blessings.

To prove to her dad that true love lasts forever and stop him from getting remarried, Fei Fei decides to build a rocket to the moon to find Change and prove that she is real.

A modern take

Change is the moon goddess who according to legend, is waiting for her true love, Houyi, after taking an immortality pill and ascending to the moon.

Change in Over the Moon is a modern-day interpretation of this mythical character, rendering her almost an original character with the traditional folklore of her mythological namesake as her backstory.

I fell in love with Changes first song in the movie, Ultraluminary, almost right away. It is performed by Changes voice actor Phillipa Soowho is best known for originating Eliza Hamilton in the Broadway musical Hamilton.

The song is not only quite catchy but also reveals how Change built Lunaria, her city on the moon.

The moon was a desert land of darkness when she first arrived. She gathered her tears and enchanted them with a magic potion, turning them into Lunarians to build up a radiant city of light. The song shows both sides of Change: lonely and vulnerable, but also motivated and powerful.

Changes performance is also an absolute visual treat with astonishing animation, from her dressdesigned by Guo Pei, the genius behind Rihannas trailing yellow gown at the 2015 Met Galato her dance moves, which were choreographed by k-pop group Blackpinks choreographer, Kyle Hanagami.

Change is the symbol of the Moon Festival. I grew up hearing her sad story: she ascends to the moon without her love, Houyi, and spends eternity at the cold, quiet moon palace with Jade Rabbit, the rabbit that lives on the moon, as her only company.

However, Change and the moon palace in Over the Moon are nothing like the legend Im familiar with. Change first appears in the movie as the pop star of Lunaria. Shes fierce, short-tempered, even a little sassy. But she acts this way for a reason: she is desperate to see Houyi again.

The film interpretation of Change makes it easier for the western audience to understand her story, without destroying the beauty in her character. The legend I grew up hearing always ends with Change ascending to the moon, and no one knows what happened to her since.

It was fascinating for me to see the production team let their imagination run wild to present Change and her city on the moon in the 21st century, presumably thousands of years after she ascended to the moon.

While the production team keeps Changes story as true as possible to the original legend with a touch of their own creativity and originality, they did an impressive amount of research into Chinese culture to make every little detail authentic.

The first thing I noticed is how well-constructed Fei Feis hometown is. Based on its architecture and the small rivers running throughout the town, I can immediately tell it is set in Jiang Nan, a geographic area immediately south of the Yangtze River.

The residents daily lives are also accurately depicted. Details like square dancing, lanterns for the Moon Festival, the big round dinner table, and the tradition of the whole family crowding the kitchen to cook together for the occasion are so authentic, I felt homesick watching.

Another thing I found impressive was the Chinese script featured in the moviethey actually make sense! Fei Feis notes on the wall, the store signs, and the posters in Fei Feis classroom are all written in fluent, simplified Chinese and make the setting of the story even more authentic.

A story of love and grief

Over the Moon is a story about grief. Both Change and Fei Fei shut themselves in and refuse to move on after losing their loved ones.

At the end of the film, a touching tribute to Audrey Wells, the movies screenwriter who passed away from cancer in October 2018 during production, is featured. Personally, I see Over the Moon as a love letter from Wells to her daughter and husband. This is made especially clear when Change sings during the climax of the movie: If you give love, you will never lose loveit only grows.

Overall, Over the Moon does an incredible job with cultural representation. Im delighted to see it introducing traditional Chinese culture to an international audience through a warm-hearted and family-friendly story, particularly when the Asian community is so often silenced or white washed in the western media. I cant wait to see more movies like this in theatres and on major streaming services in the future.

Feature image from IMDb.

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Review: Netflixs Over the Moon succeeds in cultural representation - The Charlatan