Boruto Reveals the Dangerous Fallout From the Last Shinobi War – CBR – Comic Book Resources

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Episode 174 of Boruto reaffirms that there's still dangerous fallout from the Fourth Great Shinobi World War involving Kaguya's legion.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 174, "The Revival ofthe DivineTree," now streaming on Crunchyroll.

When Kaguya fell and the Fourth Great Shinobi World War ended, the ninja world was changed forever. Naruto and Sasuke mended fences, inspiring the alliance to charta course toward a more welcoming and diverse future. Things got progressive as everyone worked hand-in-hand to usher in this new era of peace, with the Boruto series picking up as Naruto became Konoha's Hokage.

However, as the Naruto generation leads juniors such as Boruto, Sarada and Mitsuki forward, the latest Boruto episode shows that there's still deadly fallout from that war.

RELATED:Boruto Saves Konoha's Biggest Prankster, Thanks to Orochimaru's [SPOILER]

There were so many obstacles in that aforementioned battle, with warped scientists like Orochimaru and Kabuto getting involved, as well as the Akatsuki being manipulated as terrorists, that it's easy to seelasting consequences. Earlier in Boruto, the White Zetsu returned, which led to Boruto and Konohamaru trying to kill the entity again, confirming the war hasripple effects. Thanks to Victor, we just found out this allowed him to create his God Tree.

Victor started his medical company to create limbs and try to find immortality as he was a medical chief that saw numerous soldiers become injured or die in the field. He was also bitter that smaller villages would not get the same benefits of the alliance, which is why he's using the independent Land of Valleys to improve things. It's all part of Kara's experiments and lab work.

RELATED:Boruto: Konoha's Scientific Vision Hasn't Fixed Its Biggest Problem

He has a point, too, in that people are left to suffer in the Narutoworld --throwing nods to real-world issues wherein everything from weapons to treasures are found on the battlefields by the people who live in wartornareas. Victor confirms he scoured the landscape and got splinters of the God Tree that Kaguya was using for her Infinite Tsukuyomi, which would have trapped people in a dream, sucked their chakra dry and given her the fruit of the gods to eat.This allowed him to clone the tree, which is now attacking Konohamaru and Mugino, while getting ready to suck his staff of their chakra so he and Deepa caneat the fruit.

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Boruto Reveals the Dangerous Fallout From the Last Shinobi War - CBR - Comic Book Resources

What are Telomeres and How Do They Play a Role in Cancer? – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

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Often likened to the plastic tips on shoelaces that prevent their unraveling, telomeres are molecular structures that cap the ends of chromosomes in cells and protect their DNA from damage. Chromosomes are the rod-like structures that contain the genes and other DNA in cells.

Telomeres gradually shorten every time a cell divides, however, resulting in less protection for the chromosomes. After a certain number of divisions, one of two things happens:

Ultimately, telomeres play a direct role in a persons biological clock of aging.

Cancer cells often avoid senescence or cell death by maintaining their telomeres despite repeated cell divisions. This is possible because the cancer cells activate an enzyme called telomerase, which adds genetic units onto the telomeres to prevent them from shortening to the point of causing senescence or cell death.

Telomerase is silenced in most normal cells but is active in an estimated 85% to 95% of human cancer cells. As a result, cancer cells essentially become immortal. For this reason, some have called telomerase the immortality enzyme.Nevertheless, the telomeres in cancer cells are generally shorter than telomeres in normal cells.

Since telomerase is active in cancer cells but not normal cells, it is seen as a promising target for cancer therapy. Due to telomerase inhibition, activity, or expression, targeted drugs might kill tumor cells by allowing telomeres to shrink or by provoking apoptosis.To that end, scientists have been investigating what genes and other factors are involved in activating telomerase in cancer cells, so that strategies can be developed to suppress telomerase in tumors. Several pathways that regulate telomere length have been identified, and genome-scale studies have helped in mapping genes that are involved in telomere length control.

Development of telomerase inhibitors has proved challenging. Various methods for targeting telomerase have been investigated, including cancer vaccines, immunotherapy, and small-molecule inhibitors. At present, there are no clinically approved strategies exploiting telomerase as a cancer therapy target.

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What are Telomeres and How Do They Play a Role in Cancer? - Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

The 1960s: Do you remember Thanksgivings of yore? – The Highland County Press

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Forever on Thanksgiving Day the heart will find the pathway home. Wilbur D. Nesbit

Ladies and gentlemen, Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and wouldnt it be nice to see how the time of togetherness and gratitude was celebrated in Hillsboro and Highland County in the 1960s? I thought so, too.

On the front page of the local newspaper, a photo shows a little girl seated on a barrel with her arm extended, seemingly consoling a turkey. The photos headline reads, Sooner or later, you gotta go, with the caption, Sorry, old buddy Thats what four-year-old Jill Yochum seems to be saying to her gobbler friend, whose destiny is undoubtedly an ignominious upending on a platter on somebodys table at Thanksgiving time. Pig-tailed Jill is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis E. Yochum of near Buford, whose original crop of 6,000 turkeys has been thinned down since the Thanksgiving market opened. Note the nosy character (another turkey) getting into the act at the lower right for a brief claim to immortality, though his future is just as determined as the top bird on the barrel.

Does anyone actually buy live, local turkeys to serve up for a sumptuous Thanksgiving repast? Id honestly like to know.

Speaking of repasts, the newspaper noted that the holiday meal at the county home will include turkey as the main dish, with the usual side dishes, and that Mrs. Harley Cowne, matron of the home, was in charge of the meal.

The paper also announced that Thanksgiving will be much in evidence at the Highland County Jail on Thursday, when matron Mrs. Walter Reffitt will have turkey dressing, sweet potatoes, gravy, cranberries, and celery and pumpkin pie. Announcement of this menu may affect the jail roster, but she has to take that chance.

I dont care who you are, thats funny right there.

Over at the hospital, Patients at Highlands Community Hospital for the day will be offered a menu of roast turkey with dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, frozen peas, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Twigs of the hospital auxiliary will provide the usual favors for the meal trays.

The annual community Thanksgiving services, sponsored by the Hillsboro Ministerial Association, will be held at the Baptist Church on Wednesday beginning at 7 p.m. The sermon will be given by Elder Rita E.H. Lee, minister of the First Wesleyan Methodist Church and Rev. John Carson of St. Marys Episcopal Church will assist. It was pointed out that This is an interdenominational gathering, open to everyone.

In an advertisement, Lytles Restaurant in Leesburg said, Sorry, we will not be open Thanksgiving Day We wish you all a happy holiday. However, another ad by Maroy Restaurant on South High Street in Hillsboro proclaimed, For a most delicious Thanksgiving dinner, bring your family and friends to The Maroy Restaurant. Turkey, baked ham plus all the traditional goodies open 5:30 a.m. til 8 p.m. The Double D Restaurant in Allensburg is also open, offering a most delicious Thanksgiving dinner and to bring your family and friends for turkey plus all the traditional goodies. Thanksgiving dinner there is served from 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Speaking of Allensburg, the Sunnyside Inn is holding a Thanksgiving Eve Dance where a turkey will be given away.

Now, if you dont want to buy a live turkey from the Yochums or other local turkey farmers, eat at a restaurant or hope to be the lucky winner of the Sunnyside turkey, Kroger (over on Muntz Street) is selling turkeys 20 pounds and up for 27 cents a pound and ham for 49 cents a pound. Over at Albers (later Great Scot now Community Market), Swift Butterball turkeys (5- to 15-pound average) are 39 cents a pound and Butterball stuffed turkeys (6- to-12-pound average) are 49 cents a pound. Oh, and pumpkin pies are three for a dollar (while supplies last).

Now that youre hungry, lets pause for now, and well continue next time. Happy Thanksgiving, folks!

Steve Roush is vice chairman of the Highland County Historical Society Board of Trustees, a vice president of an international media company and a columnist and contributing writer for The Highland County Press. He can be reached by email at roush_steve@msn.com.

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The 1960s: Do you remember Thanksgivings of yore? - The Highland County Press

Why to bet on Akron, one of the worst teams in the country, to cover tonight – CBS Sports

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The NBA offseason started with a bang yesterday. As you know, because you're brilliant and subscribe to this newsletter, Chris Paul was traded from the Thunder to the Suns yesterday afternoon. Well, that was just the start of the action. As the evening went on, the rumors of James Harden demanding a trade to Brooklyn only grew louder, and we saw the Bucks swing a couple of big trades.

Who knew Jrue Holiday was worth so many draft picks?

For me, aside from the playoffs, this is the best time of the year in the NBA. All the crazy stuff happens and anything seems possible. Generally, once the season starts, we have a solid idea of how things will go. Still, I'd have appreciated it if the trades had started happening during last night's NFL game. I could have used the distraction from watching the Chicago Bears continue to be horrible.

Of course, what's always funny to me about Bears games being on in primetime is that everybody on Twitter is reacting to them like, "this is the worst football game I have ever seen." Meanwhile, I'm sitting there in the comfort of my home thinking to myself, "this is every Bears game I've ever watched." I figure I'm a few more seasons of Bears misery away from achieving immortality. If they can't kill me, nothing can.

Anyway, let's see what's in the news today.

OK, let's make some money

All times Eastern, and all odds via William Hill Sportsbook

Akron at Kent State, 8 p.m. | TV: ESPNThe Pick: Akron +27 (-110): There is nothing about this bet that you're going to enjoy. It's one of those decisions you make because the numbers tell you it's the right decision and then you just strap in and hope for the best. With the scheduled game between Ohio and Miami (OH) being canceled, it's left us with two MAC games featuring spreads of roughly four touchdowns. Of the two large dogs available tonight, Akron is the one I have the most confidence in.

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Which isn't to say Akron is good. For years I've been writing a weekly column called The Bottom 25, in which I use my rating system to determine the worst teams in the country. Akron was our Bottom 25 champion last season, and it enters tonight's contest 0-2. But -- BUT! -- this year's Akron is better than last year's. While Western Michigan blasted the Zips in their opener, they showed signs of life last week in a 24-10 loss to Ohio. The Zips outgained the Bobcats in the game and might have found a weapon on offense in running back Teon Dollard.

Tonight the Zips face a Kent State team that is much better, but the line for this game opened up closer to 21 in most places and has been bet to where it sits now at 27. The value on the Golden Flashes is gone, but it has provided some on the Zips.

Key Trend: The underdog has covered 10 of the last 14 in this series.

Here's what SportsLine is saying about the game:The Advanced Computer Model has a couple of leans for tonight's matchup as well.

Buffalo at Bowling Green, 7 p.m | TV: CBS Sports NetworkThe Pick: Buffalo -31 (-115) --I don't think there's anything I like less than taking a massive favorite on the road when it comes to betting. I'm doing it here, however, because it's the smartest play available on the board. There's no value to be found on the total. Instead, we're just going to rely on one of the better teams in the MAC to blow out one of the country's worst teams.

The Falcons don't just lose -- they lose big. Since the start of last season, Bowling Green has lost 11 games, and it's lost them by an average of 39 points. Only two of those 11 losses -- a 35-7 loss to Louisiana Tech and a 38-20 loss to Central Michigan last season -- have come by fewer than the 31 points in the spread for tonight's game. Last year, Buffalo beat the Falcons 49-7. We're talking about a Bowling Green team that has allowed 42.1 points per game in its last 10 conference games. It's bad. Very, very, very bad.

Key Trend: Bowling Green is 5-21 ATS in its last 26 home games.

SportsLine Lock of the Day:The SportsLine Projection Model, which has generated over $3,900 profit for $100 college football bettors over the past four-plus years, has revealed its picks for both MAC games on Tuesday.

Isaiah McKoy, WR, Kent State -- When it comes to your QB tonight, you should be fine with either Kent State's Dustin Crum or Buffalo's Kyle Vantrease. I lean slightly toward Crum, mostly because I want to pair him with McKoy. McKoy finished last season tied for the most receiving touchdowns in the MAC with eight, and he's already had three through two games this season. Tonight he's going against one of the worst pass defenses in the country. He's as close to a lock as a lock can be to find the end zone at least once.

Xavier Williams, RB, Kent State -- Williams presents a strong value play because Kent State runs a lot of plays and likes to run the ball. Also, as 27-point favorites in the game, odds are the Flashes will have a comfortable lead in the fourth quarter. Williams has already seen 12 carries through the first two games of the season, but should the Flashes have a comfortable lead, he could see an increase in snaps tonight. For his price, he won't have to produce much to be useful in your lineup.

SportsLine's team of DFS insiders has you covered for daily fantasy sports. Mike McClure has won almost $2 million playing DFS, and Jacob Gibbs was ranked as one of the nation's most accurate Fantasy experts last year. Plus,use SportsLine's all-new DFS Optimizerto get optimal NFL DFS picks from 10,000 simulations.

This is for Wednesday afternoon. It pays out at +276.

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Why to bet on Akron, one of the worst teams in the country, to cover tonight - CBS Sports

Ron Colone: The immortality of rockers and baseball players of yesterday – Lompoc Record

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A few years ago, it was the music stars: Bowie, Prince, Glenn Frey, Leonard Cohen, George Martin, Scotty Moore, Merle Haggard, Paul Kantner and Leon Russell. They all died within a matter of months.

Sure, there were others, as there always are, every year, but that particular year really stood out; those were the ones that hit home for me, and so many other baby boomers. Occurring as they did in such a short period of time, it was as if it signaled the beginning of the end of an era when music could save your soul. Or maybe it was just a farewell to the exhilaration of youth and a reminder of our mortality.

Some will say the death knell sounded long before that when huge production dance numbers overtook the concert stage, and computers replaced guitars as the most popular instrument, and melody was crushed by rhythm, and everything emanating from Music Row sounded the same.

I once had the honor of interviewing the man they called 'The Genius,' Ray Charles, and he said that true genius to him was characterized by uniqueness of style artists you could recognize and identify within the first few notes. As examples, he listed Willie Nelson and Duke Ellington.

These days, I can hardly tell the difference between anything I hear on pop or so-called country music radio.

Be that as it may, where 2016 was the year of the rockers, or (taking into account Merle) the music stars, this year is the year of the baseball Hall of Famers. Many of the biggest baseball stars of my youth, starting with Al Kaline, have died these past few months.

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Ron Colone: The immortality of rockers and baseball players of yesterday - Lompoc Record

Vicky Kaushal opens up about shooting for The Immortal Ashwatthama amid the pandemic – Times of India

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Vicky Kaushal recently opened up about shooting for The Immortal Aswatthama amid the pandemic with all the protocols in place. This will be the actors first superhero film.Talking about the same, Vicky told a news portal that shooting in this new normal comes with its own set of challenges; youve to test every single person, quarantine everybody, put them in bio-bubbles. According to him, there are several Covid-19 protocols to follow, and everybody needs to be cautious. Elaborating further, the actor added that the responsibility falls on the production team to make it happen without any trouble. And that isnt an easy job. However, Vicky also thinks that everybody is getting accustomed to it and trying their best to adapt. The actor hopes by the time they start shooting for The Immortal Ashwatthama, the pandemic will be much in control.On the work front, Vicky will next be seen in Shoojit Sircars Udham Singh biopic. Apart from that, he also has Meghna Gulzars upcoming film based on the life of Sam Manekshaw.Vicky is also a part of Karan Johars period drama, Takht. The magnum opus also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Bhumi Pednekar, Janhvi and Anil Kapoor in lead roles.

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Vicky Kaushal opens up about shooting for The Immortal Ashwatthama amid the pandemic - Times of India

‘Tale of Immortal’ hits over concurrent 170000 players on Steam – NME

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Tale of Immortal has hit an all-time high peak player count of 172,000 on Steam.

The early-access game, which describes itself as an open-world sandbox, was released last week.

This player count putsTale of Immortal in the top five most played games on Steam, above popular games including Apex Legends, Grand Theft Auto V and Rust.

Currently Tale of Immortalis only available to play in simplified Chinese. It has over 15,000 positive Steam reviews, with an 86 per cent positive rating overall.

The official description for the game, from its Steam page, says: You will grow to become immortal, conquer the beasts from the Classic of Mountains and Season, make your choices carefully and grasp your own destiny.

As of January 2020, Simplified Chinese is now the most popular language on Steam, PC Gamer reports. This accounts for the rising popularity of Chinese-language games including Chinese Parents, Scroll of Taiwu, Sands of Salazaar and Tale of Immortal.

Last years Genshin Impact proved immensely popular, although it was available in multiple languages as well as than Simplified Chinese. MiHoYos open-world RPG game was downloaded over 17million times within a week of launch.

Two months after launch, Genshin Impact had taken approximately 290million ($400million) revenue. As the game is free to play, this revenue was earned entirely through players purchasing materials for random-chance character packs.

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'Tale of Immortal' hits over concurrent 170000 players on Steam - NME

Words of Faith: Creating a spiritual toolbox | Religion – Frederick News Post

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With the new year almost upon us, many people think about resolutions to enhance their lives for the coming year, 2021.

We often consider building up our physical selves with exercise programs, or energizing our minds with new classes and learning new skills, participating in book clubs or other intellectual avenues, or perhaps learning to play a new instrument. It is also never too late to decide to enrich our spiritual selves, and with the new year, this seems like the perfect time and aspiration.

By creating a spiritual toolbox, one can easily chart a path toward inner peace and a closer relationship with God. As with any toolbox, figuring out the right tools is essential. For me, I would choose these elements: prayer, meditation, reading and studying the Holy Words, and reflection upon the afterlife.

Prayer is probably the inner core of our spiritual lives. Having been taught since early childhood to say prayers to thank God, to ask God for help, to show our love for God, and to be near to God.

Abdul-Baha, the son of the Prophet-Founder of the Bahai Faith, mentioned: There is nothing sweeter in the world of existence than prayer. Man must live in a state of prayer. The most blessed condition is the condition of prayer and supplication. Prayer is conversation with God. The greatest attainment or the sweetest state is none other than conversation with God. It creates spirituality, creates mindfulness and celestial feelings, begets new attractions of the Kingdom and engenders the susceptibilities of the higher intelligence.

What a miraculous gift prayer is for us we can pray in privacy at our homes, pray while taking a walk, pray as we undertake a journey, pray when we have a difficult challenge, pray when we are feeling good or when we are feeling ill, and we can pray anywhere at any time. We can either pray from a prayer book, or memorize prayers to recite at any time, or even say prayers from our hearts.

Meditation, which basically means contemplation, reflection upon ourselves and our relation to God is equally as important as the other elements of our spiritual toolbox. Meditation how we meditate probably varies from person to person. Meditation allows us to turn off our thinking process and turn our soul passively to the world of spirit. Oftentimes after prayer, I contemplate my thoughts for praying, or reasons for conversing with God about challenges, and I sometimes figure out a clear path toward a dilemma.

Bahaullah, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahai Faith revealed: Meditate profoundly, that the secret of things unseen may be revealed unto you, that you may inhale the sweetness of a spiritual and imperishable fragrance, and that you may acknowledge the truth that from time immemorial, even unto eternity the Almighty hath tried, and will continue to try, His servants, so that light may be distinguished from darkness, truth from falsehood, right from wrong, guidance from error, happiness from misery, and roses from thorns.

The third component, reading and studying the Holy Words, is such a joyous time because, as spiritual beings, we feel closer to God by reading and learning more about Him. God has revealed His truths to mankind in all the holy writings of all the major religions.

The following writing from Abdul-Baha explains this closeness to God: Divine things are too deep to be expressed in common words. The heavenly teachings are expressed in parable in order to be understood and preserved for ages to come. When the spiritually minded dive deeply into the ocean of their meanings they bring to the surface the pearls of their inner significance. There is no greater pleasure than to study Gods Word with a spiritual mind.

Reflection upon the afterlife is another element for our spiritual toolbox. While on this earth, we can only think about what our lives will be like when we shed our physical bodies and our soul passes on.

However, Bahaullah, states: Thou hast, moreover, asked Me concerning the state of the soul after its separation from the body. Know, thou, of a truth, that if the soul of man hath walked in the ways of God, it will, assuredly, return and be gathered to the glory of the Beloved. By the righteousness of God! It shall attain a station such as no pen can depict, or tongue describe. The soul that hath remained faithful to the Cause of God, and stood unwaveringly firm in His Path shall, after his ascension, be possessed of such power that all the worlds which the Almighty hath created can benefit through him.

Focusing on further developing our spiritual qualities, or virtues kindness, selflessness, helping those in need ( the sick, the poor), thoughtfulness, compassion, courage, faith, generosity, trustworthiness, unity, sacrifice, justice and many others can guide us in our daily lives as we strive to become closer to God.

Bahaullah has revealed: Wert thou to attain to but a dewdrop of the crystal waters of divine knowledge, thou wouldst readily realize that true life is not the life of the flesh but of the spirit. For the life of the flesh is common to both men and animals, whereas the life of the spirit is possessed only by the pure in heart who have quaffed from the ocean of faith and partaken of the fruit of certitude. This life knoweth no death, and this existence is crowned by immortality.

Susan Haines is a retired teacher and reading specialist who found the Bahai faith as a teenager, traveling to a Bahai Summer Institute, Green Acre, in Maine. Having lived in Frederick County for over 40 years, she serves as the Bahai public information officer for the Bahais of Frederick.

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Words of Faith: Creating a spiritual toolbox | Religion - Frederick News Post

Does Matthew Die in ‘A Discovery of Witches’? The Vampire’s Fate Revealed! – Distractify

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After Diana absorbed the Book of Life, many fans questioned if that would mean she is now immortal like her vampire beau. Though this is not disclosed in the book series, Harkness addressed the question about Diana's mortality and Matthew's immortality during a fan Q&A.

While some fans have theorized that Diana may have created her own immortality spell to live out her days with Matthew, Harkness confirmed during the fan event that she will eventually die. "Shes mortal and a warm-blood, and not going to have an extended life," Harkness said.

The author added, "Matthew has an extended life, and I think, again, the sad truth is none of us really live forever, and we all have to make the best of what we get handed. So I think thats a really normal part of life. One of the things we need to do better maybe in our time is learning to say goodbye, and learning how to live without the kind of regrets."

Watch new episodes of A Discovery of Witches on Sky One or AMC.

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Does Matthew Die in 'A Discovery of Witches'? The Vampire's Fate Revealed! - Distractify

Rabada will miss the spectators firing him up in the Newlands theatre – IOL

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By Zaahier Adams 57m ago

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CAPE TOWN - It would be interesting to find out whether Kagiso Rabada knows who Apollo Creed the fictional world boxing champion that gave Rocky Balboa his shot at immortality back in the 1975 blockbuster was.

Rabada probably knows Creed Apollos son played by Michael B. Jordan from the sequels that aired in 2015 and 2018.

But what does all this movie talk have to do with one of the finest fast bowlers of our generation?

Well, Rabada reminds of me of Apollo. Tall, athletic, clean cut with fame, wealth, endorsements and celebrity profile to match. Maybe Rabada doesnt quite have a motor mouth like Apollo, but he surely knows his value and the need to forge a lengthy and lucrative career out of his chosen sport.

When I first started with the Proteas I just wanted to play every game, and although Ive definitely still got the ambition, now it is about being smart with it. You have to realise there is a long career ahead, theres a lot of volume of cricket, and how I can stay fresh. Its about how to stay fresh and therefore be close to my best, the 25-year-old said on Monday.

It certainly is encouraging to hear the Proteas spearhead speak about wanting to be around for the foreseeable future, and also about managing his workload, particularly after being bowled almost into the ground in his first five years of international cricket.

But Rabada is also a champion. And every belt holder wants to know his true worth. And that can only be achieved through a blood-thirsty contender that wants to knock him off his perch. To the absolute point where he needs to dig deep and haul out his true character and skill just like Rocky pushed Apollo in those epic early clashes.

Rabada may publicly attempt to play down the threat Englands challenger Jofra Archer poses, but he concedes once they step into the middle the gloves are most certainly off.

Every series you play there is always a fire burning. But at the end of the day, we are also human beings and sometimes youre a bit lazy. However, once you get into it, the juices start flowing. Talking about it gets you amped. I dont really get amped for every day that I wake up. But when you get into the game, thats when you really wake up.

It is often a boisterous crowd that provides the firelighters in contests such as these. This will unfortunately, though, not be possible in the upcoming series with all the matches at Newlands and Boland Park set to be played behind closed doors due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Rabada admits the spectators add to the theatre of the occasion, but that he ultimately adopts the persona of a hunter once he zones in on his prey.

The crowd obviously gives that extra bit of adrenalin and drama if you want to put it that way. So, there is definitely something missing without the crowd, Rabada said.

But at the end of the day we are competitive cricketers who want to compete. Maybe I cant explain it and the public doesnt quite understand but when Im playing and Im running in at Joe Root, the last thing I am thinking about its a straight out contest between me and him if I can put it that way.

The upcoming T20 series is certainly going to be a rumble in an African jungle.

@ZaahierAdams

IOLSport

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Rabada will miss the spectators firing him up in the Newlands theatre - IOL

Exclusive: Nigel Martyn on whether Ancelotti will prioritise EFL Cup or Premier League this week – HITC – Football, Gaming, Movies, TV, Music

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Everton are facing a crucial period between now and the end of the year.

Manchester United travel to Goodison Park on Wednesday, with a spot in the EFL Cup semi-finals on the line.

Then a frantic spell of Premier League action lies in wait, with Everton now up to fourth after three big wins in a week.

We spoke exclusively to former Toffees goalkeeper Nigel Martyn about the forthcoming run, and whether players will be rested in midweek to prepare for the hectic league schedule.

With the quarter-final and so many games coming up, there will be opportunities for fringe players, I think, said Martyn. Maybe not defensively, theres arent many fit.

But there might be a change up front. Both teams will look to rest players, they have to. Theres so many games. You want to try and give players a rest.

Thats Carlos job, where is his priority? Getting back to fourth in the league and theres a chance of Champions League, does that become your priority?

If it does, you then rest players (in midweek) ahead of Sheffield United and Man City.

You rest your players for that, definitely. On the flip side of that, there hasnt been silverware at Everton for a long time and if youre the manager who delivers that, thats your immortality, he continued.

It will be a strong team. The one I dont know is I dont know if hell start with Calvert-Lewin. Youve almost got to rest him and hope that Cenk Tosun or whoever plays does it for him.

Thats the one area. Your stronger squad players, there will probably be three or four of those.

Defensively itll be a strong team. It is an important game, but he has to make one or two changes because of the amount of games. A game of that importance has come at the wrong time of year, really.

As Martyn eludes to, the timing of such a big knockout game isnt ideal, so close to the busy Christmas period.

But it remains a huge game and if United make changes, there could be a major opportunity for Everton to progress into the last four.

Its a big call for Ancelotti and resting Calvert-Lewin would be as well so it will be interesting to see what he decides to do.

READ ALSO: Nigel Martyn claims Everton have two choices to replace Digne

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Exclusive: Nigel Martyn on whether Ancelotti will prioritise EFL Cup or Premier League this week - HITC - Football, Gaming, Movies, TV, Music

Did ancient Greeks and early Christians discover the meaning of life through the use of psychedelic substances? – KCRW

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Psychedelics have been used for thousands of years by indigenous cultures but new research suggests that the ancient Greeks, Romans and even some early Christians may have used psychedelic substances in their religious practices. KCRWs Jonathan Bastian is joined by Brian Muraresku, author of The Immortality Key; The Secret History of the Religion with No Name

The following interview excerpts have been abbreviated and edited for clarity.

KCRW: In your book you talk about the site of Elusias in Greece. Why is this place so important in understanding the role of psychedelics in antiquity?

Brian Muraresku: Eleusis was like the fight club of the ancient world. The first rule of Eleusis was that you don't talk about Eleusis. These mysteries of Eleusis, survived from about 1500 BC to fourth century AD. Many of the best and brightest Greeks and Romans like Plato, Sophocles, Cicero and Marcus Aurelius all made this mysterious pilgrimage 13 miles northwest from Athens to Eleusis. Today its this small town, Elefcina but historically it was the spiritual capital of the ancient world. Initiates would arrive, drink a potion, have this vision of a goddess and all claim to have immortality. From what little testimony survived, through veiled secrecy there is belief that the mysterious concoction, possibly spiked with psychedelics, is what granted those believers immortal life, according to a trio of renegades in 1978.

Do you have an idea from your research of what was in that potion?

Muraresku: R. Gordon Wasson, Albert Hoffman, the Swiss chemist who actually discovered LSD, and Carl Ruck, relied on partial historical data, whose trail I followed in the book. Harvard and Yale educated at the time, Ruck was the chair of the classics department at Boston University, and though 85 years old hes still teaching there now. They claimed that the Hymn to Demeter, written in the seventh century but only discovered in 1977 is one of these clues teasing out the specifics. But in this 496 line Greek poem, there is an interesting list of ingredients for a Kykeon, which is Greek for potion. Inside that Kykeon, the poem says that there was barley, water and mint. Albert Hoffman looked at that barley and said, that must have been a code word. It wasn't really barley but what grows on the barley. Ergot is a natural fungus that affects cereal grains and it's exactly what Albert Hoffman himself was able to synthesize LSD in 1938.

There's some really provocative and controversial writing in your book about how this began to perhaps work its way into early Christianity.

Muraresku: It goes right into the heart of Christianity, and I call it paleo Christianity, those first three centuries, after Jesus. Remember Christianity is illegal, it's not decriminalized until Constantine in the fourth century AD. So what is going on in that time period? I've been saying that I think it's impossible to understand Christianity, without understanding the Greek world into which it was born.

The New Testament is written in Greek, not Hebrew. Paul is writing letters to Greek speakers, like the Corinthians. Corinth is today, only one hour west of Eleusis, this famous spiritual capital. The odds of the Corinthians not knowing about Eleusis is very small. Some may even have relatives who themselves were initiated into the practice. So I look at the New Testament and at the Gospel of John and rely on very mainstream biblical scholarship to figure out what was going on.

There are so many parallels that I track through the Gospels, like the famous water to wine miracle. Greek scholars refer to that as the signature miracle of Dionysus. We have many stories from antiquity about water, miraculously turning into wine. John is writing to Greek speakers who would have understood that the wine of Jesus was meant to be something extraordinary - I mean this is nothing less than an immortality potion.

Your research took you to the Vatican. You met with Christian scholars to work on your research. How were you received, did they tell you you were way off base?

Muraresku: Quite the opposite. The Vatican could not have been more welcoming or more accommodating. I talked to several different officials at the Secret Archives. I talked with the librarians at the Archive of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. I looked into Inquisition documents. I went into the catacombs and I talked to many, many priests in the Vatican.

There's a priest who accompanies me on this journey and I talked to lots of Greek Orthodox priests. I'm not claiming that Christianity is a psychedelic religion, I want to be very careful about that. I'm not claiming anything about the Last Supper - thats unknowable but what I'm looking for, is how some of the early Christian communities would have interpreted that story.

Brian Muraresku. Photo by Moshe Zusmancre

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Vote, Zombies, and Get the Vampires’ Teeth Out of Our Necks | Flagpole – Flagpole Magazine

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As usual, Halloween and the election are in conjunction. Demons are on the loose. So is candy, even if it is only supplied at home.

Halloween is our most popular holiday, which is not surprising, because horror is among our most popular cultural preoccupations. In the hierarchy of ghouls, vampires are by far the sexiest. Vampires enjoy eternal life, but their lifestyle is sustained by the blood of othersa small price to pay for immortality.

Many movie vampires have to put up with cramped coffins in dusty cellars away from daylight. Those depictions pay homage to earlier conceptions of the archetype. Modern vampires have risen above such limitations. After all, those earlier writers were looking backward to medieval European folklore, rather than embracing all the richness of modern life. A contemporary vampire would not be caught dead in a dusty cellar, or whats eternity for?

Your vampire of today knows that the life-force is not blood but money. So, what would you do if you were immortal and needed to batten on others to maintain your standard of living? Would you not do everything in your power to sink your teeth into cash? Would you not sell your soul to those in power, those who have the ability to get you the sweetheart deals, the tax cuts, the write-offs, the insider tips, the appointments, the sinecures, the elective offices? Would you not suck up to them? Of course you would, especially if all you have to do is siphon off some of the lifeblood from the less fortunate. Its not your fault they stick their necks out.

Who are they, anyway? Well, they are uszombies lurching from paycheck to paycheck, always wanting more but never getting enough, dead to any understanding of how the system really works, ready to believe the vampires who blame others while they put the bite on our livelihood and convince us that our health insurance is not as good as what theyll give us, because ours came from a Black man. They promise we dont need protections for our air, our water, our land. They seduce us into believing that were the greatest, even though nations of the world, including our former allies, have written us off as a second-rate power bamboozled by the Russians and superseded by the Chinese. They siphon off the money that should have gone to education, healthcare, infrastructure and fighting the pandemic.They have hoovered our lifeblood, but we love them. We admire their cool, their lifestyle. We identify with them. They give us power by association, and they encourage us to emulate them by holding down those who have less power than we do. We are always on the hunt for people to put down, to make us feel better and feel more like those we admire.

The vampires take from us and promise us a share of the good life. We zombies fight among ourselves, some believing the vampires and some not. But neither vampires nor zombies are secure in their predations unless the government is theirs. The vampires can buy the senators, the representatives, the judges and justices, but until they can succeed in doing away with the requirement, they need the zombies to vote. Thats their weakest link. Zombies must agree to keep them in power. That is the only hope of those who would throw off the domination of bloodsuckers who enslave us in a rigged system that allows them to sustain themselves on our backs.

Happy Halloween, zombie: Vote to get your life back!

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Michael Kwambo: There is life after sportyou just need to prepare for it – Capital FM Kenya

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NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 28 Youre an athlete and have been on top of your game for a while nowthe accolades, the fame, the monetary gain all coming through. This may at times lure you, the athlete, into a mindset of invincibility and immortality.

Theres nothing wrong in believing in ones strengths and abilities, theres absolutely nothing wrong in being ambitious. These after all are just some of the things that make sport worth following.

However, as an athlete, you must be aware that your shelf life is limited. Your career may be cut abruptly cut short through injury, illness or loss of passion.

Are you ready to face life away from the arena? Away from the accompanying fame and fortune? Away from the structure of training programs that have dictated your schedules in the past?

Truth is, nobody is absolutely ready for life after sport, but just as we prepare for competition on a day to day basis, it is also important for athletes to face up to the fact that they can only be active for so long and start preparing for life after sports.

Sadly, this may not always happen as many an athlete will wait until its too late before they start preparing for life after sports. This is one of the key contributing factors to the confusion and frustration that we witness among retired athletes as they are totally unprepared for the transition.

Olympic champions Ian Thorpe, Kelly Holmes and Wilfred Bungei are just a few of the high profile athletes who have made their struggles public after retiring from competitive sport.

The preparation for life after sports should ideally start the moment an athlete takes up a sport, but you and I both know that this never happens since most athletes are obsessed by success and will be relentless in its pursuit.

The next best thing for them to do is start preparing as soon as they reach an age when they realize that the game wont last the rest of their life.

Even though planning early for your retirement from sports may seem like youre giving up on it early, it doesnt mean that at all. Just like you put in the hard yards during training sessions, this is no different.

Proper planning will always prevent poor performance and in life after sports, improper planning can cost you a lot of money and time. The end game might come by choice or it might not, but by you planning ahead of time you can be able to avoid a lot of the mistakes that many other athletes make once they retire.

You owe it to yourself to not let sport use you for your abilities, and get everything you can out of it when it is all said and done. It is sad that quite a number of athletes have failed in life after sports simply because they dont do these three small things below.

Discover Just One Other Thing Youre Passionate About

Trying to figure out what you want to do after your playing career can be a lot to handle when you have a ton of other responsibilities. Instead, think about just one thing that youre passionate about and start working on that while you have free time. Whether its cooking, music, poetry or broadcasting. Doreen Nabwire, the first Kenyan woman to play professionally in Europe transitioned into football development, boxer Benson Gicharu has embraced his retirement by engaging in painting, ex-Sofapaka forward Ronald Okoth is giving back to society through his Roads to Goals organization, former Gor Mahia striker Bramwell Mwololo, who also played rugby for Barclays Bank RFC and Kenya is now a talk show host on one of Kenyas mainstream FM stations, swimming sensation Jason Dunford ventured into broadcast journalism and music while Kenya Sevens legend Lavin Asego has taken up golf and also runs a highly popular sports podcast.

Start focusing on one field or industry that you possibly want to get into, research it and figure out ways you can make money doing it. This way once you are actually done with your sports career, whenever that might be, you have something that youre passionate about to not only keep you engaged but possibly get into as a career as well.

Network

Lets face it, life is more of who you know, not what you know. Regardless of where you played or what sport you played, you have someone who is a fan of yours. Take the time to build and nurture these relationships, you never know what doors they may open.

Talk To Someone Who Has Been There Before

One of the great things about being an athlete is that you always have people around you or close by who have been in your exact shoes before and are willing to impart some knowledge on you. Whether they made it to the top or not, you can always learn from their experiences and the things that they did wrong. Dont be afraid to talk to people and ask questions if youre unsure. Most people love to feel like they are valued or can help others in some type of way. Whether they are a coach or former player, you can learn something from anyones experiences or story.

These things may seem simple and that is why you might put them off for later, but it is important to have the awareness and discipline to recognize when you have the opportunity to set yourself up for success in your future. Youll thank yourself later.

There is life after sport.

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Michael Kwambo: There is life after sportyou just need to prepare for it - Capital FM Kenya

‘Over the Moon’ doesn’t succeed in lifting Netflix into Disney’s orbit – KTVZ

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With Disney invading Netflixs streaming turf, turnabout is fair play, as Over the Moon overtly tries to emulate Disney animation without occupying its orbit. Although the movie is visually impressive, the Chinese-American co-production suffers from a too-thin story, built upon a heavy-handed message soaked in that oldest of Disney tropes: a dead mom.

Veteran Disney animator Glen Keane directed the film, which comes from Chinas Pearl Studios, whose recent roster includes the uninspired Abominable. The story (written by the late Audrey Wells, who died in 2018, and to whom the movie is dedicated) derived from the Chinese myth of the moon goddess, who achieved immortality but lost her love, pining for him in the night sky.

Fei Fei (voiced by Cathy Ang) also experiences loss when her mom becomes sick, after an introductory section in which the mother shares the tale and traditions of Change, the aforementioned goddess. The girl is unprepared, however, when her dad (John Cho) meets a new woman, as Fei Fei hopes that a trip to the moon will remind him of the past and spare her from the prospect of a not-at-all-wicked stepmother.

The film then embarks on a colorful flight of fancy, one with so many touchstones of past Disney movies its tough to count them all. Theres the boy stowaway a la Up, the cheerful fast-talking fantastic sidekick echoing Frozen (manically voiced by Ken Jeong), the colorful spectacle of Wreck-It Ralph, and a whole lot of soaring but generally unmemorable songs.

The last items on that roster sound fine, thanks in part to having Hamiltons Phillipa Soo as Change, who demands that Fei Fei present her an unspecified gift in order to earn the proof that she seeks. That portion of the film conspicuously drags, laboring to get from Fei Fei saying I just want things back the way they were to, rather sweetly, accepting the way they are.

Keane directed the Oscar-winning Kobe Bryant short Dear Basketball, and clearly learned the tricks of the trade during his time at Disney, with the movie appearing pretty desperate to conjure that sort of magic.

Alas, thats not enough to reach the heady space that separates the best of the Disney/Pixar movies from something like Over the Moon, a bright, shiny object that never quite escapes the bonds of Earth.

Over the Moon premieres Oct. 23 on Netflix.

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'Over the Moon' doesn't succeed in lifting Netflix into Disney's orbit - KTVZ

Do all dogs go to heaven? Pet owners increasingly think so, says study – The Guardian

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The definition of dog heaven is straightforward enough: bottomless biscuits, walks on demand, squirrels you can actually catch.

Whether it exists is a thornier question. But according to a new study, owners of all kinds of domestic animals have become more likely to believe in a pet afterlife and have used gravestones and memorials to express their faith that they will one day be reunited.

A new analysis published in the journal Antiquity, examining the history of pet cemeteries in Newcastle and London over 100 years from 1881, found an increase in the proportion of graves that reference the animals immortal souls.

Few 19th-century gravestones reference an afterlife, although some may hope to see their loved ones again, said Dr Eric Tourigny, author of the study, who looked at more than 1,000 animal headstones. By the mid-20th century, a greater proportion of animal gravestones suggest owners were awaiting a reunion in the afterlife.

Images of gravestones included in the paper show simple 19th-century references to Topsey, loving friend, Our dear wee Butcha, and Darling Fluff. In the few cases where an afterlife is referenced, owners are careful not to challenge contemporary Christian orthodoxy and only suggest a hope of reunion.

But by the 1950s, the owner of Denny, a brave little cat, adds firmly: God bless until we meet again. In the same era, religious references become more common with symbols like crosses and epitaphs invoking Gods care and protection.

Tourigny, a lecturer in historical archaeology at Newcastle University, found other evidence that pet owners were increasingly likely to view animals as part of the family. He wrote that an increasing number of gravestones used family names after the second world war though some early adopters of surnames put them in parentheses or quotation marks, as if to acknowledge they are not full members of the family.

He also found that owners would increasingly often refer to themselves by familial pronouns like Mummy, Dad, or Auntie.

Tourigny said that while it was difficult to quantify precisely, most of the stones are likely for dogs but the proportion of cats and other animals grew as the 20th century went on.

Gravestones in the four pet cemeteries examined cover burials from the 1880s to the 1980s. Since then, cremation has become more common for those who wish to mark their pets death.

Tourigny who has only ever owned two goldfish himself, but has recently adopted two cats, which arrive next week told the Guardian that one of the most notable recent trends was that jurisdictions around Britain were allowing humans and animals to be co-buried for the first time.

Other modern pet memorial services include paw prints cast in clay, framed collars, and even the chance to turn their ashes into diamonds. But many owners still opt for the simpler approach of burying them in the back garden or what is euphemistically termed communal pet cremation.

While religious views around the world vary, Christianity has traditionally held that animals have no hope of an afterlife. But Pope John Paul II said in 1990 that animals do have souls and are as near to God as men are.

Some pet lovers viewed remarks by Pope Francis in 2014 as offering further hope of furry eternity. He said that what lies ahead is not an annihilation of the universe and all that surrounds us. Rather, it brings everything to its fullness of being, truth and beauty.

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Who The MCU’s Most Powerful Villain Is (Besides Thanos) – Screen Rant

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As powerful as Thanos is with the Infinity Gauntlet, other MCU villains naturally outclass him with mystical abilities and extradimensional abilities.

Thanos is thequintessential villain of theMarvel Cinematic Universe, but there are more powerful MCU antagonists than the Mad Titan. As the MCU's scope grew throughout the years, the power level of both heroes and villains increased accordingly. Tony Stark'sopponents went from a businessman in an iron suit to a fire-breathinggenius anda near-omnipotent AI. The MCU's expansion intoouter space and different dimensionsonlyreinforced this difference.

Ever sinceThorandThe Avengersevidencedthe reach ofthe Asgardians' magic abilities, it has been evident that power is not only a question of raw strength. Magic, size, immortality, and even personality need to be taken into account in order to understand how powerful a character really is.For instance,Thor could have wielded the Infinity Gauntlet inAvengers: Endgame, but Smart Hulk was more mentally stableat the time. Thenature of a character's abilities also explainswhy Captain Marvel could punch any other hero into oblivion but Scarlet Witch could twist her spine with a flick of her wrist.

Related:MCU Theory: Kang The Conqueror Is Coming To Phase 5 (Because Of Thanos)

As omnipotent as Thanos is with the Infinity Stones, many other MCU villainsarenaturally more powerful. His formerservantRonan the Accuser was able to wield the Power Stone with minimal resistance, and only stayed under Thanos' command due to hishiddenmotivations. Similarly, Ego the Living Planet could have easily wiped out the Earth as easily as hedid with otherplanets, but hisdesire to take over the entire universe led him topursue Star-Lord and lose against the Guardians of the Galaxy before he could achieve it. That leaves Hela, Surtur, and Dormammu, threemysticalbeings with extremely long lifespans and a near-unlimited amount of power and it's only the latter that can claim to be the most powerful.

Eons ago, Odin defeated Surtur by himself, but with Odin past his prime - and even worse, gone- Thor demonstrated that both Surtur and Hela are strong enough that even he, the second strongest Avenger, couldn't defeat either of them inThor: Ragnarok. Only they could defeat one another. However, Surtur can only be so powerful when merged with the Eternal Flame while wearing his crown. Thor: Ragnarokalso proved howHela can be defeated by way of humongous Fire Demon. So, the one MCU villain to go untouchedby almost any weapon is Dormammu.

Dormammu is virtually unbeatable in the MCU because he's not really part of it. By nature alone, Dormammu spans his own entirerealityas a trans-dimensional entity. He warpsits very fabric tocreate his face anduse his powers, he can bestow occult abilitieson beingsfrom different universes, and he's described by The Ancient One as beingolder than time itself. The only obstacle that stops him from annihilating the MCU before anybody has a chance to blink is that he can't simply go ahead and enter it. That's why herecruited Kaecilius beforeDoctor Strangethwarted his plans thanks to sheer persistence. Sure,Dormammu suffered the least violent defeat in the entire franchise due to this tiny hindrance, but then again, it would have been impossible for Thanos to erase half of all life if he didn't get a bejeweled glove.

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Over the Moon’s Ending Isn’t as Happy as It Seems | CBR – CBR – Comic Book Resources

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Netflix's Over The Moon has a happy ending on the surface, but when one peers deeper, a major character is left heartbroken and feeling incomplete.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Over The Moon, now streaming on Netflix.

Over The Moon focuses on Fei Fei, a heartbroken young girl who can't cope with the loss of her mother. She also can't accept herfathergetting engaged to a new woman,Mrs. Zhong. Fei Fei decides to prove toher dad that a couple should be eternally bound to each other,so she goes to the moon to find the goddess Chang'e, who's hopefully been reunited with her soulmate, Houyi.

In Fei Fei's mind, this will confirm that no one can replace someone's true love; therefore, no one can replace her mom. While Fei Fei's experience shows her what love isactually about,and she learns to accept her stepmother and stepbrother, the endingis not as happy as it seems.

RELATED: Netflix StreamFest Makes Service Free for 48 Hours

This is due to what happens to Chang'e, who goes through her own journey on the dark side of the moon. Long ago, shetook immortality pills, which sent her to the moon and separated her from Houyi.Chang'e hoped she'd bereunited with Houyi's soulwhen he died, believing hisspiritwould meet her on the moon.This wasn't the case, so she has the Jade Rabbit, a wizard,make her potions to bring him there. It's also prophesiedthat Fei Fei will bring a gift toChang'ethat will help reunite her with Houyi.

The potion's catalyst is the Jade Rabbit and Fei Fei's pet bunny, Bungee, fallingin love. Furthemore, the amulet Fei Fei's mother gave her is the final piece needed for the ritual. Chang'e has grown tired of waiting on her lover's soul, so when the Jade Rabbit finally cracks the potion, she's all too excited. However, the story gets dark from here because Houyi arrivesonly for a few seconds,telling Chang'ethat sheneedsto move on.

As he disappears, it's heartbreaking, with Chang'e going into a depression and blacking out her kingdom. She would recover when she realizes Fei Feiis suffering from abandonment issues too. While she reignites Lunaria and sends Fei Fei home with her lesson learned, Chang'e still has a feeling of emptiness and despairshe must learn to cope with.

RELATED: Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts Bosses Talk Potential Movie Spinoffs, Sequels

Shedoesn't get closure,spends barely any time with Houyi anddoesn't get to apologize for taking the pills in the first place. Chang'edoes the right thing for Fei Fei, but she's resigned to living life alone on the moon, knowing she's actually the onewho abandoned her soulmate.

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Over the Moon's Ending Isn't as Happy as It Seems | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources

10 Supernatural Romance Movies To Watch If You Love The Twilight Franchise – Screen Rant

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From zom-coms to classic ghost romance, these are the best inhuman love stories in film history.

Whetheryou love it or hate it, theres no question that the Twilightseries has become one of the most popular media franchises out there. The story that it tells is a fairly established one about the love that emerges between a young human woman and a vampire.

RELATED: Twilight Saga: Every Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

Somehow, it managed to hit all of the right beats, so its no surprise that it continues to be enormously popular. Fortunately for big fans of the film, there are quite a few other supernatural romance movies out there to satisfythe craving for watching love stories between humans and other beings.

For many years, Anne Rice was the undisputed master of the Gothic romance, and her novels about vampires were bestsellers throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s. This enormously successful adaptation of her first novel, starring Hollywood heartthrobs Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, brought out the simmering romantic feelings between Louis and Lestat, two vampires who are bound together by the curse of immortality. Theres an undeniable chemistry between the lead actors, both of whom turn in some of the finest performances of their careers.

The romantic story between a mortal and an immortal is one that can be done either well or poorly, and Tuck Everlasting is in the former category. Focusing on the love that springs up between a young woman and a boy who has drunk from the Fountain of Youth, its a sweet and rather simple story, but one told in such a way that it manages to cast a spell on the audience. Its ending, in particular, is the very definition of bittersweet.

The story of Beauty and the Beast is one of the most enduring in popular culture, and it has seen numerous versions come to the screen. One of the most recent is this film, which puts a new spin on the old story. The film undeniably has its charms, and its rather refreshing to see the ways in which the film updates the story so that it feels timely and relevant for a new generation of viewers who want to watch the timeless romance.

If theres any figure thats proven as popular in the imagination as the vampire, it would have to be a zombie, and the 2000s and 2010s saw a flurry of various zombie films. Warm Bodiesdoes something new, however, injecting a bit of romantic comedy into the zombie film genre.

RELATED: The 5 Best Dracula Adaptations (& 5 That Don't Hold Up)

Its also a bit of a spin on the timeless tale of Romeo and Juliet, and the film ends up being surprisingly sweet and touching for a film about the undead.

There have, of course, been numerous retellings of the classic vampire novel by the writer Bram Stoker. Few, however, have managed to be quite as gorgeous, sumptuous, and just downright good as this adaptation. With Gary Oldman in the title role, the film manages to create a Dracula that is more than just a horror villain but is, instead, a compelling sort of tragic hero, doomed to eternal life because of the death of his beloved wife and his own curse.

Though many of the most famous entries in the supernatural romance canon have been made in Europe and the United States, in recent years South Korea has also emerged as a powerhouse of cinema. Films like this one are a reminder of why. Focusing on a priest who becomes a vampire after falling in love with his wifes best friend, its a beautiful and haunting film that manages to bring both the horror and the romantic elements of its plot into focus.

If anyone has ever wondered what would happen if the personification of death somehow managed to fall in love with a human being, then they need look no further than Meet Joe Black- a remake of a much earlier film.Though it was rather divisive at the time of its release (at least as far as critics were concerned), theres no denying that theres a powerful romance at its heart, and the fact that it stars Brad Pitt, a truly fine actor even in less than stellar films, manages to make this an appealing watch.

This remains one of the best romantic films to come out of the latter half of the 1990s. Starring Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan, it focuses on the romance that blooms between an angel and a human woman after he gives up his immortality to be with her.

RELATED: Nicolas Cage's 10 Best Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes

Though Cage has become somewhat infamous for his willingness to star in some truly terrible films--thus rendering him something of a camp figure--movies like this one show that he really does have what it takes to be a romantic leading man.

Kathryn Bigelow is a director that has, time and again, shown that she has the power to show new sides of old genres. In this case, she turned her attention to the vampire film, telling a story about a young man who gets turned into a vampire and ends up falling in love with the young woman who did it to him. The film is a remarkably gritty one, looking at the darker side of the vampire romance, but theres no question that the love between the young man and the vampire woman is the beating heart of the film.

No list of supernatural romance films would be complete without mentioning Ghost, the classic film starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg. Though it might seem a bit cliched from the perspective of modern viewers, its story about a man who visits his beloved in the form of a ghost is one of those that was destined to wring tears from the audience at the time of its release. It manages to hold up surprisingly well, due in no small part to the tremendous strength of the performances.

NEXT: 10 Supernatural Teen Drama Films To Watch If You Liked Twilight, Ranked (According To IMDb)

Next Ratched: 5 Differences From The Original Movie (& 5 Similarities)

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Palpatine, Kylo Ren, Baby Yoda and More: 10 Things You Need to Know From ‘The Star Wars Book’ – /FILM

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A wise man once said: If one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi. If you want to fully understand the epic and intricateStar Warssaga, you must embrace a larger view of the Force and you can start by embracing DKs new sacred text,The Star Wars Book: Expand Your Knowledge of a Galaxy Far, Far Away.

Written byStar Warsexperts Pablo Hidalgo, Cole Horton, and Dan Zehr, this insightful examination of the ever-expandingStar Warsfranchise covers 11 live-action movies, four TV shows comprising 15 seasons (and counting), video games, comics, novels, theme park experiences, and more.

Stuffed with illuminating infographics and authoritative essays,The Star Wars Bookreveals the mysteries of theStar Warsgalaxy not just the characters, history, and technology ofStar Wars, but how it all connects together, from 4-LOM and A-Wings to Ziro the Hutt and Zuckuss. While not technically an encyclopedia or visual dictionary, the book is divided into key subject areas for easy reading the galaxy, science and technology, the Force, the Skywalkers, galactic governments, their dissidents, and galactic denizens.

Whether you are a devotedStar Warsfan or a casual reader curious to learn more,The Star Wars Bookis an invaluable roadmap to that galaxy far,far away. Below is a sampling of some of the tomes most interesting tidbits, including new information on the events of The Rise of Skywalker andThe Mandalorian.

In Revenge of the Sith,Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, AKA Darth Sidious, tells us about The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the wise, a Dark Lord of the Sith so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midi-chloriansto create life. The Star Wars Book provides a few more details about the Siths quest for immortality:

Sidious master, Darth Plagueis, thought the pathway to immortality lay in the sciences. He could coax midi-chlorians the microscopic symbionts present in all body cells that channel the Force to create new life. His experiments were incomplete but encouraging.

Like his former master, Sidious covets vergences in the Force, for such concentrations of power are needed to break the rules that govern life and death.This, of course, explains Sidious fascination with young Anakin Skywalker, as well as the Force nexus on Lothal the gateway beneath the ancient Jedi temple tothe World Between Worlds, as seen in Star Wars Rebels:

Obsessed with immortality, Palpatine withdraws from public view so he can probe the secrets of the dark side. In the Unknown Regions, he readies the ancient Sith throne of Exegol to be his permanent seat of power. His cultist underlings experiment with cloning technology to extend his life.

The Rise of Skywalker wasnt the first time Emperor Palpatine was resurrected. In the 1991 Dark Horse comic book series Dark Empire set six years afterReturn of the Jedi, Palpatine returns from the netherworld of the Force and possesses the body of Jeng Droga, one of the Emperors Hands, a group of elite assassins not unlike the Knights of Ren or Snokes Praetorian Guard in the Sequel Trilogy.Sate Pestage, one of the Emperors advisors, exorcizes Palpatines spirit and channels it into a clone created by Palpatine before his death.

As for how Palpatine returned in canon forEpisode IX, The Star Wars Book lays it all out:

When Sidious is defeated at the Battle of Endor, he transfers his consciousness through the Force to a waiting cloned body. The process is imperfect, resulting in his mind being trapped in a rotting corpse. Over the ensuing decades, Sidious continues his obsessive explorations into rejuvenation. Clone offshoots from this process include his son, who flees Exegol in an attempt to live a life apart from darkness. Another genetic construct becomes Snoke, an underling whom Sidious installs as Supreme Leader of the First Order.

If youve read my Emperor Reborn series or perused the Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The Visual Dictionary, you already know that Snoke, while not a member of the Sith, wore a gold ring inscribed with glyphs from the Four Sages of Dwartii, encrusted with obsidian from the Sith cave beneath Fortress Vader on Mustafar. Uncoincidentally, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine kept bronzium statues of the Four Sages in his office and chambers on Coruscant.

After The Rise of Skywalker, many fans had questions about who or what Snoke was. The Star Wars Book has the answer:

Its possible Snoke himself may not know his true nature. Snoke is a strandcast an artificial genetic construct concocted by the resurrected Darth Sidious to be his proxy in power. Snoke has free will, but his actions and goals are still orchestrated by Sidious.

Through Snoke, Sidious manipulates Anakin Skywalkers grandson, Ben Solo, and lures him to the dark side. Sidious also senses the Force awakening within Rey, the offspring of his cloned son, and is determined to capture her.

The book also details some rarer force abilities. A small number of Force users, including Rey and Cal Kestis (from the video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order), have the unique ability of psychometry, which allows them to learn about people or events by touching an object associated with them. This explains Reys Force visions when she touches items like Anakin Skywalkers lightsaber ortheBlade of Ochi of Bestoon.

As for Reys bond with Ben Solo, heres the official info:

Ben Solo and Rey are dyads in the Force. This rare connection has not been seen for generations and means that the pair have a Force bond, allowing them to see and feel what the other is experiencing and even pass objects to one another over great distances through the Force. Those in a dyad possess another unusual ability. They can use the Force to heal a wounded person or creature, but this act also requires that the healer transfer some of their Force energy, which can temporarily weaken them. After their battle with Darth Sidious, Ben Solo sacrifices his life and all of his Force energy to bring Rey back from the dead.

What happened to Ben Solo and Leia Organa at the end of The Rise of Skywalker? The book provides some additional details about their final moments.

Amid the wreckage of the second Death Star on Kef Bir, Kylo Ren feels the Force presence of his mother, who reminds him of the goodness still within him. Sensing his distraction, Rey strikes a killing blow with her lightsaber. Immediately horrified by her actions and the idea that she may be falling to the dark side, Rey uses the Force to restore him. Meanwhile, on Ajan Kloss, the effort of reaching out to her son is too much for Leias mortal body.She dies but doesnt pass into the Force yet:

In a pivotal turn of events, Kylo faces the memory of his deceased father. Moved by the love of his parents and Reys compassion, he hurls his unstable, red lightsaber into the ocean, renouncing darkness and becoming Ben Solo once more. His final act is to head to Exegol to help Rey face the Emperor. Together, the two defeat the Sith Lord. The effort drains Rey. Without hesitation, Ben transfers his life force to her, resurrecting her and sacrificing himself: redeemed at last.

By transferring all of his Force energy to resurrect Rey, Ben Solo is able to do what his grandfather Anakin Skywalker never could: save the ones he loves from dying. Now one with the force, Leia ferries Ben into the cosmic Force together, finding peace.

For those who have issues or questions about Reys arc in the Sequel Trilogy, The Star Wars Book does a good job of explaining everything and connecting the thematic dots. For one, we get a full understanding of Reys experience in the mirror cave onAhch-To in Rian Johnsons The Last Jedi:

Below the surface, she asks the Force to show her who her parents are. In answer, the cave reveals not a mother or a father but Reys mirrored image, endlessly reflected. The cave plays upon her darkest fears, that she has always been, and always will be, alone. But it also helps her begin to see that maybe the only person she needs is herself. She is not defined by her parents, but by the choices she makes.

And so, determined to forge her own identity, Rey goes to Exegol and battles Palpatine, nearly dying in the process:

Having accepted all that she is, the voices of many legendary Jedi unite with her, inspiring her to rise and destroy Palpatine with the help of Ben Solo, now returned to the light. On Tatooine, Rey buries Luke and Leias lightsabers and takes on the moniker Skywalker. Her choice, and not her lineage, defines who she is, bringing her peace and purpose.

There are some fun tidbits about supporting characters to the saga as well, specifically this interesting backstory for Lando Calrissian that was cut fromThe Rise of Skywalker but still exists as part of the official novelization:

After his days in the Rebellion, Calrissian settles down and starts a family. However, his young daughter is kidnapped. Her disappearance is a mystery, yet it becomes clear later that his only child was targeted by the First Order, as the group had abducted the kids of other former Alliance leaders. Lando joins Luke Skywalkers mission to track down the rumors of Sith agents, and when the trail runs cold on Pasaana, Lando decides to remain on the planet, living a quiet, restful existence as a hermit.

With the battle against the Final Order won, Lando offers to join the former stormtrooper Jannah in her search for her family, hoping that together they can find their long-lost relatives, even if the odds are against them:

He empathizes with her as his own child had been kidnapped years before. Jannah, an improbable ally to the Resistance, has found an unlikely ally of her own.

In the Mandalorians entry, we learn that before he was rescued by members of Death Watch, Din Djarin called Aq Vetina his home:

Although now known as the Mandalorian, he was once the boy named Din Djarin. When his home, Aq Vetina, is assulated by merciless battle droids forces, Dins parents hide him in a cellar, hoping to keep him safe. He survives, thanks to the intervention of Mandalorian forces. Armored warriors carrying the mark of Death Watch take the abandoned child to be raised as a Mandalorian foundling. Din receives an orthodox Mandalorian upbringing so he believes he cannot ever take his helmet off in the company of another living being, lest he lose claim to his Mandalorian heritage.

Is Aq Vetina the name of a settlement, or is it a planet? Perhaps well visit the Mandalorians former home in an upcoming episode of the Disney+ live-action series.

As for Din Djarins sidekick, the Child, there isnt much new information to report:

Very little is known about the Child, the Mandalorians target-turned-ward. He is found sleeping in a hovering pram in a safehouse on Arvala-7, guarded by Nikto henchmen. Where he came from is unknown. According to a fragmented chain code, the Child is 50 standard years old, but has the look and behavior of a toddler. His species is unknown, but is a match for that of Yoda, the late Jedi master.

While there have been several members of the species to make appearances in the non-canonExpanded Universe (rebranded as Star Wars Legends), there are only three in the officialStar Wars canon: Yoda, Yaddle, and the Child. Someday, maybe someday soon, well discover more about the species and where they come from but until then, much to learn we still have.

While there are countless Star Wars reference books out there, The Star Wars Bookfeels like something new and different. It isnt a visual dictionary, nor is it an art book. Its more like a hardbound copy of Wookieepedia that exhaustively details the major players and events of the saga and binds the universe together. That was a book joke and a Star Wars joke. Youre welcome.

The Star Wars Bookfills in the gaps for those who dont have the time, money, or obsessive-compulsive need to consume everything that comes out of Lucasfilm and its subsidiaries, while also encouraging those who are curious to seek out stories and experiences they may have missed along the way. It treats the films, series,comics, novels, and video games as equally important parts of the Star Wars canon and is a must-have for fans of saga.

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The Star Wars Bookisavailable now.

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Palpatine, Kylo Ren, Baby Yoda and More: 10 Things You Need to Know From 'The Star Wars Book' - /FILM