Halloween vs. Hellraiser: Which Killer Wouldve Won in the Canceled Crossover – CBR – Comic Book Resources

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Who would win in a fight between Hellraiser's Pinhead and Halloween's Michael Myers?

Once upon a time, Dimension Films wanted to make a Hellraiser/Halloween crossover in which the two horror icons, Pinhead and Michael Myers, would have battled to the death. The early 2000swas a popular time for mega franchises to crossover in "versus" films, and Dimension wanted a piece of the market. Plans for the film originally started before the release of Freddy vs Jason in 2003, butthe studio reportedlydidn't know how to make it work.It rejected two scripts andwas overwhelmed while working in the shadow of the highly anticipated Freddy vs Jason,whichit assumed would've been a box office failure.

Whenthat film became amassive success, Dimension went back to what some have dubbed "Helloween,"but the crossover never happened. As fun as it would've been to see the boogeyman take on Pinhead, it's also hard to fathom. How could a serial killer armed only with a butcher knife take on a demon working with the powers of Hell behind him?

RELATED:Jamie Lee Lee Curtis and Neve Campbell Don't Watch Horror Movies

The biggest issue with Myers vs Pinhead is that Pinhead is already dead. In the Hellraiser films, Pinhead was once a man named Elliot Spencer who was taken to Hell after he solved the Lament Configuration, a puzzle box serving as the opening to Hell's door. After years of torture, he was transformed into a demonand becamethe leader of the Cenobites, the most favorite of their god Leviathan. Such a title comes with many benefits, including Hellish powers and invulnerability to most weapons of defense. Hellraiser II showed that the Cenobites, including Pinhead, can be wounded if you get close enough when their guard is down, but they all return in the next film more powerful than ever.

In contrast, Michael Myers is not supernatural at all. The Halloween franchise is a complete mess and there's no word on which timeline the "Helloween" crossover would have dealt with -- the Curse of Thorn or the H2O reimagining. The original concept for Michael Myers as he appeared in 1978Halloween was that he wasan unstoppable killing machine. He was evil incarnated, but still very human. As the films progressed, Michael was then given immortality and revealed to have been cursed by a Druid cult. Later, when the franchise decided to rework their timeline,the Curse of Thorn storyline was erased and Michael was reverted back to his original self. So depending on the timeline,the two competitors wouldn't be evenly matched. Even if Michael kept his immortality powers, they are still severely uneven.

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Halloween vs. Hellraiser: Which Killer Wouldve Won in the Canceled Crossover - CBR - Comic Book Resources

The Hunter Biden Files: Vicious Politics And Tragedies Of The Privileged Class – The Pavlovic Today

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Enter Hunter Biden. Handsome, rich, Ivy League-educated, the nonchalant but troubled protagonist, the likes of Hank Moody of Californication. Picture all that but in a political thriller detailing an international web of business dealings, a James Dean of the political Americana, riding into the sunset with a sultry blond on his arm in a Porsche Panamera. This could all be make-believe, but it can be true, too, a harsh and painful saga of personal stories where the father is just ambitious enough to know it and still decides to run for President of the United States in the autumn of his life.

The latest of Hunter Bidens audiotapes flying around social media is overwhelming. I feel sorry for the guy, whos in way over his head with what appears to be a very messy setup. In a recording, he complains about his father, Joe, a consistent case-in-point in all so-far released materials since the NY Post broke the story that Twitter and Facebook censored. Painful, raw, and personal materials, difficult to process emotionally, are included. If the audio is authentic, it must be devastating for Hunter to have his conversations released in front of the global audience, and if those were not true, then its sad and depressing that anyones child should be a victim of the parents pursuit of power.

Joe Biden did not have to run for President. He was poorly performing in the primaries, he was three years from a half-century-long career in politics, and he could have disappeared quietly into the night; but he wanted to have the cake and eat it, too, it appears.

In the audio, Hunter could be heard saying: I get calls from my father to tell me that The New York Times is calling but my old partner Eric, who has done me harm for I dont know how long, is the one taking the calls because my father will not stop sending the calls to Eric.

In the previously released trove of emails, Hunter was also complaining about his father Joe focusing on his presidential run and having his campaign staff scold him.

When Facebook and Twitter opted to step in and censor the NY Post's story, I said that this story will only be getting bigger. That is exactly what has happened. The tragedy of ones life, that could have been avoided, if only Joe Biden put his son over his political ambition and, one may argue, the pursuit for immortality. Joe Biden had power, and he is still a very powerful man. The only thing that he could be interested in is to attain the immortality that one achieves by becoming the president, an achievement that, so far, only 45 Americans have claimed, some for better and some for worse.

Hunter Bidens life story, now immersed in a web of political interests with twists and turns, and the laptop from hell, as Trump likes to put it, has all the elements of a Hollywood blockbuster or a Netflix Original series no screenwriter could write so accurately.A leitmotif of the televised binge-worthy story: Would you sacrifice the well-being of your son for the Oval Office? Only if you were convinced that the stuff would never come out. And they almost did not when Twitter and Facebook stepped in.

Tucker Carlson is next, in a new, heightened drama by Tony Bobulenski, who is stepping out with tell-all revelations of everything he knows about his dealings with Hunter Biden, which then-VP Joe Biden allegedly knew about. Fasten your seat-belts, for Quelle Surprise, brave journalism led by Tucker Carlson. No one expected that one to audition for a Pulitzer.

Vicious political games in the Tale of Two Americas, continue. In a world where opposite opinions no longer reconcile, the truth becomes increasingly elusive and campaign strategies even more so vindictive.

The hunger games of American politics started with tell-all revelations of Trumps former employees and family members. Omarosa famously played the tapes. The Left cheered. Every action has a reaction, it's a simple rule of karma that, for some reason, politicians do not believe applies to them. The Democrats went after Trumps children and now the Republicans are going after Joe Bidens son.

Those without shadows let them cast the first stone.

Aimez-vous politics?

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Death, Money, and the Dueling Frauds: Trump and Biden – Dissident Voice

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When the New York Times and CNN recently referred to the staged town hall spectacles of Biden and Trump as dueling events, they inadvertently revealed the truth that U.S. presidential elections are Americas favorite movie and that the corporate media is in the entertainment business.

While it is ludicrous to imagine these tottering actors crossing swords in tights, their skirmishes in suits and ties are good for a few laughs, if you have the stomach to watch them. Only people who still believe in professional wrestling would think these clowns dont work for the same bosses the Umbrella People, aka the power elites, the national security state, etc., who own the country and choose their stooges to represent their interests in the White House.

I much prefer Mel Brooks, a genuinely funny guy.

The columnist Russell Baker once said the purpose of such political entertainment is to provide a manageably small cast for a national sitcom, or soap opera, or docudrama, making it easy for media people to persuade themselves they are covering the news while mostly just entertaining us.

As for debates and town hall farces in television prime time, the witty Baker said that the charm of television entertainment is its ability to bridge the chasm between dinner and bedtime without mental distraction.

Now lets proceed to the dark side, where the sardonic screams of laughter dissolve into tears.

For such entertainment serves a devious distracting purpose: to conceal the nature of social evil and the driving forces behind American politics today. It is not particularly complicated unless the syllogism All cats die/Socrates is dead/ therefore Socrates is a cat rings true.

Then its an impossible conundrum.

We are not cats or Socrates, as far as I know. But like them, we will also die. Everyone knows this, but the thought of death is not particularly have-a-nice-dayish, so people deny it as much as possible in a host of ways. Most people prefer life over death, and when death does approach and can no longer be denied, most hope for immortality in some way, shape, or form.

Yes, there are those who assert this isnt true for them, and there is no reason to doubt their sincerity. There are philosophical arguments to support their position, such as that of the Roman poet Lucretius in his famous poem De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things). But I would maintain with the great psychoanalyst Rollo May that all such naturalistic efforts, including Lucretiuss, to explain away human anxiety rooted in death, founder on the human emotions of pity, grief, love, and loneliness. Rational explanations take us only so far. In their efforts to deny the human condition and dismiss the spiritual dimension, the irrational, and the daimonic, they open the door to madness, as is happening today with the push by the worlds economic elite to convince people that they are machines and that their machine dreams will conquer death.

For those who love life, it seems axiomatic to me that some form of perpetuation and redemption of an individuals life in the face and fear of death is widely desired. This can take many forms: a literal afterlife, fame, heirs, monuments, money, children, etc. History is quite clear that people have always sought some way of transcending their physical fates.

This was aptly noted by Graham Greene, the English novelist, when, as an old man approaching death, he was asked if he was disappointed at not receiving the Nobel Prize, and he said no, since he was hoping for a greater prize.

In his important book, The Denial of Death (Pulitzer Prize 1974 for general non-fiction), the cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker, puts it succinctly:

Man is literally split in two: he has an awareness of his own splendid uniqueness in that he sticks out of nature with a towering majesty, and yet goes back into the ground a few feet in order blindly and dumbly to rot and disappear forever.

Faced with such an impossible situation, then, overwhelmed from childhood with a sense of ones own ultimate physical powerlessness but being symbolic creatures as well as physical ones, the normal person learns to repress the terror of death by building various defenses that allow one to believe that he ultimately controls his death. Ones natural impotence is then hidden within the vital lie of character; one lives within the manageable social world that helps one blot out existential awareness by offering various social games and cultural symbols, agreed forms of madness that narcotize the fear. One learns to adjust. The aim is to cut life down to manageable proportions, domesticate terror, and trust in the cultural and social authorities for protection and reassurance. Obedience is key.

Listen to Big Daddy and he will rescue you , especially when he first tells you that Mr. Pumpkin Head is coming to get you unless you run into his protective embrace.

These days, its Halloween all year round in the land of the free and the home of the brave where the fear of death is handed out like poisoned candy and Big Daddy waits at the door disguised as everyones benevolent grandfather. To be treated, you must be masked. That is his trick. Stay well, he mutters, after he drops a dollop of sweet fear into your bag and cackles behind his face.

Everywhere you look these days, people are doubly masked. The paper kind and by definition, since the the word person, being derived from the Latin, persona, means mask, while there is another Latin word, larva, that also means mask or ghost or evil spirit. Clearly there is a dance contest underway, a danse macabre. And who will win nobody knows.

Every conflict over truth, wrote the psychoanalyst Otto Rank, is in the last analysis just the same old struggle over immortality.

This is exactly what is going on now with the fierce disagreements over Covid-19.

Like the attacks of September 11, 2001, the anthrax attacks, the ginning up of terrorism fear with Homeland Securitys color-coded warning system, the lies about weapons of mass-destruction, and the coronavirus early warning systems, people have adopted positions upon which they stake their psychological lives. To admit you were snookered is a little death that is hard to swallow.

We are being subjected to mind-control on a vast scale, the continual pumping up of the fear of death to control the population. Americans have been living in an atmosphere of dread for almost twenty years. Its so old and so obvious but cuts so deep it works like a charm. You dont want to die, do you, so come here into Big Daddys arms.

In Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell writes that The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. It is a famous quote that is not true when taken out of context. The Umbrella People and their lackeys dont seek power entirely for its own sake. They have a larger agenda: immortality.

If one reads Orwell carefully, one comes upon a key passage that clarifies the previous quote. The evil OBrien, the torturer and member of the Inner Party who poses as a member of the resistance to Big Brother (sound familiar?), asks his victim Winston Smith to reverse the slogan from Freedom is Slavery to Slavery is Freedom:

Alone free the human being is always defeated. It must be so, because every human being is destined to die, which is the greatest of all failures. But if he can make complete, utter submission, if he can escape from his identity, if he can merge himself in the Party so that he is the Party, then he will be all-powerful and immortal. The second thing for you to realize is that power is power over human beings. Over the body but, above all, over the mind. Power over matter external reality as you would call it is not important. Already our control over matter is absolute.

All power is fundamentally power to deny mortality. This is true whether it is the power of the state or church. And it is always sacred power.

Many often ask why do the super-rich and powerful always want more. Its simple. They wish to transcend their pre-existing human mortality and become gods immortals. They stupidly believe that if they can lord it over others, kill, dominate, achieve status, become billionaires, presidents, magnates, celebrities, etc., they will somehow live in some weird forever.

In a process that has spanned at least a hundred and fifty years or so, our traditional cultural/religious symbol systems have been radically undermined, most momentously by the Faustian creation of Lord Nuke. All forms of symbolic immortality (theological, biological, creative, natural, and experiential) that formerly provided a sense of continuity have been severely threatened. This is the haunting specter lurking in the background of life today.

What is death? How to defeat or transcend it? How to affirm life in the face of death?

One paradoxical way that political leaders do this is by killing. Followers who accede to such killing join their leaders, not simply to see others dead, but to acquire power over death itself to kill their own deaths. It is perverse, of course, and is summed up in the saying to love the bomb joyously, to experience the nightmare of oblivion as ecstasy. Isnt this what the philosophy of voting for the lesser of two evil is about? At least he will be our killer. Our evil killer, but not as bad as yours. You lose.

I have read that there is a painting still visible at the entrance to a house in ruined Pompeii that tells us much about power and wealth. It perfectly symbolizes the meaning of the economic gap between the super-rich e.g. those behind the World Economic Forum, the CIA, the presidential candidates, the corporate media and the rest of us. It pictures a man weighing his penis on a scale of gold coins. Gold, God, wealth, and power. Its an old story.

Today, however, there is a difference, for the spirit of nihilism has grown as belief in the spiritual dimension and God has diminished dramatically. Money or gold, wealth in all its forms, is todays foremost immortality symbol, a sign that one is powerful and can conquer death. What else are Trumps gold-emblazoned Tower and hair, and Bidens boastfully admitted threat to withhold one billion dollars from Ukraine unless they fire the prosecutor investigating his son, Hunter. The greasing of palms, bribery, tax theft, etc. par for the course in a corrupt society run by thieves and criminals.

Becker says of this wealth obsession:

The only hint we get of the cultural repression seeping through is that even dedicated financiers wash their hands after handling money. The victory over death is a fantasy that cannot be fully believed in; money doesnt entirely banish feces [decay and death that is of course defeated with toilet paper as Covid-19 has proven], and so the threat of germs and vulnerability in the very process of securing immortality.

Pseudo immortality.

Enter Covid-19. Like the attacks of September 11, 2001, it is death writ large. An insidious terrorist threat. Invisible, sneaky, ready to pounce. Fear and trembling. So-called surprise attacks that were preceded by simulations and live drills. Numerous parallels, too many to mention. Lets not. Have a nice day! Stay safe!

So what do the super-rich controllers want now? What are the World Economic Forums Claus Schwab, Google and the Defense Departments Eric Schmidt, Bill Gates, Ray Kurzweil of Google and The Singularity, et al. pushing now that Covid-19 has so many cowering in fear?

These people have realized that the thing that their money and power must do is to create a world where trans-humanism must triumph and people of flesh and blood must be induced and forced to become the machines they have been told they are. If you doubt this is underway, research the World Economic Forums agenda, see what the Great Reset is about, the Build Back Better slogans, the massive push to create on-line existence for everyone, etc. As a recent ad I saw says: The world is going digital.

The goal of these mad technocratic elites is to create a fabricated reality where the visible world becomes nearly meaningless once the screen world becomes peoples window on the world. An electronic nothingness to replace reality as people in the industrialized countries gleefully embrace digital wraparound apparitions and the poor and vulnerable of this world suffer and die out of sight and out of mind. It is the fundamental seismic shift of our era and perhaps the greatest propaganda operation ever undertaken. A sort of end-times desperate gambit.

And it just so happens to revolve around the use of death fear to accomplish its goals.

But for the elites, there will be no death. For having realized that their stolen wealth and power can only take them so far, and they too will become food for worms, they have commandeered science and medicine to undertake their immortality projects. If medicine fails to find for them the secret of immortality, then computer science and Artificial Intelligence will, and they will be uploaded into computers and live forever in their beloved cyberspace. Digital immortality is not a joke for these people see Kurzweils (the director of engineering at Google) The Singularity, etc. for they are actually insane but hold key positions throughout the computer and biotechnology industries. Check where the super rich invest their money to confirm this. None of it is secret.

Having heeded Russell Bakers words about television offering no mental distraction between dinner and bedtime, I took to my crib early, knowing Tweedledee and Tweedledum would be dueling again, this time in what they humorously called a debate. I was surrounded by my stuffed animals that protected me and I slept safe and sound.

Upon awakening, I read that the gladiators had exchanged blows but that both were left standing for the big showdown on November 3. I also noticed that each had used the words dark winter in reference to Covid-19. Biden said one was coming and Trump said he didnt know.

Neither, of course, spoke of the Dark Winter Exercise, a senior level war game conducted on June 22-23, 2001, about a biological attack, a smallpox outbreak, the public health response, the lack of vaccines, the need for quarantine and isolation, the restriction of civil liberties, and the role of the Defense Department and the military in the response. Nor did they speak of anthrax attacks, but the Canadian researcher, Graeme MacQueen, will here fill you in on both, in case you dont know. Maybe the boys just forgot.

I am sure they didnt talk about the elements of Trumps Operation Warp Speed, but if you wish to understand how we are being gamed, Whitney Webb will tell you here.

Was there any mention of the Russians? I havent heard. They are always a kind of a solution. As my friend Joe Green has said:

All dissenting opinions are Russian. I think Socrates said that. Im paraphrasing.

Maybe many are still Waiting for the Barbarians.

This article was posted on Sunday, October 25th, 2020 at 10:20am and is filed under General, Opinion.

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Death, Money, and the Dueling Frauds: Trump and Biden - Dissident Voice

The Old Guard: 5 Things It Kept From The Comics (& 5 Things It Changed) – Screen Rant

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The Old Guard is packed with action and a thrilling story ripped straight from the comics, but what did the film change from the source material?

Marvel and DC have always had a joint monopoly on live-action superhero productions, but once in a while, good movies and TV shows that aren't associated with the two brands come out. Netflix hit movie The Old Guard,whichis based on a comic series of the same namebelongs to that category.

RELATED:The Old Guard: 5 Ways It's Charlize Theron's Best Action Movie (& 5 Better Alternatives)

Despite the fact that comic creatorGreg Rucka wrote the movie's screenplay, there are a couple of differences between the story on paper and the story on screen. Not surprising given that the screenplay is said to have been rewritten three times.Here's what's the same, and what's different between source material and film

In both the film and the comics,former CIA operative Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) pretends to be a friend to Andy and her team at first but it is laterrevealed that he isworking for the villain Merrick. Soon, he realizes the error of his ways and decides to betray Merrick.

The immortals spare him in both the comics and the film. His reason for cutting ties with Merrick are similar too, He isn't cut out for the blatant greed and cruelty that Merrick embodies. Though the film adds a smaller detail by making Copley choose tohonor his wife's memory by doing more good than bad.

In the movie,Quynhgets placed in what appears to be an Iron Maiden device and tossed to the bottom of the sea. She remains trapped there for about 500 years. At the end of the film, she is seen again, suggesting that she has resurrected.

In the comics, her death is caused by a storm. She isn't deliberately drowned. According to screenwriterGreg Rucka, the change was made to save money. Apparently, the storm scene from the comics would have cost too much.

In the movie,U.S. Marine Nile Freeman gets targeted by an enemy soldier in Afghanistan who slits her throat. As expected, she recovers seconds later. When she wakes up, she has a strange dream that makes the other immortals aware she exists.

RELATED:The 10 Best Movies Based On Comics That Aren't Marvel Or DC (According To IMDb)

Andy then tracks her down to grab her justbefore the military can take her to Germanyto perform tests on her. This is exactly the same way that the immortals find out about Nile in the comics too. She has a dream, forcing Andy to swoop in and take her just in time.

Despite Andy being immortal at the beginning of the film, she lost her immortality somewhere between, leading to an intense third act where she had to fight hard to keep herself alive. At some point during a gun battle, theother immortals had to use their bodies to prevent Andy from getting hit as they also fired at the enemy.

The vulnerability helped Andy understand humanity better.This could be best seen when a stranger helped her patch up a stab wound. However, in all the installments of the comics, there wasn't a single time when Andy lost her immortality.

They obviously appear better on screen thanks to the choreography but most of the fight scenes happen exactly as they do in the comics. This includes the memorable one between Andy and Nile in the plane. Apparently, 3000 takes were needed for that specific scene.

The same baddies that get killed in battle in the comics are the same ones that get killed in the movie. The comics actually allocate plenty of illustrations to the action scenes, making them look as realistic as possible.

The film's best relationship is that of the LGBTQ couple, Joe and Nicky. When Joe gets taunted and asked whether Nicky truly is his boyfriend, Joe gives a classic response by saying that "boyfriend" is not a good enough way to describe Nicky. As beautiful as the moment is, it is even better in the comics.

RELATED:10 Questions We Have After Watching The Old Guard

In the comics, Joe describes Nicky in a poetic manner, saying things like"his very thoughts make music of the mundane." If viewers want to relish the experience of that scene a bit more, they should probably check out the comics.

InThe Old Guard's third act, it is revealed through Copley's discovery, thatwhenever the group uses their powers to do good, there is a larger ripple effect in the rest of the world. For example, there's a new major medical discovery or the disappearance of a natural disaster that had been predicted to occur.

This revelation happens in the comics too, only that it's in the second volume, not the first volume that the film is based on. Given that there were a number of rewrites to the screenplay, the decision to bring the revelation forward was probably made in the last stages.

Veronica Ngo's character Quynh was a memorable but she isn't exactly as she was in the comics. First, her nationality was changed from Japanese to Vietnamese. Second, her name in the comics was actually Noriko (a Japanese name).

The changes were actually requested by Ngo, Since she is Vietnamese, she asked Rucka if the character's name and nationality could be switched to suit her Vietnamese heritage. Rucka wasn't sure about that, so he asked the director. Luckily, she agreed to the switch because it wouldn't affect the plot in any major way.

When Booker and Andy meet Copley in the later stages of the move, Booker betrays her and wounds her. He later regrets it because he thought she would heal quickly but she just so happens to have lost her immortality.

RELATED:The 10 Best Comic Book Sequels To Famous Movies

Booker is punished for his betrayal by being banished from the group for 100 years. Thegroup then meets Copley who informs them of the ripple effect. This plays out similarly in the comics though it also happens a bit later.

Steve Merrick was more of a corporate villain in the movie. He's a pharma billionaire who is keen on capturing Andy and her team so that he can conduct experiments on their bodies. He just so happens to have an army of goons to which he relies on to defend him,

In the comics, Merrick is a proper good too. He is buff and tattooed up. He is a skilled fighter who constantly intimidates his henchmen by doing push-ups during meetings. And when he first meets Joe and Nicky, he even stabs them for fun just to see if they'll die.

NEXT:10 Movies To Watch If You Liked Netflix's The Old Guard

Next Harry Potter: 10 "What If" Theories That Will Make You Pensive

Philip Etemesi is an author, journalist, screenwriter and film critic based in Nairobi. Kenya. As a child, he preferred watching movies like The Goodfellas instead of Home Alone. His girlfriend constantly has to pull him from the front of the TV but he just keeps returning. Stubborn dude! An animal lover, Philip also has a pet giraffe called Refu.

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The Old Guard: 5 Things It Kept From The Comics (& 5 Things It Changed) - Screen Rant

10 scary movies streaming now to help get you in the Halloween spirit – PennLive

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Not quite feeling the Halloween spirit yet? Dont worrytheres a film for that.

Several films, in fact. This article contains 10 spooky pieces of cinema ranging from the truly terrifying to the magically whimsy that you can stream now to help you get into the Halloween mood. Read more about eachand just where you can watch thembelow!

The Sanderson sisters in "Hocus Pocus." (Disney)

Watch Now: Disney+

Its not Halloween without at least one viewing of Hocus Pocus. It is, arguably, the Halloween movie to watch every year. The movie follows Winnie (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy). And Sarah Sanderson (Sarah Jessica Parker), three witches who rise from the dead to suck the souls from the children of Salem in order to gain immortality. A sequel to this beloved Halloween classic is currently in the works, with Disney+ having yet to confirm more solid details.

One of the undead in "Night of the Living Dead." (Continental Distributing)

Watch Now: Shudder

Night of the Living Dead was the debut film of George Romero and essentially set the standard for every succeeding zombie movie out there. Shot in black and white, the movie takes places in a rural area outside of Pittsburgh in the 1960s, where several people are trapped in an isolated house surrounded by those slow-walking, flesh-eating creatures. Theyre coming to get you, Barbara is a phrase that still sends chills down the spines of many to this day.

Klaus Kinski as Count Dracula "Nosferatu the Vampyre." (20th Century Fox)

Watch Now: Peacock

This 1979 Werner Herzog take on Count Dracula and his shenanigans puts Twilight to shame and makes people remember why vampires are so scary in the first place. The plot is an adaption of Bram Stokers original work, although instead of the suave Bela Lugosi, this count played by Klaus Kinski is bald, pale, and sporting some seriously sharp fans. Bust out the garlic for when you hit play on this one.

Eddie Murphy in "The Haunted Mansion." (Walt Disney Studios)

Watch Now: Disney+

Based on the beloved Disney World ride, The Haunted Mansion puts a comedic, family twist to an age-old concept: the haunted house. Starring Eddie Murphy as Jim Eversa skeptical businessman who at first dismisses the supernatural before being forced to combat it"The Haunted Mansion" is 86 minutes' worth of a good time for all ages.

Pinhead in "Hellraiser." (Entertainment Film Distributors)

Watch Now: Shudder

Based on the novel by Clive Barker (and also directed by the author himself), Hellraiser is a horror film thats definitely meant for more mature audiences. Upon opening a Pandora-like box, Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) comes face-to-face with the Cenobites, evil beings that seek to wreak chaos on those unlucky enough to cross their paths. Most iconically is Pinhead, who really takes acupuncture to the next level.

A poster for Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho." (Paramount Pictures)

Watch Now: Peacock

Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho is a seminal turning point in thriller history. When Janet Leighs Marion Crane takes a turn off the highway and ends up at the Bates Motel, she begins to realize that nothings creepier than the motels owner, Norman (Anthony Perkins), and his mother. Psycho is one of the first movies to leverage now well-known horror tropes, packing in one of the biggest twists in cinematic history.

The Tall Man in "Phantasm." (AVCO Embassy Pictures)

Watch Now: Shudder

One of the scariest things about the 1979 flick Phantasm is its soundtrack, although the chills dont end there. Phantasm is about Mike (A. Michael Baldwin), a teenage boy whos plagued by the menacing specter of the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm). The movie blends horror elements with those of science fiction, emphasizing an unsettling feeling of madness.

Debbie Reynolds as a friendly witch in "Halloweentown." (Disney)

Watch Now: Disney+

Those who grew up watching Disney Channel in the 1990s and early 2000s are all too familiar with Halloweentown. Premiering in 1998, the movie is led by Debbie Reynolds as she teaches her granddaughter, Marnie (Kimberly J. Brown), about being a witch. Along the way, Marnie and her siblings end up in Halloweentown, a zany place filled with sweaty ghosts and smart aleck skeletons driving taxis. Its very 1998, and a must-watch for the Halloween season.

Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula in "Dracula." (Universal Pictures)

Watch Now: Peacock

The 1931 film Dracula may at first seem a bit dated to modern audiences but remains iconic in the trails it blazed for horror films. Starring Bela Lugosi as the titular Count Dracula, Dracula was one of the first Universal Pictures monster films that haunted generations of moviegoers. The movie plays on light and shadow, Lugosi encapsulating the count in a way that many still associate with vampires as a whole.

The monster is alive in "Frankenstein"! (Universal Pictures)

Watch Now: Peacock

Another Universal Pictures monster movie, Boris Karloff towers as Dr. Henry Frankensteins (Colin Clive) tortured undead creature. The movie was seen as groundbreaking in makeup and horror elements during its time, forever solidifying the words Its alive! in horror film history and beyond.

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10 scary movies streaming now to help get you in the Halloween spirit - PennLive

Life after death: Belief in the afterlife can lead to a happier lifestyle – Daily Express

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Whether there is life after death remains one of the biggest mysteries to scientists and the average person. It is unlikely that an afterlife will ever be fully proven or dismissed, but simply believing in it could be beneficial to an individual. Researchers state that believing provides a sense of optimism and hope which can lead to a happier lifestyle.

Suzanne Newcombe, lecturer in Religious Studies at The Open University, said a sense of hope can allow an individual to overcome struggles in their lives.

Ms Newcombe said: "Possibly appearing in dreams or even taking a physical form from time to time in my research, I have found that in practice many people slip between ideas of mortality in the body and the idea of immortality (either as a soul, in a physical body)

"Holding open these ideas the possibility of immortality can have positive effects on health.

"From a biomedical perspective, this hope might help the body fight illnesses, improve the chances of spontaneous remissions or allow the illness to run its course, it's more equanimity for the person involved.

"But even if there is no biological change, a focus on the possibility of immortality can help some individuals can disidentify from their bodily pain and develop a more peaceful relationship with their experience as their suffering.

"When this happens, improbable beliefs in an immortal body or soul can be seen as entirely rational and pragmatic even.

"However, when beliefs about immortality exclude attention to the biological physical body, it can have serious negative effects on health, and even cause untimely deaths.

"So, what we believe about death and our ideas of enteral life can really make a difference as to how we live, how we handle pain and suffering and experience being alive here and now."

READ MORE:Life after death: NDE survivor believes she turned to pure energy

They were stunned to discover brain activity surged in the final 30 seconds of their life.

Jimo Borjigin, PhD, associate professor of molecular and integrative physiology and associate professor of neurology, said: "This study, performed in animals, is the first dealing with what happens to the neurophysiological state of the dying brain.

"We reasoned that if near-death experience stems from brain activity, neural correlates of consciousness should be identifiable in humans or animals even after the cessation of cerebral blood flow."

Essentially, if the brain is more active, one might have vivid visions, leading them to believe they had seen the afterlife.

Dr Borjigin added: "The prediction that we would find some signs of conscious activity in the brain during cardiac arrest was confirmed with the data."

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Life after death: Belief in the afterlife can lead to a happier lifestyle - Daily Express

Lord Of The Rings: 10 Things About Arwen and Aragorn’s Relationship That Make No Sense – Screen Rant

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The Arwen and Aragorn relationship is the main romantic relationship from The Lord of the Rings series, but some of it just makes no sense.

The Arwen and Aragorn relationship is the main romantic relationship from The Lord of the Rings series. Many people were engaged in their love story and wanted them to be together and happy. However, there are a lot of things about their relationship that dont make a lot of sense.

RELATED: The Lord of the Rings: 10 Fan Fiction Relationships We Wish Were Real

For people who only watched the movies and didnt read the books, things about Arwen and Aragorn and what keeps them apart can be even more confusing. Theres also the fact that the movies often add things in to tell a more watchable story, so there are definitely many aspects of their relationship that dont make sense.

While in many fantasy stories, especially newer ones, there are often relationships between different races, this wasnt the case in Tolkiens world. The reasons for this are kind of confusing and hard to explain, but the premise is that they basically have different gods.

Also, since elves live so long, its always going to be a lesson in heartbreak to be with someone who dies so quickly. However, it still seems way rarer than is realistic.

In the movies, Arwen gives this necklace to Aragorn as a representation of her love for him, but its not very well explained. Theres a sense that it is somewhat magical or contains her grace, but this is very vague.

While Arwen in the books did wear a white jewel, she actually gave it to Frodo. This necklace was mostly a movie invention, so its hard to say precisely how powerful its supposed to be.

In many ways, the world of Middle-Earth is fairly old-fashioned when it comes to gender roles. There are some exceptions to this for sure, but Arwen seems very much like an old-fashioned lady or princess whose father, Elrond, has a lot of say in her life.

However, since the movies tried to update things somewhat and give the women more of a storyline, this comes across as weird and patronizing.

While its technically possible for any human and elf pairing to fall in love, the thing that sets Arwen and Aragorn apart is that she has the ability to choose to be mortal or immortal like her ancestor Luthien.

RELATED: Lord of the Rings: 5 Times Aragorn Was Inspiring (& 5 Fans Felt Sorry For Him)

The reasons for this are a bit weird and have to do with the god figures in the world. While this is the explanation, its still not presented well in the movies. And, it seems like Arwen could realistically just live out Aragorns life and find happiness, but things are complicated.

In the books, Arwen is hardly mentioned at all in the main plot. The love story of Aragorn and Arwen is told in the appendices, but Arwen has very little role in the series.

However, the creators of the films wanted to include some of this love story while also giving Arwen more of a role. This means fans see her also as a capable warrior, so the fact that she never goes to see Aragorn again doesnt make a lot of sense.

In the books, Aragorn is a bit less of a reluctant hero than he is in the films. However, since that makes for a more interesting story with character development, Aragorn in the movies doesnt want to become the King of Gondor.

However, the reasons for this are rather shaky, and it makes him seem unwilling.

In one way, this makes a lot of sense. Aragorn clearly carries a lot of guilt over their relationship because he doesn't want Arwen to give up her immortality for him. He obviously loves her and doesnt want her to be hurt because of him.

RELATED: Lord Of The Rings: 10 Best Quotes From The Women Of Middle-Earth

However, it can also come across as if he doesnt respect Arwens choice in the manner. He is rather back and forth about things in an attempt to push her away.

Even if Arwen chose not to give up her immortality, theres a chance she would have died young anyway. Elves are immortal but they can die of things like battle wounds, and they can also die of a broken heart.

This is kind of a dramatic trope, but it is something that Tolkien laid out. And, in Arwens case, almost all of the elves would be gone from Middle-Earth by the time Aragorn died, but its a very weird concept in the first place.

Given how loyal Aragorn is, it always felt a bit weird in the movies when he did seem briefly to consider being with Eowyn. While at that point he technically had tried to break things off with Arwen, it did feel out of character.

Its clear that Eowyn would be the easier, sensible choice in a way, but its hard to see how this makes sense for him given the epic nature of his love for Arwen.

This is another thing that only happens in the movies, not in the books. This was definitely a way to create even more drama and desperation for Aragorn and drive his story forward, but it also just doesn't make sense.

If at this point fans presume shed already given up her immortality, then she would obviously be at risk if Sauron had his way. However, this applies to every person left in Middle-Earth. The movies make it seem like Arwens life force is almost linked to Saurons power, and this is strange.

NEXT:Lord of the Rings: Arwens 10 Best Dresses

Next The Before Trilogy & 9 Other Great Low-Budget Franchises

Amanda is a freelance writer in NYC. She is a professional writer and storyteller who loves TV, activism, and fandom. She would definitely die for Captain America.

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Lord Of The Rings: 10 Things About Arwen and Aragorn's Relationship That Make No Sense - Screen Rant

Many rebirths continue to live within us – The Times of India Blog

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The other night I had a dream about my mother, who died over 30 years ago. She looked the same as she had done then, and my dream filled me with happiness, not the sorrow of loss.

Like most people I often dream of the dead. But on this particular occasion I had a moment of half-wakefulness that limbo between sleep and consciousness when the mind is strangely lucid in which a thought came to me: Such dreams are reminders that our dead live on within us.

The next morning, fully awake, I remembered that thought, and tried to figure out what it meant, if anything at all.

Freud interpreted dreams as a psychic mechanism by which the subconscious processes unresolved impulses and issues and brings them to the light of day for resolution.

So, what meaning would I give, in a non-Freudian sense, as to the way my personal dead, those I have known, live again in my dream state, in my subconscious? Could this be a metaphor for a different take of the doctrine of reincarnation, central to much of what is called Hinduism, and in Buddhist philosophy?

Ive always been a bit chary of the belief that the cosmic wheel of karmic consequence causes us to be reborn, over and over, until we finally attain moksha, or nirvana.

To me the idea of reincarnation has always smacked of a sort of spiritual charity shop where a succession of physical forms, like discarded clothes, are passed on from person to person until they become totally outworn and are no longer needed.

But there could be another, simpler view of reincarnation: that we are reborn not in individual physical terms, not as ourselves in the cast-off clothing of different mortal flesh, but in the thoughts and deeds of those we have encountered and who have influenced us, for good or ill, during our lives.

Schopenhauer in his The World as Will and Idea reinterprets reincarnation as a continuum of consciousnesses, each assimilating and subsuming others, like a baton passed on from runner to runner in a relay race.

In Boris Pasternaks novel, the eponymous Dr Zhivago expounds his take on spiritual immortality by suggesting that all of us live on, are reborn, in the ways in which we continue to mould, consciously or otherwise, the lives of others who come after us, not just as our genetic descendants but those who are the offspring of our memes, our mental genes, which we leave behind like footprints on the shifting sands of time for others to follow.

Spiritual masters like Christ, Prophet Mohammed, Guru Nanak, Mahavira and others, have left behind a memetic legacy as a foundation on which their followers have built faith systems. Mohandas Gandhis active philosophy of ahimsa and satyagraha was derived from Tolstoy and Thoreau, and in turn passed on to Martin Luther King Jr, and others.

Our parents, teachers, friends, even strangers we come into tangential contact with, live on in us by being the wellspring of what we think and do, often without our being aware of our source of motivation.

When we dream of those who are no more, they are not spectres of the past, but are an indispensable part of our own living selves, as we ourselves will be to others, in the flowing river of life called reincarnation.

Views expressed above are the author's own.

END OF ARTICLE

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Many rebirths continue to live within us - The Times of India Blog

The pivotal moment in 2018 that led Waterford on the path to possible 2020 immortality – Independent.ie

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There was a sliding-door moment in hurling in September 2018 which led to Waterfords surprise appearance in todays All-Ireland final.

ichael Ryan had stepped down as Tipperary boss after a torrid summer. Liam Cahill appeared in pole position to succeed him

As a player Cahill never realised the potential he displayed as a 19-year-old, when he won an All-Star in 1996 after a sensational rookie season.

When Tipperary won the All-Ireland five years later, Cahill, who ought to have been at his prime, was a non-playing substitute.

But as a coach he had built up an impressive CV by 2018. He first became involved with Declan Ryans minor management team in 2007 when Tipperary won the All-Ireland. He spent two more years as a minor selector before returning as its boss in 2013.

After the team was beaten by Clare in the 2014 championship, Cahill decided he needed to share the workload. He recruited Toomevara native Mickey Bevans to his management team.

They had played together on under-age Tipperary teams and though Bevanss inter-county career never got off the ground, he became a pivotal player on the Toomevara club team which won 10 county titles.

Bevanss attention to detail had impressed everybody he worked with. His first senior coaching job in Tipperary was with the Upperchurch Drombane club in 2013.

Before he met the players for the first time, he asked the club chairman for a photograph of each player so he could greet them by name at their first meeting.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, club chairman James Barry said Bevans made a lasting impact during his two years. The whole culture of the club changed. He set standards. The impression he made was huge.

Cahill and Bevans hit it off straight away and during the next four years Tipperary won one All-Ireland minor title (2016), one All-Ireland U-21 (2018) and one All-Ireland U-20 title (2019).

Ultimately, Cahill didnt get the Tipperary senior gig which was hardly surprising. Once Liam Sheedy who managed the team when they ended Kilkennys bid for five-in-row in 2010 indicated he was interested in returning, he was a shoo-in for the job.

Cahill stayed on as the Tipp U-20 manager for another season. But when Waterford came calling last autumn, he jumped at the chance to manage a county senior team for the first time.

His home in Ballingarry is less than an hours drive from Waterford and his right-hand man Bevans was familiar with hurling in the Deise due to his involvement with Waterford IT teams in the Fitzgibbon Cup.

It was still a risky move. Waterford had contested the 2017 All-Ireland final but their stock had plummeted in the meantime. Cahill was their third manager in 13 months.

Derek McGrath had departed after the 2018 Munster campaign, during which his side had failed to win a game.

Initially, they did well under his successor Praic Fanning and reached the league final but were well beaten by Limerick (1-24; 0-19). The championship turned into a car crash after they suffered a one-point loss to Clare at Walsh Park in the first round. They lost their other three games by an aggregate of 51 points.

Fanning opted not to see out the second year of his term. Nonetheless, his role in the development of the current team should not be dismissed Conor Prunty, Calum Lyons and Jack Prendergast all made their championship debuts in 2019.

There was a sense of shock and awe about Cahills arrival in Waterford last October. He dropped long-time captain Noel Connors as well as forward Maurice Shanahan. It had the desired impact, as 2017 Hurler of the Year Austin Gleeson acknowledged.

When I heard that Noel and Maurice were cut from the panel, it was a signal of intent of what way the lads wanted to go. Its after making us train harder, a lot harder," he said.

The fear is there that hes laying down his own marker. Its something that maybe we needed, needed big time, to make us just as hungry again, said Gleeson, who in his own words cancelled Christmas to focus on training.

Outside the group John Mullane was one of the first to realise that things might be different with Cahill.

Just after Christmas he dropped down to Carriganore to watch them train. Writing in the Irish Independent on the day of their semi-final against Kilkenny, Mullane recalled what he saw on that freezing night.

What unfolded in the 90 minutes was a high-tempo session based around tackling and movement with Cahill and Mikey Bevans proactive throughout every bit of it. Then came the running with Offaly man Martin Bennett, whose name mightnt be too familiar to many, but he put them through their paces.

It was a session where I turned around to one chap taking notes and said: Thank God Im well retired. My first thought returning to the car was that Waterford had two unbelievable men in charge that any other county would give their right arm for.

The odds still looked stacked against them. Three of Waterfords most experienced players Michael Brick Walsh, Philip Mahony and Barry Coughlan retired, while the cruellest blow of all came on the eve of the championship when free-taker Pauric Mahony damaged his cruciate ligament for the second time in his career.

By then Meath native Jack Fagan and former Brighton and Hove Albion soccer player Dessie Hutchinson had established themselves as first-team players.

Cahill didnt insist on the team adhering to a defined system, which had been the hallmark of Derek McGraths reign.

Instead, he trusted the players to rely on their instincts and they responded magnificently and none better than Stephen Bennett.

When he missed a couple of early frees against Cork in the Munster semi-final the prophets of doom were ready to pounce. But once he got his eye in, everything has flowed culminating in his tour-de-force performance against Kilkenny.

But it is Limerick rather than the Cats who are setting the standards in hurling nowadays.

Waterford pushed them in the Munster final, though they never looked like winning the game. They failed to raise a green flag and scored just 11 points from play.

But, regardless of whether they can complete the fairy tale this afternoon, Cahill and Bevans have announced themselves as a formidable force in hurling management. Their day in the sun will come.

Online Editors

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Star Wars: Why The Jedi Didn’t Know Palpatine Was a Sith Lord – Screen Rant

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Although the Jedi were at their most powerful during the prequels, they still didnt know Palpatine was a Sith Lord. Here's why they failed.

The Jedi Order may have been at the height of its power during theStar Wars prequels, they still didnt know Palpatine was a Sith Lord the whole time. When his true nature is revealed in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, its too late for the Jedi Council to stop his plans and avoid their utter destruction. The fact that Palpatine was able to hide his identity in plain sight and without any fears of discovery is a true testament to his abilities in the dark side of the Force.

Palpatine's rise as the Emperor didnt happen overnight. Sheev Palpatine was born to an influential family in Naboo and, as a young man, he was quick to amass an incredible amount of political knowledge, turning into a cunning and astute politician and risein the ranks of Naboos governance. At some point in his life, he became Darth Plagueis apprentice. From his dark master, he learned incredible powerful secrets of the Force, including how to harness the full power of the dark side and perhaps reach immortality. The two worked together for years to unlock the ultimate secret to cheat death, but once Palpatine realized his master had outlived his usefulness, he murdered Plagueis in his sleep.

Related: Star Wars Reveals The First Time Yoda Sensed Palpatine Could Be Sith

At the same time as he became Darth Mauls master and continued amassing strength, Palpatine kept his public persona clean, forming alliances and preparing the ground for his master plan of toppling the Republic and creating a new Sith Empire. As he grew more powerful, both in the political arena and as Darth Sidious, Palpatine carefully and masterfully used his ability to sense the thoughts and feelings of those around to manipulate and shape events to his advantage. He was even able to hide his own mind and intentions even from Master Yoda, clouding the Jedis ability to sense the dark side.

Palpatines ability to sense the future probably helped a great deal to stay hidden from the Jedi Order. He was extremely talented at sensing the future and seeing the different paths ahead, so he could easily predict multiple outcomes and avoid ones that led to the discovery of his true identity. Along with his cunning and manipulative skills, he had the perfect combination of powers in order to appear innocent while working in the shadows to destroy the Jedi. However, the history ofthe planet Coruscant might hold another element that worked against the Jedi.

According to the novel Tarkin, below the Jedi Temple on Coruscant lies an ancient Sith shrine overflowing with corruptible energy of the dark side. Originally, the Jedi thought that by placing their temple on top of it, their light energy would neutralize the influence of the dark side, however, that wasnt the case. Its possible the influence of the shrinecontributed to the Jedis weakened ability to use the Force, which Mace Windu mentioned in Revenge of the Sith. It was like the perfect storm: Palpatines strong dark side powers and the shrines energies blocked the Jedi Order from seeing the truth as Palpatine plotted their destruction right in front of them.

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‘This was never an easy path’: Sarah Fuller and the winding road to two-sport immortality – ESPN

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Soccer practice was dragging one morning last spring when Vanderbilt assistant coach Kelly Keelan tried something different to break up the monotony. While the rest of the team practiced on the football field in the indoor facility, she gathered goalkeepers Sarah Fuller and Sophie Guilmette near the end zone.

2 Related

"Today," Keelan told them, "we're going to do long-range distribution."

She placed a ball near the 10-yard line and instructed Fuller and Guilmette to take aim at the large curtain hanging from the rafters near the back edge of the end zone. They were going to have a contest to see who could kick a soccer ball into the football team's makeshift field goal target. With every made kick, they'd step back another 5 yards and try again.

Keelan, who gave it a go herself, was eliminated from competition early.

Then Guilmette missed and stepped aside.

Fuller kept going. The senior from Wylie, Texas, wound up stepping all the way back to the 45-yard line, where she sent the ball soaring into the sheet.

Thinking back on it all these months later, Fuller laughed. Who knew then what that moment would portend? "It was pretty cool," she said.

Six days after she wore a Vanderbilt soccer kit for the final time, and with the Commodores down a number of specialists because of COVID-19 testing and in need, Fuller put on a Vanderbilt football jersey and spoke to the media as the team's starting place-kicker. She'd become the first woman to participate in a Power 5 football game. "The Today Show" and "Good Morning America" wanted to interview her.

Fuller kept things light as she attempted to make sense of this sudden star turn no one saw coming. She wasn't nervous as she made her debut; it was just another form of competition, she said. But all that came with it was, in fact, very different. Her phone was blowing up to the point that she had to mute her notifications to stay focused. She left it to her boyfriend to tell her which famous people had mentioned her online.

"Honestly," she said, "I haven't taken a second to soak it all in."

Her new teammates cheered her on, saying how impressed they were by her confidence and ability. She didn't attempt any field goals or extra points, but she booted a successful squib kick to open the second half. Coach Derek Mason said of Fuller, "A champ is a champ," nodding to her having helped the soccer team to an SEC championship. (After being fired amid an 0-8 season on Sunday, Mason in a statement said it had been his honor to coach "hundreds of Vanderbilt young men and one courageous female.")

Vanderbilt soccer coach Darren Ambrose was happy to hear Mason's comments. He caught all the photos the TV broadcast showed of Fuller hoisting the championship trophy and how they made note of her having a league-best 0.97 goals-against average this season.

It was terrific promotion for his program, but Ambrose couldn't shake the feeling that there was something missing from the presentation. It was too ... perfect. Too glossy. Too made-for-TV. Without knocking anyone for it, he said it felt like a skin-deep portrait of his former player.

Even the anecdote about practice fell short as Ambrose chuckled and pointed out how their spring exhibition season was canceled because of COVID-19. Despite being a senior, Fuller needed the experience. She had hardly seen the field thanks to three serious injuries. So she dutifully rode the bench as redshirt freshman Guilmette was named the starter in September.

That didn't exactly fit the storybook narrative out there of the star soccer-player-turned place-kicker, but that was the good stuff, Ambrose said. The real stuff. The disappointment and the pain and the broken bones and the tears that came before the triumph. One needed to look closely to notice the grit beneath her nails as she held up a trophy in one sport and then made history in another.

The world would remember Sarah Fuller's name no matter what. But people needed to know who she really was.

For someone unaccustomed to the spotlight, Fuller handled it well before and after the game against Missouri on Saturday. She smiled for the cameras, laughed at all the right moments and gave credit where she said credit was due -- to her teammates, coaches and everyone who supported her.

It was clear she understood the scope of the what she had done.

That's why she chose to wear a sticker with the words "Play Like a Girl" on the back of her helmet. She had learned about the nonprofit organization in college and wanted to support its mission of encouraging girls to play sports and gain access to educational STEM programs.

It would take time for this all to sink in, but in the meantime, she wanted little girls to know something important.

"All I want to do is be a good influence to the young girls out there because there were times I struggled in sports, but I'm so thankful that I stuck with it and it's given me so many opportunities and I've met so many amazing people through sports," she said. "And I just want to say that literally you can do anything you set your mind to."

When Ambrose heard her say that, the hair on his arms stood up. He got a chill as a flood of memories hit him, from the early days of recruiting Fuller back in Texas all the way through her final game at the SEC championship in Orange Beach, Alabama.

Nothing was given to Sarah Fuller.

The summer before her freshman year, she broke her foot and had to sit out the season. Adjusting to life without soccer and the rigors of college courses, she said she grew depressed.

Then, as a sophomore, the toll of playing goalkeeper and throwing her body to the ground over and over again finally caught up with her as she suffered a back injury. She slipped a disk and missed the entire season while recovering.

And then, after sitting patiently behind two talented goalkeepers, COVID hit in the spring. Five exhibition games were canceled and she didn't get the opportunity to prove herself to her coaches. This summer, she felt something wrong with her other foot. As it turns out, running had caused a stress fracture. In the fall, she failed a fitness test, which she'd done several times before.

That event prompted one of many tough and sometimes tearful conversations Ambrose has had with Fuller through the years, whether it was about injuries or playing time or realistic expectations. She could have easily quit at any point. She could have let her bad luck get the best of her and "cashed it in and went through the motions," Ambrose said.

She didn't. She'd call her mom or dad and cry, and then she'd go back to work.

She went through the fitness test again and passed. And when she didn't win the starting job, she kept on supporting her teammates, kept on training and eventually got her opportunity.

She took over as a starter four games into the season and never looked back. Guilmette didn't have any ill will for being benched. She said there were three ways she could describe her teammate: "Confident, resilient and hard-working."

Before the championship game against Arkansas on Nov. 22, Ambrose gathered his team to deliver a message. He told them that there wasn't anything more they needed from him -- no tricks, no tactical advantages. "All you need," he said, "is courage."

"Courage," he added, "is all about putting yourself out there in a difficult situation."

He might as well have been talking directly to Fuller because for the better part of four years she put herself out there with no reward in sight. It wasn't until that game and later the opportunity to break the barrier of becoming the first woman to play Power 5 football that her efforts truly paid off.

"That was the thing I admired about her," Ambrose said. "Because that could have gone a lot of ways, the decision she made on Monday. Who knows if she had the chance to make an extra point and missed it, what would be the comments made then? That's the piece about her -- the tenacity and the determination and the grit she's shown to get to where she did."

And that's the lesson Ambrose wants little girls and boys to know -- the lesson Fuller hinted at in her postgame comments and then reiterated Sunday with a small group of reporters.

"I just want to make it really clear this was never easy, this was never an easy path whatsoever," she said. "But the fact that I didn't stop and I didn't give up, I think it's huge."

Fuller will soon graduate and transfer closer to home to the University of North Texas, where she'll begin work on a master's degree in hospital administration and continue playing soccer. Ambrose, who is fully supportive of Fuller's decision, said, "North Texas has a tornado coming their way."

Katie Hnida and April Goss were on a Zoom video conference for the entirety of the game on Saturday. As they watched and waited for Fuller to get her shot, they found themselves reflecting on their own stories.

In 2002, Hnida became the first woman to play football at the FBS level at New Mexico. And 10 years later, Goss became the second woman when she played at Kent State.

They were proud of Fuller and the challenge she took on. When Fuller got the call Monday that Vanderbilt was in need of a kicker, she didn't blink. She was at the practice facility within the hour and was traveling with the team to Missouri that Friday.

Hnida and Goss are hopeful that more women like Fuller are coming. As a matter of fact, Vanderbilt incoming freshman goalkeeper Sara Wojdelko played football in high school in Michigan.

Both Hnida and Goss mentioned how profound it is that this country elected its first woman vice president in Kamala Harris. But as both women listened to Fuller's comments after the game, the brief mention of her injuries and perseverance brought back their own memories and it all hit home.

All three women are about much more than the moments for which they're remembered

Goss said her name is associated with one snap she took at Kent State. Never mind the two years she played in high school or the yearlong wait in college to try out. Never mind that she played four years at Kent State, going through countless 6 a.m. practices and workouts and wondering the entire time, is this worth it?

She held her breath through a coaching change and didn't know whether the new staff would embrace her. She had a teammate die in his sleep.

"The world saw this one moment in time, but the journey to get to that moment is oftentimes lost," she said. "It's what I know I'll always remember. That kick, while it was incredible to me, isn't my favorite. It's the little interactions to get to that point."

Hnida found herself feeling those same sentiments, but for different reasons. After she became the first woman to score points in an FBS football game at New Mexico in 2003, she alleged a year later she was sexually harassed and raped by a teammate at the University of Colorado in 2000. (She left Colorado in 20011 and transferred to UNM a year later.)

"It was really miserable," she said. "And I really hated that I felt like my name was more recognizable because of what happened at CU versus the fact that I was an athlete that worked really hard to go out and make history."

The work, Hnida said, is what people should remember. Learning of Fuller's backstory and how she struggled to get to this point had Hnida excited.

"I think that's a tremendously important thing, especially when you're talking about people being pioneers," she said. "We all are in that boat that stuff happens in life and it's really important that we don't just gloss over and go to the pretty stuff."

Hnida thought of an article she read after Fuller's game on Saturday. It was about a girl in Texas whose missed extra point nearly cost her team a playoff game. The girl was down on herself after her mistake but had to shake it off because with time expiring she was called on to attempt a 19-yard field goal. The kick won the game.

Hnida got flashbacks to her own experience of having an extra point blocked in the 2002 Las Vegas Bowl. That was devastating, she said, because she was so intent on making history and came up just short.

Eight months later, she kicked two successful extra points against Texas State.

It's something she brings up talking to young people today.

"It's so important to tell people that we all fall," she said. "That's a part of life. That's a part of our athletic careers. It's about getting back up no matter how many times you fall."

Whatever happens from here, Fuller might be remembered for making one kickoff on a chilly afternoon in November. But her story in getting there, and beyond, is what defines her.

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'This was never an easy path': Sarah Fuller and the winding road to two-sport immortality - ESPN

Thanksgiving and the paradox of death – Catholic San Francisco

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Nov. 19, 2020George Weigel

The juxtaposition of Thanksgiving with the churchs annual month of prayer for the dead hadnt previously struck me with force; that it did this year has something to do, I expect, with my late sister-in-law, Linda Bauer Weigel. Linda died in January after a heroic battle with ovarian cancer a dreadful diagnosis she received just before Thanksgiving 2019.

But she was determined that the rotation of family holiday get-togethers be maintained; it was her turn and my brother Johns to host Thanksgiving dinner; and they did. Lindas exceptional courage transformed what could have been a grim day into a happy one. Lindas wake and funeral Mass this past Jan. 27-28 may have been one of the last large-scale public events in Calvert County, Maryland, before COVID-19 began shutting things down. The outpouring of affection and esteem from those who had been Linda and Johns friends and neighbors for decades was extraordinary as were the tributes paid to Linda by her children and her longtime pastor.

Everyone involved still misses Linda terribly, even as we pray for her in a special way during this month of remembrance. In that remembering, we also know that, for decades, we were heartened by a woman of valor for whose life we give thanks on this, our first Thanksgiving since her last Thanksgiving.

A few weeks ago, the church read a portion of St. Ambroses Treatise on Death as a Blessing in the Liturgy of the Hours. Precisely because our pastors rarely teach and preach about death these days, the words of that great Milanese bishop and doctor of the church bear repeating:

Death .is a passover to be made by all mankind. You must keep facing it with perseverance. It is a passover from corruption, from mortality to immortality, from rough seas to a calm harbor. The word death must not trouble us; the blessings that come from a safe journey should bring us joy. What is death but the burial of sin and the resurrection of goodness?

Paradoxical formulas often illuminate important truths that would otherwise go unremarked. Thats surely the case with the paradox that death (as one theologian put it) is the only thing we really have to look forward to. The man who said that was not being droll about the contrast between deaths inevitability and the unpredictability of everything else in life.

Rather, like St. Ambrose, he was suggesting that death is a blessing because death is that passover at which we can offer back to God the life God had given us as a gift. Doing that consciously is what we mean by a good death: being able to say and mean, at the end, Into your hands I commend my spirit. That is, I return to you what you have given me, confident that, in doing so, I may cast off my sins and put on the grace of the just, as Ambrose continued in his treatise.

The psalmist asks, How can I repay the Lord for his goodness to me? And after declaring his intention to raise the cup of salvation and call on the Lords name, he notes how precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful. Death is precious because it is the moment when we can indeed repay the Lord for the blessings of life by offering an entire life to him, to be purified in the fire of divine love so as to be capable of eternal life with the Lord himself.

That many die suddenly and unexpectedly, or not fully conscious of their dying, underscores the wisdom embedded in the paradox that death is the one thing to which we can really look forward. That wisdom teaches us that we should prepare for death daily, perhaps offering our lives to the Lord as the days last act.

The old childrens prayer Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. may strike sophisticates as, well, childish. It is not. In simple words, it expresses confidence in the truth taught by St. Ambrose: That death is a blessing, a passover to a purified, glorified form of life.

Thanksgiving and Novembers remembrance of the dead are well matched. Not in a lugubrious or morbid way, but as a reminder to be grateful, throughout the year, for the possibility of offering our lives back to the God who gave us life.George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow and William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington, D.C.

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Unfulfilled Fall and Spring Break Relaxation to Be Channeled Towards Amy Gutmann’s Immortality – Under the Button

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Gutmann astral-projecting her vision for a better tomorrow.

Photo, with edits by Sammy Gordon, by Avalon Morrel / The Daily Pennsylvanian and Adrien DONOT / CC BY-NC 4.9

By CLAIRE CAO

October 15, 2020 at 12:00 am

A Message to the Penn Community

Amy Gutmann, President

-

Dear Organ Farms,

I write to you today out of deep sympathy for how much you were anticipating your fall and spring breaks: dodging texts from your high school friends, nibbling on expired Bugles in your childhood bed, achieving your final form as a shriveled-up slug all unfairly stripped from you. I see you. I feel you. I hear you.

Just kidding. Ive been a little hard of hearing lately, and its because Im approaching several centuries in age. Yet, through personal donations from students like you, I still feel as alive as the time I personally evicted a humble group of children from their West Philadelphia school. What a rush that was!

That being said, Ill always cherish the first time I metaphysically absorbed a student's youth and happiness to preserve my immortality. But the truth is that you guys are no longer giving me anything to mooch off of, anything to live vicariously (and literally) through. I am drained from lying year after year about how every class is better, cuter, and smarter than the last. If anything, youre getting far worse, uglier, and stupider as time goes by. Its almost like you guys want me to shrivel up with you and this flawless blonde hair doesnt just maintain itself! Take James Morrison (C22), for example. His soul used to be a size S, but with some wear and tear, its shrunk to a size XXS. What do you expect me to do with that?

Therefore, my juicy little friends, I have decided on your behalf to donate your would-be relaxation this fall and spring to my immortality fund. To clarify, this will be added to the existing general fee Im still waiting on your soul by the end of the semester, James and I will be eternally grateful as I absorb your remaining happiness with every ounce of my impeccably-groomed being. Some of you may perish in the process, but that is a noble sacrifice I am willing to make. Students come and go, empires rise and fall, and the only things that can survive it all are capitalism, the Van Pelt bag checkers, and my iron first reign.

Think of it as Penn Fund practice for your future alumni donations. Your fellow students and faculty will surely thank you for your civic duty to our school. After all, its the Year of Civil Engagement, eh?

Happy studying!

XOXO

Forever and ever and ever yours with no intention to stop,

Dr. Amy Gutmann

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Unfulfilled Fall and Spring Break Relaxation to Be Channeled Towards Amy Gutmann's Immortality - Under the Button

Batmans Immortal Foes Go To War In Doomed and The Damned – Screen Rant

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In the Batman mythology, both Ra's Al Ghul and Solomon Grundy have achieved immortality, but what happens when one seeks to rob the other's power?

Warning: spoilers ahead for DC: The Doomed and The Damned #1!

Batman has one of the largest rogues' galleries of any other hero in the DC Universe, and many of them have some pretty extraordinary powers and abilities. Some are even immortal. InDC: The Doomed and The Damned #1,DC Comics has collected a group of short but spooky stories in one issue for readers to enjoy, and one such story involves two of Batman's immortal foes at war with one another: Ra's Al Ghul and Solomon Grundy.

Ra's Al Ghul is known as the Demon's Head, operating as the undying leader of the League of Assassins. He attributes his long life to secret pools across the globe known as Lazarus Pits. By bathing in their waters, Al Ghul is able to extend his life, even after being killed. However, with each baptism a piece of his soul is taken, making him more and more ruthless and slightly more prone to madness. While he does one day hope to die, he refuses to do so until he can find a worthy successor to take his mantle. For a long time, Al Ghul has believed Batman himself to be the one destined to supplant him, but the Dark Knight's refusal to kill Ra's and lead the Assassins has seemingly cursed Ra's to continue living on as the Demon's Head. However, DC: The Doomed and The Damned #1reveals that the Lazarus Pits are failing, and Ra's is dying.

Related:Every Version of Ra's Al Ghul On Screen

As a means to reignite the failing power of the Pit, Al Ghul goes in search of the resurrecting swamp zombie rumored to reside in Slaughter Swamp. In the story "7 Days" from writer Marv Wolfman with art by Tom Mandrake, Ra's Al Ghul dubs the zombie Solomon Grundy, based on the 19th century nursery rhyme of the same name he used to tell to his daughter. Al Ghul immediately engages in battle with Grundy, as he believes that in order for his Pit to be revived, Grundy must die and his powers of immortality unlocked for the Demon Head's use.

In the end of the short story, Ra's and his daughter Talia seem to succeed in their plan, using an incantation to transfer Grundy's power to Talia, and then Talia to her father. Ra's Al Ghul decapitates Grundy with his sword and subsequently tosses his body into the swampy waters below, seemingly killing the hulking zombie so that Ra's can continue to enjoy his immortality. However, this is Solomon Grundy, and the story's end reveals his body and head coming together. Grundy is reborn once more, not nearly as dead as Al Ghul believed.

Tying Grundy's origin so closely to Ra's Al Ghul in this story is certainly surprising, but it does make a certain amount of sense. Both Batman foes share a propensity for being extremely hard to kill thanks to their respective means of immortality, so it's logical that their paths would have crossed at some point. However, the fact that Ra'sAl Ghulgave Solomon Grundy his name is certainly significant for fans. Now that the precedent has been set in this issue, it will be interesting to see if DC continue to explore this relationship further in future issues, and if the villains will ever clash again.

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Batmans Immortal Foes Go To War In Doomed and The Damned - Screen Rant

Leave Amy Coney Barretts Faith Out of This – The New York Times

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Traditional Jews in America who read these broadsides against Judge Barrett can easily imagine similar ones about themselves. We might wonder what the reaction would now be were a member of our own religious community appointed to a position of prominence. After all, the Jewish liturgys expressed aspiration, in an existence filled with injustice, is to fix the world through the kingship of God. We believe ourselves bound by a covenant to other Jews, and many of our observances mark us as different, just as they did in Seixas day. Like Muslims, Sikhs, and other minority faith communities, we dream of our daughters and sons experiencing American equality without suffering for their beliefs. We continue to celebrate Seixas legacy, and work for an America where what Justice Kagan said about her grandparents will be true about our grandchildren: that their Jewishness, strange as it may seem to some, would prove no barrier to their accomplishments.

None of this precludes tough questions about Judge Barretts worldview. At times, discussions of her religion seems to serve as a proxy for her views on abortion and other moral questions, and many apparently look to her religious practices as a guide to how she will rule on these matters. Yet as a widely published academic, Barrett has been more open than most nominees about her beliefs, which are those of a traditional Catholic, and has signed an ad supporting the right to life from fertilization to natural death. Judge Barrett has also been open about her jurisprudence, which is that of an originalist. She has described Justice Scalia as her mentor, and asserted that her Constitutional interpretation is guided not by her own faith but by the meaning of the document at the time it was written. Senators can, and should, ask her how a self-proclaimed originalist can objectively separate ones own opinions from an understanding of the text. A judges jurisprudence as well as the propriety of such a nomination so close to an election are worthy matters of debate, and they are appropriate reasons to oppose or support Judge Barretts nomination. But her faith is not.

A century after Moses Seixas, his great-great-niece, Emma Lazarus, would also eloquently describe the American idea in a poem that now appears on the Statue of Liberty. It depicts an America that made room for difference, which, as Kagan perfectly put it, extends the promise of opportunity to all, regardless of belief. Supreme Court nominations are often heated, but we cannot forget the lessons of Seixas story. The legacy of Washingtons letter, of religious pluralism, is a promise too precious to lose.

Meir Soloveichik, the rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York, is the director of the Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com.

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Leave Amy Coney Barretts Faith Out of This - The New York Times

Google Confirms That Cyberpunk 2077 Will Be Coming To Stadia – Bleeding Cool News

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An interesting piece of news from Google today as they have confirmed CD Projekt Red will bring Cyberpunk 2077 to Stadia. The news comes off the heels of the latest Night City Wire, which you can watch down at the bottom, revealing more of what it takes to get to the top in the world of the dark future. The game will officially launch on November 17thm 2020 on Stadia, the same day it's set to come out on PC and console. Enjoy the video!

Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world, action-adventure story set in Night City, a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour and body modification. You play as V, a mercenary outlaw going after a one-of-a-kind implant that is the key to immortality. You can customize your character's cyberware, skillset and playstyle, and explore a vast city where the choices you make shape the story and the world around you. Become a cyberpunk, an urban mercenary equipped with cybernetic enhancements and build your legend on the streets of Night City. Enter the massive open world of Night City, a place that sets new standards in terms of visuals, complexity and depth. Take the riskiest job of your life and go after a prototype implant that is the key to immortality.

Players take on the role of V, a completely customizable character that players can shape cosmetically and in talents. V is a mercenary who can specialize in hacking (NetRunner), combat (Solo), and machinery (Techie). As the game unfolds, players can raise their expertise in these fields with implants, which can even enhance movement. V can gain arm blades that can be used as weapons or to scale walls. V's choices are dictated by the player, including who is considered an ally. One of these voices is Johnny Silverhand (played by actor Keanu Reeves), a digital ghost that will either help or haunt V, depending on how their relationship unfolds through the player choice.

Gavin is the current Games Editor for Bleeding Cool. He has been a lifelong geek who can chat with you about comics, television, video games, and even pro wrestling. He can also teach you how to play Star Trek chess, be your Mercy on Overwatch, recommend random cool music, and goes rogue in D&D. He also enjoys hundreds of other geeky things that can't be covered in a single paragraph. Follow @TheGavinSheehan on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vero, for random pictures and musings.

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10 celebrities that are immortal – Miami Student

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Death.

The black cloak of mortality will be on everyones doorstep at some point, somberly inviting them into whatever comes after this life. And as someone who has not come to terms with my eventual meeting with the Grim Reaper, I find it hard to grapple with the fact that death is inescapable.

Well, death is inescapable for an average human being such as myself.

Over the years, I have meticulously observed and analyzed famous individuals and, in turn, have come to the conclusion that some celebrities will simply never die. Some of them are even luckier they will never age, which means by default they will never die either.

And no, these celebrities immortality has nothing to do with any selling of souls to the devil. Their ability to live forever is completely organic.

Sir Ian McKellan

This man is upward of 80 years old and possesses more power than anyone on this list. What that power can do, no mortal being will ever know. McKellans Lord of the Rings character, Gandalf the Gray, did die, but he was immediately resurrected, so its not too far off to assume that McKellan himself, if he put up a fight, could skip the dying part and just exist forever. Hes also gay and an LGBTQ+ activist, AND hes been knighted, so he is literally unable to die.

Paul Rudd

Now listen to me, this man does not age, and I will NOT hear differently. He looks exactly the same in Ant-Man as he did in Clueless, 20 years earlier. Is Paul Rudd just a perfect human being in general? Yes. But does that mean he has automatic immunity from death? Also yes.

Jeff Goldblum

This fine specimen does, in fact, age. But he is so eccentric that he has to live for the benefit of humanity itself. I mean, he has released several albums with his band in which he plays jazz piano. Not to mention, he wears a fedora in nearly half of the pictures he takes. Im convinced that if Goldblum died by some tragic otherworldly force, he would either find a way to summon himself back to Earth or he would single handedly take over another planet. Either way, death is not in his future. Also, he recreated the iconic Jurassic Park picture and somehow looks better 27 years later.

Keanu Reeves

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Honestly, I dont have much of an explanation for this one. Its just a good feeling hes Canadian (which just makes so much sense), and he will never see the end of his life.

Miranda Cosgrove

Yall better look up pictures of Miranda Cosgrove today and compare them to her in iCarly. You cant TELL ME Im wrong. This girl has not aged a day; she looks like she could still be 15 years old. And she still sings, which keeps her youthful soul alive. She was also the first woman on this list, so she gets extra points for that.

Raini Rodriguez

Rodriguez and I look the exact same, and I think its only fair that my celebrity doppelgnger is also immortal. Despite that fact, though, she really does look the same as she did when she played the absolutely iconic latina queen, Trish De la Rosa, on Austin and Ally.

Betty White

Im apprehensive to admit this, but Ms. White was not originally on this list. I reluctantly added her after relentless verbal attacks from my roommate. My roommate said, Have you seen the woman? She acts like shes 20. Shell never die. Apparently, White is 98 years old, so the fact that she still acts like a spry 20 year old is actually quite impressive.

Tony Hawk

Hear me out on this one. Tony Hawk ages, and frankly, I dont think he ages well. But think about it: he has always been a household name just looming ominously around the Homeowner Associations suburban head. While he never faded away from the public eye, right now hes in a period of resurgence. Because hell always be suspended in the minds of the American people, he will always be suspended in the mortal realm.

Halle Berry

She just doesnt age. She never has, and she never will. By sheer willpower, she will, in fact, live forever. That is all.

Shia Labeouf

Holes. Transformers. The paper bag thing. Hes like Jeff Goldblum but less powerful. I mean, if anything, hes the one doing the killing (for clarification, LaBeouf is not, in fact, an actual cannibal).

@maggieloup

penaml@miamioh.edu

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10 celebrities that are immortal - Miami Student

Nile Rodgers On The Immortality Of Guitar, Why He’s Writing More Than Ever | Q104.3 | Q104.3’s QN’A – iHeartRadio

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Every few years, articles start circulating proclaiming how the guitar is dead and gone from pop music. Then there are articles celebrating how the guitar is back. Have you felt demand for guitar wax and wane in your career?

Not for me because as a musician, if you dont need me playing on your record, you probably dont need me as a producer. I play on 95 percent of the records Ive ever made, even if theres a guitar player in the band. Ive played on record where there were two guitar players in the band. I play on everything I produce almost.

I cant even remember a record that I produced that I didnt play on. Im sure it exists!

Day before yesterday, I was reading somewhere, talking about a B-52s song called Topaz. They were saying, Wow, listen to how great Keith Strickland has developed. And its true, Keith is playing and he did develop. But Im saying, They part that youre actually talking about is me playing!

I didnt want to say anything because I think Keith has really stepped up.

What else is going on in your world? Are you going to try and get back on tour as soon as possible?

I live for the live show. Ever since I was a child, I always envision myself as a live performer. Its really interesting.

I put up a post yesterday on Instagram of a show that I have never put up before. Its just because I was going back and looking at stuff from the beginning, and I was going, Wow, we were killing!

At the beginning of certain songs I would just improvise and play whatever until the crowd is with me, and I forgot how much fun that is and how wonderful that is. Its that moment that I have to talk directly to a person for a minute.

Im not really known as a guitar player who just goes off [and solos]. I did that when I was a kid playing behind my back and stuff. One day I might do it, just for the fun of it cause it is fun to watch, but it is a little silly.

Fortunately, youre known for doing a much simpler thing. Joe Satriani has to eat his guitar strings every night.

(Laughs) Yeah, youre right.

Its funny that some of the most fun times I have are playing with guys who have to do that, cause then I get a chance to open up and do that. Playing with Steve Vai, I have the time of my life. Playing with Dweezil Zappa, I have the time of my life. Or with Keith Urban, I have the time of my life cause were just trying to rip each other.

My mission is to make people feel good. I write music to make people feel happy. I dont write music to show off. Thats not what I do.

To me, when Im here at home, playing by myself, thats when I show off.

Someone asked me, If you could have anything in life, what would you want it to be? I said, Oh, thats easy. Id like to play better. Thats why when I got to bed at night, I play stuff thats impossible for me to play.

I just wrote this song that Ive nicknamed Arpeggio City. The reason why I wrote it is because its impossible to play. Its like ridiculous.

But you know what? In two months, Ill be able to play that bad boy like its nothing, and Ill be like fire all over this thing. But its not a commercial song, its an exercise. Its harmonically and melodically quite stable, but theres no kid that saying, Oh, I cant wait to buy that song Arpeggio City.

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FIFA 21: Who are the best wonderkids to sign on Career Mode for under 10m? – GIVEMESPORT

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FIFA 21's release earlier this month handed gamers a fresh opportunity to undertake a voyage into manager mode immortality.

Many of us would like to experience the adrenaline of leading a side to glory in real life, but the vast majority of mere mortals just have to contend with simulated gaming experiences instead.

One of the major advantages of the FIFA franchise is that the cost of signing talented youngsters is not reflective of real life economics: clubs play a premium on potential in real life, but wonderkids can be snapped up for peanuts on manager mode.

Plucking the next superstar out of the transfer database, though, is less straightforward than it used to be.

That's why GiveMeSport have done the hard work for you and picked out 21 of the most value-for-money signings the game has to offer. Thank us later.

Whether you simply wish to consolidate the legacy of a European Goliath like Barcelona or Liverpool, taking your side to domestic title after domestic title, or prefer to take a struggling Championship side from relative obscurity to being Champions League contenders, we've got a list of players to suit all your ambitions.

Without further ado, here is our list of 21 wonderkids you should aim to sign on FIFA 21, listed in descending order from least to most valuable...

21. Bright Akwo Arrey-Mbi (Bayern Munich II)

Position: CB/LB

Rating: 60

Potential: 86

Value: 950k

If you're searching for a future defensive titan on the cheap then look no further than this lad.

Arrey-Mbi, 17, has the potential to blossom into a world beater, and with a 950k value he should be available to sign at an outrageously low price.

20. Dennis Cirkin (Spurs)

Position: LB

Rating: 61

Potential: 83

Value: 1m

Dennis Cirkin is one of the most promising youngsters at Tottenham Hotspur and that is reflected in his FIFA 21 potential.

A bargain option at left-back if you can cope with his sub-standard rating to begin with.

19. Karamoko Dembele (Celtic)

Position: RW

Rating: 63

Potential: 84

Value: 1.5m

Karamoko Dembele could well follow in the footsteps of his namesake Odsonne at Celtic.

The flying winger is a nimble, fleet-footed dribbler of the ball, and he should be available at a snip of his true value if you sign him up early doors.

18. Luca Netz (Hertha Berlin)

Position: LB/LM

Rating: 63

Potential: 85

Value: 1.5m

Luca Netz was named as a substitute for Hertha in their dramatic 4-3 defeat away at Bayern Munich prior to the international break - an inclusion that points towards a huge future for the 17-year-old.

The German capital outfit's young prodigy is marginally higher in value than Cirkin, but he's worth stumping up a little extra for with two potential points in his favour.

17. Curtis Jones (Liverpool)

Position: CM

Rating: 64

Potential: 84

Value: 1.6m

Colonel Mustard himself represents incredible value.

Curtis Jones plays with a swagger that suggests he'll be irate with a 64 rating, but his potential has been recognised with a generous 84 here.

Negotiate with Michael Edwards at your peril.

16. Anthony Gordon (Everton)

Position: LW

Rating: 65

Potential: 83

Value: 1.8m

From the red half of Merseyside to the blue half of Merseyside, we present you with Everton's Anthony Gordon.

It takes patience to persist with wingers when they're rated in the 60s, but push through that barrier with Gordon and the rewards will follow.

15. Harvey Elliot (Liverpool)

Position: RW

Rating: 65

Potential: 85

Value: 1.9m

Back at Anfield Harvey Elliot represents an upgrade on Gordon.

The 17-year-old has the potential to climb two ratings higher, and that prospect only adds an extra 100k to his value.

Those extra two ratings will be worth astronomically more further down the line.

14.Sebastiano Esposito (Spal)

Position: CF

Rating: 66

Potential: 86

Value 2.3m

The first centre-forward on the list recently completed a loan move from Inter Milan to Spal.

Signing Sebastiano Esposito won't be possible in the first season but he's one to monitor ahead of a 2021 summer bid.

13.Leonidas Stergiou (FC ST Gallen)

Position: CB

Rating: 67

Potential: 86

Value: 2.4m

That the 18-year-old has already played 51matches for St Gallen's senior side tells you everything you need to know aboutLeonidas Stergiou's potential.

A future Switzerland international in the making, Stergiou is a bargain gem just waiting to be snapped up.

12.Maarten Vandevoordt(Genk)

Rating: 68

Potential: 87

Value: 2.7m

The only goalkeeper on the list is Genk'sMaarten Vandevoordt.

The 18-year-old is a regular in Belgium's top flight and is destined to rise into the world's elite on FIFA 21.

Land him early and you won't have to think about signing a goalkeeper for a very long time.

11.Rayan Cherki (Lyon)

Position: CAM/RM/LM

Rating: 67

Potential: 88

Value: 3.2m

The 21-point difference between current rating and potential rating is the highest in the top 17 on this list.

Despite only turning 17 in August, Rayan Cherki has already managed to score three goals in 19 appearances for Lyon's senior side.

An absolute must-buy.

10.Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)

Position: CAM/RAM

Rating: 68

Potential: 88

Value: 3.3m

Another 17-year-old making a splash in one of Europe's top leagues.

The attacking midfielder has already made 13 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen and recorded his first Bundesliga assist prior to the international break.

With a ceiling of 88, the German wonderkid is the playmaker-in-chief your team needs.

9. Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)

Position: CM/LM/RM

Rating: 69

Potential: 88

Value: 3.5m

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NYCC: Keanu Reeves breaks down the time-bending science behind his first comic, BRZRKR – SYFY WIRE

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Keanu Reevesis perhaps bestknown for playing stoic, quiet characters, but he was allsmiles and hand expressions during the New York Comic Con Metaverse panel for his first-ever comic, BRZRKR (pronounced "berserker"). Joined by co-writer Matt Kindt, artist Ron Garney, and BOOM! Studios editor Eric Harburn, the actor took the forefront during the panel for the upcoming graphic novel.

Set in the present day, BRZRKR follows an immortal warrior nicknamed B, whojoinsup with the U.S. government to fight evil in exchange for being studied to find the source of his immortality. The idea partially stemmed while Reeves was talking about future projects with John Wick director Chad Stahelski. After realizing that he wanted to tell a hyperviolent story about an immortal warrior, he began exploring it further.

[B is] compelled to violence, but he doesnt want to kill, Reeves said in the panel (shown below). For us, time speeds up; for him, time is slowing down.

Its certainly a setup worthy ofa comic series, Reeves star power be damned. As his first entry into a new medium, BOOM! paired him up with comics veteran Kindt.

For Kindt, the writer of books such as Folklords and Mind MGMT, the new experience came through discussing and later acting out the book with Reeves. The pair would have long discussions before Kindt would script everything out, and thenReeves would readthe script aloud.

Ive never written something like this before, Kindt said. Its like telling a story through oral tradition.

In addition to providing grisly violence, Reeves hopes Bs story will be relatable and explore the nature of immortality. Reeves hinted at some more sci-fi elements than expected, mentioning how the U.S. government could clone B, or play with his DNA he even threw out quantum mechanics with a little bit of excitement in his voice. There was alsoa point where he got into Bs perfect memory andamino acids, in case you needed more proof how committed Reeves isto this.

Are he and Kindt making it all up on the fly? Absolutely, but Reeves'energy is so infectious you dont really care.

BRZRKR's first issue will debutFeb. 17.

Click herefor SYFY WIRE's full coverage of New York Comic Con Metaverse 2020.

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NYCC: Keanu Reeves breaks down the time-bending science behind his first comic, BRZRKR - SYFY WIRE