Cyberpunk 2077 will launch on Stadia on the same day as PC and consoles, Pre-order Easter egg found – Chrome Unboxed

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Update: A Reddit user by the name of Alex_03003 has found an exclusive Stadia Pre-order Easter egg in their email.

Cyberpunk 2077, one of the most highly anticipated games of this year to put it lightly, is now confirmed to be releasing on Stadia day and date with its console and PC counterparts. The official release date is November 19th and you can buy it in one click and play instantly with no downloads or updates the moment it becomes available.

Cyberpunk is an open-world action-adventure story set in a place called Night City a dense, gritty, lively place where you play as a mercenary outlaw named V who is going after a one-of-a-kind implant that can grant him immortality. As is common with other games in its genre, Cyberpunk features body modifications and upgrades that let you merge man with machine a la the Deus Ex series in order to push the human body past its natural state of evolution. Youll customize your cyberware, skillset, and playstyle as you explore a vast city thats obsessed with power and greed.

Seeing as how November 19th is a little over a month away, you can watch the official Tools of Destruction video or The Gig trailer for the game to pass the time. If you want some free goodies while you wait, you can download them or check out Stadias dedicated Cyberpunk 2077 splash page. You could also just spend your time thinking about how awesome it is that Keanu Reeves will be featured in the game as I do. The one thing well all be doing though is hoping that there are no more delays! The game was delayed twice once from April to September and then again until November 19th, the current release date.

Pre-Order Cyberpunk 2077 on Stadia Now

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Cyberpunk 2077 will launch on Stadia on the same day as PC and consoles, Pre-order Easter egg found - Chrome Unboxed

White Sox poised to deal As another early exit – KETK | FOX51 | EastTexasMatters.com

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Posted: Sep 29, 2020 / 11:14 PM CDT / Updated: Sep 29, 2020 / 11:15 PM CDT

The Chicago White Sox get an opportunity to continue the Oakland Athletics postseason woes and send the American League West champs into another early offseason Wednesday afternoon when the clubs continue their first-round playoff series with Game 2.

Two low-ERA starters Chicago left-hander Dallas Keuchel (6-2, 1.99) and Oakland righty Chris Bassitt (5-2, 2.29) are scheduled to get the ball in a series that got off to a low-scoring start Tuesday, thanks mostly to White Sox ace Lucas Giolito.

Supported by three home runs, Giolito flirted with baseball immortality hurling six perfect innings before eventually combining with three relievers on a three-hitter and a 4-1 victory that gave the seventh-seeded White Sox a 1-0 lead over the second-seeded As in the best-of-three set.

Adam Engel, Jose Abreu and Yasmani Grandal homered for the White Sox, who are seeking their first postseason-series victory since winning the 2005 World Series.

The As have not won a postseason series since 2006, but unlike the White Sox, who are making their first appearance since 2008, Oakland is a fairly regular participant in October. Since sweeping the Minnesota Twins in the 2006 AL Division Series, the As have come up short in their six opportunities since (three series and three AL wild-card games).

To even force a Game 3 in this series, theyll need to solve the veteran Keuchel, who is 4-2 in his postseason career with a 3.47 ERA. Coming off a season in which he recorded a career-best ERA, he will be making his 12th postseason start. Keuchel, 32, hasnt received a decision in his past four, including two for the Atlanta Braves last October, since he took a loss in the Houston Astros run to the World Series crown in 2017.

In his career against the As, Keuchel is 6-6 despite a fine 3.06 ERA in 22 career games, 20 starts. He is just 2-4 at Oakland, including a 7-1 loss for the Astros in his most recent visit in August 2018.

One regular member of the Oakland lineup hell be happy not to see is third baseman Matt Chapman, who has bombed Keuchel for a .400 average with two doubles and two home runs in 16 career plate appearances. Chapmans season ended on Sept. 6 when he sustained a torn labrum in his hip. The As have been held to three or fewer runs in 13 of 24 games since then.

Keuchel has not lasted longer than six innings since experiencing back spasms earlier this month. He is confident those issues are behind him.

Well go inning-by-inning here in the playoffs, he said Tuesday. But its nice, mentally, to have that comfort zone, knowing that the body is going to let me go as long as it really needs to. I take great pride in all my work that I do.

Bassitt hasnt needed much support in a personal three-game winning streak, having allowed just one run and 23 hits in 26 2/3 innings over his past four starts.

Originally drafted by the White Sox in 2011, Bassitt moved to the As along with Marcus Semien in a six-player deal in December 2014 that saw Jeff Samardzija go to Chicago.

The Toledo, Ohio, native still has family and friends in the Midwest, including some of the latter in the White Sox organization.

Its special for me, just because its like a playing-with-your-friends kind of thing, Bassitt said of facing the White Sox. So its fun; its a different dynamic.

Against the White Sox, the 31-year-old is 2-1 with a 3.04 ERA in four career starts.

Engel (0-for-4), Abreu (3-for-12) and Grandal (0-for-3), Chicagos three home run hitters in the series opener, have batted a combined .158 against Bassitt in their careers.

The pitching matchup is strength vs. strength, with Bassitt 2-1 with a 0.72 ERA in six home starts this season while Keuchel has pitched his best on the road, going 3-1 with a 1.60 ERA in seven starts.

Field Level Media

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White Sox poised to deal As another early exit - KETK | FOX51 | EastTexasMatters.com

The Immortality of Justice Karibi-Whyte – THISDAY Newspapers

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BY DAN AKPOVWA

This Saturday, September 26th, 2020, the curtain will finally come down on the life of the Honourable Justice Adolphus Godwin Karibi-Whyte, eminent Nigerian Jurist, former Judge at the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY and retired Justice of the Supreme Court. On that day in the bustling town of Abonnema, in Akuku Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, the earthly remains of Justice Karibi-Whyte will be interred with all the loftiness of pump and pageantry at his private residence. It will be precisely one hundred and twenty-seven days after he went to be with the Lord on May 22. He was 88 years old.

But while the inevitability of death means he will no longer be with us in the flesh, his immortality will ensure that he remains with us forever. Not many people achieve that immortal status, but Justice Karibi-Whyte was different. He will live on in the hearts and minds of many, not just because of his very many scholarly judgements, but also for his sheer humanity. As a human being, he was very kind, considerate and compassionate. For me personally, he was all of that and more. That is why his passing is difficult to accept.

As I have said elsewhere, I first met the Hon. Justice Karibi-Whyte in 1984 when I went to Kaduna in the company of one of his sons. He was a Judge of the Federal Court of Appeal in Kaduna at the time. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in Lagos shortly after. Over the years, as I visited his residence to visit with his children, he took a liking to me both personally and professionally.

In the Mid-1980s when I started out as rookie journalist, he was very interested in my professional development: He read almost every article I wrote in some national magazines, and never hesitated to offer his suggestions and very valued opinions. He was my critic and biggest cheerleader. Indeed, I believe I became a better journalist because of him.

In the late 1980s I traveled by boat with the Hon. Justice Karibi-Whyte to his home town, Abonnema for a chieftaincy ceremony. It was my first trip to Abonnema. Nearly ten years later, in 1997, I would return to marry my dear wife, Doris, nee Lawson. His Lordship was very happy for me and gave the marriage his blessings. Though he could not personally attend as he was at this time a Judge at the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia at the Hague, he nonetheless gave me a lot of support.

His son Gogo accompanied me to Abonnema to make sure I was fine. We stayed in their family home throughout my traditional wedding. As a wedding present, Justice Karibi-Whyte invited my wife and I to The Hague for our Honeymoon. He personally wrote a letter to the Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria to give us the appropriate visas for the trip. On the strength of his letter and a follow up phone call, we were issued the visas. Doris and I travelled to Holland the day after our wedding. We were received by Justice Karibi-Whyte and the very motherly Mrs. Karibi-Whyte. They were fantastic hosts.

In Holland, we spent a lot of time together talking about a lot of things. He told me about the global importance of the ICTY where he was the Vice President. I told him I chose to become a journalist because I wanted to be a force for positive change in my society. He said with my passion, I will go far, but added that I have to give my best at all times. You must always report the truth he advised.

Few days after we arrived The Hague, the ICTY was going to deliver its first judgement on the trial of Dusan DUSKO Tadic, a war criminal. It was big news around the world at the time because it was the first time the Court had concluded trial in a matter and was ready to give judgement. This was May 1997 and I was Diplomatic Editor of ThisDay Newspapers. Justice Karibi-Whyte made sure I got accredited at such short notice. I mixed up confidently with seasoned international journalists so much so that I began to feel like one. After the judgement, I wrote the story and faxed it from his office at the ICTY to Lagos where the story made the front page. I felt really good and was grateful for the opportunity he gave me.

Through the years, I continued to inform him of my professional progress. Like a dotting father, he had my time. He was never to busy to listen to me. As the years went by, he got older and spent more time in Port Harcourt and Abonnema. I visited him every time I was in the Rivers State area. We spoke often on the phone too. The moral decay in Nigeria of today bothered him, but he was quietly optimistic. He always prayed for a better Nigeria.

As a jurist, Justice Karibi-Whyte, was Nigerias finest. He represented the very best in our Judiciary. His rulings, whether he was dissenting or agreeing with the lead judgement, were always thorough and well thought through. He was an intellectual giant and a credit not just to the Nigerian Judiciary, but the worlds Judiciary as exemplified by his work at the ICTY at The Hague.

Last week at the Night of Tributes held in his honour in Lagos, I listened to Mr. Odein Ajumogobia SAN, one of his mentees, talk about his contributions to the Law in Nigeria. Some of Justice Karibi-Whytes dissenting judgements were so profound, that laws had to be made to reflect his view point, Mr. Ajumogobia said, adding that Factories that produced his type no longer exist. That was the ultimate tribute. Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, former Rivers State governor and present Minister of Transport, said Justice Karibi-Whytes pronouncements on customary law are cited all the time. Mr. Amaechi is also a law student at Baze University Abuja.

Mr. Dele Adesina, SAN, former Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, had this to say about Justice Karibi-Whyte: As a Justice of the Supreme Court,His Lordship contributed in no small measure, to the development of our laws; both through his majority and dissenting judgements. Even when his position appeared to be unpopular, he would nonetheless, marshal his reasoning in the most eloquent and professorial manner. His judgements were always well researched, and he never failed to decide momentous issues of law, according to his belief and depth of knowledge. He would not hesitate to render dissenting judgement whenever his erudition, his research, his depth of knowledge, his conscience, and his understanding of the issues of facts and law involved in the matter, dictated to him the imperative need and necessity to depart from the reasoning of his colleagues. That was the hallmark of the man.

The Holy Bible says in Isaiah 57 1-2 The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.

This says it all. I will miss him dearly. Adieu Honourable Justice Adolphus Godwin Karibi-Whyte. Rest In Peace.

DAN AKPOVWA, a former Diplomatic Editor of THISDAY, is the Publisher of The Abuja Inquirer Newspaper

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Brass quintet performing livestream concert for FSU | Slice Of Life – Cumberland Times-News

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FROSTBURG The Frostburg State University Department of Music will present Jacob Dalager and the Parkway Brass in a livestreamed Faculty-Guest Artist Series concert on Oct. 4 at 3 p.m.

The recital is free to view online. The link will be posted at http://www.frostburg.edu/concerts.

The group will perform Fanfare from La Pri by Paul Dukas, arranged by Wayne Barrington; Sonata From Die Bnkelsngerlieder by an unknown composer, edited by Robert King; Fancies, Toyes and Dreames by Giles Farnaby, arranged by Elgar Howarth; Canzona Bergamasca by Samuel Scheidt, arranged by Conrad DeJong; Five Pieces by Anthony Holborne, edited by Robert King; Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 1 by Ottorino Respighi, arranged by Dalager; El Gato Monts by Manuel Panella, arranged by Jay Lichtmann; and Quintet No. 1 by Victor Ewald.

La Pri is a 1912 ballet in one act by French composer Dukas about Iskender (the Persian name for Alexander the Great) searching for immortality and his encounter with a mythological Peri (winged spirit).

Sonata From Die Bnkelsngerlieder was found among some music sheets bought in the auction of the effects of a Dr. Gehring. The title Die Bnkelsngerlieder means The Bench Singer, the itinerant musician who is singing about the stories he witnesses every day.

Farnaby, who graduated from Oxford in 1592, is most noted for his 52 pieces contained in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book. These pieces, from which Fancies, Toyes and Dreames are selected, are known as genre pieces, whimsical portraits of common, everyday things and feelings and very different from the religiously devout music of the period.

Scheidt, a German composer, organist and teacher of the early Baroque era, is best known for his Canzon Bergamasca, played by brass quintets all over the world.

Holborne, a gentleman at the court of Elizabeth I, composed for many different instruments and was the most prolific of English composers of dance music at the end of the 16th century. This collection of dances for consort (a small group of instruments) was published in 1599.

The Russian composer and teacher Respighi never forgot his studies of historical music, and in 1917 he orchestrated his first Suite of Ancient Airs and Dances. He arranged very old music in the modern clothes of the 20th-century orchestra. This suite is based on collections of Italian lute music that had been printed in the 1880s.

El Gato Monts (The Wild Cat) is an opera in three acts composed by Penella, who also wrote the Spanish-language libretto. It premiered in 1916 in Valencia and has been popular in Spanish-speaking countries.

Ewald was a Russian engineer, architect and composer of music, mainly for conical brass instruments. He composed Quintet No. 1 in 1890.

Parkway Brass is a brass quintet based in the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore corridor. The group performs throughout Maryland and the greater D.C. metro area and is the brass quintet in residence at Christ Lutheran Church in Baltimore. As teachers themselves, the musicians value education and perform educational outreach programs at schools.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, musical performances before live audiences will not be held until conditions warrant. However, the Department of Music is planning a series of online presentations. Links will be posted at http://www.frostburg.edu/concerts. For more information, call 301-687-4109. For more information on Parkway Brass, visit https://www.parkwaybrass.com.

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The AElfgyva Syndrome and Erasure of Women’s Stories – Ms. Magazine

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The Bayeux Tapestry.

The woman is inside, framed in a doorway. Shes fully cloaked and wears a headscarf; only her hands and face are visible. Her arms are open, palms tilted upa universal gesture, but of what? Protest? Surprise? Welcome?

The man, a monk, is outside. His left hand is on his hip, hissy fit style. He lunges toward the woman and penetrates her space, touching her face with his right hand. Is it a slapor a caress?

No one knows. The pair lived a thousand years ago, but like insects trapped in amber, we can still see them, borne through time far from their few short years of life and breath. I feel for themthey didnt ask for immortalityand I almost want to look away, but I never do.

The woman and monk were embroidered into the Bayeux Tapestry in rich, vegetable-toned yarns in the years following William of Normandys invasion of Britain, in 1066. The Tapestry tells the storyskewed to Williams conquering point of viewof how he vanquished King Harold of England at the Battle of Hastings.

Its a rousing boys adventure: broken oaths and feasting, ships braving the English channel, a brutal battle scene strewn with body parts, chainmail, and upended horses. Of the 626 human figures depicted, three are female. The Queen of England, a refugee escaping battle, and AElfgyva, the woman in the doorway: an enigma with a name.

Here atMs., our team is continuing to report throughthis global health crisisdoing what we can to keep you informed andup-to-date on some of the most underreported issues of thispandemic.Weask that you consider supporting our work to bring you substantive, uniquereportingwe cant do it without you. Support our independent reporting and truth-telling for as little as $5 per month.

The Bayeux Tapestry is 230 feet long and under two feet wide. A football field is only 160 feet long, so that should give you a sense of the immense, thundering onrush of Williams narrative. Yet towards the beginning it rams smack into AElfgyva and comes to a screeching halt:

VBI VNVS CLERICVS ET AELFGYVA.

The Latin text above the image of the lady and monk reads, Here a Certain Cleric and AElfgyva. After their encounter, the story gallops forward towards conquest.

Thats all weve got. Actually, not quitea tiny, naked man, genitalia on full display, squats in the margin below AElfgyvas feet, mimicking the monks gesture in reverse. At one time her story clearly carried powerful significance for its viewers, but like the meaning of Stonehenge, weve clean forgotten what it was.

I dont know what happened between AElfgyva and her monk, but I do know that when I encountered the Bayeux Tapestry in college, over 30 years ago, AElfgyva leapt straight off the linen into my life. Shes resonated there ever since. Shes never been a mystery Ive needed to solve; whats engaged me all this time is how history has treated her.

the cleric may be making a pass, or slapping the woman for having impure thoughts or for being a witch, writes David Wilson, commentator on a Knopf facsimile of the tapestry.

Male opinion down the ages has allowed just a trinity of identities, as I discovered reading about AElfgyva in college. In text after text I read, we must surmise she was a victim, whore or witch. Apparently, those are the only roles open to women who ride the centuries with insufficient personal stories.

What really happened? All we can say is that someone did something to her, or she did something to thwart 11th century conventions of female behavior. Yet based on her scene in the tapestry, shes been reduced to those three nouns, no more: Victim, Whore, Witch.

Think thats just male scholars sitting in judgment of women in medieval tapestries? Think again.

Think of Breonna Taylor: Breonna Taylor Is a Victim of Bad Decision Making.

Think of Christine Blasey Ford: CRTVs Steven Crowder: Christine Blasey Ford is a lying whore.

Think of Meghan Markle, now Duchess of Sussex: Meghan Markle Called Witch, Prince Harry Under Her Spell.

AElfgyva the individual has vanished, but AElfgyva the templatea silhouette stitched in yarn, like the chalk outline of a bodyis very much with us, and were still filling it with the same trinity of nouns. We dont use tapestries to tell our stories anymore, but even in our 24/7 news cycle, we can never have omniscient knowledge of what happened to any of these women, even if theyre our immediate contemporaries. Theyre not fictional characters and were not authors; we lack sufficient stories. And so we fill in the news with shorthand.

What we need to examine is the kind of shorthand we use, and who dictates it.

The media and the public pretty much agree that Breonna Taylorthe young Black woman shot and killed by police in her own apartment during a botched drug raid this past Marchwas a victim. Most agree she was an innocent victim; some, like Jason Whitlock of the You Tube program, Fearless, feel that she was the victim of her own bad decisions.

However you fill in her story, her imagelike AElfgyvashas taken on iconic status in the absence of the living woman. The shorthand remains in place and Taylors agency is quashed.

In 2018, Professor Christine Blasey Ford accused then Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers. As soon as she agreed to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to tell her story, the shorthand machine got to work. Despite Ford being 100% certain that it was Kavanaugh who attacked her, Republican senators undermined and disregarded her story and she was openly mocked by President Trump, who questioned her credibility. Conservative commentator Steven Crowder went further, calling her a lying whore.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, infamously opted out of the British Royal Family earlier this year along with her husband, Harry, Duke of Sussex. As if there could have been no other explanations for their decisionnot the British presss hounding of the couple, as they hounded Harrys mother, Diana; not the implicit (and sometimes explicit) racism brewing around the biracial Meghanmany declared the couples exit to be solely Meghans initiative. Conservative American writer, Candace Owens, succinctly explained how she convinced her husband to leave Britain: Meghan Markle is a witch. Harry is under her spell. Many readers responded online: Couldnt agree more.

The medium has changed but not the message. If AElfgyva could speak to us shed probably say, #MeToo. If I could speak for her Id add, #SayHerName (its pronounced something like ELV-jiva, and means gift of the elves).

We can never gather all the facts of any story that enters the public consciousness. What we can do is resist reducing our assumptions to the oldest nouns at hand. The ones that have been around for a thousand years or morethe ones that imprison women in two dimensions of male design.

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Inverted tulips, juniper trees added to Iran’s national heritage list – Tehran Times

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TEHRAN Inverted tulips in the city of Mahneshan as well as two juniper trees in Tarom, northwestern Zanjan province have recently been inscribed on the national heritage list, IRNA reported on Thursday.

Each year in the spring, hillsides and surrounding meadows of the city are teeming with colorful flowers, particularly inverted tulips.

Inverted tulips or Fritillaria is one of the 120,000 identified plants in Iran. There are more than 170 species of tulips in the country. It is said that the tulip has some remedial use for arthritis and rheumatic pains.

Juniper is a very valuable and long-lasting species that grows in mountainous and high areas and has a special place in the legends and myths of Iranian people.

It has long been a symbol of immortality in Iranian culture and it can be seen in historical Iranian miniatures.

Some more three natural properties in the region including rhubarb plain, salt spring, and a Juniper forest were also added to the National Heritage list.

Having an opulent tourist circuit with 24 UNESCO World Heritage sites, of which the vast Hyrcanian Forest and Lut Desert are among the natural properties, Iran seeks to acquire a greater share of the global tourism industry by 2025.

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Legacies: Who Is the Most Powerful – Witches, Werewolves or Vampires? – CBR – Comic Book Resources

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Out of the three main supernatural beings of The Vampire Diaries universe and the Legacies TV series, which is the most powerful?

The Vampire Diarieswasrichinthe supernatural.Aside from humans, the main threespecies toappear in the series werevampires, werewolves and witches, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The spin-offs that followed, The Originals and Legacies, took the timeto expand the backgrounds of these creatures, giving them limits and then breaking those limits, creating Hybrids and later Tribrids.

Legacies followsHope Mikaelson, the teenage daughter of Klaus Mikaelson andHayley Marshall, as she attendsThe Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted, a special school run by AlaricSaltzman that takes in young supernatural beings and teaches them how to use their abilities.The school is mostly home to the core triad vampires, witches and werewolves but whichone is the most powerful?

Related:Legacies Has Its First Field Day in Season 3 Premiere Photos

Werewolvesareprobably themost vulnerable of the triad. They possess increased strength, speed and reflexes, but only obtain true power during their full moon transformation. It is only in their wolf form that they can kill or fatally harm their natural enemies, the vampire. Otherwise, they are pretty much defenseless and are no different than enhanced humans. In contrast, vampireswereexplicitlydesignedto be more lethal than werewolvesby the witch, Esther Mikaelson. Whatever the wolves can do, the vampires are supposed to do better and are granted complete free will outside of the moon. However, despite their abilities, vampires also have many limitations.

Confined to night hours, any vampire outside of the originalswithout a daylight ring would burn up in the sun, and despite being immortal, they are oftenkilled quite easily. Vampires can beharmedby a multitude of things including vervain, wood, white oak ash, werewolf venom and even regular man-made poison in rare circumstances. A large theme of The Vampire Diariesuniverse is the balance of nature and order, which is why vampires, being so dangerous, have the most defenses made against them.However, it is this balance that reveals the truly most powerful supernatural being of The Vampire Diaries universe: witches.

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The meaning of our holiday traditions – San Lorenzo Valley Press-Banner

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We all celebrate the holidays in a different way. Each family has its own traditions and warm memories from years gone by. Some of us celebrate Christmas, some Hanukkah, some Kwanzaa. Many of our traditional Christmas customs originate from Winter Solstice celebrations. The plants associated with each are an important part of tradition and symbolism.

Winter solstice is Dec. 21. Solstice literally means Sun Stands Still and for a few days around this time of year the sun appears to stand still in the sky. Nearly all cultures and faiths have some sort of winter solstice celebration. They have been with us for thousands of years starting at the beginning of agriculture among people who depended on the return of the sun. We have incorporated many of the plants from traditional winter solstice celebrations into our ownholly, ivy, evergreens, rosemary and mistletoe. How did this come about?

Holly remains green throughout the year when deciduous trees like the oak shed their leaves. Decorating with it throughout the home has long been believed to bring protection and good luck. Placing a ring of holly on doors originated in Ireland since holly was one of the main plants that was green and beautiful with its red berries at this time of year. Norseman and Celts planted a holly tree near their homes to ward off lightning strikes. The crooked lines of holly leaves gave rise to its association with lightning and in fact holly does conduct lighting into the ground better than most trees.

Like other evergreens, ivy symbolizes immortality and eternal life. In England it is traditionally used in kissing balls with holly and mistletoe. It has also stood for fidelity, healing and marriage. Ancient Romans thought it brought good luck and joy. It was worn as a crown or fashioned into a wreath or garland.

Evergreen trees play a role in solstice celebrations. Early Romans and Christians considered the evergreen a symbol of the continuity of life. Fir, cedar, pine boughs and wreaths were used to decorate homes. Small gifts were hung from the branches. This may have been where the Christian tradition of decorating an evergreen tree or Yule tree in December originated. Other sacred trees of the solstice are yew, birch, arborvitae and ash.

We often see rosemary plants trained into a Christmas tree shape. Rosemary is evergreen in the winter and blooms at the same time making it the perfect plant for the holidays. Traditionally rosemary was spread on floors at Christmas as people walked over the herb releasing the fragrant scent and filling the home with blessings and protection.

How did our fascination with mistletoe get started? From earliest times it has been one of the most magical, mysterious and sacred plants of Greeks, Celts, Scandinavia, England and European folklore in general.The Druids believed the mistletoes magical powers extended beyond fertility. It was believed to cure almost any disease and was known as the all healer. Sprigs fixed above doorways of homes were said to keep away lightning and other types of evil. Because the plant is parasitic and has no roots it was believed that it grew from heaven.

Kissing under the mistletoe probably came from the Greek/Roman belief that it bestowed fertility and had life-giving power. In Scandinavia it was considered a plant of peace under which enemies could declare a truce or fighting spouses could kiss and make up. However this tradition originated, its a good one.

The Yule log dates back to the Saxons and Celts. Oak trees represented strength, endurance, protection and good luck. It was the most sacred tree of Europe. On the eve of the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, people would keep a huge oak log burning for 12 hours. They would toss oak twigs and acorns into the fire, shout out their hopes and resolutions for the coming New Year and sing Yuletide carols. A piece of the Yule log was saved to start the fire the following year.

Its traditional for us to have some poinsettias in the house for the holidays but they dont have a very long history of European tradition like other plants because poinsettia is a native of Mexico. In the 1820s President Andrew Jackson appointed Joel Roberts Poinsett as the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. In 1828 he found a beautiful shrub with large red flowers growing next to a road. He took cuttings and brought them back to his greenhouse in South Carolina. Because the leaves or bracts turn bright red around Christmas time they have been used as decorations for the holidays ever since.

Traditional plants symbolic of Hanukkah are the citron, myrtle twigs, willow twigs and palm fronds. The Four Species are waved together along with special blessings as part of the synagogue service or at home.

Kwanzaa is a Swahili word that means first and signifies the first fruits of the harvest. With ears of corn, fruit and nuts it is observed for seven days during the last week of December and celebrates the fruit or accomplishments coming out of the year of labor. Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, but celebrations often include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading and a large traditional meal. Observed by people of all faiths it is a celebration of African roots.

Around the world, holiday celebrations have their own special meaning. So whether you Zoom with friends and distant family or celebrate with your Pod, embrace your own traditions and have a wondrous holiday.

Jan Nelson, a landscape designer and California certified nursery professional, will answer questions about gardening in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Email her at [emailprotected], or visit jannelsonlandscapedesign.com.

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The meaning of our holiday traditions - San Lorenzo Valley Press-Banner

Cyberpunk 2077’s Best Hack Is Already Unlocked At The Start – Screen Rant

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The futuristic Cyberpunk 2077 offers players a number of useful hacks, but the best hack is actually one you have from the start of the game.

Hacking is a major part of Cyberpunk 2077. Over the course of the game, players are able to hack a variety of objects - like doors, cars, and cameras. Through upgrades and character progression choices, players can gain access to a number of other abilities. However, it's a hack that's available from the beginning of the game that actually proves to be the best one.

The story of Cyberpunk 2077 concerns a player-made protagonist named V, who's in search of a special implant that could be the key to immortality. By exploring Night City, a futuristic urban landscape, players come into contact with a variety of intriguing characters, including Keanu Reeves' Johnny Silverhand. The hack system in Cyberpunk 2077allows players to do a number of useful things, including opening locked doors, controlling nearby cameras, and distracting nearby enemies.

Related: Cyberpunk 2077: How Long Until Keanu Reeves (Johnny Silverhand) Appears

Although players can unlock a multitude of different kinds of hacks inCyberpunk 2077, the best hacking ability they have at their disposal is the one V already has at the start of the game. Introduced early on inCyberpunk 2077's plot through a tutuorial, the Camera Control quickhack is one of the most useful tools players have at their disposal.

Cyberpunk 2077'sCamera Control quickhack skill allows players to take control of security and surveillance equipment. This is great, because it can be used in a variety of helpful ways throughout the game.Players can access cameras to spy on enemies, they can mark enemies in advance, and even distract them. Although early reviews of Cyberpunk 2077 are reporting plenty of bugs and glitches, reviewers are praising the game in almost every other aspect - including gameplay, and proper use of the Camera Control quickhack in Cyberpunk 2077 is key to planning out a method of attack - especially if players are trying to go for a non-lethal playthrough.

Controlling the camera essentially lets players come up with an entire plan before entering an area full of enemies. It's a great way to initiate a preemptive strike, and players should take full advantage of it when traversing the many dangers of Night City. It's also a great way to ease through the main story and beat Cyberpunk 2077quickly, since hacking cameras sets the advantage early on and can make enemy encounters much easier.

Overall, the Camera Control quickhack skill is extremely useful, and hacking into cameras is a perfect way to plan an assault beforehand - especially in areas with a lot of enemies. Thankfully, the best hack in Cyberpunk 2077 is also one players have from the start, and it makes life in Night City much easier.

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Cyberpunk 2077's Best Hack Is Already Unlocked At The Start - Screen Rant

D.C. Collier: How to Deal with the Illusion of Normal – Noozhawk

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Since COVID-19s arrival, normal has taken on a whole new meaning.

People talk of getting back to normal. What exactly does that mean?

And even if we did return, would that be a good or bad thing? Wont it just change again with the next medical diagnosis, job loss, death in the family, pandemicor financial reversal, etc.?

My friend, Heidi Hutton Rigoli, who I know through the caregivers support group sponsored by the Parkinsons Association of Santa Barbara, recently wrote an inspiring verse about the suffering that afflicts a caregiver who is helplessly witnessing the gradual loss of their loved one to a degenerating disease.

She writes touchingly:

Last night, snuggling together as we have for years, things seemed almost normal.Its clinging to what was once normal that causes my suffering.Its a matter of acceptance that everything is changing all of the time.The impermanence of all things as they are, including us.Sometimes Im in sync with it. Sometimes I refuse to accept reality.Thats when I suffer.

The trouble with normal is that it keeps shifting, morphing, though we may deny it for a season.

In my experience, when I find myself relying on the wrong normal as my reference point and set my expectations accordingly, I become disappointed, angryand disillusioned. My bar is set too high and I fall short of it every time. I am comparing reality to my fictional normal and am frustrated by the gaping disparity between the two.

What a recipe for inner turmoil. My background anger makes me like a cocked gun ready to go off at the slightest provocation. Sound familiar?

The Apostle Paul taught one of his disciples, Timothy, the secret of establishing the right normal in1 Timothy 6:11-17:

Fight the good fight offaith;take hold of the eternal lifeto which you were called ... He who isthe blessed andonly Sovereign,the King ofkings andLord oflords, who alone possesses immortality anddwells in unapproachable light,whom no man has seen or can see ... Instruct those who are rich inthis present worldnot to be conceited or tofix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God,who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

Israels great King Solomon started out well with God, but then attempted to adjust his normal upward from an earthly perspective and lived to regret it, as outlined in Ecclesiastes 2:1-11:

I saidto myself, Come now, I will test you withpleasure. So,enjoy yourself. And behold, it too was futility... All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure ... Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I hadexerted, and behold all wasvanity and striving after wind and there wasno profit under the sun.

The passengers on the Titanic started out their ill-fated voyage with what they thought was a clear idea of normal.

It was only those who were willing to change that idea who survived, as author and journalist Senan Molony described in Titanics Band: Killing Them Softly: Even then, as the great ship sank to the bottom of the sea, most of the lifeboats were only partially full, leaving 472 unused spaces. There was plenty of time for more to abandon ship, but most stayed aboard despite rapidly unfolding evidence that she was going down. As one observer said, It is believed that this low number was due to passengers being reluctant to leave the ship, as initially they did not consider themselves to be in imminent danger.

The strains of classical music early in proceedings conveyed the message that everything was as near normal as could be ... Those brave souls who opted to enter tiny lifeboats were defying the prevailing mood, a mood encouraged by the fact that music was playing at all.

They were swimming against the tide, but their conscious and independent choices would save their swimming later.

The risk was in staying, not in going, yet it was made psychologically more difficult for passengers to enter an early lifeboat by a shipping line that compounded reckless navigation with grotesquely misplaced complacency and pride even after its surpassing vanity had been devastatingly punctured.

Will you consider planting your normal flag in ground that will never shift under your feet? As Hebrews 13:8 advises, make God your normal and you will never be disappointed: Jesus Christisthe same yesterday and today and forever.

D.C. Collier is a Bible teacher, discipleship mentor and writer focused on Christian apologetics. A mechanical engineer and Internet entrepreneur, he is the author of My Origin, My Destiny, a book focused on Christianitys basic value proposition. Click here for more information, or contact him at [emailprotected]. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.

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D.C. Collier: How to Deal with the Illusion of Normal - Noozhawk

Off the Shelf: Books that are keeping me warm – NUjournal

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This is a great time of year to get cozy with a good book: the days are getting shorter, its too cold (and wet) to stay outside for long, and the hot apple cider is plentiful. Here are some books that have recently helped me stay warm and content at home.

Brandon Stanton is the creator of the Humans of New York social media accounts. His work started with taking photographs of people living in New York City. Soon he added short captions of people telling a little bit about their day, their current struggles, or their life story. In his new book Humans, Stanton shares the stories and photographs he has documented during his travels to over 40 countries. This non-fiction book highlights the common human experiences we all share, and showed me that I have a lot to be thankful for.

Charlie is depressed. Hes stuck in a dead end job, working nights, unable to make any friends in L.A. So he jumps at the chance to work as assistant to Kathi Kannon, a film legend. Kathi is gregarious, creative, and complicated; she has bipolar disorder and has struggled with drug addiction. Yet Charlie feels his depression lifting and zest for life increasing as he brings order to her life and joins in on her adventures. He rides high with Kathi until he finds that she has been replacing some of her daily medications with morphine behind his back and he must find a way to please his boss while saving his friend. A Star is Bored by Byron Lane is funny and touching.

After Sydney Greens marriage falls apart she moves home to Brooklyn to live with her mother. She is upset to see that the neighborhood is rapidly gentrifying, spurred by the construction of a large medical facility nearby. When Sydney decides to explore the complex and long history of gentrification in her neighborhood, she does not expect her new (and frustratingly attractive) neighbor Theo to volunteer to help, especially since Theos girlfriend Kim seems to be encouraging her rich white friends to buy more houses on the block. As Sydney learns more about the past violence committed against Black people in the name of revitalizing Brooklyn, her long-time neighbors start disappearing, replaced overnight by affluent WASPs. Sydney begins to feel that shes being watched, even stalked, and she cant be sure that Theo can be trusted to help her figure out if shes imagining things or if history is about to repeat itself. Alyssa Coles When No One Is Watching is a claustrophobic and gripping thriller.

It is 1714 and Addie LaRue is desperate to escape her imminent (and unwanted) marriage. On her wedding day she flees to the woods at dusk and begs the old gods for their help. The god of darkness is the only one who responds and he does not answer prayers; he only makes deals. He gives Addie her freedom and immortality in exchange for her soul once she has tired of life. But the god is clever, and words matter. Addie spends the next 300 years learning how the god can spin the wording of their bargain to exhaust and frustrate her. Addie is stubborn, though, and wont give him the satisfaction of winning. That is, until she meets someone that she might be willing to sacrifice everything for. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab is my favorite book so far this year.

Give the library a call at 507-359-8331 or visit http://www.newulmlibrary.org and click on Library Catalog if youd like to request any of these books. Wed be happy to help you find more titles, too.

A reminder: The library will be closed on Wednesday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day. Thank you to all those who have served in the United States Armed Forces.

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Off the Shelf: Books that are keeping me warm - NUjournal

How Mexican Gothic fits into the legacy of the postcolonial gothic – Vox.com

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The Vox Book Club is linking to Bookshop.org to support local and independent booksellers.

Mexican Gothic wears its genre on its cover. The title isnt telling you a lie: This book, with its decaying English manor, its psychosexual secrets, its lavish aesthetic, and its sense of deep emotional constraint, is a gothic novel. And it is specifically a gothic novel set in an English manor in Mexico, which means that it is a gothic novel about colonialism.

That makes sense for the genre, because the gothic novel has been interested in thinking through questions of colonialism and empire for a long, long time.

One of the standard gothic plots goes like this: There is a country house, a manor. Its full of the evidence of old money, but that money is gone now, and the house is crumbling. It is isolated, far away from everyone and everything, a world of its own. It is hiding something.

And as the novel begins, an intruder is walking into the house. She is a threat to its isolation, its purity, and its unknowable and dreadful secrets.

That standard gothic story plot is about borders and border crossing, about the terrors of the other, about wealth and exploitation and plunder and shifting power dynamics. It lends itself naturally to metaphors about colonialism and empire. So since the 18th century, thats one of the things gothic novelists have used the genre for.

In The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction, Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert argues that a slew of 18th- and 19th-century gothic novels can be read as responding to Englands increasingly polarized debate about slavery and the colonial practices that came with it. Making colonialism gothic, as the critic Andrew Lachlan McCann put it, reveals the repressed of colonization: collective guilt, the memory of violence and dispossession, and the struggle for mastery in which the insecurity of the settler-colony is revealed.

Lets use a familiar example here. Have you read Jane Eyre? Even if you havent (you should!), you probably already know that in Jane Eyre, the mystery that the gothic manor is hiding is Mr. Rochesters mad first wife, Bertha. Bertha is the obstacle keeping Jane Eyre from marrying Rochester, and she is the madwoman in the attic whom the trope is named after.

Relevant backstory: Rochester met Bertha in Jamaica, where he traveled because thats where his family money comes from. Thats because Rochester is a colonizer, making money from stolen resources. And Bertha is Creole, which means her family is of European descent but she was born in Jamaica.

Bertha is freighted with symbolic weight. The standard feminist reading of Bertha is that she is Janes shadow self, making her a metaphor for the violence and unruliness that Jane suppresses out of her life. But theres also a postcolonial reading of Bertha, where Bertha stands in for the consequences of empire. She is a walking metaphor for what Paravisini-Gebert describes as the colonial space, which is a bifurcated, ambivalent space, where the familiar and unfamiliar mingle in an uneasy truce.

Jane Eyres Bertha is European, but theres a possibility of racial ambiguity lingering around her. She is English, but not quite; she is Other, but not quite. She is confusing and frightening and probably violent, and the only thing we can do with her is violently repress her, shove her into the attic and hope she doesnt cause too much trouble. But of course she gets out anyway, and of course all sorts of trouble ensues.

The colonial gothic is all about these fears and anxieties: We have committed violence, and now we fear violence in return; groups are mingling, and that is threatening, but isolation will lead only to decay; what can we do, how can we maintain control?

But going into the 20th and 21st centuries, we started to see new gothic novels that were written from the point of view not of the colonizer, but of the colonized: the postcolonial gothic. Wide Sargasso Sea responding to Jane Eyre.

Thats the tradition that Mexican Gothic is working with. And its doing incredibly interesting stuff with it.

The postcolonial gothic allows us to treat the British empire as something uncanny. In these novels, empire is Other and monstrous and deserves to be treated as such.

And god, how creepy is Mexican Gothics Howard Doyle, the patriarch of High Place, with his body covered in sores and his leering personal questions; his obsession with the idea of genetics, of when to purify and when to strengthen the line. (Howards interest in eugenics is characteristic of the gothic, which is terrified of corruption through outside blood but moreover terrified of the corruption of insularity and incest.) The character is a classically terrifying gothic villain, and he stands for empire and its violence.

The secret in the house of High Place isnt just Howards mushrooms, which grant him immortality and omniscience within High Place: Its that Howards power comes at the expense of the people he claims to serve. High Place claims that it provides El Triunfo with jobs and enriches the economy, but thats just a pretty lie. Like Jane Eyres Rochester, Howard built his wealth and power through the theft of Indigenous resources. And as he builds his mushroom cult of immortality, he is continuing to profit through corrupting Mayan resources the mushrooms, remember, were pure before he got his hands on them and exploiting the Mexican mine workers he refers to as mulch.

Almost as creepy is Howards son, Virgil. Virgil stands for empire, too, but hes also an interesting riff on a classic gothic trope, which is for there to be a sexual attraction tinged with violence between heroine and antihero. That trope starts to play out in Mexican Gothic when our protagonist Noem comes to High Place to save her cousin Catalina from her marriage to Virgil, only to find herself plagued by erotic nightmares about him but here, the structure is different. Noem takes a creeping, insidious pleasure in the waking dreams she experiences with Virgil, but shes also disgusted by him, and the ambivalence of her reaction becomes a metaphor for the corrupting pleasure that colonialism dangles before those it exploits. It allows Noem to acknowledge the reality of her enjoyment while still rejecting it on no uncertain terms.

But Noem is perhaps the most subversive character in this postcolonial novel. Next to her, the English Doyles are parochial and sorely ignorant, while Mexico City Nomi is widely read, intelligent, and well-traveled. Noem is the avatar of cosmopolitan modernity, of liberalism and education and shes not a hyper-rational white man. Shes not a chaste and virginal white woman, either. Noem is a brown woman who has had sex, and she stands for the future.

So when Noem triumphs in the end, were witnessing the vindication of the colonized over the colonizer. The subaltern speaks at last.

You can sound off on these questions in the comments below, or in your own communities. Or feel free to post your own questions!

Also, be sure to RSVP now for this months live event with Silvia Moreno-Garcia, on Thursday, October 29, at 5 pm ET. In the meantime, sign up for our newsletter to make sure you dont miss anything.

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The Hulk Really Is Immortal – and the Maestro Just Proved It – CBR – Comic Book Resources

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In the latest issue of Maestro, the issue of the Hulk's immortality is definitely settled as the origin of the most evil Hulk is explored.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Maestro #2, by Peter David, German Peralta, Jesus Aburtov, Dale Keown, Jason Keith and VC's Ariana Maher.

Since the title of Hulk's most recent solo started making the claim, Marvel stories seem to go out of their way to test the limits of Hulk's immortality. While many in the Marvel Universe claim immortality among their powersets history proves just how loosely the term can apply and it's always best for fans to be a little skeptical when characters make those claims. Despite that skepticism the Hulk has been building a pretty good case that he can't truly be killed, and the latest issue ofMaestrojust closed it.

With how uncertain claims of immortality can be it always helps to have a look into the future to see how well they hold up. When it comes to Marvel timelines even that can be a complicated process because of how reality branches off in different directions to create an entire multiverse of possibilities. Hulk first got a view of one of his possible paths in Peter David and George Perez's Hulk:Future Imperfectin 1992. At this time, the Hulk had all of his personalities fused into a single powerful, hyper-intelligent persona, and in the future he saw that power corrupt him in a post apocalyptic New York where he became known as the Maestro.

RELATED:Immortal Hulk Just Killed Another Marvel Powerhouse

The Maestro ruled as the despotic leader of the dystopia until the present day Hulk put a stop to him. That came only after a great amount of effort, as the Maestro proved himself every bit as strong and cunning as his past self. Thecoup de grace came when the Hulk laid a trap that sent the Maestro back in time to ground zero of the very gamma bomb that originally gave Hulk his powers, overloading the despot with radiation that completely disintegrated the villain. That certainly seemed to do the trick... but then the Maestro came back.

InIncredible Hulk #451 by Peter David, Mike Deodato Jr., and Glynis Oliver it turned out that the Maestro survived even complete disintegration, existing as a radioactive ghost beckoning Hulk toward him at all times. Even with a corporeal form the Maestro proved extremely resilient to injury as he survived acid, lasers, broken necks, and at one point the annihilation of most of reality. While many characters claim immortality it seems as though the case for Maestro's came with everythingexcept him making the claim. But that all changed with the latest issue of his mini.

RELATED: Immortal Hulk: [SPOILER] Has Mastered the Green Door

In casual conversation with Machine Man, also discovered to survive the nuclear apocalypse, the Hulk makes mention of his own immortality. It comes as the final nail in the coffin, and in fact accompanies a recognition of one of the biggest reasons it could previously be doubted that Maestro was immortal. After all, the Maestro certainly seems to age as his graying beard and frazzled demeanor indicates that his body does not just stay the same as time marches on. In the comic he recognizes that he looks bad, but apparently that is merely a cosmetic side effect.

Seeing the early days of the Maestro's formation and the originalFuture Imperfect story, it becomes evident that Maestro's only degradation is aesthetic. He fought evenly and at times bested his younger self in a match of muscles, and the message here is clear: nothing can kill the Hulk, and over time he's just going to keep getting stronger and stronger. If he ever goes the way of the Maestro, anyone standing in his way would have the fight of their lives on their hands, because he isn't going anywhere any time soon.

KEEP READING:Hulk: Marvel's Maestro Shows Why He's The Most DANGEROUS Hulk Ever

Marvel Announces Temporary Tattoos for Venom's King in Black Event

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Patrick J Adams stars as real-life astronaut John Glenn in ‘The Right Stuff’ – Breakfast Television Toronto

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Patrick J Adams stars as real-life astronaut John Glenn in The Right Stuff - Video | Breakfast Television TorontoBreakfast Television Toronto

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Money, fame and immortality are explored in Disney Plus upcoming space series The Right Stuff. The new drama follows the astronauts known as The Mercury Seven, and the instant celebrities they became during their space mission in the late 50s. One of the seven is played by Canadian actor Patrick J Adams, who joins Dina and Devo this morning.

October 5, 2020 09:52

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The 19 Best Vampire Movies of All Time – msnNOW

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Somehow, vampires are sexy, scary, and scintillating all at the same time, as are excellent vampire movies. The mythical and terrifying creatures are often mentioned in the same breath as witches, zombies, and werewolves, but vampires have a lane all their own. And while the first vampire that many of us heard mentioned was Count Dracula, many cultures around the world have their version of a blood sucking creature that feeds on animals and/or people.

As the actress Tilda Swinton explained to Wired upon the release of her vampire flick Only Lovers Left Alive, our attraction to vampires is really a no-brainer. "Of course it's immortality," she said, "but I also think it's the concept of the outsider, the feeling of humans who live up or down or sideways to society. Part of the vampire trope is there being no reflection when you look in the mirror; that feeling of there being no trace is really attractive."

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic means that many of us have more than enough time to watch (and rewatch) movies, and you may be looking to having a vampire-themed binging session. (It's nearly Halloween, after all. ) For your viewing pleasure, take a look at 15 of the best vampire movies of all time, from familiar classics to newer, crazier, and even bloodier flicks.

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The 19 Best Vampire Movies of All Time - msnNOW

Watch a bizarre Soviet animation short from the 60s – Boing Boing

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I discovered this on Twitter via Soviet Cartoons Out Of Context. I don't actually know what's happening but I assume it's a critique of capitalism?

Here's what I learned by running this Hungarian Film Archive page through Google Translate:

The Five Minute Murder is the most popular animated genre of the sixties, one of the most absurd pieces of intellectual cartooning. In his theme, he grotesquely twists the theme of existentialist alienation that dominates modern philosophy and modernist film of the sixties. One of the film's most striking gestures, which links it to modernism, is metaphorical self-reflection: in the film's frame story, a director directs the film premiere, which is immediately executed by outraged viewers after the screening.

Mocking genre films (crime films, horror) based on the thematization and depiction of violence in its genre. The morbid genre parody is made utterly absurd by the chain-like, variation-like serial narrative on the subject, as it sequences only violent scenes from these films without any narrative causality and dramaturgical suspense. The scenes, which are more traditional, imaginable in reality, and unimaginable in animated films, are connected only through the character who becomes the next victim from the killer.

Where is its place in (Hungarian) film history?

Jzsef Nepp is the leading figure of Hungarian cartoonistic animation. The popularity of animations depicting everyday situations and public themes with astringent humor is indicated by the fact that in the sixties, in addition to short films (eg Jzsef Nepp: Passion, 1961; A Tale of the Beetle, 1963; Tams Szab Sipos: Homo faber, 1965; Gyula Macrssy Vr : Romantic Story, 1964; Ten Deca Immortality, 1966; Attila Dargay: Variations on a Dragon, 1967) was also published in the form of a series (Gusztv, 1964-1968 and 1975-1977). The continuation of the Five Minute Murder can be interpreted as the short films made in the seventies, also based on an absurd accumulation of violence, which Nepp notes as a screenwriter: Bla Ternovszky: Modern Training Methods (1970), Everything Has a Boundary (1975), Csaba Szrdy (1977). The astringent black humor that defines Nepp's short films, with which he examines and caricatures human mortality, took on an all-night form in the Disney and Grimm parody of the bold adult tale Snow White (1983).

Okay that makes a little more sense, I guess.

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Watch a bizarre Soviet animation short from the 60s - Boing Boing

Woodburn: Every town has its own ‘Moonlight’ – VC Star

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Woody Woodburn, Columnist Published 8:56 a.m. PT Sept. 18, 2020

As long as Shoeless Joe Jackson and the other ballplayers in the movie Field of Dreams stay on the magical baseball diamond in an Iowa cornfield, they remain forever young.

We learn this when young outfielder Moonlight Graham steps across the first-base foul line and becomes his elderly self as Dr. Archibald Graham, giving up immortality in order to save Ray Kinsellas young daughter from choking.

In response to my column last week, readerLindsay Nielson shared a humorous anecdote about feeling like he had crossed the foul line in the opposite direction during his annual physical with Dr. Geoff Loman.

I told him, Doc, I think I am immortal, Nielson wrote in an email. Really? Why is that?came his response.

I rattled off all the things I had been through two heart attacks; a fall that resulted in three screws to hold my hip together and a titanium bar in my femur; a few stent implants; back surgery that resulted in eight screws in my spine; and my second home in Palm Springs had burned to the ground, etc.

Dr. Loman said, Wow, Lindsay, that is something. But, I went to a pretty good medical school and it is my opinion that you probably arent immortal.

As the mortal Dr. Graham, Burt Lancasters character sagely says of his disappointing one-game career in the Big Leagues without an at-bat: If Id only gotten to be a doctor for five minutes now thatwould have been a tragedy.

Rick Throckmorton feels it would have been a tragedy had his own family doctor not had a long medical career, writing: Your column brought back old memories of Dr. Albert Crites, who founded the Port Hueneme Belinda Hospital, later Adventist Hospital. I dont know if he was a poet or not, but I remember him as surely being an angel or saint in disguise on earth.

Dr. Crites treated my grandmother, who was a sad hypochondriac, and who visited him almost daily with her alleged aches and pains. Once, I accompanied her while I was on a leave from the Army. I remember him saying, Bessie, now you know theres nothing wrong with you, but I have something that might help. Its a wonder medicine. He would give her a vial of what I later learned were plain sugar pills, but Grandmom was always better after taking them!

Dr. Crites once fixed my broken finger (before splinting it) by pulling it straight after telling me, Ricky, this is gonna hurt a little! I was in the seventh grade and a fly ball had hit squarely on top of my ring finger and broke it to 90 degrees. It hurt like heck, but Dr Crites soothing words calmed the tears.

Some years later, I was involved in a serious accident while in Hueneme High School and the ambulance took me to Adventist Hospital. I had not seen Dr. Crites since the broken-finger incident and there he was. He said again, Ricky, looks like this is gonna to hurt a little as he treated my severe burns.

Dr. Crites took care of my mom, too, as she had to have full hysterectomy; and my WWII veteran dads bad heart; and I was there with Dr. Crites when dad passed away early from a massive heart attack.

In the movie Field of Dreams, James Earl Jones character Terence Mann says, Every town has a Doctor Graham, Throckmorton concluded. Andevery town has, or should have, a Doctor Crites.

If not, now thatwould be a tragedy.

Woody Woodburn writes a weekly column for The Star and can be contacted atWoodyWriter@gmail.com. His books are available atwww.WoodyWoodburn.com.

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Woodburn: Every town has its own 'Moonlight' - VC Star

M. Night Shyamalan Reveals the Title of His New Movie, and Were Already Trying to Guess the Twist – Vulture

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Photo: Gary Gershoff/WireImage

This weekend, M. Night Shyamalan wrote a grateful tweet revealing the title and poster for his next feature, in addition to the news that hes already begun filming it. Feels like a miracle that I am standing here shooting the first shot of my new film, the Glass director tweeted this weekend, alongside a black-and-white poster of human figures tumbling through an hour glass. Its called Old.

Now, it seems pretty obvious, based on the posters image and tagline (Its only a matter of time), that Olds intriguing cast, which includes Gael Garcia Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Lovecraft Countrys Abbey Lee, and Hereditarys Alex Wolff, is probably going to have a terrible time dealing with terrible time. Time travel gone awry, maybe? Rapid aging? Immortality, but the bad kind?

According to Collider, Old is inspired by the 2010 graphic novel Sandcastle by author Pierre Oscar Lvy and artist Frederik Peeters, which follows the unsettling tale of 13 beachgoers unable to leave a beach in France for reasons seemingly beyond the mind of man, so we could suss out if we have a classic twist in our future. But, since the movie is reportedly inspired by rather than based on, were content spending our time until Old arrives in July 2021 pondering all the different directions in which Shyamalan could take the story. Maybe itll be the trees again, The Happening-style?

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M. Night Shyamalan Reveals the Title of His New Movie, and Were Already Trying to Guess the Twist - Vulture

God, Brad Pitt Is So Good at This – Vulture

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Hes a master class in how to play the game as a celebrity. Case in point: his Fast Times at Ridgemont High table-read performance. Photo: CORE/YouTUbe

To succeed at celebrity is to master the art of image construction and management. It is to turn yourself into a brand in which performance is the method and the point. The step and repeat on the red carpet. The reaction to a seemingly impromptu paparazzi swarm. The interviews. The magazine covers. The charity events. Its all in service of an image created, not born. Throughout the history of Hollywood, there have been figures who buckled against the weight of the personas they walked behind, like Errol Flynn and Lana Turner during the height of the studio system. There have been others whose image-making was so refined as to make it hard to tell where the real person began and the star ended, la Archibald Leach, better known as the debonair Cary Grant. After the fall of the classic studio system in the 1960s, much changed in the imagination of what Hollywood could be. Chiefly, stars were free agents unwed to a single studio. But the tricksy, mercurial alchemy that goes into becoming and remaining a star endured. No one has proved more adept at playing this game lately than Brad Pitt.

In the wake of his contentious, ongoing divorce from Angelina Jolie on the heels of their grand, volcanic romance that bloomed on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, when he was still married to Jennifer Aniston, causing a tabloid obsession that continues to this day 15 years later Pitt has played the celebrity game with slippery splendor. While Jolie has kept relatively quiet, Pitt has been more forward-facing. His star persona is that of the high-school quarterback: charismatic and beloved. (If anything, Hollywood at large comes across as a more knotted version of petty high-school politics anyway.) Pitt hasnt played the game perfectly so much as invisibly his relationship with his new 27-year old girlfriend, whom he took to the chateau he shared with Jolie, might read like a rote, midlife-crisis sort of scenario. And one of the most cunning turns in Pitts recent approach to his own image is to once again position himself in solidarity with his ex-wife, Jennifer Aniston, an alliance that bloomed during the 20192020 awards season, perhaps helping him nab an Academy Award for his supporting performance in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Now, in the middle of a pandemic, hes sidling up to Aniston once more, for a recent Fast Times at Ridgemont High table read.

What better way to shore up goodwill than painting yourself as the breezy, charming man who easily spends time with an ex-wife with whom people are still obsessively hold out hope youll reunite? Hi, Aniston, he croons. Hi, Pitt she replies before calling him honey. I could practically feel the heat index increase on Twitter in that moment. Personally, I have never been invested in the Pitt and Aniston relationship; I was far more intrigued by the sexual heat and emotional complexity between Pitt and Jolie. But the dynamic between Pitt and Aniston demonstrates the ways in which the personal can be leveraged for the professional for celebrities. And Pitt isnt just good at it, he ranks as one of the best, a talent fully on display during this table read. Hes more than merely charming, hes a supernova of lightning-bright presence. Hes more than willing to be silly and carefree, listening with full-bodied attention. Its a way of being hes mastered, that helps him to create indelible moments in celebrity history, like his suburban-themed photo shoot of curdled domestic bliss with Jolie in the pages of a 2005 issue of W magazine and now this video alongside Julia Roberts and Morgan Freeman. Pitts unique skill comes in how effortless he makes everything look, which takes his star image away from feeling studied and makes it seem natural. Every celebrity is playing the same game. But the ones who make it seem like they arent performing, and instead are speaking directly to us with some conspiratorial intimacy, are able to carve the kind of immortality actors dream of.

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God, Brad Pitt Is So Good at This - Vulture

How To Support Racial Justice, Diversity And Activism This Weekend In Louisville (9/18) – Louisville Eccentric Observer

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FRIDAY, Sept. 18

Old School FridaysThe Palm RoomNo cover | 5 p.m.-closeJoes Palm Room, the famous Russell jazz club, has been reopened and reinvented by Black business owner Marcus Withers. Check it out at the Palm Rooms new, weekly event, Old School Fridays, featuring The Palm Room House Band and happy hour from 5 to 9 p.m. and music and live visuals from DJ K-Dogg from 9 p.m. to close. Calling all steppers and ballroom dancers, organizers say.

Arrest the Cops RallyOffice of the Attorney General, Louisville Branch OfficeFree | 5:30 p.m.Protesters, led by the family of Breonna Taylor, are rallying at the Kentucky Attorney Generals Office to demand that the police officers who fired their weapons in the raid that led to Breonna Taylors death are arrested. This event is also organized by Until Freedom and Louisville activists.

Statements After an Arrest Under the Immortality ActOnlineFree | 8 p.m.UofLs Department of Theatre Arts presents this reading of a play about a white librarian and a Black school principal in South Africa, whose love affair is reported to the police during apartheid. You can watch virtually on Friday or on Saturday at the same time. After the performance, there will be talkbacks with specials guests. On Friday, hear from Actors Theatre of Louisville Executive Artistic Director Robert Barry Fleming, playwright and translator Amlin Gray and UofL Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Cherie Dawson-Edwards. And, on Saturday, playwright Larry Muhammad, former South African resident Shachaf Polakow and UofL law professor Enid Trucious-Haynes, will discuss the show.

Voter Services Pop-upPortland KrogerFree | 11 a.m.-1 p.m.The Louisville Democrats will have a booth at the Portland Kroger offering help for voters. You can get started on requesting an absentee ballot, register to vote and, if youre formerly incarcerated, volunteers can check to see if your voting right has been restored. Then, on Sunday, the League of Women Voters is sponsoring a rally encouraging the public to vote. Bring noisemakers and signs to the corner of Douglass Boulevard and Eastern Parkway from 4 to 6 p.m. (The event is nonpartisan; organizers ask that you do not bring signs promoting specific candidates.)

Taking Up Space: Art as BusinessChange Today, Change TomorrowFree | 7-10:30 p.m.This is a new, monthly networking and educational space for Black creatives, created by Change Today, Change Tomorrow and A Well Written Photograph. This month, Ashley Cathey, a Louisville painter, will speak about Art as a Business over free cocktails and food from My Cafe, a locally-owned Back eatery.

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How To Support Racial Justice, Diversity And Activism This Weekend In Louisville (9/18) - Louisville Eccentric Observer