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Norwalks Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum virtual Starlit Gala includes talk on bioethics in the pursuit of immortality – Thehour.com

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Danzig

Glenn E. McGee, PhD, will discuss biotech advances toward immortality at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum virtual Starlit Gala on Oct. 17. Tickets are $50 to $100.

Photo: Hamerman Photography, 2017 / Contributed Photo

Glenn E. McGee, PhD, will discuss biotech advances toward immortality at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum virtual Starlit Gala on Oct. 17. Tickets are $50 to $100.

Norwalks Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum virtual Starlit Gala includes talk on bioethics in the pursuit of immortality

Norwalks Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will celebrate science and history at its virtual Starlit Gala on Saturday, Oct. 17, that will include a presentation on humanitys pursuit of immortality by award-winning expert on bioethics, Glenn E. McGee, PhD.

Along with McGees talk, the 8 p.m. event, co-chaired by trustees Trudy Dujardin and Mickey Koleszar, will honor David Westmoreland, a longstanding supporter of LMMM and its preservation.

There will be a catered dinner and silent auction. All all proceeds will benefit the museums educational and cultural programs. Tickets are $50 to $100.

During these uncertain times, this educational and cultural icon needs support from all of our communities, and the gala is a major opportunity to step up to the plate, Dujardin and Koleszar said in a news release.

McGee will discuss revolutionary advances in biomedical science technology in pursuit of immortality, and the ethical, legal and social questions they pose.

McGee is the author of three books, The Perfect Baby: A Pragmatic Approach to Genetics; Beyond Genetics; and Bioethics for Beginners, and more than 100 articles. He is the founder and served for 11 years as editor-in-chief of The American Journal of Bioethics, the leading publication in its field. He has served on the board of directors of the American Society for Bioethics and on more than a dozen federal and state advisory panels. He has received the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Cellular and Molecular Devices Advisory Panel Outstanding Service Award. McGee is Deputy Provost for the University of New Haven and received a B.A. from Baylor University and M.A. and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University.

Born in Houston, Texas, Westmoreland graduated from Baylor University with a bachelors degree in Computer Science and worked for 23 years in the field of Information Technology at such corporations as American Airlines and Arrow Electronics. He completed his Master of Landscape Architecture at Cornell University in 2006 and is a registered landscape architect and co-owner, with Mike Mushak, of Tuliptree Site Design, Inc. in Norwalk.

Westmoreland serves the community in Norwalk in a number of roles, including: Chairman of the Second Taxing District Commission (SNEW), Redevelopment Agency Commissioner, and on the Norwalk Historical Society Board of Directors, among others. He has served as chairman of the City of Norwalks Historical Commission, overseeing the relocation and development of the new Historical Society Museum, the renovations of the buildings and park at Mill Hill, and three city-owned cemeteries, along with the historic buildings at Mathews Park, including the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum.

The virtual Starlit Gala is sponsored in part by Fairfield County Bank and David Scott Parker Architects. The graphic design sponsor is Miggs B Design.

LMMMs cultural and educational programs are made possible in part by funding from LMMMs Founding Patrons: The Estate of Mrs. Cynthia Clark Brown; LMMMs Leadership Patrons: The Sealark Foundation; LMMMs 2020 Season Distinguished Benefactors: The City of Norwalk and The Maurice Goodman Foundation; LMMMs 2020 Distinguished Benefactors for Education: The Daphne Seybolt Culpeper Memorial Foundation, Inc.

For more information on the gala, visit lockwoodmathewsmansion.com.

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Norwalks Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum virtual Starlit Gala includes talk on bioethics in the pursuit of immortality - Thehour.com

The First Emperor of China Who Died in His Quest Pursuing Immortality – Interesting Engineering

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Danzig

Once upon a time, over two thousand years ago, the first Emperor of China was so great, powerful, and ambitious that he spent his entire life pursuing his ultimate goal: Trying to find a potion that could make him immortal. Indeed, in the end, he found immortality in the history books.

This crucial chapter in Chinese history unfolded in one of the oldest cities in China, the city ofXi'an. The birth of China's first imperial dynasty took place during a time of conflict, betrayal, and lust for power that shaped the future of the nation.

The Zhou Dynasty was the longest-ruling Chinese dynasty. It lasted from 1122-255 BC. The Qin Dynasty(pronounced chin), the first dynasty of Imperial China, was the shortest-ruling Chinese dynasty (221-206 BCE). It lasted only 15 years, well against the First Emperor's wishes. The latter is the dynasty that occupies our interest.

The Qin Dynasty reunited China and laid the foundation for 21 centuries of imperial rule. Our focus is on the tragic and ironic destiny of the First Emperor of China, who died during his search for the elixir of life after a life-long fear of death.

Qin Shi Huang (Ying Zheng) was born in 259 BCE in Hanan, but the exact date is unknown.It is believed that the name Qin is the etymological ancestor of today's name of the country, China. Some scholars, though, dismissed this etymology.

Ying Zheng was the son of King Zhuangxiang of Qin and Lady Zhao Ji. Or that is what the King believed. A legend says that Lu Buwei, a rich merchant, and his wife, Zhao Ji, had got pregnant when Buwei arranged for Zhuangxiang to meet and fall in love with her. When Zhao Ji gave birth to Lu Buwei's child in 259 BCE, the King believed the baby was his own.

Ying Zheng became King of the Qin state upon the death of his supposed father. The young King was only 13 years old. His prime minister and likely real father, Lu Buwei, acted as regent for the first eight years.

According to the Records of the Grand Historian, in 240BCE, Lu Buwei introduced the King's mother, Zhao Ji, to Lao Ai as part of a scheme to depose Qin Shi Huang. The queen dowager and Lao Ai had two sons. In 238 BCE, Lao Ai and Bu Buwei decided to launch a coup. Lao Ai raised an army with the help of the king of nearby Wei. He tried to seize control while Qin Shi Huang was traveling.

However, Qin Shi Huang found out about the rebellion. Lao was executed by having his neck, arms, and legs tied to horses, which were spurred to run in different directions. The young King forced his mother Zhao Ji to watch, while soldiers went to kill his two half-brothers.

Lao's whole family and all relatives to the third degree (uncles, aunts, and cousins) were also killed. Zhao Ji was spared, but forced to spend the rest of her life under house arrest. Lu Buwei was banished after the incident. He lived in constant fear of execution. In 235 BCE, Lu Buwei committed suicide by drinking poison.

After the Lao Ai incident, Qin Shi Huang grew increasingly suspicious of everyone around him. He survived two murder attempts.

Qin Shi Huang had around 50 children including Fusu, Gao, Jiangl, and Huhai, but had no empress. His most notable quote is: "I have collected all the writings of the Empire and burnt those which were of no use." Of not use for him, that is.

Zheng assumed the sacred titles of legendary rulers and proclaimed himself Qin Shi Huang (First Sovereign Emperor of Qin). He claimed that his dynasty would last 10,000 generations. However, the 15 years of the Qin dynasty was the shortest major dynasty in the history of China, consisting of only two emperors. The 35-year reign of Qin Shi Huang brought both rapid cultural and intellectual advancement as well as much destruction and oppression within China.

Yet, the Qin dynasty inaugurated an imperial system that lasted from 221 BCE until 1912. The Qin introduced a standardized currency, weights, measures, and a uniform system of writing, which aimed at unifying the state and promote commerce. The military used the latest weaponry, transportation, and military tactics. The Confucians portrayed the Qin dynasty as a monolithic tyranny, citing a purge which was known as the burning of books and burying of scholars.

As the Emperor entered middle age, he grew more and more afraid of death. Qin Shi Huang became obsessed with finding an elixir of life, a potion for immortality. The court alchemists and doctors devoted day and night to find potions for the Emperor, many of them containing quicksilver (mercury). Slowly, the ironic effect of the potions resulted in the death of the Emperor, rather than preventing it.

The Emperor also ordered the construction of a gargantuan tomb for himself, in case the immortality treatment failed. Plans for the Emperor's tomb included flowing rivers of mercury, cross-bow booby traps to thwart would-be plunderers, and replicas of all the Emperor's earthly palaces.

In 211 BCE, a large meteor fell in Dongjun, representing an ominous sign for the Emperor. What followed was a stone found with the words "the First Emperor will die and his land will be divided." The Emperor ordered everyone in the vicinity to be executed, since no one would confess to the crime.

A year later, while touring eastern China, Qin Shi Huang died on September 10, 210 BCE in Julu Commandery. He was 49 years old. Details of the cause of Qin Shi Huang's death are largely unknown to this date. However, it is known that the cause of death was mercury poisoning.

Reportedly, he died from Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning due to ingesting mercury pills --made by his alchemists and court physicians-- believing it to be an elixir of immortality. The Emperor, who had feared death since a young age, wanted to conquer death at any cost and was kin on trying immortality treatments.

Qin Shi Huang believed that as the Emperor of China, he would need an army in the afterlife, in the event that his elixir of life failed him. He believed an army could protect him. So, his subjects built 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots, and 670 horses out of terracotta to help protect the great Emperor from his rival armies in the afterlife. The project took off and a mausoleum was carefully planned.

The construction of the one-of-its-kind mausoleum began when the Emperor was just 14 years old, and long before he took on power. We are talking about a 14-year-old child who witnessed the preparations for his own death before he had the chance to live, which might explain his life-log terrifying fear of death.

In the second year of their reign, Kings began building their own tomb. his father died when he was 13 years old. Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of his mausoleum at the age of 14.

As his own tomb grew, so did his fear of death. The fear of death would accompany him for the rest of his life, well until the end.

It took immense manpower to complete the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, which was only discovered, and in part unearthed, in March 1974.

The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, was constructed for over 38 years, from 246 to 208 BCE. The Mausoleum is underneath a 76-meter-tall (249 feet) tomb mound-shaped like a truncated pyramid in Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi province of China.

The tomb complex contains an estimated 8,000 life-like clay soldiers, chariots, horses, weapons, and mass graves with evidence of brutal power. Archeologists have been reluctant to open Qin Shi Huang's actual tomb.

The Terracotta Army is a collection of over 8,000 real-size sculptures depicting the armies of the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Archeologists first found 8,000 warriors. Each warrior has very distinct facial features. Most recently, archeologists in China found over 200 others. Experts in military say the discovery of the warriors depicts how the Qin military used to operate.

The Terracotta Army is a display of the militar formation of the Qin army. The first three rows are archers facing forward. Behind them, stand infantry men in 38 rows, poise to strike upon commander's orders. The flanks are defended by troops on the peripheric, facing upward, watching for threats from any direction.

The funerary massive art collection was buried with the Emperor in 210-209 BCE to protect him in his afterlife. All the terracotta warriors are facing east, and there is a reason for that.

During the 3rd Century BCE, the land we now call China was a bloody battle ground, and battles went on for decades. According to historical records, the original ruling area in Qin was the west, whereas all the other states were in the east of China. Qin Shi Huang's goal was to unify all states. The fact that the warriors and horses are facing east confirms his determination for unification even in his afterlife.

Each Terracotta Warrior is 1.80 centimeters (6 feet) tall and weighs 160 to 300 kilograms (approximately 300 to 400 pounds). An interesting fact is that the hands were made in one whole piece and separately, they would only be added at the end.Each Terracotta Warrior was molded with individual and unique facial features. The bodies and limbs were mass-produced from molds.

The FBI has estimated that each 300-kilogram Terracotta Warrior is worth $4.5 million. Perhaps this explains why in December 2017, someone broke off and stole a Terracotta Warrior's left thumb from the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, in The United States, where 10 of the ancient relics were on loan. Although the event speaks more about ignorance than about greed.

The Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of the Great Wall around 221 BCE to protect his Empire from the recurrent threat from the north, raids by the nomadic Xiongnu, who were the ancestors of Attila's Huns.

The labor force that built the enormous defensive wall was largely made up of hundreds of thousands of slaves and convicts. The work was completed between 220 and 206 BCE. Thousands died during that period at the task.

The northern fortification formed the first section of what later on would become the Great Wall of China. In 214, the Emperor ordered the construction of a canal which would link the Yangtze and Pearl River systems, the Lingqu Canal.

The Great Wall was not just built by slaves and convicts. Scholars who refused to allow their books to be burned following orders from Emperor Qin Shi Huang were either burned alive or sent to work on the wall.

In 213 BCE, the Emperor's orders were that all books that were not about agriculture, medicine, prophesy, or related to his reign had to be burned. It was a way of weakening scholars and teachers, especially Confucianism and a number of other philosophies. Qin Shi Huang viewed these schools of thought as threats to his authority. Let's not forget that knowledge is power, and the Emperor wanted absolute control and power over China.

Approximately 460 scholars were not lucky enough to work on the wall as slaves. Instead, they were buried alive for daring to disagree with the Emperor. Other 700 scholars were stoned to death. From then on, the only school of thought approved by the Emperor was legalism, which meant to follow the Emperor's laws, or face the consequences.

Whether Qin Shi Huang should be remembered more for his architectural creations and cultural advances, or for his brutal tyranny is a matter of dispute. All scholars, however, agree that Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of the Qin dynasty and a unified China, was one of the most important rulers in the whole Chinese history.

The Originals: How Rebekah Mikaelson Got The Vampire Cure – Screen Rant

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Danzig

In The Originals series finale, Klaus makes up for 1,000 years of torturing Rebekah by offering her the cure. All she has to do is wait a few decades.

In the series finale of The Originals, Klaus Mikaelson offered his sister Rebekah what she wanted most in the world: the cure for immortality. The Vampire Diaries introduced the cure during season 4.When a member of The Five arrived in Mystic Falls, the story behind the cure slowly unfolded. The witch Qetsiyah created the immortality spell, cementing their love as eternal. After Silas betrayed her, she developed the cure. Qetsiyah demanded Silas drink it so that they could spend the rest of their mortal lives together. When he refused, she locked him in a tomb with the cure. Every vampire in Mystic Falls had a vested interest in finding the tomb, Silas, and the cure.

The search for Silas led most of the main characters, including Rebekah, to a remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia, but it was Katherine Pierce who succeeded in retrieving the cure and freeing Silas. Bonnie Bennett eventually defeated the ancient witch, encasing him in stone (he escaped following Bonnie's death). Damon Salvatore gave the cure to Elena Gilbert, who shoved it down Katherine's throat. Silas drained it from Katherine, and when Stefan Salvatore killed Silas, the cure went with him. However, when Bonnie returned from the 1994 Prison World (an alternate dimension where the cure still existed) during season 6, she brought the cure back with her. History repeated itself when Damon once again gave it to Elena. Bonnie injected Stefan with Elena's blood during season 8, making him human, and in the series finale, Stefan passed the cure on to Damon.

RELATED: The Originals: What The Main Cast Has Done Since The Show Ended

Before Klaus died, he offered Rebekah a peace offering: the cure. He told his sister the cure was waiting for her in Mystic Falls, and he asked Caroline Forbes to get it for her, saying,"In a handful of decades, when it's time, you can go to Mystic Falls and get it. Then if you no longer wish to be a vampire, it's your choice."It's unclear how long Klaus had known there was a second cure, since Damon and Stefan were initially determined to keep its existence a secret fearing for Elena's safety. The cure was never mentioned throughout The Originals until the series finale, despite both Rebekah's and Klaus' desire to procure it onThe Vampire Diaries.

CRYPTOSIS Take You Behind The Scenes Of "Prospect Of Immortality" Music Video – bravewords.com

Posted on January 9, 2021 by Danzig

January 6, 2021, 2 days ago

news heavy metal cryptosis

Dutch futuristic multi-metal eruption, Cryptosis, have released behind the scenes footage from the shoot for their latest video, Prospect Of Immortality. Find the new footage, as well as the official video, below.

On the single, the band stated: "'Prospect Of Immortality' is a song in which we used an experimental approach of songwriting. In contrast to other material, this song is a lot more atmospheric and doesnt make use of a clear verse/chorus structure. The lyrics are written as a suicide note by a person who can no longer cope with the 24/7 surveillance and human experiments that she is being subjected too. The experiments and lost sense of reality has caused her to believe suicide is the only way out. Trapped inside a continuous cycle of endeavours, she is unable to succeed. The song consists of 5 chapters, each representing a different part of her reality."

Check out the previously released video for Decypher:

Cryptosis are:

Laurens Houvast (vocals/guitar)Frank te Riet (bass/mellotron/backing vocals)Marco Prij (drums)

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CRYPTOSIS Take You Behind The Scenes Of "Prospect Of Immortality" Music Video - bravewords.com

Maradonas divine goal and worthy absurdities – Mint

Posted on November 30, 2020 by Danzig

No goal has riveted eyeballs quite like the Hand of God" one scoredor stolenby Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, whose life was claimed by a heart attack on Wednesday. He was 60, loved for his mastery of the game, admired for his art as much as artifice, and a rare player who could send up a great groan across the globe each time he took a fall, his fandom mostly intact through a run of latter-day addictions (and all that befell him thereafter). The goal for Argentina that appears to have granted him immortality was against England in a 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter- final, a match fraught with the fallout of their 1982 Falklands War, which saw the former fail to wrest control of islands off its coast long held under British colonial rule. On the field that day, Argentina won 2-1, thanks to a ball fisted into the net by a leaping Maradona. Mistaken as a header by the Tunisian referee, the goal was awarded, though our impish master of sleight would later admit divine intervention. It was scored, he said, a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God". It was absurd, of course, but an absurdity that had popular endorsement all the same. For, it was his second goal, struck four minutes later with a delightfully-dribbled run all the way from the Argentine half to the English goalpost that wowed us enough to call it the Goal of the Century" and hail his greatness. That strike alone was seen to be worth two on the scoreboard. Surely, it deserved as much, did it not?

What seems bizarre to some could be just another shrug-and-move-on matter for others. Think of the endless loop of Argentinas sovereign debt, its defaults, and its tango with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). As it happens, the country is back trying to defer its dues to the lender, some $44 billion of it this time, having won an IMF package to avert a default just two years ago. It routinely imports more than it exports, watches its peso fall, sees local prices of imported goods soar, runs short of dollars, has tight-money and fiscal-austerity plans imposed, then reopens public coffers to quell unrest and ends up staring at its next crisis. Arguably, what its economy needs is export competitiveness, a ground-up exercise, rather than periodic fixes of macro policy.

Speaking of absurdity, perhaps the worlds most apparent one nowadays is the price inversion seen in financial markets, where investors have been piling into negative-yield bonds. In effect, borrowers are getting paid to borrow money. As debt issuers, Europe and China have both been beneficiaries of this. A closer look, however, reveals an explanation. For one, it is a direct outcome of the super-cheap lending done by major central banks to stimulate covid-crunched commercial activity. Once official interest rates are pushed to negligible levels, they could drop below zero in real terms anyway (if inflation is higher). For another, market rates on debt can go into the minus zone if theres a rush for overpriced bonds, and there currently exists robust demand for negative-yield paper that is not irrational. Such securities are usually secure, backed as they are by governments, and thus serve as safe havens in uncertain times. They also act as a deflation hedge. Moreover, if downward pressures on rates persist, they can even be sold off for more money. All said, if the usual rules of play can bend so easily in the credit arena, why not in a football stadium?

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Maradonas divine goal and worthy absurdities - Mint

Local librarian lets you in on the secrets of October’s best new books – Kansas City Pitch

Posted on September 30, 2020 by Danzig

Some hits. // Photo by Brock Wilbur

Everything might be terrible outside, but there are still new books. Whether youre looking for some haunt in your Octoberdeals with the devil, creepy neighbors, spirits out for vengeanceor would rather keep your feet squarely in the world of realism, we got you. Heres our most anticipated new novels coming out this month.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (October 6)

If youre a fan of wishes-gone-wrong stories, this new historical fantasy by the prolific V.E. Schwab is or you. The titular LaRues deal with the devil gives her immortality with the cost that no one she meets will remember her for more than a few moments. Until, after centuries of loneliness, someone does. This page-turner, layered with suspense and romance, also is the #1 LibraryReads pick for October, as selected by librarians across the country.

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam (October 6)

A thriller that starts with black owners of a Hamptons Airbnb appearing on the doorstep to their vacationing white guests, amidst some apocalyptic crisis. Prejudices bubble up; tension ripens. Appearing on just about every most-anticipated-books list this fall, the movie rights have already been secured by Netflix, set to star Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington, with Sam Esmail at the helm. Everyone might be talking about this one next year, get ahead of the curve and pick it up now.

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata (October 6)

Natsuki thinks shes adopted, wondering if perhaps her family isnt her real family. She wonders if maybe, in fact, shes not from this Earth at all. This offbeat, psychological coming-of-age story explores how it feels to be an outsider. This is Muratas 12th book, though only the second to be translated into English, after her quirky & well-received novel Convenience Store Woman.

The Searcher by Tana French (October 6)

If youre a fan of slow-burn crime fiction, I probably dont need to tell you about Tana French. But just in case any mystery fans out there havent yet cracked the spine on one of her novels:

Her police procedurals have deeply drawn characters, a dark and disturbing undercurrent, and a richly layered story.

Missionaries by Phil Klay (October 6)

Alright, look: military fiction ranks pretty low on what I want to read. But this book is getting a lot of buzz; it shouldnt be overlooked just for its broad genre label. Klays debut novel won the National Book Award in 2014. The story is said to address the way wars impact the lives of everyone in their proximity. The novel follows a U.S. Special Forces medic, a journalist, a Colombian officer, and a local Colombia militiaman. A.L. Kennedys blurb really sells it: Missionaries is an urgent, detailed, compassionate and quietly furious novel about America and her Forever Wars. Intensely readable, exciting, funny and heartbreakingit will change you. So, fine, maybe Ill read some military fiction. I might even enjoy it.

Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark (October 13)

In this fantastical novella, the history of the Ku Klux Klan is rewritten with a supernatural twist. A Black bootlegger in the 1920s draws upon spirits to seek justice for her family. Recommended for those currently watching Lovecraft Country, where racism shows up as horror unto itself. P. Djeli Clark is a lowkey gem in the world of speculative fiction, winning awards for his short stories and novellas, the most recent of which, Black Gods Drums, is the most bonkers romp of magical alternative history Ive ever read. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow (October 13)

In 1893, in Harrows rich and compelling world, witchcraft has been thoroughly stamped out by witch burnings earlier in the century. As three sisters join the movement for womens suffrage, they also find themselves connecting with magic that had been thought long dead. A fitting release as this year celebrates the centennial of the womens vote in the US, and an enchanting read for those who like sprinklings of history, folklore, and politics in their escapism.

The Cold Millions by Jess Walter (October 27)

Two young train-hopping brothers get involved with the free speech riots in Spokane and fall for a vaudeville singer with a cougar. Jess Walters gritty new novel has a colorful cast of characters bringing the early 20th century to vivid life. I cant say it better than Anthony Doerr: The Cold Millions is a literary unicorn: a book about socioeconomic disparity thats also a page-turner, a postmodern experiment that reads like a potboiler, and a beautiful, lyric hymn to the power of social unrest in American history.

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Local librarian lets you in on the secrets of October's best new books - Kansas City Pitch

Insights Into the Structure and Function of the Immortality Protein – Technology Networks

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Danzig

A key role in studying the telomerase of Hansenula polymorpha was played by KFU's nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer.

"The work frequency of our NMR spectrometer with a cryo sensor is 700 MHz. It can glance into the structure of the most complex biochemical objects and detect how they interact with cell membranes," shares Head of NMR Lab, Professor Vladimir Klochkov.

The telomerase was studied by the Department of Medical Physics (Kazan Federal University) and the Laboratory of Magnetic Spectroscopy and Tomography (Moscow State University).

"Telomerase, as many complex enzymes, is not just a protein molecule, but rather a combination of several subunits. A fragment of one of the subunits, the Est2 protein, was studied by us earlier, and now we studied the structure and functions of Est3," explains co-author, Senior Research Associate Sergey Efimov. "We found out that Est3 is important for the stabilization of the whole protein complex."

Spectroscopy helped understand the spatial structure of Est3 molecules and the interaction between them.

"When molecules interact, you can see a general picture through resonance frequencies and other spectral characteristics of magnetic nuclei in their structure - how proteins contact with each other and the DNA strand, which subunits are responsible for attaching the enzyme to the DNA, and which move the complex along the chain and restore telomeres," adds Efimov.

The analogs of the studied yeast proteins can be found in telomerases of higher organisms, including humans. If scientists create medications to influence particular components in the telomerase to suppress its activities in cancer cells, we will be able to counter the progress of oncological diseases.

"As an organism grows, telomeres become shorter. The purpose is to limit the further division of cells which might have amassed errors in their DNA. Such a limitation does not exist in embryonic and stem cells thanks to the telomerase. This enzyme restores telomeres at the ends of chromosomes. A similar process happens during malignant changes in cells. Telomeres and systems of length control exist in all eukaryotes," concludes Dr. Efimov.

Reference:Shepelev, N.M., Mariasina, S.S., Mantsyzov, A.B. et al. Insights into the structure and function of Est3 from the Hansenula polymorpha telomerase. Sci Rep. 2020;10, 11109. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68107-x.

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

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AgeX Therapeutics and Lineage Cell Therapeutics Announce Expansion of Agreement Related to ESI Clinical-grade Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines for…

Posted on September 10, 2020 by Danzig

ALAMEDA, Calif. & CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. (AgeX: NYSE American: AGE), a company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics for human aging, and Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (Lineage: NYSE American and TASE: LCTX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel cell therapies for unmet medical needs, and ES Cell International Pte Ltd. (ESI), a subsidiary of Lineage, today announced the broadening of their collaborative relationship with regard to ESI stem cell lines. ESI cell lines are current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP)-compatible, registered with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and widely studied as a potential source for the industrial-scale manufacture of any cell type in the human body. Neither party made or received any cash payments in connection with this arrangement.

Both Lineage and AgeX are pioneering important aspects of regenerative medicine. Working together, we have amended our agreement regarding ESI cell lines derived under cGMP to be optimal for the business needs of each company, stated Brian M. Culley, Lineages CEO. In particular, Lineage has acquired exclusivity for the use of ESI cell lines in spinal cord injury and certain oncology indications. On the other hand, AgeX has gained greater flexibility and independence to support its efforts toward licensing certain technologies and cell lines to third parties. With this step complete, we next intend to explore additional opportunities to collaborate with AgeX on promising tissue regenerating projects.

The ESI cell lines are recognized for being the first clinical-grade human pluripotent stem cell lines created under cGMP as described in the publication Cell Stem Cell (2007;1:490-4). It may become possible to generate potentially limitless quantities of all the cell types of the human body from these master cell banks with a wide array of potential therapeutic applications. These cell lines are listed on the NIH Stem Cell Registry and are among the best characterized and documented stem cell lines available globally. Importantly, ESI cells are among only a few pluripotent stem cell lines from which a derived cell therapy product candidate has been granted FDA investigational new drug (IND) clearance to commence human studies.

Key to the creation of shareholder value is the placement of these important assets in the hands of collaborators to advance the development of a vast number of regenerative therapies, said Michael West, Ph.D., AgeXs CEO. Our collaborative relationship with Lineage led to this streamlined process that may facilitate the commercialization of these applications to the benefit of shareholders of each company. Since the beginning of the year, AgeX has entered into new research and commercial arrangements utilizing an array of its technology platforms, such as UniverCyteTM for the engineering of universally transplantable cells, PureStem for the manufacture and derivation of cells, and an ESI cell line as source material for deriving cellular therapeutics.

About AgeX Therapeutics, Inc

AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American: AGE) is focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics for human aging. Its PureStem and UniverCyte manufacturing and immunotolerance technologies are designed to work together to generate highly defined, universal, allogeneic, off-the-shelf pluripotent stem cell-derived young cells of any type for application in a variety of diseases with a high unmet medical need. AgeX has two preclinical cell therapy programs: AGEX-VASC1 (vascular progenitor cells) for tissue ischemia and AGEX-BAT1 (brown fat cells) for Type II diabetes. AgeXs revolutionary longevity platform induced Tissue Regeneration (iTR) aims to unlock cellular immortality and regenerative capacity to reverse age-related changes within tissues. AGEX-iTR1547 is an iTR-based formulation in preclinical development. HyStem is AgeXs delivery technology to stably engraft PureStem cell therapies in the body. AgeXs core product pipeline is intended to extend human healthspan. AgeX is seeking opportunities to establish licensing and collaboration arrangements around its broad IP estate and proprietary technology platforms and therapy product candidates. For more information, please visit http://www.agexinc.com or connect with the company on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

About Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

Lineage Cell Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel cell therapies for unmet medical needs. Lineages programs are based on its robust proprietary cell-based therapy platform and associated in-house development and manufacturing capabilities. With this platform Lineage develops and manufactures specialized, terminally differentiated human cells from its pluripotent and progenitor cell starting materials. These differentiated cells are developed to either replace or support cells that are dysfunctional or absent due to degenerative disease or traumatic injury or administered as a means of helping the body mount an effective immune response to cancer. Lineages clinical programs are in markets with billion dollar opportunities and include three allogeneic (off-the-shelf) product candidates: (i) OpRegen, a retinal pigment epithelium transplant therapy in Phase 1/2a development for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in the developed world; (ii) OPC1, an oligodendrocyte progenitor cell therapy in Phase 1/2a development for the treatment of acute spinal cord injuries; and (iii) VAC, an allogeneic dendritic cell therapy platform for immuno-oncology and infectious disease, currently in clinical development for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and in preclinical development for additional cancers and as a vaccine against infectious diseases, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19. For more information, please visit http://www.lineagecell.com or follow the Company on Twitter @LineageCell.

About ESI

ES Cell International Pte Ltd (ESI). Established in 2000, ESI, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc., developed ESI hESC lines in compliance with the principles of current Good Manufacturing Practices and has made them available to various biopharmaceutical companies, universities and other research institutions, including AgeX. These ESI cell lines are extensively characterized and most of the lines have documented and publicly available genomic sequences.

Forward-Looking Statements for AgeX

Certain statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not historical fact including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as will, believes, plans, anticipates, expects, estimates should also be considered forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Without limitation, such risks include those associated with the use of human pluripotent stem cell lines in the research, development, and use of therapies for the treatment of human diseases, disorders, and injuries, and risks associated with commercializing the pluripotent stem cell lines. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the business of AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. and its respective subsidiaries, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in more detail in the Risk Factors section of its most recent Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commissions (copies of which may be obtained at http://www.sec.gov). Subsequent events and developments may cause these forward-looking statements to change. Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. AgeX specifically disclaims any obligation or intention to update or revise these forward-looking statements as a result of changed events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release, except as required by applicable law.

Forward-Looking Statements for Lineage

Lineage cautions you that all statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, in some cases, can be identified by terms such as believe, may, will, estimate, continue, anticipate, design, intend, expect, could, plan, potential, predict, seek, should, would, contemplate, project, target, tend to, or the negative version of these words and similar expressions. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the potential commercialization of ESI cell lines. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Lineages actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release, including risks and uncertainties inherent in Lineages business and other risks in Lineages filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). Lineages forward-looking statements are based upon its current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included under the heading Risk Factors in Lineages periodic reports with the SEC, including Lineages Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 12, 2020 and its other reports, which are available from the SECs website. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. Lineage undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as required by law.

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AgeX Therapeutics and Lineage Cell Therapeutics Announce Expansion of Agreement Related to ESI Clinical-grade Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines for...

5 reasons why the Incarnations of Immortality books would make a great series – Winter is Coming

Posted on September 10, 2020 by Danzig

Image: On a Pale Horse/ Del Rey Books

Piers Anthonys Incarnations of Immortalityseries may not be for everyone, but as more content creators look for ways to woo viewers, this eight-book saga could give the right network season after season of excellent content.

Incarnations of Immortalityexplores the realms that lie beyond our everyday lives. We cant see them, but theyre where immortal agents engage in an eternal battle between good and evil. Each book covers a different supernatural office, with different mortals being drafted to fulfill these roles over time. The offices are Death, Time, Fate, War, Mother Nature, Satan, God and Night. This is a series that will grip you early and surprise you at the end.

But before we get to why this series work so well on TV, lets find out who these immortals are. Throughout the series, we learn how these beings become immortal.On a Pale Horse, which came out in 1983, tells the story of Death, who roams the world collecting souls and balancing the scales of good and evil to determine their fate in the eternal realms.

Bearing an Hour Glasstells us the story of Time, who lives his life backward, knowing the future but not the past.

With a Tangled Skeinintroduces us to Fate, she who controls the threads of mortal life, and immortal life as well.

Wielding a Red Sword introduces us to War, the incarnation of immortality who feeds souls to Death, and lives to coax men to evil deeds.

Our last Immortal is Mother Nature, whom we meet in Being a Green Mother. The other Immortals trust her, possibly at their peril.

The final two books in the series, For Love of Evil and And Eternity(1990) bring us face to face with Satan and God respectively, but with a twist. (Theres also a final book,Under a Velvet Cloak, which came out in 2007, but it has a different setting probably wouldnt be adapted as part of the main series.)

So those are the basics. Why are these books so ripe for adaptation?

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5 reasons why the Incarnations of Immortality books would make a great series - Winter is Coming

Dragon Ball Z: The 10 Best Vegeta Episodes, According to IMDb – Screen Rant

Posted on August 28, 2020 by Danzig

Vegeta has proven to be one of Dragon Ball's best characters. Here's what IMDb says are his best episodes.

Starting out as a major villain in the series, Vegeta has received some of the most significant character development of any character in all of Dragon Ball Z. He became a central member of Earths Special Forces and fathered fan favorite character Trunks, whom would travel back in time saving the Earth and its people from a dark deadly fate.

RELATED:10 Best Dragon Ball Movies, Ranked According To IMDb

When he first arrives on the scene, we learn that Vegeta is in fact the prince of the Saiyan race, seeking to gain immortality from the Dragon Balls. These days Vegeta, along with Goku are the central figures of modern Dragon Ball with the most recent film, Dragon Ball Super: Broly, further exploring the backstory of the character.

These are the top ten Vegeta heavy episodes, as rated by the users on IMDb.

In this episode, Vegeta battles Android 19, fairing infinitely better than Goku did. The remaining Z Fighters and Dr. Gero watch from the sidelines as Vegeta rips off the Androids hands, taking away his energy absorbing ability. As 19 attempts to run from the battlefield, Vegeta launches a Big Bang Attack which obliterates the Android.

Vegeta than approaches Android 20 and challenges him but the Android flees. Vegeta advises the others to leave and goes after Android 20 alone, however Piccolo and the others give chase anyway. Growing frustrated when he cant locate 20, Vegeta attempts to blast away the entire area, but 20 absorbs the energy instead.

Jumping ahead to the Babidi Saga, Vegeta takes on Pui Pui inside Babidis spaceship. As the battle rages on, the characters find themselves transported to Pui Puis home planet, designed to give him an advantage. An overly confident Pui Pui remarks on how his planets gravity is ten times that of Earth. The effort is proven fruitless as Vegeta explains he doesn't even feel it and is more than capable to handle the gravity of the planet.

RELATED:Dragon Ball: Vegeta's 10 Best Transformations In History

Pui Pui charges Vegeta, who disappears and reappears in front ofhim, blastingPui Pui to smithereens.After the battle, the group are returned to the spaceship and the door to the next level opens. The episode shifts back to the World Martial Arts Tournament, showing Goten and Trunks posing as Mighty Mask in the adult division.

After being returned to Babidis spaceship, Supreme Kai soon realizes that Vegeta is new recruit that Dabura was referring to. Vegeta feels something attacking him from the inside as Babidi gains control of his mind. When the process ends, Vegeta sports a large M on his forehead and exhibits a more violent persona.

RELATED:Dragon Ball: 10 Strongest Opponents Faced By Goku, Ranked

The group is then transported by Babidi to the World Martial Arts Tournament, where Vegeta blows a hole in the stadium stands, killing many of the spectators. Goku watches on in horror, witnessing a version of Vegeta long since dead, come back to life. Vegeta stares back at Goku, a large evil smile wiped across his face.

Continuing on from the previous episode, Vegeta shocks everyone watching from the sidelines as he makes short work of Buu. Piccolo, takes noteof Vegeta having become more powerful than Gohan was when he fought Cell. However, no matter how much damage Buu receives, his regeneration abilities allow him to keep coming back.

An enraged Buu then detaches a portion of his own body and uses it to create a bind which wraps itself aroundVegeta, trapping him and applying enormous pressure, almost crushing him. Buu thenproceeds to pummel the Saiyan in revenge for his previous efforts.

As the heart virus starts to attack Goku from the inside, Android 19 deals damage from the outside. The Z fighters attempt to assist their friend but 20 intervenes, forcing them back. 19 starts to drain the energy from Goku and as he does, Vegeta delivers a massive kick to 19s head.

RELATED:Dragon Ball Z: The 10 Best Episodes, According to IMDb

Thanks to Vegeta, Yamcha is able to take Goku home to give him the antidote. Surprising everyone again, Vegeta than transforms into a Super Saiyan. He goes into depths about his training to get there and when he finally reached a breaking point at being unable to surpass Goku, he was finally able to transform.

Vegeta and Goku begin their long overdue rematch in the deserted battleground requested by Goku. The two titans clash, delivering tremendous damage to each other which will ultimately fuel the energy needed to fuel Majin Buus revival.

Vegeta starts to gain the upper hand in the fight, with Goku experiencing he full effects of his seven year training. It is here where Vegeta reveals (via flashbacks) all the times he has felt humiliated by Goku and how it is now time for the tables to turn and for Vegeta to gain his honor back.

Vegeta and Goku stare each other down in the middle of the ring, as shocked onlookers from the World Martial Arts Tournament watch in horror. Goku realizes that Vegeta allowed Babidi to take control of him. Vegeta then proceeds to blow up another part of the arena, killing more spectators.

RELATED:Dragon Ball: 10 Best Episodes of the Original Anime, According to IMDb

Vegeta challenges Goku to fight, which he reluctantly agrees but requests Babidi move them to a place away from people. However, the Supreme Kai steps in and tries to stop the two from engaging in combat. When Goku threatens the Kai with an energy blast, he concedes. The group is then transported to a barren wasteland where Vegeta and Goku begin their fight, whilst Gohan along with the Supreme Kai attempt to stop Buu from hatching.

This episode picks from the previous, where Vegeta killed Nappa for disappointing him in his fight against Goku. In true Goku fashion, he requests the two move to a more remote location and orders Krillin and Gohan to return to Kame House.

Vegeta and Goku face off on their new battleground, with Gokus abilities catching the Saiyan prince off guard. However, Vegeta is able to match Gokus rise in strength and starts to dominate the fight. The prince begins to mock Goku, believing that he is truly the superior fighter. Unknown to Vegeta though, is Gokus secret weapon, Kaio-ken times three.

In the midst of the Frieza saga, a cocky Vegeta gets his comeuppance from disobeying his former leader, Frieza. Now in his final (or natural) form, the tyrant delivers a horrific beating onto the Saiyan prince. As Frieza prepares the death blow, Goku appears, now fully recovered from his battle against Ginyu.

RELATED:10 Important Details You Didnt Know About Goku & Vegetas Friendship

Vegeta comes to the conclusion that Goku has now become a Super Saiyan and begins to taunt Frieza. This leads to Vegeta receiving a death beam straight through the chest. As he slowly dies Vegeta warns Goku not to show any mercy to Frieza. He explains the past tragedies inflicted upon himself and the Saiyan race at the hands of Frieza before finally passing away.

Trunks and Goten attack Buu, managing to rescue Vegeta. Vegeta then hugs Trunks before knocking him and Goten out. Piccolo collects the two boys, as Vegeta asks him to take them far away from the battlefield. Aware that Vegeta plans on killing himself to defeat Buu, Piccolo does as requested.

Vegeta asks Piccolo if he will see Goku in the next life, however Piccolo informs Vegeta that his life of evil deeds would result in a different version of the afterlife for him. After Piccolo leaves, Vegeta taunts Buu and puts his plan into motion, amassing an enormous amount of energy to turn himself into an explosion.

NEXT:Dragon Ball Super: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Vegeta's Super Saiyan God Form

Next Bleach: 10 Things To Expect During The Thousand-Year Blood War Arc Based On The Manga

Tim Mason Scott is an Australian based writer holding a Masters in Writing from Swinburne University of Technology. He has a passion for telling stories and enjoys the process of seeing projects come together. Before Screen Rant, he wrote short stories and screenplays for UK Publisher Forge & Flint. He is a massive movie and television fan across all genres. Some of his favorite films and shows include Dragon Ball, Animal Kingdom, The Walking Dead, Shameless, One Piece, Batman and Superman.

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Dragon Ball Z: The 10 Best Vegeta Episodes, According to IMDb - Screen Rant

Moussa Dembele and the YouTube obsession that has Celtic icon on verge of Champions League immortality – Daily Record

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Danzig

Lyon striker Moussa Dembele studied football greats Gabriel Batistuta and and Marco Van Basten continuously in his pursuit of striking perfection.

The former Celtic hero is 90 minutes away from the Champions League Final after his deadly double against Manchester City set up a showdown with Bayern Munich.

And now the Daily Mail have lifted the lid on what makes the 24-year-old tick as his obsession with striking legends old and new are being used on his quest for greatness.

Dembele would mimic the movements of Van Basten and Batistuta after spending hours watching them on YouTube during his Fulham days and now uses modern day legends Luis Suarez and Robert Lewandowski as inspiration.

And the Hoops hero now has the chance to compete against Bayern Munich's Polish goal machine as both sides are set to do battle for the right to meet Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.

Dembele was left gutted after being left on the bench against City but his epic 15-minute cameo has only added to the 60m-rated star's reputation.

The likes of Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal remain long-term admirers of a player who has scored 24 goals in all competitions this season.

And the France U21 star will be expecting a different welcome from the Premier League big-hitters the next time he sits down for transfer discussions.

The Mail state Spurs chief Daniel Levy was dressed in a hoodie and tracksuit bottoms during discussions over a switch to North London back in 2016.

That deal collapsed and Brendan Rodgers convinced him on a switch to Glasgow that summer and the rest is history.

Dembele and his advisors have carefully plotted his career as they refuse to be rushed over their big move and the man of the moment now has the chance to showcase his abilities on the grandest stage.

And that's good news for his former team Celtic who will hope a transfer bidding war takes place due to their 10 per cent sell-on fee.

Original name of Africa and how it got its current name – Pulse Nigeria

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Danzig

Africa is the second-largest and second most populated continent after Asia. The continent covers over 11.7 million miles squared, and to over 1.2 billion people, the word Africa is synonymous to home. It boasts of an unmatched linguistic, ethnic and cultural variety among these people.

The population accounts for about 16% of the world's populace. Despite all you may know about the continent, do you ever ask yourself questions such as what was Africa called in ancient times? Or was Africa called Asia? And many other queries of this sort? Well, the origin of the continent's identity remains a mystery.

READ ALSO: Pilot turns motorbike food delivery man as planes cant fly due to COVID-19

What was Africa called before Africa?

The Kemetic or Alkebulan history of Afrika suggests that the ancient name of the continent was Alkebulan. The word Alkebu-Ian is the oldest and the only word of indigenous origin. Alkebulan meaning the garden of Eden or the mother of mankind.

The word Africa came into existence in the late 17th century. Initially, it was used to only refer to the northern part of the continent. Around that time, the continent had been colonized, and the Europeans ruled over its people as slaves. They influenced the change of identity from Alkebulan to its present name.

What is the other name of Africa?

Before the European settled for the word Africa, the continent was called many other names. They include Corphye, Ortegia, Libya, and Ethiopia.

Other names such as the land of Ham (Ham means dark skins), mother of mankind, the garden of Eden, dark or black continent, Kingdom in the sky, and the land of cush or kesh (referring to the Cushites who were ancient Ethiopian) were used.

Why is Africa called Africa?

There exist many theories explaining the origin of the name of this continent. At the time of writing, no one knows the source for sure. However, the theories below shed some light on how this second largest continent with the second largest population acquired its befitting name.

READ ALSO: Woman poisons her 4 children to death, shares their photos on a family WhatsApp group

Some scholars believe that the word originated from the Romans. According to this school of thought, the Romans discovered a land opposite the Mediterranean and named it after the Berber tribe residing within the Carnage area, presently referred to as Tunisia. The tribe's name was Afri, and the Romans gave the name Africa meaning the land of the Afri.

Some believe that the name was coiled from the continent's climate. According to this theory, the word is a derivation aphrike, a Greek word that means a land free from cold and horror. Alternatively, it could be a variation of the Roman word aprica, which means sunny, or even the Phoenician word afar, which means dust.

There is a suggestion that the name came far afield. It was brought by the Indian traders, who entered the continent through the Horn of Africa.

In Hindi, the word apara means comes after. Geographically, this can be interpreted to mean a place to the west.

Another fundamental theory claims that the continent derived its name from Africus. Africus is a Yemenite chieftain who invaded the northern part in the second millennium BC.

READ ALSO: Some doctors took off her womb after delivery; I dont have a womb - Nana Yaa Brefo

It is argued that he settled on his conquered land and named it Afrikyah. Because of his insatiable desire for immortality, he ordered the world continent to be named after him.

Another school of thought suggests that the name is derived from two Phoenician words friqi and pharika. The words mean corns and fruits when translated. Hypothetically, the Phoenician christened the continent as the land of corns and fruits.

There is little or no certainty on the source or meaning of the continent's name. Several scholars have tried to explain the origin of the word, but none is convincingly correct. However, the original name of Africa was Alkebulan.

Source: Tuko.com.ke

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Original name of Africa and how it got its current name - Pulse Nigeria

Haggerty: Who’s next for B’s when it comes to the Hall of Fame? – Comcast SportsNet New England

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Danzig

The Bruins have been pretty darn fortunate over the last 15 years.

It started with the Bs signing defenseman Zdeno Chara away from the Ottawa Senators in free agency, and its been an impressive run since then with 11 playoff appearances, two Presidents'Trophies, three appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, and of course hoisting the Cup in 2011. With all that success comes Hall-of-Fameplayers right along.

The Bruins had another extended member of that group gain induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame this week when Jarome Iginla was named HOF-worthy. Iginla played just a single season with the Black and Gold, but it was a memorable one. Iggy joins Mark Recchi as Bs HOF players from this current core groups run after he was inducted a couple of years ago as well. And certainly, Jaromir Jagr will join them in the near future after his time with Boston during the 2013 run to the Cup Final.

But it wont just be about some of the veteran additions along the way for the Bruins, either.They will have at least a couple, if not even more, Hall of Famers from their core group when the current run is over.

Get the latest news and analysis on all of your teams from NBC Sports Bostonby downloading the My Teams App

Heres a look at the current Bruins team and the Hall of Fame chances of some of the more prominent players on their roster:

A no-brainer at this point, the Bruins captain will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in one of the first few years hes under consideration. The capper for him was becoming just the second European born-and-raised captain to win the Stanley Cup in 2011 and putting a Norris Trophy on his defenseman resume in 2009.

Chara is a seven-time All-Star and won the Mark Messier leadership award in 2011, and is the greatest shutdown defenseman of his generation as a 6-foot-9 intimidator. Chara just feels like a Hall of Fame legend too when you consider hes the tallest player to ever suit up in the NHL at 6-foot-9, hes played into his forties and he was a Norris Trophy finalist indicating his dominance over a long stretch of time.

He still holds the all-time hardest shot in NHL history at 108.8 mph and is something of a Paul Bunyan character that people will be talking about long after hes retired. At this point, Chara has played over 1,000 games as the captain for the Black and Gold and is still moving up the charts in all-time games played (15thwith 1,553), all-time playoffs games played (35thwith 182) and plus/minus (32ndall-time with a plus-288 mark). He should be the next Bs player inducted into the Hall of Fame, unless you count Jaromir Jagr after his short stint in 2013.

HOF Verdict: Hes in.

Another Hockey Hall of Fame sure thing at this point, Bergeron has withstood the test of time to become one of the best players to come out of his talented 2003 NHL Draft class along with Eric Staal, Ryan Getzlaf, Joe Pavelski, Marc-Andre Fleury, Brent Burns and Ryan Suter.

Bergeron was a second-round pick in that draft, but he jumped into the NHL as the leagues youngest player at 18 years old and has been the best two-way center of his generation. Bergeron has four Selke Trophies to tie Bob Gainey for the most in NHL history, won a Stanley Cup in 2011 and has been of the great winners of his generation with a Cup, a couple of Olympic gold medals, a world junior championship and a World Cup title on his hockey resume.

Aside from the defense, Bergeron also has 352 goals and 869 points in 1,089 games and still has at least a couple more years in the back end of his NHL prime to stockpile numbers and awards. Beyond the on-ice accomplishments, Bergeron is one of the classiest players in the league and one of the most respected by his peers across the league. Hell also end up being a lifelong Bruins when its all said and done, which is becoming a rarity in this day and age of sports.It will be an easy discussion when it's his turn to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

HOF Verdict: Hes in.

The all-time winningest goalie in Bruins history has parlayed his considerable talent, quality teams around him, and longevity to become the best regular season goalie in franchise history.

Rask has the most games played (536), the most wins (291), the most saves (13,711), and the best save percentage (.922) in Bruinshistory. Rask ranks seventh all-time in NHL history with a .9268 save percentage in the playoffs and is the active leader among all NHL goalies with a .9218 career save percentage. He ranks third all-time behind just Dominik Hasek and Johnny Bower, who are both Hall of Famers, and has a 2014 Vezina Trophy to his credit.

Rask has one Jennings Trophy and one All-Star appearance, but presumably will get his second Vezina Trophy finalist honor this season when the names are released. Rask is still just 39thall-time with the 291 wins, however, and 30thall-time with his 50 career shutouts. The fact hes just 33 years old and seemingly still on top of his game means he could add substantially to his numbers if he keeps on playing and the save percentage is already HOF-worthy at this point.

Still, hes fallen short in some big moments in the Stanley Cup Final and that is going to stick with Hall of Fame voters when compared against other goalies that are the opposite with average stats/multiple Cups like Marc-Andre Fleury for instance. His only time as a Cup winner was when he didnt play in a game while watching Tim Thomas have a playoff run for the ages where he did all the things Rask hasnt yet been able to do in the postseason. Tough call.

HOF Verdict: Hes not in unless he wins a Cup as the No. 1 guy.

It might have been crazy to think at points earlier in his NHL career that Brad Marchand had a chance at the Hockey Hall of Fame, but its certainly possible if he continues to produce at his current level for another five years or so.

Marchand now has scored 290 goals in his NHL career and only Johnny Bucyk, Phil Esposito, Rick Middleton, Ray Bourque, Patrice Bergeron and Cam Neely have scored more in Black and Gold. All but Middleton either are Hall of Famers or will be someday. Marchand leads all Bruins players in franchise history with 27 shorthanded goals and has the most of any player in the NHL since he broke into the league back in the 2010-11 NHL season. Marchand has a Stanley Cup on his resume, hes been named an All-Star twice in his career and he had a top-5 finish in the Hart Trophy voting last season.

Marchand will get his share of Hart Trophy votes again this year and now has 290 goals and 646 points in 751 games. Hehas even cleaned up his on-ice act in the last few seasons and has avoided any suspensions as well. A career full of fines and suspensions may end up detracting from his candidacy and hes definitely made some enemies around the league that may try to deny him hockey immortality. But a few more seasons of 30 plus goals and 90 plus points could make it difficult to keep him out, and at 31 years old that is a very reachable goal.

Hes one of the best players in the NHL and one of the most notorious players of his generation, and those players turn into qualified HOF candidates. An NHL award or two or another Stanley Cup title could help put him over the top when it comes to consideration.

HOF Verdict: A few more great years could make this happen.

Certainly, Patrice Bergeron gets a lot of the credit as Bostons top center, but David Krejci has quietly been a dominant force down the middle as well. Krejci has 207 goals and 686 points in 911 games and is now eighth all-time on the Bruins franchise list for points (686), seventh with 911 games played and eighth with 479 career assists.

Both Krejci and Patrice Bergeron are in the top-100 of all-time NHL players when it comes to playoff points (103) and Krejci led all NHL players in points in both the 2011 and 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs. Krejci centered Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic during those golden years for the Bruins and in the last few years its been more of the playmaking center driving the Bs second line with interchangeable wingers.

Krejci had one of his best seasons in a few years two seasons ago with 20 goals and 73 points, but injuries have slowed him down at times over the last few seasons. Krejci has received some votes for the Lady Byng and the Selke Trophy in the past along with some All-Star voters thrown his way, but hes never been in serious contention for any of the NHL Awards.

HOF Verdict: A very good player in Bruins history that wont be Hall of Fame-worthy.

The 28-year-old Krug has been one of the most prolific offensive defensemen during his career with the Bruins and his numbers stack up favorably with players like Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns and Roman Josi over the last few seasons.

Krug has 67 goals and 337 points in 523 career games and has made himself into a top-4 defenseman for the Bruins despite his 5-foot-8 height. Hes going to get paid one way or the other as he moves toward unrestricted free agency following this season, and thats a tribute to the offensive D-man/power play quarterback that hes turned himself into. But hes also been a minus player in three of the last four seasons and his zero plus/minus ranking last year was the only one not in the negative.

Hes received Norris Trophy votes just once in his NHL career and finished fourth in Calder Trophy voting as a rookie in his best showing for an award. Krugdoes have 11 goals and 46 points in 62 career playoff games and has been a stellar performer when hes been healthy in the postseason. He was one of Bostons strongest Conn Smythe candidates had the Bs won the Cup last June, but instead, Krug and the Bs have been on the losing end of both Stanley Cup Final appearances since hes been with the team.

Krug is still in his last twenties and should be productive for another five years or more, so the final numbers could be really impressive for him when its all said and done.

HOF Verdict: Another very good player for the Bruins thats a level or two below the Hall of Fame.

David Pastrnak

Like Patrice Bergeron before him, David Pastrnak was the youngest player in the NHL during his rookie season in the league. So hes got a chance to put up some massive numbers before hes all done and already has 180 goals and 379 points in 390 games over six seasons.

He was on track for 50 plus goals and 100 plus points this season and he should be in that range for at least another 5-10 seasons at just 23 years old. Pastrnak finished with his first Rocket Richard Trophy this season while leading the NHL in goals, the first and only Bruins player to do that since Hall of Famer Phil Esposito in the mid-1970s. Pastrnak should get heavy consideration for the Hart Trophy this season as well and that should kick off years of scoring, awards, All-Star honors and other things to go along with seeking his first Stanley Cup as well.

Pastrnak also has 17 goals and 43 points in 42 career Stanley Cup playoff games and broke a Wayne Gretzky-record as the youngest player with a six-point playoff game on his postseason resume a couple of seasons ago. Pastrnak will need a long stretch of greatness, some good luck and good Bruins teams around him, but everything is set up for him to become one of the greatest Bruins players of all-time given his youth, his makeup and his elite talent level.

HOF Verdict: Hes well on his way if he fulfills his vast potential.

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Haggerty: Who's next for B's when it comes to the Hall of Fame? - Comcast SportsNet New England

Its Negligence: Young People Hosting Coronavirus Parties, Betting On Who Gets Infected First – CBS Pittsburgh

Posted on July 4, 2020 by Danzig

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) Some young people have been throwing coronavirus parties, a gathering where people who have COVID-19 attend.

The goal for the guests? To win money by being the first to be infected.

Its so alarming, says Dr. Brian Lamb, a primary care internist at the Allegheny Health Network, flaunting what they feel is their immortality.

With a coronavirus infection, many young, otherwise healthy people, only have mild symptoms but some have a severe illness.

We dont know whos going to have the severe reaction, said Dr. James Deangelo of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Associates.

Thirty-eight percent of those sick enough to be hospitalized are younger than 55 years old. For people ages 20 to 44, four percent of those hospitalized die.

A young person from Penn State who died of complications from coronavirus, says Dr. Lamb. You dont want to get this disease.

The big problem with young people getting coronavirus and not having significant symptoms is they can spread it to others and not realize it.

You now have exposure at a party, you go home, you infect your sibling, your parents, grandparents, says Dr. Deangelo.

People who are actually going to get sick from it, added Dr. Lamb.

Somewhere down the line, theres a death, says Dr. Deangelo, Its negligence.

And if you get invited to this kind of party?

I would decline, and quite frankly, I would report it, Dr. Deangelo says. I do think the health department should listen if you hear about such a party taking place.

You really need to rethink your friend circle, Dr. Lamb recommends. Are these people that are making the best decisions in their lives? Are these people I want to be friends with? Are these people I want to associate with?

In Allegheny County in the last 10 days of June, seven of the people hospitalized were in their 20s and 30s.

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Its Negligence: Young People Hosting Coronavirus Parties, Betting On Who Gets Infected First - CBS Pittsburgh

Will The Mob alone decide which images stand? – theday.com

Posted on June 24, 2020 by Danzig

Is it art, adoration, or history?

There are thousands of monuments scattered across the American landscape, ranging from the exquisite beauty of Lady Liberty to the awe-inspiring magnitude of Mount Rushmore. These statues and sculptures are comparable to a giant jigsaw puzzle looking back in time, with each piece telling a critical story of this nation's history. Remove or lose some pieces and you can never accurately portray the picture on the cover of the box.

What makes someone's life-work worthy of being memorialized? Is it an unblemished lifetime devoted to heroism, philanthropy, bravery, altruism, genius, or a lineage of decisively positive history-altering leadership? Would you need to possess multiple combinations of these attributes in order to be considered "Monument-Worthy"?

It would seem Herculean for a mere mortal to reach mystical qualities laudable for canonization, but clearly our forefathers freely handed out that honor. For generations these bronze images and slabs of granite, limestone, or marble have enjoyed a wide breadth of leniency.

No longer. The cries are coming from the streets. Tear them down.

So, what horrific deed of hypocrisy, what misstep of justice, past or present, would cause a former hero to shed his or her paladin stature, to watch it eroded and decay into dust? What toxic unforgivable transgression, in some cases centuries old, would be on the resum pointing to the end of his or her bronze immortality? Terms like betrayal, treason, cowardice, infidelity, and brutality may strip past idols of their statue worthiness.

But who is the final arbiter of truth deciding what monuments live and what monuments die? The answer so far: The Mob. Not the organized-crime mob, but the disorderly multitudes, the intent-on- causing-trouble-and-damaging-property mob. The Mob is in a hurry to right the perceived wrongs and lay waste to the eyesores of their injustices. The Mob has their sledgehammers ready; the only question is what will they smash next?

To date, hundreds of Confederate statues have been destroyed, vandalized, removed, but that's just the beginning. The George Washington monument in Baltimores Druid Hill Park was defaced with red paint and graffiti featuring the poetic affirmations of, Destroy Racists and Black Lives Matters.

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City will remove a statue of former president Theodore Roosevelt from outside its main entrance amid criticisms that it's racially insensitive. A World War II monument was defaced in North Carolina, while protesters in San Francisco toppled statues of Francis Scott Key, and President Ulysses S. Grant. In case you were curious, Grant led the Union Army as the commanding general winning the American Civil War ultimately freeing the slaves. It would seem if The Mob were to find a statue "monument worthy," it would be Grants.

Here in our little haven by the Thames, the Whaling City Mob had their own coup. With the sun barely breaching the horizon, Mayor Mike Passero gave the order to remove the one-time Italian icon Christopher Columbus splashed in red paint sprayed by vandals from his perch at Bank and Blinman streets. Thus ended over 90 years of the "Master Navigator" gazing out at New London.

The blue tarp covering his head was eerily similar to a convicted criminal's final perp walk to the gallows. Silently and slowly, "Colombo was lowered on a flatbed and shipped off to an undisclosed warehouse to await extradition. A few days later the council swung the blade and in a 6-0 vote banished Columbus forever from New London public land.

The New London Police Department, the newest trailblazer in progressive leniency, announced it would ignore video evidence and will not be charging people connected to recent incidents of criminal mischief, including repeated vandalism of the Columbus statue as well as, in the same protests, damage to a police cruiser and a substation. Shame on the police brass for caving to The Mob and bowing to the cowardice of political correctness.

How far are we willing to go with dismantling our history to appease The Mob? It may seem clear cut to the left, shattering the likenesses of Columbus, Robert E. Lee or Stonewall Jackson. Send them to the museums.

But what happens when the sledgehammers strike at the images of those who formed the very foundation on which our self-governance was built? Are you ready to bulldoze the Jefferson Memorial or topple the Washington Monument? I, for one, am not ready for that!

So where is the line going to be drawn and who decides? It shouldnt all be left up to The Mob.

Lee Elci is the morning host for 94.9 News Now radio, a station that provides "Stimulating Talk" with a conservative bent.

Original post:
Will The Mob alone decide which images stand? - theday.com

The Next Jeep Easter Egg contest awards immortality and a free Jeep – Autoblog

Posted on June 24, 2020 by Danzig

Today we offer further proof that our enthusiast bubble is distinct from, and only slightly overlaps with, the world of the average car consumer. Sometime around early May, Jeep owners not Jeepers, but consumers who ended up with a Jeep began flooding TikTok with videos of shock, surprise, and delight about the Easter Eggs on their vehicles. A lot of owners had no idea about the hidden treats, and even when they saw them, didn't realize they were intentional. A commenter on a Buzzfeed article about the TikTok trend called the Easter Egg on her Compass "a little snake on the back window," the next commenter saying she has "a little squiggle" on her Compass and she "thought it was just some weird piece of plastic or something." That snake and squiggle is the Loch Ness Monster. And her name is Nessie. And not even this Jeep dealer knows why she's there.

The Buzzfeed writer called the silhouette on the back of a Renegade "some kind of primate." Understandable to someone who doesn't dabble in these things. But... ahem. That primate is Sasquatch. And his name is Darryl.

A site called Hot Cars wrote about the "17 Clever Easter Eggs in Jeeps we didn't even Notice" in April 2019. Yet after the vids started going nuts on TikTok, some clips getting more than four million views, the treats have been written up in Car and Driver, Insider (the general interest umbrella over Business Insider), and USA Today. So imagine the coincidence that Jeep has just announced a contest called The Next Jeep Easter Egg to create a graphic bauble for a future Jeep.

The contest is open now and runs until 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time July 2. During the month, a panel of Jeep designers and execs will judge the entries, the winner to be announced on July 31. Entries will be evaluated by four criteria: Originality, compelling message, clarity and ease-of-use, and adherence to the Jeep brand. For a primer on the goof that began with the 2011 Grand Cherokee, C/D assembled a gallery of 17 Easter Eggs found just on the Renegade.

The only necessary qualifications to enter are being over 18 and a resident of the 50 states or Washington, D.C. The winner gets a brand new Jeep of their choice with a value of up to $50,000, and the chance to have their creation appear someday on some Jeep. Get thinking, and submit your ideas at The Next Jeep Easter Egg.

A battle to defend the soul of football: How Spain achieved immortality at the 2010 World Cup – The Independent

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Danzig

When the final whistle went on South Africa 2010, Andres Iniesta fell to his knees and raised his arms in glory.

In that moment, youre crying like youve never cried before.

Thats what it meant, that feeling of being able to call yourself a World Cup winner, but not all it meant. Elsewhere on the Soccer City pitch, Xavi more of the ideologue, some would say more sanctimonious recalls a feeling of satisfaction.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

It is a sense of having done something good for football, not just that Spain won and we made people happy, the midfielder told the late Michael Robinson. It was a feeling to be able to say that weve marked an era.

That is undeniably true for Spain, whose victory in South Africa was the greatest of their three trophies in that historic run, and proclaimed them as probably the greatest international team in history. As regards that era of international football in general, though, its a bit more open to debate.

While South Africa 2010 was a momentous World Cup for its wider context, it was instantly forgettable in terms of the football. A mostly defensive tournament was the second-lowest scoring in history, with just 2.23 goals a game, only ahead of Italia 90.

It does feel a contradiction that the greatest ever international side rose to a peak in what was a nadir for the level.

Many might say Spain themselves contributed to this, given a minimalist run of results that read: 0-1, 2-0, 2-1, 1-0, 1-0, 1-0, 1-0. They were the lowest-scoring World Cup winners.

That is a somewhat superficial reading itself, though one that overlooks the context, which involved a lot more than a contradiction.

South Africa 2010 happened at a historical crossroads in football, too.

It marked the end of a shift, which started with the 1999 expansion of the Champions League, where club football became the highest level of the game. International sides had generally not been capable of the same integration, the same cohesion, the same ideas. The top players were adjusting to an inferior level of play.

Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola influenced Spains football (AFP via Getty Images)

This wasnt the case with Spain. They were effectively a club team, since they were dominated by Barcelona players, and integrated into a sophisticated possession-pressing approach that had also become the national style.

That approach, of which Pep Guardiola was the high priest, had sparked a tactical revolution in football.

The game was being turned on its head as Barca and Spain were lifting almost every trophy above their heads. High possession percentages translated into high win percentages as Spain went undefeated for 35 matches. The football was often spectacular. Spain had joyously flowed at Euro 2008, and in pretty much every game right up to the start of that World Cup.

That was a key period, because it was also when we saw the single most successful response to this so movement far. That was the other extreme, in one of the most intense Champions League ties ever played. That was when Jose Mourinhos Internazionale willingly relinquished the ball, the space and the initiative to Barcelona to try and just sit deep and counter.

It worked by the slimmest of margins, but had a mass effect of its own. This temporarily became the template to tackle Barcelona and Spain. It conditioned that entire World Cup, and was the question before every Spanish match.

A couple of days before the final, I was asked: Can we [Holland] stop Spain playing in the way which allowed Jose Mourinhos Inter to eliminate Barca from the Champions League semi-final? wrote Johan Cruyff the prophet in all this.

It meant that South Africa 2010s finest team were usually involved in its most attritional games. There was also the issue that the general shift in football meant a defensive approach was far easier to impose on a disparate group of players. It was similarly less risky and more logical against a team that would kill you given the space. Switzerland showed this in the very first match and again, just about got the result.

By the final, Xavi was talking exasperatedly about how there was never any space within 30 metres of the opposition goal.

Spain and especially Spanish supporters became victims of their own success. It was because they were so good that their games now became so nerve-shredding. The opposition had few other options. They certainly wouldnt have the ball. Its probable that this conditioned Spain, too.

Vicente Del Bosque had already been conscious of how the approachs necessary high line had been susceptible to quick counter-attacks. It had the potential to become a glass jaw, but was generally well worth the risks, given the rewards.

Del Bosque had already developed a drill where one centre-half and a goalkeeper would work on counters against three attackers. That would prove decisive.

To mitigate against it further, though, Del Bosque moved away from Luis Aragones more open midfield from Euro 2008 and introduced a second pivot. Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets would now share the work previously done by Marcos Senna alone, with Xavi pushed forward. That removed some of the thrust from Spanish passing, and may have moved Xavi away from his best position. They were still commanding, but werent quite as fluid.

One argument is that it made their possession more pragmatic, less proactive. That is possible, but it is difficult to disentangle that from games where long stretches would be spent with Spain trying to unravel deeply woven backlines. They insisted they were the ones still trying to impose their game, to make the play.

David Villas role in Spains triumph is often overlooked (AFP via Getty Images)

I think we are involved in a battle to defend the soul of football, Xavi said. Thats the only way I know how to play.

That opening defeat to Switzerland also ensured every game thereafter was sudden death. Those were the stakes. The squad were keenly aware that anything less than victory and especially Spains usual early exit would be shamefully wasting a historic opportunity.

I had never in my life felt so nervous as against Honduras, Iker Casillas said.

They won that game 2-0, when it should have been 6-0, ensuring there was the same feeling before the Chile match.

The hours before that game were the most nervous I can recall since I joined the national side, David Villa told Graham Hunter.

That suffocating tension could be felt in every match.

Villa was one big reason it was eased. There is an argument the striker was Spains most important player, maybe even beyond Xavi and Iniesta. Xavi defined and set the entire style, with Iniesta continuing and enhancing it, but what was so distinctive about Villa was that he fit it but was still so different. He ensured the possession had true penetration. He was the sharpest edge amid so much smoothness. Villa scored the decisive goals for four successive games, from that match against Honduras to the battle of a quarter-final against Paraguay.

It is no coincidence that Spains best performance by far came against the next best team, in the semi-final against Germany. That wasnt just a case of rising to the occasion. It was also that Germany tried to play them on their terms, which played into Spains feet.

Joachim Lows side just werent quite ready for it. The German coach admitted that afterwards, amid effusive praise for Spain.

It is extraordinarily difficult to win the ball back if you lose it to Spain. Yes, they are definitely the best team in the world and they are going to win this tournament. In 2008, they won the European Championship in a spectacular way, totally convincing, but in the last couple of years they have evolved, introduced some changes and they now play as if they are on automatic. This team has a unique ability to dominate you and to control you. It is a marvellous team. These guys are the masters of football.

The seeds of something else were sown there, not least for Low and Germany.

Regardless of his words, though, the World Cup still had to actually be won. Spain still had to play a final that was in its own way a fitting distillation of everything that come before: a low-scoring battle; destruction against creation; attack against defence; counter-attack against possession; a contradiction in how the Dutch went against their ideals; a philosophical battle.

I would much prefer to win a very ugly game than lose a beautiful one, said Arjen Robben. The point is, we are in a World Cup final. From now on, how you actually play no longer matters. We will defend from the front; no one here feels they are too special to get their hands dirty.

Rather different to Xavis words about marking an era. Alonso instead had his chest marked by Nigel de Jong, in one of the many fouls that characterised the Dutch approach. So much for the Cruyff final.

The Dutch were playing a totally different game to what they had grown up on. The reality was that, like with so many other teams, it proved the approach that offered the best possible chance against Spain. It also produced maybe the best chance of the game.

Robben himself was at the centre of one of those counters that Spain had found themselves so susceptible to.

He was sent clean through, Casillas goal at his mercy. Except, some of Casillas training paid off. So did the goalkeepers quality.

He spoke of the moment lasting an eternity. He calculatedly put his foot out, and brought himself immortality.

Iniesta struck in extra-time of the final against the Netherlands (AFP via Getty Images)

So did Iniesta.

He offered up what Fernando Torres described as the goal of all goals. Iniesta then added the gesture of gestures, as he lifted his shirt to reveal a tribute to Dani Jarque, and ensured his late friend was remembered at that moment of greatest glory.

Spain were champions. One of the worst World Cups from a pure football perspective had crowned one of its greatest teams.

That contradiction came from a crossroads that set a new path, which Germany and France would follow. If international football was never again going to rival the club game, it meant that those countries that could industrialise youth production and a certain style of football would come closest to matching it. It is no coincidence those nations won the next two World Cups. England hope to follow the example, to enjoy that greatest of feelings.

South Africa 2010 may have been a forgettable World Cup from a football perspective, but Spains victory there had a lasting effect.

Continued here:
A battle to defend the soul of football: How Spain achieved immortality at the 2010 World Cup - The Independent

Daily Top 5: National champ? Need more than that for this list – Terre Haute Tribune Star

Posted on June 14, 2020 by Danzig

Never did the subjective world of college gymnastics judging mean so much to Indiana State as it did in early April of 1977.

After trailing Oklahoma by four points huge in a sport that comes down to a few thousandths of a point in the national championship meet, the Sycamores had battled back until the meet's outcome came down to vaulter Bruce Spikerman, the final competitor of the meet. A score of 9.50 would give ISU the national championship. A score of 9.45 would mean a second-place finish.

The score? 9.475. A tie with the Sooners and a share of the national championship.

It was probably the biggest moment in ISU gymnastics history. And since it was the only Division I team national championship in school history (not to mention the only national-championship tie in any sport in NCAA history) and is still preceded by the adjective "probably," that should indicate just how many great gymnastics moments there were in the years between 1963 and 1980 under legendary coach Roger Counsil.

Counsil and the 1977 team which will be honored in Hulman Center at some point during the upcoming basketball season are the pinnacles of the sport at ISU; in his 18 seasons, Counsil coached 50 All-Americans and 13 national champions. But this Daily Top 5 is concerned only with individual athletes.

And if you remember how tough the criteria was to be in wrestling's Top 5, ask Curt Hahn, Jim Price and Ken Scorra about how tough it is to make this list. They are national champions (1964 sidehorse, 1968 trampoline and 1964 horizontal bar, respectively) who didn't make it (to be fair, the pre-1969 accomplishments came in Division II).

Gymnasts who were All-Americans once include Mike Booth (fourth, horizontal bar, 1977), Bob Bosse (fifth, vault, 1970), Bill Carney (fifth, parallel bars, 1973), Rick Charshafain (fifth, rings, 1979), Rich Crim (third, trampoline, 1968), Jack Fischer (second, rings, 1977), Dave Gilchrist (fourth, horizontal bar, 1970), Ray Jauch (third, floor exercise, 1970), Bob Mellin (fourth, floor exercise, 1975), Tom Morgan (second, rings, 1972), Kevin Murphy (third, pommel horse, 1973), Ron Quimby (third, trampoline, 1970), Bob Stanley (second, pommel horse, 1980) and Barry Woodward (sixth, rings, 1977). You'll notice a few stars from the national championship team there.

Winning multiple All-America honors were Wayne Lewis (third, horizontal bar, 1973 and fourth, horizontal bar, 1974), Tom Neville (second, pommel horse, 1968, and fifth, pommel horse, 1969) and Doug Griffith (fourth, vault, 1975; fifth, parallel bars, 1976; and sixth, all-around, 1976).

So here's the Daily Top 5. The suspense to see who is named No. 1 must be killing you.

5. Bob Mahorney The national champion on rings in 1973.

4. Rick Danley The 1974 horizontal bar national champion who finished sixth one other season and was still around to score points for the national championship team. Terre Haute North gymnastics fans may remember his wife Ruth, who coached the Patriots for a year or two.

3. Ed Slezak In four seasons he never finished lower than third in the nation on pommel horse: second in 1971, third in 1972, national champion in 1973 and second in 1974.

My friend and fraternity brother Kevin Murphy, who helped tremendously in putting this list together, may have been a little frustrated as a result (notice a few paragraphs previously).

2. Dave Seal Speaking of frustrated, another former gymnast who helped this endeavor was Doug Taylor, who was at Indiana State at the same time as Morgan, Mahorney and Seal national champion in 1970 and 1972 and third in 1971.

"No wonder I hardly ever competed on rings," Taylor emailed. "Seal, Mahorney, and Morgan . . . But I have the shoulders to prove it (ouch)."

And while Murph and his guys have been complimentary to me about helping put their sport on the map, a lot of the credit goes to a cute little girl named Jane Taylor. Jane who as far as I know remains Mrs. Jane Seal to this day dropped in at The Statesman office to ask me, the sports editor, if she could help out with gymnastics and the rest is history.

1. Kurt Thomas Fun fact: even though Kurt is known for the Thomas Flair, the pommel horse routine that was also the basis for the martial-arts aspect of "Gymkata," he was never the national champion in that discipline third in 1977, 1978 and 1979.

He did, however, win five national championships (all-around in 1977 and 1979, parallel bars the same two years, horizontal bar in 1979) and a total of 14 All-America honors (at least one in every event but floor exercise, another place where the Flair showed up from time to time). Then there were his world championships, plus whatever immortality he might have attained by competing in Moscow in 1980.

RIP my friend. You are the GOAT, and I'm not necessarily talking merely about ISU.

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Marvel Comics: The 10 Most Successful Evil Geniuses In The Universe, Ranked – CBR – Comic Book Resources

Posted on June 4, 2020 by Danzig

The Marvel Universe contains some of the most intelligent characters in all of pop culture. Thanks to the MCU everyone is aware of geniuses like Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and Shuri. And long time comic book fans are very familiar with Marvel's other biggest brains like Reed Richards and Hank McCoy. But often where there is good, evil also lurks - evil geniuses of the highest order no less!

RELATED: MCU: The 5 Smartest Villains (& 5 Least Intelligent)

Marvel may not have invented the term evil genius but over the years they most certainly perfected the archetype. While the 616 houses many smart, evil minds, these particular evil geniuses have gone above and beyond in the field of intelligent villainy. Without further delay, here are the 10 most successful evil geniuses of the Marvel Universe, ranked.

In some ways, the Tinkerer may be the smartest person on this list. After all, he designs weaponry for criminals while rarely partaking in his own crimes.

Besides creating Mysterio's suit and working for the Kingpin among many other endeavors, the Tinkerer received both the funding and technology for his operations from the nation of Latveria. If Doctor Doom respects someone's intelligence, they're most definitely in good (villainous) company.

Another villain whose smarts Doctor Doom respects is the Mad Thinker, as Doom recruited him to be a part of his efforts to uncover the truth behind the Incursions duringTime Runs Out. Doom's eternal blood rival Reed Richards has also gone to the Mad Thinker for help in the past, clearing the Thinker of criminal charges in exchange for checking his calculations regarding the effects of not supporting the Superhero Registration Act from Civil War.

When two of the most intelligent people come to one guy for help, their personalgenius status is set for life.

The most diabolical geniuses are those that never die. Thanks to his own accomplishments, Arnim Zola has achieved a form of immortality, as he created a system of android bodies that he can transfer his consciousness in and out of as needed.

RELATED: Ranking Captain America's Villains From Least To Most Lame

In addition to being an expert biochemist and genetics expert, Zola once conquered a whole dimension and nearly took over the Earth with it, and also was consulted by the Beast following the Decimation that occurred during House of M.

A smart man before he ever took the Goblin formula, Norman Osborn would go on to gain a genius-level intellect along with the other powers of the Green Goblin - at the cost of his sanity. While it remains to be seen if the Goblin formula grants him true immortality, the healing factor he gained saved him after being impaled in the heart by his own glider.

Norman's scientific genius is matched, if not exceeded, by his cunning. DuringSecret Invasion, a convenient, well-timed shot against the Skrull queen made Osborn public hero number one and gained him the world's trust as well as saw him placed in charge of the S.H.I.E.L.D. replacement agency H.A.M.M.E.R.

Gamma rays have an array of effects in the Marvel universe. Sometimes they grant a person immense strength, like the Hulk, Abomination, and Doc Samson. Other times, they can give someone superhuman intelligence - which is how the Leader became one of the leading evil minds in all of Marvel.

Aside from having total recall of every event he has witnessed since his transformation and hyper-accurate calculation of possible outcomes and possibilities, the Leader once stole the Watcher's "Ultimate Machine" containing all the universe's knowledge. He even cheated the death code the Watcher planted in the machine via a "Revivo-Beam" he had on the ready in the event of his death.

It's a good thing Reed Richards is one of the good guys, right? If his mind ever turned evil there's no telling what damage he could do! Enter the Maker,the Reed Richards from the Ultimate Marvel universe.

Inthe Ultimate timeline, Reed's life goes in a downward spiral following his break up with his wife Sue and the disbanding of the Fantastic Four. So of course the next logical step for someone of Reed's intellect would be tobecome a threat to the entire Ultimate universe. He leaves Galactus in the Negative Zone to starve, makes his way to the 616 universe and tries to kill that world's Reed,all the while having the ability to split himself into multiple sentient beings that can operate independently of one another. That's one way to deal with a break up.

With a Ph.D. in nuclear science, Doctor Octopus's expertise in radiation led to Mr. Fantastic reaching out when his wife suffered complications during her second pregnancy because of the cosmic radiation that gave her her powers.

That alone cements him in the upper echelon of geniuses, but when factoring his numerous inventions and that he once "killed" Spider-Man by switching bodies with him, trapping the Wall-Crawler in his dying body, Doc Ockproveshimself to beone of the deadliest minds in all of comics.

How many people - genius or otherwise - can claim that they tricked the devil himself? Thanos did just that when he enlisted the help of Mephisto during the Infinity Crusade in exchange for a Cosmic Cube. Mephisto did his part and Thanos paid in full - with a broken Cosmic Cube, citing Mephisto never specified the cube needed to be functioning.

RELATED: 5 Reasons Thanos Is The Greatest Villain In Comics (& 5 Reasons He's Not)

While Thanos isn't recognized as much for his intelligence as others on this list, his strategic abilities are second to none. Seeing him gain each of the Infinity Gems during The Thanos Quest was a master class in manipulation.

Sinister is a scientific genius in numerous fields. Besides cloning, he's also an expert in biology, genetics, engineering, and physics. Upon meeting Apocalypse, Sinister recognized the evolution of the human race in him even before Apocalypse saw it in himself.

His creation of the Jean Grey clone Madelyne Pryor would result in the birth of Cable, but any good that might have done was offset when he ordered the Morlock Massacre because he saw his unauthorized gene signature in them. That, and ifMister Sinister had taken part in the Clone Saga, that story likely wouldn't have lasted for two convoluted years.

Without question, the most successful evil genius in all of Marvel is none other than Doctor Doom. For starters, Doom created a time machine, a feat no other Marvel genius can claim.

If that alone weren't enough, he's gained ultimate power on numerous occasions, usurping the Power Cosmic of the Silver Surfer, then later upgrading and conquering the Beyonder not just once, but twice. The second time, he used the Beyonder's power to collect all the fragments he could of the destroyed Multiverse, forming his own Battleworld and becoming God Emperor Doom in the process.

NEXT: The 10 Smartest Heroes In The Marvel Universe, Ranked

Next How Old Katara Is & 9 Other Things You Didn't Know About Her

As well as writing for CBR, Steve writes also writes comedy and comics, and also covers professional wrestling. Plus he co-hosts a podcast covering the first episodes of new TV shows. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram @stevewaldinger.

Link:
Marvel Comics: The 10 Most Successful Evil Geniuses In The Universe, Ranked - CBR - Comic Book Resources

Try this Giloy juice to boost your immune system – Times of India

Posted on June 14, 2020 by Danzig

Having a strong immune system has always been considered important to stay healthy, but it has become even more crucial right now when the world is dealing with highly contagious new strains of coronavirus. Strong immunity is the body's first line of defence which protects it from disease-causing bacteria, virus and germs. If by any chance any foreign pathogens enters into our body, our immune system produces white blood cells and other chemicals to destroy them.

Leading a healthy lifestyle is the most effective of all to build your immune system. Eating healthy, exercising, sleeping on time, avoiding alcohol are some of the things that hold great importance when it comes to your health. However, strong immunity is not built overnight. It takes time for your body to improve the immune health, to prevent you from diseases. Still, there are certain things that you can do to support your immune system and Giloy juice can be an excellent drink for that.

Originally posted here:
Try this Giloy juice to boost your immune system - Times of India

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