Daily Archives: June 20, 2022

Englands doom metal masters, Conan, strike back again. Following their 2018 full-length, Existential Void Guardian, and their Live At Freak Valley record released just last year, the trio has announced the release of their fifth studio album, entitled Evidence Of Immortality, due out on August 19 via Napalm Records.

As first album single proves, on their upcoming magnum opus, the British kings of brutally heavy slowness push their down-tuned axes and cranked pedals to the limit, crushing ears and minds when huge, rumbling chords and malevolent riffs muscle their way in over lances of infinite distortion and drums that pummel and thunder like the hands of a god against the gates of hell.

First single, Levitation Hoax, showcases Conans trademark sound combined with fast-paced riffage and a pounding groove in epic doom metal grandeur, before dragging you deep into a black hole, as you scream in silence.

Levitation Hoax grew from a riff that was created in December 2019, when we were on tour with Cavalera Conspiracy, guitarist and singer Jon Davis comments. The song begins as a thrash metal onslaught and just gets heavier and heavier as it progresses. It was a fun track to write, and has some of my favourite lyrics from the album.

Watch the music video for Levitation Hoax below.

Evidence Of Immortality was written between December 2019 and late 2021. As such, it has absorbed a lot of the emotions that were flowing through our lives then, Davis continues. The lyrics were written on the eve of the war in Ukraine so, naturally, they deal with subjects such as victory and defeat, loss and hope, pain and determination, fear and hatred. Movies such as Conquest, Lord of The Rings, Fire and Ice, Krull, Beast Master and Clash of The Titans once again provided inspiration for the themes of the songs, as we maintain our determination to not write about real world events. You want to escape? Throw this record on, turn the lights off and turn it up until your fucking ears bleed.

Evidence Of Immortality was produced by Chris Fielding and mastered by James Plotkin. The album also sees former band member Dave Perry perform on the track Grief Sequence. The albums artwork was provided by the skilled hand and mind of Tony Roberts, architect of the Conan visual style since day one and their debut release, Horseback Battle Hammer. Bow down and hail Conan, as their sound will live forever on the battlefield of doom. Their new album will be the ultimate Evidence Of Immortality.

Evidence Of Immortality will be available in the following formats:

- Digisleeve- 2LP Gatefold Black (ltd 300)- 2LP Gatefold Marbled Clear/Black (ltd 300)- 2LP Gatefold Glow In The Dark (Band exclusive)- Cassette Tape Edition- Album Cover Shirt & Digisleeve Bundle (European webstore only)- Digital

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"A Cleaved Head No Longer Plots""Levitation Hoax""Ritual Of Anonymity""Equilibrium Of Mankind""Righteous Alliance""Grief Sequence"

"Levitation Hoax" video:

Conan is:

Jon Davis Guitar, VocalsChris Fielding BassJohnny King Drums

(Photo - Charley Shillabeer)

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CONAN To Release Evidence Of Immortality Album In August; "Levitation Hoax" Music Video Posted - bravewords.com

BUFFALO, NYLocal man Andrs Rodriguez checked today'snewsto see if hismorning cup of coffee would be be causingimminent death or granting him immortality.

"Always exciting to see what coffee is up to," said Mr. Rodriguez as he opened the paper. "Today it may cause pancreatic cancer, tomorrowcould be thefountain of youth.It's a game ofRussian roulette inevery morning brew!"

Over the past decade, experts have determined that coffee absolutelycauses, and undoubtedlycures,every single cancer in existence. "Studies have definitively shown that drinking coffee every day will cause cancer to explode out of your intestines into every internal organ," said researcher Dr. Stanley Bigham. "Studies have also irrefutably demonstrated that daily coffee intake will allow you to live forever and can cure AIDS with a single sip. Those beans are magic!"

Given the data, experts recommend immediately guzzling a gallon of coffee and also never drinking coffee ever again. "Coffee seems to make you like Deadpoolhorifically prone to deadly cancer, but also with preternatural healing abilities," said epidemiologist Ashley Lavender. "It's a real gamble in those grinds."

At publishing time, Mr. Rodriguez learned that his french press coffee was actually five thousand times deadlier than regular drip coffee, but would also give him X-ray vision.

To celebrate Pride Month, Mattel has released its first-ever pregnant man doll: Pregnant Ken! You can have all sorts of fun with the clearly MALE Ken doll and his pregnant belly! Available wherever non-gender-specific toys are sold.

Continued here:

Man Checks News Each Morning To See Whether Coffee Going To Give Him Cancer Or Grant Him Immortality - The Babylon Bee

The post contains spoilers from The Orville: New Horizons Mortality Paradox.

Back in season one of The Orville, in the episode Mad Idolatry, Kelly Grayson (Adrianne Palicki) made a mistake that ended up turning a planet into worshippersof her. An entire religion was built around her. But a lot has happened onThe Orville since then that no one has ever really thought about the repercussions. I mean, the crew has been busy fighting the Krill and the Kaylon. But there were repercusions from that mistake, and they showed up in Mortality Paradox in the form of Dinal, an immortal being who told Captain Mercer (Seth MacFarlance) and the away team that her planet had achieved immortality, although, it isnt really specified if their immortality would have happened without Kellys influence. It might not have anything to do with her, after all.

After putting Mercer and the small contingent from his crew through a series of trials so that death could be experienced through their eyes, a being from the planet, Dinal, appears and assures them they were never in any danger. In fact, everthing that had happened to the crew was because this highly-evolved race has become bored with immortality. Who does that remind you of?

In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Q (played by John de Lancie) was a member of an immortal race of beings known as the Q Continuum. And, in his boredom with immortality, he liked to play games, mostly with Captain Picard, games that, to him, were nothing more than fun. But they often had huge consequences.

While the hallucinations the crew suffered becasue of Dinal and her peoples attempt to see mortality didnt cause any lasting consequences, she wasnt fully satisfied. And one got the immediate impression that the crew would see more of her. If she and her people can go anywhere, do anything, and live forever, then The Orville: New Horizons has created its own Q. And with the Kaylon, those creatures from Shadow Realms, and possibly even the Krill to contend with this season, Id say the series might be going just a tad overboard with villains. But this is definitely a wait and see game, although, something tells me Dinal isnt going to be anywhere near as helpful as Q was at the end of season two of Star Trek: Picard.

Continue reading here:

Did The Orville: New Horizons just create its own Q? - Redshirts Always Die

It was not to be for the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals. Steph Curry punched his ticket to undisputed immortality as one of the games greatest singular forces of all time with an MVP effort, Klay Thompson got closure and bragging rights as the key ingredient to the Warriors dynasty considering his prolonged absence during their decline, and Draymond Green got to fill in the Cs Game 4 T.D. Garden handout t-shirtwhich sports an empty banner spotwith the trios fourth championship as a trio together. If you want to throw in former essential piece-turned-bench luxury Andre Iguodala into the mixhe like Thompson, was also elsewhere during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasonsand you have a core that has proven dynastic.

Is the Celtics core capable of the same? Its tough to tell if the Jays, Marcus Smart, and Robert Williams can win four championships together, but the goal right now is simply to win one. Jaylen Brown (25) and Jayson Tatum (24) are young enough that this team can become that with the right pieces around them.

Sadly enough, its evident the pieces Boston currently surrounds them with are not enough, though thats not to say both Cs pillar pieces were exemplary during the NBA Finals themselves. Both were turnover prone and struggled from the field during the series relative to the regular season and postseason run before it.

A move has to be made. The easiest trade to get done is one that Danny Ainge made before and Brad Stevens must explore again: trading Daniel Theis. CBS Sports Sam Quinn mentioned a possible return that Theis and a pick could yield:

At a bare minimum, the Celtics should be doing everything in their power to attach future draft capital toDaniel Theisfor someone who can give them playoff minutes. Theis will make $8.7 million, and with a first-round pick or two, could probably get the Celtics another starting-caliber wing.

While a wing could be a fine addition to the fold, its plausible the Cs could open up their search to an upgrade at any position for Theis $8.6 million 2022-23 salary.

The Boston Celtics would do well to add another facilitator Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Of course, the Denver Nuggets are not in dire need of a starting center given the presence of back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic at the pivot. That said, there is a very real need for a big behind the Joker, and Daniel Theis would be the perfect addition for Denver. For the Cs, Monte Morris would be the perfect return for the German center.

Marcus Smart showed that the point guard position is covered, but Payton Pritchard was a tad shakier in his role in the NBA Finals after a hot-shooting playoff run preceding it. At 24-years-old in his first Finals his second season in the league, that is forgivable, but that doesnt mean Boston cant find a backcourt mate off the bench that take some of that responsibility off of him in the meantime.

Morris would be the best point guard available around Theis salary, and would be worth ceding a pick in the process as a career 39.4% 3-point shooter.

Excerpt from:

3 players the Boston Celtics could trade Daniel Theis for this offseason - Hardwood Houdini

Its a weird year for video games. Were 19 months into a fresh console cycle and support for the PS4 and Xbox One is finally tapering off as developers shift focus to the PS5, Xbox Series X and PC cloud gaming platforms. The pandemic slowed or paused development on a generation of games, and studios of all sizes are being absorbed by the biggest names in the room. The industry is in flux and the rest of the year reflects this instability. Put simply, there arent a lot of huge games coming out in the second half of 2022.

Right now, the video game space is made up of delays, big promises and more delays. That doesnt mean theres nothing to look forward to between indie and AA developers, cloud libraries and mobile games from Netflix of all companies, this period of transition will still be packed with plenty of things to play.

The 2022 holiday release calendar definitely looks thinner than it did a few months ago, but the first half of the year was fairly busy with games like Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring, Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Gran Turismo 7, Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Tiny Tinas Wonderlands. And those are just the well-funded releases with big, shiny ads the year has also been good for indie and AA titles like Neon White, The Quarry, The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe, Sifu, Tunic, OlliOlli World and Salt and Sacrifice already available. The summers peppered with even more small but fantastic-looking games, like the cyberpunk cat simulator Stray, Sam Barlows Immortality and the wildly anticipated Cuphead DLC, all due out by the end of July.

Studio MDHR

Weirdly enough, Netflix is also helping to fill in the gaps with a new push into mobile gaming, and its latest titles are a treat. Poinpy, the new game from the creator of Downwell, is particularly addictive. Netflix is also publishing the next titles from the studios behind Monument Valley and Altos Odyssey, and all of them are free, without ads or microtransactions, as long as you have an active Netflix subscription.

On top of all that, mid-tier publishers like Devolver and Annapurna have a steady stream of strange, high-quality games coming out at all times. And, of course, theres Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus Premium, NVIDIAs GeForce Now and even Google Stadia cloud-gaming services that bring hundreds of classic and new titles to essentially any device with a screen.

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So, yeah, there are plenty of fresh games heading our way this year; its just that there wont be many AAA blockbusters out of Microsoft or Sony. Whether we like it or not, these studios set the pace of the industry, and gaps in their release schedules can make it feel like development has stagnated across the board. And right now, there are a lot of AAA gaps. What makes it worse is the fact that Microsoft and Sony have announced and then abandoned multiple huge projects over the past few years, giving all of us something concrete to miss in every showcase.

In late 2019 and 2020, Microsoft announced massive games including Fable, Senuas Saga: Hellblade 2, Everwild, Avowed and Outer Worlds 2, and it hasnt said much more about these projects since. On top of that, theres everything going on at Bethesda, the largest brand under the Xbox Game Studios banner. Bethesdas shiny new sci-fi RPG, Starfield, was delayed out of 2022 earlier this year alongside Arkanes online vampire shooter, Redfall. Meanwhile, it looks like Elder Scrolls 6 has at least five more years left in development, and Fallout 5 may not come out until the next console generation. The biggest Xbox exclusives still landing this year are High on Life, As Dusk Falls and Pentiment, three mid-sized games, two of which were literally announced this month.

Sony is in a similar situation. It has more AAA exclusives hitting the market in the second half of this year than Microsoft, with Forspoken, God of War Ragnarok and The Last of Us remake on the calendar, but there are still plenty of unknowns in the PlayStation lineup. Final Fantasy XVI was a highlight of the PS5 announcement stream in 2020, but we just got a release window of summer 2023 for that one. Theres been zero to little information about other games Sonys had in the works for years, including Wolverine, the Knights of the Old Republic remake and Spider-Man 2. A standalone multiplayer mode for The Last of Us is still MIA, and weve yet to get details on the multiple game projects that Naughty Dog is also working on.

There are a couple of big cross-platform games due to come out this holiday season, including Hogwarts Legacy and The Callisto Protocol, but fanfare for these titles has been fairly muted so far.

As for Nintendo, its playing by its own rules, as always, and it has Splatoon 3 and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet on the roster this year, plus whatever it announces during its next Direct showcase. It has its own troubles of course Breath of the Wild 2 was pushed back to 2023, and then theres Metroid Prime 4, which was announced in 2017 and yeah.

Nintendo

The sense of insufficiency in the industry this year is the result of the console makers announcing things too early, with too much fanfare and too many impossible release windows. Of course the pandemic didnt help, but as it stands, these studios promised the world and then went quiet on multiple massive franchises, and the silence is particularly deafening as we enter an anemic six months of AAA releases. Thankfully, there are so many amazing indie games available right now and coming later in 2022, and between cloud, mobile and PC services, there are more ways to play these titles than ever.

As Jonathan Blow would say, time is a construct anyway, and thinking of life in terms of weeks, months and years is a futile effort to logically contain chaos. Long story short, theres a lot to look forward to in the video game universe. It may not all be coming this year or the next, or the next but with more games to play on more platforms than ever, we should all be plenty entertained.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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Summer Game Fest: Where did all the AAA games go? - Engadget

Neil Patrick Harris is playing an as-yet-unannounced villain in the upcoming Doctor Who60th anniversary special, and a number of fans on social media are convinced he will be reprising an existing Whovillain -- one that hasn't been on TV in over 50 years. A promotional photo of Harris released to announce his casting -- seen below -- has led a number of fans to believe that he will play the role of the Celestial Toymaker, a character who originated in 1966, and was played by Michael Gough, the celebrated English actor who would go on to appear in a number of Tim Burton projects, including playing Alfred Pennyworth in Batman.

The Toymaker was the central antagonist in "The Celestial Toymaker," a serial from the third season of Doctor Who. Only one part of the serial is available to watch now, although the story has since been novelized, and the character of the Toymaker has appeared in two other novels and a number of audio productions.

The Celestial Toymaker is an ancient and powerful being, who found his way to our universe after being expelled from another. He exists by a different set of scientific rules, giving the impression that he can bend the rules of reality itself. He also has the ability to control people, turning them into his "playthings." Bored by his immortality, he engages foes in contests, where they will either die or be trapped by his side forever.

Digital Spy did a pretty solid roundup of some of the responses that nailed down the Toymaker as the most likely villain of the anniversary special, which will feature at least two iterations of The Doctor and past companions.

"I am convinced it is The Toymaker. He even had prior history with the Doctor before they even met in the original 1960s serial, not to mention his reality warping powers to throw trials and games feels suitably 'special,'" fan James Johnson tweeted, and then added set photos featuring a toy store set, and a decoration featuring the caption "Toy Maker of the Year."

The story in which the Toymaker appeared is mostly classified as lost media, with only the fourth part of the four-part serial known to be preserved in the BBC archives. Significant chunks of early Doctor Whohave been lost, as the BBC used to routinely get rid of masters, not realizing that there would be an audience for them in the future. As a result, film was destroyed or given away, and magnetic tapes were recorded over. Doctor Whostands out among other BBC series, as fans recorded audio from the episodes, so virtually all of the missing content exists as an episode soundtrack (although some, including "The Celestial Toymaker," have damaged audio).

Excerpt from:

Doctor Who Fans Think They've Identified Neil Patrick Harris' Mystery Villain - ComicBook.com

The Umbrella Academy season three will see the super powered heroes come face to face with the Sparrow Academy

The Umbrella Academy follows a group of estranged children with super powers who reconnect as adults in the wake of their adoptive father, Reginald Hargeeves, death.

As they witness the oncoming apocalypse in the first season, the superheroes are transported back in time to the 1960s where they are separated once again.

They must now find a way to prevent the apocalypse before it happens in the present day.

The new season will see the Umbrella Academy encounter their alternate timeline replacements at the Sparrow Academy.

The series features a cast of well-known actors, many of whom have previously appeared in other shows about super powers.

Who is in the cast of The Umbrella Academy season 3?

Elliot Page as Viktor Hargreeves

Viktor, originally known as Vanya is one of the seven adopted children, and while at first it appears that they have no superpowers, Viktor is actually the most powerful of all them all.

Page, who came out as transgender in 2020, is an actor with several well-known projects on his CV, having starred in the coming of age drama Juno alongside Michael Cera and in psychological thriller Hard Candy.

He also played the superhero Kitty Pryde in two instalments of the X-Men franchise, Ariadne in the Christopher Nolan blockbuster Inception, and Courtney in the horror film Flatliners.

Tom Hopper as Luther Hargreeves

Hopper has the powers of superhuman strength and durability - he was given the designation of Number One to reflect that he was considered the most useful of the super-children.

Hopper played Sir Percival in the fantasy series Merlin and also starred as Dickon Tarly in Game of Thrones.

He played Billy Bones in the pirate series Black Sails and has also starred in the films The Hitmans Wifes Bodyguard, Terminator: Dark Fate, and Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.

Aidan Gallagher as Number Five

Number Five, who has the power of time travel and teleportation, became trapped in the future as an old boy where he saw the devastation of the apocalypse before returning to The Umbrella Academy to warn the others.

Gallagher appeared as a child actor in Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, a series about the rivalry between a set of quadruplets.

He has also starred in two Nickelodeon TV movies and two short films.

Robert Sheehan as Klaus Hargreeves

Klaus, whose power is to speak to the dead, is a recovering drug addict who uses substance abuse to suppress his powers.

Sheehan is best known for his role as Nathan, a young offender with the power of immortality in the E4 comedy series Misfits.

His other roles include playing Carles Casagemas in the Aretha Franklin biopic series Genius, and Dalton Monkhouse in adventure comedy series The Last Bus.

David Castaeda as Diego Hargreeves

Diego was originally designated as Number Two and has the power of trajectory manipulation.

Castaeda played Nicholas in the comedy series Jane the Virgin and Jorge Castillo in the drama series Switched at Birth.

He also appeared in the films The Guilty, Sicario 2: Soldado, and The Ascent.

Emmy Raver-Lampman as Allison Hargreeves

Allison, who has the power to influence reality, was transported to Dallas during the Civil Rights Movement after the failed to stop the apocalypse, where she had to navigate segregation.

Raver-Lampman also appeared in Jane the Virgin, playing Lily Lofton and Molly Tillerman in the animated series Central Park.

She is also due to star as Sam in the horror comedy film Gatlopp, which completed filming this year.

Justin H. Min as Ben Hargreeves

Ben features in the series as a ghost, having died before the Umbrella Academy first disbanded, and can only be seen by Klaus.

Min played Cameron in the miniseries Dating After College and Yang in the sci-fi series After Yang.

He also featured in the short films My Best Friend Max, How I Became An Adult, and American Refugee.

Colm Feore as Sir Reginald Hargreeves

Reginald is the adoptive father of the super children, and brought them together so that they would one day save the world.

Feore played Henry Taylor in the action series 24, Dr. Francis Dulmacher in the comic book series Gotham, and General Brockhart in House of Cards.

He has had several major film roles, appearing in Greta, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Thor, and Chicago.

When is The Umbrella Academy season 3 on Netflix

Season three of The Umbrella Academy will be released on Netflix on 22 June with all episodes being released at the same time.

Season one and two are available to watch on Netflix now.

Is there a trailer?

Yes there is, and you can watch it right here:

Read more:

Who stars in The Umbrella Academy season 3 on Netflix? - NationalWorld

Enshrined over the weekend at The Florida Boxing Hall of Fame, Samoan powerhouse David Tua had his mighty fists cast for immortality. And what a superb fighting machine the prime David Tua really was. Indeed, its been said (and it is echoed here) that Tua has to be ranked as one of the finest, yes, one of the greatest, heavyweights never to have won a world title. Sure, absolute legends such as Sam Langford and Harry Wills have to be remembered when we think of all-time greats who were, for whatever reason or reasons, denied world championship honours, but as far as modern terms go, Tua stands out.

Upon his 1996 arrival on the world stage, this courtesy of his near decapitation job on John Ruiz (who would recover from his KO at the hands of Tua to go on to become one of the most durably stubborn heavyweights of the day), Tua had fans in a frenzy. Short and stocky, Tua was compared to Mike Tyson, to Rocky Marciano. Fast of hand, brutally powerful and, we would find out in due course, blessed with a chin to rival The Rocks, Tua seemed to have it all. Maybe he did, apart from good luck; which is an ingredient all fighters need.

Tua would demolish good, more than capable fighters like Ruiz, David Izon, and Oleg Maskaev (Izon and Maskaev extending Tua into the late rounds), while his out and out war with Ike Ibeabuchi in the summer of 1997 is rightfully referred to as an all-time great heavyweight battle. Tua lost that one, but Ibeabuchi might have left a bigger piece of himself in the ring in victory (a bigger piece of his mental health).

Tua went on to stop Hasim Rahman (a somewhat controversial stoppage win) and Obed Sullivan, before he got his one and only shot at a world title. Lennox Lewis boxed magnificently in decisioning a Tua who was carrying a rib injury that compromised his movement. Tua would never get another crack at the ultimate. Tua would lose a decision to Chris Byrd, he would rebound with a KO win over an unbeaten Fres Oquendo, taking the NABF heavyweight belt, and he would ice Michael Moorer in way less than three minutes in his fight after the Oquendo win.

Tua would then box a draw with Rahman in their rematch, and that was it at world level. Aside from an impressive-looking KO win he scored over Shane Cameron in what was a big fight in New Zealand, Tua had pretty much fired all his bullets. Finally, in 2013, after a loss to Alexander Ustinov, Tua retired at 52-5-2(43). He was never once stopped.

So Tua fell short, especially when we consider the great things he looked capable of achieving when he burst into prominence. But Tua at his best gave us some superb performances, some great and memorable highlight reel KOs that would have made a Marciano or a Tyson proud. Explosive, fast, hard to hit clean, carrying nuclear power bombs in each hand, protected by a granite chin for when a punch did land, blessed in his prime years with bucket-loads of energy and stamina. Yes, Tua did seem to have it all.

In total, Tua took out five men who were each at one time or another a world champion. Its just a pity for Tua that these fights did not take place at a time when the title was on the line. As it is, Tua is more revered, admired and is better remembered than plenty of fighters from his era who did become world champion. Tua was special, he was thrilling to watch. Even though he never reached the mountain top, Tua ranks as one of the best of his time.

Boxing News David Tua: One OF The Greatest Modern Day Heavyweights Who Never Won A World Title

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David Tua: One OF The Greatest Modern Day Heavyweights Who Never Won A World Title - East Side Boxing

D. Allan Kerr| Portsmouth Herald

This article is part of a monthly series celebrating Kitterys history, as Maines oldest town counts down to its 375th birthday

There are roughly 19,500 cities and towns in the United States, according to the website Statistica. Only 42 can claim to be the birthplace of a Declaration of Independence signer.

The humble seaside town of Kittery, Maine, is one of them.

William Whipple was born in Kittery in 1730, in a house that still stands near the back gate of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. In 1776, as a member of the Second Continental Congress representing New Hampshire, Whipple was one of 56 men who literally put their lives on the line by signing the Declaration of Independence.

Sharp-eyed readers will note the 42 American communitieswhich produced a signer does not equal the 56 men who put their name to this fabled document. Thats because some cities were generous enough to provide more than one hometown hero to the cause, and a few signers were not even born in the colonies.

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard: Base readies for future with $2.4B in upgrades. Here are 7 key projects.

And yes, history geek that I am, I actually went through the list of birthplaces for these great patriots and counted them, in order to appreciate just how unique Kittery is in this regard.

Boston, naturally, had the most native sons putting quill to the Declaration, with four, including future president John Adams, who was a good friend of Whipples. Eight of the signers were born in nations of the United Kingdom before immigrating to the Colonies.

As Maines oldest town counts down to its 375th year of existence here in 2022, it seems like an ideal opportunity to review how Whipple came to take his place among the giants of his era.

Whipples path to immortality was unique among the other signers, in that he was not a man of higher education or pedigree. He was also the only signer to originally hail from Maine.

Born in January 1730, Whipple grew up at the site of what is now 88 Whipple Road, just outside the Navy Yard. The home located there today is privately owned, but bears a plaque installed by the Daughters of the American Revolution to commemorate its historical significance.

On the opposite side of the Yards back gate, located on a tiny parcel known as Howells Park, stands an interpretive historical sign celebrating Whipple as Seaman-Soldier-Statesman-Signer of the Declaration of Independence.

As a member of Congress, Whipple would later serve with renowned lawyers such as Adams, physicians such as Benjamin Rush and New Hampshires Matthew Thornton, and flat-out geniuses like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. But Whipple shipped out to sea as a cabin boy in his youth, rather than pursuing studies in the classroom.

His decision to go to sea was perhaps inevitable, not only as a boy growing up in Kittery in the 1700s, but also as a member of a well-established seafaring family. Through his mother Mary, Whipple was descended from the Cutts, a celebrated clan of Kittery shipbuilders and mariners, and namesake of local sites such as Cutts Island.

His great-grandfather, Robert Cutt, established a prominent shipyard in Kittery. His grandfather also named Robert Cutt had captained a ship in the fleet of the powerful Pepperrell family, according to John Eldridge Frosts book Colonial Village. His father, William Whipple Sr., was a sea captain as well.

Remember, life on the water aboard wooden sailing ships in the mid-1700s was not for the weak it was a life of danger and adventure. But young William thrived, becoming master of his own vessel by the time he was 21 years old.

He sailed the West Indies-European-African trade route, and by several accounts was on at least one occasion captain of a ship carrying a cargo of slaves. Before the age of 30 he earned enough of a fortune to leave the sea behind.

Whipple eventually crossed the Piscataqua River to settle down inPortsmouth, going into business with two of his brothers as a merchant. One of his brothers died shortly afterward, but William and Joseph Whipple continued the business.

William then married their wealthy first cousin Katharine Moffatt, who was also a grandchild of Robert Cutt. He moved in with his wife and father-in-law John Moffatt at the Moffatt-Ladd House, which today remains one of Portsmouths most popular historic attractions.

Although he first made a name for himself as a Kittery resident toiling at sea, it was in Portsmouth that Whipple would truly establish his legacy, emerging as a leader of the American Revolution.

As was the custom of the time, he was referred to as Capt. Whipple in deference to his accomplishments at sea. He was held in such high regard he was appointed to Portsmouths committee of safety, which oversaw local affairs as a sort of shadow government of the Patriot cause under British rule.

Whipple was also selected to serve in New Hampshires provincial assembly, and appointed colonel in charge of the local militia. As such, he was then addressed as Col. Whipple in correspondence and written accounts, as well as in person.

Finally, in 1776, the former cabin boy was chosen as one of the colonys representatives to the Second Continental Congress. It was in this capacity that he signed the Declaration of Independence that July, and also championed the creation of a strong Navy.

In his letters, as befits the tough old Yankee salt that he was, Whipple often comes across as downright pugnacious in his advocacy for American independence.

War with all its horrors is preferable to an inglorious peace, he once wrote to fellow Signer Josiah Bartlett.

On another occasion, again writing to Bartlett, he declared, in order to obtain such a peace as will establish happiness in America, we ought to make the most Strenuous exertions for war. We ought to be United in Council & Formidable in the Field.

One of the aspects of Whipple I find so fascinating is his man of action persona. There were undoubtedly greater thinkers than the small-town Maine native in this fabled Congress, but few were more willing to back the power of his pen with the strength of his sword.

In 1777, while still serving as a delegate, Whipple was appointed a brigadier general of the New Hampshire militia. While he headed one brigade, the renowned Granite State warrior John Stark commanded the other.

Whipple took part in the pivotal Battle of Saratoga, and in his journals reports exchanges of cannon fire with the British. He also helped negotiate the terms of surrender in what became the first great American victory of the war, which encouraged France to step in as allies to the Patriot cause. Afterward Whipple was given the honor of escorting the defeated British Gen. Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne back to the coast outside Boston and ship him back to England.

Whipple also took part in the less-successful Battle of Rhode Island, and was mere feet away when a cannonball took out the leg of one of his aides.

Over the course of his maritime career, Whipple acquired a slave named Prince, who remains a fascinating Seacoast legend in his own right. According to local folklore, the two were preparing to depart for a military campaign when the general exclaimed something along the lines of, Hurry up, Prince, weve got to go and fight for our freedom.

But I have no freedom to fight for, Prince replied.

Whipple, it is said, looked into the young fellows eyes and proclaimed, From this moment on you are a free man, Prince. Hurry up now and we will fight for our freedom together.

We do know Prince was officially issued hismanumission papersshortly before the Generals death in 1785.

Whipple left Congress in 1779 due to failing health, but still rode the circuit as an associate justice of New Hampshires Superior Court. He was on horseback when he suffered an attack and fell to the ground. He died a few days later in November 1785 and is buried in Portsmouths North Cemetery.

But in recent years, a new tradition has emerged in which Gen. Whipple returns to the town of his birth to give a public reading of the Declaration of Independence he signed in 1776. Whipples Reading will take place this year on Saturday the 25at 9 a.m., in USS Thresher Memorial Park beside Town Hall.

A series of other events are taking place in Maines oldest town as well throughout the year, to celebrate Kitterys 375th birthday. Information about these festivities is available at kittery375th.com.

D. Allan Kerr is a member of Kitterys 375th Celebration Committee.

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Kittery, Maine 375th: Native son grew up to be founding father - Seacoastonline.com