Monthly Archives: September 2022

*WARNING: Spoilers ahead for The Rings of Power*

Elves and Dwarves have almost never seen eye-to-eye throughout J.R.R. Tolkiens works and despite Elrond and Durin sharing a close friendship in The Rings of Power, that frosty relationship looks set to continue.

The opening episodes have been filled with mystery and secrecy as both the Elves and Dwarves have looked to keep their cards close to their chest when it comes to the Dwarves recent discovery of a new ore, that of mithril.

As the episodes have progressed, it has become clear that the Elves are secretly trying to acquire the precious metal or themselves but why exactly do the Elves need mithril in The Rings of Power?

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power | SDCC Trailer

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In the second episode of The Rings of Power, Elrond ventured to the Dwarven kingdom of Khazad-dm in order to persuade his friend, Prince Durin, to help with the construction of a new forge for the Elven smith, Celebrimbor.

However, as the episodes have progressed, it has become clear that there was more to Elronds reunion with Durin than first met the eye.

In episode 4, Durin revealed to his Elven friend that the Dwarves had recently discovered a new ore, mithril, that was far lighter, harder and more valuable than any other metal in existence.

Elrond promised to keep the discovery a secret but in the fifth chapter, it was revealed that High King Gil-galad knew that the Dwarves had uncovered the new ore and hoped that the Elves would be able to procure some of the metal for themselves.

During their reunion in episode 5, Gil-galad asks Elrond to recount the Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir which is the Elven name for the Misty Mountains, where Khazad-dm is located.

The song tells of a great battle between an Elven warrior and a balrog of Morgoth, one of the flaming demons Gandalf fought in The Fellowship of the Ring.

It was said that the Elf was protecting a tree which was said to have held the last of the lost Silmarils, legendary jewels that contained light from the Two Trees of Valinor while the balrog attempted to destroy it.

During the battle, a bolt of lightning struck the tree which caused the light of the Silmaril to seep down into the earth and create veins of this new ore which continued to shine with the light of the Silmaril itself.

However, it should be noted that Elrond states the Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir is apocryphal, which means that it might not necessarily be true.

High King Gil-galad believes that the light of the Elves is fading, meaning that they could lose their immortality and magical way of life.

This is shown in the black rot that is taking over the great tree in Lindon, with Gil-galad saying that this is an outer manifestation of an inner realitythat the light of the Eldar, our light, is fading.

Along with Celebrimbor, he believes that if the Elves can acquire enough mithril, the light of the Silmaril it contains, could potentially help to revitalise the Elves and keep them from losing their immortality.

Initially, Gil-galad believed that sending away the war-mongering Galadriel would help to prevent the diminishing of the Elves light but in reality, it is the increasing spread of evil throughout Middle-earth that is threatening the Elves.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is available to stream now onAmazon Prime Videoafter premiering on September 2, 2022.

In other news, What surgery did Jeffrey Dahmer have? Father believed it led to murders

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Why do the Elves need mithril in The Rings of Power? - HITC - Football, Gaming, Movies, TV, Music

The holy festival Navratri begins today, it will be celebrated by Hindus throughout the world for the next nine days. As per Hindu rituals, Navratri is celebrated four times a year but only two of them are celebrated on a large scale- Chaitra Navratri and Shardiya Navratri.

While Chaitra Navratri falls during the spring season, Shardiya Navaratri is usually celebrated at the start of the Autumn season.

Navratri literally translates to nine nights in Sanskrit, and it is celebrated to worship Goddess Durga and her nine avatars known as Navdurga.

The festival of Navratri marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the Asur or Demon Mahishasura.

The legend goes, Mahishasura had been granted the wish of immortality because of his unwavering devotion to Lord Brahma but the God put one condition to his immortality- only a woman could kill him, but the demon thought himself too powerful to be defeated by a woman.

Soon enough, Mahishasura began terrorizing the people and the gods were helpless because of his immortality.

In order to overcome the threat of Mahishasura, Lord Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma came together to create Goddess Durga. The gods equipped her with a lot of weapons to defeat the demon.

The fight between Mahishasura and Goddess Durga went on for 10 days and the demon was defeated only after he transformed into a buffalo.

Each day of Navratri is associated with an incarnation of Goddess Durga. People observe ritualistic fasts, recite slokas dedicated to each goddess, don new clothes, offer bhog, and clean their homes during these nine days. They ask the goddess for her favour so that they may live prosperous, joyful, and fulfilling lives.

In parts of North India including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh Ramlila is organised which starts on the first day of Navratri and ends on the occasion of Dusserah. During the Ramlila, the story of Lord Ram's victory over Ravan is played out and Ravan's effigies burn on the night of Dussehra.

In parts of West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and Bihar, a procession is taken out on the occasion of Vijayadashami where statues of Maa Durga are immersed in a river or sea.

In many parts of the country, the festival is celebrated with much vigour by performing Garba and Dandiya Raas. While Garba is a traditional dance in which participants clap their hands and move in a circle while making rhythmic gestures, Dandiya Raas involves dancing with dandiya sticks to the beat of the music.

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Following her reintroduction as an adult in WandaVision, Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau is set to make her epic return in 2023's The Marvels next to Brie Larson and Iman Vellani. This comes after the first Disney+ show in Phase 4 pushed Monica toward her superhero status, as she busted through Wanda's Hex and moved to the next phase of her own journey.

In only three episodes with powers, Monica showed off a wide range of abilities in the MCU, which will only continue to evolve as Parris stars in her first MCU movie next year.

While fans only got a taste of Monica's abilities in WandaVision, she'll become even more formidable in The Marvels, particularly with the chance that her powers will be similar to Captain Marvel's. And with nearly a year until the sequel debuts in theaters, director Nia DaCosta took the opportunity to share how Monica's powers will transfer from the comics to the big screen, including what the movie will ignore.

Speaking with Cinema Blend at the 2022 D23 Fan Expo, The Marvels director Nia DaCosta discussed where the MCU sequel is going with Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau and her new superpowers, along with a power from the comics that wasn't used.

The director admitted that there are "thousand of powers in the comics" that the team could make canon in the MCU, even including immortality. DaCosta also looked to a time in the comics when "she goes intangible in water" and makes her atoms spread across the water, although the director admitted that they "didn't do that one" for The Marvels:

With Monica, we really got to talk about, 'Okay, like which of her thousands of powers in the comics do we want to make canon in the MCU?' Well, you know theres a part in the comics where she realizes shes immortal. She freaks out and then she goes intangible in water, and her atoms scatter across the ocean, and that takes her like forever to put herself back together. Like, shes insane so its like, you have so much to choose from... Anyway, we didn't do that one.

This plot came in The Avengers #291-293 when Monica touched the ocean water while fully made of electricity and spread herself across the surface of the water. This depleted her energy and her physical form immensely, leading to a tough battle to regain her strength before rejoining the Avengers.

A full description of the event can be seen below:

"When honorary Avengers member Marrina transformed into the gigantic sea monster Leviathan, Captain Marvel led the hunt for the creature; during the battle that followed, Monica made contact with sea water while in her electrical form and accidentally conducted herself across the surface of the ocean, depleting her energies so gravely and dispersing her atoms so widely that she could barely regain physical form, emerging as a frail, withered husk of a woman devoid of super-powers. Forced to retire from the team, Monica fought her way back to health and eventually regained her powers, though in a reduced and altered form that allowed her to surround herself with a manipulable energy field."

Parris also spoke with Marvel Entertainment at D23, teasing Monica's powers and her ability to fly in the upcoming sequel:

"Being able to fully realize Monicas powers and flying, and its like, Oh my gosh, we have a Black female superhero on the screen with these other amazing female superheroes. So, its just like, Oooh, woman power! And being led by an amazing woman, so yeah, that was my favorite part. Girl power.

Bringing in an extremely powerful superhero like Monica Rambeau is always a challenge for Marvel Studios as the team looks to bring characters that border on the lines of being overpowered. But considering just some of what Monica has been through in the comics, Nia DaCosta and Teyonah Parris seem to have a good idea of what not to use as she takes on a more pivotal role in the Multiverse Saga.

Having her go through something as bad as the event DaCosta mentioned would unquestionably take Monica out of the picture for a long time, which would be disappointing for fans who want to see her continue making an impact over the years. But thankfully, as DaCosta said in her quotes, Parris' heroine has a wealth of abilities to explore even past what fans saw already in WandaVision.

This comes on top of the bonds she will build in The Marvels - one of them being admittedly difficult thanks to some expectedly tense moments reuniting with Carol Danvers. Combine that with three sets of incredible powers, and it should make for a thrilling ride in next year's summer blockbuster.

The Marvels is set to premiere in theaters on July 28, 2023.

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Captain Marvel 2 Will Ignore 1 Version of Monica Rambeau From the Comics - The Direct

LeBron James is not a Patrick Beverley but the man can instigate someone at his will, he has done it for a long time.

Over the years, LeBron James has entertained multiple generations of fans. When one comes in as the most popular draftees of the country and plays almost 20 years with no significant drop in their game, they become immortal.

His legacy and immortality in the game of basketball will be defined by how much fun he and the players playing with him had while doing the thing he loves the most.

Unlike Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, he doesnt let wins or losses change his love for the game. Thats how he has done it for so long.

And when you do it this way, most people will love you. It doesnt matter whether they are your teams fans or others or even if they are the partners of a player you are destroying.

Also read: I Couldnt Tell If That Was Bronny or the King Himself: NBA Twitter Reacts to 63 Bronny James Starting Senior Year With an Aerial Show

Since coming to LA, LeBron has been held responsible to get several great young guys traded away from the team like Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram etc., in just his second year, and the likes of Alex Caruso and Kyle Kuzma after 2020-21.

One must think these players would hate the 4x Champ for it but when you look at this clip you certainly know neither Kuzma nor his girlfriend kept a grudge against The King for being LeGM.

If Kuzma literally was hating on James while he was in LA after their championship year and after his trade to the Washington Wizards, his girlfriend wouldnt be laughing when the 37-year-old was bullying Kuz on the court.

Also read: LeBron James, Who is 1325 Points Shy of Kareem Abdul-Jabbars Record, Describes His Psyche While Scoring His First Points

That is how contagious James and his greatness are. We know players arent bigger than the game, but he is the Sun if the NBA were a Solar System.

And you like and admire the Sun even if it can burn you, but it is necessary for existence, and in this case, NBAs popularity.

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WATCH: LeBron James Bullies Kyle Kuzma in Front of His Girlfriend and Then Laughs With Her - The Sportsrush

For 16 former NFL stars that we were lucky enough to see in the kelly green or midnight green of the Philadelphia Eagles (some longer than others), the journey to football immortality is one step closer. The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 129 modern-era nominees earlier this week. Each name belongs to a man that is worthy of the honor, but if were being honest, if you bleed green, were pulling for some guys a lot harder than were pulling for others.

No disrespect is intended. Still, much like the great Al Davis once said about his team, Once a Raider, always a Raider, in many ways, the same can often be said in the City of Brotherly Love. Once youre a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, youre always an Eagle.

The Hall added six quarterbacks, 17 running backs, 20 wide receivers, three tight ends, 21 offensive linemen, 14 defensive linemen, 17 linebackers, 19 defensive backs, ten punters/kickers, and two special-teams players to their list. Here were the former Eagles who were named.

Randall Cunningham is one of those players who is in his own lane, and hes responsible for the road guys like Steve McNair, Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and so many others have all traveled on.

Regardless of how you feel about him now, you cant deny his talent. Statistically speaking, Donovan McNabb is the best Eagles quarterback that has ever lived.

Once called upon to save the Eagles season, Jeff Garcia did would he always did. He gave it everything he had, and Birds fans will love him forever.

Long forgiven for that For who? For what? statement, Ricky Watters racked up 3,794 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns in three seasons and found his way onto the Pro Bowl roster twice in an Eagles jersey.

Brian Westbrook is, without question, one of the greatest do-it-all running backs the NFL has ever seen. He would have been successful in any era of football at any level of football.

Probably more remembered for his days in Washington, Brian Mitchell spent three years in Philly and NEVER put his team in jeapardy with any decision he made as a returner. He had a memorable 85-yard run in 2000 and scored four touchdowns as a kick returner or punt returner.

By the time Irving Fryar arrived in Philadelphia, his best years were probably behind him, and he still managed to carve out 1,100 yards or more during two of his three seasons with the Eagles. He also found his way onto two Pro Bowl rosters.

Simply put, any conversation about Buddy Ryan, Reggie White, and Jerome Brown will eventually lead you to an equally lengthy conversation about Clyde Simmons. He racked up 720 tackles, 76 sacks, and 12 forced fumbles in eight years as a member of the Birds. He led the NFL in sacks in 1992 and made two Pro Bowls.

Its hard to mention Takeo Spikes name without smiling. He wasnt here long, one year to be exact, but he definitely made his presence felt. He hasnt been forgotten.

Seth Joyner is one of those guys that you can make an argument for there being a lapse in judgment for him not already being inducted. He was a two-time First-Team All-Pro (1991, 1993), a two-time Second-Team All-Pro (1991, 1992), and a two-time Pro Bowler during eight seasons in an Eagles jersey.

Eric Allen should already be in the Hall of Fame. No one with an opinion that we respect or trust believes otherwise. He possesses all of the best traits of every great Eagles corner that has followed him while owning none of their weaknesses. Hed be successful in any era of Eagles football.

Asante Samuel just had a nose for the football, didnt he? He spent four seasons in Philadelphia and racked up 23 interceptions and 64 pass breakups over that time, and he made three Pro Bowls while leading the NFL in interceptions in 2009.

His name garners both respect and admiration. Troy Vincent is a great man who just happens to have been one of the greatest football players that weve ever seen.

Gary Anderson is a member of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team and the 1990s All-Decade Team. If were putting kickers in the Hall of Fame, he should probably already be enshrined. Will this be his year?

Jeff Feagles spent four seasons in Philadelphia and averaged 42.8 yards per boot in 65 games. For his career, hes seen the most consecutive games played by a punter (352) while stacking the most career punt yards (71,211), the most career punts (1,713), and the most career punts downed inside the opposing teams 20-yard line (55

Sean Landeta played for the USFLs Philadelphia Stars from 1983 to 1984 and spent the 1999-2002 seasons in Philly as a member of the Eagles. Like Anderson, hes a member of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team and the 1990s All-Decade Team. Hes also a member of the Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team while stacking 13,488 yards and an average of 41.5 yards per launch.

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16 former Eagles among 129 modern-era 2023 Hall of Fame nominees - Inside the Iggles

Update: Game developers across the industry continue to share footage and screenshots from their own early, in-progress builds and projects to show how normal the leaked GTA 6 footage really is and to shut down a hilariously wrong and now heavily-memed remark about graphics coming first in development.

Jeph Prez of Sea of Thieves developer Rare shared a video from a November 2014 build to highlight the "agile, iterative testing" that the game was seeing at the time. It's a blocky pastiche of the polished pirate adventure we know today, and this was after the build was upgraded from the "pill pirate" character models emblematic of the Unity engine's default assets.

EA community manager Kevin Johnson also shared (opens in new tab) Prez's clip with his own sentiments. "I wish the industry would be more proud to show that side of [development]," he said, calling the wave of build showcases one of the few good things to come "from the recent topic of leak culture and how destructive it is."

Sam Barlow, the lead on the newly released Immortality, chimed in with his own before-and-after, showing how the game looked for its first two years while the team at Half Mermaid "were focused on getting the AI shipped and combat gameplay balanced." (Check out our Immortality review to find out how this trippy, beautiful story comes together). This is one of the starkest examples yet, and it hammers home just how secondary graphics can be. It also sums up one of the key arguments behind this conversation: you can't, or at least shouldn't, spend time polishing a game that isn't built and balanced yet.

Breakout indie darling Cult of the Lamb got in on the conversation too, with developer Massive Monsters posting some familiar-looking but rough versions of the game.

Likewise, Brace Yourself Games, perhaps best known for Crypt of the Necrodancer and Zelda crossover Cadence of Hyrule, shared the amusing placeholders once used in Rift of the Necrodancer's yoga minigame.

Bungie senior game designer Josh Kulinski (opens in new tab) even dug up an old personal project to demonstrate that "games look really rough for a long time before they start looking great." Meanwhile, Knockout City developer Velan Studios shared a draft of one of the game's multiplayer maps, proudly reveling in all its untextured glory.

Animator Robert Morrison from Studio Bend also shared a clip of an untextured sequence from 2018's God of War, which still looks impressively fluid for how blobby everything is.

Similarly, co-game director Kurt Margenau of Naughty Dog reposted a blockmesh version of Uncharted 4's iconic street chase sequence, offering a helpful side-by-side look at how projects evolve graphically throughout development.

Solo Japanese developer Nama Takahashi also pounced on the trend to share a stark before-and-after of ElecHead, an electrified puzzle game previously announced at a May Nintendo Indie World showcase.

Original story follows

A Control developer has shared in-progress footage from the beginning of the game's development.

In response to a Twitter debate over the past weekend which, if we're being completely honest, is too silly to waste words on here, Control developer Paul Ehreth took to Twitter to show off what an actual game looks like early on. In the tweet below, we can see very early in-progress footage of protagonist Jessie Fayden running about, taking cover, and returning fire at enemy troops.

The footage also shows Jessie picking up objects from the surrounding environment, a staple of Control's action-packed combat, before hurling them at the enemy troops. As Ehreth rightly points out, this is the same game that would be go on to win numerous awards for excellence in graphics, not to mention overall Game of the Year awards from outlets and pundits.

Avoiding the Twitter debacle which brought this tweet about, we can instead pivot to the recent GTA 6 leaks. After over 90 videos of in-progress footage of Rockstar's sequel leaked online, some social media users were left somewhat surprised at the rough, in-progress state of the game as it continues through development.

Ehreth's tweet is aimed at educating social media users, showing them that yes, a stellar big-budget game really does look rough in the early goings of the overall development cycle. In fact, it's not just Ehreth that's published early footage with the aim of educating users - Naughty Dog director Kurt Margenau has always drawn attention to some very early in-progress footage of Uncharted 4, seen below.

As for the GTA 6 leaks however, Rockstar confirmed their legitimacy shortly after the leak took place over the past weekend. The developer wrote that it was "extremely disappointed," in the leaked footage, but elsewhere around the industry, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Last of Us devs have come together to voice support for Rockstar developers who have had their work leaked online.

Here's why you should ignore the GTA 6, because the final reveal from Rockstar will be worth the lengthy wait.

See more here:

Devs behind Control, Sea of Thieves and more share their own unfinished game builds to put the GTA 6 leak in perspective - Gamesradar

Silver Screen Collection Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched - Silver Screen Collection

Louise Fletcher, who has died aged 88, gained cinematic immortality through her portrayal of the terrifyingly cold and manipulative Nurse Ratched in Milos Formans 1975 adaptation of Ken Keseys novel One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, in which she was memorably opposed by Jack Nicholson as RP McMurphy, a small-time crook incarcerated in a mental hospital who attempts to lead a rebellion against her authority.

While the film proved an enormous success it became only the second film to make a clean sweep of the five most prestigious prizes at the 1976 Academy Awards, including that of Best Actress for Louise Fletcher it also proved the sole high point in a career which saw her talents sadly wasted by an industry that seemed to have no place for her.

Estelle Louise Fletcher was born on July 22 1934 in Birmingham, Alabama, the daughter of an Episcopalian minister and his wife, both of whom were deaf; Louise was taught to speak by an aunt who also encouraged her interest in acting. On graduating from the University of North Carolina, she travelled in the late 1950s to Los Angeles, where she took an office job while studying acting at night.

Due to her height (5ft 10in), she initially found herself cast primarily in Western television series such as Lawman, Maverick, Wagon Train and The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, leavened on occasion by appearances in such popular shows as The Untouchables and Perry Mason.

On her marriage in 1959 to the agent Jerry Bick (whose clients included the crime writer, Jim Thompson) and the subsequent birth of their two sons, Louise Fletcher retired from acting following her one feature film role of this period, as an air force wife in the turgid Rock Hudson vehicle A Gathering of Eagles (1963).

Ten years later, Louise Fletcher returned to television work before being cast in Robert Altmans Thieves Like Us (1974), a remake of Nicholas Rays 1948 crime film, They Live by Night, produced by Bick following his collaboration with Altman the previous year on The Long Goodbye. Her supporting performance, as a tired, no-nonsense housewife in Depression-era Mississippi who betrays Keith Carradines bank robber to the law, made a strong impression, leading Altman to devise a character based on Louise Fletcher for his next film, Nashville (1975).

Nashville was in development, she recalled, and my parents came from Birmingham to visit the set. He [Altman] witnessed Jerry not being able to communicate with them, and I was sort of the go-between, the interpreter for them with everybody. He got this idea to write a character who has a deaf child and that was going to be my part.

But following a falling-out with United Artists, Altman took the picture elsewhere, jettisoning both Fletcher and Bick in the process, and handing the part to Lily Tomlin. He took my family identity, then to treat me in that way. I stopped speaking to him, because he hurt me so bad, Louise Fletcher said, although she would later make a cameo appearance as herself in the directors The Player (1992).

Following a secondary role in Russian Roulette (1975), a lame espionage thriller co-produced by Bick with Sir Lew Grades ITC and starring George Segal, she put herself in contention for the part for which she will always be remembered.

As Milos Forman later recounted, We were all convinced that we had to have somebody who is really [the] personification of evil. We offered the part to about four actresses who would fill this image. They all turned it down. Then one day I met Louise Fletcher [having seen her performance in Thieves Like Us]... I slowly started to realise that it will be much more powerful if its not this visible evil, that she is only an instrument of evil, she doesnt know that she is evil.

Interviewed on set, Louise Fletcher remarked of Nurse Ratched, I see her as a human being who shes not a medieval witch. I see her as a woman who believes totally in what shes doing. She believes that whats shes doing is absolutely right and best for all the patients.

Adapted from the 1962 novel by Kesey and co-produced by Michael Douglas, whose father Kirk had played McMurphy on stage in 1963, the film was shot at the Oregon State Hospital, with Forman encouraging his cast to improvise, a luxury denied to Louise Fletcher by the nature of her part: I was so jealous of all those actors being able to cavort and laugh and do all the crazy things they did, that one day it just got too much for me, and I just stood up and unbuttoned my dress and ripped it off and threw it down on the floor, and I thought Ill show them Im a real woman under here. I think that mustve been what I was thinking, you know Im not this monster!

Her success at the 1976 Academy Awards, during which she thanked her parents in sign language, proved remarkably short-lived. Her next film was Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), directed by John Boorman and starring Richard Burton. The formers intention was to make an experimental metaphysical thriller on the nature of goodness, a notion decidedly at odds with Warner Brothers desire for more of the same crude shock tactics which had distinguished the 1974 original.

On casting Louise Fletcher as a psychiatrist, Boorman recalled that She had an air of authority. She was tall and regal. Burton said to her, Im a Welsh dwarf and its always my fate to be cast with tall leading ladies.

While the resultant film was an artistic and financial failure, it was at least a notorious failure, which is more than can be said for Louise Fletchers subsequent films. The Cheap Detective (1978) saw her impersonating Ingrid Bergman in a puerile Neil Simon parody of various Humphrey Bogart films, after which she provided solid support to Hal Holbrook in the underrated Natural Enemies (1979).

In 1980, however, her appearance in the title role of an obscure Belgian comedy led one commentator to refer to Mama Dracula as just the latest in a wide variety of oddball parts she has played since winning her 1975 Oscar.

Her fortunes fared no better in the 1980s, her small role in the Stephen King adaptation Firestarter (1984) being followed by a part as a cemetery director in Sergio Leones Once Upon a Time in America that same year which was cut from the American-release print (though subsequently restored in the extended version). Nonetheless, by this stage, and with, as she said, bills to pay, she continued to work busily in television, enjoying some success as Kai Wynn in the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999), while all too often being required to play pale imitations of her most celebrated character.

Louise Fletcher was divorced from Jerry Bick in 1978. She died at her home in the south of France, having previously survived two bouts of breast cancer. She is survived by her two sons.

Louise Fletcher, born July 22 1934, died September 23 2022

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Louise Fletcher, actress who won an Oscar as the ruthless Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest obituary - msnNOW

The festival of Durga Puja narrates the victory of good over evil, i.e., Goddess Durga over the demon king Mahishasura. Before the final battlefield was open to both, there were several backstories with fascinating anecdotes. As we gear up to welcome one of the biggest Hindu festivals, it's time to refresh our memories about Mahishasura. We all have seen the demon king being worshipped alongside the goddess. Many of us might have pondered why he is getting treated with veneration. While searching for similar answers, I came across the chronicle narrating how Mahishasura's fasting cost the gods almost their lives.

In Hindu Puranas, Mahishasura or Mahishan is a demon. Goddess Shakti adopted the Durga form, among many others, to combat and slay him. But behind his such unconquerable might, lied a painstaking penance which included fasting for years. There are several narratives which tell us how fasting has been used as a means and tools to gain control over mind, body and soul and manifest superpowers as divine boons.

The Vamana Purana, Devi Bhagavatam, and Skanda Purana all tell the tale of Mahishasura's birth. The reason for the demon's moniker, Mahishasura, is that the monster had a head of buffalo, and Mahisha is the word for buffalo (male). Asura means demon. Often, he is referred to as the 'shape-shifting' demon. He was Rambha and demon princess Shyamala's son.

The genesis of power hunger

Mahishasura's ambition to rule all creation as the most powerful entity started in his childhood. He fostered animosity toward the Devas and desired to overthrow them. He often fantasised about becoming mightier than the gods. He tried vanquishing the gods but couldn't withstand their united strength.

Setting on a tough Tapasya with unyielding fasting

The demon king realised the way to make his wish into a reality he has to appease Lord Brahma, the granter of boons. Thus, he set on a formidable Tapasya or penance. What started with meditation slowly grew into strict fasting. There came the point when he stopped eating and drinking anything. And he kept praying to appease Brahma.

He started a protracted penance by standing under a tree on one foot. After many years, Mahishasura developed incredible power that swept all over the realms. It was so strong that Lord Brahma could feel it, and he was moved by his ardent devotion. He arrived where the Asura was fasting.

Meditation, Image Source: mindandmovement.com

Fasting triggered devastation

Mahishasura opened his eyes, sensing the Lord's presence. Invoking blessing, Brahma gestured for the Asura to ask anything he desired. "I want to become immortal," Mahishasura retorted. Brahma disagreed, reminding him that everything is born to die, and thus it is impossible. The sly Mahishasuratweaked his immortality boon and requested Lord Brahma that he should be immune to death by man, demons, gods or any other beings. No woman could ever kill him; he was sure of it. Lord Brahma remarked: "So it will be."

Thanking Lord Brahma for this boon and armed with such enormous abilities at his disposal, the buffalo-headed demon unleashed wraths on heaven and earth. He became invincible, and no god, beast or man could kill or stop him. He started slaying gods one by one.

Performing penance by abstaining from food and drinks can generate immense energy for the practitioner. The power of fasting is clearly mentioned in our Puranas, mythologies, and ancient scriptures. It pleases the ultimate divine or almighty and grants boons by them.

That is how Mahisasura got the boon of immortality, and the rest is history.

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This Is How Mahishasuras Fasting Costed The God - Slurrp