Category Archives: Immortality

In Living+ we finally see an often ignored part of the Waystar Royco empire: the movie studio. Waystar Studios have often served as the butt of the Roy familys jokes, a graveyard for unimportant family members (sorry Amir) or as a dinosaur in Waystars catalog of brands and businesses. But in Successions final season we are finding out whats going on out West and what happens when the belief in intellectual property is left to fester.

The most common joke at the studios expense is its use as a content factory. Its responsible for producing the iconic character Dodrick, the hit hibernating-robot franchise Calypsotron, and of course the loveable family comedy The Biggest Turkey in the World. In Season 1 we learn that Roman used to be more involved with the studios, but left due to their transition into making content slop above art. Maybe Waystar Studios once made great movies, but have no sense of that history.

At one point in Living+ Roman is seen being driven through the Waystar Studios backlot filled with cameras and green screens. The look of utter disdain on Kieran Culkins face is palpable. The studios are a rotting corpse of creating nonsense entertainment to fulfill the bottom line. Every time the studios come up its a joke. The general public presumably loves Dodrick, but we only see him through the lens of Greg throwing up in his mascot suit or Lukas making a poor taste Holocaust joke at Dodricks expense.

One of Successions most striking throughlines is how it depicts what the uber-rich do for fun. The Roys and the people they associate with do not have the same entertainment we do. We see the different ways they play games. Theres the Monopoly game in the Season 3 finale that pokes fun at the flimsy rules that are easily by-passed (several characters cheat throughout the game). Theres also the infamous Boar on the Floor, a game without rules that acts to demean and intimidate. The show even begins with a casual baseball game that humiliates a young boy who fails to win a million dollars by hitting a home run. Entertainment is found by poking fun at the existence of rules, showing that they can be bent to the whims of the rich in order to see just how far people can devolve.

The only time entertainment-as-art is truly shown in Succession is during Willas play in Season 2. It was her great artistic pursuit that ended with horrible reviews and Greg getting bitten by sand fleas. Succession posits that creating true art is a fools errand. Treasured paintings are bought for tax write-offs, and putting your soul into something is worthless if youre still working within the field of entertainment.

What Living+ solidifies across all of Waystars endeavors is said simply by Roman. When studio head Joy voices her concern about ATNs coverage of the fascist-leaning political candidate Jeryd Mencken, Roman replies Menckens IP. Same as everything. For mega-corporations like Waystar Royco, politics and movies both act as different branches of the content factory.

Succession utilizes a birds eye view of the corporate entertainment landscape to dissect how muddled the waters actually are. Hearing Kendall and Roman talk about the talking points for the investors meeting would give anyone engrossed in the world of new media deja vu. Building franchises, boosting intellectual property, consolidating brands it sounds like the writers are taking lines straight out of WarnerBros. Discoverys own shareholders meeting (I half expected to see a Venn diagram that divided Waystars brands between male-skewing and female-skewing).

Living+ takes Successions philosophies about the richs approach to entertainment and pushes it to its illogical Big Tech next step: letting you live in IP. Kendalls description of Living+ sounded like it was ripped straight from a Black Mirror episode: a world where content infects every part of your life. The project is reminiscent of Disneys residential communities, specifically the newly announced Storyliving. Disney promises that you never have to leave the comfort of their world. Living+ clarifies that as a luxury experience that allows your life to become overrun with brand tie-ins.

Kendalls big pitch for Living+ is Successions biggest skewering of capitalism yet: the promise of living forever. Living+ residents will get to access life-extending medical trials and drugs before anyone else. If Succession wasnt harsh enough on the media landscape before, roping Big Pharma in seals its entire corporate philosophy together.

The announcement of Living+ during the studio-centric episode is incredibly purposeful. The IP factory is used to house the next big sell: immortality. Immortality is only offered by living in Waystars pool of IP. The corporate mindset turns IP into the closest anyone can actually come to immortality. The worthless dribble can achieve what even Logan Roy could not.

One of the standout parts of Episode 6 was when Shiv and Tom were talking in the bedroom about Toms betrayal. He displays a frankness hardly seen in the show, saying simply that he likes having money and he doesnt want to lose it. The Roy kids have so much money they forget its there, they start looking beyond into other ways they can inflict their power on the world. But Season 4 sees the kids finally face the one thing they cant buy their way around: confronting mortality. In the wasteland of the studios you pull yourself up with the trash, buoyed by Big Tech evaluations and promises of something more powerful than a product. But all a company knows how to do is produce; products are all its capable of.

As Succession enters the back half of Season 4 the kids are trying to grasp at forever through the language and strategies of corporate nonsense. The studios produce garbage, so you integrate that garbage with all the other junk the company makes. Fighting immortality is the only game left for the uber-rich to play. And when you can buy the world, you can only think of everything as property.

Succession airs Sunday nights on HBO and HBO Max.

Leila Jordan is a writer and former jigsaw puzzle world record holder. Her work has appeared in Paste Magazine, Gold Derby, FOX Digital, The Spool, and Awards Radar. To talk about all things movies, TV, and useless trivia you can find her @galaxyleila

For all the latest TV news, reviews, lists and features, follow @Paste_TV.

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For Succession, Everything Is IP - Paste Magazine

Canon U.S.A. Supports 18th Annual Japan Center Essay Competition at Stony Brook University

Melville, NY, May 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Demonstrating its commitment to empowering students and supporting education, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions,proudly sponsored and participated in the 18thAnnual Japan Center Essay Competition Awards Ceremony on Saturday, April 29 th , at Stony Brook University.

The essay competition, organized by the Japan Center at Stony Brook, honors students for work that demonstrates their awareness and understanding of the Japanese culture. The program encourages students to think creatively and critically about their lives in relating experiences to aspects of Japanese culture to help broaden horizons and promote global citizenship through the thought-provoking essays.

"The essay competition provides students with an opportunity to develop a better understanding of cultural activities related to Japan, and we are proud to partner with Canon U.S.A. on this endeavor," said Dr. Iwao Ojima, the President of Japan Center at Stony Brook University. The students wrote powerful compositions and we congratulate them for their great work."

Two hundred and six high school and college students submitted essays for the competition. Contestants were asked to write about one or more aspects of Japan including art, culture, tradition, values, philosophy, history, society, politics, business, and technology in relation to their personal views, experiences, and/or future goals. A panel of Stony Brook faculty judges selected four winners, who received awards including a Canon camera.

High School Division Best Essay Award

1st Place Best Essay Award and Consul General of Japan Special Award

Japan: Unlikely Gateway to My Educational Future by Aidan Sargent (West Hempstead High School)

2nd Place Best Essay Award

Hope Takes Flight by Keya Annam (Stuyvesant High School)

3rd Place Best Essay Award

Sakura: The Essence of Immortality by Nicola Hsu (Millennium High School)

Uchida Memorial Award

Memoirs of a Bento Box by Kaytie Tanoue (Stony Brook University)

Canon U.S.A., Inc. and the Japan Center at Stony Brook University have a longstanding partnership, which began in 2005 with former president and chief executive officer of Canon U.S.A., Inc., the late Mr. Kinya Uchida. This was the annual events first in-person ceremony since 2019, having been held virtually for the past 3 years. Attendees included the award-winning students, and representatives from the Japan Center at Stony Brook, Canon U.S.A., Inc., and Consulate General of Japan in New York. Each winner took to the stage and read their essay to the audience. Junichi Furuyama, senior vice president and general manager, Finance and Accounting, Canon U.S.A., Inc., spoke at the awards ceremony and congratulated the winners.

As I read each essay, I was very impressed by the students work, said Furuyama. It is important for all of us to understand and appreciate the differences in the various cultures around the world. Developing a mutual understanding is not always easy, but it is worth the effort. That is why this essay contest is so valuable.

For a list of winners, finalists, and semifinalists, you can visit the Japan Centers website . Award-winning essays will be posted in early May.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $30.3 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), as of 2022 has ranked in the top-five overall in U.S. patents granted for 37 consecutive years . Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To learn more about Canon, visit us at http://www.usa.canon.com and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA .

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Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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Canon U.S.A. Supports 18th Annual Japan Center Essay ... - InvestorsObserver

Commentary by Steven A. Smith

It was a lovely memorial service if there can be such a thing.

The church building was relatively new. The sanctuary was clean and modern, the seats comfortable.

And for the 100 or so in attendance, the service was moving, brief but powerful.

My dear friend, Ellen, died in December 2021. Hers was a long fight with cancer. She survived far longer than doctors had predicted. And until the end, she remained active and lively.

Ellen was married to my best friend, Steve. They had been married for 47 years, the only couple among my oldest friends whose first marriage had survived.

I was best man at their wedding, although I have no memory of the event. Steve and I had partied hard the night before. It is amazing to me I was able to stand for the wedding pictures. But there I am, visual proof I had managed to stand up for my friend.

For several years, as Ellen battled her cancer, Steve struggled with his own health issues. It was a hard time for them.

Ellens memorial was delayed because her church had been dislocated for a time and then moved into a new building. And the family wanted to hold it in early spring so out-of-town guests could make the trip to Bend, Oregon, without concern for weather.

Ellen had planned the service herself, choosing the hymns and the prayers and talking to Pastor Nancy about the pastors eulogy and with her brother-in-law who also spoke. As with everything Ellen did in life, it was organized and tasteful.

I teared up a little, while my friend, Steve, sobbed quietly at the beginning before calming himself.

Sadly, I have been to several funerals and memorial services in recent years. That comes with age, I guess. All are different. My friend Davids service was classically Jewish. My mother-in-laws service was a full Catholic Mass. My mother, on the other hand, wanted no memorial service. We simply spread her ashes at the beach. There have been others. Some mournful. Some celebratory.

All different. And all the same.

During Ellens service, as I rested my hand on my friends shoulder, I saw, not for the first time, the commonality among all those memorials and funerals.

In that simple Bend sanctuary, surrounded by Ellens family and friends, the love was palpable, thick, like a warm mist in the room.

Ellen is gone. The container holding her ashes was proof of that. But the love she had for those in that room and the love they had for her could be felt, literally. Love tempered sorrow because in that love, she was very much alive still.

In the Jewish tradition, when someone dies, we say may their memory be a blessing.

I like that phrase, far better than I am so sorry, or, please accept my condolences.

Yes, death is a sad thing. And grieving family and friends deserve sympathy and condolences.

But it is in our memories that we truly celebrate life. I can express sympathy for the grieving. But it is more important, I believe, to hope for the blessing of good memories that keep loved ones alive for us, in us.

Last weeks memorial service for my friend brought that point home once again.

The service was properly emotional. But before and after, as friends and family gathered, the conversation focused on memories of Ellen.

There was talk of her work for the Forest Service, as a ranger at Mt. Rainier, as a guide at the Statue of Liberty.

There was talk of her commitment to the outdoors, her founding of a womens ski group, and of the many book clubs she started.

There was talk of her 40-plus years as an elementary-school teacher and of the hundreds of students she taught and loved.

And there was talk of her life with Steve and their two children, a life spent in the worlds great cities, a life of travel and adventure.

Long after the service ended, those memories will sustain those who live after.

Death comes to all of us. In the end, some of us can provide a material legacy. A very, very few live on in history.

For the rest of us our legacy is the memories we leave behind. That is our immortality. Ellens service was for me a timely reminder. May her memory be a blessing, always.

Steven A. Smith is clinical associate professor emeritus in the School of Journalism and Mass Media at the University of Idaho having retired from full time teaching at the end of May 2020. His columns reflect his progressive political views. Smith was raised in a Jewish home and is culturally Jewish. However, he considers himself an atheist, which is reflected in his writing. Smith is former editor of The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington. As editor, Smith supervised all news and editorial operations on all platforms until his resignation in October 2008. Prior to joining The Spokesman-Review, Smith was editor for two years at the Statesman Journal in Salem, Oregon, and was for five years editor and vice president of The Gazette in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is a graduate of the Northwestern University Newspaper Management Center Advanced Executive Program and a mid-career development program at Duke University. He holds an M.A. in communication from The Ohio State University where he was a Kiplinger Fellow, and a B.S. in journalism from the University of Oregon. Smith currently serves on the SpokaneFVS Board of Trustees.

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What I Learned at a Funeral about the Power of Love - spokanefavs.com

A fan artist creates a compelling version of Voldemort as played by Benedict Cumberbatch.

By Lyndon Nicholas| Updated 5 mins ago

JK Rowlings Harry Potter franchise became a cultural phenomenon in the 1990s, starting with the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone in 1997 before being adapted to film in the early 2000s. With a new series announced by Warner Bros. Discovery, fans are in for a whole new cast, crew, and additions to the Wizarding World. According to a recent Instagram post, many fans are already casting the franchises lead villain Lord Voldemort, and think Marvel actor Benedict Cumberbatch would be a perfect fit.

The post comes from the Instagram user and artist Csar Castillo Marquez. The post shows his fan-created image of Benedict Cumberbatch as Voldemort, followed by a clip of the artist layering over the original photo of Benedict Cumberbatch with his reconstructed version.

The rendering transforms Benedict Cumberbatchs eyes to a blood red, with menacing dark circles underneath at the lids and an eerily hairless, snake-like face with slits at the nose, icy purple lips, and a blueish-green tint. The image portrays Voldemort from the chest up, and a dark teal-black-shaded background gives an ominous air to the already intimidating depiction of the character.

Benedict Cumberbatch has an extensive background in both stage and screen acting. After portraying Stephen Hawking in the television film Hawking, Cumberbatch went on to star as the worlds greatest detective Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series Sherlock, and appeared in films like Star Trek Into Darkness, 12 Years a Slave, and voiced both Sauron and the dragon Smaug in The Hobbit films. He may best be known for joining the MCU as Doctor Strange beginning with 2016s Doctor Strange and most recently in 2022s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

From an aesthetic perspective, Benedict Cumberbatch as Voldemort certainly works. He bares a strong resemblance to Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes, who contrary to popular belief first portrayed the character in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

In terms of personality, Ralph Fiennes gravitas and delivery, especially his internet-famous delivery of the death-spell Avada Kedavra will be hard to top for subsequent portrayals of The Lord of Darkness. Still, Benedict Cumberbatch could be a worthy predecessor, possessing a level of charm, guile, and refinement that could lend itself to playing a character like Voldemort. Voldemorts corrupting evil influence is powered by heightened levels of persuasive abilities, with the character frequently attempting to lure Harry Potter and others over to the dark side.

Voldemort is made out to be a prodigiously intelligent wizard if somewhat full of himself, a character trait Benedict Cumberbatch should have no problem portraying as exemplified by his portrayal of Doctor Stranges often-arrogant protagonist Stephen Strange. Although a successful doctor, wizard, and Avenger, Strange has shown that at times his hubris has led him into making poor decisions.

Similarly, it is Voldemorts hubris and belief that he is the strongest wizard in the world that makes him blind to his own shortcomings. Although he believes he has discovered immortality through the use of his Horcruxes, they prove to be part of his undoing. Many like Marquez could see Benedict Cumberbatch slipping seamlessly into the part, and the image alone is a strong argument for his suitability for the role.

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Benedict Cumberbatch Is Perfect As Lord Voldemort, See The Photo - Giant Freakin Robot

4BR Editor Iwan Fox takes a close look at 'Aurora' the Championship Section test-piece that could provide the sign to conquer rivals for one band in Malmo...

Here comes the sun...

The Romans liked a God or two.

In fact, 67 or so give or take a few that were in and out of fashion until the Emperor Constantine decided to place his faith in just the one ahead of a winner takes all battle against rivals.

By all accounts he had a vision that saw a script that read: In Hoc Signo Vince or In this sign, conquer.

Quite a few of the 14 conductors here in Malmo will be looking for the same divine intervention when they open the score to Joel Thoor Engstroms 'Aurora' set-work for the Championship Section on Friday afternoon.

Aurora was strictly a mid-table God in terms of the Premier League of Roman deities.

The table topper of the 12 Dii Consentes (major Gods) was Jupiter the God of the Sky and Thunder. Aurora on the other hand had the job of waking up at dawn to streak across the heavens announcing the arrival of her brother, Sol, the Sun God.

What she for the rest of the day nobody quite knows, but perhaps bored of her repetitive heavenly life she took a mortal lover, who unlike her, aged in immortality. She eventually turned the poor chap into a cicada.

She did this dressed in robe of saffron, opening the gates to the morning with her rosy fingers before riding a chariot, said to led by two pink or white horses, traveling across the sky from East to West.

What she for the rest of the day nobody quite knows, but perhaps bored of her repetitive heavenly life she took a mortal lover, who unlike her, aged in immortality. She eventually turned the poor chap into a cicada.

The heavens awake...

Joel Thoor Engstroms engaging 18-minute composition is inspired by Auroras symbolism rather than character traits - evoking the mystery as well as majesty of the bringer of renewal and joy, the comforter of better times ahead during the darkest hours of the night.

Think of waking up to a day of ELOs Mr Blue Sky after an evening of Leonard Cohen.

The work is structured in three distinct but joined parts; the unstable scene-setting opening followed by the growing busy activity of early morning Roman life.

A central kindling of light warmly settles in place as the day unfolds, eventually giving way to a festive song of praise finale, packed with free flowing, childlike optimism.

A central kindling of light warmly settles in place as the day unfolds, eventually giving way to a festive song of praise finale, packed with free flowing, childlike optimism that itself heralds a race to enjoy the last embers of the sun before Auroras moon sister, Luna is seen to settle in the sky.

It all starts (below) in the ether of pre-dawn; glimpses of light breaking through a thick mist ready to be burned off by the arrival of the blazing golden orb in the heavens. It is slow and mysterious the percussion (with the help of a rubber superball rolled across a timpani head, a scraped tam-tam and tinkling crotales) setting the scene.

An early indicator of the composers thematic development (motif twists and turns formed by what the composer describes as harmonic magnetic fields) is heard in the muted trombones in the following Vivace section.

This has a sprightly semi-quaver underpinning that grows in incremental pace (132/142/144/152), drama and purpose fleet of foot but light of dynamic touch.

That said, Auroras horses galop with an oddly gaited stride at times.

It soundslike the Norse God Odins eight legged Sleipnir at full pelt (above). However, its dislocated meter(with just a hint of sardonic Swedish humour in its driving ABBAesque money, money, money semi quaver lines?) is written withclarity and precision in the uncluttered scoring (as it is throughout) before reaching its ferocious stopping point.

Its a like the Norse God Odins eight legged Sleipnir at full pelt with its dislocated meters (with just a hint of sardonic Swedish humour in its driving ABBAesque money, money, money semi quaver lines?)

There, a moments silence greets an afternoon of relaxed expression which unfolds with soli unison leads enhanced by solo cameos from soprano to vibraphone.

None are overextended in length or needless virtuosity, each drawing into the other to keep the music flowing with tasteful rubato. The climaxes are sonorous, but certainly not bombastic or overblown, finally passing through different lead voices to the solo cornet on a libero cadenza (below) of simple tranquil settlement.

The spirited finale comes as little bit of a surprise; the dark minor chord undercurrents even in that afternoon sun replaced by all things bright, bubbly (marked 132) and compound. The youthful vigour is obvious; jubilant and nippy, the clear scoring with its clever percussion writing adding texture and colour.

The youthful vigour is obvious; jubilant and nippy, the clear scoring with its clever percussion writing adding texture and colour.

The impending sense of the joyfulness ending as the moon begins to rise is obvious though; the pace increasing almost exponentially, fevered, agitated and finally ecstatic the final snatch of sunshine grabbed at an alarming 182 sprint finish.

Iwan Fox

Swedish composer Joel Thoor Engstrm (1987) is based in Stockholm, whose works for orchestra, choir and chamber ensembles to solo compositions and opera are characterised by colourful expressions in rhythm and harmony.

He is influenced by both the neo-classical French tradition following Debussy and Ravel all the way to electronica, experimental fusion and progressive chiptunes.

For many years he played in a brass band and later studied composition at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm with Mats Larsson Gothe, Per Mrtensson and Henrik Strindberg.

He was a finalist in the European Composer Competition in Belfast in 2006 with his work, Odyssey, and since them his works have been performed nationally and internationally by artists such as Norrkping Symphony Orchestra, the Swedish Radio Choir, Baltic Youth Philharmonic, Royal Swedish Army Band and ensemble recherche.

He has composed several chamber operas, the latest Om Mnninskan (About man) which premiered at the Folkoperan in Stockholm in 2019.

Joel is also a teacher of music theory, ear training and composition at Lilla Akademien Music School in Stockholm.

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2023 European Championships Here comes the sun... 4barsrest - 4barsrest.com

By Dan Delzell, Christian Post Contributor | Tuesday, May 02, 2023Unsplash/engin akyurt

Consider the thousands of hours we spend on our physical health and appearance, even though our earthly body eventually wears out. This unpleasant reality is one reason Gods offer of a resurrection body is so spectacular!

Imagine having a body that never ages and remains completely free from sickness and disease. I am talking about a perfect body. You know, the kind of body God describes in his love letter to us. The Bible lays out Gods offer of a perfect resurrection body for everyone who repents and receives Jesus as Savior.

The Apostle Paul described what occurs at the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).

The 17th-century English theologian and Bible commentator Matthew Pooleexplained our resurrectedspiritual body this way:

Spiritual, not as to the substance of it, for in that sense a spiritual body is a contradiction, but in respect of the qualities and conditions of it. Bodies which, in respect of many new qualities they shall have, shall be more like angels and other spirits, than human bodies; beautiful, incorruptible, free from infirmities, not subject to hunger, or thirst, or injuries from cold or heat, etc."

Our earthly bodies, on the other hand, experience tremendous weakness. What if frailty, fatigue, and death was all we had waiting for us in the future? What a gloomy and depressing reality it would be! Thankfully, the Lord did something to secure a resurrection body for everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as Savior. The Lord died on the cross for our sins and rose on the third day, and God has given us the Holy Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Corinthians 5:5).

A well-known futurist by the name of Ray Kurzweil claims that advancements in artificial intelligence will allow human beings to achieve immortality in 7 years. It is pure science fiction.

In reality, God already gave you an immortal soul when he created you in your mothers womb, and the Lord wants you to live forever in a place the Bible callsa new Heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness (2 Peter 3:13). This place will be perfect in every way! (John 14:1-4).

Jesus said,I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:25-26). The reason Jesus asked Martha if she believed his words is because trusting Jesus for eternal life is the only way to receive your resurrection body one day.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). God offers you salvation today and a perfect resurrection body in Heaven forever. Those who refuse Gods gracious offer will spend eternity in Hell paying for their sins (Matthew 25:46).

Jesus revealed that people in both Heaven and Hell will have a resurrected body. The Savior said,Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Hell (Matthew 10:28).

Bodies in Heaven are free from pain, while bodies in Hell suffer constant agony and torment.No one in his right mind would choose Hell over Heaven, and yet Jesus revealed that an eternal destination awaits both believers and unbelievers (Matthew 7:13,14).

Some accept Gods offer of forgiveness, while others refuse it. What about you? Do you want to go to Heaven? If you are currently a non-Christian, there is still time for you to receive Jesus as your Savior.

And if you are currently mocking Jesus and his offer of grace, I implore you to reconsider your reckless attitude and repent of your blasphemy. It is extremely dangerous to mock the Lord and ridicule the Gospel message of salvation. The grace of God is your only lifeline, whether you currently realize it or not.

What are the biggest health challenges you have faced? Imagine never again needing to visit a doctor or take any medicine. Everyone in Heaven will be free from cancer and every other disease and sickness. Alzheimers disease and dementia do not exist in Heaven, where the mind functions on a much higher level. Resurrected spiritual bodies in Heaven will be perfect in every way.

The Apostle John wrote, Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2). And Paul wrote, Christ will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:21). Jesus said that people in Heaven can no longer die; for they are like the angels (Luke 20:36).

I wrote a recentCP op-ed titled,Will You Be Allowed to Enter Heaven? The Gospel is presented using an illustration with three chairs. It is a simple way to share the good news with others, especially with those who are prone to rely upon their noble efforts and religious deeds to get into Heaven.

Gods offer to you of a perfect resurrection body will not be available indefinitely. Therefore, Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart (Hebrews 3:7).Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). A perfect resurrection body awaits everyone who brings their sins to Jesus in repentance and faith. I hope you realize why this glorious offer is simply too good to pass up!

Dan Delzell is the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Churchin Papillion, Nebraska.

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What it means to have a perfect resurrection body - The Christian Post

Warning: SPOILERS for The Flash #796DC just revealed the out-of-this-world reason why the Flash will always triumph over death. The Flash's connection to the Speed Force has saved him from the brink yet again, but this time the mystical Force went above and beyondliterally.

The Flash finds himself, alive and well, on Planet Flash in The Flash #796 by Jeremy Adams, Fernando Pasarin, Roger Cruz, George Kambadais, Oclair Albert, Wellington Dias, Pete Pantazis, Matt Herms, Luis Guerrero, and Rob Leigh. The previous issue of the "One-Minute War" event saw Wally West seemingly die by explosive car crashwhich he also assumes to be the case when he wakes to see a group of probably-dead heroes looking over him.

But his ally Gold Beetle sets him straight, telling Wally he was "dematerialized so that [he] could be spit out of the Speed Force." According to her, the Speed Force can save speedsters from deadly situations and spit them out on Planet Flash, previously known as Timepoint, which is a planet that exists outside of timemuch like Speed Force-connected "organic conduits" themselves. The Speed Force has saved Wally from the crash and deposited him, outside of time and space, on this mysterious planet.

Related: DC's Latest Resurrection Gives EVERY Dead Hero a Chance to Return

Planet Flash debuted much earlier in this same run as a mysterious place in deep space with an even more mysterious connection to the Flash Family, including Wally's children Irey and Jai. With Gold Beetle's new revelations after Wally's apparent death in "One-Minute War," it's clear that this planet is not only a haven for the Flash and his speedster allies, but deeply connected to the mystical Speed Force. The Speed Force not only powers the speedsters of Earth, but, as of this Flash event, it also has an intergalactic reach, powering non-human speedsters (and their enemies, an empire called the Fraction). The Speed Force has saved a number of speedsters from death before, but this revelation takes its powers to a whole new level.

The existence of Planet Flashand the Speed Force's connection to it as a planet beyond space and timemakes the Flash and his allies practically un-killable. If the Speed Force can simply "dematerialize" one of its favored speedsters whenever they're in mortal danger and then spit them out on a safe-haven planet, there are few reasons whyor howa member of the Flash Family could ever be outright killed. Does this make the Flash practically immortal? Maybe, especially given how long speedsters can liveusing Jay Garrick as only one example.

What this means for the physical stakes of Flash comics is yet to be seen, as is the true future of Planet Flash. As the current creative team winds down its story ahead of the current run's conclusion, fans will hopefully learn more about the mysterious and exciting Planet Flashas well as its connection to the speedster-saving Speed Force.

Check out The Flash #796, available now from DC Comics!

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The Flash Just Unlocked Immortality as DC's Most Un-Killable Hero - Screen Rant

Bucks County Community College recently announced the winners of the sixth annual Bucks County Short Fiction Contest for High School students. There were 41 total entries this year.

Henry Franklin, a senior at Pennsbury High School, was awarded first place for his story, The Portraits of Randal Holmes. Erin Hernandez, a senior at Neshaminy High School, won second place for Do NOT Help Orphans You Find on the Street. Emily Myers, also a senior at Neshaminy High School, captured third place for I Did Something Bad. Dr. Erangee Kumarage, a faculty member at Bucks County Community College, made the final selections.

Kumarage cited Franklins story as A sophisticated critique of corporate greed, capitalism, and the complicity of the church and state in the oppression of the workers. The protagonist, Randal Holmes, is a compelling figure who appears to be more a vessel for art than an artist and who cant help but fulfill the prophecy in his art. The prose contains vivid imagery (His mental servos collapsed; his cognitive cylinders silenced). The story invites multiple readings, so intricate is its symbolism.

Of Hernandezs entry, Kumarage said, is a story that reminds you that if youre going to wish for immortality, make sure youre not a 7-year-old (do you know how hard it is living as a 7-year-old? Ive been to kindergarten more times than I can count and no matter how fluent I am at reading they refuse to move an orphan up a grade). The narrator skillfully changes our attitude towards Jeremy, from suspicion and fear to sympathy, and reminds the reader that the only weapon against unasked-for immortality is humor.

In Myerss I Did Something Bad, Kumarage noted, a high-school drama about Valentines Day plans gone awry turns into an unexpected thriller with a narrator who only reveals herself at the end of the story. The misdirection of the reader by the narrator as to who the real protagonist of the story is takes this tale from the predictable to the Who saw that coming?

A reception for the winners and their friends and family was held on the Newtown campus this month. The winners will receive certificates and gift cards of $200, $100 and $50, respectively.

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Bucks County Community College names winners of High School ... - The Bucks County Herald

The third film in the Tsai Ying-jie Trilogy, following The Swordsman of All Swordsmen and The Bravest Revenge, The Ghost Hill (Shi wan jin shan, ) is about as far from the franchises starting point as it gets. Theres no contemplation on the nature of revenge here, just a near-endless series of battles, each more outrageous than the previous one.

Those fights start with Tsai Ying-jie (Tien Peng, Super Warrior, The Silver Spear) and Peng Jun-fung (David Tang Wei, A Man of Immortality, King of Snakes) squaring off in a duel to determine who is the rightful owner of the Purple Light Sword. Much to Pengs surprise the match is called in Tsaiis favour. When Peng protests the grandmaster overseeing the contest invents instant replay and shows him all times Tsai could have killed or crippled him.

However theyre not the only ones who want the sword and King Jin (Hsueh Han, Heavenly Dragon and Earthly Tiger, The Killer Meteors) has his minions frame Peng for the theft of the sword and the murder of Tsais master (Lu-Shih Ku, Alls Well That Does Well, A City Called Dragon). Then they use it to kill Pengs master Yun Chun-Chung, making it look like Tsai had finally gotten his revenge on the old man. This should result in a second fight between Tsai and Peng, better known as Black Dragon, this time to the death.

And it would have worked if Yun Chun-chungs daughter Flying Swallow (Polly Ling-Feng Shang-Kuan, Green Dragon Inn, Fight for Survival) hadnt interceded forcing the real villains to reveal themselves. After that, theres no other option than for the three of them to storm Jins fortress on Ghost Hill and fight their way through the 10 Chambers of Hell in a quest for revenge.

Writer/director Ting Shan-Hsi (The Beheaded 1000, Blood Reincarnation) seems to be having a lot of fun with The Ghost Hill, especially with its villain. King Jin. With gold-coloured skin, a missing hand replaced by a spike metal mace that also fires darts, and a maniacal laugh hes a pretty memorable figure. Add his habit of tossing those who displease him into a vat of boiling oil, the same one he bathes in, along with his less than fatherly interest in his daughter (Han Hsiang-chin, The Romance in the Ghost House, The Fast Sword) and you have the historical version of a Bond villain.

And the film needs that because the heroes, while quite heroic, are also very bland. Thankfully the Beggars Army that joins them for the final battle adds a bit of personality to things. As do scenes such as an unfortunate spearman encased in ice being slid into enemies and an early version of the Flying Guillotine, this is more like a giant pair of scissors on a chain taking heads off in a surprisingly convincing fashion.

Give set designer Chen Shang-Lin (Rider of Revenge, A Touch of Zen) credit for making the inside of Ghost Hill such a visually stunning battleground and stunt coordinator Chen Shih-Wei (Zatoichi vs the Flying Guillotine, Chinese Kung Fu) credit for making the action as eye-catching as the setting. They both help the film punch well above its budget, which was considerably less than Shaw Brothers was spending on comparable films.

The Ghost Hill is a fun watch, and fans of the genre may notice a few plot elements that didnt become popular until years later. Its also a good choice to show to your friends who are curious about the genre.

The Ghost Hill is screening as part of this years Old School Kung Fu Fest put on by Metrograph and Subway Cinema In association with Taipei Cultural Center in New York, Ministry of Culture, Republic of China (Taiwan). You can get more information about the films here, and a full schedule here.

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10th Old School Kung Fu Festival: The Ghost Hill (1971) Review - Voices From The Balcony

The conflict between the Jedi and Sith is central to the Star Wars universe, however, a similar rivalry occurred with another dark-side cult before that. The Jedi and Sith often represent the battle between the light and dark sides of the Force, but given the Order's 25,000-year history, it makes sense for the Jedi to have fought other groups before the creation of the Sith. The Star Wars books and comics have explored other dark side groups before in every part of the timeline, only now it's confirmed which of them came first. This revelation makes clear that the Sith weren't the first darkness the Jedi unleashed on the galaxy.

Star Wars: Timelines from authors Kristin Baver, Jason Fry, Cole Horton, Amy Richau, and Clayton Sandell sheds new light on the galaxy's history. It provides specific dates for the entire Star Wars timeline, which includes an overview of the Dawn of the Jedi and confirmation of when the Jedi's first dark-side enemies emerged. It also affirms that this splinter group predated the emergence of the Sith, something that was largely shrouded in mystery in other Star Wars media. While much is still unknown about the Jedi's first dark-side rivals, Star Wars: Timelines does reveal new information about them in relation to the Jedi Order's beginnings.

Star Wars: Timelines reveals that the Order Aspectu, a splinter group of the Jedi Order, existed in 20,000 BBY. This dates them approximately 5,000 years after the Jedi Order was founded and 15,000 years before the Sith also splintered from the Jedi. The Ordu Aspectu, therefore, was the first confirmed dark-side cult that the Jedi fought and the first darkness they unleashed on the galaxy. That alone is a major reveal for the Star Wars canon timeline, but the fact that it happened so long ago puts the Jedi's conflict with the Sith into perspective, showing that they're only a small part of a much larger history.

Related: The Jedi Order Origin Timeline Revealed Ahead Of New Prequel Movie

The Ordu Aspectu first appeared in the Star Wars: Doctor Aphra comic series by Kieron Gillen, where the rogue archaeologist set out to find their ancient and valuable relics. The series made clear that much of the Ordu Aspectu's story had been lost to time, with Doctor Aphra's father believing they were a selfless Jedi sect, while Aphra herself thought it more likely that they were a cult who sacrificed kidnapped Padawans to gain immortality. Whatever the case, Star Wars: Timelines estimates that the Jedi attacked the Fortress of Garn in 20,000 BBY, prompting the retreat of the Ordu Aspectu.

Like the Sith who came after them, the Ordu Aspectu's quest for power ultimately became their undoing. The leader of the Ordu Aspectu, Rur, sought to gain immortality, perfecting technology that may have been the prototype of a potential Holocron. He placed his mind in this device, but it led to the creation of an insane artificial intelligence called the Eternal Rur that killed all the Ordu Aspectu and the Jedi they had finally made peace with. Thousands of years later, Doctor Aphra traveled to the Massassi Temple on Yavin 4, where the Ordu Aspectu had stored information, and used the data to find the Citadel of Rur.

After being reactivated, the Eternal Rur learned it had been thousands of years since the fall of the Ordu Aspectu, meaning he couldn't seek revenge against those he felt had wronged him. He attempted to kill Aphra instead, but she and her team managed to destroy the citadel and escape with the Rur crystal, which she later tried to sell on the black market. The ultimate fate of the Order Aspectu foreshadowed the Sith, who would wage war against the Jedi only to be destroyed. Even so, the Ordu Aspectu was the first dark side cult that the Jedi fought, making them an essential part of the Star Wars timeline.

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The Sith Weren't The First Darkness The Jedi Unleashed On The ... - Screen Rant