Category Archives: Immortality

Announced in 2012, active development on CD Projekt Red's controversial Cyberpunk 2077 didn't actually begin until several years later.

Although CD Projekt Red'sCyberpunk 2077 was announced in 2012, active development on the controversial game didn't begin until much later.

According toBloomberg, CD Projekt Red employeesclaimed development didn't start until late 2016. At that time,Adam Badowski took over as director and the game underwent a massive overhaul.

RELATED:Cyberpunk 2077: Wood Hawker's Billy Joel Parody SLAMS CD Projekt Red

Cyberpunk 2077 has been marred with controversy. Even before its release, which was delayed on three separate occasions, CD Projekt Red made headlines for forcing employees to work overtime (aka crunch). Despite this, the final product was -- by CD Projekt Red's own admission -- not refined for last-gen consoles. Furthermore, players have reported that the game can cause epileptic seizures, with many requesting a warning, as well as a long-term fix for this issue. As such, Sony and Microsoft are now issuing full refunds to those who request them, while PlayStation even pulled the game from the PlayStation Store altogether.

"After 3 delays, we as the Management Board were too focused on releasing the game," CD Projekt Red Co-CEO Adam Kiciski explained. "We underestimated the scale and complexity of the issues, we ignored the signals about the need for additional time to refine the game on the base last-gen consoles. It was the wrong approach and against our business philosophy. On top of that, during the campaign, we showed the game mostly on PCs."

RELATED: Cyberpunk 2077 Modders Have Restored the Game's BIGGEST Cut Feature

CD Projekt Red has issued several apologies since the game's Dec. 10, 2020 release, with the most recent arrivingon Jan. 13. "We are committed to fixing bugs and crashes and will continue to work and improve the game via future updates to make sure you are enjoying the game regardless of the platform," thecompany wrote. "We will use this space to inform you about the progress being made on Cyberpunk 2077s further development, including information about updates and improvements, free DLCs and more."

Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world, action-adventure story set in Night City, a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour and body modification. You play as V, a mercenary outlaw going after a one-of-a-kind implant that is the key to immortality. You can customize your characters cyberware, skillset and playstyle, and explore a vast city where the choices you make shape the story and the world around you.

Developed by CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077 is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia and PC.

KEEP READING:Cyberpunk 2077: CD Projekt Red Head Disputes Fake Demo Report

Source:Bloomberg

Mortal Kombat: Scorpion's Weapon Is the Key to the R-Rated Reboot

Jon Arvedon is CBR's lead news editor and began working for the site in 2017. Hes been an avid superhero fan since he was a young child, though it wasnt until much later in life that he finally began venturing into the actual comic books that made those characters so popular in the first place. Nevertheless, he immediately developed a strong passion for the medium and began aggressively expanding his knowledge, using any and all downtime at his old office job to scour the depths of Marvel Unlimited, comiXology and the occasional wiki page to help fill in the gaps. His love of comics is rivaled only by that of his love for Star Wars. If you're so inclined, you can follow Jon on Twitter at @JonArvedon.

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Cyberpunk 2077's Development Was Shorter Than Anyone Realized - CBR - Comic Book Resources

The Darksaber is symbolically powerful, but a future Star Wars property could reintroduce the Dagger of Mortis, which is significantly stronger.

The Star Wars canon has emphasized the power and importance of the Darksaber in The Mandalorian, but future properties may reintroduce an even more powerful weapon: the Dagger of Mortis. This mystical weapon holds symbolic significance like the Darksaber; but whereas the Mandalorian weapon is functionally almost the same as any other lightsaber, the Mortis Dagger is capable of far more. The Dagger may appear in several upcoming Disney+ Star Wars shows, potentially being a significant plot element that brings The Mandalorian, Star Wars: Ahsoka, and Star Wars: Rangers of the New Republic together in a crossover event. But what is the Dagger of Mortis and what can it do?

The Dagger of Mortis first appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where it was fought over by the three Star Wars Force-users who were found in the mysterious Wild Space realm known as Mortis. These beings, named The Father, The Daughter, and The Son all used the Force with near-omnipotent power, so naturally, the abilities and weapons of Jedi and Sith paled in comparison to those of Mortis. The Force wielders were nearly immortal as well, but the Mortis Dagger was one of the few things that could kill them. The Dagger was used directly to kill The Daughter and The Father, and indirectly to kill The Son (whose immortality was removed upon the death of The Father).

Related:Disney Already Cast A New Young Luke, Why Didn't Mandalorian Use Him?

The Darksaber may have the most unique lightsaber blade color and origin, but it is ultimately just another lightsaber in terms of functionality, though it does increase a wielder's aggression and tugs at their dark side instincts. Still, the weapons true power comes from its historical and cultural significance to Mandalorians. One must defeat the Darksabers owner in combat to have a rightful claim to it, and the wielder of the weapon is also considered the true ruler of Mandalore (at least by the time of 9 ABY). By being able to kill a god-like Force-wielder, the Mortis Dagger far outclasses any lightsaber, including the Darksaber. Considering the connections between Ahsoka Tano, the Mortis Force-wielders, and the World Between Worlds, the Dagger could easily make its reappearance in Star Wars: Ahsoka.

Of the three Jedi visitors to Mortis, Ahsoka Tano is the only one still alive in 9 ABY. The Dagger could be pursued by both Ahsoka and Grand Admiral Thrawn (who Tano was tracking down in her episode of The Mandalorian). The Dagger was left on Mortis when Ahsoka, Anakin, and Obi-Wan left the realm, but how they ended up there (and how they left) isnt made explicitly clear in The Clone Wars, so a non-Force user like Thrawn may attempt to access the Dagger through more crude methods, as Veris Hydan did to the entrance to the Worlds Between Worlds in Star Wars Rebels.

The Mortis Dagger could also be tied to the mystical World Between Worlds, given their shared connections to the Force wielders of Mortis. Perhaps the Mortis Dagger can be used for more than killing Force wielders and is a method of entering the mysterious plane. The World Between Worlds gives visitors access to any point in time and space, which would easily make it important enough to involve Din Djarin and Cara Dune (as well as Luke Skywalker and Grogu) in Ahsokas adventures. Though unlikely, the plane (and by extension, the Dagger) could be the catalyst for a crossover between the Star Wars Canon and Legends universes.

Next:Everything We Know About The Mandalorian Season 3

Why Batwoman Is Replacing Kate Kane Instead Of Recasting Ruby Rose

David Miller is an author for Screen Rant, indie comic writer, and life-long lover of all things Star Wars, Marvel, and DC. He was born and raised in New York and has a degree in English from Rider University. When not writing, he enjoys reading comics and getting his fix of caffeine. He relates to Peter Parker maybe a little too much.

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How Star Wars Could Bring Back A Weapon More Powerful Than The Darksaber - Screen Rant

Matt James, the star of Season 25 of The Bachelor, is a boundary-breaking lead. Hes the first Black Bachelor. Hes the first Bachelor in more than a decade not to have previously appeared on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. Hes tied for the title of tallest Bachelor. And according to a comment by one lust-struck contestant, he has 16-pack abs, which would make him an anatomical marvel.

Through the first three weeks of his season, though, Matts behavior has been about as conventional as it comes. Sure, hes boldly embraced the turtleneck despite the harsh responses to past turtleneck attempts. But he hasnt done anything to overhaul the structure of the series itself. If anything, hes helped highlight how much the ABC series needs a lead to disrupt the typical protagonists approach to finding lovea James Holzhauer of The Bachelor who would optimize the process and produce polarizing, riveting TV. Its time for a Bachelor or Bachelorette to streamline the series inefficiencies, impose order on the chaos that comes between the Bachelor and his would-be betrothed, and make host/hype man Chris Harrison promise viewers the most pragmatic season ever.

Lets concentrate on cocktail parties, staples of the series that traditionally follow the competition portions of group dates and precede rose ceremonies. Since time immemorial (or at least, like, 2002), cocktail parties have tended to be free-for-alls where contestants vie for opportunities to talk to the lead. Almost inevitably, the most aggressive guests make more than one visit, earning the ire of their mansion-mates, while meeker or more courteous contestants dont get time at all. The first two cocktail parties in Matts season, which began with a record-setting 32 contestants, were egregious examples of lousy logistics and unequal exposure. On night one, villain Victoria talked to Matt twice, and several women were left lamenting their lack of time. And on this weeks episode, contestant Sarah Trott stole the spotlight from a few angry group date participants when she crashed a cocktail party and bogarted time despite having had a one-on-one date days earlier.

It seemed like there were a lot of women he didnt talk to, and that might be because hes never been on this show before, says Rachel Lindsay, an attorney who was a contestant on Season 21 of The Bachelor, starred on Season 13 of The Bachelorette, and currently cohosts Ringer podcast Higher Learning. So he doesnt realize the importance of how necessary it is to talk to everyone, because hes never been a person whos been left out or been fighting for time.

Even experienced members of Bachelor Nation have struggled to distribute time to contestants. The disorder endemic to cocktail parties flows from the conceit of the series: As Matt said at his second rose ceremony, Theres only one of me and so many of you all. But its also partly a product of mismanagement. Matt pledged to continue to follow my heart, and while thats a start, hed also do well to follow a more rigorous game plan. To offer an analogy the former Wake Forest football star might appreciate: After the hike, the quarterback doesnt just react to the routes his receivers run. Coaches call plays. Yet on The Bachelor, most leads adopt a passive approach and leave it to the contestants to corral them or not, which prevents the stars from making informed assessments and leads to distracting strife. There must be a better way.

To find a solution to this cocktail-party tumult, I sought out a man whos found love and efficiency: John F. Shortle, professor and chair of Systems Engineering and Operations Research at George Mason University, and coauthor of the fourth and fifth editions of definitive textbook Fundamentals of Queueing Theory. Queueing theorya branch of operations research, an analytical discipline devoted to making better decisionsis the roughly century-old mathematical study of improving the process of waiting in line. If waiting in line is boring, you might think studying about waiting in lines would be boring as well, Shortle says. But I enjoy it.

Shortle typically studies waiting as it relates to air transportation, telecommunications, and other non-reality-TV activities; in 2016, he won an award for a Military Operations Research paper titled Spatial and Temporal Modeling of IED Emplacements against Dismounted Patrols. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he hasnt been asked about The Bachelor before, but he reviewed several scenes from Matts first cocktail party to prepare. Are there mathematical models that we can pull out of a textbook and apply to The Bachelor? Shortle says. Probably not so much. But I think theres a lot of principles about designing queuing systems that would apply.

In a normal scenario, Shortle explains, queueing systems are designed to reduce anxiety, eliminate confusion, and set expectations. Generally, its nice to know whos next in line and how long the wait will be; thats why automated answering systems often quote an estimated time to talk to a human. Fairness is another bedrock goal, which can sometimes be achieved by sticking to a first come, first served model or ensuring that shorter service times are associated with shorter wait times (the raison dtre of supermarket express lanes).

On The Bachelor, fairness is how much time does each person get with the Bachelor, and will they get any time, Shortle says, adding, unfairness creates a lot of stress and anxiety for the people that are waiting. Yet the way the series is set up, contestants dont know if or when theyll get to talk to the lead, or how much time theyll have before the next contestant cuts in. It seems theyve actively avoided those kinds of principles in The Bachelor, Shortle says.

Granted, social pressure discourages contestants from borrowing a Bachelor too soon, and the prospect of becoming a pariah dissuades some from double-dipping. But that only goes so far with these unwritten rules, because people dont agree on them or people will abuse them, Shortle says. Most leads allow the norm-eroding intrusions, though they may file the offenses away for future rose ceremonies. You allow them to interrupt, and you take note of it, and its probably what youre going to use against them when you send them home, Lindsay says.

Of course, the producers have every reason to craft the worst waiting experience possible. Theyre trying to maximize entertainment value, Shortle says, and thus theyre probably trying to maximize stress among contestants. So you take these queuing principles, and its almost like you do the opposite.

But the producers interests arent always fully aligned with the leads. If the Bachelor or Bachelorette genuinely wants to find love, he or she should be motivated to talk to every contestant and minimize the time-wasting sniping that stems from jockeying for cocktail-party position. Youre basically making a decision based on the short amount of time that you have, Shortle says. And so being able to spend time with everybody would be helpful, so youre not sending somebody away that would have been your first choice in the end.

Theres no way to make The Bachelors hyper-compressed process perfectly resemble real-life dating, but it wouldnt be difficult to do better than the anarchic status quo. From the contestants perspective, its just a totally unstructured system, Shortle says. And so I think the most basic thing is instilling some kind of order in the process. For example, the Bachelor could try to initiate some amount of control in terms of who he sees. If hes trying to choose among 30 people, then he wants to get to all 30. He could turn down people that come twice and try to let people know that hes going to get to everybody. I think the key things would be fairness and providing some level of reducing uncertainty.

How would that work in practice? Take night one, the thorniest challenge from a logistical standpoint. You have 30 contestants, Shortle says. You take the time, you divide it by 30, and you give each person that amount. That would be kind of the obvious solution. Its fair to everyone. Maybe you randomize the order, and then you get someone there that kind of enforces it and says, OK, your times up. Youre next.

One obstacle is that its easy for the leads to lose track of time during the interminable mixers. You dont know what time it is, Lindsay says. You dont know how long the nights gone. Whats more, the producers might not want to play the helper elves to the leads department-store Santa. But if the producers wouldnt cooperate on policing the line, maybe the Bachelor could politely and apologetically turn repeat visitors away or watch the clock and keep the procession moving. Admittedly, that would mean monitoring the time, which could be distracting. It would also mean keeping conversations/makeout sessions short, which would take discipline when the chemistry clicks. It seems like it might be a big ask for that person, Shortle says. But if they took a little more control, then some of these issues might be better.

The journey to find a romantic partner is supposed to be sexier than a trip to the DMV, and contestants taking tickets and staring at the wall until their numbers are called would be bad TV. Plus, trying to turn cocktail parties into orderly affairs could come off as anal-retentive micromanaging, a type A turnoff. Then again, it might also make a Bachelor seem considerate and assertive. Honestly, it depends if you really like them or not, Lindsay says. If you really like them then you find a reason to like what they did, and if you dont then you use it against them.

Shortle proposes a possible middle ground between being controlling and laissez-faire: One idea could be the Bachelor goes into the lounge and says, OK, Ill see you next, and then you, and then you. The Bachelor could even emerge for a few minutes to make small talk, promise that hes going to get to everyone, and put people at ease. If theres an element of service that occurs in the wait, then that improves the experience, Shortle says, who likens this solution to a restaurant serving drinks or making menus available while would-be diners wait to be seated. (The Bachelors producers do ply contestants with wine, but that may be as much about manufacturing drunken drama as it is about easing anxiety.)

Its easy for spectators (or operations research analysts) to say they would do a better job than the Bachelor. But when youre the lead, Lindsay says, You realize that youre stuck between this place of trying to find love, and then also make a TV show. For instance, Shortle notes that the uncertainty about when the Bachelors latest tte--tte is over, and the time it takes for leads and contestants to travel between conversational settings, are sources of slowdown that could be trimmed by bringing contestants in and out of one room where the Bachelor talks to everyone.

Congested systems are very sensitive to the length of the service time, Shortle says. So anything that you can shave off of that can vastly improve things. However, he concedes that while a more streamlined method would give more time for everybody, it would also sap some of the opportunity for the contestants to plan a personalized activity (and could become monotonous for fans).

That said, disrupting the traditional cocktail party and making entertaining TV arent mutually exclusive. When youve seen one argument about someone stealing or not getting time, youve essentially seen them all. And after a combined 40-plus seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, novelty has a high value. Some of the most memorable moments in franchise historyKaitlyn Bristowe having sex before fantasy suites, Colton Underwood jumping the fencehave come from leads scrapping the script. And whether its Courtney Robertson not-so-spontaneously skinny-dipping or, in Rachels case, a contestant or lead breaking with tradition by bringing her dog on dates or attending church, producers are pretty willing to accommodate the leads demands.

When I brought it up, they were like, Thats amazing. Thats never been done before. Lets do it, Rachel says about her request to bring Nick Viall to church on her hometown date. The producers were similarly supportive of her desire to be accompanied by Copper, who helped her choose a fianc.

At times, though, the producers can be impediments. At one cocktail party, Lindsay says, the producers told her that she couldnt talk to a contestant because of time constraints. And when she was on Nicks season, she saw other women talk-blocked by producers. Theres manipulation within there, Lindsay says. At least in my experience, I never saw someone not try to talk to the lead. If they didnt get to talk to the lead its because they were pushed back by a producer, maybe for some drama, for some conflict, maybe because the lead wanted more time with a specific person.

Lindsay went out of her way to prevent that from happening on her season. On night one, she says, I was very emphatic about the fact that I wanted to talk to every single person. I was not sending somebody home, or keeping someone, when I hadnt had a conversation with them, even if it was for a minute. She told the contestants at the outset of the party that she planned to talk to all of them, and she repeated her preference to the producers throughout the night. They were rushing people toward the end. I was getting two to three minutes with each person, but I got to talk to everyone, and it was one of the longest first nights ever, they said, because of me.

Its time for someone to take the quest for cocktail efficiency one step further. Some of the most indelible Bachelors are the ones who did things differently, like Jake Pavelka, Brad Womack, and Jesse Palmer (who had a spy in the house). Maybe a quant could achieve Bachelor immortality by breaking the Bachelor the way Jeopardy James broke the trivia institution.

Holzhauer found a wife before he found fame, and on Jeopardy!, he wasnt trying to woo anyone; he just had to hunt Daily Doubles and answer trivia questions correctly. But his chutzpah and skill still made him a fan favorite and a geek icon. ABC built its reality juggernaut on the strapping, shapely backs of generic hunks and hotties, but The Bachelor could benefit from mixing in nerds other than Venmo John, whos off the market. (And not just self-professed nerds like Becca Kufrin and closet nerd Wills Reid, who never really revealed what they were nerdy about.) To survive the casting gauntlet, they would have to be somewhat suave and sensitive nerds, naturallyso, not Nathan Fielder in The Hunkbut their tactics and passion could shake up the franchise in a welcome way.

Maybe a lead could conduct the cocktail party blindfolded, la Love Is Blind, or eliminate long shots and focus on front-runners, or ask the contestants to rate one another and go with the wisdom of crowds. On the superb seventh season of The Bachelor Australia, astrophysicist Matt Agnew resolved a she-said, she-said standoff at a cocktail party by surveying the other contestants about an alleged incident, which allowed him to deduce that one woman was lying and astutely send her home. Maybe Aussie Matt exhibited some PE teacher energy by grilling the women about what went down. But his strategy seems smarter than the latest American Matts decision to send the seemingly innocent Marylynn home because Victoria claimed without evidence that she was straight-up toxic.

In other words, be bold. Break with cocktail convention. And tell contestants, producers, and fans to trust the process. Maybe youll find love and be a Bachelor legend.

I think leads are so scared, Lindsay says. As outspoken and independent as I am, I was still scared to do that, because you dont know what you can and cant do. Its a psychological experiment. You really do change in that world, because youve never been in it before and you dont know who to trust and what to trust, and what you have power over and what you dont. When you probably have a lot more than you think, because at the end of the day they never want their lead to look bad. They will always protect the lead.

Talking to every contestant early onand then concentrating on the true contenderspaid off for Rachel, who has been married to Bachelorette beau Bryan Abasolo since August 2019. Given the lackluster collective success rate of the series stars, future leads should consider consulting Shortle, who could be to Bachelor strategy what Neil Lane is to Bachelor bling. But The Bachelors producers probably wont be retaining his services, unless its to learn how waiting could cause even more conflict. I think their optimal strategy would be to ask me what I think would be the best thing to do, and then they would do the opposite, Shortle says. Maybe in that sense I would be a good consultant.

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How to Fix Some of the Bachelors Thorny Logistical Issues - The Ringer

The regular season is now officially in the rearview mirror for the Kansas City Chiefs. All season long there has been a little bit of a feeling that the Chiefs were just doing enough to keep winning and put themselves in a position for the playoffs. Close or ugly wins dont matter anymore. The Chiefs need to win three more games by any means possible. Period. If they do, and repeat as Super Bowl champions they will join an elite group of teams and their place in NFL immortality will be secured.

Winning any Super Bowl is amazing and secures a place in NFL history. However, winning two in a row puts a franchise in a completely different category. The NFL has only had a team repeat as back-to-back Super Bowl champions eight times in the history of the league, and every one of those teams is remembered as one of the greatest teams everor at very least one of the truly historic quarterback/coach combos. If the Chiefs can win another Super Bowl this season, they will absolutely have earned the right to put themselves in that company.

Here are the eight previous repeat champions in chronological order.

1. Green Bay Packers Super Bowls I and II

The Green Bay Packers won the first two Super Bowls. The first was against the Chiefs and then they defended their title against the Oakland Raiders. These teams have some absolutely historic names on them, including head coach Vince Lombardi who the Super Bowl trophy is now named after. Guys quarterback Bart Starr and linebacker Ray Nitschke (just to name a few) are up there too. You cant tell the history of the NFL without this team.

2. Miami Dolphins Super Bowls VII and VIII

When the Miami Dolphins won Super Bowl VII over the Washington Redskins, they completed the only perfect season in NFL history. While they didnt go undefeated again the next season, they only lost two games and beat the Minnesota Vikings to repeat as champions. This team included another legendary coach in Don Shula and had an offense with big names like Bob Griese, Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris, and Paul Warfield. The undefeated season alone secured this teams spot in history. Repeating as Super Bowl champions was just icing on the cake.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (twice) Super Bowls IX and X and Super Bowls XIII and XIV

I thought about listing these separately, but since they were next to each other chronologically and had so many of the same players, it seemed a little repetitive. Prior to the modern-era New England Patriots, the NFL had never had a team dominate an era like these Steelers teams did. They repeated as champions in Super Bowls IX and X and then two years later they did it again in Super Bowls XIII and XIV.

These teams all were coached by Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll and are full of all-time great players like Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, John Stallworth, Lynn Swann, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, Joe Green and many more. Once again, you simply cant ignore these Steelers teams when talking about the greatest NFL organizations of all time.

4. San Francisco 49ers Super Bowls XXIII and XXIV

The San Francisco 49ers got their first Super Bowl win against the Cincinnati Bengals and then followed up the next season by beating the Denver Broncos to repeat as champions. This team got legendary coach Bill Walsh a Super Bowl win in his final season before turning the reigns over to George Seifert for their repeat season. These teams are probably best know for the historically great combo of quarterback Joe Montana and receiver Jerry Rice, both of which get mentioned as the best ever. Once again, we are talking about a team that most recognize as an all-time great team.

5. Dallas Cowboys Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII

The Dallas Cowboys had the privilege of handing the Buffalo Bills two consecutive Super Bowl losses as the Cowboys repeated and secured their place on the list of all time great NFL teams. These Cowboys teams were coached by Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson and included three all-time great offensive players in Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin. Not only were these teams great from a talent standpoint, they were flashy and entertainingwhether you loved them or hated them. To this day when you see highlights or montages of the history of the NFL, they almost always include Johnson yelling How bout them Cowboys!

6. Denver Broncos Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII

Many were starting to wonder if John Elway was going to end his amazing Hall of Fame career without ever getting that elusive Super Bowl win. He would wind up with two to end his career. The Broncos won consecutive rings against the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons in the late 90s. While Elway is the big name historically, running back Terrell Davis was the workhorse of those teams and defenders like Steve Atwater, Bill Romanowski, and former Chief Neil Smith were big factors too. Those wins also solidified the standing of head coach Mike Shanahan.

7. New England Patriots Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIV

The legacy of the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick New England Patriots goes well beyond these two Super Bowl wins, but while the duo did win an amazing six championships, this was the only time they had consecutive victories. Their win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII was their second overall and the first of their back-to-back rings with the second coming against the Philadelphia Eagles (coached by Andy Reid). I dont think there is any doubt about the legacy of the Brady/Belichick Patriots, but even they were only able to repeat one time.

Thats the list. Those are all the teams that have repeated as champions, and that is the company that the Chiefs are trying to join. Should they pull it off (and there is a LONG way to go) the Chiefs have the credentials to hold their own against these all time great teams. They have a Hall of Fame caliber coach in Andy Reid. They have what will likely be an all-time great quarterback in Patrick Mahomes. Other amazing talents like Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce help the roster hold up with these other teams.

If you look at the winning percentage the Chiefs would be right there as well. If you look at the winning percentage (including the playoffs) of all these teams over their two seasons as champions you get.

If the Kansas City Chiefs were to win their next three games and repeat as Super Bowl champions, it would make their combined winning percentage over the past two seasons at 84.2 percenta mark which would tie them with the Steelers for fifth best on that list.

So the Chiefs would have the coach, the talent,and the winning percentage to belong in this elite club. That is what the Chiefs are playing for when the take the field this weekend: A place in football immortality. Frankly, they were a Dee Ford offsides call away from potentially already being there, but no need to look back now.

The Chiefs have a chance to prove their place in NFL history if they just take care of business. Now lets hope they do just that when they take the field against the Cleveland Browns this weekend.

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The Kansas City Chiefs can secure place among NFLs all-time greatest teams - Arrowhead Addict

Family isnt always blood. Its the people in your life who want you in theirs, the people who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what.

These powerful and inspirational words were handwritten in a thank you card to me by Minister Christine (Gail) Blanchard.

Her words reminded me of my late brother-in-law and pastor, Hayes Long, who passed at the beginning of 2021. We were not related by blood, but he was family. He was married to my sister, Valerie, for 50 years. He often boasted that when he saw Valerie, he knew that she was going to be his wife. His niece, Jenci said, He was unapologetically in love with her! His expression of love towards her became an earthly example of how Christ loved His church unconditional and without end. He was a family man who loved his children and grandchildren.

My mother was a single parent due to the death of my father a few months after Hayes and Valerie married. Whatever Mama needed, he was there to help in any situation (painting and repairs, fixing Mamas car, taking her to the doctor, etc.). As a little girl, I grew up watching him being a son to my mother and a brother to my siblings. He was a big brother to me helping me through my teenage years by offering sound advice. He was community-oriented, and a neighbor who didnt mind helping anyone.

I know he loved the Lord. In 1976, he received the gift of the Holy Ghost and began his quest for wisdom and knowledge of the manifestation of the Spirit. He was called into the ministry and later became a Pastor. Jeremiah 3:15 says, And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. For 32 years, I was fully fed under Pastor Longs leadership at Jesus New Testament Holiness Church.

Pastor Long helped me through so many difficult moments in my life. He never judged me. He always prayed and encouraged me throughout my professional career; the dissolution of my marriage; the raising of my children as a single parent; so many losses in our family and church, etc.

At his visitation, so many spoke of his kindness and caring toward them. Members talked about his wisdom in how he helped them with problems, and him always saying, Lets pray about it. One nephew said Pastor Long stepped in as a father to him. His sister, Lynda said, You were my brother first and you became my pastor. I couldnt have asked for a better leader. You reminded me of a tree planted by the river unmovable. One said, Whatever secrets you told him they went to the grave with him.

It read on his obituary that he transitioned from mortal to immortality and left the testimony, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith...

In thinking about Pastor Long and his legacy ask yourself: What have I done with my time on earth? Have I impacted lives? What testimony will I leave behind? You be the judge.

JUANITA FLOYD is the vice president of finance and administration at the CREATE Foundation and a community columnist. Readers can contact her at juanita@createfoundation.com.

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JUANITA FLOYD: What testimony will you leave behind? - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

Kumbh Mela 2021 dates: India is a vast land of many different cultures, traditions, rituals, and festivals. One such important festival is the auspicious Kumbh Mela pilgrimage that happens once every 12 years, and whose exact time and place depend on astrological predictions of planetary movements and religious considerations. This year, the Maha Kumbh Mela will begin January 14 and continue till April 27 in Haridwar.

In December 2017, UNESCO had included the event in its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. But why do Indians celebrate, what is identified as, the largest religious gathering in the world?

The legend of Kumbh

Kumbh essentially means pot or pitcher, and mela means a fair. Kumbh Mela, therefore, means the celebration of the pot, specifically relating to the pot of nectar as per Hindu mythology. The legend goes like this: once gods or devas were stripped of all their powers. In order to regain their strength, they agreed with the demons or the asuras to churn the primordial ocean of milk for amrit, the nectar of immortality. The deal was to share the nectar equally. Unfortunately, the devas and the asuras could not come to a consensus and fought with each other for 12 years! During this time, the celestial bird Garuda flew away with the kumbh that held the nectar. It is believed that its drops fell on four prime places where Kumbh celebrations happen today on a rotational basis Prayag (Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh; Haridwar, Uttarakhand; Nashik, Maharashtra; and Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.

Essentially a Hindu festival, Kumbh Mela takes place on the banks of the Godavari river in Nashik, the Shipra river in Ujjain, the Ganges in Haridwar, and the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati river in Prayag. The confluence is referred to as the Sangam.

How the dates are decided

As mentioned earlier, astrological predictions and religious considerations play a role in deciding the mela dates. So, while technically, it is to be held in each of the aforementioned locations once every 12 years, sometimes, the mela can happen only a year apart at the sites. It should also be known that in between, around the sixth year, the Ardh Kumbh Mela (also known as the half mela) is held. In addition to that, in Allahabad, every year the Maagh Mela is celebrated in the month of Maagh (mid-January to February, as per the Hindu calendar) at the Sangam. This Maagh Mela is also referred to as the Ardh Kumbh Mela and Kumbh Mela when it happens in the sixth and twelfth years, respectively.

Kumbh Mela in Haridwar

Kumbh Mela in Haridwar is being held after 11 years not the usual 12 because of specific auspicious dates. In fact, this is the first time in 80 years that such a phenomenon has happened.

Kumbh Mela rituals

Taking a holy dip/bath is the most important of all rituals. The Hindu community believes that immersing themselves in the sacred waters on the auspicious day of the new moon will absolve them of their sins, and end the cycle of birth and death. As such, pilgrims start lining up from as early as 3 am to bathe on the day.

The important bathing dates for Kumbh Mela 2021:

* January 14, 2021: Makar Sankranti* February 11, 2021: Mauni Amavasya* February 16, 2021: Basant Panchami* February 27, 2021: Maghi Poornima* March 11, 2021: Maha Shivratri (first shahi snan royal bath)* April 12, 2021: Somwati Amavasya (second shahi snan)* April 14, 2021: Baisakhi (third shahi snan)* April 27, 2021: Chaitra Purnima (fourth shahi snan)

How to reach

If you are looking to participate in the pilgrimage, you can either fly to Haridwar the Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun serves as the nearest airport or take a train, since the Haridwar Railway Station is well connected with all major cities and towns of the country. Additionally, you can also reach the city by road, especially if you are journeying from any of the northern states like Delhi, UP, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, etc.

Stay

Some 800 hotels and 350 ashrams in Haridwar have been prepared to accommodate approximately 1.25 lakh pilgrims on any given day during the Kumbh. While the tourism department was expecting around 10 crore pilgrims, restrictions imposed to ensure social distancing has curtailed the figure.

Additionally, a 156-sq km mela area has also been demarcated in three districts of Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal, for people associated with hospitality, tourism and civil supply, and adjoining areas of western UP, to get business during this time.

The COVID-19 impact

This year, the pandemic has imposed restrictions on the congregation. Every year, tourists visit the holy sites in large numbers, but this year, they may have to exercise a lot of caution.

Multiple news reports suggest that all the 107 bathing ghats (steps leading to the river) will be divided into colour-coded zones: red, green and yellow, according to vulnerability. Additionally, the GIS mapping of the entire area has been done, and if there is a crowd at any particular site above the permissible limit, the control room will be alerted, and the information will be relayed to security teams. The crowd capacity of each ghat has also been assessed.

Pilgrims keen on taking a holy dip on any of the four shahi snan dates will have to make an online booking in advance, and get an e-pass for entry. Additionally, pilgrims may only be allowed to spend a few minutes in the water in designated areas.

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Kumbh Mela 2021 dates: Everything you need to know - The Indian Express

Marvel Studios' new featurette for WandaVision features artwork of an Avengers member who has a connection to Vision and the Scarlet Witch.

A new featurette forWandaVision has teased the potential appearance of a Marvel Comics hero who plays a major role in the lives of the titular couple.

The "Story" featurette, released on Marvel's official YouTube channel, features head writer JacSchaeffer discussing how the seriesfeatures homages to sitcoms across the era. The walls behind her feature art from multiple comics, with the superhero known as Wonder Man in plain view.

RELATED:WandaVisions Second Commercial Features a Big Reference to Avengers: Age of Ultron

In MarvelComics canon, Wonder Man is the alter ego of Simon Williams, an actor turned superhero. Williams was imbued with ionic energy by Baron Heinrich Zemo, which grants him a variety of powers including super strength and immortality. The Avengers' foe Ultron used Williams' brain patterns as a basis for theVision, which led to several complications as Williams had romantic feelings for the Scarlet Witch.

Williams' brother Eric became the supervillain known as the Grim Reaper, and bears immense hatred toward the Vision -- considering him to be a "mockery" of his brother.

Simon Williams was originally meant to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, played by Nathan Fillion. Those scenes were eventually cut, though director James Gunn said that he could appear in future installments of the franchise.

Written by Jac Schaeffer and directed by Matt Shakman, WandaVision stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Paul Bettany as Vision, Randall Park as Agent Jimmy Woo, Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau and Kathryn Hahn as Agnes. New episodes air Fridays on Disney+.

KEEP READING:Marvel Studios Adds Avengers: Endgames Most Iconic Moment to Its Logo

Source: ScreenRant

Servant: Jericho's Sinister Abduction Finally Breaks a Main Character

A freelance journalist based in Seattle, Collier enjoys all facets of pop culture, namely comics and anime. Spider-Man is his favorite fictional character of all time.

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WandaVision Featurette May Be Hiding Another Major Avenger | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources

The American adventure series MacGyver has garnered a massive fan following every since it was released in September 2016 on ABC. The show is named after its titular character Angus Mac MacGyverz, portrayed by Lucas Till in the 2016 reboot. The 2016 version of the show is based on the original series from 1985, in which the role was played by Richard Dean Anderson. The shows fifth season started premiering on December 4, 2020. However, its most recent episode has left many fans thoroughly distressed as the fate of one of the lead characters Jack Dalton lies hanging. Find out, What happened to Jack on MacGyver?

Read |WandaVision's Latest Footage Has Its First-ever Avengers References; Watch

Season 5, episode 5 of MacGyver started on a very emotional note. In the opening minutes of the episode, it was revealed the Jack Dalton was dead. The character received a military funeral on the show and several people from the Team Phoenix crew paid heartfelt tributes to him.

Read |Paul Bettany Says WandaVision Is A "beautiful Puzzle" With Many Firsts For MCU Fans

According to the latest episode of the show, Jacks death was a result of a long-term effort to down Tiberius Kovack.Fans dont get to see Jacks body in the first few minutes. According to Express.co.uk, this was because the actor who played Jack, George Eads wasnt planning on returning on the show and there was no way to show it.

Hence from the funeral, the show quickly moved to a pizza parlor, a place that was of great emotional significance to both Riley and Jack. After Jacks funeral true drama ensues on the show as the Phoenix foundation receives a post card, which was apparently crafted before Jacks death and this serves Mac with an opportunity to get his own version of justice. But it was revealed that Kovac was merely a device in the hands of another dangerous criminal.The episode concludeswith Riley getting Jacks old GTO, and she and Mac drove off listening to Johnny Cash.

Read |Paul Bettany Reveals Practical Reason Of Filming 'WandaVision' In Front Of A Live Audience

Jack Dalton on MacGyver is played by George Eads, who is an American actor. According to his IMDb, the 53 year old actor has also appeared in shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and the television movie, Immortality. However, his breakthrough role came as Jack Dalton in MacGyver.

Read |Elizabeth Olsen Shares What Excites Her The Most About WandaVision Series On Disney+

Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.

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What happened to Jack on Macgyver? Here is the characters fate in the latest episode - Republic World

The sectarians reflected in the Dead Sea Scrolls, identified with the Essenes, were not the isolated community of popular imagination that spent their days praying, studying scriptures, and waiting for one or two messiahs in the desert. Some of them did do so, especially those who lived at a site near the Dead Sea known as Khirbet (ruins of) Qumran, but most of them did not. Four thousand of them lived in towns, villages, and large groups throughout Judaea. They were in Jerusalem, where a gate was named after them, and also at Masada, where their writings were found. They worked in agriculture, animal husbandry, bee-keeping, and crafts of various kinds, but did not produce weapons.

They participated in public life by trading with other Jews and gentiles, and some of them could read and speak Greek. They were peace-loving, but that conviction did not prevent them from participating in the first Jewish revolt against Rome, 66-70 CE, preferring to be tortured and killed as martyrs rather than blaspheme the lawgiver or eat forbidden food.

The sectarians knew about the Romans, whom they designated by the cipher the Kittim, and described them as swift and mighty in war as they mercilessly destroyed many with the sword under Roman rule. The Roman commanders, as the Essenes described them, mockingly sneered at and besieged fortresses, symbols of the power of kings, princes and people, and all the nations were in fear and dread of them. The sectarians were familiar with the practices of the great army of the Romans, detailing as they did how it crushed and plundered the towns of the earth as the army marched across the expanse of the lands of the eastern Mediterranean, coming from afar and the coastlands, devouring all the peoples as an eagle. The sectarian commentator (pesherist) of the prophecy of the biblical book of Habakkuk described the Roman armys tactical use of horses and beasts in trampling the earth underfoot. The pesherist knew that the Romans imposed a payment of tribute of corn, money, and forced labour upon the nations, including Judaea in the province of Coele-Syria, and celebrated their success by sacrificing to the ensign of their military standards.

Political and military strategies of the Romans were known to the Essenes. They knew that the Romans made allies and friends of those who feared to confront them. They understood that the Romans were cunning, wily and the Essenes considered them deceitful as the Romans patiently planned to control the whole region. They described the Roman Senate as the council of the house of [their] guil[t] that dispatched a succession of praetors or governors to Judaea to devastate the land. With this antipathy towards the Romans it is not surprising to learn that one of them, named John the Essene, participated in the first Jewish revolt against Rome. He, being one of three men of exceptional strength, was appointed as general in charge of the areas north and west of Judaea, the toparchy of Thamma, Lydda, Joppa, and Ammaus.

The Essenes were a Jewish sect or school of philosophy with two branches: some were celibate, disdained marriage and adopted children; others believed that marriage and procreation were needed if the group was to continue and not disappear. Their community was hierarchical, structured, and disciplined. They cared for the elderly and the ill, and they shared their belongings with each other. They studied the holy books of Judaism, notably prophecy, and were punctilious in their observance of Jewish law, especially as regards purity and sabbath laws. They wore white linen, renounced pleasure, and regarded continence as a virtue. The Jewish historian Josephus compared them to the Greek Pythagoreans.

The Essenes practised a form of prophecy that involved the prediction of the fate of political figures. Judas the Essene foretold the death of Mattathias Antigonos at an underground place called Stratos Tower. Manaemus prophesied that the boy Herod would one day become king of the Jews, and as a result the Essenes were spared the requirement to take an oath of loyalty to the monarch. It is thought that this consequent favour was the reason why there was an Essene Gate in the first wall of Herodian Jerusalem. And Simon the Essene divined the demise of Archelaus as ethnarch of Judaea, and his banishment to Gaul.

Most of the Essenes lived life within Judaean society. Philo described them with the triple definition of piety: love of God, love of virtue, and love of men. Like other Jews, they relied on God and venerated the lawgiver. But they also held beliefs that distinguished them from other Jews: they believed in providence and fate, the resurrection of the flesh, and immortality of the soul. Distinct to all others in the ancient world, they were against slavery, condemning slave-ownership as both unjust and ungodly, and against the law of nature that made all men equal at birth.

Featured image byJad LimcacoviaUnsplash.

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Essenes in Judaean Society: the sectarians of the Dead Sea Scrolls - OUPblog

Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons as Jake in 'I'm Thinking Of Ending Things.' | Mary Cybulski / Netflix

In Im Thinking of Ending Things (134 minutes), Jake (Jesse Plemons) drives Louisa (Jesse Buckley) through snow-covered country roads to meet his parents at their remote farm. Both are extremely uncomfortable. Louisa thinks repeatedly about terminating their seven-week relationship. Jake seems intent on displaying his shaky self-worth. They need to prove something to themselves.

Discomfort rises to terror as Louisa meets Jakes parents, played intensely by Toni Collette and David Thewlis. The parents dramatically age and regress throughout the evening. Jake disappears and appears. The farmhouse seems to change shape, furnishings and configuration. Are we here alone?

Jake tries to persuade Louisa to spend the night at the house. Increasingly fearful Louisa insists on returning to her own apartment. With the snow falling heavily, the ride back itself may only substitute one danger for another.

Director Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) ratchets up American gothic to psychological horror as he distorts time, place and relationships, scattering uneasy references to the musical Oklahoma, the film Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, and poetryIntimations of Immortality. Louisa may be thinking of ending itbut Jake may actually be the one to end it after all!

First time director Tyler Taorminas landscape in Ham on Rye (85 minutes) is both smaller and larger than Kaufmans Im Thinking of Ending Things. Taormina sets us in suburban America, among high school students, walking through a social ritual of conversation, dance, and food at a local deli. We learn more from the young peoples dress, groupings and actions than from the sparse and often inaudible dialogue.

Where Kaufman jams his long sweeping camera shots and claustrophobic car journey with anxious forced repartee, Taormina pushes his lens uncomfortably close for extended runs with little dialogue. His young people reveal themselves in their dress and facial expressions. Taorminas youth are on their way to adulthood through ritual. It is an uneasy journey where some find purpose, escaping their suburban constraints, as others remain behind, their blank faces reflecting more circumscribed lives.

Both Ham on Rye and Im Thinking of Ending Things deal with the tensions of young Americas uncertain future. These films are unlike earlier genres of self-satisfied materialism or later rebellious promise. They are as uneasy with the past as they are nervous about the future. Cinematic didacticism has given way to filmmakers content to raise questions they wont or cant answer. Where are the writers and directors who are thinking of beginning things?!

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'I'm Thinking of Ending Things' and 'Ham on Rye': Odds and ends - People's World