Samsung teases Exynos 2200 with AMD’s RDNA 2 graphics coming January 11th

Image Credit:SamsungSamsung has commenced teasing its subsequent flagship cellphone SoC — predicted to be known as the Exynos 2200 — in advance of a January eleventh statement with a tantalizing tidbit of information: the brand new chipset will function a GPU powered through AMD’s RDNA 2 pics architecture, higher regarded for powering the subsequent-gen pics at the Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and AMD’s RX 6000-collection pics cards. Of course, for the reason that the Exynos 2200 may be powering a cellphone, the brand new GPU won’t be magically allowing subsequent-gen pics on par with the maximum effective consoles and gaming PCs. But it probable will allow a few upgrades in pics, along with something different improve Samsung has up its sleeve for its modern flagship chip. #PlaytimeIsOver. The gaming marketplace is about to get serious. Stay tuned for the next #Exynos with the new GPU born from RDNA 2. January 11, 2022. pic.twitter.com/0H2MeVUbeS— Samsung Exynos (@SamsungExynos) December 30, 2021 A successor to the 2021 Exynos 2100, the Exynos 2200 is expected to power some of Samsung's top performing phones in 2022, including the alleged Galaxy S22 and S22 Ultra. Limited to international models of their upcoming flagships, with the US variants presumably configured for the recently announced Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset from Qualcomm. Fortunately, we don't have to wait long for more details on the Exynos 2200 (or whatever Samsung calls it) as the company promises an official debut on January 11th.
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SCIENTISTS TO TEST HIGH DEXAMETHASONE DOSES IN COVID-19 PATIENTS

    İmage Credit: AFP Photo British scientists will investigate whether higher doses of a cheap and widely used steroid called dexamethasone might work better in severe COVID-19 patients compared to  standard lower doses, they said Thursday. , showed that it was able to save the lives of COVID-19 patients in  a so-called "breakthrough" in the coronavirus pandemic.  They found that a 6 mg daily dose of dexamethasone,  used to reduce inflammation in diseases such as arthritis, reduced the death rate among critically ill COVID-19 patients in hospitals by about a third. "Given the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, we can expect  patients  with severe COVID-19 to be hospitalized for a while," said Peter Horby, a professor at Oxford University who co-led the study.  “So it is very important that we continue RECOVERY to  compare a higher dose of 20 mg  dexamethasone given once a day for five days, followed by 10 mg once a day for  another five days, with the usual low dose treatment. Process is supported by the UK government and Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates and his ex-wife Melinda French's charity. Last week,  scientists began investigating GSK and Vir Biotechnology's antibody-based drug COVID19  as a possible treatment for hospital patients.
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Pluto should be reclassified as a planet, Scientists reclaimed

 Photo: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute You know the old motto: Nobody can hear you screaming in space. Unfortunately, being trapped in our rapidly heated rock, we can hear everyone screaming very well, especially those ironically howling about the specifics of space. Checked in at our degraded friend Pluto, it was  certainly not a planet, despite a decade and a half of complaints from overly engaged astronomy fans (Welcome to the world of pop culture, astronomy fans).  His appointment lately has primarily sought to compensate everyone, the fact of the matter is that  the International Astronomical Union is still very unlikely to step back on its 2006 decision apparently they raised their hands and gave their goforbroke request from "To hell.  We not only want Pluto to come back, we want  150 more damn planets to be added to the list." That's the gist of a new article published in the research journal Icarus that argues that the IAUs are the real Jabronis here, dammit.  As NBC News breaks it down, the team of scientists claims that the current planetary classification system relies more on outdated astrological methods. (read: pseudoscientific) terminology and should be updated to reflect modernity. A "planet" is by definition "any geologically active body" in space that would not only bring Pluto  into its lap, but also moons such as Europa, Enceladus and Titan, as well as the asteroid Ceres. A total of around 150 new "planets" will be added to the eight existing ones. Unfortunately, as planetary geologist Paul Byrne explained, all of this backlash to taxonomy often overshadows many of the other really fascinating aspects of these celestial bodies of all sizes.  "Every time I gave a talk and  put up a picture of Pluto, the first question wasn't about the geology of the planet, but why was it degraded?" he told NBC News. "It stuck with people, and that's a real shame.
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F.D.A. Plans to Allow 12- to 15-Year-Olds to Receive Pfizer Boosters

  The Food and Drug Administration to authorize booster doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds Monday. (Emily Elconin, Reuters) The United States Food and Drug Administration should receive a booster injection of the Pfizer vaccine up to five months after a second dose from the current six months, the newspaper reported.  The increase in cases caused by omicrons can be an important tool for millions of children. According to initial data from laboratory studies, the  variant can bypass some of the protection offered by two doses of the PfizerBioNTech vaccine. But the booster doses of the PfizerBioNTech and Moderna vaccines appear to protect against Omicron, also based on laboratory studies.  The rapidly spreading variant has resulted in thousands of new COVID19 hospital admissions for U.S. children in the past few weeks, raising new concerns about  the number of unvaccinated Americans under the age of 18 who will do well with the new surge.  The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  Rochelle Walensky said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday that the agency could receive a call regarding the third dose of the COVID19 vaccine  for children aged 12-15 The vaccine - The CDC's Advisory Committee plans to meet mid-next week to vote on whether to recommend the changes.  While officials  said the vaccines protect against serious illness and death from Omicron, some children as young as 12 to 15 are now more than six months away from their previous vaccinations.
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HERE’S WHY EMMA WATSON ALMOST QUIT HARRY POTTER

  The original trio from the Wizarding franchise, Harry Potter, are expected to return to the silver screen next New Years Day in the 20th anniversary special when they return to Hogwarts.  In the reunion special, two of the movie's lead actors, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, spoke about how they were on the verge of leaving the series after season five, responsible for his childhood fame during his adolescence.  Best known for their characters  Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, Watson and Rupert Grint made the reveal during the  special Harry Potter reunion show for the 20th anniversary. “You were considering retiring. I never told you about it, ”Rupert joked with Emma about the days before.  At that time, she revealed how solemnly she  wanted to leave the character: "Yes. I think she was scared." I don't know if you ever felt like it reached a tipping point where you said, 'This is now forever,' "revealed Watson." Fame had finally come home in a big way.  "At some point there was Grint agrees that he also had his moments of contemplation  where he would insist "what life would be  if I called it a day." Radcliffe, aka Harry Potter, added to the conversation, saying, "Never really. " He talked about it. I think we had it at our own pace. We were then in the moment. "However, the female lead in Harry Potter believed that" no one had to convince her to stay, "except for the love and appreciation of the fans.
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The Rock Rejects Vin Diesel's Plea For Him To Join Fast & Furious 10

Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel in 2011 (Image via Getty Images/Buda Mendes)  It's safe to say that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will not be returning to the Fast and Furious franchise.  In a new interview with CNN released on Wednesday, December 29, the young rock actor explicitly stated that he was not interested in repeating his role. as Luke Hobbs, even after Vin Diesel launched a public petition in November.  For those who haven't followed the saga, Diesel wrote on Instagram last month, “My little brother Dwayne ... it's time. F&F 10 finals As you know, in my house you refer to my children  as Uncle Dwayne.  There is no public holiday on which you and you do not send good wishes ... but the time has come.Diesel moved on to his expense, the deceased Pablo Walker, for his nickname Paul. "I was firm but warm in my words and said that I would always support the cast and  the franchise always to make it successful, but that there was no chance it would return." Johnson added that he had also informed Universal Pictures of his decision and "who were all very supportive of their understanding of the issue."
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Elon Musk Sells Another $1 Billion in Tesla Shares to Prep for Largest Tax Bill in History

 Patrick Pleul | picture alliance | Getty Images According to financial documents released Tuesday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk sold 934,090 company shares valued at around $ 1.02 billion not to fund a McMansion on Mars.Musk said he is preparing to pay the biggest tax bill in history. With an estimated value of more than $ 275 billion, Musk is the richest person in the world. As ProPublica revealed in a report earlier this year, Musk has not yet paid large sums of money in personal taxes, given that they alone pay taxpayers' income or share taxes as soon as they do. After exercising options to purchase nearly 1.6 million Tesla shares at an exercise price of $ 6.24 per share (given to him in his 2012 compensation package), Musk's stake in Tesla rose to more than 177 million shares. Now Musk is expected to face the largest  individual tax bill in US history, with state and California income taxes estimated at $ 11 billion, according to CNBC . Tax experts say you have to pay the bill before you can get any compensation of approximately $23 billion in stock options due in August. After Musk was named  "Person of the Year" by Time Magazine, Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted that the government should "amend the rigged tax code so that the person of the year actually pays taxes and stops taking advantage of everyone else."
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New Flagpro malware linked to Chinese state-backed hackers

 The cyber espionage group APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) Blackwell has been targeting Japanese companies with a new type of malware that researchers call "Flag pro". Second level malware and run it.  Breaching corporate networks The chain of infection begins with a phishing e-mail that was developed for the target organization and pretends to be a message from a trusted partner.  The e-mail contains a password-protected ZIP or RAR attachment with a Microsoft Excel file [.XLSM] linked to a malicious macro. Running this code creates an executable file in the Flag pro home directory.  When it first runs, Flagpro connects to the C2 server over HTTP and sends the system identification details obtained by executing hard-coded operating system commands.  In response, the C2 can send additional commands or a second-level payload that Flag pro can execute.  An example of a sent command Source: NTT Security Communication between the two is base64 encoded, and there is also a configurable delay between connections to avoid creating an identifiable operating model. Communication between Flagpro and the C2 Source: NTT Security  Flagpro has been used against Japanese companies for more than a year, at the latest since October 2020, according to a report by NTT Security.  The most recent samples the researchers were able to obtain are from July 2021. The target companies are from a variety of industries, including defense, media and communications technology.  Flagpro v2.0 At some point in their analysis, NTT researchers noticed a new version of Flag pro that can automatically close relevant dialog boxes to make external connections that could reveal their presence to the victim.  "In the Flag pro v1.0 implementation, if a dialog box titled 'Windows セ キ ュ リ テ ィ' appears when Flagpro is accessing an external site, Flagpro will automatically click the OK button to close the dialog box" explains NTT Security report. “This handling also works if the dialog is written in Chinese or English  indicates destinations are in Japan, Taiwan, and English-speaking countries. Inserted code serving as obfuscation in Flagpro v2.0 Source: NTT Security  Blackwell APT is a lesser known player discovered by Trendier researchers in the summer of 2017 and has partnered with China. His typical targets are in Taiwan, although he has occasionally targeted companies in Japan and Hong Kong to steal technology.  In February  2021, a report from Unit 42 linked  Blackwell to Waterbear Flag pro, another cyber espionage group believed to have the backing of the Chinese government like Apt, Black tech, Knowledge and Refinement to adapt their tools to new reports like this one, Flag pro is likely to be modified for more stealth use. As the NTT report concludes, “Recently they (Blackwell) started using another new malware called Selfsame Loader and Spider RAT. “That means they are actively developing new malware. Defenders should be aware of the new indicators of exposure to new malware and follow all security best practices to maintain a strong defense against sophisticated threats like Blackwell. Source: Bleeping Computer
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Watch out for ‘child in need’ Whatsapp scams as parents get duped out of £50,000

 Another WhatsApp scam is circulating, this time aimed at parents. WhatsApp scammers pretend to be desperate children who need money right away.  People in the UK have reportedly been defrauded of nearly £ 50,000 for this type of scam. 25 cases of fraud were reported between August and October, with victims losing pounds 48,356.  A Bedford mom shared her WhatsApp exchange with a Bedford Facebook group to warn others. "Hello mom, it's me. I have a new number, you can delete the old one, ”read the scammer's input text.  Toni Parker, 53, thought her son had dropped his phone down the toilet and had a new phone number (Picture: Caters News) When the woman asked who the unknown messenger was, they replied: “Your oldest and sweetest son xx. The scammer then stated that he had  a new phone and was "transferring everything", claiming that his banking app had banned him for 48 hours.  “Very annoying because there is nothing I can do  about it. Can you possibly pay  me and I will get it back to you asap? I'm sorry to bother you with this, '' read the scammer's text message. However, instead of sending the money immediately, the woman called her daughter, who confirmed that she was not sending the messages. When the woman realized she was being attacked by a conspiratorial impostor, she immediately warned others about the deception.  This is not the first time such a tactic has been used to commit fraud on WhatsApp. In August, a nurse was cheated of £ 2,500 after a scammer impersonated her son. In September, WhatsApp users were warned of the scam that could see criminals steal thousands of them.  'WhatsApp protects our users' personal messages with end-to-end encryption, but we want to remind people that we all have one.' We advise all users never to share their six-digit PIN code with anyone, not even with friends or family, and we recommend  all users configure two-step verification for added security.
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Omicron symptoms: how they differ from Delta, the flu and a cold, and how quickly they’ll show up

  Image Credit:CIPhotos via Getty Images With the Omicron variant of Covid, it extends along the city and abroad, many people felt this week as the hope that their end of the pandemic had been plagued. Omicron symptoms can mimic the common cold Although experts say that the widely recognized COVID-19 symptoms, coughing, fever or taste of smell or taste are still indicators for a possible infection, the researchers have found that the symptoms of Omicron can also be similar to those of a cold similarities. The symptoms of the Delta variant were also compared to those of a cold, but some doctors said the cases of Omicron seen so far were particularly mild. A US study of around 750,000 people recently found that the five most common symptoms for both the Delta and Omicron variants currently are runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and sore throat. However, in many people, Omicron also causes atypical symptoms that were not seen with previous variants. In a popular TikTok video this weekend, people currently suffering from the Omicron variant weighed down on their unusual symptoms, including nausea, less back pain, muscle pain, and even eye pain. Omicron appears to be more contagious with symptoms that show up faster, but questions about severity remain While coughs, headaches, and fever manifest themselves after four to five days of infection with older COVID strains, the incubation time of Omicron can be even shorter. Data on the latest variant of COVID, first spotted in Botswana and South Africa in mid-November, is still limited, but a recent study in Norway suggests an average three-day window between exposure to the Omicron variant and symptoms, which means that Omicron could spread faster, reports Jessica Mathews of Fortune. Preliminary studies of the Omicron variant have shown that infections may be less severe than the Delta variant. However, it spreads faster. Last week, the World Health Organization announced that Omicron is spreading faster than any other strain before and that the variant is likely to be found in most countries, even if it has not yet been detected. An analysis published last week by South African researchers found that the risk of hospitalization among adults with COVID19 was 29% lower in people with the Omicron variant compared to the first wave of infections in 2020, the fastest increase since May last year . Another study from Imperial College London found that the infection in the Omicron cases analyzed was no less severe than in the Delta variant. Johnson and Johnson, Sputnik, and Sinopharm vaccines have also proven largely ineffective at protecting against Omicron, as studies have shown, and due to the large number of mutations in the variant, which health experts say can be significantly resistant to Pfizer and Moderna vaccines as well. U.S. cities should expect a winter surge in cases Experts say COVID infections experience a "winter surge" even without Omicron. There are currently an average of 83,000 new cases of COVID in the US every day, even with 61% of the population being vaccinated. On Friday, the seven-day national average of new daily cases topped 197,000, a 65% increase over the past 14 days, the New York Times reported. Deaths also increased by 3% during this period. The highest national average of daily falls was set in January 2021 at 251,232 in the days after the holidays. Reasons for the increase in cases include people roaming the country as they did before the pandemic, spending more time indoors due to the cold outside temperatures, wearing fewer masks, and falling protection from vaccines and previous infections, Ali Mokdad,  professor of health sciences . from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, he told NPR. With more and more people wanting to return to life as they were before the pandemic and the new variant is extremely contagious and vaccine resistant, the risk of infection is very real. While Europe still battles the Delta variant, Omicron is spreading at a “ferocious pace” While Europe is still fighting the Delta variant, Omicron is spreading at a "rapid pace", European leaders are fighting to get the majority of their populations vaccinated and amplified as Omicron and COVID cases rise. of COVID19 cases with 121,371 infections in 24 hours. “[Omicron] is spreading at high speed and may be in danger of at least partially escaping our vaccines. We know that our health  systems are currently overloaded, "said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to reporters last week. Shortly before the holidays, Cornell University closed his campus after he discovered 900 positive Covid cases, after the Bloomberg.stanford University, also his decision to return to online classes in the first two weeks of his winter quarters, because of the concern of the Omicron Several major league sports have cut their seasons after the outbreaks, and many Broadway shows have closed, some even permanently. And companies continue to postpone their plans to return to the office indefinitely for fear of the new variant. It gets worse when we move into the dead of winter, "said Anthony Fauci, senior medical advisor to the president, last week for the University of California Chamber of Commerce Foundation, especially for the unvaccinated.
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After 375 years, scientists discover eighth continent

Key Points * Geologists made headlines in 2017 after their announcement of the discovery of Zealandia. * It is a vast continent of 1.89 million sq miles (4.9 million sq km) and is around six times the size of Madagascar. * Zealandia is a continent because of the kinds of rocks found there, despite that it is thin and is submerged. In 1642, Abel Tasman, a skilled Dutch seaman who loved tough justice, was confident that there was a vast continent in the southern hemisphere  and  determined to find it. He believed  he had discovered the great southern continent, obviously it was hardly a commercial utopia that he imagined and then never returned. BBC reported that Tasman was just thankful, actually there was an undiscovered continent. A group of geologists made headlines in 2017 when they announced the discovery of Zealandia - Te RiuaMāui in the Maori language. It's a vast continent measuring 1.89 million square miles (4.9 million square kilometers) and about six times the size of Madagascar, the announcer reported. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BBC News (@bbcnews) According to the BBC report, the world's encyclopedias, maps and search engines have long been dictated by the fact that there are only seven continents, but the team confidently informed the world that this was wrong. After all, there are eight, and the latest addition is breaking all records as the smallest, slimmest and youngest in the world. The problem is that 94% is underwater and only a handful of islands like New Zealand emerge from their sea depths. It had been hiding in sight the whole time, "reported the BBC. Andy Tulloch, a geologist on the New Zealand Crown Research Institute GNS Science, who turned into a part of the group that determined Zealandia, said: "This is an instance of the way some thing very apparent can take some time to uncover." This all is simply the begging as 4 years on, and the continent is as enigmatic as ever, it's far guarded beneath6,560 ft (2km) of water, BBC reported. According to geologists, Zealandia is a continent due to the type of rock found there, although it is thin and underwater, the seabed consists more only of woody like basalt, while the continental crust consists more of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks like granite, slate and Limestone. According to the report, geologists still find the eighth continent very intriguing, it is still unclear how Zealandia managed to hold together when it is so thin and doesn't break up into tiny micro-continents.
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Scientists Identify antibodies that can kill the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus

Image Credit:CIPhotos via Getty Images By Denise Chow A global team of scientists has discovered antibodies that can kill the variant responsible for the rise of Omicron around the world. In addition, the scientists claim that these antibodies can neutralize other variants of Covid19 as well. New treatments may be explored According to one of the study researchers, David Veesler of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the University of Washington School of Medicine, the antibodies work by targeting areas of the virus spike protein that are unchanged by mutations. Protein, scientists can develop vaccines and antibody treatments that  work not only against the Omicron variant, but also against any mutation that may occur in the future. The Omicron variant of the coronavirus has 37 mutations in its spike protein, which is considered an unusually high number for a virus. For this reason, countries like the US and UK are urging citizens to get a booster dose (a third vaccination) to increase the body's antibody response in the event of infection. Studies have shown that the variant, while  less fatal, is more transmissible and able to evade the protection offered by vaccines designed with previous variants in mind. Why the virus keeps mutating If the virus continues to mutate (which it won't if the vaccine inequality is not addressed), one day a more deadly and  transmissible variant could emerge that could spark another  wave of infections like the one seen during the Delta wave in India. The team behind the antibody identification  believe that Omicron mutations could be due to a weakened immune system in a person infected with the variant. It is also possible that the virus jumped from humans to animals and then back to humans. The researchers also found that the Moderna, Pfizer / BioNTech, and AstraZeneca (Covishield) vaccines offered some  protection against Omicron, unlike Sputnik V, Sinopharm, and Johnson and Johnson, which did not show the ability of Omicron to penetrate cells prevent. 
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How Bulletproof Is Pattinson's Batsuit In The Batman?

Robert Pattinson’s Batman takes multiple bullets to the chest in the latest trailer for The Batman, indicating how bulletproof his version of the Batsuit is. Although he lacks superpowers, Batman fights crime in Gotham City with superlative fighting skills, a genius-level intellect, and state-of-the-art gadgetry. A common piece of equipment for live-action Batman adaptations is a Batsuit made of bulletproof material. Not all the Dark Knight's costumes have the same level of protection, so how does Pattinson’s suit compare to the others and the comic source material? In his first comic book appearances, Batman wore no armor, using a simple, lightweight, and flexible costume with an intimidating appearance instead. One of the earliest uses of an armored Batsuit comes from the first standalone Batman book in 1940, in which the Caped Crusader survives a gunshot wound from The Joker thanks to a layer of armor underneath the main suit. Modern comic iterations of Batman wear fully armored Batsuits, offering significant protection against gunshots; partially inspired by the various film adaptations and their many shout-outs. In the latest trailer for The Batman, Robert Pattinson’s Batsuit is put to the test multiple times. While fighting a gang of criminals in clown makeup, Batman is shot point-blank with a handgun, but he shrugs this off rather quickly and continues fighting. Later in the trailer, Batman walks towards a group of assault rifle-toting assailants, who pepper him with gunfire. Batman walks through the hail of bullets mostly unimpeded before counterattacking. This indicates that Pattinson’s Batman uses an extremely durable material that can withstand more gunfire than most versions of the Dark Knight. While Adam West’s Batman wore no armor, Michael Keaton’s iteration in the Tim Burton films had a highly durable suit that could take direct gunshots. However, as shown multiple times in Batman and Batman Returns, while the suit kept gunfire from proving immediately lethal, the force often knocked Batman off his feet and left him winded on some occasions. Pattinson’s gear provides more protection, allowing him to remain in fighting condition even when shot numerous times. Christian Bale’s first Batsuit in Batman Begins also offered protection from gunshots, though Lucious Fox explicitly advised against taking direct hits. While protective, the suit proved to be too restrictive, so Bale’s Bruce wore a modified` suit in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. Bale’s second Batman suit offered far more flexibility, though it was even more vulnerable to gunfire, which Bruce learned firsthand when facing off against Two-Face. The only live-action Batman iteration whose suit provided similar levels of protection to Pattinson’s is the DCEU Batman. As shown in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ben Affleck's Batman wears a light and flexible suit that allows him to take gunshots to the head at point-blank range with little impediment. The suit has some vulnerable points, as evidenced by an assailant’s knife puncturing the suit near the shoulder, but this may have been a lightly-armored area for the sake of articulation. Ben Affleck’s Batman armor, like Pattinson’s Batsuit in The Batman, is fully bulletproof, protecting Batman from gun-toting enemies.
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What Katey Sagal Has Done Since Sons of Anarchy Ended

Katey Sagal played one of the most important characters in Sons of Anarchy, but what has she done since the show came to an end? In 2008, Kurt Sutter took the audience to a small town in California to meet a motorcycle club and all the drama in their daily lives in the TV series Sons of Anarchy. The series premiered on FX in 2008 and lived on for a total of seven seasons, coming to an end in 2014. Sons of Anarchy got positive reviews throughout its whole run, with most praise going towards the themes it addressed (such as corruption and racism) and the performances of the main cast. Sons of Anarchy tells the story of Jackson “Jax” Teller (Charlie Hunnam), VP of the motorcycle club Sons of Anarchy in the fictional town of Charming, California. The series kicks off when Jax finds a manifesto written by his late father, John “JT” Teller, one of the founding members of the MC. In it, JT shared his plans and vision for the club, which were very different from those of the current President and Jax’s stepfather, Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman). Reading his father’s ideas and seeing how different the club was, among other events, send Jax on a personal journey that leads him to question his path, role in the club, relationships, family, and more. Sons of Anarchy also introduced the audience to Gemma Teller-Morrow (Katey Sagal), Jax’s mother and the matriarch of the club, who even though wasn’t a member of it, had a lot of influence in it and the town in general, but she was also a very dangerous woman. Katey Sagal’s role as Gemma in Sons of Anarchy was one of the most praised elements of the series, and she was one of the few characters from the first season who made it to the final one, though not to the series finale, as she was killed by Jax in the second last episode. Gemma Teller has become one of Sagal’s most memorable roles, but it definitely isn’t her most famous one, as she has played a variety of characters before and after Sons of Anarchy. Prior to living in Charming, Sagal did a lot of voice work in film, such as in Recess: School’s Out (playing Mrs. Flo Spinelli) and the Futurama movies, voicing Turanga Leela. In TV, she became known for playing Peggy Bundy in the sitcom Married… with Children from 1987 to 1997, and other notable roles include Edna Hyde in That 70’s Show and Cate S. Hennessy in 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. While working on Sons of Anarchy, Sagal continued doing voice work, most notably in Futurama, and once the show came to an end, she explored other genres in TV. Sagal played Annora of the Alders in The Bastard Executioner, Penny’s mother in one episode of The Big Bang Theory, and Lanie Schultz in This Is Us. Sagal reprised her role as Gemma in one episode of Mayans M.C, the spinoff series of Sons of Anarchy, and after that, she went on to play Dr. Ingrid Jones in Shameless, Louise Goldufski in The Conners, Teresa Williams in Grand Hotel, and Eleanor Hale in Dead to Me. Her most recent work is in the legal comedy-drama Rebel, inspired by the life of Erin Brockovich, and in which she plays the lead role of Annie “Rebel” Bello. On the big screen, she played Lee Ann in There’s Always Woodstock, Katherine Junk in Pitch Perfect 2, and Louise Pazienza in Bleed for This. In addition to an incredible acting career that has covered almost every genre, Katey Sagal has a musical career and released her first solo album in 1994, and she also contributed with at least one song per season in Sons of Anarchy. Katey Sagal is a woman of many talents, and while many will always remember her as Gemma Teller-Morrow, it’s definitely worth checking out her other works in both film and TV.
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Star Wars: How The Knights of Ren Are Different From The Sith

The Sith are the primary antagonists of the Star Wars saga, but they’re largely absent from the sequel trilogy, having been seemingly replaced by a different dark side religion: The Knights of Ren. All conflicts in the Skywalker Saga lead back to the Sith sooner or later, specifically their deadliest and most brilliant Dark Lord, Darth Sidious, aka Palpatine. The Sith seemingly died with Palpatine in Return of the Jedi, but The Emperor survived, and, thus, the Sith Order did, too. With Sith influence remaining behind the scenes yet again, the Knights of Ren became the new face of the galaxy’s dark side menaces, with their leader, Kylo Ren, being second in command of the Galactic Empire’s successor state, the First Order. Although the Jedi are the galaxy’s most effective and famous Force users and the Sith the most powerful dark side users, the two are hardly the only Force religions in the franchise. The Sith created a splinter group, the Inquisitors, as a means to use corrupted Jedi as Imperial agents. Star Wars: The Clone Wars included a significantly reimagined version of the Legends-era Nightsisters, who use the dark side in the form of spells. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story introduced the Guardians of the Whills, a Force-using religion separate from the Jedi who guarded the Kyber crystals on Jedha. Considering how many Force-using religions exist in the Star Wars franchise, the sequels' introduction of a dark side group other than the Sith was fitting. The Sith orchestrated the Separatist Crisis and the Clone Wars in the Star Wars prequels, paving the way for Palpatine to replace the Republic with the Galactic Empire with Darth Vader at his side. With the Sith seemingly gone at the end of the original trilogy, the sequels introduced Kylo Ren, the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo, as the successor to Vader and the leader of the Knights of Ren. The Knights had only a brief appearance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and a small role in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but their origins and philosophies were expanded on in the four-issue comic miniseries Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren. Thousands of years before the events of Star Wars' Skywalker Saga, a group of fallen Jedi formed the Sith Order on Moraband. Although they began as a Jedi splinter group, the Sith Order has a fundamentally different outlook on the Force and the galaxy than the Jedi. Using the corrupted power of the dark side rather than the Force, the Sith believed in dominating the galaxy from the shadows and imposing their absolute rule over all other beings. The Sith also developed the Rule of Two as a means to keep the order alive and reduce in-fighting. The Rule of Two, created by Darth Bane, kept the Sith two only a master and apprentice, each trying to replace the other. The exact origins of the Knights of Ren are unknown, but at some point a gang of dark side-using marauders established themselves in the galaxy’s Unknown Regions, terrorizing the people of the galaxy. Unlike the Sith, the Knights of Ren had a far more passive philosophy and use of the dark side. While the Sith sought to control the dark side and use it to control the galaxy, the Knights of Ren followed the dark side, following its pull wherever it took them and stealing, pillaging, and murdering wherever their travels brought them. Unlike the Sith, the Knights of Ren didn’t limit their members, but given their dark side use, only the strongest and most ruthless could join their ranks. While the Sith and the Knights of Ren have fundamentally different philosophies, the two do share some commonalities. Aside from using the dark side of the Force, both organizations also used similar weapons, in some cases. The signature weapon of the Sith is the red-bladed lightsabers, which they created by corrupting Kyber crystals with the dark side and making them “bleed.” While the Knights of Ren use various scavenged weapons, their leader also uses a red-bladed lightsaber, though theirs tend to be different from Sith weapons. Ren, the earliest known leader, built a self-destruct mechanism into his weapon, and Kylo Ren modified his weapon with a cross-guard to vent the unstable blade’s excess energy. Two of the Star Wars sequel trilogy’s main villains, Snoke and Kylo Ren, are not Sith. Kylo Ren, despite worshipping his Sith Lord grandfather, never became a Sith himself. After leaving Luke’s revived Jedi Order, Ben Solo joined the Knights of Ren, eventually killing their leader and taking his place as their new master, Kylo Ren. As a Knight of Ren, Kylo wore body armor and a fearsome mask, which served multiple functions. In addition to protecting his head and indicating his knighthood, the mask also allowed Kylo to feel more like his grandfather and idol, Darth Vader. Snoke wasn’t officially part of any dark side religion, Sith, Knights of Ren, or otherwise. Snoke was an unaffiliated dark side user and the Supreme Leader of the First Order, though he did mentor Kylo Ren, serving as his dark side master, which gave him a degree of authority over the Knights of Ren. Snoke was, ultimately created as a proxy for Darth Sidious, so despite his free will and incredible strength in the dark side, Snoke was yet another tool of the Sith Order, and his betrayal by Kylo Ren followed the Sith Rule of Two perfectly. Despite never having joined the Sith, Kylo Ren became an ally of the order in The Rise of Skywalker. Working with Palpatine, Kylo combined the First Order with the Sith Eternal, forming the Final Order. The Knights of Ren followed Kylo Ren into this alliance as well, continuing to serve Palpatine after Kylo became Ben Solo once more. This was a fitting move for the Knights of Ren since they follow the dark side, rather than rule over it. With Palpatine, the galaxy’s most powerful dark side user, growing in strength, it makes sense that the Knights would follow his incredible dark side power and serve him. The key difference between the Sith and the Knights of Ren in Star Wars is revealed in their names. The Sith Lords rule over the dark side of the Force in the Star Wars saga while the Knights of Ren serve the dark side.
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Sylvester Stallone & Dolph Lundgren Reunite in Expendables 4 Set Photo

Dolph Lundgren shared a photo of his reunion with Sylvester Stallone from the set of The Expendables 4. The new film in the ensemble action franchise comes almost a decade after The Expendables 3, which was released in 2014. The film is being directed by former stunt coordinator Scott Waugh with an eye toward a 2022 release. Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture are all reprising their franchise roles along with Expendables newbies Andy Garcia, 50 Cent, Tony Jaa, and Megan Fox. In the Expendables franchise, Dolph Lundgren plays Gunner Jensen, a chemical engineer with a wild streak, a reference to the fact that the Swedish actor has a degree in chemical engineering in real life. Jensen is known for his crass jokes, and is an original member of the Expendables team, having appeared in all three previous films. He has worked under Stallone's character Barney Ross for years, though he can't always avoid butting heads with him. Although Stallone has wrapped shooting on The Expendables 4, Dolph Lundgren shared a throwback photo from the set on his Instagram. It's a black and white shot of him and Stallone relaxing between scenes. In his caption, Dolph expresses his gratitude that the film was being shot in London at the same time as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, in which he will be reprising his role as King Nereus. It looks like he will be keeping Nereus' long hair in the Expendables film as well, unless they put him in a wig before rolling the camera. Check out the post below: Click Here to View the Post on Instagram The Expendables is the second action franchise to unite Stallone and Lundgren. Lundgren originally rose to prominence in the Stallone vehicle Rocky IV, in which he played Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. Lundgren's casting in the original Expendables was certainly due to this connection, given that the series' intent was to gather as many classic action stars as possible into one explosive film. Given the fact that Stallone himself directed and co-wrote the film, Lundgren was an obvious choice for the character. With both The Expendables 4 and Aquaman 2 gearing up for release next year, it's going to be a big 2022 for Dolph Lundgren. To add to his busy promotional schedule, he will also be appearing in the World War II thriller Operation Seawolf and the animated sequel Minions: The Rise of Gru. His renaissance on the silver screen is well-earned, considering that the actor has devoted himself to entertaining audiences, appearing in nearly 100 titles across his career. Source: Dolph Lundgren
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Did Squidward Have A Wife? SpongeBob SquarePants Theory Explained & Debunked

Even though SpongeBob SquarePants is aimed at children, it hasn’t been safe from all types of theories, of which many don’t make much sense, such as one that says the reason why Squidward is always sad is that he misses his wife. Nickelodeon has been home to a variety of cartoons that have become very popular with viewers, but the most successful Nicktoon to date is SpongeBob SquarePants, created by Stephen Hillenburg. The show made its debut in 1999 and has since become one of the longest-running animated series, allowing it to branch out to other media as well. SpongeBob SquarePants takes viewers to the bottom of the ocean to visit the underwater city of Bikini Bottom, where the title character and his friends (and a couple of enemies) live and get involved in all types of trouble. Throughout his different adventures, SpongeBob is often accompanied by his best friends Patrick Star and Sandy Cheeks, his neighbor and coworker Squidward Tentacles, and his greedy boss Mr. Krabs, as well as his pet snail Gary, who joins the fun from time to time. Every character has their own personality and quirks, and one who has become popular with viewers is Squidward, as he’s the opposite of SpongeBob, and this has made way for some strange theories. As mentioned above, Squidward is SpongeBob’s neighbor and coworker at the Krusty Krab, so he has to spend a lot of time with the always cheerful sponge, much to his annoyance. While SpongeBob is optimistic, childish, and clueless, Squidward is bad-tempered, stubborn, and rude, and nothing seems to work out in his favor. This has made fans come up with all types of theories on why Squidward is like this, and one suggested that Squidward was once married, but his wife left him and his life hasn’t been the same ever since – and, of course, SpongeBob had something to do in this, though not as you might think. The theory went viral on TikTok and has now been deleted, but descriptions of it can be found online. The author of the video explained that Squidward wasn’t always mean, but the failures in his love life have driven him to be a pessimistic character. They also added that during those hard times nobody listened to him except for SpongeBob, so the famous sponge is the only one who’s fully aware of what Squidward has gone through, and that he “looked after Squidward more than you think”. The reason why the show has never addressed this is because it was “too dark”, and so Squidward is always sad and grumpy because he wants his wife back in his life. Squidward did have a love interest in one episode of SpongeBob SquarePants: Squilvia, a woman who looks like him but with short black hair, long eyelashes, and dark pink lips. Squidward and Squilvia met at the Krusty Krab, and SpongeBob actually helped Squidward ask her out, and while at the end of the episode they were shown together, she hasn’t shown up again. There’s no truth to the “Squidward’s wife” theory that was once a hit on TikTok, and he has never mentioned being married and Squilvia was only a date, though the status of their relationship remains unknown. Not every “mystery” or strange thing found in SpongeBob SquarePants needs an explanation, as it’s ultimately a cartoon, and it doesn’t always have to make sense. Squidward surely has other reasons to be bitter and grumpy, but a lost love definitely isn’t one of them.
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Iron Man's Secret Armor Doubles as a Corporate Lawyer

Marvel's Iron Man is one of the smartest characters in the Marvel Universe - and he's also one of the shrewdest businessmen on Earth, so it's no surprise that the genius, billionaire, playboy-philanthropist would quite literally invent a lawyer for himself. As the CEO of Stark Industries, Tony is often beset by legal troubles; lawyers accompanying him everywhere he goes would not be seen as out of the ordinary. In the short story collection Iron Man: Titanium, the tale Railguns, Power Ties and Titanium Men, written by Adam Warren with art by Salva Espin and colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, introduces readers to Tony Stark's very own "Lawyer Armor." At the start of the story, Tony Stark accompanies Pepper Potts (along with bodyguards and lawyers) to a public meeting in a new skyscraper; the young Chief Technological Officer of the company Designed Intelligence, Huang Qiaolian appears ready to announce the company's IPO before dozens of potential investors. Instead, she kidnaps all the attendees and holds them hostage through the use of the Titanium Man: a robot that can also deploy smaller versions of itself. To add insult to injury, Huang Qiaolian isn't from Designed Intelligence at all, but Advanced Idea Mechanics, or A.I.M. Huang Qiaolin's plan is revealed as she ushers the hostages toward high-speed electromagnetic elevators. They're not elevators; they're mass drivers, designed to launch the cabins into orbit where they'll reenter the atmosphere and land near an A.I.M. ship. But Tony Stark has a plan; he stands in the middle of his two lawyers and  initiates a high-speed transformation sequence. The two lawyers disassemble and form around Tony, creating a new armor. "Suits-to suit conversation complete," he says - while Huang stands amazed that Stark was able to find a practical use for corporate lawyers. Tony Stark is no stranger to hiding his suits in plain sight. The most famous of Tony's concealed armors is the "suitcase armor" popularized in Iron Man 2, but was seen much earlier in the comics. Unlike the film, the suit wasn't disguised as the briefcase; it simply hid Tony's collapsible armor within. The Extremis armor was the logical next step; Tony stored the undersheath of the armor inside his bones, and moved it outside his skin with a mental command. Thanks to the Lawyer Armor, Tony was able to rescue Pepper Potts and the passengers inside the elevators, destroy the Titanium Man and defeat Huang Qiaolin (who was later revealed to be a Life Model Decoy). Stark's legal troubles worked to his advantage in this instance. Iron Man's reputation for palling around with an entourage allowed one more suit of armor up his sleeve.
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Judy Greer Spoils Major Halloween Kills Character Death In Interview

Warning: SPOILERS for Halloween Kills below Actress Judy Greer has revealed which death scene from Halloween Kills she found to be the most vicious, accidentally spoiling one character's fate in the process. The killer Michael Myers has been on a gruesome rampage since 1978 when he first appeared in John Carpenter’s classic slasher Halloween. David Gordon Green helmed a direct sequel to the original film in 2018. Simply titled Halloween, an older but still traumatized Laurie Strode prepares to confront her would-be killer 40 years later. Michael’s reign of terror continues on October 15 when Halloween Kills hits theaters and streams on Peacock. Halloween Kills will see the return of much of the cast from the first installment, including Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie, Judy Greer as her daughter Karen, and Andi Matichak as Laurie’s granddaughter Allyson. The film is set to pick up moments after the 2018 film left off, with the women rushing to the hospital to seek medical treatment for Laurie. In part one, Karen dismissed her mother’s seemingly put-on paranoia. Now that Karen has experienced Michael’s wrath firsthand, the pair’s estranged dynamic is certain to change in Halloween Kills. Unfortunately for Karen, she’s doomed to witness even more of Michael’s bloodlust as he tears through Haddonfield. In an interview with Collider, Greer filled fans in on Michael’s grisliest murders in Halloween Kills, highlighting one in particular that made the actress shudder. One of the franchise’s more unlikeable characters, Cameron Elam, doesn’t appear to make it through Halloween night in the upcoming movie. Though Greer doesn’t get into specifics, the actress confirms that the death of Cameron, played by Dylan Arnold, is decidedly “gruesome.” She also points to Michael’s stamina, claiming that the scene feels longer than a few short minutes. Read Greer’s full response below. “Dylan Arnold and I became friends and we live in the same neighborhood, and I saw this film and I saw his kill and I texted him immediately and said, ‘Your mother cannot watch this movie. I’m so sorry, and tell her I said hi, but there’s no way your mom can see this.’ He was like, ‘Noted.’ He hadn’t seen the movie yet and then when he did see it he was like, ‘Oh yeah, no, my mom can’t watch this movie.’ It was so gruesome. I mean, Michael killed [Arnold’s] character for like—it just went on and on and on.” Dylan Arnold first appeared in Halloween in 2018, where he plays Allyson’s sleazy, cheating boyfriend. Although Greer spoils the fate of his character, it likely won’t feel like much of a loss for the Halloween fanbase. A Halloween Kills behind-the-scenes featurette teased the character’s death, but some fans assumed his inclusion in the video was a red herring. Now Greer confirms that Cameron indeed crosses paths with Michael in the upcoming film, and it doesn’t end well for Allyson’s ex-boyfriend. Halloween Kills will introduce legacy character Lonnie Elam, also known as Cameron’s father. Lonnie first appeared in the original 1978 film as Tommy’s bully who liked to spook neighborhood kids about the boogeyman. While fans now know what’s in store for Cameron, viewers will have to wait to find out if his father will also have a run-in with Michael, or if the returning character will atone for his sins as a childhood bully. Audiences can see what’s in store for the Elam family in Halloween Kills this weekend. Source: Collider
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GTA Online Players Get Free GTA 3 Shirt For Anniversary This Week

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Grand Theft Auto 3, Rockstar is offering all players a free t-shirt in Grand Theft Auto Online this week. GTA Online has become incredibly successful since it first launched, giving players the chance to explore the large open-world with friends and other users or compete in a series of multiplayer game modes. Extensive creation tools even allow fans to create their own content, such as iconic real-world racetracks in GTA Online races, and the online game has an active community of creators adding to the vast library of available content. News of the free t-shirt comes just after Rockstar officially revealed that Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy is in development. The studio announced the remasters of Grand Theft Auto 3, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas last week, announcing that the collection was "coming soon" to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. However, Rockstar did not reveal what graphical and performance upgrades would be included in the remaster or when exactly Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy will release. Players will be able to get access to a free Grand Theft Auto 3 t-shirt in GTA Online to celebrate the game's 20th anniversary. Rockstar revealed the news in a press release, confirming that users simply need to log in to the online title to get access to the gift. The free Typeface Tee is just the first in a series of special commemorative cosmetic items that will be added to GTA Online over the coming weeks. In addition to the new clothing and liveries, GTA Online is also offering extra rewards in a series of game modes. These include Sumo, which offers triple rewards, along with Special Vehicle Work, Gerald's Last Play, and Gerald Contact Missions. Those last three modes will offer double bonuses to players up until October 20. While Rockstar is releasing a remaster of the three classic games, the developer also confirmed that it would be removing the original GTA releases for sale on digital stores. That means that fans will not be able to purchase new copies of the original games and instead will be forced to buy Rockstar's remastered trilogy. Considering that it is such a big anniversary for Grand Theft Auto 3, it makes sense that the company would want to celebrate the milestone in some form. The free t-shirt is likely just the first in a series of promotions for the classic title following the announcement of the remastered trilogy.
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Marvel Is About To Make The Avengers Unnecessary

The arrival of the Eternals could make the Avengers unnecessary in the MCU. In less than a month, Marvel Studios is debuting a brand new superhero team through Academy Award-winner Chloé Zhao's much-anticipated blockbuster, Eternals. Created by the Celestials, they were sent to Earth to protect humans from Deviants. The Eternals, some of Marvel's most powerful characters, have been in existence for thousands of years, but this is the first time that they will make their presence known. MCU's main Eternals team is composed of 10 heroes, and Marvel Studios assembled a star-studded cast to play them. Thena (Angelina Jolie), Ikaris (Richard Madden), Makkari (Lauren Ridloff ), Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry ), Ajak (Salma Hayek), Sprite (Lia McHugh), Gilgamesh (Don Lee), Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani), Sersi (Gemma Chan), and Druig (Barry Keoghan) initially operated as a unit. But after a couple of centuries, they decided to part ways, and they haven't reunited since then. Smart Hulk's (Mark Ruffalo) reverse snap in Avengers: Endgame inadvertently kicked off the mysterious Emergence, forcing the team to band back together. It's currently unclear what this new MCU tragedy entails, but it sounds quite serious, to the point that the Eternals are called back for duty. Eternals has a lot to introduce, with a runtime that is longer than Infinity War, and given the looming introduction, once the titular heroes make themselves known after a long time in the shadows, there will be no turning back; they will become public personalities. This is good news for the MCU as it means that they can fully explore the characters moving forward, but not so much for the Avengers. The franchise's premiere superhero team is dubbed Earth's Mightiest Heroes, although admittedly the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame effectively made them galactic heroes. In any case, the Avengers' primary task is to keep Earth safe from threats. When the Eternals finally emerge from hiding, they can openly operate as the protector of humans, essentially taking over as Earth's go-to superhero team. This makes the Avengers unnecessary since the Eternals, with their various powers, could be more effective in the same job primarily because the cosmic beings are more powerful. There's an argument that if the Eternals had revealed themselves from the beginning, the Avengers may have not even assembled at all. Instead of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) putting all his hope on the possibility that his individual recruits would work well together, he could've reached out to the Eternals when Loki's (Tom Hiddleston) invasion became clear. Relying on them is debatably a far less risky move because keeping humanity safe has been their mandate ever since. They're aware of their mission, and they are committed to accomplishing it regardless of the circumstances. On top of that, the Eternals have also been a team for thousands of years, so their camaraderie has been tried and tested which increases the chances of them defeating Loki, who is arguably the MCU's most important hero in phase 4, or any other adversary. From there, Fury could've simply sat back and let the Eternals function as Earth's defenders. Inevitably, the Avengers and Eternals will cross paths in the MCU. When that happens, it's curious what kind of dynamic the teams would have with each other. While the cosmic beings know Earth's Mightiest Heroes, as revealed in the trailers for Zhao's movie, the Avengers are clueless about the other's existence. For what it's worth, it's currently uncertain who is the active Avengers on the heels of the Infinity Saga as each potential member is currently busy with their own adventures. So, in the meantime, it wouldn't help for the Eternals to take over Earth-defending duties while they sort their roster out.
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Why Diana: The Musical Is So Controversial

Diana: The Musical is controversial largely because it attempts to turn Diana's real-life into a fun romp without really acknowledging the tragedies of her life. Diana dances in a Madonna-style wedding dress, hoping to make Charles "a rocker." James Hewitt arrives riding a saddle and making double-entendres. This version of Diana is a resilient woman who wants to make her marriage work and tries to use the press to her advantage in doing so, with no proper recognition of the fact the real person is known to have suffered from depression, paranoia, and anxiety. There are 21 songs in Diana: The Musical, and none of them really highlight the struggles that were a key part of her life. They attempt to touch on her postpartum depression and barely mention her eating disorder. It is well-documented that she was stalked by the press, and the film initially sets that up to be part of the plot, only to abandon it at the end. Many people still remember watching her funeral live on television, as well as the hardships she endured. With this all in a relatively recent timeframe, the decision to not recognize the struggles that are an integral part of Diana's life to many leaves the musical to be in bad taste, as it risks reducing crucial elements of her personal life down in order to add in more jokes. This said, one of the reasons the film has been accepted by some is because she is such an iconic figure. This film plays with the image of Diana as the fun-loving celebrity some remember. Many want to think of the song "The Dress" in Diana: The Musical as truth. Diana was a fashion icon. She was known to be cheeky, once remarking to Tim Curry that The Rocky Horror Picture Show "quite completed [her] education." She loved pop music, and this is a film that pays tribute to that love. To this group, this film is a love letter to how Diana wanted to be seen, and thus doesn't need to fully reconcile with the darker parts of her struggles. The problem with Diana: The Musical is that the legacy of Diana is a complex one, especially given the deep emotions many still have for her. There are those who think this fun film makes light of all the adversity Diana faced in her life. There are others who think Diana herself would have enjoyed this. Neither group seems completely happy.
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Stellan Skarsgaard & Dave Bautista Interview: Dune

The latest adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune is making its way to the screen on October 22 when the film premieres in theaters and on HBO Max. The film features an incredible cast and epic science fiction story with warring factions, alien races, and political scheming. Including in this cast are Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, the leader of House Harkonnen and enemy of Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), and his nephew, Glossu Rabban played by Dave Bautista. Screen Rant spoke to Skarsgård and Bautista about bringing Dune to life. Screen Rant: I'm curious what the biggest hook was for you in stepping into this world. Was it something about the character, was it a new challenge, or was it just a chance to work with director Denis Villeneuve? Dave Bautista: For me, it was Denis. I really pursued this, because I was tracking Dune. I kept asking my agent, "When auditions would become available? When are they going to release these roles?"  But I never hit up Denis personally, because I didn't want to be that guy. I didn't want to try to capitalize on our friendship, so I just waited and waited and waited - and finally, I got a phone call from him, and he offered me the role. I almost broke down; I was so emotional about it. Still, it's like, "Wow, this is crazy that I'm even here." Stellan Skarsgård: For me, it was Denis as well. I admired him for so many years as a director and knew he would be wonderful to work with. Because I knew that he also was a very nice person. I don't want to work with geniuses that are assholes.  But then I read the script, and there was barely anything in it. I mean, there [were] a few small scenes and stuff, but I didn't care, I wanted to do it anyway. But then I got fascinated by the idea of creating this monster and trying to make him feel human physically. He moved me, not in a prosthetic way, but in a very direct physical way. You could feel that, in all that fat, there was a lot of muscles underneath and all that stuff; the sensuality in how he moves.  I'm really happy I did it because working with Denis is an experience any actor would think was absolutely fantastic.   This is obviously such a huge franchise, and there's another huge franchise that I'm a big fan of that Stellan is a part of. I don't know if you've heard, but ABBA released some new music. What do you need from me personally to make Mamma Mia! 3 happen?  Stellan Skarsgård: I wish I could say. It took 10 years between Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia! 2 - if it's going to take another 10 years, then I'll be dead. I'm worried we might not get there. But if they call, I will say yes immediately, because the experience of doing those two films was fantastic. Dave Bautista: It's not going to be ten years. I guarantee you that people are on the phone; they've been anticipating this. And there is such a search for good entertainment, with all the new outlets that are constantly in search of media. I think there have been phone calls made, and Stellan will get a phone call when he gets home. Stellan Skarsgård: Yeah, and hopefully you'll be in it, Dave. We talked about that. I want to dance with David on an island in Greece.
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Radeon RX 6600 Vs. RX 6600 XT: Best AMD Budget Card To Buy

The Radeon RX 6600 and RX 6600 XT are two of AMD's most affordable PC gaming GPUs, but which one is ultimately worth buying? While top-of-the-line graphics cards are a lot of fun to talk about, the reality is that most people aren't buying them. The vast majority of gamers are relying on low and mid-range cards to power their rigs. They may not be capable of the best graphics or highest frame rates, but budget GPUs are getting better every year. Along with affordable options from Nvidia, AMD also understands the need for these types of GPUs. AMD launched the Radeon RX 6600 XT in July 2021. At the time, AMD was hailing it as its cheapest GPU launched during the year. A few months later in October, however, AMD one-upped itself with the even lower-priced RX 6600. Both graphics cards are compelling options for budget-minded gamers, but which is the best overall choice? Here's what you need to know. As the nearly identical names imply, the RX 6600 and RX 6600 XT are very similar graphics cards. Both are powered by the same Navi 23 chipset, albeit with a couple of tweaks mentioned below. Each card also has the same 32MB infinity cache and 8GB of GDDR6 RAM. At the end of the day, both cards should be able to run most games at 1080p with very high graphics enabled (and even max graphics in some cases). Looking a bit deeper, there are some clear advantages of the more expensive RX 6600 XT. The Navi 23 chip may be the same across both cards, but the RX 6600 XT delivers 32 compute units compared to the 28 of the RX 6600. It also has better clock speeds across the board, with the RX 6600 XT kicking out a 2359MHz game frequency and up to 2589MHz boost frequency. The RX 6600 clocks in at 2044MHz and up to 2491MHz, respectively. Gamers are also treated to faster RAM with the RX 6600 XT. It's capable of 16Gbps speeds and has a memory bandwidth of up to 256 GB/s, compared to 14Gbps and up to 224 GB/s on the RX 6600. What does all of this mean for real-world use? In general, AMD says to expect a difference between 10 and 15 percent for the two cards. Running in 1080p at max settings, AMD shows the RX 6600 XT achieving 83fps in Cyberpunk 2077 while the RX 6600 gets 70fps. Forza Horizon 4 pulls in 137fps on the RX 6600 XT, but moving to the RX 6600, it goes down to 120fps. In a newer title like Resident Evil Village, the RX 6600 XT has 176fps compared to 145fps for the RX 6600. And, of course, there's the price. At normal retail pricing, the RX 6600 XT costs $379 and the RX 6600 is a bit cheaper at $329. Based on the retail cost, it probably makes sense for most gamers to spend a little bit more for the RX 6600 XT. It has a more powerful chip, faster RAM, and delivers a better gaming experience across the board. On the off chance someone finds a unit in stock and priced as it should be, the RX 6600 XT is a fantastic little card. Source: AMD
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Marvel Never Asked Richard Madden To Go Blond (Or Change His Accent)

Marvel never asked actor Richard Madden to dye his hair blond or change his accent for his role in Eternals. Madden plays Ikaris, who has traditionally had blonde hair in his comic-book incarnation. Created by Jack Kirby in 1976, Ikaris is an Eternal, created by the Celestials thousands of years ago, gifted with superhuman abilities that are meant to protect and guide humanity. Ikaris' earliest appearance shows him with longish blonde locks and he is fitted with a blue-and-red costume with three circular-shaped designs on his chest. Eternals is directed by Academy Award Winner Chloé Zhao and stars Madden, Gemma Chan, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Lauren Ridloff, Ma Dong-seok, Bryan Tyree Henry, and Barry Keoghan. The film takes place in the MCU's Phase Four series of films, which ushers in a new era for the franchise universe, introducing a bevy of new characters, which began with last month's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Eternals will be the first live-action realization of the characters in the MCU. During the Eternals set visit in January 2020, Screen Rant and other venues were on-hand to talk to the filmmakers about the film, including producer Nate Moore, who gave some insight into the appearance of Ikaris in the film. In the live-action Eternals film, Ikaris is featured as a short-cropped brunette and sports a blue-and-gold costume, which similarly replicates the comics uniform minus the red trim. When asked if there was ever a time that they considered making actor Richard Madden go blond for the role in order to look more comics-accurate, Moore said that not only did they not ask him to dye his hair, but they also had him keep his accent, saying, "We did not ask him to go blonde. So he gets to keep essentially his natural hair and the Scottish accent which he was very excited about." Madden previously cut his teeth on projects like HBO's Game of Thrones, Bodyguard, and Rocketman. Also joining Madden in the film is fellow Game of Thrones star Kit Harington, who played Jon Snow on the show and is playing Dane Whitman in Eternals, a character who eventually becomes The Black Knight. Snow was the "half brother" of Madden's Robb Stark, so the two actors have a strong history together on the mega-popular show. It's unclear if either of them will share screentime in Eternals, but it's a reunion nonetheless from a casting perspective. Many comic-to-film adaptations change up appearances of characters and Ikaris is just another link in that chain. Ultimately, the blond hair feels less consequential to the character than the origin, powers, and performance, so it's easy to overlook that aspect that's lost in translation. Jack Kirby created a massive backstory for these characters, which is far more important than getting every color and hue lifted off the page and put on screen. With such a diverse and talented cast, Eternals is already primed to make a big splash at the box office and is sure to make these longtime comic characters household names, just as Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor did years ago.
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Kurt Busiek To Write New Arrowsmith, Astro City Comics For Image

Kurt Busiek is returning to Image Comics and bringing along his fan-favorite series Astro City and Arrowsmith. Fans can expect a new Arrowsmith miniseries beginning in January 2022 and an Astro City one-shot in March 2022 that introduces the new status quo of the upcoming series. Image also teased that the creator would be bringing more new comics such as Free Agents and another story in The Autumnlands series, as well as re-releasing some of his other popular titles. Busiek is well-known in the comic book industry not only for his creator-owned projects but also for his work at the Big Two, including Avengers, The Marvels, Superman, and JLA. Arguably his biggest creator-owned series is Astro City, a superhero comic book that began back in 1995 at Image Comics before going through several other publishers, including Image's partner studio Wildstorm before eventually ending up in the hands of DC Comics and Vertigo. The series paid tribute to many iconic superheroes, notably including homages to characters like Superman (The Samaritan) and the Fantastic Four (Furst Family) while also exploring struggles superheroes could face in the real world. Then there was his fantasy title Arrowsmith, which began as a miniseries back in 2003 under the Cliffhanger imprint of Wildstorm.  The title took place during World War II with not just guns but also magic. The official Image Comics press release expanded on a bunch of announcements related to Busiek's return to the publisher. First off, his Arrowsmith comic book returns with a six-issue miniseries called Arrowsmith: Behind Enemy Lines. It will begin in January 2022 and the original series, Arrowsmith: So Smart In Their Fine Uniforms, will be collected in hardcover for February 2022. The artist for the new miniseries will be Carlos Pacheco (Avengers Forever, Fantastic Four, Final Crisis).  In the new miniseries, Fletcher Arrowsmith will be behind enemy lines and a secret history will be unveiled. “Stepping back into this universe at long last, and writing these characters again feels like coming home, and visiting with old friends—admittedly, old friends we do dangerous, stressful things to in the name of adventure," Busiek said. "And the art, by Carlos, Rafael, and Jose, is just astounding. Arrowsmith fans have been very patient, but have never been shy about letting us know they want more—and I can’t wait for them to see both the new series and the re-mastered original in the kind of hardcover edition we think it deserves.” To kick off Astro City's return, Busiek will be joined by longtime Astro City collaborators Brent Anderson (Return of the Jedi), Alex Ross (Captain America/Iron Man), and Alex Sinclair (Harley Quinn), in a one-shot that will set up the new status quo for the upcoming series, meaning new characters and dangers will be revealed. Fans will also get to enjoyed brand-new collected editions that will allow them and newcomers to get ahold of the entire backlog of Astro City comics. “Alex, Brent, and I have been planning this for a long time—we’re introducing a teen-hero team, The Jayhawks (and more), in the special, and setting off a mystery as important to Astro City as what happened to the Silver Agent or the story of the Broken Man. Alex has designed a cornucopia of new characters, and Brent is going to town on the artwork. It’ll be a very fun ride—and yes, longtime readers, we will get to the story of the N-Forcer, I promise!" Kurt Busiek fans rejoice as there will be plenty of old and new titles of his to look forward to next year. In addition to the return of Arrowsmith in January 2022 and Astro City in March 2022, along with the back issues of those titles being bound in collected editions, several of his other titles will be re-released from Image Comics, with new ones on the horizon as well. SOURCE: Image Comics
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We're One Step Closer To Uncovering Secrets Of Ancient 'Centaur' Comets

Comets are a frequent and gorgeous occurrence in outer space, and a study recently outlined plans for how scientists could watch them be created in real-time. As it's been proven time and time again, the mysteries of space are continually fascinating. Planets in our Solar System have many stories to tell, faraway galaxies hold countless other secrets, and there's a constant drive in the science community to uncover as many of these as possible. Thanks to constantly advancing technology, each day brings us closer to answering previously unsolvable questions. In 2021 alone, there have been numerous milestones in the space exploration world. Perseverance collected the first Martian rock sample that'll be returned to Earth, InSight created the first interior map of Mars, and Ingenuity became the first helicopter to fly on an alien planet. In that context, it's almost unfathomable to think what we'll be able to achieve in 5, 10, or 50 years down the road. Thanks to a new study from the University of Chicago, researchers have now outlined plans for astronomers to follow the creation of a comet from start to finish. More specifically, the study describes how we could document comet creation that takes place in Jupiter's orbit. As described by the author of the paper, Darryl Seligman, "This would be an amazing opportunity to see a pristine comet 'turn on' for the first time." Comets and asteroids come from many places in our Solar System. There's a well-known asteroid belt near Mars, along with the Kuiper belt just beyond Neptune's orbit. One destination that's less understood is an area between Jupiter and Neptune. Between the two planets is a group of 'centaurs' — large chunks of ice that are from the Solar System's earliest days. Every now and then, these centaurs are pulled into Jupiter's orbit, shot off towards Earth, and transform into stunning comets hurtling through space. While this whole process remains relatively unknown, Seligman believes there's an easy way to document it. In short, humans could send a spacecraft to Jupiter and have it stay there in its orbit. Then, once a centaur enters orbit and eventually leaves, the spacecraft could also leave Jupiter and fly alongside the centaur to watch its entire journey. That may sound like a farfetched idea, but as the study explains, all of the required technology already exists. NASA's Juno orbiter is orbiting Jupiter at this very moment, and a Japanese spacecraft returned samples from an asteroid late last year. The timing also lines up. It only takes about five years to get a spacecraft from Earth to Jupiter's orbit. Scientists have already confirmed another centaur will enter Jupiter's orbit in 2063. On top of that, there's reason to believe another 10 centaurs could also enter orbit within the next 40 years. Along with the mission being technically possible, Seligman also uses the study to double down on why it's so important to act on. As he puts it, "It would yield a treasure trove of information about how comets move and why, how the solar system formed, and even how Earth-like planets form." It's unclear if/when a mission like this would actually happen, but here's to hoping someone at NASA (or another organization) is listening to what Seligman is saying. Source: Phys.org
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KUWTK: Kourtney & Travis Pack On The PDA On Fun Disneyland Date

Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker packed on the PDA during the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star's latest romantic Disneyland date. For many months now, Kourtney and Travis are continuing to show off how in love they are despite the criticism they received for being extremely touchy-feely in public. Their latest Disneyland date comes after Scott Disick blasted the couple for packing on the PDA during their vacation in Italy. Alas, the couple remains unbothered by Scott's jabs and Travis even used a new reference to describe his love for Kourtney. Things have been going extremely well for Kourtney and Travis since confirming their relationship earlier this year. They have spent showing off their romance on social media and during public outings. Their double dates with Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox have made them one of the hottest couples in Hollywood. Kourtney and Travis even made their red carpet debut at the VMAs where Kourtney and Megan introduced their boyfriend's stage performance together. As they gear up for their first public holiday season together, Kourtney and Travis also made another visit to Disneyland.  Travis and Kourtney kicked off the week with another trip to Disneyland. "I want your skull," Travis captioned a short video (included below) where he's holding Kourtney as they kissed each other. The caption was a lyric from a Misfits song, and it comes off as another one of the Blink-182 drummer's odd ways of professing his love for Kourtney. He has already tattooed her name across his chest, let her tattoo him, and purchased matching nameplate necklaces. Now, Travis is letting his fans know that his love for Kourtney goes skull-deep. Kourtney responded to the video adding the rest of the song's lyrics. "I need your skull," she wrote with a black heart emoji. The heart matched the color that the couple wore during their latest Disneyland date. Kourtney and Travis have enjoyed a number of Disneyland dates since going public. They've even enjoyed family Disneyland dates with both of their kids. Now, the Disick and Barker kids are gearing up for a blended family Christmas. It'll be Kourtney and Travis's first time celebrating Christmas together as a public couple. Last year, they were still keeping their romance private. Sources recently said that Scott has plans of spending Christmas with his kids and Kourtney. However, considering his bitterness over her dating Travis, it's a wonder how their holiday season will turn out. Kourtney and Scott haven't been on good terms after he was caught sending Younes Bendjima a DM to bad mouth Kourtney for kissing Travis in public. The Keeping Up With the Kardashians alumni still have three children to c0-parent, but if Scott isn't willing to get over Kourtney dating Travis, that could be a challenge for them to all come together as a family. Source: Travis Barker/Instagram
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Wonder Woman's Most Powerful Form Came from Marvel's Mjolnir

Already one of DC's powerhouses, Wonder Woman's ultimate form was achieved thanks to her discovery of Marvel's Mjolnir. Displaced due to Thor's previous battle with Shazam, the mythological hammer lay undisturbed until Wonder Woman discovered it and learned that she was worthy of its power. While heroes and villains battled for the survival of their worlds in DC vs Marvel, this ultimate form of Wonder Woman not only showcased the best of both worlds but foreshadowed events yet to come in the legendary crossover series. In the series by Ron Marz, Peter David, Dan Jurgen, and Claudio Castellini, both comic book worlds experience a massive dimensional breach that has heroes and villains randomly disappearing and reappearing in new universes. While some fought and others worked together, all were left trying to make sense of the madness, only to learn it was all the precursor to a contest unlike any other. Two beyond powerful entities similar to brothers had discovered each other and sought to prove who was better by pitting hand-selected champions against each other, the winner would be allowed to live while the loser would be wiped from existence. While Wonder Woman had been seen briefly in DC vs Marvel #1, her most important role in this unfolding conflict was about to be revealed. In DC vs Marvel #2, Wonder Woman came across Thor's hammer Mjolnir, which had been temporarily lost after colliding with Shazam's magical lightning bolt. Recognizing it as an ancient Norse hammer, Princess Diana of Themyscira read the inscription carved into the iconic weapon and called out its unrealistic expectations about deeming who was worthy and who was not. When she attempted to pick it up almost as if to prove her point, Wonder Woman was surprised to see Mjolnir emit powerful energy and near the end of the issue, she appeared not only wielding its power but also sporting a new wardrobe as well. Although this new form would be short-lived and wrapped up by Marvel vs DC #3, this ultimate form of Wonder Woman was not only a significant upgrade to one of DC's most recognized heroes but also a unique amalgamation of both universes. Her new outfit was argued to be one of her worst, but Wonder Woman still had her superhuman abilities and Mjolnir added the ability to control the weather along with other powerful abilities that technically made her the new Goddess of Thunder a decade or two before Jane Foster took on the role. This change may have also been a deliberate foreshadowing to when the series caused both universes to merge, creating the Amalgam Universe, which saw new characters created as mash-ups of Marvel and DC characters. It was actually thanks to X-Men's Storm that this new form didn't last long. Confronting the powerful Amazon warrior, Storm not only says that she's ready to battle, but that she'd fight Diana even with her new advantage. Although Mjolnir may have reduced Storm's threat to another rainy day, Wonder Woman felt that such an advantage was not fair, loosening her grip so she could fight Storm, ultimately losing the hammer. Although her defeat by Storm was heavily debated despite being determined by fans, one can only wonder what could have happened if she had used Mjolnir after all.
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