Category Archives: Immortality

For three years, the Warriors were the greatest team in basketballs modern era; an absurd assemblage of talent, led by Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and the incomparable Kevin Durant.

By now, we know why Durant left the Dubs. Or, at least weve come to terms with his exit to Brooklyn.

But with his return to the Bay Area and his first visit to the house that he helped build (remember that insane ground-breaking ceremony was that the moment he wanted out?), its fair to wonder what Durant left behind when he went east after the 2019 season.

Durant left to start something new. The Nets are his team. And as a franchise that has never won an NBA title, his successes there will be viewed favorably by the leagues proletariat and bourgeoisie alike.

A Nets title might arrive as soon as this season. Brooklyn is undoubtedly an awesome team with him, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving on the court together. He might even win a few there.

And to that, you can only tip your hat and be happy for his success. Lifes too short to hold grudges, especially unfounded ones.

I dont know how Durant would have found fulfillment in Golden State. But if he had found it here if he received what he sought in the summer of 2016 theres little doubt in my mind that the Warriors would go down as the greatest dynasty in modern basketball history.

Now, had Durant re-signed with the Warriors after their NBA Finals loss, I dont think much would have changed in the subsequent season.

Remember, the Warriors would have been without Klay Thompson and Durant and the teams depth attrition something that was undeniable in the Warriors 2019 playoff run would have likely been glaring.

(That said, we would not have been subjected to the play of DAngelo Russell, a big bonus.)

But I do think that the Warriors would still have Andre Iguodala in the Bay.

And my, what the Dubs wouldnt do to have him back in the fold.

But I dont know if Curry would have played the full season or if Draymond Green would have been more engaged, or if the Warriors would have added worthwhile veterans (at insane luxury-tax prices) to fill the gaps.

The Dubs probably would not have looked dynastic without Thompson and Durant. Id imagine their stay in the bubble would have been shorter than expected.

Itd be the reset year that the entire organization, deep down, secretly wanted. Being exceptional every day for five years takes a toll on you.

But had Durant stuck around, the Warriors would be the title favorites again this season, with or without Thompson.

And with Durant still in the fold, the Warriors would have been able to lure ring-chasing free agents, something they were no longer able to do this season after Thompsons injury. Durants stunning return to his old form, next to this Curry, would be more than enough for the Warriors on a nightly basis and in the playoffs.

There are some great duos around the NBA, but no one is even coming close to Durant and Curry as a one-two punch.

And in the years to come, that title favorite status would have likely remained intact. Currently, Durant and Curry are 32 years old. Thompson is 31, and Green 30, but would it be ridiculous to think that they could continue to be the NBAs dominant force until 2025? Who would have been able to assemble enough talent to take down that four-headed monster, even if their games started slipping a bit with age?

Had Durant remained a Warrior, Golden State might have fulfilled the prophecy: They might have truly ruined the NBA. How many titles would they have won with the two greatest shooters in NBA history, a sport-changing defender, and the greatest scorer the league has ever seen?

It wouldnt be boring from our perspective, but the rest of the country maybe even the world might have turned the channel. Inevitability doesnt sell.

But it does create immortality.

To win as many titles as a continued Warriors dynasty could have stacked, in an era built for parity, against 29 teams, would have put Durant and company in a class of their own in the history of the NBA. No offense to Bill Russell and those Boston teams that won 11 titles between 1957 and 1969, but that was an era of expansion, as the league went from eight teams (with only two missing the playoffs, and one located in Fort Wayne, Indiana) to 14 during that stretch.

The Warriors only comparable would have been dynasties from other sports.

Forget the day-to-day narratives and Twitter commentary, Durant knew all of that was possible for Golden State when he left.

Hes a certain Hall of Famer, a perennial MVP candidate, and his number should be retired in three different cities, including in San Francisco. Thats locked in.

But if its all about titles Im told on the internet that it is then its OK to lament the missed opportunity, and to wonder how incredible the Warriors might have been, how dominant they would be, and how long they would have kept it up, with the great Durant in blue and gold.

#YR@ MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at mercurynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Kevin Durant passed on immortality when he left the Warriors, and that's OK - Union Democrat

For the second week running, Valheim, Tale of Immortal, and Nioh 2 hold the top three spots in the Steam top sellers list. Each is a hitrepresenting a different growing genre or trend.

Given that it surpassed 345,000 concurrent players this weekend, its no surprise Valheim reigns supreme here. The viking game has become an instant hit, having launched on Steam Early Access less than two weeks ago. Tale of Immortal is the latest Steam heavy hitter from China, another Early Access launch, thats been consistently drawing in players despite currently only being available in simplified Chinese (though the devs are working on a translation.)

Nioh 2swiftly outdid Darks Souls player-count when it released at the start of February, and the port has continued to hold onto those players. Some performance issues did niggle at the action-adventure game, but publisher Koei Tecmo told us its working on patches, and that good faith has obviously been enough to keep people playing. PlayerUnkowns Battlegrounds is in fourth, getting a boost from the 50% discount in the Steam Lunar New Year sale, and the same for Rust, in fifth, benefiting from a neat 33% off.

Down the bottom are Sea of Thieves, in ninth, and Dyson Sphere Program, in tenth. The latterdropped from sixth due tothesesuper popular multiplayer gamesgetting a spike in sales from discounts. In eighth, for a ludicrous 18th week in the Steam top sellers list, is Cyberpunk 2077, still holding on in there.

We have guides on Valheims weapons, Valheims building, and Valheims progression, if all this buzz has you tempted.

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Valheim, Tale of Immortal, and Nioh 2 remain Steams top three selling games - PCGamesN

In the summer of 2015, Pierre-Andre Gignac was a man in high demand.

The clinical striker was coming fresh off a 2014/15 campaign in which he had scored 21 goals in 38 Ligue 1 appearances for Marseille, with only Alexandre Lacazette (27) outscoring Gignac as he fired Les Phoceens to fourth in the table.

That campaign was the culmination of an upward trend in the strikers career. After managing league goal totals of just eight and one (ouch) in his first two seasons with Marseille, Gignac netted 13 and 16 times across the 2012/13 and 2013/14 campaigns, respectively, setting himself up for a stellar 2014/15.

Gignac had also fought his way back into international contention with France but, despite being such hot property at the time, player and club could not agree on a new contract, and the former Toulouse striker made clear his intention to leave Marseille, then managed by Marcelo Bielsa, as early as December 2014.

I think I will leave at the end of the season, he said. I want to know if (coach Marcelo) Bielsa will stay, but I want a big challenge. I will consider all proposals carefully.

Gignac name-dropped Inter Milan as a potential destination, while the likes of Lyon, West Ham, Newcastle United, West Brom and Dynamo Moscow were all linked with him at one time or another. With that in mind, the decision to join Mexican giants Tigres UANLin June 2015 was one which caught most in Europe off-guard.

Despite hosting the most successful sides in CONCACAF, including the likes of Club America, Chivas and Monterrey, aside from Tigres, Liga MX has never quite had the same appeal or attracted the same level of wider curiosity as its neighbour in the north, Major League Soccer. As such, given the level of interest surrounding Gignac, then only 29 years old, there were those who accused the 36-time France international of making the move for financial reasons Gignac joined Tigres on an initial deal worth $4m per season, making him the highest-paid player in Mexico.

In the six seasons since he crossed the Atlantic, its safe to say Gignac has been on a one-man mission to prove his doubters wrong.

To date, the now-35-year-old Gignac has scored no fewer than 147 goals in 246 appearances across all competitions for Tigres, establishing himself as the clubs record goalscorer and proving the catalyst for an unprecedented era of success in San Nicolas de los Garza. Since his arrival, Tigres have won four league titles (3x Apertura, 1x Clausura), three Campeon de Campeones crowns, the 2018 Campeones Cup and, most recently, the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League the clubs long-awaited first triumph in that competition after final defeats in 2016, 2017 and 2019.

Gignac was the Golden Boot winner during the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League with six goals, while he scored the winner in the 2-1 final win over LAFC. The fact he has scored in three of the tournaments finals only serves to further illustrate the sheer impact hes had on the Mexican game. In short, Gignac is a legend.

For Tigres fans, Gignac is a massively popular figure, Cesar Hernandez of the Mexican Soccer Show podcast told Squawka when asked of the players influence on the Tigres fanbase.

In a roster filled with highly talented players that could easily make up the core of a potential Liga MX all-star team, Gignac has constantly found a way to stand out. Tigres fans absolutely love him for not only consistently scoring and bringing titles, but for also embracing his new Mexican lifestyle.

He quickly picked up Spanish, became a Mexican citizen, and has proudly boasted about his kids growing up in the region. Speaking of kids, a 2019 report from MedioTiempo claimed that over 40 kids from Nuevo Leon have a registered name that is inspired by Gignac. Safe to say fans love him, and hes reciprocated that love back. Hes brought titles, hes already had a Tigres-inspired tattoo, and seems to be genuinely happy in his new home country.

All odds stated in this article are accurate at the time of publication (12:00, 10/02/2021). You have to be 18+ to gamble. BeGambleAware

On where Gignac lands in the conversation of Liga MXs greatest-ever players, Hernandez adds: Weve seen plenty of arguments regarding whether hes the greatest player from outside the country, the greatest striker, or simply just the greatest. I think its far too early to say that hes the definite greatest in Liga MX, but hes undoubtedly in the running.

Hes definitely brought more attention from abroad, especially when you consider that he was born in France and that he could still be playing for an elite European team. That said, the league has plenty of room for growth and needs more players of his calibre to continue propelling it forward.

From Lionel Messi to Diego Maradona, the true icons of football never know when theyre done and there are always higher mountains to scale for those willing to go the distance. In his particular corner of the footballing world, Gignac is on the cusp of doing just that.

Once again, it was he who was the hero as Tigres came from behind to beat Ulsan Hyundai 2-1 in the second round of the delayed 2020 Club World Cup, scoring a first-half brace to send the South Korean side packing. That set up a semi-final glamour tie with Brazilian side and Copa Libertadores champions Palmeiras in an attractive game, but one most expected Tigres to ultimately lose.

As always, Gignac had other ideas. A wonderful Tigres performance saw the Mexican side enjoy 51% of possession and outshoot their Brazilian counterparts 8-7, while a mammoth defensive effort comprising of 16 tackles, 17 interceptions and 19 clearances kept the Libertadores holders at bay. But, of course, it was Gignac who had the final say.

With the game poised at 0-0, Tigres were awarded a penalty as Carlos Gonzalez was dragged down in the box. After already being denied by goalkeeper Weverton on a number of occasions, Gignac calmly stepped up and drilled the ball into the bottom corner, just beyond the reach of the Brazilians outstretched arms. Tigres held out to become the first-ever CONCACAF team to reach the Club World Cup final. The reward? A mouth-watering clash with European and German champions Bayern Munich, Robert Lewandowksi, Joshua Kimmich et al.

We finally achieved an international title, tournament MVP Gignac said after the CONCACAF Champions League final.

I always wanted to win it even though some say it is not worth much. It is worth going to a Club World Cup, and it is worth playing against the best teams from each continent. Today it is Tigres turn.

Following the win over Ulsan, he proclaimed: We know were capable of making history and want to do so.

If the veteran striker can inspire Tigres to an unlikely, iconic victory over Bayern Munich, then Ricardo Ferrettis side will becomethe first-ever CONCACAF team to win the tournament, and he will transcend legendary status, sealing immortality.

Today is Tigres turn. Today is Gignacs turn.

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How rejecting Inter and Lyon set Andre-Pierre Gignac on his way to Tigres immortality - Squawka

For several years now, players have been wondering where the most infamous game in the Diablo franchise is, or when were going to see it. Even as we write this, theres been no word on a release from the game originally announced four years ago.

Most Blizzard fans or those in the gaming world in general likely remember the infamous announcement of Diablo Immortal back in 2018. The announcement of the mobile game gave birth to the Do you guys not have phones meme, mocking a particular developer that remarked condescendingly to an unhappy audience.

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Since then, most players chose to simply forget that the game existed, as many are unhappy that the title is even being developed. Exclusive for mobile devices and smartphones, the title has many worried that the franchise will be slipping towards microtransactions and the like.

Integrity of the franchise aside, the title is still being made regardless of fan preference, and while we wait for Diablo IV to finish its own lengthy development theres not much else to look towards except for the release of the mobile title.

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Theres only one issue when the heck are we going to see this game? Announced three years ago, theres still no sort of release date, only being given a placeholder date of Coming Soon on its official listing.

News of this sort is often shared during BlizzCon, which many are aware was canceled from its usual November slot for 2020 as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, forcing the convention to be moved online and to the new BlizzConline format.

This new online format of the convention will be taking place in a week, from February 19th to February 20th. During this time, Blizzard will be discussing all of their main titles, Diablo very much included.

Its likely that this will be the time that we hear any upcoming news about Diablo Immortal so that we know when or if we should be expecting the game. The first segment for the franchise is a Whats Next segment, which is likely to be when the news is announced.

That said, theyve likely been hesitant to give any sort of a release date or update due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted a great amount of the companys functions. Given that World of Warcraft: Shadowlands was announced and then delayed, with the announcement of the release coming barely a month from that date, they could simply be waiting until they know a definite date.

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If there isnt any news of Diablo Immortal at this BlizzConline, many fans may begin writing the title off completely. Given that the title was unpopular at announcement, many have stopped paying attention to the release altogether.

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Will Blizzard Discuss Diablo Immortal At The Upcoming BlizzConline? - Happy Gamer

Even if I set out to make a film about a fillet of sole, it would be about me. Federico Fellini

In his retrospective essay on Fellinis 1963 masterpiece, Roger Ebert made the bold claim that 8is the best film ever made about filmmaking. Almost 60 years later,8still maintains its incomparable hold over metafictional investigations that have succeeded it. While other directors like Charlie Kaufman and Woody Allen have tried to emulate Fellinis vision in their own works (notably inSynecdoche, New YorkandStardust Memories), Fellinis seminal effort is the definitive film of the genre and has influenced countless artists as well as scholars. Is8a tiring manifestation of Fellinis penchant for self-indulgence or does the dreamy collection of ideas and images deserve its rightful place among the all-time greats?

AlthoughLa Dolce Vitais his most well-known film,8is undoubtedly Fellinis coveted magnum opus. It is a dizzying experiment with the atoms of cinema; images. Images that threaten to annihilate all logic and reason, consuming the viewer within the totality of their astonishing beauty. Fellini does not waste time in getting to his grand thesis and begins bombarding the audience with these images from the opening sequence itself, which is arguably the most memorable opening scene of all time. He masterfully sums up the anxieties of modernity and masculinity within seconds, depicting a dystopian world where traffic does not move, and people hang their unmoving hands out of buses in which they are packed like sardines.

What most filmmakers spend hours perfecting, Fellini achieves instantly, raising important questions about individual liberty, artistic control and spirituality through the tyranny of gravity. We feel like we have entered Fellinis dreams and we fail to shake off this feeling over the course of the film, unable to distinguish between the realism of the narrative and the surrealism of the subtext.8is probably one of the greatest examples which supports oneiric film theory, a school of thought that compares the act of viewing a film to dreaming. Fellini manages to effortlessly translate the absurdity of dreams to the cinematic medium: curating a unique experience which transcends the limitations of the screen and the banality of life.

The infinitely charismatic Marcello Mastroianni plays Guido, a confused filmmaker who does not know how to proceed with the production of his epic science-fiction film. He is not a sympathetic character, almost a semi-autobiographical vehicle for Fellinis self-loathing, and frustrates the audience as well as his team members with his constant indecision. Guido is trapped in a failing marriage, a loveless affair, a stalled project and recurring dreams of erotic desires. Memories of an idyllic childhood turn into Oedipal nightmares involving problematic notions of women and fear of patriarchal and institutional authority.

As if participating in a rebellion against the conservative regulation of his libido as a young man, Guido does not know how to connect with women anymore without reducing them to sexual objects that adorn his perverse harem. While Francis Ford Coppola chose to present the Vietnam War to the rousing sound of WagnersRide of the Valkyries, Fellini incorporates it in the soundtrack when Guido drinks mineral water and dreams of whipping women who do not submit to him. In doing so, he paints the portrait of an artist who cannot escape his own head. As the days progress, Guidos sci-fi project becomes increasingly personal, and he somehow manages to make it about his marital conflicts rather than the philosophically ambitious themes of religion, outer space and technology. Unimpressed by his efforts, his writer tells him:

Were smothered by words, images and sounds that have no right to exist, that come from the void and return to the void. Of any artist truly deserving of the name, we should ask nothing but this act of faith: to learn silence.

Many have criticised Fellini for his self-indulgent dream sequence and his endless meta-commentary about how he has nothing to say. He would have us believe that there is no film, whatever we have witnessed so far is nothing but a ruptured string of constructed images that have the sole purpose of lying to us. However, Fellinis genius is that he turns his silence into art. The constant indecision and procrastination of Guido become the site of the primary artistic conflict that was lacking in Guidos film. Even though they tear apart the enormous set they were building for the spaceship that he was going to use, it is irrelevant. That was just a skeleton of a dream, the production sit being the graveyard of artistic endeavours. At a hectic press conference where pesky journalists keep aiming questions ranging from celebrity gossip to political baits at Guido, he hides under the table and shoots himself in the head. Was this a part of Guidos fantasy as well, or was it the suicide of the artist who could not live with himself anymore? Fellini refuses to give us any clear answers. Instead, he follows it up with what has become one of the most iconic ending sequences in film history due to its enigmatic symbolism and elusiveness.

On the fresh grave of his potential masterpiece, he orchestrates his own carnivalesque funeral. Maybe it is the concoction of Guidos overactive synapses that are protesting against the bullet he just shot into his skull. He imagines a moment suspended in space-time where he is forgiven for his trespasses, acknowledged for his talents and loved for who he is. Crowning himself with the metaphorical directors hat, he choreographs the rituals of his own death and makes everyone dance on the extension of his own corpse. The fleeting images and bittersweet music slip back into the void, paving the way for an eternal silence.

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Revisiting 8: Federico Fellinis immortal homage to the constructed image - Far Out Magazine

Businesses and individuals welcomed the Year of the Ox, 2021, with the Chinese lion and, new for this year, the Chinese dragon in the face of rules and health and safety guidelines from the COVID-19 pandemic.

We were completely booked within two hours of announcing the event, said Stacie Chiba Miguel, the general manager for The Shops at Kukuiula, which welcomed the taiko performers of Tsunami Taiko and its singular Chinese lion Friday. We could only have 25 cars. The cars could have 10 people in each one, but we could only allow 25 cars.

Additionally, the lions journey was relocated from inside the shopping center to a singular parking area to further reduce the amount of people attending the welcome of the lunar new year. Attendants wielding special buckets were assigned to the lion to collect the lai see, or good-fortune offering, that normally would be fed to the lion for good luck wishes in the coming year.

We dont have the big crowds the lion always attracts, Chiba Miguel said. But at least we did it.

People want to get rid of all that was bad in 2020, said Pua Laa of the Dance Arts Yoga Academy Saturday at Kukui Grove Center, where the shopping center combined its Chinese New Year with Valentines Day festivities.

The Chinese dragon ours is named Ah Lung gets rid of any lingering bad spirit and energies, Pua Laa said. We welcome a new year, The Year of the Ox. Additionally, the dragon invites positive energy into the celebration of the new year.

The lion is a guardian and keeps watch over any bad spirits wanting to enter the realm.

Common between the lion and dragon is the offering for good luck and fortune.

Normally, this is food, Laa said. If there is no offering, traditionally, the young would be stolen.

Led by Laa and the Pearl of Immortality, Ah Lung, accompanied by the Chinese gong played by Darren Dzurilla of Soul Shine Sonic Sanctuary and the loud Gung Hee Fat Choi from Laa, serpentined throughout the shopping center, attracting people who timidly approached as they came to realization of social distancing.

Eventually, the dragon gets the pearl, Laa said. In Chinese belief, the dragon and phoenix are immortal they never die.

Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.

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The lion and the dragon welcome in Chinese New Year - The Garden Island