Category Archives: Immortality

Derek Thompson: infamous promo video has had more than 230,000 views on YouTube

Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

In 2013, an innocent promotional video designed to attract visitors to a hotel in South Yorkshire went viral when presenter Derek 'Tommo' Thompson put his own spin on it and turned it into an Alan Partridge-style production with elements of Benny Hill mixed in.

Beginning in the bar and dining room, our man toured the hotel before stumbling upon a pair of towel-clad ladies in a bathroomand ending up in a suite. The Partridgesque performance ended up with Tommo somehow sharing a bed with another two women in bathrobes.

The video, of the Crown Hotel at Bawtry, near Doncaster, may have lasted under a minute but it was quickly shared on social media and has hadmore than 230,000 views on YouTube. It was revisited more recently when Radio 1 DJ Greg James came across it in 2019. James particularly liked Tommo's opening line in the bar scene and took the story to a whole new, and much younger, audience.

Derek Thompson,presenter

Simon Mapletoft and his wife Jo asked me to do a promo video for the hotelas it's popular with Doncaster racegoers. There were ladies who worked there posing as guests during the filming, whichbegan when I walked into the bar and uttered the now-immortal words, 'Are you well? I thought you were!'. I don't know where that came from as there was no script and I thought nothing of it until later.

We did the video, which the hotel was pleased with, and I thought no more about it until about two years ago my daughter India shouted to me one morning and said I was on the Greg James show on Radio 1. I didn't even know who he was but listened in and heard him use my line, 'Are you well? I thought you were!' and he later rang me and said he was playing the Centaur after racing at the Cheltenham Festival and would I like to join him on stage.

Greg James: huge Tommo fan who invited him on stage during a Cheltenham Festival gig

I got in there in front of around 5,000 people and he put my line to music, which was unbelievable. Greg then came to Newmarket after the 2,000 Guineas and we did the same thing there. I was stunned when it came out and they were even asking for t-shirts with that line on it. It was mental.

Until it was forced to close for lockdown, people even used to send me videos of themselves going around the Crown Hotel impersonating me. They have had some great publicity out of it and if I don't have a room for life at the venue there is something wrong!

Simon Mapletoft, broadcaster

Basically, the owner of the Crown Hotel, Craig Dowie, is a good friend of ours and I've helped him out with PR over the years. He came up with this idea of a promo video to portray the place as THE racing hotel in Doncaster and thought that Tommo was the ideal man to front it. I produced it but if I said I'd scripted it that would be a lie and Tommo very much put his own spin on it. As soon as he walked into the bar and uttered that immortal line, 'Are you well? I thought you were!', the big fella had stamped his own comedy gold all over it.

Read more from our Magic TV moments series:

The legendary Peter Casey: 'I was aware he could say anything but I never thought he would say that'

Oli Bell: 'The Queen said to me you're the lunatic that ran on the track!'

Jim McGrath: 'It's one of those bizarre occasions I'll never, ever forget'

Luke Harvey: 'The cameraman followed me and I've never found out why!'

'He was a real showman and there was no-one before or since like him'

Rishi Persad: 'The thought in my head was 'holy s***, this is massive'

Derek Thompson: 'I simply assumed it was a woman and still laugh about it now'

Hayley Moore: 'It was a random thing to do. I didn't expect it to go viral'

Luke Harvey: 'It very soon dawned on me that I was part of television gold'

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'If I said I'd scripted it that would be a lie' - Tommo's words that went viral - Racing Post

In remembrances of Cicely Tyson and Cloris Leachman, two acting titans who died last week, one couldnt help but notice parallels between their careers.

In the early 1970s when they first achieved national acclaim, both were already in their mid-40s. Leachman won an Academy Award in 1972 for her supporting role in The Last Picture Show. That same year, Tyson starred in Sounder, becoming only the second Black woman nominated for a best-actress Oscar.

Both also enjoyed success on television Leachman on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and, later, her own spinoff series, Phyllis. Tyson soared in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and Roots. At 80, Leachman won an Emmy, her eighth, for Malcolm in the Middle. Tyson, also a multiple Emmy winner, made a celebrated return to Broadway in The Trip to Bountiful, winning a Tony when she was 88. And each continued to work into their 90s.

Yet theres a jarring difference. On the Internet Movie Database, Leachman has 287 credits while Tyson has 94, although their career longevity was roughly the same. Of course Leachman, as a white actress, always had more opportunities. Tyson could have worked more, but instead she chose only those roles that exalted the emotional complexity of Black people, especially Black women.

I made up my mind that I could not afford the luxury of just being an actress, and I would use my career as my platform, Tyson told CBS This Morning cohost Gayle King in one of her last interviews. She was promoting her autobiography, Just as I Am, written with Michelle Burford, where she explains the promise she made to herself.

As an artist with the privilege of the spotlight, I felt an enormous responsibility to use that forum as a force for good, as a place from which to display the full spectrum of our humanity, Tyson wrote in the book, which was released two days before her death. My art had to both mirror the times and propel them forward. I was determined to do all I could to alter the narrative about Black people to change the way Black women in particular were perceived, by reflecting our dignity.

Like Lena Horne, who years earlier refused to accept roles she found demeaning, this meant that Tyson often found meaningful work scarce. If Hollywood refused to acknowledge the depth of Black lives, that would be the industrys shame. Tyson would not perpetuate its lies for more money or greater fame.

Still, I wonder what else Tyson might have given us if allowed the breadth of opportunities Leachman enjoyed. (In my casting director fantasies, I long imagined Tyson playing political trailblazer Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress.)

In her career, Leachman could move from the drama of a depressed woman having an affair with a much younger man in The Last Picture Show, to the narcissistic and neurotic Phyllis Lindstrom on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, to the hilarious Frau Blcher in Young Frankenstein. Her range was inexhaustible.

The same could be said of Tyson, who also carried the burden of correcting this nations disgraceful image of Black people, one very much reinforced by popular media. To be clear, I doubt she saw that weight on her petite shoulders as a burden at all. It was the cost she willingly paid for her time on this earth. Thats a choice many Black people confront throughout their lives whether to prostrate themselves for white acceptance or create a life where they can lift their people as they climb.

From Coretta Scott King to Harriet Tubman to a sharecropper fighting to save her family from the ravages of the Depression and racism, Tyson excelled in playing tenacious, undefeated Black women. She held up a mirror to her community, and what we saw reflected was beauty, substance, and self-respect. For more than six decades, Tyson refused to stand in a spotlight that shone on her alone.

Both Leachman and Tyson are icons. One will be remembered for finding that distinctive spark in every part she played. Tysons greatest role was her sacred belief that what was best for her culture would be best for her career. A love of Blackness was her true compass, and with it she defied ignorance, saw light in desolation, and traced a path from our broken places to glory and grace.

Rene Graham can be reached at renee.graham@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @reneeygraham.

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Cicely, Cloris, and two paths to Hollywood immortality - The Boston Globe

ByMichael Ormsbee, PhD,Florida State UniversityEdited by Kate Findley and proofread byAngelaShoemaker, The Great Courses DailyAging doesnt cause the dramatic drop in muscle mass that we often see; rather, it is chronic disuse of muscles due to inactivity that is primarily responsible. Photo By DenisProduction.com / ShutterstockAging and Lifting Weights

Research has repeatedly shown that lifting weights can help prevent age-associated chronic diseases like osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes. It is also a major factor in allowing you to move around and maintain your independence.

You need at least enough muscle mass to walk unassisted, get out of a chair, and carry groceries. The best part about lifting weights is that there are no age restrictions.

Now, you may need a modification of an exercise or two, but that is where a certified personal trainer can come into play and show you proper form to prevent injury and make any changes you may need to accommodate any physical limitation. Consider Ernestine Shepherd, who began to lift weights at age 56 and started competing as a bodybuilder in her 70s.

As we age, a phenomenon called sarcopenia occurs, which is the natural, progressive loss of muscle mass. Studies have shown that between the ages of 40 and 50 years old, we can lose more than 8% of our muscle mass, and that can accelerate to more than 15% per decade after the age of 75, if measures are not taken to prevent it.

Fortunately, we can do much to slow this process down. Most people think that aging alone causes us to lose muscle. Now, though, research is showing that its not simply aging but rather the lack of physical activity that is responsible for sarcopenia.

One study looked at lifelong exercisers to determine if chronic exercise could prevent the loss of muscle mass and strength in aging adults. The researchers took 20 men and 20 women between the ages of 40 and 81 years old who exercised at least four to five times per week and competed as triathletes.

These older athletes were put through a series of tests to study their health, strength, and body composition using magnetic resonance imaging or MRI technology. MRI gives us a precise view of the fat and muscle in specific regions of your body. This study used it on the quadriceps muscles of the thigh to look at muscle quality.

As you might expect, the younger people in the study did have a lower body mass index, or BMI, and body fat percentage compared to older athletes. However, the lean muscle mass and strength were no different between the younger and the older athletes.

Whats more is that these benefits were similar in both men and women. This highlights the fact that long-term exercise training can aid in preserving muscle mass and may also prevent increases in body fat as we age.

Additionally, this study helps to debunk a common myth by showing that aging alone doesnt cause the dramatic drop in muscle mass that we often see. Rather, its the chronic disuse and inactivity that are primarily to blame.

One of the most interesting people to discuss is a man who is a prime example of how exercise and a healthy diet can improve your muscle mass and quality of life, Professor Ormsbee said. Hes John Nagy.

Nagy is a participant in the Physical Activity Centre of Excellence at McMaster University in Canada. Not only does he exercise vigorously, but he is also 97 years old.

A recent interview described his daily routine like this: his warm-up begins with movements in the shower, followed by floor and ball exercises for his core and his back. Hell then walk to the Universitytwo miles each wayor make up for it on his treadmill, followed by a 90-minute workout at the University.

He also keeps dumbbells, resistance bands, and a Swiss Ball in his apartment next to the treadmill along with a stationary bike. Mr. Nagy embodies the idea of using regular exercise to maintain his quality of life and to stay able-bodied so that he can live to the fullest.

Just like Ernestine Shepherd, Professor Ormsbee said. Maybe we should all take a pageor maybe a few chaptersout of their books.

Michael Ormsbee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences and Interim Director of the Institute of Sports Sciences and Medicine in the College of Human Sciences at Florida State University. He received his MS in Exercise Physiology from South Dakota State University and his PhD in Bioenergetics from East Carolina University.

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Regular Exercise and Lifting Weights Might Be the Key to Immortality - The Great Courses Daily News

Tale of Immortal has hit an all-time high peak player count of 172,000 on Steam.

The early-access game, which describes itself as an open-world sandbox, was released last week.

This player count putsTale of Immortal in the top five most played games on Steam, above popular games including Apex Legends, Grand Theft Auto V and Rust.

Currently Tale of Immortalis only available to play in simplified Chinese. It has over 15,000 positive Steam reviews, with an 86 per cent positive rating overall.

The official description for the game, from its Steam page, says: You will grow to become immortal, conquer the beasts from the Classic of Mountains and Season, make your choices carefully and grasp your own destiny.

As of January 2020, Simplified Chinese is now the most popular language on Steam, PC Gamer reports. This accounts for the rising popularity of Chinese-language games including Chinese Parents, Scroll of Taiwu, Sands of Salazaar and Tale of Immortal.

Last years Genshin Impact proved immensely popular, although it was available in multiple languages as well as than Simplified Chinese. MiHoYos open-world RPG game was downloaded over 17million times within a week of launch.

Two months after launch, Genshin Impact had taken approximately 290million ($400million) revenue. As the game is free to play, this revenue was earned entirely through players purchasing materials for random-chance character packs.

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'Tale of Immortal' hits over concurrent 170000 players on Steam - NME

Steams latest hit is aChinese RPG game thats launched to an immediately receptive audience.Tale of Immortal, out less than a week, has alreadygathered over 124,000 concurrent players at its peak.

Developed and published by Lightning Games,Tale of Immortal is an open-world game basedaround Chinese mythology.Starting as a mortal warrior, you gradually ascend towards becoming a deity of some form or other, makingparticular choices depending on how you want to resolve things and build your character. Its in Early Access right now, offering six chapters, and the full version is due in about a year, according to the Steam page.

Where Taleof Immortal stands out, however, is that its currentlyonly available on Valves store in Simplified Chinese, meaningmany of these players are from China itself.This is the second Chinese-language game to make a splash on Steam this month, following strategy game House of the Three Kingdoms 8, which topped at around 25,000 players a couple of weeks ago. But what separates the two isTale of Immortal is available everywhere, whereas Three Kingdoms 8 is China-only. Industry analyst Daniel Ahmad points out that China now accounts for a quarter of Steams users, and the success ofboth gamesgoes against the general buying habitsforChinese players.

HeresTale of Immortals trailer:

Taleof Immortal and House of the Three Kingdoms 8 join Bloons TD 6 as curve-ball Steam hits for 2021.Your guess is as good as ours as to whats next. Heres all the best upcoming games to fuel your speculation.

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Tale of Immortal is a Chinese open-world RPG thats Steams latest hit - PCGamesN

Tale of Immortal launched in Early Access less than a week ago, and quickly hit Steams best-seller list, attracting more than 124,000 concurrent players during its first weekend on sale. Developer Ghost Valley Studio says it plans on working hard to create an English translation for the game, which is currently only available in Chinese.

Tale of Immortal is a cultivation-based, open-world game that draws heavily from Chinese mythology. Its another overnight success from a Chinese indie studio, with some similarities to Sands of Salzaar. Naturally, players in English-speaking territories have taken notice since Tale of Immortal appeared on Steams charts, and theyve asked the developers about a translation on the Steam forums.

A Greek player (who goes by Hades) posted a message to the Tale of Immortal forums titled I hope it is translated into English, and said they hoped it might also see a translation into Greek, adding a friendly Best wishes from Greece to the end of their message. The developers noticed and responded, suggesting that localisations may be on the way.

As you probably realised, the amount of words in the game and their difficulties could be very time-consuming, but we will work hard to have at least English localisation in the future! the studio wrote.

The studio also asked Hades about English-speaking player communities that are into games like Tale of Immortal, which would help us greatly for our research.

Thats not quite a firm commitment to a full English localisation for Tale of Immortal, but its darn close. Since Tale of Immortal is in Early Access, theres likely a good amount of development ahead of it, and during that time features can be changed, added, and removed as circumstances require. However, it sounds as though an English translation is fairly high up on the studios list of priorities.

In the meantime, The Classic of Mountains and Seas, a Chinese mythological text that forms the basis for Tale of Immortal, has been translated into English so you can study up while you wait.

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Tale of Immortal developers will work hard to create an English translation - PCGamesN