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Patrick Stewart brought gravitas and complexity to the screen, from Star Trek to X-Men
From Jean-Luc Picard to Charles Xavier, the actor's Shakespearean training – and that sonorous voice – made him a unique charismatic force in HollywoodPatrick Stewart dies age 86His life in picturesO Captain, our Captain: on Star Trek, Patrick Stewart could make anyone feel hopeful for humanity'He stood for the best of us': William Shatner and more pay tributeNo actor showed the commercial potential of blue-chip British classical training like Patrick Stewart. With style, technique and the most minutely self-aware, almost vaudevillian sense of mimicry, Shakespearean thesps can turn their hand to American movies and high-end American television and show the American method actors how it's done – sometimes, even, at the beginning of their screen careers, at a competitively low wage.Stewart was one of the thoroughbreds of the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1970s stage generation who had also had classy small screen roles, such as his intimidating Sejanus in I, Claudius opposite Derek Jacobi. But he effected a warp-speed leap to pop culture stardom by getting the role of Jean-Luc Picard, captain of the Federation starship USS Enterprise, in TV's Star Trek: The Next Generation, the hugely successful reboot of Star Trek that ran from 1987 to 1994, spawning four separate feature films and then another series, Star Trek: Picard. Continue reading...
Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen: A friendship that surpassed the stage and screen
To many, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen represent a formidable mutant rivalry in the "X-Men" films or two of theater's pre-eminent Shakespearean actors, but behind the curtain the pair shared something even more enduring: a friendship that spanned decades.Stewart died Wednesday at age 86 following a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. McKellen, Stewart's artistic brother-in-arms, remembered him Thursday as "the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic.""He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love," McKellen said in a statement on social media. The pair — about a year apart in age — met at England's esteemed Royal Shakespeare Company, with Stewart joining in 1966 and McKellen in 1974. "We first met as ambitious young actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company half a century ago but we weren't in the same productions," McKellen, 87, said Thursday. They starred in Tom Stoppard's play "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" in 1977 in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company but weren't close at the time."I had admired him from the start of his career," Stewart told The Guardian in 2019. "When he joined the RSC, I was frankly intimidated."Still, Stewart later sought McKellen's advice about taking on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in a role that he later billed as life-changing. McKellen advised him against it."My first strong memory was a few years later, meeting him in the street in central London when he told me about an offer to take over a leading part in 'Star Trek,'" McKellen said in the statement. "'But Patrick think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk — getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?'" he recalled. In Memoriam 4 hours ago Hugh Jackman, William Shatner and George Takei among those paying tribute to Patrick Stewart In Memoriam 10 hours ago Patrick Stewart, legendary actor of 'Star Trek' and 'X-Men' fame, dies at 86 In a 2014 SAG-AFTRA Foundation conversation with the two actors, Stewart joked, "The only person who advised me not to do it is sitting to my left," to the laughter of the crowd. "That … changed my life. Every single corner of it has not been unaffected by that," he added. McKellen said in his tribute that he was grateful Stewart took the role, nonetheless. "Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did for not just his devoted Trekkies but film and theatre audiences, who marvelled at his using international celebrity to star in a string of cinema successes ('X-Men' of course) and in great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett at Stratford-upon-Avon, in London's West End and on Broadway," McKellen said. "X-Men" left a mark on both of their Hollywood careers.It started with the first "X-Men" blockbuster in 2000, with Stewart playing the powerful mutant telepath Professor Charles Xavier, also known as Professor X, and McKellen portraying the antihero Erik Magnus Lehnsherr, or Magneto, with the daunting power to manipulate metal and magnetic fields.The subsequent franchise films highlighted the complex bond between the characters, ideologically at odds over how to protect mutantkind.On screen they sparred, but off set they bonded."We have to thank 'X-Men' for the two of us really getting to know one another, because every day on an 'X-Men' movie you spend far more time sitting in your trailer than you do on the set doing a drop of work — and those trailers are extremely luxurious. And we had adjoining ones, so we sat around and talked and reminisced," Stewart said on the 2014 panel. "And I discovered a lot about this chap and he about me, and we found that there were many, many overlaps in our careers and many areas where we had little in common."The rest is history. The two shared a friendship adored by fans, often seen greeting each other with an affectionate kiss on the lips whether on TV programs or on the red carpet.Stewart told The Guardian that McKellen is "very close" to his wife, singer-songwriter Sunny Ozell, and that she was the one who suggested McKellen officiate their wedding. In 2013, he did just that.Stewart was also a supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and praised activists like McKellen, who is gay."I think this is where the theater is such an appealing world, because it embraces everything and always has. So there was never a moment where I made an intellectual choice that I would be a supporter of gay civil rights. It was always a natural and uncomplicated choice," he told The Advocate in 2015. "Then later in life, as I got to know well-known activists like Ian McKellen, I was only too happy to join campaigns, march, and support in whatever way I could because it always seemed to me to be something that much too much fuss was being made about."Both men built separate and successful legacies in cinema — McKellen as the beloved wizard Gandalf in the "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" films and Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard of the long-running "Star Trek" franchise. They were also both honored with knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II — McKellen in 1991 and Stewart in 2010. Through it all, they remained devoted to their first love of theater and co-starred in two productions, to much acclaim.In Samuel Beckett's play "Waiting for Godot," Stewart was the optimistic Vladimir and McKellen the weary Estragon. Their performances — at London's West End in 2009 and on New York's Broadway in 2013-14 — were praised for their humor and comedy.They also starred in Harold Pinter's "No Man's Land" in 2013 at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre and on Broadway and again in 2016 in the West End. Stewart played Hirst and McKellen Spooner.Speaking to The Guardian about their friendship and onstage charisma, Stewart said, "Sometimes I feel we're enjoying it too much and the audience don't quite understand why we're having so much fun." During the SAG-AFTRA Foundation panel, Stewart spoke about his theater career success and the joy of sharing the stage with McKellen. "And that I get to spend six nights a week and three afternoons on stage with this chap is still …," he said before stopping, overcome with emotion. McKellen, next to him, held his hand. "Because I was a fan!" Stewart said, gesturing to McKellen.This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
Banks Must Pay Digital Fraud Victims If Due-Diligence Failure Is Found: Supreme Court
The bench suggested that financial institutions could classify accounts according to their nature and transaction patterns and deploy technology, including artificial intelligence, to identify deviations that may indicate coercion or fraud.
Erin Patterson to die in prison after losing appeal against mushroom murder convictions
Victorian court of appeal rules Patterson should be jailed for life with no parole over deadly beef wellington lunch that killed three peopleErin Patterson mushroom murders appeal – live updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastErin Patterson has lost her bid to overturn her convictions and been resentenced to life behind bars with no chance of release, as Victoria's highest court handed down its decision on two appeals regarding her triple murder case.The court of appeal ruled on the two appeals on Friday, after justices Lesley Taylor, Stephen McLeish and Peter Kidd heard arguments from her legal team and prosecutors in August. Continue reading...
WebQoof Recap: Of AI-Generated Visuals, Cyclone Arnab, and China
Fact-Check: From AI-generated or edited visuals being shared to make a wide range of false claims, to old and unrelated videos being linked to Cyclone Arnab, here's a recap of some of the most viral claims we fact-checked this week.
20 markets, Rs 12,000cr trade at stake: Delhi traders urge Sonia Gandhi to defer Rahul Gandhi's November 1 rally
The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) in Delhi on Friday urged senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to postpone the party's proposed mega rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1, warning that it could disrupt business worth Rs 10,000-12,000 crore across 20 markets in the national capital.
'Huge red flags' as Todd Blanche revives voter fraud claims with bizarre move: report
Attorney General Todd Blanche took an extraordinary step to shore up the Trump administration's discredited voter fraud claims in a key swing state.Blanche personally signed off on misdemeanor charges against four people in Nevada, Adam Klasfeld of All Rise News reported Thursday, a move one former federal prosecutor said is nearly unheard of for the nation's top law enforcement official.The Trump administration has struggled to defend its voter fraud push in the state since the Department of Homeland Security's early claim that close to 16,000 noncitizens were on Nevada's voter rolls fell apart. When state officials reviewed a list of 185 people the federal government said were improperly registered, they determined every one was a U.S. citizen.Federal prosecutors have since brought cases against four people and pointed to them as proof that Nevada officials and the press had it wrong. But Klasfeld found that Blanche was listed as the lead signer on all four charging documents, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez as the only other prosecutor to sign.None of the cases went before a grand jury. Each was filed as a criminal information, a charging method commonly used for misdemeanors, and the dockets show no pleas entered and no defense attorneys listed."The Attorney General himself signing a criminal information is extremely rare if it has even ever been done before," Mimi Rocah, a former federal prosecutor who worked alongside Blanche in the Southern District of New York, told All Rise News. "It raises huge red flags about why he is doing so in any particular case."Former Attorney General Pam Bondi drew scrutiny for personally signing the indictment of Don Lemon, and other top Trump Justice Department officials have taken control of politically sensitive cases the White House cares about.All Rise News noted there's a reason Nevada's U.S. attorney didn't sign. Sigal Chattah, the state's top federal prosecutor, couldn't win Senate confirmation and instead took the title of first assistant, but the 9th Circuit ruled she has been unlawfully acting as U.S. attorney in all but name. She has stayed in the role while appeals play out.Klasfeld reported that her signature could have jeopardized the cases. Last year, former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James got their indictments thrown out because they were brought by Lindsey Halligan, a former Trump aide unlawfully installed as a U.S. attorney in Virginia.Chattah has not appeared in any of the cases but still took credit for them Thursday, warning in a press release that anyone trying to undermine elections through criminal conduct "will meet swift and decisive accountability."The Justice Department did not immediately respond to All Rise News' request for comment.
Packers beat Panthers as Green Bay's Christian Watson returns after mid-game hospital visit
Carolina Panthers 19-27 Green Bay PackersPackers WR has 113 receiving yards despite injuryJordan Love threw three touchdown passes, Josh Jacobs scored twice and the Green Bay Packers withstood three turnovers to beat the Carolina Panthers 27-19 on Thursday night.Love went 30 of 41 for 288 yards with touchdown passes to Tucker Kraft, Matthew Golden and Jacobs plus an interception. Although he rushed for only 39 yards on 21 carries against the NFL's lowest-ranked run defense, Jacobs scored on a four-yard catch and one-yard run for the Packers (5-3). Continue reading...
Battle lines redrawn in Spain's snap election after latest train disaster
Next month's poll no longer the contest it was, as Pedro Sánchez finds himself forced to defend government's safety recordOne of the most dependable cliches of contemporary Spanish politics is that it never pays to bet against Pedro Sánchez. Time and time again – as leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' party (PSOE) and as prime minister – Sánchez has shown an almost preternatural ability to profit from adversity, and to confound expectations and wrongfoot his opponents.But next month's snap general election, called by Sánchez after rightwing and far-right parties voted down the housing reforms his coalition government had announced in response to angry protests, may suddenly not be the contest it once was. Continue reading...
'Everyone understands who will suffer consequences': Congress's Imran Masood on Owaisi's INDIA bloc alliance offer
UP State Congress Working President Imran Masood on Asaduddin Owaisi's offer to form an alliance, says, "Whether an alliance should be formed or not is a party decision. However, Asaduddin Owaisi's speeches and statements do not align with our views.
On TV
Outlander: Blood of My Blood — 2x7: "Heart of the Highlands" (STARZ)
Henry ventures off to procure gemstones. Julia finds a way to get back in Lovat's good graces. Brian returns to Leathers to settle a score with his father.
New Music

Nickelback — "Everything Under the Sun" ([no label])

In theaters
Wild Horse Nine (117 minutes)
Shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, CIA agents Chris and Lee are dispatched from Santiago to Easter Island by their bureau chief, MJ. Amongst the Island's iconic statues, and as the longtime partners wrestle with their dark pasts and present conspiracies, Chris's newfound bond with a pair of rebellious students threatens to send everyone’s trip to this remote paradise sideways.
Launching today

Nothing launching today. Every rocket is staying grounded and behaving.

Useless Fact

The world’s oldest piece of chewing gum is 9000 years old!

The loonie
CAD → USD
0.7151
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CAD → EUR
0.6410
▲ 0.0014
Today In History
2018 — Whitey Bulger, Boston Mob Boss, Beaten to Death in Prison
American crime boss Whitey Bulger, who led the Boston-area Winter Hill Gang as a major organized crime figure from the late 1960s to the mid-1990s, was beaten to death by fellow inmates while imprisoned.
2003 — LeBron James Makes NBA Debut with Cavaliers
American basketball player Le Bron James, who was drafted directly out of high school, made his NBA debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers. At just 18 years old, James began his illustrious NBA career that would make him one of the greatest players of all time.
1995 — Quebec Narrowly Votes Down Sovereignty Referendum
Voters in Quebec narrowly defeated a referendum that proposed sovereignty for the province within a new economic and political partnership with the rest of Canada
1974 — Muhammad Ali Regains Heavyweight Boxing Title in "Rumble in the Jungle"
Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle," regaining the world heavyweight boxing title
1961 — Soviet Detonation of Tsar Bomba, Largest Nuclear Weapon
The Soviets detonated Tsar Bomb a over Novaya Zemlya island in the Arctic Ocean; the largest nuclear weapon ever set off, it produced the most powerful human-made explosion ever recorded
1938 — Welles's "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast causes panic
Orson Welles's dramatization of H.G. Wells's "War of the Worlds" was broadcast on radio in 1938, causing panic among some listeners who mistook it for a real Martian invasion.
1905 — Emperor Nicholas II Enacts October Manifesto
Emperor Nicholas II issued the October Manifesto, ending unlimited autocracy in Russia and ushering in a constitutional monarchy.
1895 — Gerhard Domagk's Discovery of Prontosil
German bacteriologist and pathologist Gerhard Domagk, recipient of the 1939 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his discovery (announced in 1932) of the antibacterial effects of Prontosil, was born
1485 — Henry Tudor crowned king of England
Henry Tudor, who was crowned Henry VII on this day in 1485, founded the Tudor dynasty, ended the Wars of the Roses, used his children's marriages to build alliances, and signed treaties that increased England's power
1340 — Castilian-Portuguese Victory over Marinids at Río Salado
An allied force of Castilian and Portuguese Christians defeated the Muslim Marīnids of North Africa at the Battle of Río Salado
130 — Hadrian Founds Antinoöpolis in Egypt
The Roman emperor Hadrian officially founded the city of Antinoöpolis in ancient Egypt. How much do you know about the Roman Empire? Marc Waelkens/Sagalassos Archaeological Research Project

This is today, boiled down to the essentials. The full stash lives at logicalchaos.ca. Go get lost in it.