Will the final pair of episodes of HBO’s Dune: Prophecy pay off the table-setting of the first four? They have to, right? The truth is that the critical and commercial reputation of this show could hinge on whether or not they do. If it’s all more set-up for future seasons, more wheel-spinning as the writers of this show put pieces in place instead of actually moving them on the game board, then it’s going to make this overall season feel like a disappointment. On the other hand, if the lit fuses finally lead to explosions, it could get the buzz that this show has distinctly been lacking. Notice how people online kept talking about The Penguin after its fantastic finale ? Dune: Prophecy could use that kind of buzz, or risk sinking into the desert of the glut of TV options in the 2020s. “Twice Born” is another choppy episode for about half of its runtime, continuing the division of its two most captivating characters in Valya and Tula Harkonnen, and spending a lot of time talking about what to do instead of actually doing anything. Despite the dramatic throat-clearing, there are thematic elements of the episode that are worth unpacking. For example, notice how the episode opens with two families in crisis, paralleling the power structures of House Harkonnen and House Corrino. It starts with Valya’s reunion with her elderly uncle Evgeny, who blames her for the dissolution of the legacy of his entire house. Understanding that Harrow Harkonnen is someone she could easily control, she offers herself as the family’s Truthsayer. She will guide them back to the High Council and again control universal politics from behind the curtain. She’s essentially pitching the creation of a leader from the rubble of a regime she helped topple a generation ago. Cut to the Corrinos, who are on the opposite end of the power spectrum but also facing a formative chapter in their legacy. Nez is startled to see Desmond Hart at the table, especially as rumors circulate about how he murdered Pruwet Richese. She doesn’t hold back, telling her father that she won’t be a part of his plans if they include Desmond. In an interesting beat that could be easily missed, Constantine moves to join Nez as she storms out and Javicco orders him to sit. He may not be able to control Nez, but he’s not going to lose Constantine too. Javicco is preparing for a meeting of the High Council, over which he’s kind of like the Speaker of the House, the Emperor who listens to the grievances and concerns of the other regimes throughout the universe. At the same time, Desmond is caught ripping out pages of Kasha’s sisterhood book one by one. It’s real “Universal Psycho” behavior, and he encourages Javicco to use that sociopathic power to his greatest advantage. “Show them the man that you are,” he says. “Use me.” He’s a weapon to turn policy into power. Is Dune: Prophecy a political commentary on life in the 2010s and 2020s, in which political discussion has turned to violence? Perhaps, but it’s thinly written so far if it’s designed to make any sort of specific political point beyond “be careful how you wield the power you’ve been lucky/corrupt enough to achieve.” While wheels are turning (or spinning) behind the scenes, the rebels are planning an attack during the High Council meeting, one involving a “thinking machine,” a drone that can get close to the emperor before exploding. Shortly after learning of its existence, we learn that Valya knows about the drone bomb and plans to use that knowledge to reveal Atreides as a betrayer and gain favor with the council. It’s again power vs. politics, the main theme of the show. It will all end rather abruptly, cutting a potentially interesting plot thread before it has a chance to go anywhere, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Time for the acolytes! The episode actually opens with a haunting vision related to the death of Dorotea by Valya’s voice, a dream that multiple acolytes appear to be having at the same time. To try to figure out what they know and how they know it, Tula initiates a spice ceremony with the acolytes, starting them on a sort of vision trip like they’re getting high in the desert on their way to Joshua Tree. On the futuristic trip, the acolytes start furiously drawing circles. It’s a terrifying beat in a show that could use more powerful imagery. Is it the well where Dorotea was killed? Is it a sandworm? A planet? A bouncy ball? Tula tries to pull them out of the vision with her voice, but she can’t, until they all settle on the same drawing that looks like eyes in the darkness. It’s later revealed it’s not the well but the Shai-Hulud, the Fremen word for a sandworm. Why? Are the sisters drawing the connection between what happened on Arrakis to Desmond Hart? A bit of behind-the-scenes action—most importantly, Nez going to Atreides to help burn down her father’s empire—leads into the High Council meeting. There’s some political chatter and talk of grievances before Nez makes her move, accusing Desmond of killing Pruwet on the Council floor. It turns out the rebels and Valya don’t need an actual bomb when they have a princess to blow everything up. And then Desmond steps in. He did kill Pruwet. He brought in a thinking machine, and that’s punishable by death in the regime that Desmond wants to make a reality. And he caught the rebels, although the Atreides connection appears unknown or at least kept secret. With a nod from his boss, Desmond lights up opposing council leaders and the rebels. It’s a brutal display of power that takes a physical toll on Desmond, which Javicco seems more concerned about than the chaos that the very public violence will sow. Back to Tula, who’s talking to Emeline, who has put all of the pieces together. The Harkonnen sisters killed Dorotea and Orry. And she’s going to tell everyone. Tula responds by slitting her throat. Valya has been portrayed as the vicious one, but Tula will do whatever it takes too. Wait! It’s a dream. Or is it a vision? Will she have to murder to keep her sister’s secrets? She has something else to worry about first when she wakes to find Lila has returned from her spice agony. Lila doesn’t know where she is. What will Tula tell her? In the episode’s final scene, Evgeny croaks (Mark Addy deserved better), leaving Harrow fully in charge, which is exactly what Valya wants. She can control him. She has a vision of Griffin. Or does she? Is it a shapeshifter? As Griffin shifts into another figure, Valya says, “Thank you, Theo.” It was Theodosia, the sister who went on the journey with Valya. Did she know that Valya needed to see Griffin one more time to center her? It’s a reminder of how much of this show is about the death of a Harkonnen at the hands of House Atreides and the battle that will continue over ten thousand years. Stray observations
Bitcoin surged to a record high of US$106,000 following Donald Trump's US presidential election victory, reflecting a significant uptick in a cryptocurrency market long marked by volatility and recent downturns. The debate over Bitcoin resurfaced in Thailand after remarks made by former premier Thaksin Shinawatra at a Pheu Thai Party seminar last week. He proposed adopting Bitcoin in a restricted area first, such as utilising a sandbox pilot project in Phuket to encourage digital currency holders to spend their digital money in the country. The idea of creating a stablecoin backed by government bonds was raised at the same time. However, this proposal has sparked concerns, with the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) warning that the project could falter due to the inherent volatility of digital currencies. Additionally, the idea of a government-backed coin risks adding confusion to the economy, as it would potentially create a new unit that would compete with the baht. According to TDRI, the central banks of many countries are generally opposed to such steps, fearing they could undermine confidence in local currencies and complicate their usage. RISKS TO THE BAHT Investment strategists believe the possibility of Thailand using Bitcoin or other digital coins as a medium of exchange similar to the use of the baht is low, saying it would pose risks to the stability of the baht and confidence in the country's financial system. They believe Thailand must first await the results of experiments in leading economic nations before making a final decision. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) launched a regulatory sandbox in August allowing selected service providers to experiment with digital assets under relaxed regulatory scrutiny. Thanathat Srisawast, a strategist at Tisco Economic Strategy Unit (ESU), said if a policy were implemented that allowed for Bitcoin usage, Thailand would move ahead of the US by allowing the use of Bitcoin as a legitimate medium of exchange in the way that El Salvador does. He believes some shops in Thailand have already accepted Bitcoin in exchange for baht. "If we want to go ahead with it seriously, it is not necessary to use a sandbox only in Phuket. It should be open for testing everywhere. Some foreign tourists have already used Bitcoin in exchange for baht," said Mr Thanathat. "If Bitcoin could be used for payments, the process must not be complicated. Also, we might need to wait for the supply of digital currencies in the system to increase first before we carry out a test of using digital coins instead of the baht," he noted. To support that policy, Thailand must create a coin that resembles a central bank digital currency (CBDC), a form of digital currency issued by a country's central bank, he said. It resembles a cryptocurrency, but its value is fixed by the central bank and is equivalent to the country's fiat currency. It also needs to have a strong security system and needs a backup plan in case the internet system crashes, he added. "The former premier may have seen that many people are interested in Bitcoin, so he thinks this is the right time to push through such a policy," he said. In his view, Thailand might first need to examine the lessons learned in other countries because if the country were to make a mistake in rolling out such a policy, it would damage the credibility of the government and the Bank of Thailand. Therefore, the country must consider it carefully. "If we try to do it in a small project like a sandbox, if there is a mistake, it can still be controlled and if it doesn't work, we can just stop the project," said Mr Thanatat. Meanwhile, the reason behind the proposal for issuing a coin backed by government bonds has not yet become fully apparent. "Maybe the government want to encourage the use of Bitcoin and other digital currencies. It is very difficult to guess what form it would take. We will have to wait for further details." Mr Thanatat said he believes Bitcoin investments will continue to grow next year, thanks to President-elect Trump's policy to support it. But, according to a recent survey, some Bitcoins have been mislaid, or cannot be recovered. Several early adopters of Bitcoin say they do not collect them seriously and it is estimated that around 5 million Bitcoins have been "lost". It has been estimated that there are over 10 million Bitcoins currently in circulation. New mining each year accounts for around 100,000 coins each year. If the US seriously promotes Bitcoin, other countries may follow the trend adopted by the world's major economic power, he said. Asadej Kongsiri, president of the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), said the SET so far has no policy to support cryptocurrency trading. However, the bourse is studying the possibility of developing Thailand into a digital token trading centre. NO CLEAR BENEFITS Phuket has been put forward as a candidate for the pilot project, which would enable cryptocurrency holders to spend their digital coins for transactions carried out within the province. Thanet Tantipiriyakit, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, said the benefits of adding cryptocurrency as an alternative to fiat currencies such as the baht are still not clear enough to gain strong support from the business sector. In terms of convenience for both tourists and operators, he said transactions from foreign tourists via the existing financial system run smoothly without problems. There is no pain point that requires cryptocurrency to help fix it, he noted. Weighing the pros and cons, he said the business sector is more concerned about the grey area involving digital currencies as there are still many cases of criminals using this medium of exchange to commit fraud. There are also concerns about practices if Phuket were chosen as the sole pilot project destination, as there is no back up in place to help conduct such transactions, such as a distribution system from a notable global tech company, which might not be ready at this stage to accept digital currencies, said Mr Thanet. "The most critical concern is whether cryptocurrency might exacerbate unsolved problems in the industry. We now still have many foreign online travel agents that don't register in the country, resulting in a large sum of revenue flowing out from Thailand. We would like to be assured that the arrival of cryptocurrency would not make this situation worse," he said. In terms of tourist demand, Mr Thanet said tourism operators in the province have not received inquiries from foreign cryptocurrency holders who are tourists suggesting they would like to spend their digital assets on products and services during their time in the country. When the value of a digital asset surges, the holders of such assets would likely be keen on keeping them or using them for investment purposes rather than spending them on lesiure or travel pursuits, he said. Mr Thanet said if cryptocurrencies were adopted in the province, the business sector would prefer to have governmental agencies or banks as an intermediary during the early stage in order to verify and appoint a licensed exchange for tourists who would like to spend their digital coins, rather than allowing them to pay directly via a digital currency. He also agreed with the TDRI that the stability of the baht is the most important factor for businesses at the moment. If a new stablecoin issued by the government created an impact on a major currency, it would impact the whole economy eventually, he said. NO BACKUP While not against cryptocurrency, notably Bitcoin, Montri Mahaplerkpong, chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, opposes the idea of using Bitcoin as a new alternative medium of exchange to facilitate business transactions because digital currencies have nothing to back their usage. Currencies were once tied to a certain quantity of gold under the gold standard. In the capital market, stocks are backed by the ownership of the listed companies. "But when it comes to Bitcoin, I see nothing in terms of back up," said Mr Montri. If the government further promotes Bitcoin, which may lead to wider usage through the purchase of goods and services, users, both businesses and households, will struggle to avoid some level of financial risk. "Even the trading of stocks on the Stock Exchange of Thailand encounters problems sometimes. Who knows what might happen with Bitcoin," he said. Bitcoin traders are currently the only participants taking a risk. They cannot lodge a complaint when they face a problem because digital currencies are not overseen or regulated by the government, he said. If the Bitcoin trading system collapses, users will be solely responsible for any unpleasant consequences, said Mr Montri. In Mr Montri's opinion, rather than being used like money to conduct everyday transactions, the storing and spending of cryptocurrency by users seems to just be a way of racking up profits from speculation on the value of the digital assets. "In fact, I am open-minded about cryptocurrencies, but I want to see their usage limited to individuals. I do not want to see the government promote crypto by granting it legal status," said Mr Montri. "Who will take responsibility if that were to lead to economic damage?"As the gravity of the situation became apparent, the flight crew made the difficult decision to prioritize the passenger's well-being and safety above all else. The crew's professionalism and composure under such extreme circumstances served as a testament to their unwavering dedication to passenger safety and well-being.Council opts for light touch with eco-friendly display
During the cold Nebraska winters, many Columbus residents would probably claim that their driveway is the coldest place in town, but in reality, it's not even close. That honor goes to a new therapeutic device located within Linn Family Chiropractic. The building at 4307 23rd St. looks like one would expect a chiropractic office to look, with a waiting area, several adjustment devices, a desk ... and a glass door framed by LED lights, holding back fog. According to Doctor of Chiropractic Justin Linn, that's where the cold magic happens, as patients step into a room that is 166 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. "By putting the body into the coldest place on planet Earth, you can get some positive healing effects from it," Linn said. "There's a biphasic dose response of extreme environments. You can get a positive effect. Cold temperature in small doses causes the body to heal itself." This is Linn's newest addition to his practice, something he experienced on a trip to Salt Lake City six or seven years ago. Being frozen in the desert wasn't on his itinerary at the time, he said, but the spontaneous experience had a lasting impact. "I was feeling like garbage and I was telling my brother, who's a chiropractor, 'hey, man, can you fix me up?' He's like, 'we'll find a table or something in the house that we can work on.' Then he's like, 'you know what we should do? We should go into town and go to cryotherapy,'" Linn said. At first, the novelty aspect of stepping into the coldest spot on Earth in one's underwear is sort of entertaining, Linn said, but when the cold actually hits, it sets in that this isn't just hanging out in a walk-in cooler. "For the first 10, 15 seconds, there's kind of a gimmicky effect to it where you say, 'yeah, this is cold," like opening a freezer door in the summer and you stick your head in it," Linn said. "Then it just kept getting worse and worse and worse and worse like an airplane gaining altitude." After three minutes in the box the ambient air felt like a boxing glove hitting him in the face, Linn said. A 200-some degree shift in relative temperature hits hard, but that's part of why people like it. "The air hit me, and instant adrenaline, instant endorphins, and I felt like I could run through a brick wall. That feeling was amazing," Linn said. "I came out of that thing and instantly I felt good and I was like, 'whatever this drug is, I want it.' I've been chasing that for years." Linn originally wanted to debut this chill technology some time ago, but a cryotherapy chamber costs upwards multiple tens of thousands of dollars. COVID-19 also threw its wrench in the works, so he decided to wait. Now that Linn does have the chamber, he sees the effects daily on his patients, he said. According to Linn, cryotherapy works by triggering the body's self-preservation instincts, which is the opposite of how ice baths work, because the body is reacting to a very sudden level of cold that it knows it should protect itself from. "That creates a systemic autonomic response, basically a fight or flight reaction, that causes vasoconstriction of the peripheral (blood vessels)," Linn said. "It squeezes your blood vessels down and pushes that blood flow to the core to protect the core organ systems." Linn said that despite the use of the body's self-preservation systems, the machine is safe and patients don't run a risk of frostbite or anything like that, though users wear protective gloves, masks and socks just to be safe. There has only been one death associated with cryotherapy machines and it was an operator error when using the machine alone, Linn said. Linn's machine is always supervised and there's a timed light in the door frame so those inside can see how long they've been in there. The longest people stay inside is around five minutes and that's experienced users with excellent temperature regulation. "I would like to see a 35 to 40 degree surface skin temperature drop," Linn said. "So we take a laser thermometer, check people on their way in and out. So I'm 95.5 coming in ... to perfection, that would be a 40 degree drop. I would come out at 55," Linn said. "That's where the medical literature says the sweet spot happens when you get the fight or flight reaction." Linn said that cryotherapy as a practice has been used for years with helpful effects on multiple fronts. He also uses a targeted cryotherapy device that looks sort of like a vacuum hose, for injuries. A lot of athletes use that machine. "Cryotherapy in general was developed by a Japanese physician in 1979 and he experimented and treated patients with inflammatory issues like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus and things like that," Linn said. "They expanded into treating psoriasis, eczema, inflammatory skin conditions which it works really well for. It was only recently that kind of got co-opted into athletic rehab." The Minnesota Vikings use a cryotherapy chamber for rehabilitation, Linn said. Angel Rodriguez, a local soccer player, has used it for three weeks now and has even gotten his mother to use it for her own purposes. "It helps with muscle recovery," Rodriguez said. "I like to work out every day. I play soccer too and I'm not as sore. It helps with sleeping at night, I sleep way better and it helps with your immune system. My mom was sick recently and I never got sick, that's the things I've noticed." Linn also added a hyperbaric chamber, an inflatable pill-shaped tent that allows users to take more oxygen into their bloodstream more directly than just by regular breathing. "We can put oxygen in and it's like, take a jar full of marbles, we can't get any more marbles in the jar, but if we dump sand in there, we can fill the space between the marbles," Linn said. "That's how we can increase oxygen saturation to tissues, by putting it under pressure. Then you come out of pressure, all that oxygen dissolves out of the solution and boom, it goes to the body and can increase healing." Cryotherapy and oxygen therapy work by the same merit as exercise or dieting, Linn said, as continual conditioning in unusual conditions strengthen the normal conditions, just like a caloric deficit can help the body burn fat or "torturing" muscles by testing their limits strengthen them. The hyperbaric chamber requires an appointment since it takes just shy of an hour to get the full effect, but the cryotherapy machine can get someone in and out in the span of five minutes, Linn said, so there's no appointment there. While there is an option for one-time use, where someone can just come in and pay $30 for one session, Linn has membership levels for repeated use up to a month, which almost all of its use comes from. (c)2024 the Columbus Telegram (Columbus, Neb.) Visit the Columbus Telegram (Columbus, Neb.) at www.columbustelegram.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Furthermore, President Erdogan reiterated Turkey's stance on the need for a political solution to the conflict in Syria. He emphasized the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in resolving the crisis and called for international cooperation to achieve lasting peace in the region. Turkey continues to engage in diplomatic efforts to support the peace process in Syria and uphold the principles of humanitarianism and human rights.