Latest news with #Shroud
Associated Press
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Alabama lawmakers end legislative session with jest: handing out the 'deadest bill' award
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama legislators honored a long-standing tradition on Wednesday with their annual award for the 'deadest bill' of the session, bringing levity to an otherwise politically polarized Statehouse. The winner was a bill that would require a booster seat for children who weigh less than 65 pounds, up from 40 pounds, introduced by Republican Rep. Ron Bolton. 'One size fits all, rarely, if ever, applies to children, much less House members,' the House of Representatives public information officer, Clay Redden, said on Wednesday. 'This bill would have made it nearly impossible' for some legislators 'to drive themselves to work,' Redden continued. Legislators laughed and cheered at Redden's remarks. The award, known as the 'Shroud,' has been given out since 1979 as a 'high-profile public burial' for one piece of legislation. Winners are given an empty suit framed in a cardboard box. Bolton's bill read more like 'chapters from a pediatrician's anatomy book or an instruction manual and manual of how to operate a nuclear reactor,' Redden said. Bolton smiled and posed on the House floor to accept his award. The legislation won the award over a bill that would have created a sales tax exemption for firearms and ammunition on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, among other runners-up. 'The fiscal note on the bill suggested there would be little, if any, impact on state revenue, since most gun owners in Alabama already have enough weapons and ammunition to fight World Wars three, four and five,' Redden said. Some previous winners of the 'Shroud' award have been reintroduced in later years and passed into law.
Al Bawaba
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Bawaba
Video: AI reveals the 'true face' of Jesus Christ
ALBAWABA - An AI-generated video showcasing the "true face" of Jesus Christ has gone viral on social media, sparking debate and speculation about its authenticity. The clip in question, which garnered millions of views across social media, showcased an AI-generated Jesus Christ, looking around, praying, and smiling. It didn't take long for internet users to express their opinions about the video, with several pointing out inaccuracies with Jesus' portrayal, from his hair to his ethnicity. A social media user wrote on Musk's X (formerly known as Twitter), "It does not make sense that Jesus would be that white. Cool AI trick tho," in reference to Jesus Christ's upbringing in Bethlehem, Palestine. Another added, quoting the Bible, "Jesus didn't have long hair. The end. 1 Corinthians 11:14 "Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?" The video used a 2024 AI image of Jesus as a reference, which was generated utilizing the Shroud of Turin as a base, a piece of linen clothing dating back to the 13th century. According to RT, a study by Italian scientists using X-ray technology revealed that the Shroud of Turin is "not a medieval forgery and dates back 2,000 years. Detail of a copy of the Holy Shroud of Turin, Italy. (Shutterstock) The Shroud of Turin, also known as the Holy Shroud, is a piece of linen clothing dating back to the 13th century. It reveals the front and back of a man, who is believed by millions of Christians to be Jesus Christ. It was first presented to the dean of France by Geoffroi de Charny, who claimed it was Jesus's cloth in 1354, but was later acquired by the House of Savoy in 1453 and put inside a chapel in Chambéry, France. However, a century later, the cloth got damaged by a fire in 1532. In 1578, the piece of linen was moved to Turin, Italy, where it currently resides.
Al Bawaba
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Bawaba
Spectre Divide is shutting down alongside its developer
ALBAWABA - Shroud-fronted 3v3 tactical shooter "Spectre Divide" recently made headlines after news circulated that the game is shutting down alongside its developer Mountaintop Studios due to failing to secure a meaningful player base. Spectre Divide is shutting down, only six months after its release despite heavy promotions from popular streamer and content creator, Shroud who is best known for playing competitive games such as Valorant, Counter-Strike, Marvel Rivals, and more. Mountaintop's CEO said, "We pursued every avenue to keep going, including finding a publisher, additional investment, and/or an acquisition. In the end, we weren't able to make it work. The industry is in a tough spot right now." According to Steam Charts, only 65 players are playing the game right now with 337 for 24-hour peak. Spectre Divides's all-time peak was capped at 30,971 players (Steam-only numbers). Mountaintop also shared in a post, "We were optimistic about the first week, We've had ~400,000 players play, with a peak concurrent player count of ~10,000 across all platforms. But as time has gone on, we haven't seen enough active players and incoming revenue to cover the day-to-day costs of Spectre and the studio." The statement adds that Spectre Divide will close down after 30 days with paying players getting a refund for the money they spent since the game's first season. Another issue to take into account is that Spectre Divide was trying to compete in a heavily saturated genre with games like Riot Games' Valorant, and Valve's Counter-Strike 2 taken into account. People fear that the newly launched game, FragPunk might also suffer a similar fate. While many assumed that Shroud owned Spectre Divide, the streamer revealed in October 2024 that "The reality is that Mountaintop has been bringing Spectre to life since 2020, and the game belongs to Mountaintop," as reported by IGN.
