So this happened a couple of years ago at this point, but it's been on my mind a lot recently so I'm finally going to make a complete detailed post about it. Please read it all the way through I promise it gets good. I felt crazy for months after this happened.
I was sitting in my room watching YouTube on my phone before I went to eat dinner downstairs. I saw a video in my recommended that piqued my interest, something titled along the lines of "Why are there so many silver spheres in these medieval paintings?" could've been Renaissance, medieval, who knows. Anyways, the video delves into a bunch of these paintings of kings and queens sitting in their throne rooms with a silver sphere on a pedestal, on their laps, or the floor in front of them. The video was going into a couple of theories on why these spheres were so prominent, some of which being that it was a sign of power, like these people were flaunting the spheres and that's why they were on display in the way they were. Others were that maybe this sphere had gone through kingdoms after they were pillaged, being passed around throughout the ages to whoever was the most powerful, gauging by the number of years in between some of these paintings and different kings/queens. I finished up the video and went downstairs to eat my dinner.
I finish my food and come back upstairs, sit down in my chair in front of my computer again, and hop back on YouTube, i come across a video called "The Betz Sphere" by The Why Files, I think this might have been the first video I'd seen by them, but I frequent them every week now. I click the video and I'm thinking to myself "The algorithm clicked and saw what I was watching and gave me another one related to the spheres, that's cool" Throughout the entirety of the video I'm expecting them to bring up the paintings, or the fact that it was passed through kingdoms but that never comes up. I go to the comments and get ready to leave a comment saying that maybe they missed something and start typing about the other video I had just seen. I think it'd be best if I find the title of the video so I'm able to properly redirect people to more information regarding the sphere. I go to search for the video and it's nowhere to be found, now I'm confused. The video must have gotten deleted or something so I go to my history on YouTube and see if I can find the video and it's not there either. If I'm not mistaken even if a video was deleted from YouTube it would still appear in your history as a greyed-out image with the title as "unavailable" or something, but nothing. I go to see if I can check my ISP history and nothing is there from my phone either. Now I start to get a weird feeling down my spine, I'll just find the paintings real quick and so I start searching Google for anything regarding silver spheres in those types of paintings.
Nothing.
I'm searching for hours, literally losing my mind trying to find anything even remotely similar to this but I'm not able to find a hint of anything even close. I ended up making a Reddit post on this exact subreddit actually (since been deleted), asking if anyone could find any pictures similar to what I had seen in the video, people were only linking images of figures with spheres on scepters, or these religious figures with something similar to the scepter spheres. Nothing close. I was getting annoyed at this point because I knew for a fact this was a conscious memory. I wasn't dreaming, I wasn't imagining what happened. I'd like to think I'm a pretty mentally sound individual, this was not a part of my imagination, I did not doze off, and I don't have a history of mental illness. Nobody could show me anything similar to what I saw and the video since had never been posted. I made ANOTHER post after that one a couple of months later talking about my weird memory that didn't seem to exist but not going into too much detail regarding the actual context/intricacies of the paintings themselves. It was a dead post for a couple of months, littered with people just telling me the video got deleted and it wasn't a big deal.
Then, after like 6 months of pushing this experience to the back of my brain I got a DM from another Reddit user at the beginning of last year, (I'll ask them after I post this if they are cool with me sharing DMs or tagging their username and if they're okay with it I'll post them here in the comments). The DM was in response to the post I made about the weird memory that didn't seem to exist, without going into detail and rewriting every DM out, they said that I'm the only person they've seen have the same experience as me, and they told me they found an old post about "orbs" in old paintings and now every time they go back to try and find it it's like it doesn't exist anymore. And as soon as I read this my blood went cold. My first thought was, ok weird.... but they have to be fucking with me right? I replied, "I wish I could believe you're not just fucking with me right now." I asked them to describe the paintings to the best of their ability, knowing I didn't put too much detail in the post itself, if they were able to describe the paintings as to what I remember I'd know they were for real. They replied, "The spheres were normally on someone's lap, on the floor, or a table next to them". I was speechless, this was such a weird experience I didn't know quite how to process it, I replied again with the same thing, "There is no way you're not fucking with me" They proceeded to send a screenshot of their iMessage group chat with them freaking out sending my post to the group saying that I saw them as well and that I had the same thing happen to me. They told me they tried googling anything remotely similar to try and find even just one painting but couldn't find a single thing.
I asked them how they ended up finding the paintings in the first place and they said they found a video on a ufo related sub of a silver ball rolling on someone's floor, which is most likely the same clip from "The Betz Sphere" video on the Why Files channel. They said they saw a comment on the Reddit post of an Imgur link, and the link contained a plethora of paintings of the silver balls with the kings and queens. I was going to call the person on Discord after asking them if they wanted to, but I had just gotten a puppy and I had no time on my hands to call them. Still haven't to this day but I reached out again at the end of last year just to double-check that they weren't messing with me haha. Extremely weird experience and I've still yet to have anything to give me peace of mind regarding it. Thank you for reading, I encourage anyone to pleaseeee try to find any paintings similar if you're up for it. I really have no clue what happened.

Like title states, I'm picking up a 91 f150 regular cab long bed with around 28k original miles on it this week. It's got a 351w v8 and e40d auto transmission. It runs and drives supposedly, will definitely be taking it for a drive around before purchasing but I did come see it in person once already and checked it out. It's in surprisingly good shape, no major body damage, the paint is overall not bad with some faded paint on the hood and the truck bed itself is pretty faded but it will be put to use so I'm not worried about the bed anyways.
The biggest issue is a transmission problem. When shifting into reverse, the engine revs as when normally changing into gear but immediately goes back to normal parked idle and never engages into reverse. Supposedly all the gears for normal forward driving work, but again I will test that before purchasing either way. I'm a bit curious what could cause the problem with reverse since it has such low miles but I'm honestly amazed that the rest of the truck is in pretty decent shape even now. Called a reliable shop nearby and got a quote for around ~2500 for a full transmission rebuild with 3 year warranty which doesn't seem like a bad option. I've also come across a full DIY rebuild video series online as well as good links to a full rebuild kit. Looks like I SHOULD be able to do it myself for a little over 1k for the kit and solenoid and possible specialized tools. That could be something I knock out in a weekend or two should I feel confident enough. (And to be honest the rebuild series I found does seem very in depth and makes me much more confident, I've never even considered opening up a transmission before- Transmission Bench is the channel if anyone is curious).
It may end up being worth paying the extra to get the warranty anyways as there's still plenty of little things I would want to do myself as well. For example: -most of the suspension I will want to redo, namely bushings and ball joints. The springs look fine, there's no major rust anywhere on the truck at all really, barring some at the bottom of the rear bumper which I'm not too concerned about. -the dual exhaust looked fine at a cursory glance and didnt sound bad at all when we started the truck on my first visit, but there is definitely some holes at the exhaust tips at the back of the truck. Not a huge issue imo, could be convinced to upgrade a full exhaust setup down the road. -interior is also very clean, still the full red they used from the 80sninterior but I kinda like it. Passenger armrest is hanging by a thread so finding a red replacement might be a pain. -not sure how old the tires are but they are in good condition and definitely hold air perfectly fine so I feel comfortable taking them 30 mins home at the very least.
Again, I love the truck overall. It fits my needs as a fun single cab bench seat boxy truck that I can throw my motorcycle in the bed and my dog in the passenger seat and go for weekend trips. I still have my daily driver reliable and just want this as a light work truck with a fun v8 engine. I have some pictures from my first visit I can share but looking for advice mainly on the transmission issue and any advice I should need for an old running truck aside from fluid replacements!

Sorry, for the length. I feel this needs me to paint a full picture
Idk if it's relevant but I'm trans myself (FTM). And the person I'm talking about is someone I genuinely care a lot about. He's the closest thing I have to family. I'm referring to him with he/him pronouns because those are the ones he's currently using as he has used his whole life. I REALLY know this person well.
So, I used to date this person and even after breaking up we remained SUPER CLOSE. I sometimes feel uncomfortable because I just know TOO MUCH about him. He often tells me stuff he refuses to tell his family, friends, therapist, really anyone else. He decided he only trusts me with certain stuff... Gender related stuff... I really know the guy, I would literally bet my life on him being honest about those "secrets" he shares with me and the fact that he just refuses to tell anyone else. He only started trusting me about this stuff after he saw my changes with HRT (we met before I even came out, and he was involved in my transition until I broke up with him years after, when I already passed).
He is a GEN X, raised as if he was a boomer, his father being of the silent generation. He grew up and lives in a VERY conservative, mostly Catholic country. Here things are not improving as fast as other places seem in regards with "trans acceptance". On paper, some trans rights are a thing, so I guess we are not that bad, but the only reason laws are kinda "trans friendly" is that the general public is so convinced that laws are actually transphobic they don't even suspect there are laws "in favor" of trans people. The culture is not very trans welcoming, it's more than acceptable for trans people to be the butt of the joke, it's normal for even trans-activicts to refer to someone as "she feels like a woman but she's actually a man" and that's considered way too progressive for most people here. People's sexuality here seems to be so fragile that only bisexual people will date a trans people or you'll get missgendered just to "protect" your partner sexuality. Not long ago it was exposed the cruel murder of lots of trans people just days apart from each other and clearly for no other reason than being trans (appears to be a systemic issue). It wasn't like a serial killer or a group killing but just random people because it was an accepted practice by some to kill "perverted" individuals and everyone knew most of the cases would go unsolved because it was assumed that trans people would be disowned the moment they came out and the family wouldn't care. (Things seem to be getting better in that front after that got exposed, but tbh that was fairly recently so I'm not 100% sure). The point is that I feel that not knowing if he'll be accepted, questions about safety, and even societal pressure could be enough to keep someone in painful denial.
Why I think he might be trans: He is perceived as a very handsome, tall, masculine looking man, with very masculine bone structure, full beard, male pattern baldness and other stuff that makes me think, maybe he could also be afraid he "won't look good as a woman", he has HEAVILY suggested so in the past. He cries whenever he hears a specific song, it's a song about a trans-woman who had to move to NY so she could be herself away from her family, her father found out and didn't want anything to do with her, that eventually resulted in she dying all alone, since she couldn't have her family with her because of transphobia (the song's message is to accept one's children regardless of gender and stuff). When I say he cries I mean loudly sobbing, nose dripping, full on ugly crying, if he was on his way to work, or an outing, or an appointment or anything and he drove by a store playing that song he would just park somewhere he can't hear the song to cry for about an hour and return home to lock himself in his room and keep crying. He used to be bullied as a kid for being "too feminine" (regardless being tall amd muscular for his age, having masculine facial features that almost every man would envy, and being VERY involved and good at martial arts, wrestling, and other stereotypically masculine sports) he does has a lot of stereotypically feminine tastes... I'm quite fem myself and somehow his taste, the way he socialize, his behavior, the smallest things seem to be all feminine. When he buys stuff for his personal use he usually buys 2 of each. One with a more feminine appearance that he'll use only if he's alone or with me, and a masculine/gender neutral version that he uses when in public/hanging with family or friends (e.g. he has a cute floral floral pipe for weed he has only used in front of me and he hides on a locked drawer, but he has more masculine ones for use in public, when he bought the cute one he actually complained they ran out of the pink one with flowers so the baby blue with flowers had to do, he keeps panties in his locked drawer to wear when alone, he doesn't even washes them because his afraid of getting cought by family, he treats them as disposable, wears them, takes them off, drives somewhere far away, throw them out and buy new ones). He loves reminding me how "according to his natal chart" (horoscope/astrology stuff) his energy is purely feminine. There's like a thousand small things that just feel off.
He insists he's a man (but also refers to me as a woman even when everyone around us assumes me to be a cis-man, the wording he uses seems to be more about internalized transphobia and/or culturally motivated, instead of actively/purposely hateful outwardly) he insists that he's not confused, much less trans (I've never told him or even implied I suspect he's trans, he just says stuff like that spontaneously, which I find weird by itself). He takes a lot of effort into looking masculine for everyone else, way too much effort in my opinion, specially when he clearly doesn't like it. I understand gender expression and gender identity are different, for example my gender expression is almost on the "opposite side" of the spectrum than my gender identity, but I don't get the impression that's what's going on with him. I can't possibly fit everything in one post, but he has cried himself to sleep in my arms over being born a man more than once... I really don't think this is normal cis behavior.
I know that a professional therapist specialized in gender would be best for him but that's not currently an option. I can't find a local one (closest thing here is LGBT "specialized" therapists, in my extensive experience going through many therapists, that only means they won't try to convert you for being gay, and half of them wont purposely missgender you, not that they actually took specialized clases in gender identity or stuff) and regardless, he's not likely to accept to talk to therapist about any of this, as it stands idk what he has a therapist for rn because I've heard him during therapy and I know he lies to his therapist often (he asked me a few times to accompany him so he wouldn't feel alone during therapy, so I only know because I was there while he lied about factual stuff that happened in front of my eyes, for no apparent reason other than preserving his appearance before the therapist) so even if I found "the right professional" I know he's not inclined to cooperate.
I can clearly see he's suffering, I just want to help him feel better in his own skin, whatever that means for him. What should I do?

Hey you! Yes you, the one reading this message. I hope you like this message and here is a bit of information about me:
Who the hell I am?

• Healthcare assistant for learning dissabilities, my sleep schedule is variable, my work shifts are from 7 to 12 hours, either day or night.
• Future Graphic Designer (In a long future), I love it and I'm taking it as hobby right now. In love with art and every day learning a little more about it.
• Music lover. I listen to almost any genre. I am ready to find the music that is missing in my life and that I want to play every day.
• I'm a bit at a gamer, but I'm not obsessed with it. Lately I'm mostly playing on Nintendo Switch
• I love movies, we can talk about many films. My favorite movies are The Godfather (both the first and the second one), Interestellar, The Green Knight, Grand Hotel Budapest, Before Sunrise and Princess Mononoke ( I have more haha)
• My family says I'm special. I don't know if they say it in a good way or a bad way, but I'm happy with it.
• I Iove reading, it allows me to experience and live many different lives. My favorite book is Name of the Wind.
• Extension of the previous point: Basically I read any book that catches me interest. (Fantasy, fiction, poetry, etc.)
• I love learning new things, exploring new ideas and figuring out how everything works in detail.
• I'm learning to draw (Right now I really suck) and taking up writing again.
• Future writer of a book that I don't even know what it will be about, maybe written in prose? maybe in verse?
• I'm a bit introvert, but once I feel confidence, you won't even notice it.
• I don't mind exchanging pictures if we both want to do it.
• If you wish I can make a powerpoint presentation about me. I do not promise that it will be serious

Have you decided to talk to me yet? Maybe these opinions will help you
He is a really handsome boy - My grandmother
My brother is special and crazy, don't talk to him. - My brother
I want to make him mine, break up after a few months and write a song about him. – Taylor Swift
I wanted him as my padawan, but they imposed Anakin Skywalker on me and you know how it ended. - Obi Wan Kenobi
He was going to be the model I used for my sculpture David, but he's neither as handsome nor as strong. - Michelangelo
I was about to select him to play Sebastian in La La Land, but he can't sing well or play the piano, Emma Stone preferred him to Ryan Gosling. - Damien Chazelle (La la land's Director)
I turned down Ted Mosby for so many years because I waited for him, he never came and in the end I had to stay with Mosby. - Robin Scherbatsky
I'd like to see him die in one of my movies - Quentin Tarantino
He has a good musical taste and at least he does not put the music to full volume - My neighbor
If you think we can get along, do not hesitate to send me a message or a chat invitation, you are pretty welcome. The chatting app that I use most now is Discord, but I can use any other app if you prefer or just chat on reddit. Please include some information about yourself in your message. If you're not sure how to break the ice, ~throw a iceberg at me~ include an interesting question you've been thinking about lately, a song you love or any interesting thing, if you can't think about a question, this is my question for you, What would be the last song you would listen to if you knew today was your last day on earth?

Yeah, it's me, the annoying guy with another lore-discussion.
Today I'd like to talk about White Space and the black lightbulb inside of
I. Let's start with White Space :
With White Space, we don't really know all that much about it, but we can use the sources we have and symbolism to try and make some connections.
I.1) Here's what Omocat said in an interview about it:

The idea of the White Space is based on the ability of some people to completely isolate themselves when a traumatic happens. They isolate their mind and travel through the White Space to relieve their memories.

What we can take away from this is that it represents a psychological, trauma-related concept which affects memory, specifically relieves them.
Both of these are further supported by other elements of the game.
I.2) Branch Coral:

To be in WHITE SPACE is to be nothing.
WHITE SPACE is emptiness, a home without warmth.
A place to survive, but not to live.

What's especially interesting here is the first line.
I do not think it's meant to be taken literal, as being 'nothing' is neither really possible nor does it apply to Sunny.
It more than likely a metaphor or paraphrasing for something else.
In this case I generally see 2 ways to take this line, and they aren't mutually exclussive either. They are:
I.2.a) 'To be nothing' can be seen as a paraphrasing for the same thing what 'to completely isolate themselves' mentioned in I.1) is.
While you cannot be literally nothing, a sufficient isolation and detachment can be seen as a fitting paraphrasing for this.
Generally this sounds very reminiscent of the concept known as 'Dissociation':

Dissociation is a concept that has been developed over time and which concerns a wide array of experiences, ranging from a mild emotional detachment from the immediate surroundings, to a more severe disconnection from physical and emotional experiences. The major characteristic of all dissociative phenomena involves a detachment from reality, rather than a false perception of reality as in psychosis.

I.2.b) 'To be nothing' can be seen as what memory loss does to a person.
People are defined by their memories and experiences and thus a person who lost their memories can be seen as their 'identity' being compromised, becoming 'noone' or 'nothing' in an identity-related context.
And that actually brings us to the next point:
I.) Upon entering White Space:

Welcome to WHITE SPACE. You have been living here for as long as you can remember.

Once again this lines up with what Omocat stated in I.1), this time the part about 'relieving memories'.
What this line implies is that Sunny does not remember his life before living in Head Space.

Conclusion of I):

Even though our sources on White Space are very limited, they ultimately paint a clear enough picture to actually pin-point what is supposed to represent:
Given it's trauma-context, link to Dissociation and Amnesia, I reach the conclusion that what is supposed to represent is 'Dissociative Amnesia'.
II. Now, let's get to the Black Lightbulb.
II.a) We know even less about it. I couldn't really find more than one written source on it.
Once again, this source is the Coral Branch:

Even still, your conscience cannot be erased. It will always find a way in.
Even in WHITE SPACE, it will take the form... and if one wills it, something will be formed to subdue it.
A hanging black light bulb... the repression of an idea.

There's a lot to unpack here.
For one, the particular phrasing of 'willing' it into existence implies that it's not some sort of subconcious mechanism, but actually something that is being done consciously and intentionall.
And its purpose is subdueing... Something. 'The form'. What 'form' this specifically is, he doesn't clarify. Though I think I canactually deduce what it is. Here's a hint: I already told you. More on that later.
Now, there's one more thing.
...it's not actually stated to be about memory. He specifically refers to it as the 'repression of an idea'. This makes sense on a purely aesthetic level since usually 'lightbulb = idea'.
II.b) Now for this point I can't recite any quotes.
Rather than being about what we are being told about it, it's about it's shown to do.
The lightbulb for most of the game is a prop. While it can be inspected, nothing else can be done with it.
This changes on the night of 1DL. At this point Sunny awakens as himself in White Space and smashes the lightbulb and a boss-rush ensues.
After clearing the phobia-phases you come face to face with the main Something.
That is the 'form' the lightbulb had 'subdued', as mentioned in II.a).
Generally speaking the entire purpose of the black lightbulb is to 'repress' the 'truth.'

Conclusion and problems of II):

In general it's purpsose is to 'repress' the 'truth' judging by how it is being depicted in the game. Now, considering Coral Branchs dialogue ('wills it') I do not think it represents 'repression' as in the clinical subconcious concept, but rather the more coloquial meaning of simply trying to block it out of ones consciousness.
And that's where the problems start.
First of all, describing it as 'the repression of an idea' doesn't exactly make all that much sense, if any at all. Even if I look at it from a very liberal symbolic or metahprical sense, using the word 'idea', while very much befitting the imagery, does not at all match the purpose it is supposed to have.
An idea is more of 'thought' or 'suggestion', something that you come up with or that is proposed to you. Its meaning is too far away from a memory to make the connection work, and thus using the word 'memory' or alternatively just 'truth' would have been a a lot more consistent wording.
This wording feels oddly suspicious as it genuinly appears to me as if the game is intentionally dodging the question of what the lightbulb exact target actually is.
The other problems is that the way it is being set up is in competition and clashes with what White Space is representing.
Given all of what I mentioned before there is the awkward implication that those 2, while superficially similar, actually represent different concepts, which even show in the dichtomy of their colour-symbolism:
White Space being white is a fitting analogy for how DA wipes memories 'blank' and 'empty'. The colour black on the other hand is pretty much universally associated with a different kind of loss of information, namely 'covering up'.
White Space is completely blank and leaves no trace of anything before or even that there was anything before at all, while with the black scribbling over you can actually tell that something has been there but had been redacted.
A fitting analogy is using an eraser to erase the letters of a piece of text as compared to simply blacking out the text. One leaves a white sheet of paper while the other leaves scribbled out text.
But the most glaring issue is that according to various other sources White Space had predated the lightbulb, but also that it continues to exist after the lightbulb is already gone. Given White Spaces connection to trauma it's safe to assume that only came into existance when Mari died.
Omoris battle happens there and on both Neutral and Bad Endings you end up in White Space for a short period of time. In all of these instances the lightbulb is no more and the 'truth' has been remembered. The only ending on which it actually disappears as well is the Good Ending.
This behaviour does not really make any sense given its status as a representation of amneisa.

What are your thoughts on this? Maybe I missed something here, lemme know if I did!

Timestamp
yolo>chat
ppff, usps shipping
Current trade interests: harsey, wehr or SBD folders, cool fixies, crk mnandi, etc.
Click on knife names below for videos of each.
SV/TV $155 Kershaw Livewire 20cv. At least second owner, but I don't think either of us carried or cut besides fidgeting with it around the house...original edge. Very snappy, never had a failure to open or close. Perhaps a few faint snails if you look super close, but overall in great shape. Will ship in a zipper pouch since it didn't come to me in a box.
SV/TV $100 Spyderco Lil Native g10 serrated s30v. BNIB only out for pictures. Looks like this configuration is currently on sale on BladeHQ for $160 so hopefully this price is a steal? I've been out of the Spyderco game for a bit...I like this lil guy, but I'd prefer finding the compression lock version.
SV/TV $145 TwoSun Vandal in M390. This is an overbuilt big boy...and its awesome. LNIB never carried or cut...just cleaned off the famous twosun oil and fidgeted with for a bit before taking pictures. This is the most satisfying button lock I've ever owned. Check out the action video. I guess these went for crazy prices when they came out...I now see them listed (although always sold out) on WMK for $189. Won't be heartbroken if I keep this beauty.
SV/TV $155 TwoSun TS142 in M390. Want an integral folder with all premium materials without dropping $500? Here's the listing for this on WMK if you want to read some reviews. LNIB only removed factory oil and did a handful of heart warming reverse flicks. First owner no cut or carry...probably my favorite TwoSun to date.
SV/TV $250 Jack Wolf Gunslinger Jack - Kirinite Cosmic Purple DLC (Cosmetic Second). This is LNIB (LNIT...in tube?). I don't think you can find this configuration in stock on any current dealer site for Jack Wolf, but you can get $100 off of retail on it here on the good ol' swap. Comes in tube with sticker, pog, cloth. I can't figure out why this was sold as a cosmetic second...possibly slight color gradient on the DLC? Action is smooth, only taken out for the videos and realized I might be more into boring color configurations.
SV/TV $199 Jack Wolf Midnight Jack - Kaotic Resin (Cosmetic Second). Like the Gunslinger above, this is never cut or carried and I'm the first owner. Also like above...no idea where the "cosmetic second" would come in here, but I'm letting it go for $100 off retail. Comes with tin, sticker, pog, cloth and leather sheath.

Little info on our day to day first then the question/Advice ask.
As the title suggests me (29M) works random shift patterns (Tech Retail) and never gets Sat/Sunday off. And my partner (28F) is a TA and works Mon/Fri, so we barely see each other bar when I get back from work around 7PM most days, then it's dinner and bed...
We both met when we were at Uni and as luck would have it (Lack there of) we were long distance at the time (Both live in the same area just different unis) to bridge this divide I surprised her with an Xbox and we played games, skyped etc during this time, it wasnt the perfect set up but it worked and now as of current date are engaged!
Move to now... As stated above our working schedule is not compatible and if I'm working I see her in the evening for a few hours or she sees me in the morning before her day starts. It's creating a divide between us as.
Coupled with this work has triggered some serious anxiety/Depression and my go to safe space is to game with work colleagues... And hers is to spend time with me but there's no couch co op games or theirs just a lack their of these days so I've become selfish over time and I see this and it worries me so want this to change.
Hopefully that paints a relatively easy picture of the issue, not much time for each other most days of the year - Time we do get is late in the evening - Not a lot of options bar TV etc.
The question -
Back in uni we both really loved playing games like saints row etc to spend time together with the small amount of time we had at the end of our uni days, SO
Thought it might be a good idea to build her a gaming pc so we could game together again? Have begun the process of wiring up my old retro consoles again as she loves older type games also.
Naturally you might be thinking "Just ask her" but she has a habit of giving up on ideas before they're live (Xbox for instance was something that nearly died in the water but she gave it a go and it was a blast for both of us!)
If anyone's had similar issues with work life what ways have you managed to create to spend the little time together? Excluding movies and TV as we have Movie night every Sat evening. And would the above idea be a sound one or am I just grasping at straws? (part of me worries I'm doing this because "I" like to game and it's my safe space, BUT she has in the past also really enjoyed it also, just isn't as big a gamer as me)
Naturally I hope this all makes sense and it's not just a long string of nonsense, just stressed that we barely do anything together and due to upbringing being able to talk about my stresses has always been difficult so any advice is appreciated.

This is a weekly reminder post of this sub's stance on potential copyright infringement. This is a serious issue that needs to be kept in mind when creating and listing NFTs.
Original post by u/HurleyBird1
Quick disclaimer: I AM NOT A LAWYER. THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE - THIS IS SIMPLY INFORMATION WITH WHICH TO EDUCATE YOURSELVES AND PREPARE YOURSELF FOR LEGAL ADVICE FROM A LICENSED SOURCE.
Now that that's out of the way. My credentials are: MBA, with a bit of business law classes under my belt.
I want to give a quick explanation of how copyright works - and I'll do so through quick blurbs n some myth/reality bullets.
Source: copyright.gov (US)

1. Subject matter of copyright: In general28(a) Copyright protection subsists, in accordance with this title, in original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. Works of authorship include the following categories:(1) literary works;(2) musical works, including any accompanying words;(3) dramatic works, including any accompanying music;(4) pantomimes and choreographic works;(5) pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works;(6) motion pictures and other audiovisual works;(7) sound recordings; and(8) architectural works.(b) In no case does copyright protection for an original work of authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work.

- Myth: I can use any image/song/video/writing I want.
- Reality: No. Not true at all.
- Myth: Well they never said it's copyrighted.
- Reality: Upon publication (and even while a work in progress) a work is automatically protected via copyright under US Law.
- Myth: Well they never sold it.
- Reality: It doesn't have to be commercialized to be protected.
- Myth: Well it was a long time ago
- Reality: Possibly true...as long as the creator is deceased (or if multiple creators, the last living one is deceased) and the required time has passed...although this gets tricky with "estates."
(d) Duration of Rights.—(1) With respect to works of visual art created on or after the effective date set forth in section 610(a) of the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990, the rights conferred by subsection (a) shall endure for a term consisting of the life of the author.
So what's this thing I hear called "Fair Use?"
Straight from the source:

1. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use41Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.

Uhh...help me translate that please... (here's a decent official translation: https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html)

1. above...if it's non-profit educational use, you're usually good to go...if it's for money or trade (commercial nature) then you're usually NOT...unless YOUR piece is "transformative"

Transformative uses are those that add something new, with a further purpose or different character, and do not substitute for the original use of the work.
- Myth: Well this is paid for in Algos, not USD so it's not "commercial"
- Reality: IT IS commercial. You could even barter for bacon and it'd be commercial. It's an exchange of one good/service for another good/service.
- Myth: My piece with Batman inside a card is "transformative"
- Reality: No, unfortunately, more-than-likely the courts would say it's not. A good litmus test is..."If Warner Bros Entertainment (owner of Batman) wanted to make an NFT/ASA "Batman card" would yours compete with it or be possibly mistaken (by a reasonable person - so in America think 8th grade education) for real merchandise? Probably...thus it's not transformative enough.
"nature" gets a little tougher. This looks at protecting the "creative process." Thus, using other works of art is less-likely to be protected than using factual sources - like historical photographs since it's easier to "create art" and thus "transform" factual pieces than other art pieces. This is also talking to things like "parody." Satire is NOT protected. "Parody" is. What's the difference? LegalZoomputs it well: While a parody targets and mimics the original work to make a point, a satire uses the original work to criticize something else entirely. Another way to look at it is that satire uses another work as a way to comment on something happening in the world that has nothing to do with the original work.
- Myth: I added a different border, extra planets, and some blur effect to MTZ's World of Light - it's a new piece of art.
- Reality: Not likely the courts will see it that way.
- Myth: This guy added a filter, some burn effects, and collaged a bunch of newspaper headlines together - isn't that a violation!
- Reality: Probably not...the courts would probably see this as a creation of art out of factual sources.
amount/substantiality in relation to the whole...this is where using clips of songs that are only like 5 seconds long works! But using more than that...runs into problems. This is tough to decipher too...as some songs are EASILY identifiable from just 5 seconds (Ice, ice, baby) - and thus NOT fair use. But some aren't. Usually you're safe using a very small clip of a song or video - especially if you're adding more to it. But this is a dangerous game to play - and there's places to get free audio (some sources below)
effect of the use - this is probably the biggest one. Courts will look at simply...does YOUR work affect the sales or potential for sales of the copyright owner. Of note...this is looked at at the time of the issue being brought to the court, not at the time of sale. For example, let's say my batman card sells for 10 Algos today, but Algorand BLOWS UP and soon every NFT is on Algorand. And now my OG Batman NFT is seen as one of the first Batman ones and official. Warner Bros gonna sue the shit outta whoever owns it at the time they sue to get the rights to all sales of that NFT. So that person is left holding an empty bag when Warner Bros wins in court.
- Myth: Well they're not commercializing it NOW so I'm safe.
- Reality: Technically, yea Warner Bros probably won't spend the money to go after the OG artist and the hands the asset passed through...HOWEVER, they may. That's their right. Who knows - the Napster days showed us the lengths companies will go to. EVEN BIGGER HOWEVER, the last person holding it when Warner Bros DOES decide to go after that Batman NFT...uh oh for them - they just lost their asset.
- Myth: Well it's been like a year, and no one has brought up copyright. So I'm good.
- Reality: If this was in a normal market...maybe this argument would work. If McDonald's let you sell a Ronald McDonald poster for like a year on Amazon with no issues, some court may say "bro, you took too long to bring this to us." HOWEVER, with cryptocurrency being so new (and Algorand being so little known/discussed), most courts would see it as "reasonable" that a copyright owner failed to exercise their rights within a year - possibly even a decade. (Updated because I realized last example dealt with trademark not copyright :o)
So what am I safe to use?
US Government works (mostly)...any deemed free to use by creator...and any a copyright lawyer says they have your backs on (cuz now they're liable).
Here's some great sources for free use items (please add to this list below if you know of some!!!):
Pictures: https://buffer.com/library/free-images/ (Unsplash is one of my faves)
Music: https://www.wix.com/blog/photography/2019/11/27/free-music-for-videos/
Video: https://blog.hootsuite.com/free-stock-videos-sites/
You'll notice there's a lot of "shoulds" "coulds" "probably" etc. This is because copyright cases are all unique and go to the courts. The best bet is to go with stuff you KNOW is free and fair-use. If not, I'd look up copyright law, consult supreme court cases concerning copyright, and ultimately, talk to a lawyer.
AGAIN: I AM NOT A LAWYER. I AM NOT PROVIDING LEGAL ADVICE. I AM SIMPLY PROVIDING INFORMATION. THERE MAY BE ERRORS ABOVE THAT COULD CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGES - CONSULT A COPYRIGHT ATTORNEY IF YOU WISH TO RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE.

I didn't know what tag to put on this so here we go.
TW: Mentions of death, suicide, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, dysmorphia, C-PTSD,
I'm writing this without the intention of posting it, I'm uncertain if this is something I want to share, but, I feel as if I have no other choice. This is a lot, but I'm trying to trace things back to their possible beginnings. I have no idea if I'm doing this right, I hope that I am.
I ended up posting it.
SECTION ONE: DEATH & EDUCATION
​
I am a 20M, I don't use reddit for much. I'm born and raised in the United States and I'm GEN Z. I've been in college for almost 5 years and my grades are good for the most part despite my utter burnout. I have several mental conditions both diagnosed and some which I have discovered on my own. I intend to verify with some sort of mental health professional the ones I'm uncertain of. I am confirmed to have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, ADHD, Insomnia. However I believe that I also have some sort of eating disorder as when I'm anxious I eat a lot in order to stop thinking about it, BDD [Body Dysmorphic Disorder] which i'm 100% certain about and depression. My psychologist when I was in high school argued that I have complex PTSD relating to school/academic environments. While I'm not entirely sold on it myself I thought I would include it until I can get a second opinion.
When I was younger I had constantly been told that "You are so mature" and "You look so old/big" that it had become part of my personality, and part of the way I lived my life. I typically agreed with this when I was younger, I didn't find enjoyment in school in fact quite the opposite. I loathed it.
See, I was always the "bigger" kid. I mean big, like I had childhood obesity big. My parents weren't worried however because my doctor at the time had said something along the lines of "As he grows he'll shed some of the weight" however this was not the case whatsoever. I grew up with a lot of weight and when I was younger there was plenty of teasing and bullying. I discovered how cruel people could be when I was very young, as I wasn't as physically fit I found myself unable to have fun as there wasn't something I could go do where I sat away from people. My parents as wonderful as they are never seemed to be able to comprehend why I loathed school to the point where I was pretty much willing to say I had anything just not to go. I had told them how uncomfortable school makes me and they had once proposed to me and asked if I wanted to go to a different school. (We were well off in comparison to most of our area) However what little friends I did make I wanted to keep and I worried that as a new student at a different school I would draw even more attention.
Since I stayed I had to deal with the bullying, I was too afraid to leave what few friends I had. I never understood why they were mean to me. I had always been kind, and I hadn't been afraid to talk for myself however at a certain point I started to believe everything they said. So I started staying in my house more often, the neighbors who I had been friends with since I was very young I fell out with because I didn't want to be physically outside and risk embarrassing myself as I had always done. My favorite hobby was playing video games in the living room, I had nothing else besides my Nintendo DS for Pokémon or other games that my brother and I shared. Looking back I probably made a couple of people feel bad, but I had felt awful too. If I could go back I'd change it. However there is nothing I can do.
Eventually I just stopped letting myself be seen.
My brothers friends became my friends, however as time went on one of them utterly abandoned him because he came out as gay to this friend we'll call Chad. While I didn't know this at the time, one day one of the friends I had made core memories with simply disappeared and I never found out why until I was 16. The year after another one his friends (we'll call him Wedge) lost his sister to cancer, and he eventually stopped hanging out with us due to grief and an onset of mental illness. (I still communicate with him, but for private reasons I can't go into why I can't befriend him please understand). Eventually, another one of our friends (We'll call Jack) had also gotten cancer, he had survived but had been in and out of the hospital so much that we lost our connection. Lastly, the cousin (We'll call her Allison) I was closest with someone who I really related too suddenly dropped out of my life due to inter-family drama with our parents. Bare in mind, this all happened within the span of 2 years when I couldn't have been older than 6 or 7. I became used to people coming and going. In fact it's been the key theme in my life, that people will die, and are unfortunately temporary and I had to learn this young. Some family members had come around when my great grandfather was dying assuming he had money so they started hanging out with us only for them to depart shortly after his death after realizing there was nothing he had to give. I think subconsciously I had become emotionally jaded instead of mature. It didn't become any easier when people at my school killed themselves or tried to stab one another
So I gained a fear of abandonment. Future events didn't help it much either. While my brother began to despise talks about emotions (he was 5 years older than me) I began to need someone to talk to more and more.
My family never understood why I had so many issues with education despite doing so well. I had always been bad at communicating my feelings until recently (not that it has changed anything in my life) so they always believed that it was simply me being a boy and not wanting to go to school. This never changed until middle school, it took years for them to finally listen to me when I told them I get chronic migraines I even had a diagnosis for it alongside the CPTSD and GAD. Yet by this time it was too late for anything to be done. Education had been a nightmare for me, unsympathetic teachers, difficult administration that said they didn't believe me because I wasn't one to show I was anxious.
There's more, but I feel like I've painted a clear enough picture of my early childhood. One year my migraines had gotten so bad that I spent all 365 days inside without any connection, and the year after as well. I had been so anxious about high school that I dropped out in 10th grade, and got a GED through some loopholes. I went to college the semester after, entirely online.
So for four years I was locked inside a house. Four years. This doesn't even include all the issues I had dealt with in terms of parents, or the intricate social issues I had online which was my only source of interaction, and remains to be my only source of interaction. In fact 50% of my life was either in school or at home. There was no other location which I went too. I didn't have any friends as they had all ditched me for objectively more put together people in high school. Despite all my academic anxieties doing college online was a breeze for me, I got 4.0 GPA my first three semesters until I transferred.
But we'll come back to this. I want to go over some other things.
SECTION TWO: HOME & FAMILY
All I had was home and videogames. It was what kept me going. For the longest time I had to sit in the living room in order to play multiplayer games with strangers who often treated me better than people in real life. I eventually met some people I stayed friends with for 10 years, however around year 3 I realized that I had always been the but of their jokes, or one who was always worst one in the group. There was a bully of mine in that group, but I liked the other people so much that it was worth it. However anytime I said I didn't like how they made me feel I was met with further ridicule until eventually I simply decided to play with them only when they were on. However I had the burning desire to prove myself and that I wasn't the worst in the group like I had always been in my real life. However this took me years to accomplish and by the time I did it felt hollow.
My parents often would yell at me if I spoke too loud which is typical in most families, however the walls were paper thin, so too loud was talking at a casual indoor volume which often caused me a lot of embarrassment which they never seemed to care about. Sometimes they'd break my things and I'd get super sad and only after they realized how much pain they caused me would they do anything. They didn't realize that being online was one of the most important things to me when I was younger, I don't blame them, however . . .
It wasn't just online. It was vacations, hotel rooms, in public, in private spaces, school, or anything. Every vacation we had ever taken I cried on due to the yelling and bickering that took place between my parents who continually said that it was typical for both of them. However, it never felt like that and for some reason I was always caught in the middle. No matter where I was it always felt as if something was going to go wrong, like someone was going to embarrass me. While I'm aware now the only people they embarrassed was themselves, it is awful that I live with this and feel unable to be myself in any public space. Their justification always was that's how they always were and they always explained how it wasn't going to change and that I'd just have to learn how to live with it. I fear going anywhere with them.
While they're somewhat better now, I can't help but wish they were better then.
SECTION THREE: ONLINE DATING
Being locked in a house for so long does a number on you I think its something that most people can sympathize with at least now. You wish and long for social interaction craving the feeling of someone else around you and eventually it turns to this deep obsession and longing that you cant get rid of or replace. For me, the cure was hearing "I love you." I'm not physically attractive in person, at least not conventionally. I'm 350lbs, but I appear to carry it well so I actually look lighter than I actually am (Thank God). It's safe to say I'm not someone's first choice, and that's okay. I'm good at other things and have skills in other areas. I met a girl online one day and we became friends but we lost each other in school work, a year later we had met again online by chance alone and we spent time with one another. It lasted for about three years with intention to meet up, had I been more mature I'm sure the relationship would've lasted, but it was a right person wrong time situation. She was nice and caring and taught me a lot about religion, I too this day credit her for what little faith I have left in a God.
This isn't the first time I've dated online (by online I mean no physical contact not like dating apps), nor was I the first in my family. My brother had been dating his partner for about 6 years at that point, now he actually brings his partner over and stuff which was super nice to see. She built up my self confidence and practically said every word right when it needed to be said, eventually she cheated, she had come and told me immediately and against my better judgement I forgave her, and then at the end of the relationship she did it again. Was it stupid? Yep. Did I set myself up for it? Yeah. Does it still bother me? Sometimes. However, hearing those words were sweet and gave me a reason to wake up in the morning as stupid as it may sound.
Since then I haven't met anyone, nor do I think I could no matter how much I know it would make my life better. I wouldn't want to burden someone. Plus, I've never had anyone show any interest in me whatsoever, only time people have been willing to give me a chance is if they never saw how I looked and only experienced my personality. (This does wonders for my self-confidence) [clear sarcasm]
SECTION FOUR: WEIGHTLOSS & LACK OF FRIENDS
I've heard all manner of arguments against people who are obese. From the "Control yourself" argument or "eat a salad" or just simply "eat less." However these arguments often come from people who haven't ever dealt with the condition before. It makes life a struggle to live and one would think if things were that simple everyone would be physically fit. However this isn't the case. Yes, all of those things are important, but I've been trying to lose weight since I was 14. That is 6 going on 7 years. With BDD I look myself in the mirror in self hatred, and given that I have a bigger stomach its with me everywhere I go. I predominantly wear baggy clothes in order to cover this up, but even I know that they make me look even worse. The closest I ever got to being below 300 was 310, then I was put on a medication which made me suicidal and all this progress was gone because I had basically been put on home arrest by my family (reasonably so).
Even still, I haven't gotten that close in such a long time and I'm wondering if it'll ever look how I want too. I wonder if people will ever see me as someone other than that fat guy who is mostly socially awkward but can be funny sometimes. I never got to develop the necessary social skills for dealing with people that most kids who grow up bigger do. I don't have a fun sense of humor, I'm very dry, but I feel the need to be funny which never works out. I spent my whole life without friends to the point where I don't even know where to begin in making them.
The amount of sleepless nights ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alright, now you know everything which leads up to my present day at my current campus and my current life. Thank you for reading up until this point, but now lets get into the finishing portion. Today and tomorrow.
FINAL SECTION: Today and Tomorrow
Remember how I said that I transferred colleges after my third semester? Well, I went to college at 16, and transferred at my last couple months as a 17 year old. I commute and it's about a 30min drive. (I don't know how to drive, COVID-19 ruined my chances at learning when I was supposed too.) At the time I just dropped off a distance away from the campus and walked there as I was embarassed that my parents had to still drive me. Freshmen Orientation was awful, I tried to make it good for myself but the people I was around wanted nothing to do with me and I knew why. I just wasn't good enough. I called the campus to see if there was anything that could be done, and the figured something out, however the second group was no different. I tried connecting with people who were having similar issues to me through digital means to arrange meetups on the campus however this went even worse and I was frequently ghosted. My psychologist at the time believed that I had become triggered from this experience on the first day of classes where I had a severe panic attack where I practically relived 20 years of pain in a couple of seconds. I was reduced to a blabbering mess wondering what I had done wrong, and where I went wrong.
See I had been told my whole life when I suffered through public school that college was going to be this wonderful experience where people find themselves and learn to do things all on their own. I was the first generation to go to college in my family and each person had told me these great things. To me it was pretty much my last vestige of hope. When it all went wrong I had been devastated. To this day I have tried to make friends, I do my best to approach first and be polite with those in my classes. I behave in a helpful fashion and always try to be useful to others. Yet time and time again I've failed. For the first three weeks of my first semester I didn't go to a single class due to horrible anxiety when my only hope was that for once in my life I could be myself.
With all this, I feel alienated, worthless, ugly. Something not worthy of love nor compassion from others, an outsider who doesn't belong. I've slowly carved at all the things I'm confident in out of my mind as I have become burnt out from years of being "so smart." Now I can barely lift a finger for an assignment that is two hours do from midnight either because I'm having a mental breakdown or I'm thinking about having a mental breakdown. I have so many conditions, fears, phobias, and health issues I feel as if my life would be better lived by someone else. All the love and praise I do receive from my professors and family feels wrong and despite my family trying to accommodate my unique needs it always seems like I have to clash with them in order for them to understand I am not the same as them as in I can't just function as they all do. I come from a very hardworking family so to them despite my conditions I'm just lazy and I don't understand how to deal with all of it.
It feels like I was in the character creator and decided to do all negative traits to see how long I would last before I die or go insane. Sometimes I don't know if I've grown to deal with it or if I have become numb to my own feelings and needs which have never been addressed. So with all of this, how do I live? How am I supposed do anything if I can't even do the simple things like go to classes or control how I respond to stress? I feel as if I'm missing out on everything from knowing what my body can possibly do if it was fit, to not getting the social experience I need and so desperately crave even though I know I don't belong.
Everyone responds to life differently and I hope everyone can understand that what may not bother you could bother someone else. I hope people understand I'm not trying to sound cringe or anything, but genuinely receive some form of help. I probably didn't do how I'm feeling justice, or what I've experienced, but this is my first time expressing myself in a online setting.
Good luck everyone! I hope everyone is doing well and if you aren't were in this together.

I am looking for the love of my life. someone who will truly love me for who I am. someone who wants to work through our differences and issues together. someone who values commitment, communication, adaptability, loyalty, and honesty as much as I do. someone who wants to put in as much effort as I do. someone I can love back just as much because when I love someone, I really love them.
I don't expect us to have all of the same interests and we should have some different ones so that we can learn from each other. what matters most to me is that we have similar core values and relationship goals. I do still have my preferences and those are:

• I don't do drugs or smoke.
• I don't drink alcohol. I would prefer if you didn't but it is not a deal breaker.
• I would like to have kids one day. I don't have any kids of my own yet and expect the same from you.
• I am not a pet person. I am also allergic to cats.
• I am not political at all.
• I am a christian and am looking for someone who shares the same faith.
• I am only looking inside of the USA but I would be willing to relocate anywhere in the country for the right person.
• I am looking for someone between the ages of 25-30.
• I am looking for a woman who is single and wants to get married one day.
• I would like to swap pictures sooner than later. my basic info is: 5'8", brown hair, white, about 150 lbs.
• I want to voice chat / video chat using discord at some point but we can start with text first.

for a brief overview of myself, I am a typical computer nerd that likes tech a lot. I like to learn about tech-related things such as programming and linux. I also like watching anime / movies / tv shows / youtube / playing video games / 3d printing / playing board games / making art such as vector art / 3d art / pixel art / drawings / paintings / hiking / bike riding / fishing / and snowboarding. I am mostly a homebody but I do a few things outside with other people from time to time.
If this post piqued your interest and you would like to get to know me better, then you should reach out. I am looking forward to meeting you.

I am looking for the love of my life. someone who will truly love me for who I am. someone who wants to work through our differences and issues together. someone who values commitment, communication, adaptability, loyalty, and honesty as much as I do. someone who wants to put in as much effort as I do. someone I can love back just as much because when I love someone, I really love them.
I don't expect us to have all of the same interests and we should have some different ones so that we can learn from each other. what matters most to me is that we have similar core values and relationship goals. I do still have my preferences and those are:

• I don't do drugs or smoke.
• I don't drink alcohol. I would prefer if you didn't but it is not a deal breaker.
• I would like to have kids one day. I don't have any kids of my own yet and expect the same from you.
• I am not a pet person. I am also allergic to cats.
• I am not political at all.
• I am a christian and am looking for someone who shares the same faith.
• I am only looking inside of the USA but I would be willing to relocate anywhere in the country for the right person.
• I am looking for someone between the ages of 25-30.
• I am looking for a woman who is single and wants to get married one day.
• I would like to swap pictures sooner than later. my basic info is: 5'8", brown hair, white, about 150 lbs.
• I want to voice chat / video chat using discord at some point but we can start with text first.

for a brief overview of myself, I am a typical computer nerd that likes tech a lot. I like to learn about tech-related things such as programming and linux. I also like watching anime / movies / tv shows / youtube / playing video games / 3d printing / playing board games / making art such as vector art / 3d art / pixel art / drawings / paintings / hiking / bike riding / fishing / and snowboarding. I am mostly a homebody but I do a few things outside with other people from time to time.
If this post piqued your interest and you would like to get to know me better, then you should reach out. I am looking forward to meeting you.

I am looking for the love of my life. someone who will truly love me for who I am. someone who wants to work through our differences and issues together. someone who values commitment, communication, adaptability, loyalty, and honesty as much as I do. someone who wants to put in as much effort as I do. someone I can love back just as much because when I love someone, I really love them.
I don't expect us to have all of the same interests and we should have some different ones so that we can learn from each other. what matters most to me is that we have similar core values and relationship goals. I do still have my preferences and those are:

• I don't do drugs or smoke.
• I don't drink alcohol. I would prefer if you didn't but it is not a deal breaker.
• I would like to have kids one day. I don't have any kids of my own yet and expect the same from you.
• I am not a pet person. I am also allergic to cats.
• I am not political at all.
• I am a christian and am looking for someone who shares the same faith.
• I am only looking inside of the USA but I would be willing to relocate anywhere in the country for the right person.
• I am looking for someone between the ages of 25-30.
• I am looking for a woman who is single and wants to stay together forever.
• I would like to swap pictures sooner than later. my basic info is: 5'8", brown hair, white, about 150 lbs.
• I want to voice chat / video chat using discord at some point but we can start with text first.

for a brief overview of myself, I am a typical computer nerd that likes tech a lot. I like to learn about tech-related things such as programming and linux. I also like watching anime / movies / tv shows / youtube / playing video games / 3d printing / playing board games / making art such as vector art / 3d art / pixel art / drawings / paintings / hiking / bike riding / fishing / and snowboarding. I am mostly a homebody but I do a few things outside with other people from time to time.
If this post piqued your interest and you would like to get to know me better, then you should reach out. I am looking forward to meeting you.

• Brief description: England, 900 AD, In this story we meet an arab physician in exile from Cordoba who encounters a small lordship in dark ages Europe with a problem. The king's son has died of a mysterious illness and he has requisitioned our physician to uncover the cause of his death, whether intentional or something supernatural. The story is told in both prose and recollections from the phsyician's journals, all beneath the gaze of a unidentified narrator of sorts who is sifting through these texts in modern day, piecing together the story.

Similar to: Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton, Between Two Fires by Christopher Beuhlman, The Walking Drum by Louis LAmour

• Goal: Honest feedback on the writing, as well as the plot itself. This was a project written in a feverish week spent haphazardly researching the time period and I'd eventually like to expand it into a full novel, while also making sure it is more historically accurate.
• I'm flexible with my timeframe, but would love feedback on the whole thing, or even the first half if that is easier.
• If you're interested, send me a message or reply to this post! I'd be willing to swap manuscripts as well. Thank you!

This is my first post here, so I apologize if it is not formatted 100% right.
EXCERPT:
The wagon bucked and trundled up the road with a dreary kind of determination. Ibn Hasan rode in the back, shrouded in a dark cloak and containing enough vomit to cake the road but somehow holding it within himself out of love for the wagons following. He stared bleakly through bloodshot eyes up at the grey smote sky.
How is it I find myself here? Twelve hundred miles from the light of civilization? Amongst the pale Northmen and their dead or dying lands?
He gave in to the need to vomit, stretched himself over the side of the wagon, and emptied his bowels.
It was the most satisfying feeling he’d experienced in months.
The guardsmen saw him, the great physician so knowledgeable and wise, and laughed, rattling their plate.
Ibn Hasan watched them with rheumy eyes, and despaired.
The countryside was indeed devoid of all signs of life.
Sometimes cook fires of brigands and outlaws lit the late evening dusk like fireflies. They were steered away from, and not spoken of. The distant horizon provided no light to steer towards, so for all Hasan knew they were going in some drunken haze of direction, soon –or perhaps never– to arrive.
Murky green, rolling hills gave way to bogs and marshes unfit for wagon travel. That’s when the caravan would stop and break up into tiny camps strung together loosely by the smoke of cookfire, and the sounds of separate conversations.
Hasan stared into his cups with a sense of dread. Like most nights, the two cups greeted him as soon as his unpacking duties were finished. One cup of thin gruel, floated with earth grubs, and another of cold wine, three parts distilled water.
From his cups Hasan looked up past the tent tops of their small camp and into the array of stars above. He named what constellations he could see, comforted that they were the same that Al-Razir had shown him as a boy, in far-off Cordoba.
See the rear foot of the lion? Then the crab -no…follow his carapace, and there - the pincers. See the shepherd over all, and his lost sheep.
Al-Razir would paint the night sky with his hands while Ibn Hasan, only a boy of twelve, peered closely and tried to imagine his destiny.
There are all things greater than heaven and earth. Al-Razir was fond of saying. But perhaps between the two are the stars and they are greater still.
Even in the lone wastes of England, Hasan thought the blanket of stars Al-Razir had cast over him those nights followed him still. Forever visible in every season, baring the intrusion of fog and clouds. He found himself smiling and drank half his dull wine, then the entiriety of the gruel. This erased his smile. Then he chased it with the rest of the wine, barely a finger. He wanted to fling his cups into the fire but alas, there were no more cups to be found.
The Caliph spares no expense in outfitting his journeymen. He thought fouly. The riches of Al Hakaam II are incomparable, in that he parades like a prince while having empty pockets.
Hasan echoed the knowledge that most men in his company had known for years. Some of the hired guards had been living this life for almost a decade, and somehow always returned to Cordoba, even if their scholarly charges did not.
Even these hardened veterans had been surprised when after a week of lavish bread and salted meat, copious strong wine and enough to feed both horses and men, they had uncovered the second layer of casks in their provisions.
One of the veterans had told Ibn Hasan:
“It used to be we ate like kings on the way out, and then, on the way back, like beggars. Rich beggars but still….”
It seemed that now the Caliph’s pockets were not only hollow, but holed as well.
Hasan slept his nights in the comfort of his one prized possession; the sleeping hide made from Andalusian sheepskin and lined with the warm fur of a wolf. It was a true treasure, and had been gifted to him one night under the Summer Mediterranean moon. This the Summer before his fateful Winter departure.
At the time he had known he was to leave –or be banished, more like– for weeks. The letter that had summoned him to the lower garden grove that night had come as a scrap of paper beneath his soup bowl. He had eaten the soup until the other physicians had fallen asleep then removed the scrap and lifted it to his nose even before reading it.
Peppermint and clove….and something sweeter. The scrap had been warmed by the soup and made more fragrant.
Meet me beneath the fountain
where fish die
a silvery death
each night reborn again
He escaped the academy three nights later, beneath a full moon. His path took him into the streets, beneath walkways and hanging lamps. He hid his face with the cloak he’d bought from a beggar the day before.
He found the fountain after scaling the low wall around the compound of the Caliph’s uncle. The fountain bubbled soft crystalline water into the pool where the full moon danced like the women with bared stomachs in court. He watched the fish swim about madly in the unexpected light, thinking it was day at this impossible hour. Hasan was still breathing hard from his climb when she appeared like a phantom beneath the hanging flowers.
She uttered his name, and his soul felt like the pool of moon-crazed fish. His heart was alight with wild, unexpected power.
He met her and held her, at first cautious, then stronger at the urging of her own hands. He pulled her to him and as far as shadows were concerned they were one.
Their hands and lips moved secretly in the dark before they pulled apart just enough to see each other's dim outline.
“When they make my sins public," Hasan began. "I will take every effort to keep them from learning your name. You will not face the consequences with me, I will not allow it."
"What sins?” She admonished him. “You are to be glorified, not punished –I have seen to it.”
It was already widely held knowledge that one of the high physicians had been caught with one of the Caliph’s many nieces. The identity of which niece, however, was not known. Not even to the caliphate himself.
Even in his many journals on the subject of his secret lover, Ibn Hasan never discloses the name of the Caliph’s niece with whom he had become entangled. To this day, her identity is a mystery.
"But how?" Hasan blubbered. "Your uncle knows it was me who was caught leaving the chambers that night…"
"Yes. Unfortunately so. But he wants my name from your lips. And he is willing to torture to get it. All week I have been pleading for help amongst the more discreet members of court. And some of which advise the Caliph directly. He is going to make you one of his grand sojourners. He is going to send you on a mission of great import to the east.”
Hasan took a step back. "No… To leave you here…"
She followed his step, bringing them further into the moonlight and casting her face in the iridescent glow. “You were always going to have to leave me, my beloved. I would rather it be as a freeman to the east than in the dungeons beneath my feet."
Hasan took another step back. "But to go on one of the academic journeys… Many never return. Many of my peers have simply vanished in the wild lands of the barbarians.”
Again, she followed his step until they stood side-by-side with the fountain pool. It was as if they were conducting some slow dance in the moonlight. "If all goes to my plan… You will never return to the west."
He was silent.
“In the far east, in Asyria, my cousin owns a small villa ran only by his sons. They are drunkards, and hate the Caliph for stealing the throne and casting them back. They hold no love for my uncle. If I can arrange passage for you, you could go and live on that villa…tend the vineyards as one of the workers… And I could visit my cousin… who will know I am really there to see you."
He uttered her name, making it sound like a moan, a prayer. “And if I die before I get there…?"
She reached out and touched his cheek with her slender hand. Her eyes –naked now in the glow– held him fast.
“I will pray every day for your survival and safety.”
It did not take Hasan long to realize this was his only chance. The Caliph wanted the name of his beloved, and at some lucky wise counsel, had abandoned torture and instead hoped that by sending Hasan out into the wilderness on one of his buffoon expeditions to spread knowledge, he would be able to bring him back broken. Broken and willing to give up the name he held so dearly.
But if Hasan broke free in some place where the caliph had no power…
There in the dark night of an English gloom, Hasan studied the few stars and thought of his beloved. He pictured the vineyards in Syria, and the touch of her lips, secret and welcome in the shade of another sun.
He slept soundly in the warm hide, which she had slept in for a month, to imbue her scent into its very fiber.
All these long months and longer roads later, it still had just a little of her left in it.

I hit 1000 hours on 4/25.
Other posts: 600 Hours 300 Hours
It feels amazing to see four digits. Back when I had hit 600, I was a little tired at first and thought, no rush, I’ll keep steady with my two-hour goal and get there by summer. But as I got closer, I was doing more and more each day. After hitting about 900 hours and switching to advanced videos, the hours added up quickly.
Looking back at my four goals from my level 5 update, 1-2 are complete and 3 is set up. 4 is a fall goal that I seem to be on track for. Goal one was 700 by January, which I accomplished. Goal two was 1000 by June or a stretch goal of April and I hit the stretch goal! Goal three is to speak a lot during the summer vacation. I have about one speaking class per week set up right now, starting today, and am working on setting up a 7-10 day trip to LATAM to do some volunteer work so I can practice using Spanish vs. just taking a vacation when it can be easier to not use Spanish as much.
During the phase of 600-800 hours I spent my time mostly in intermediate DS and binge listened to How to Spanish podcast (I tend to take the approach of input being easier, so harder things were accessible, but prefer to stay lower until it gets boring). I also watched the first season on La Casa De Flores on Netflix. It was a little difficult, but I could follow the story. There were just some little things here and there I’m sure I missed. I watched without subs of any kind, not even Spanish, and overall it was fine. I haven't tried the second season and don’t know if I will because while it was interesting, it isn’t necessarily something I think I’d like. I’d prefer more story and less everyone sleeping with everyone else. So I may look for some other thing to watch at some point, but am busy for about one more month until the school year ends (I’m a teacher, not a student, I’m old…ok, not really, just 31).
At some point after 800 hours and as I approached 900 hours I finished previous podcasts and started No Hay Tos. I think their podcast is a little harder than How to Spanish as they speak a bit faster and more casually, but I enjoyed it. I did skip over all the special episodes though as I found they just used a lot of English to explain these words and phrases, so I’ve been sticking to regular episodes. I did tire of it though and have listened to a few over the past 100 hours, but am not binging it anymore. I also listened to half of the episodes of El Oso Latino. I think the speaker is very fun, but there is so much music in there and the chronicas del gringo section is so cringy, I couldn’t finish it. The second speaker learned Spanish and overall he sounds fine, but the way he pronounces the “r” sounds like he is choking or something and I can’t take the sound. It felt like it wasn’t the best use of the little time I had each day for input. But if one wants Peruvian input, it’s only 26 episodes and not active anymore, so could be interesting. I ended up switching to a native podcast Qué Cacao, which is great as she speaks very clearly and her voice is very calming. During the last 50 hours or so, I’ve use my commute to listen to Se Habla Español, which I had tried last year when I had like 300 hours and it was way too difficult. Now it is easy and it’s fun to listen to clips from famous people and I think I may be learning a lot of names of actors, writers, etc. It is Spain content. I don’t strictly adhere to a certain accent, even though I’d prefer Mexican because most of the people I work with that I want to interact in Spanish with come from Mexico. I just follow what’s interesting and accessible.
With Dreaming Spanish, as I was getting closer to 900 I found intermediate had started to become boring for me. There weren’t too many new topics that stood out and made me want to watch and I felt like I wasted time scrolling. So I just looked up the rest of Pablo’s stories, which had always been hard for me, and I watched the rest. I was about 50/50 with getting the ending or not. I would always understand the main story, but sometimes he would say the ending and I’d think “Wait, what?” Other times I’d be able to see it coming. Then I switched to advanced and it was a game changer! My interest grew and I’ve spent basically all of the time minus driving on DS instead of podcasts or other things because there are SO MANY more interesting videos in advanced. There are some that are a little hard to understand, so I did sort by easy for a bit, but now it seems like most are fine. Occasionally if one is hard, I just stop and know I’ll come back to it later. The nice thing about advanced as well is that I have been able to use many like a podcast (I do have the premium podcast feed) so I can use those with my commute as well since the majority don’t rely on having images.
From 900 to now, these are some native youtube channels I’ve come across, mostly just popped up in recommended, that I’ve been enjoying and are comfortable for me: Cocinando Corea, Mila, Anita Mateu, News channels like BBC News Mundo and France 24 en Español, Nekijitablog
I have multiple others saved, but haven’t had the time to watch any videos to know the level.
As I moved from 600 to 1000 I think I went through times, like most intermediate learners, where I felt like I was comfortable listening and understood a lot, then times where it felt like I had so much more to learn and it was difficult. But I would say the most noticeable difference in feeling much more comfortable was somewhere around 900. That’s when it felt like I actually had a chance to speak and understand well by 1000. So if you’re in the 800s feeling doubtful, wait for the 900s and it may feel better. Of course, every person has unique circumstances that may put them a little ahead or behind, so patience in general because it will come in time. It’s wild to me to think that a little over a year ago I struggled with super beginner videos, but now I understand when native speakers talk to me and I can watch native content and follow along compared to the failures I felt over a decade ago with 3 years of being one of the “best” students in high school Spanish classes but not being able to speak or understand when I went to a trip in Mexico and later on with Korean, being so slow and choppy when trying to speak, both done with traditional grammar study to learn instead of acquire.
Reading since 950
At about 950 hours I decided I would start reading. I started by switching my phone over to Spanish. This has been fine. I think there was only once where I felt uncertain and moved to my desktop, but 99% of the time it’s fine. Using the phone in Spanish even helped with a word that has been standing out to me but haven’t quite figured the meaning. Then I saw it on my phone and thought, That’s the word! So I knew in at least one context of the meaning. I have a couple books, but haven’t really been able to get to them as much as I would have liked because I’ve just been hyper focused on the input to hit 1000. But I have read two of the stories from Olly Richards Short Stories in Spanish (I had bought it over a year ago before DS). The first story was easy, the second a little harder, but I followed the story fine. I don’t know that I’d say it was the ideal 98% or higher known words as Beniko Mason’s research shows is ideal, but working with what I have to get started. I also found Hábitos Atómicos at my library. I’ve read and I own the book in English, so I thought why not. I was planning to finish the short stories book first then read it, but now someone else put it on hold, so I’ve read the intro and first chapter. I’ll have to return it to the library tomorrow, so I’ll try to read a few more pages, then may try to put it on hold myself to get again in a month or so. I was surprised that it wasn’t super difficult. Again, a fair amount of unknown words, but having read it before I think helped. Many libraries where I live do have Spanish sections in both adults and kids so I may see if there are some middle grade novels in Spanish to try and read and see how those go. It’s easy to find picture books, but would like to find something with a bit of length. That’s maybe the downside to the short stories book is that each story is just three chapters or about 10-15 pages max. With reading so far, I’ve noticed it’s like when I had around 300 hours and when I would try to listen to more than 2 hours a day, my brain was just tired. It’s like that with reading. I don’t have the stamina to keep reading for a long time, but I’m sure it will grow quickly as I read more. I wonder if it would be less noticeable if I find a middle grade novel to read where I can get into a story and follow characters for a longer time. Long term, I will track my number of words read, first goal being 1 million words, then hitting 3 million. After that point I wouldn’t bother to count my words. I only plan to track as I finish a book then record how many words it was roughly.
Speaking at 1000 hours
Yesterday I had my first conversation in Spanish. In the past year I’ve had some crosstalk experience, but not as much I would have liked. It’s just been difficult to schedule with my work and family life. Yesterday I was nervous, but in the days leading up to it, I had sentences and mini conversations in my head about what I could say and was surprised that I could pretty easily come up with sentences. When I actually spoke I don’t know that it was as fluid as it was in my head, but I was able to have a conversation for 45 minutes. It was with a tutor that I had not met before so we didn’t know anything about each other. I would say I failed to ask any questions. I think I was pretty nervous and mostly was just trying to explain my ideas. As a person that loves to talk a lot in English, it was difficult in that I couldn’t say exactly what I wanted to say or talk at the speed I usually do. There were certainly words that I couldn’t figure out what to use, but could talk my way around them for the most part. Sometimes I tried explaining and then paused to avoid trying to say something in English because that was a bad habit I had as a language learner in the past. So I am happy to say I only said an English word once. I don’t even remember what it was I couldn’t say. Realized I was trying to use a lot of different verbs and she said, just use “fui” you don’t need to use all those other verbs, using a form of “ir” is way easier. I did record the conversation, so sometime I’ll try to listen back and see how it seemed. The tutor said at the end that my pronunciation was very good and I didn’t have a gringo accent (yay!). I think she was being overly nice when she said she wouldn’t have been able to tell I was a native English speaker, because I noticed some words that sounded funny to my ear. She thought overall my speaking was pretty good and I only made some small mistakes here and there. Some of them I noticed right after as well, so I am curious to compare speaking the first time to after speaking for 10 hours. I feel like it will get better quickly as the nervousness of never speaking before wears off. Like at first, in my head there was a little anxiety about the “rs” but later when I was more comfortable the words spilled out more easily. What I will say is that my brain was focused on just saying what I wanted to say even if I had to find away around the word and NOT on thinking about the grammar and how to form a sentence like was always my struggle with Korean. Occasionally got stuck on a verb conjugation, so then I just said it in the infinitive if I didn’t really know so that I could keep talking.
I plan to track my speaking hours separately from my input so I have a little spreadsheet I’ve started to track the hours. Not sure how long I’d track and may not bother to record every conversation, but maybe more like classes, just to have a little data on changes I notice at 10 hours, 50 hours, 100 hours, etc. because I am interested in applying this method to other languages in the future and implement changes to language learning in schools in America, so I believe data will be helpful, even if it is anecdotal. It can be a jumping off point if I ever do get into a doctoral program and try to do some real research.
2024 Plans and Goals

1. Have conversations in Spanish at least once a week through summer and convince my many bilingual friends to talk to me in Spanish instead of English.
2. Travel to LATAM this summer (country to be determined soon).
3. In fall, be comfortable conversing with new students to my ESL classes in Spanish when explaining how I run classes.
4. 1250 hours by fall, 1500 by the end of the year. This is pretty conservative and I have currently dropped my daily goal from 120 min to 60 min, but expect to go over that most days. I just want to give myself room to take a break now and then and have time for reading and speaking.

Reflecting on the Roadmap at Level 6
If I look back to level 5, I would say with speaking, it sounds spot on with what I can do at level 5, which makes sense if I think about how level 6 is the largest span, with 500 hours from beginning to end so it makes sense that I can’t say right now that I am “conversationally fluent.” I think I would need more time with conversation before I could accurate reflect on this. With the one conversation I have had as of now, I would say what level 5 says fits me, so I look forward to at some point in level 6 hit this “conversationally fluent” ability where I can pretty much say what I need. I would say in terms of listening, however, I would be fine. I imagine I could be part of a conversation where I occasionally give some input, but am more of a listener in the situation. I have no trouble listening to speakers say something to me minus an odd word here or there. Funny, I just typed that and read the “what you are learning” section and is says “You may find the odd common word that you haven’t learned yet…” so I guess that’s true! I will certainly focus on the “what I need to do” section with lots of authentic media, listening, reading, and trying to make friends in Spanish. I’ve felt the roadmap has been pretty accurate for me and imagine as I work through level six I will feel the same.

So the events of Nikke are unfolding in the southwest U.S./Texas I think. back during 1st anniversary there were posts wondering where Nikke took place with posts about Legendary Commander's uniform/attire, etc etc.
I'm slow catching up in the campaign, but unless there's a reveal in Ch.28-30 about where we're located, in Ch. 27 which is Red Hood's home town, I think its safe to say the story is taking place in the U.S..,at least if we hold onto doubt, our best guess is it is the U.S.
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(at the same time, there are many things in the game, like stage battle scenery that would contradict the following and I'm sure there's many more things as well. I'm gonna have some fun looking into this anyways being bored. Lastly, enjoy Nikke how you want to interpret it, this post is not here to replace YOUR imagination or preference. Its just a bit of fun speculating).
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Art by Gloomyowl
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Novel cap on, let's dive in to my boredom:
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CHAPTER 27
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Famous Route 66
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Speed Limit sign mimics U.S. posted speed limit sign & in English. the buildings and the farm windmills are stereotypical.
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Many countries put their telephone lines underground. The U.S. however is littered with them above ground like this telephone pole & a french fry ad for what appears to be $1 - we Americans love our fries. english lettering.
Route 66
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THE LAST KINGDOM 1.5
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Newman's Castle - Tourist destination in Bellville, TX. Closest castle I could find resembling the place Crown & Chime call home. It has a body of water (moat) that resembles an island. The towers look like the ones in the game(not pointy like Disney lmao). This one matches the description given by Chime the most from among castle pictures I could find and vs the in game art.
Newman's Castle video (for if you're bored):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WYqWTcfeBY
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Newman's Castle, 1 hr outside Houston.
The Ark might be located near the metroplex (DFW, TX) or San Antonio, TX (Houston/Austin is too close), but its anyone's guess.
Pioneer squad shared it would take 1 week by foot to deliver Marian to Crown & Chime.
That's about 20 miles a day with breaks walking (140 miles a week) & Nikkes can cover more, but they did stop and sleep. Being they are Nikkes they probably covered more ground and
- DFW, TX is about 230 miles north of Newman's Castle. (8.1 mil metro pop.)
- San Antonio is about 160 miles west of Newman's Castle. (2.7 mil metro pop.)
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The Pilgrims commute by foot, so it is safe to say the locale is within the U.S.. Snow White walking among snowy mountains in the PV(installation update screen) could be the Sandia Mountains or the Rocky Mountains which also could fit, however, is much further away by foot.
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Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque, New Mexico. One of the most beautiful natural backdrops you wake up to see every morning btw.
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Major Mountain ranges in the U.S.
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RED ASH 1.0
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Oswald operates a vehicle, driver-side being left. that rules out England & Japan among others more than likely. important thing to note, South Korea uses mostly left-side steering wheel vehicles like the U.S.
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Red Hood's mixtape includes 3 country songs she likes. This sound is unmistakably American & is country music.
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https://preview.redd.it/m0yy7v1oaaxc1.png?width=784&format=png&auto=webp&s=04266302dad7f157969e21879295e7ac8baed640
https://preview.redd.it/i25w9wsqaaxc1.png?width=764&format=png&auto=webp&s=80effa3fa6552a2c7046ed2346ee89d027073cc4
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Hope you enjoyed my sleuthing skills and this breakdown.
Oh you fell asleep? I would too.
Have a great weekend and happy 1.5!
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\"zzz....zzz...huh?\"
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I got banned from Lemmy servers for "CSAM" all because of this: the Napalm Girl pic and another thing I saw on Inside Edition's channel in addition to some nude statures - literally artwork of naked people - all because I was trying to protest the inconsistencies of censorship towards the female human - regardless of their race and age!
Let me be clear on one thing: I didn't post any "CSAM" on the Lemmy servers! I'm protesting something that I feel is unfair towards the female human.
~Please actually watch these before jumping to conclusions so you can actually understand what I’m really protesting!~
Women Who Were Told Their Outfits Were ‘Too Revealing’
Mom Says She Was Kicked Out of Gym For Revealing Tank Top: I Felt Humiliated
Cops Dragged Woman Off Beach After Complaint About Her Bikini
It’s one thing to say a girl’s outfit or body is “too revealing”,
Teens React After Yearbook Photos Are ‘Modesty Edited’
it’s two things to photoshop out a girl’s cleavage to make her look “modest” for a yearbook or a portrait!
9-Year-Old Saves Family From House Fire (you'll need to find this on YouTube yourself)
But censoring a topless preteen girl who thought up an ingenious strategy to stay cool like her friends in the same stuffy room while at the same time not caring who’s around her? THAT’S REALLY CROSSING THE LINE!
It's all thanks to some videos from Inside Edition's YouTube Channel.All these videos Inside Edition posted are developing a question in my mind that's getting the better of me: ~why so much hate on the female human - even as children?~ Like, why do they censor the little girl's chest? Can't anybody learn to appreciate the appearance of the female body?
And ~what's the big deal with nipples?~ I'm just trying to ensure everyone is treated equally regardless of race, and gender... AND age (after what I just witnessed). And if no one's gonna speak up about this, I might as well step up to the plate. After all, somebody's got to do it!
That little girl in the final video made two non-verbal messages clear: one: if a boy can do it, then so can a girl! And two: no one is too young for anything! As long as you have the knowledge capacity and I.Q level to do it properly and safely, you'll be fine. I was able to refuel my dad's car and cook my own dinner when I was 6 and without setting anything ablaze by accident.
However, when I try to illustrate with that video, even though Inside Edition is an official news channel, the responses I get back are rather ~bitter!~ They remove my post or ban me from the sites I post on for "promoting nudity involving a minor"!
~WHERE~
~CAN~
~I~
~ASK~
~OR~
~SHARE~
~THIS~
~SUBJECT?!~
Due to my autism, I only know basic English. So I need to illustrate to get most of my messages through. I thought hard, I tried, and low and behold, they were removed hours later mainly because they "didn't fit the subject of the forum". Even though my multi-subject based thread does have some material relating to this forum's topic. These sites and mods are all really stretching my problem solving skills beyond the breaking point for this one. I'm merely protesting with these pictures and videos as illustration. I'm not that good with words, so I need pictures to get half my messages across as noted above.
Many subreddits or forum sites don’t accept URLs, pictures, specific website URLs, or even a combination! Thereby hindering my ability to fully explain what I’m witnessing! In this case, the sentences “It’s one thing to say a girl’s outfit is ‘too revealing’, it’s two things to photoshop out a girl’s cleavage to make her look ‘modest’ for a yearbook.” actually corresponded to several videos I beared witness to on Inside Edition’s YouTube channel.
I actually tried to post that URL with that blurred 9yo girl in a subreddit in the past and you won’t believe this: I actually lost my reddit account for 2 days for “promoting nudity involving a minor”! Other sites like the adult video forums who accept uncensored nudity-based images I mentioned just delete my thread! Another site I recall banned me for 1 year for “spam” - even though I only made this protest post twice (after they removed it once).
So that meant I had to approach this from a different angle: after that experience, I got a little paranoid from using that said video URL to illustrate. So I tried explaining this protest without the URLs - and this is in conjunction with certain sites restricting my ability to post images, URLs, certain site URLs, or a combination. It seemed to end up making things worse! Because without the visual evidence, it makes it much harder to fully explain what I’m witnessing.
So without the URLs included - that visual illustration, on the sites I tried along with Lemmy World, it actually made things worse! That’s what lead Lemmy.World mods to ban me for life for “CSAM” or made other people think I watched child porn when I clearly didn’t. The lack of visual evidence (due to my past reddit experience combined with the site’s posting restrictions) is what lead to this “pedophile” confusion. So please help me talk some sense into the Lemmings world, Lemmy.ml, and Lemmy.world mods that this was all a major misunderstanding and Lemmy is pretty much the only reddit alternative out here where I can try asking another question. My attempt to appeal has failed on 3 sites - even after I tried notifying the mods on the third Lemmy server site before making the post, so I need your help now!
I felt after Inside Edition uploaded that blurred 9yo girl video… I thought to myself “That’s the last straw!” Someone needs to protest these absurd censorship laws that they apply to the female human!
Why can males show most of their body but females can’t? - In most cases that is? Whatever happened to "Free The Nipple"?
Children should have the same… rights to do things as any adult! It’s about possessing the knowledge capacity and I.Q level to safely execute this action. E.G, on those “Family Day” episodes of The Price is Right and Let’s Make a Deal; those kids made smart choices when picking the correct numbers to items to win a prize.
I’m not joking around here! This type of treatment towards the female human needs to stop - this includes race and age. - It’s like racist people, but in age form.
Does it look like I’m laughing for fun? Of course not! Since no one else is protesting this, and YouTube has a flawed comment moderating system hindering my ability to post on even random videos (I.E, "ghosting"), I have to take more drastic measures to protest by stepping up to the plate and shouting out “Can’t we all be equal in terms of a huge variety of traits?” Yeah, the last thing I need is a vein-bleeding broken-record robot impeding or hindering my ability to seek answers to a question!
We need to learn to appreciate or accept how the female body appears regardless of race and age! Stop trying to blame it all on me! None of the stuff in the vids posted, is that. If it was, Inside Edition would be the guilty party, and Youtube for not having already deleted them. If it doesn’t violate Youtube’s TOS, it should be fine to post anywhere. If there was even a hint of impropriety to it, at the minimum the vid would have been age restricted.
No one would answer! Not even Inside Edition themselves were willing to offer an answer when I even found their email address, the sites dedicated to helping those in mental, suicidal, or emotional distress (those forum sites even PERMA-banned me for "spam" - that's right, SPAM! (Even though ~there was absolutely no mention of a permanent ban or rule about "spam" in their forum guidelines!~) Is that the definition of "spam" when I make a bad thread only once?! And when I try to appeal the ban, the same message "please contact the administrator if it was done in error" is blocking my ability to click the contact button! Or sometimes it's a blank white page with that message in the top left corner of the window! - Which adds more insult to injury, because I can't click anything as all the buttons have disappeared! That means I can't log out of that site either!), OR the adult video forums that support uncensored nudity images would accept that video link URL let alone the entire topic itself! So ~I really am at a loss for thoughts and words on what I just experienced!~ Heck, I even tried the professional therapists of talkingforchange.ca But even they too were too reluctant to talk as they claim my post regarding the censorship of women is not for their platform and they disconnected the chat 2 seconds after their last reply to me. And I highly doubt that ANY site will allow me to illustrate with a picture of the Napalm Girl (Phan Thi Kim Phuc) when she was 9, certain pictures of Pampers diaper boxes, Leela when she was an infant in the episode Leela's Homeworld, or even Belgium's famous kids: Manneken Pis/Jeanneke Pis. That, combined with ~YouTube having a flawed comment moderating system hindering my ability to post comments on certain-to-random videos (I.E, "ghosting")~, I'm forced to take more drastic measures to get my messages across.
But here's a strange catch: sometimes on some sites, Napalm Girl is censored, other sites she isn't. So I felt that I need to protest this.It seems everyone is too chicken to even start this subject! Don't these numbskulls know not to judge a book by it's cover?! This is where I ask myself "NOW WHAT?!". This can't be one of those "exceptional" cases where they say "suicide never solves anything" doesn't apply to these types of situations. In other words, all hope for resolving these types of situations ~really is lost~. I really do feel left in the dark on both the subject of sound effects and nudity!
Once more, I'm not being a ped, I'm protesting all these absurd censorship rules and regulations that revolve around the female human - regardless of race and age - after what Inside Edition posted. Watch the videos I found again for clarification. In other words, the inconsistencies of female human censorship.
Can you really - you know, hurl insults at Inside Edition or blast them for what they did? It was their idea to publicly publish the footage. Just like how that one photographer made the choice to publicly publish footage of the Napalm Girl when she was 9 and completely nude. Therefore, it should be ok to share this footage anywhere.
But some areas censored Napalm Girl's nipples, but others did not - excluding her groin. Then there's the diaper boxes I found in any supermarket. And finally... Surprise surprise: typical women being scolded by other people for wearing something "inappropriate" or "showing too much of their body". I look around and since no one else is protesting about this, I might as well do it! After all, someone's gotta step up to the plate to hit that ball! I will not sit idling by the sidelines and continue to watch the female human get treated/censored like this! I will step up, stand up, and speak out towards these absurd reactions, rules, and regulations that revolve around the appearance and censorship of the female body!

Welcome to another trip report from my one year stay in Japan. Following up a jampacked November with a relatively quiet and uneventful December and January. As I mentioned at the end of my last report of November, I really needed a break from the almost 4 week long travelling and with both Christmas and New Year coming up, I was looking forward to a bit of downtime...
As per usual, previous reports can be found below:
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9
December
Alas, I did not do any travelling that month. I mostly revisited old spots that I have previously been to during other seasons. My first accommodation was in Hikifune, which I very much enjoyed because I love the area east of the Sumida river. It's just very quiet and relaxing, there aren't many or any major tourist spots here so it's also not crowded and there are a lot of little local shops I was able to check out. Moreover, I had great views of Skytree from the area around my Airbnb. Sumidagawa basically turned into my daily route back "home" and I loved it. Especially in December, when some of the bridges have special illuminations and Skytree itself also has different colour schemes.
I revisited the Kyu-Furukawa Gardens again, this time with more roses in bloom and beautiful fall foliage. Yoyogi Park also still had a couple of great spots at the time, although most trees had already lost all their leaves. Koishikawa Korakuen was INCREDIBLE in my opinion and even roughly a year later when I came back to Japan on vacation, it was still not that packed with people so this might just be a great spot to go to in Tokyo to see fall colours in general. Since it is right next to Tokyo Dome, you can go over there before or after checking out the garden.
Now, one thing Japan does really well is getting you in the Christmas spirit despite people there not really celebrating it. There are illuminations everywhere, Christmas-y music playing, a whole lot of seasonal snacks and what not. It's truly astonishing how good Japan is at ~capitalism~ haha. Unfortunately they are kind of bad at actually bringing over some traditional Christmas food from overseas. As a German, I love Lebkuchen and it's kind of a tradition of mine to just stuff my face with that during Christmas time but I could not find any proper Lebkuchen anywhere except at a Christmas market...
Once again, I had met up with somebody off the aforementioned language learning app and we went to one of those Christmas markets in Hibiya. Of course I had to constantly compare this to a Christmas market in Germany and I guess it was alright. I did finally find some Lebkuchen, albeit at a horrdenous price but well... I just had to get it to get a taste of home. The stalls sold typical, overpriced German food you find at many other "German" markets in Japan throughout the year, as well as mulled wine. It was an okay experience overall but nothing I'd really recommend if you ever find yourself in Japan during Christmas time. We walked around Hibiya and Marunouchi afterwards to check some more illuminations, grabbed dinner and went our separate ways again.
I spent the days leading up to Christmas checking out any leftover illuminations in Tokyo and visiting JoJo World in Shinjuku. On the 24th, I decided to grab some chicken paitan ramen in Ebisu (VERY disappointing) and then waddled over to Odaiba, across the Rainbow Bridge I've had walked across plenty of times at that point. Buildings on Odaiba also had some more festive lighting, as well as the bridge itself! Fireworks were held in the evening, which is why a whole lot of people gathered, taking pictures and videos. At this point, my body had adjusted to Japanese weather so much that I actually felt cold while waiting for the show to start. It probably wasn't even below 10°C, yet my hands were absolutely freezing. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the fireworks, stayed around a bit for clearer pictures of the bridge and then made my way back home.
To be quite honest, this was a bit of a sad Christmas for me! It was the first time I didn't really celebrate it at all and even though I enjoyed the show and the general vibes in Tokyo, nothing can beat Christmas with family.
Spent the next few days just living life until New Year's Eve hit. New Year's in Japan is more like Christmas in the West; fairly quiet, people spend time with their families and visit a shrine (Hatsumode) in the evening. I decided that I wanted to celebrate New Year's at Kanda Myojin, one of the first places I visited on my arrival in June and also one of the 3 big shrines in Tokyo along Sensoji and Meiji Jingu for people to flock to before the "countdown". I had spent most of my day in Akihabara, window shopping, losing money at some claw games, watching new ads being put up on the SEGA buildings (I refuse to call them GiGo) before making my way over to the nearby Kanda Myojin. This is what the street looked like leading up to the shrine about an hour before 12am. The street is basically closed for traffic and they formed multiple lanes for people to line up.
The area in front of the shrine itself had a lot of food stalls, selling chocolate strawberries and bananas, yakisoba, mochi and much more. I went for one of the bananas and I kid you not, there were little to no people in this area at the moment I went up to the stall. When I bought the banana and turned around, there was a line to the shrine all of a sudden and I quickly queued up at the end, asking myself where the hell all the people came from! It was packed but everybody just minded their business, families talking, friends talking, people just having a good time and then it was 11:59pm. The final 10 seconds were counted down by the huge crowd and the New Year welcomed in with cheers before the line moved towards the shrine itself. People threw their 5 yen (I think it was 5...) coins into the box in front of the shrine, prayed and then moved on. I did so too, threw away my change, prayed and then picked up an omikuji which told me I'd have "average" luck in 2023. Could have been worse!
Picked up some yakitori from one of the stalls around, then one mochi bun and decided to call it a night because once again, I was freezing my butt off. On New Year's, some train lines have special trains going past midnight, which I took back to my accommodation and headed to sleep. To be honest, I really enjoyed this celebration more than the one back home. The more reserved celebrations together with the festival atmosphere was a great experience. And that was my December. Mostly boring from a pure travelling perspective but I quite enjoyed it, even if I missed a proper Christmas!
January - Matsumoto
Now, I didn't want to take any big trips in January either because in February, a group of friends (two of which were first timers!) would visit Japan and we had planned a whopping 3 weeks of travel around Japan in that month, so I decided to take a short 2 day trip to Matsumoto in Nagano prefecture. I wanted to see the castle for the longest time and the weather forecast was saying there might be snow, which would have been incredible. From Shinjuku, it's a ~3 hour ride on a Limited Express train and takes you through the mountains in Nagano. Matsumoto itself is surrounded my mountains and the view from my hotel near the station was actually fairly nice. I had grown to love places that had these sort of surroundings.
I had packed some thicker socks and even gloves for this trip as I was already feeling cold in Tokyo despite temperatures not even being that low but Matsumoto was sporting minus degrees Celsius, so I was dreading that part of my stay. Up until this point, Uniqlo's heat tech stuff had served me fairly well. Both the socks and the undershirts were great so I trusted the heat tech gloves would be just as good... but they were not. They did absolutely nothing against the temperatures and I actually felt like my hands were colder with the gloves on lol.
Nevertheless, the main attraction - Matsumoto castle - is not even 10 minutes away from the main station and a small shopping street is located nearby. Nakamachi-dori was the old merchant district and parallel to it, there's a street with lots of small shops and cafes. As always, checking out every little shop isn't really my type of thing so I simply walked through, passed a shrine and then arrived at the castle itself, which is stunning. Unfortunately there was no snow but the castle is still beautiful (and a famous spot especially in Sakura season). As per usual, the inside of the castle has some exhibitions and the top offers a great view of Matsumoto and the aforementioned mountains! Once I checked everything out, I walked back to the station and into the Karaage Center to eat Sanzokuyaki, one of Matsumoto's local dishes. It's chicken thigh or breast marinated in soy sauce and garlic and then coated with potato starch before being deep-fried. It was incredibly delicious and I regret not getting another round of it at some point.
In the mean time, the sun had started to set so I decided to head back to the castle because there was a projection mapping show going on! Unfortunately, pictures can't really show it very well at all but it was definitely worth to watch. Once that was over, I made my way back to the hotel because there isn't really all that much to do in Matsumoto at night.
The next day, I decided to take a little walk around town by just picking random spots on Google Maps. Ended up going to Fukashi shrine and Tsukama shrine. In hindsight, I could have perhaps checked out a little bit more in the town but at the time, I really couldn't find many sights or interesting spots and quickly realised that two full days were a bit too much for Matsumoto. Lunch was ramen at a small local shop. The owner was surprised to see a foreigner come in and he asked me a bunch about my travels! These small interactions with locals in places tourists rarely go to were always a highlight in itself. As just mentioned, I didn't know what else to do so I just checked out the local shopping "mall", gacha'd a bit at an Animate and then just bummed about until the day ended and then proceeded to take the train back to Tokyo the next day.
Tokyo
On the way back, the skies were clear and I could see Fuji from the train even. Didn't expect that but Fuji is always a welcome sight on train rides. Back in Tokyo, I had about a week before my friends would arrive so it was back to checking areas around my Airbnb. Decided to take a walk along a different part of Sumida for once. Random tidbit: went to a CoCo ichi on one of those days, not knowing they had some special prizes going on if you were lucky. Turns out I was very lucky because I got this CoCo ichi spoon on my first try lol.
This month would also mark the last time I met up with a friend I made all the way back in September. We went to a yakiniku place, talked a bit, spent another few hours in Ikebukuro chatting as usual, made some plans to meet up in March once my friends would leave but those plans never came to fruition! I was somewhat used to people randomly dropping all communication, it seemed like that's somewhat the norm with Japanese people who "befriend" foreigners. But this one felt a bit more sad. One could go deeper into this and dig for reasons but that's no use.
I don't have much more for this month so I'll drop a few pictures of the food I ate that I didn't mention somewhere above and that's that.
If you've read my previous reports, this one is probably really boring in comparison, I apologise. That being said - February was packed. My friends came and we travelled the entire month, went to some amazing places with surprise Sakura appearances (yes, in February!) and much more. So look forward to that one!

I've been listening to ThanK you aIMee! a lot because I absolutely love it and it reminds me of Mean on Speak Now, but I don't get a Kim Kardashian focus. Taylor is super specific with her words and story telling and some things just don't add up, but when I found out about a Aimee Mayo, I started to wonder. Maybe this is an unhinged theory, but in my mind it fits the song too well.
TTPD has some of Taylor's most complex lyrics and metaphors and I think this song is saying look, I can be unapologetically myself when I write my music and write my weird lyrics and you should have never shut me down, but thank you because this lyrics are actually what helped me heal - so thank you, Aimee but also f*CK you for not believing in me then. And that is SO relatable.
2 years ago Aimee Mayo's memoir was published and this is an article I found that talks about her working with Taylor Swift. I haven't read the memoir but, is there a possibility that she maybe tried to rewrite her version of what went down. She mentions her here:
You’ve worked with some of the biggest names in country music including Martina McBride, Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, and more. Who has been among your favorite to create music with, and why?
I’ve written with a lot of famous country stars and some pop stars. Ryan Tedder, the lead singer of OneRepublic, blew my mind. We wrote three songs, and all three got recorded. He’s one of the most talented people I’ve ever worked with. In the beginning, I wrote with Taylor Swift a lot. She is an anomaly. We never wrote a hit together, but we did write one of the craziest songs I’ve ever been a part of. I think because we kind of do the same thing- both obsessed with lyrics. We hit it off other ways- decorating diaries.
Also:
I watched Taylor Swift walk away from the biggest label in town because they wouldn’t let her write her songs. They were trying to force her to record songs written by 50-year-old men. I remember standing in my driveway with her, and her mom and her mom said, “this will never work if she doesn’t record her own songs.” Meanwhile, she was 15 and no 15-year-old that I know of had ever written a hit song.
Aimee is credited on both Speak Now OG and Taylor's Version, but I am not sure what songs she co-wrote. I wish I was a better sleuth, but counting on the Swiftie community to dive deeper into the theory. I also do not know why she would capitalize K-I-M... seems like a red herring, but also caused a lot of media waves. This is where I am still a little lost.
I am not sure how to post this, but there is an interview clip on TikTok where Aimee Mayo is talking about some of Taylor's crazy lyrics about Brad Pitt and running over someones foot and being covered in blood
Lyrics:
When I picture my hometown (NASHVILLE) There's a bronze spray-tanned statue of you (Aimee Mayo has won all the big awards like Dolly & Taylor) And a plaque underneath it That threatens to push me down the stairs at our school
And it was always the same searing pain But I dreamed that one day, I could say (this seems to me like she was not famous enough when she was dreaming to say this, when the Kim drama happened she was pretty famous already)
All that time you were throwing punches I was building something And I can't forgive the way you made me feel Screamed, "Fuck you, Aimee" to the night sky As the blood was gushing (Carrie? referenced in Til Brad Pitt comes) But I can't forget the way you made me heal
And it wasn't a fair fight, or a clean kill (A grown adult going against a 15 year old child writer) Each time that Aimee stomped across my grave And then she wrote headlines in the local paper (again bringing up the local aspect and little steps to fame) Laughing at each baby step I'd take
And it was always the same searing pain But I prayed that one day, I could say
All that time you were throwing punches I was building something And I couldn't wait to show you it was real Screamed, "Fuck you, Aimee" to the night sky As the blood was gushing But I can't forget the way you made me heal
Everyone knows that my mother is a saintly woman But she used to say she wished that you were dead (This specific line, seems like a mom defending her child from someone who is really getting to her is at an unfair advantage) I pushed each boulder up the hill Your words are still just ringing in my head, ringing in my head
I wrote a thousand songs that you find uncool (Aimee interview when she is talking about how weird Taylor's songs were and referenced til Brad Pitt comes along song) I built a legacy that you can't undo But when I count the scars, there's a moment of truth That there wouldn't be this if there hadn't been you
And maybe you've reframed it (in her memoir she makes it sound like she always new Taylor was a generational talent and that it was the 50 year old men record execs that were the problem) And in your mind, you never beat my spirit black and blue I don't think you've changed much And so I changed your name and any real defining clues And one day, your kid comes home singing A song that only us two is gonna know is about you 'cause (us two? because they wrote some music together at some point)
All that time you were throwing punches It was all for nothing And our town, it looks so small from way up here (now Taylor is so much bigger than just Nashville) Screamed, "Thank you, Aimee" to the night sky And the stars are stunning 'Cause I can't forget the way you made me heal Everyone knows that my mother is a saintly woman But she used to say she wished that you were dead So I pushed each boulder up that hill Your words were still just ringing in my head, ringing in my head (clearly being at an impressionable age when they met, Aimee's advice on songwriting still affect Taylor)
Thank you, Aimee Thank you, Aimee

File Sequence: <Beginning> -First Contact[10]- -Conclusion- <Legends>
_______________________________
Secret Files: <CoS[1]> -Cos[2]-
Note: Figured it would be "lore-flexible'' to divide the "Tree" into 3 branches; Legends(WP/Side stories that might not be canon), Archives(Main safe route), and Secret Files(Major Spoilers). Also, no intro quotes this time, sorry, i decided to make them only for "serious" chapters.(Besides, i wrote like 20 already.) Also, Lazarus is not around due to internet issues, so, *tsk* im doing it all alone, again...
Oh yeah, I also must congratulate myself with my last chapter. Forget about not receiving any help requests, we managed to remain on 0 comments and -1(if i remove mine) upvotes. And more than 6k people saw the post. Unbelievable... Thats the record! Of lowest score ever possible. You can't repeat it on HFY subreddit, or probably ANY subreddit with at least 2000 followers for that matter. Even if you tried to do so on purpose... Should i drop the writing for real this time? I think im cursed...
...
...
...

Return Of Vanquished

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
/Connected.
/Mellator Matrix Mind.
/SubUnit: AVA-9252002
/Memory Transmission Subject: Woorrrl, emperor of Bloboid empire. Former Grand Admiral of First Blockade of Intergalactic Alliance. Current Chancellor of Intergalactic Senate.
/Time-space: 9 rotations from Black Battle.
/Location: On the way to Gh'urrl.
/Sequence Code: .- .-- ..- -- .- -- -.- --.. -- -... .-
/Transmission in 3...2...1...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We were quiet.
All of us.
Yes, just like that monsters, "Shaders"...
Entire fleet crew was traveling back home, without dropping a word to one another. Of course, as there was really nothing to talk about to begin with. We just blankly looked at our screens and panels, or even freezing our minds at times, looking into one spot.
Around 80 percent of our "first strike" and observation fleet was destroyed. Their remains, or "corpses", as our warrior race likes to name them, was drifting back there, way on the edge of the dead space quadrants. And we probably won't be able to retrieve any of them at all, like we tend to do with broken down or dismantled equipment...
Our remaining ships wasn't in their "blooming" stage either. Some had broken wings, not fully functioning FTL drives and gears, unstable shields that consumed more energy while trying to stabilize themselves and ultimately failing by simply popping due to unbalanced particle voltage, missing few components here and there, and also had empty pockets of hatches, where our "life-probe's" supposed to be stored. Well, thats due to the fact that some of them were deactivated in that skirmish or used to rescue our crew.
Now we were flying across the expanse of space, back to square one(both literally and figuratively), where it all started. Most of our dining and rest rooms were now overcrowded. Since the most of our Escorting Fleets were obliterated, their helmsmen and crew now was aboard the Mothership, cleaning the deck from all this mess or fixing and repairing systems. And oh holy pores, there was things to repair...
The "Scout Fist" alone had 90 percent of it's weapons broken down and melted. It's main turrets were burnt and smoked with fifty or so shades of gray, showing the complete combat incapacity. Mothership's main shield generator occasionally short-wired, making it look like a giant broken lightbulb, or billboard with electricity problems. Only thing that kept us alive is the hull itself, that, thankfully, was only scratched and "drawn" over with that constant laser beams. I really wonder how big of a repairment fees the Alliance will have to pay for all of this...
As for me? I just stood, (well, not really as these black snipers somehow managed to disable most of our gravitational panels as well so we been half walking-half hovering from now on) on the main deck, surrounded with my fellow generals as well as unused engineers on standby. We have to admit, going straight to the enemy was not the wisest idea, and it will cost us. A lot. I doubted that there could be a possible way to confront them. In fact, after seeing how these "Dark Warriors" fought, any direct assault would end up in their favor, leaving us at their mercy. I didn't know what are we going to do now. Just didn't...
The signal light on the panel blinked, indicating the incoming call. I tiredly waved my manipulator and one of the Ewwlian workers, that was not even supposed to be on this ship, nodded and patched it through.
After a longer than usual static, the main screen finally lit up, revealing the all known war hero, Mikik (despite his firm stance, it was a little awkward to loot at as two Tamlite spiders, one Crickzuk praying mantis, and one Shuulma octopus in their suits with "Q" symbol on their uniform tried to fix one of the gravity panels, blowtorching the floor behind his back).
"Greetings, Your Highness..." He tiredly hissed.
"Likewise, Fleetmaster." I replied.
"I'm rather glad to notify that most of our FTL drives have been stabilised and we can increase our speeds at 40 percent."
"Good" i sighed, rubbing my cuirasses below my metal suit "Reroute energy in main engines and increase the collider particles acceleration."
"Yes, Your Highness..." He nodded then turned to his(and not) crew " Activate FTL drives!" With echoes of "Aye aye sir!" and feet (or appendages for some) stamping, the crew trotted to the engines to activate them to their max. With buzzing of hundreds remaining engines, ships are now flew with their "normal" sub-light speeds, cutting the fabric of space even more than before.
We all just took our seats (or fixated the exoskeleton to the floor in my case). Mikik took a sip from his favorite drink and exhaled:
"Finally... I wonder, what we do now?"
"So do i..." i answered. "What i can say for sure however, is that R'ikitiks lost their status of "Strongest warriors in the galaxy", no offence [gentlemen]..."
"None taken." General lizards waved back and gritted their teeth, realizing the full weight of shame in that statement.
"True, true..." Fleetmaster Mikik sighed. "I can't even imagine that walk of shame when we will tell the senate that our 'Scout Fist' failed. Oh, and the panic of society, it's going to be a nightmare..."
"Yeah, but we can't help but tell them." I growled "Everyone must know how much of a danger these "Shaders" possess. We must unite like never before, if we want our people to be safe." I raised my manipulators in determination.
**********
Attention to all personnel. We will arrive in Lura Twins system in half a suuta. Get ready.
**********
Suddenly was announced from main intercom by the tech team.
"Oh well, here we go..." I replied.
When we finally entered the system, i entered the observatory room and opened the main telescope to see one of these twins. What i saw however shocked me to my cores. There wasn't two tropical worlds with all their sands and beach water that most of xenos so liked to swim in. What there was instead is two black spheres with red outlines. The oceans was not even visible. Entire landscape was complete darkness. The center of the planet looked like a red eye, rings of glowing lights surrounded the sides. It looked like that rings you see on the stump of the tree, or cırcles of streets in the center of megapolis. It looked like some eldrich abomination consumed and terraformed it...
Once i shakingly shifted my visors from it, i saw even more horrifying picture; Hundreds, no, thousands of darker than black ellipsoids with different sizes were rotating around it, constructing the rings with their bodies.
Suddenly, few dozen of them flew directly to "Scout Fist". They ignored any fire from the support fleets, their ability to dodge every shot made them look twice as menacing. When they reached the Mothership, they have formed the the ring on semi-perpendicular diagonal from its axes around it, spinning in that slow and scary manner. It did not took long enough as all of our systems roared with alarms from incoming laser rain. We were doomed. For sure this time.
Now the atmosphere depressure alarms joined the party as the giant hole was blown straight in the middle of the main deck, sucking in all of ship's crew members. I felt that my exoskeleton too, was losing its posture and slowly started to slide to that breach.
Oh no...
I quickly grabbed one of the panel slabs and tried my best to hold on it. Unfrotunately, the grounding plates that it was installed on, slowly started to come off of its pocket. Just a few more [seconds] and it will be all gone. One last loud metal gritting and i flew base forward in that breach along with that slab i was holding on, spinning like a propeller in the void of open space.
This. Cannot. BE!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
/[Dream] class memory sequence ended.
/Returning to original sequence.
/Transmission in 3...2...1...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I woke up cold like the side of a freezer. With nearly a roar i jumped from my socket, making a flip, and ended up upside down on the ceiling, clinging to the dim spotlight like a [tick].
"Are you okay?" I heard one of the General R'ikitiks asked as the rest of them looked at me from their rest bunks, woken from all the noise i made.
"I'm fine. It was just a nightmare, sorry..." i guiltily exhaled, looking at the dents on the metal i made with my manipulators. Then i jolted from abrupt and yet so familiar intercom announcment:
************
Attention to all personnel. We will arrive in Lura Twins system in half a suuta. Get ready.
************
"Okay, maybe not!" I exclaimed and quickly hovered(Yes, gravity panels was still an issue) from the cabin.
While i could not believe that this is possible, i still wanted to make sure it was just a stupid dream and not some sort of "forecast". I tried my best to move in this zero gravity and swimmed in the corridors like a [jellyfish] retracting my appendages on the walls and propulsing forward. When i managed to get to the main observation compartment, i rushed to the main telescope, pushing aside the navigation specialist before he even could say "Your Highness?!". When i looked trough it, for real this time, i saw that familiar sand-planet, with all it's glory of that cloud clusters, some craters and that famous river on the equator.
What a relief.
"S-sir?"
I looked at the source of meowling, and saw one of the most recognizable Ewwlians in my fleet, Captain Moor. He stood(as much as one could with gravi-panels working only with 20% output) among the navigation team members, with ears slightly folded on the back of his head. One would think that he supposed to be on one of that drone-carrier frigates, but guess what? Yes, it was abandoned and blew up in the dead space as well. In fact two thirds of Mothership itself was disconnected and left behind as it was broken down and became a dead weight on our engines and energy routes. We were only hanging on the remaining disc of one third of it's former glory, crowding it from the toilets to rest rooms.
"Im fine." i camly replied "Well, not completely but everything is better than it could be..."
The concerns slowly faded away from his muzzle and ears flip back up. Then he asked me once again, flicking his tail:
" E-excuse me sir, shouldn't we start to prepare for the landing?"
"Oh, oh right!" i snapped, remebering all of the duties i have to perform on this now one-wreck-of-a-ship. "Tell everyone to gather on main deck, we need to contact the Lyra-1."
He saluted me with firm tail swing and trotted back in the corridors.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
/Time-skip: {20 human minutes}
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
It was actually painfully long to properly enter the orbit of this planet. Thats due to the fact that our non-FTL thrusters was kinda in "shambles" as well. So here were are, nearly drifting to this choke-point. And, as all strategically important things, it was well defended. Why it's been pointed out? Thats because entire armada came to meet the remains of our expedition.
When these ships swarmed us, we got an immediate signal, hailing us. With my manipulator wave, it was patched through. On the screen was an wery familiar member of molluscoid species:
"What is the meaning of this?! The 'Scout Fist' wasn't supposed to return! Why more than the half of it is GONE?!" the octopus on the other side of the screen exclaimed. " Also my radars only scans like twenty destroyers, where are the remaining, like, five hundred of them?!"
"Calm down Bluufo..." i tiredly responded. " It's gonna be a wery, WERY, long story..."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
/Memory transmission ended.
/Sequence Code: .. --.. -- ..- .-- --.. -- .--. --.- .-.. .-.. -- ...-
/Disconnection...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lifetime - Staked: 865.9u, Profit/Loss: +28.08u, ROI: 3.24%, Parlay Suggestions: 164-63 Dog of the Week: 13-14
2024 - Staked: 218.8u, Profit/Loss: -5.28, ROI: -2.41%
As always, scroll down for UFC 301 Breakdowns. The following is just a recap of last event’s results.
UFC Vegas 91 (PREVIOUS CARD)
Staked: 8.5u
Profit/Loss: -0.29u
Parlay Suggestions: 2-3
Definitely not my best work there, but a testament to why hedging is an important tool to utilise when possible because it bailed me out of some bad bets. Thanks to those early moves, I managed to reduce my losses a lot more, so I’m happy with the overall results despite actually getting most of my bets wrong here. Onama’s ability to hit that reversal from back control was ridiculous, and if Pearce addressed that I think he would have been just fine. Guskov was a nice hit. Nicolau getting flatlined was not.
❌ 2u Matheus Nicolau to Win at -170
✅ 1u Bogdan Guskov to Win at +175 (won +1.75u)
❌ 1u Jonathan Pearce to Win at -140
❌ 1u Jonathan Pearce to Win & Over 1.5 Rounds at +150
❌ 1u Maheshate to Win by KO/TKO at +150
✅ 2u Liang/Petrovic FDGTD & Means/Medic FDGTD at -105 (won +1.9u)
❌ 0.25u Na Liang to Win in Round 1 at +1200
❌ 0.25u Parlay Pieces at +633
✅ Mayes/Machado Arb (won +0.63u)
✅ Silva/Lipski Arb (won +0.93u)
​
UFC 301
We really were spoiled by UFC 299 and UFC 300, because this PPV looks anaemic in comparison. I guess it’s mainly because those events used up some of Brazil’s biggest names (Pereira, Figgy, Moicano, Andrade, Jailton, Marina, Lopes, Burns), and these kinds of cards are always Brazil vs the World (my favourite kind of style of card). I’m still looking forward to it compared to the typical Apex garbage though=, so no complaints from me!
It didn’t take long to realise that this card has been curated to be very Brazilian friendly. I am absolutely not one of these conspiracy theorists who thinks the UFC is rigged, but I think it’s very important when betting to ask yourself WHY this fight was booked (especially for PPVs). The UFC’s business model runs off creating stars and generating hype (the existence of DWCS proves this), so these kind of cards are the perfect opportunity to do that. The matchmakers are literally paid to make decisions on who fights who, so none of this stuff is accidental. If you’re familiar with my history as an MMA Trader, you’ll know that thinking about public perception is where my skills lie, so I’m always excited for PPVs because there’s extra narrative in a lot of the fights.
Let’s get into it!
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Alexandre Pantoja v Steve Erceg
This is a very weird main event. The Flyweight division is starting to fade again, as its top 15 is littered with fighters who have either shown their ceiling is below championship quality, or guys who aren’t active enough to be given title shots. Erceg has managed to bag himself a title shot from 11th in the rankings, despite having only three fights in the company. Aside from fighters coming into the organisation with a strong reputation in combat sports, or women’s divisions, I can’t think of a fighter who has made their way to a title shot quicker than Erceg has in recent years.
Historically, I bet on Pantoja against most opponents because I’ve always been convinced he’s been championship calibre, and has multiple paths to victory every time. I have tried to fade Erceg mostly due to the rapid stepping up in competition, but I also bet him against Costa.
I know there’s a bit of a theme with me being non-committal towards betting on title fights (except Pereira last event, hehe), but I think this is probably an acceptable fight to shrug my shoulders at – purely because of the unknowns regarding Erceg. I don’t really think you can look at his performance against Alessandro Costa or David Dvorak and come away with any conclusion regarding his chances against Pantoja. I guess you could take something from the opening five minutes against Schnell…but that’s still not a great comparison because Schnell’s biggest weakness is still Pantoja’s biggest strength (chin/durability)?
On the flipside, what we do know about Erceg is that some of his best strengths are actually in the areas that Pantoja looks to exploit. The Brazilian is one of the most durable fighters in MMA history, having never been finished in 32 professional bouts – 14 of which took place in the UFC. He weaponizes that by pushing a pace and creating chaos that he knows he can be the more durable fighter in. Aside from that, he’s also got an elite submission game, and his grappling is top notch. His striking certainly isn’t bad either.
But, as I said, that doesn’t sound as much of a nightmare for Erceg as it does for a lot of other guys. Steve’s done most of his work in the UFC on the feet, where he has shown some very impressive durability (and on the regional scene). People also therefore forget that he’s primarily a grappler also, having six submissions on his record. Of course I expect him to be inferior to Pantoja in both areas, but I don’t see him getting steamrolled like Perez, Royval (1) or Schnell did.
So whilst there are still a hell of a lot of unknowns about Erceg, what we do know is enough to predict that this is unlikely to be Pantoja’s most dominant win. If the Brazilian can’t get finishes against an opponent, he has to rely on his minute winning ability. Whilst those are still very good skills (and enough to get the better of Brandon Moreno!), it’s definitely the way he can be exploited the most (a 9-5 record in fights that go the distance, to quantify that belief).
So in short, despite not having much confidence in my line here, I have to grade Pantoja as less of a favourite than the books currently do, but a favourite nonetheless. Erceg’s ceiling is still unknown, but logic would dictate that this is too much too soon. It’s therefore no bet from me on the moneyline, but my belief in Erceg’s durability will obviously lead me to consider the overs in this fight. Not too sure what I expect to see here but if the FGTD is plus money then I’ll probably get involved somehow. Keep an eye on the bet list at the bottom of the post to see what/if I bet.
How I line this fight: Alexandre Pantoja -188 (65%), Steve Erceg +188 (35%)
Bet or pass: I may look at the overs, but the ML is a pass
Prop leans: None
​
Jonathan Martinez v Jose Aldo
Second fight, second non-committal stance, I’m afraid. I know this one is around a pick’em, and I know it’s super interesting…but do any of you train with Jose Aldo or know him personally? If not, I don’t think any of us have even the slightest clue how he’s going to look in the cage after almost two years on the sidelines. Yes, he’s been boxing, which gives some positive signs that he’s still keeping in some sort of shape – but he drew with Jeremy Stephens and beat two guys with combined pro records of 0-9-1. Hardly enough to believe he’ll be as sharp as when he was an active UFC fighter.
Jonathan Martinez on the other hand is eight years younger than Jose Aldo, and in his athletic/career prime. He’s currently riding a six-fight winning streak that includes wins over Said Nurmagomedov and Adrian Yanez. He’s a very well-rounded fighter that uses leg kicks to great effect, as is typical from a Factory X homegrown talent. He’s also been criminally underrated in these last few years after the shock loss to Davey Grant. Dude was -105 against Zviad Lazishvili (who even is that?), and both of the aforementioned wins.
Unfortunately for Martinez, Aldo is not going to lose out to the leg kicking game, instead he may be the one landing the significant leg strikes there. That kind of takes away one of Martinez’s most reliable weapons, which makes this one even more interesting.
Other than that, I genuinely don’t know what more to say. Logic and history tells us that the younger and more conditioned Martinez should win here, but if Aldo manages to find a special Brazilian doctor of some sort, or if he just ends up being fortunate that father time is generous to him, then the Jose Aldo we know and love should confidently beat Jonathan Martinez.
Who wins this fight? I have no idea. Neither do you. That’s why it’s a pick’em. Don’t think about it anymore than that. Just pass and enjoy watching the questions get answered inside the cage.
How I line this fight: No idea.
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None
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Paul Craig v Caio Borralho
Hell yeah, I love it when we get fights like this. Guys I rate very highly and always look to bet, vs guys I think are massively overrated and always look to fade. In case it wasn’t obvious, Craig is the fade and Borralho is the prospect.
I have a lot of love and respect for Paul Craig. He’s long been one of the most successful and inspiring UK fighters – and his fights at various UFC Londons have often been the highlight of the entire events. Also, the man has an exquisite music taste - his walkout song choices always result in me finding new bands and albums to listen to. Thanks for that Paul!
But in terms of in-cage ability…he’s as one dimensional as it gets. His style is pretty much identical to Royce Gracie in the earliest UFC days. He has an elite submission game, but everything else in his skillset is hugely inferior, which will always limit him. Statistically, I rate all of his skills at a 3, but his pure submission game as a 9.
It’s been really fun to see the UFC booking Craig in fights that allow him to show his best work (as opposed to the Volkan Oezdemir fight, which was painful to watch), but MMA is much more complex than sheer submission ability. Against Muniz he was victorious because he was actually the superior striker, and also had the superior cardio that night…but the fight against Brendan Allen showed those limitations again. Going back to those aforementioned skillset rankings, Craig was inferior in every area of MMA, but he was matched or even trumped by Allen’s BJJ too. In short, I knew that Craig had no consistent way of winning that fight, and needed a high variance Hail Mary. I bet Allen quite confidently there.
And that conclusion is the exact same one I come to here. Caio Borralho is actually a severely underrated wrestler, and that is what makes him so great. I have no doubt that his wrestling is superior to Craig’s, which will result in more top control time for the Brazilian. Of course, Caio is an elite BJJ fighter himself, so like Allen and Muniz before him, I’m not worried about Craig’s offence from guard.
So the only other ways I see Craig winning this fight are the same as the Muniz fight, via superior striking or cardio. Right off the bat, I don’t think Craig’s a better striker than Caio (though it’s competitive enough), and the aforementioned wrestling success should stop that from being the story of the fight if Caio approaches the fight intelligently…but the cardio dynamic could be one to be wary of. I personally think the complaints about Caio’s cardio are vastly overdone – he’s won the third round on 11 of the 12 scorecards that has been submitted in his UFC career (if we ignore the point deduction against Omargadzhiev).
Therefore, that leads me to conclude that I think this is a well-booked fight by the UFC, who want to bolster the record and popularity of one of their most interesting Brazilian prospects and get a big win for the home crowd. Craig will give Caio the fight he wants, and he will likely lose in doing so. Caio should win this fight at least 80% of the time, I think…which gives me about 6-7% of value on the -275 price tag I pounced on. As expected, that’s long gone now. That’s a 5u bet for me.
How I line this fight: Paul Craig +400 (20%), Caio Borralho -400 (80%)
Bet or pass: 5u Caio Borralho to Win (-275)
Prop leans: Caio could win this fight in any of the three ways tbh.
​
Anthony Smith v Vitor Petrino
The UFC reward Anthony Smith for his years of warrior spirit, company-first mentality, and his contributions on the UFC analyst bench…with a fight against one of the LHW division’s scariest upcoming prospects. How generous of them. Nonetheless, Smith is still talking crazy in interviews saying he’s close to a title shot with a win here, lol.
Vitor Petrino had one of those questionable records coming into the UFC. People have tried to fade him with Anton Turkalj, Marcin Prachnio, Modestas Bukauskas, and most recently Tyson Pedro. I understood the Modestas one, but the others were ridiculous. I bet Petrino at -250 against Pedro, and I think he definitely justified the price tag there.
Petrino is just so physically imposing. Whether he’s using his wrestling or striking, it just always feels like his opponents are tentative that Petrino’s about to do something explosive and dangerous. It’s been quite impressive seeing him show off his wrestling ability, as most believed him to be a pure striker that would struggle on the ground.
Anthony Smith is a very interesting litmus test for any aspiring top 15’er though, because despite the fact that Smith is very shopworn and clearly a bit mentally muddled (the “you attacked my family” thing against Walker was terrifying and really should not have been glossed over IMO), he is still a very well-rounded martial artist that is respectably skilled everywhere. He can be outgrappled by a safe guard-chilling gameplan, or just by generally being a more powerful striker though, as seen in his multitude of losses in recent years to the likes of Rountree, Walker, Ankalaev, Rakic, and Teixeira.
Those are two routes that Petrino can take, because we’ve already seen him follow those paths on multiple occasions. Whilst that’s clearly enough to deem him the favourite against a clearly declining Smith, this is enough of a step up in competition that I’m not convinced enough by Petrino to get on board with the idea of him being -400. Yes he probably goes and starches Lionheart, but if the finish doesn’t present itself easily then I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see this one turn more competitive than that line indicates. Therefore, -200 to -250 sounds like an appropriate price to me, so it’s no bet.
How I line this fight: Anthony Smith +250 (29%), Vitor Petrino -250 (71%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None
​
Michel Pereira v Ihor Potieria
This is a pretty simple one to break down. Doesn’t surprise me that it kicks off the main card. This fight makes absolutely no sense from a ranking perspective, but it makes all the sense in the world from a narrative and promotional perspective.
Michel Pereira is one of the hardest non-Heavyweight hitters in the UFC. Ihor Potieria is a bang average fighter that is basically being used as a litmus test for a lot of unproven prospects. He’s a very beatable fighter and the perfect sacrificial lamb to get you an easy UFC win on your record. He was originally scheduled to face Shara Bullet Magomedov, who is definitely flavour of the month. Hell, they even tried to use him as a softball for 40 year old Shogun Rua last year!
Potieria’s recent upset win over Robert Bryczek does demonstrate that he’s got SOME life in him though, but there’s a massive difference between Bryczek and Michel Pereira. Potieria isn’t overly interested in shooting for takedowns either, making this even more of a nightmare fight for him.
Another highlight reel KO for Michel Pereira is expected, and I’d be quite surprised if he didn’t get it here. Therefore, I fully expect that prop to be priced at something around the -150 mark, maybe even steeper.
Took some time for the line to come out but -400 sounds about right in my eyes. I decided to combine Pereira with Mateusz Rebecki on next week’s card. -140 for the double.
How I line this fight: Michel Pereira -450 (82%), Ihor Potieria +450 (18%)
Bet or pass: Potentially on the KO, price dependant
Prop leans: See above
​
Joaquim Silva v Drakkar Klose
This was the first bet I made on this card, and I placed it a couple of weeks ago when the line was much closer. I bet Drakkar Klose at -137.
I bet against Drakkar Klose when he faced Joe Solecki last time, and I’m still frustrated by how unlikely that finish was. Klose was definitely looking the inferior fighter there, but a moment of brilliance can be all it takes sometimes.
This one seems pretty cut and dry to me. Klose is a well-rounded fighter whose biggest issue had typically been his lack of finishing ability, but he’s still a very reliable fighter that will work hard for 15 minutes. He’s been in competitive fights with the likes of Beneil Dariush, Marc Diakiese, and Bobby Green in his time, and these bouts have spanned across all different realms of MMA. He’s never really done anything that will blow your hair back (aside from being on the receiving end of that amazing KO by Dariush, and the recent slam of Solecki), but I think that makes him a bit underrated. He’s 36 years old now, but he’s never been the fastest fighter, nor has he had a long and gruesome career.
Joaquim Silva has a similar level of experience, but his UFC record paints a different picture by comparison. The calibre of fighters he has lost two really does vary, but a decision loss to Vinc Pichel, as well as being finished by Ricky Glenn and Nasrat Haqparast, doesn’t really fill someone with confidence.
Silva’s most recent win came against 41-year-old Clay Guida, where he clearly lost a round and honestly could have lost the fight with a couple of adjustments. That fight was a terrible look for the -320 favourite, and to me that was a clear indication that he seems to be on the decline. Klose, by comparison, seems to be operating on a similar enough level to how he has done for most of his UFC career. Yes he has taken a step down in competition lately, but he’s performing as you would expect him to.
Statistically, Silva has a negative strike differential, and most of the key metrics are inferior to Klose as well. There’s every chance that this one turns into a barn burner, which would definitely suit the more dangerous Brazilian...but I fully expect Drakkar Klose to put on a typical 15 minute performance, where he settles down into his pace, and mixes in his superior striking and wrestling to coherently win rounds. It probably won’t be the most entertaining fight we’ve ever seen, but a commanding win is perfect for me. A vintage Drakkar Klose performance.
In terms of the betting line, I had Klose capped at around -200. The -137 available was a steal and I was very keen to take it, but I’d definitely be passing on this fight if I was looking at it for the first time now. Another reason why it’s important to keep track of my bet list at the bottom of each post, as I gave this out when -137 was widely available.
How I line this fight: Drakkar Klose -200 (67%), Joaquim Silva +200 (33%)
Bet or pass: 2u Drakkar Klose to Win (-137)
Prop leans: None
​
Alessandro Costa v Kevin Borjas
Alessandro Costa is a very flawed fighter. Good skills across the board, but the guy’s volume is so, low. I bet against him when he faced Steve Erceg, and that was most of the reason.
He faces Kevin Borjas, who we don’t know much about other than he isn’t as good of a striker than Joshua Van…which doesn’t tell us much at all. He did win a round in that fight, but that’s because Van is a bit of a slow starter and will take some time to get going.
I didn’t do tape on this one because I’m still kind of unsure about Borjas, and the betting line kind of reflects that the books don’t either. He’s a non-committal underdog at +110, where the books think he’s inferior but they don’t believe it with any degree of confidence. That sounds about right to me.
I just hope Costa wins this one so I might get another opportunity to fade him in the future.
How I line this fight: I didn’t tape but it looks about right to me.
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None
​
Dione Barbosa v Ernesta Kareckaite
I lost money on Kareckaite’s DWCS fight, in what was brilliant demonstration of why you really shouldn’t bother betting or researching that show. Ernesta basically followed the blueprint I thought Judice was going to use, almost like I’d gotten the fighters the wrong way around. Super high variance when they’re so green.
And we’ve got more green-ness here. Both women have less than 10 professional fights. Barbosa is a -225 underdog. I’d blindly fade that if you had to bet on this fight. Otherwise I’d leave it alone. Take it as an opportunity to learn more about them for next time.
How I line this fight: Don’t know, didn’t tape
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None
​
Joanderson Brito v Jack Shore
Banger. This is potentially the most exciting fight on the card, as you have to really high skilled grapplers facing off against one another.
I am convinced that Joanderson Brito is quite overrated. He’s so explosive and dangerous, that it actually makes up for some pretty significant flaws. He’s an awful minute winner, and any opponent that is able to stay safe against him is likely going to win on the scorecards. He has bulldozed three opponents in R1, shown a moment of brilliance against Jonathan Pearce, and been out-hustled by Bill Algeo. That shows a 4-1 UFC record, but all I see is a guy who has actually lost more minutes in the UFC cage than he’s won. I think he’s also getting second hand hype because he beat Diego Lopes on DWCS, and that guy is possibly the most exciting prospect in the UFC right now.
So can Jack Shore stay safe here? Well he’s definitely got the grappling to give it a good go. Just like Jonathan Pearce before him, Shore can use his intense wrestling to stay safe from Brito’s striking. Shore also has good BJJ, which makes me feel confident he can avoid Brito’s opportunistic but ultimately low percentage submission from bottom – at least better than Pearce did.
Obviously the striking is where Brito has a big advantage, and his dangerousness will certainly show itself there in the early goings. Shore hasn’t really fought any dangerous strikers in his UFC tenure so far, so it’s kind of hard to say how well he will fare in those striking moments.
This is one of those fights where breaking down the betting line from a probability perspective just results in an uncomfortable feeling, however you spin it. Brito has more ways to win and is somewhat of a fan favourite, so I can understand why he has the minus next to his number. However, I can really easily see the path to victory for Jack Shore, and I don’t think it’s crazy to say he could go out there and look like a -300 favourite. But then if I think about making Shore the favourite I’m immediately thinking about how dangerous Brito is and how he could easily look -300 as well! It’s a mind fuck.
At the end of the day, the line is relatively close at the moment. Shore sits around +125 which, given he hasn’t fought for a year and is going up against the flavour of the month, I guess I’m okay with. If Shore moves to +140 or better, I think I’ll have to play him. I think he could easily do what Jonathan Pearce or Bill Algeo did. Brito is a boogeyman who is half the fighter he’s hyped up to be if he can’t find a finish.
How I line this fight: Joanderson Brito -110 (52%), Jack Shore +110 (48%)
Bet or pass: Pass, for now
Prop leans: Brito ITD probably the best looking prop available, Jack has too many paths
​
Elves Brener v Myktkbek Orolbai
Man, what does Elves Brener have to do to catch a break!? Dude steps into the UFC (possibly on short notice?) and gets a win as a massive underdog against Tukhugov, then pulls off another upset against Guram Kutateladze. His opponent pulls out of his third fight and they give him a guy with a 15-1 record. Now he’s 3-0 and you’d finally think they start to give him the chance to build up some hype…but then they go and book him against Myktkbek Orolbai!
For those who haven’t seen Orolbai’s debut against Uros Medic last year, it was definitely one of the best debuts of 2023. He stuck to the Serbian like glue and, despite some persistent get ups, managed to find the submission relatively easily in what was a dominant performance.
Unfortunately, that fight was so one-sided that we don’t really know anything else about Orolbai at this level, as his other recent bouts took place on LFA against guys with 18-14 and 10-7 records.
With no further relevant info, there are too many gaps to form an opinion on Orolbai. What I will say is that Elves Brener has continued to play spoiler so far in his UFC career and continues to be underrated by the books despite that. Does he deserve to be around +200 here? Only if Orolbai is the real deal.
We will get our answers, but there’s no reason to put money on this fight. Anyone who does is putting blind faith in nine minutes of dominance against a Serbian on the mat…or they’re just chatting shit.
How I line this fight: Impossible to say
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None
​
Jean Silva v William Gomis
On the subject of underrated fighters, William Gomis features in our next bout. The Frenchman has a very underrated style, one that isn’t going to grab all the highlights or get him clamouring for a main event, but it’s still a very useful one inside the cage. He’s well-rounded, has great kicks to compliment a very technical striking style that goes well with his long frame. I was made first aware of Gomis when he dismantled the overhyped Cage Warriors prospect Tobias Harila. He was calm amongst the chaos, and put in a really professional performance that likely got the ball rolling to eventually earn him a UFC contract. The experience from that fight will serve him well here.
He faces Jean Silva, a very explosive Brazilian that trains with Caio Borralho’s Fighting Nerds. We saw him most recently when he obliterated the vastly inferior Westin Wilson – God knows how that kid got asked to come to the UFC. And they’re giving him a third fight. Really is an embarrassing company at this point.
Before that we saw Silva go 15 minutes on DWCS, and his style looks a lot less impressive when he can’t find a finish. There wasn’t much investment in striking fundamentals, everything was a big action with fight ending intentions. That’s all good when you’re fighting Westin Wilson who blocks punches with his face, but what about when you’re facing a talented kickboxer who prioritises defence and range management? I could very easily see Silva hitting air for 15 minutes.
So I think the line is the wrong way around here, and that William Gomis has the potential to win this one quite comfortable if he can play the matador game. Whilst that sounds like I am gearing up to bet him, I’m actually going to pass on this one currently. He’s only at +110 so it’s not like he’s at a clear underdog price, and considering he’s not the explosive fighter that’s going to be chasing the finish and doing the damage, I think he’s got more of a job to do to impress the judges. Furthermore, we are obviously in Brazil where I think the crowd can certainly emphasise the work that Silva does, which may twist the judges’ arm a bit more.
So there’s value on Gomis, but not enough to warrant a bet. It’s a reluctant pass for me. If there’s major line movement I might play Gomis at like +150, but I doubt it goes that far.
How I line this fight: Jean Silva +120 (46%), William Gomis -120 (54%)
Bet or pass: Pass, unless the line moves.
Prop leans: None
​
Karolina Kowalkiewicz v Iasmin Lucindo
If Craig v Borralho was a nice gift for me as a bettor, this is possibly my worst nightmare. I’m probably one of KK’s biggest fans, and Iasmin Lucindo is a prospect I am very high on. I bet on these women pretty much every time I can, and I think I’ve actually won money on both Moneylines and Method of Victorys in every fight they’ve both had since I started posting here.
If you read my stuff every week, you’ll know Karolina is my girl. Genuinely my favourite fighter. But I think this is the wake-up call she and I knew was coming eventually. KK’s resurgence has been such an inspiring journey, from getting absolutely brutalised, struggling badly with her mental health, taking the time off and coming back to string together four wins on the trot. That post-fight interview against Herrig was one of my favorite interview moments in UFC history.
But, having said all that, the UFC have been really kind to her. They’ve given her competitive fights that she is capable of winning if she keeps herself together…but Diana Belbita, Vanessa Demopoulos, Silvana Gomez Suarez, and Felice Herrig are certainly a lower calibre within WMMA who have already shown us their ceiling. Iasmin Lucindo is a completely different fighter.
Lucindo is a prospect, pure and simple. She’s got great striking, and great BJJ. I said when she fought Jauregui in her debut that these two could easily meet again in the top 5 of the division in a few years time, and I think her sophomore performance against Polyana Viana showed that (I bet her quite heavily in that one). Viana’s trash and it was the perfect matchup for her, but there’s reason to believe that this one could be too.
Kowalkiewicz’s resurgence has relied on her fighting opponents that mostly want to strike, and even if not, the wrestling of these women has been at a level she could handle…I don’t expect that to be the case against Lucindo. Iasmin has an advantage in speed, and age/youthfulness as 16 years the junior. We know that plays a massive part in fights, and I expect it to here. Karolina isn’t particularly good on the mat if those takedowns, but we just haven’t seen it for some time. If Lucindo gets top time, I think she probably manouvres her way to a submission with relative ease.
Of course, this one is much more competitive if they choose to strike, as Karolina’s got the right blend of determination, volume, and technique to keep any B grade or lower striker honest over the course of three rounds. Lucindo’s not the most amazing striker I have ever seen, but I also don’t expect her to be outclassed by Kowalkiewicz either. In WMMA, if you don’t have a unique striking style such as power or suffocating pressure (which neither girl has), then there’s only so much you can really do at this level to separate yourself as the superior striker. If they fight 100 rounds on the feet, I wouldn’t expect either woman to win more than 65 of the 100 times.
So that’s the key bit of information when looking at the betting line here. I know Lucindo deserves to be a significant favourite, due to youthfulness and a style that finally doesn’t actually suite her Polish opponent…but Karolina is sound enough to easily make this one competitive. If Lucindo doesn’t show a significant urgency or even desire to shoot takedowns, or if Karolina can stuff them, then this one looks much closer to a 50/50ish fight on the feet.
Whilst that sounds like I’m leaning towards playing my girl Karolina Kowalkiewicz, I’m unfortunately not. It’s impossible to really say how much success Lucindo is going to have with her takedown attempts here, so I can’t clearly quantify how much of a favourite she could be. If she can land them with ease, she might look -500. If she can’t land them at all, she could look +100. Compared to the -300 betting line we are getting, that definitely sounds like a pass. If you’re someone who likes to bet on every fight for the fun of it, a roll of the dice on Kowalkiewicz definitely isn’t the worst idea.
However, I will be keeping an eye out for that Lucindo by Submission prop. I doubt I’d get a good line on it with her being -300, but there’s always a chance the books get caught napping because it’s WMM and they expect a decision. We’ll see, I’d probably take +200 or better.
How I line this fight: Iasmin Lucindo -200 (66%), Karolina Kowalkiewicz +200 (33%)
Bet or pass: Pass on the ML, might bet Lucindo by Submission if I get a nice price (I’m talking +225 or better)
Prop leans: See above
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Mauricio Ruffy v Jamie Mullarkey
Mauricio Ruffy has won all of his professional fights via KO, and has fought quite a few cans in his day. He is the -160 favourite and is obviously very undeserving of that price tag against a guy with a decent amount of UFC experience.
Jamie Mullarkey is very unreliable, has bad fight IQ, and just generally isn’t very good. Dude lost a striking fight to Michael Johnson and got KO’d by Nasrat Haqparast – two things I thought were very hard to do in this day and age.
Pick your poison. Or don’t, and just be smart and leave this fight alone.
How I line this fight: who knows
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None
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Ismael Bonfim v Vinc Pichel
Ismael Bonfim returns from what was originally a massive upset at the hands of Benoit Saint Denis last July, but thankfully for him the Frenchman’s performances since have helped that result age well, as he elevated himself to prospect status and faced Poirier.
I was sadly all aboard the Ismael Bonfim hype train, as I deemed his debut win over Terrance McKinney as arguable the debut of the year for 2023. McKinney’s actually been fraud checked a fair bit since then so that win has coincidentally aged badly on the reverse. Nonetheless, I still think this Bonfim is good and will eventually turn into a top 15 fighter (not like his brother, an overrated fraud that I faded against Nicholas fucking Dalby).
Either way, the UFC are trying to run the Ismael Bonfim hype back again by pitting him against a 40 year old Vinc Pichel, who they’re probably just looking to get off the books as he likely has a contract that pays far more than he’s worth (by the 10/10 standard, anyway). Pichel is old but not particularly shop worn due to lack of commitment to his MMA career. He’s a well-rounded guy that always seems to end up in grappling-based fights. He has been competitive with the likes of Mark Madsen, Austin Hubbard, Jim Miller and Roosevelt Roberts in recent years, which kind of paints the picture that he’s capable but limited.
I think it’s fair to assume that Ismael Bonfim really should have Pichel covered here. He’s the way more dangerous fighter, and will be the one having moments of success where he threatens to finish. Outside of some sort of massive cardio dump, I think he can either find a finish or competently win 2/3 rounds with relative ease.
He’s -400 on the betting line so the odds clearly reflect that. I definitely wouldn’t be interested in playing him at that number, seeing as he’s returning from a massive setback and may not be the same as he once was. I could see him winning via all three potential methods of victory, so I’m not really sure a bet is possible here.
How I line this fight: Ismael Bonfim -400 (80%), Vinc Pichel +400 (20%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None
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Bets (Bold = been placed)
Xu Pantoja vs Erceg to last Over X.5 rounds (+XXX, can’t really say what I’d bet until I see numbers)
5u Caio Borralho to Win (-275)
1u Michel Pereira to Win by TKO/KO (+XXX, probably not bettable but I’d take under -150)
2u Michel Pereira + Mateusz Rebecki to Win (-105)
2u Drakkar Klose to Win (-137)
2u Jack Shore to Win (+140 or better)
1u Iasmin Lucindo to Win by Submission (+XXX, I’d take +225 or better)
0.25u Parlay Pieces (+XXX, props not out yet)
Parlay Pieces: Pantoja/Erceg Over 1.5 Rounds, Caio Borralho, Michel Pereira, Drakkar Klose, Ismael Bonfim
Dog of the Week: Jack Shore