Welcome back to a little more MARRIED Mary Mania before I wrap things up with The Abridged Goblinization. I decided that this bit deserved its own chapter. Some of you seem to be entertained by Mary (or at least entertained by your own loathing of her), so I hope this will prove amusing. In my life, I've encountered an inordinate number of low-key lolcows (probably because I was far too patient and far too passive for far too long), so I might as well throw just enough distortion on the page to protect the good guys and the genuinely reformed beards. But I'm also gonna shine a bright, unflattering spotlight on the lolcows, creeps, weirdos, pervs, and BEARDS, both neck and leg.
And I'll very, very cautiously tiptoe over the bit where I do a bunch of mental gymnastics, squint my eyes, tilt my head, and convince myself that dating Whisky might be a welcome change of pace. I have no delusions when I look back on it. This was a dumb move in retrospect, but all the mental gymnastics in the world can't bring me to a reasonable scenario where I was psychic and thus able to predict what he'd become once he stopped pretending to be a gentleman. Nor can the most elite, Olympic-level mental gymnastics execute a double salto layout with a half-twist perfectly enough to force me to concede the "logical point" that I should have spotted warning signs that I'd never freakin' seen before. Okay, that's enough saltiness for today. Don't worry. This chapter mostly focuses on Mary's mania. Whisky's just kind of... there.
So there I was... dating a guy who called when he said he would, remained constant in his affections, never asked for weird stuff in the sack (in fact, we weren't even intimate at that point), and claimed to be a secular humanist who practiced elements of Hinduism (as opposed to conveniently becoming born-again whenever it suited his needs to wallow in shame). And we seemed to have similar enough tastes in media, which made for pleasant movie nights and enjoyable conversations about nerdy stuff. It felt like a step up. It felt safe. At that point in time, I was content.
But here's a shameful admission for ya. My original intention was to make Whisky the "for now guy." I knew I could do better. I was formally educated, I was in shape, I was normatively attractive, and I tended to be successful in both my theatrical and academic endeavors. Plus, I was super friendly and good with people. Whisky was kind of a bump on a log. Sure, he seemed nice. He was sometimes able to make interesting conversation. To quote his favorite catch phrase, "Meh."
I knew he was mooching off his mysterious "big bro," and he wasn't doing this with the intention of saving up and eventually becoming self-sufficient. He just kicked up a fuss whenever he wanted something, and... it usually appeared. I still thought he was physically unattractive, too. I hate nasty-ass beards, I have a strong preference for shorter guys (they don't need to be as short as Dennis, but I don't exactly love being towered over), and Whisky had whatever the dude version of resting bitch face is. I admonished myself for being shallow and decided to soldier on. Date after date. And I did kind of get used to all the shallow things I objected to.
But, really... Dating Whisky at all was a dick move on my part. Then again, how many Nice Guy (TM)s want girls to do exactly what I did? Not attracted? Think he's kind of a bum? Find him a bit boring? Just give him a chance!!! Go on a crap-ton of dates with him until you like the familiarity enough to settle for him. That's the key to a healthy relationship!!! It never works. You could flip this around and apply it to Nice Girls who want pity dates, too.
Anyway. Lucy knew I was dating Whisky, and she thought it was great. She was honestly just happy to see that I was no longer pining over Dennis and that Whisky was no longer getting relentlessly stalked by Mary. Speaking of Mary... She'd had an imaginary dramatic breakup with Scumbanger not long after she crashed Lucy's brunch. Murky aside... The following summer, I'd do another show with the pervy pest and I'd find out that Mary had given the former Rum Tum Tugger a tug in the parking lot of The Imp and had let him motorboat her. When dozens of lewd messaged filled his inbox the following day, the most indiscriminate playboy I'd ever met in my freakin' life blocked that clingy legbeard's number and never had any further contact with her. But seeing as neither of them are especially reliable sources, my best guess is that the truth is somewhere in between.
After the dramatic "breakup" with Scumbanger, Mary immediately became obsessed with the new tech guy (and his wife). They allegedly had something of a throuple situation going on, but no one ever witnessed any hard evidence of this. And then Mary and Tech Guy's wife allegedly had a catfight in the middle of the fancy restaurant where the three spent their date nights. Mary did have a shiner and a scraped knee for a few weeks, and she intimated to me that Chuckie was actually the one responsible for her looking a little rough...
I believed her because there was something very different about her demeanor when she told me this. When she was in larger groups, she just screeched about how she thought the catfight was foreplay until Tech Guy ghosted her. Yet again, we'll never know the truth. But I err on the side of belief when someone tells me that DV is going on in their home, even if I generally regard that person as a delusional pathological liar. Plus, Mary had never badmouthed Chuckie before and she never made excuses for her philandering. She just felt entitled to any ding-dong she desired. Bottom line, I think there was an unfortunate incident, and I urged her to report it. She didn't; but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.
And, yes. I think we're allowed to show compassion for Mary if Chuckie did indeed do what she was accusing him of. She absolutely deserved to get dumped in a spectacular fashion. No one deserves violence, though. But I think we're also allowed to laugh at Mary when she's acting like a crank-crazed maniac.
Moving on to lighter topics! Mary claimed to be having a hot, steamy affair with the artistic director of The Imp. At first, this seemed outlandish. But he had been the one to hire her. And he repeatedly refused to replace her when she consistently failed to learned her lines, ran around naked, and contributed little more than muckbangs to the comedy (again, I personally found it funny when she did that, but I was in the minority).
Some skullduggery was definitely afoot. Was it "sexy time," as Mary enthusiastically claimed? Who knows. Chuckie might have been paying the dude to give Mary a hobby. But not long after Mary started boasting about boning the artistic director, he suddenly began calling her out on her unprofessional behavior. They "broke up," but Mary managed to avoid getting kicked out of the improv troupe, bragging that she could sue the director for sexual harassment if he fired her.
And then... there was the pièce de résistance of Mary's misadventures in mating. She met a biker dude at Filthy McNasty's. This guys was disgusting. Most of her previous dudes had been questionable, weird, or possibly imaginary. But we all saw this one. He was as fat as a Hutt, he smelled like a grease trap, motor oil, B.O., and a very specific type of cheese... The few teeth that he had were black and green, his fingernails were yellowed and a few of them oozed pus. Finally, the volume and crackly, bubbly properties of his frequent farts indicated to George Gay that he, "definitely had a virgin booty." Mary's lard-ass loverboy called himself "Hogg," which was probably a reference to the two-wheeled vehicle that he was very obviously too large to actually ride. Or it might have just been an obvious nickname for a filthy fat fuck.
But Hogg, like Tech Guy a few loverboys ago, had a wife. And she made frequent appearances at Filthy's as well. Hogg's wife was shockingly... kind of pretty. A little rough around the edges. Didn't smell the greatest. But she stood in stark contrast to her repugnant hubby, even with her fried hair, her sloppily inked tats, and her imprecisely applied eye makeup. Her teeth were free of obvious rot. She had a beautiful figure. And she had a carefree attitude that was probably attractive to a number of people. She'd fart right along with Hogg, she didn't shave her legs, and the profane compound nouns she came up with always cracked me up (lard-tard, smegma-booger, felch-belcher).
And Mary was once again claiming to be in a throuple with The Hoggs. But this time, there was hard evidence. They'd get busy in some corner of the establishment, and even got booted from the dive bar a few times for lewd behavior, offensive odors, and illegal drug use. On one particular night, Mrs. Hogg lit one of her hubby's gargantuan ass-rippers while Mary was doing her thing, completely shrouded by his big belly. The blue flame ignited some spilt booze on the dingy floor, and a small fire erupted. The staff were able to stomp it out, but the nasty throuple was unceremoniously banished.
Alas, management allowed Mary to re-enter the bar because she apparently had some sort of sway with one of the bartenders. Instead of meeting her...uh... "partners" for some more boom-boom, Mary decided to come back inside and gush about Hogg's majestic rooster to all of us. She smelled like D cheese, ammonia, and burnt farts as she plopped down at our table, already screeching about how much bigger her "new boo" was, compared to that vile turd of an artistic director.
George Gay: Fuck me, Mary!!! You reek. Go wash the uncircumcised methhead off your hands and then you can sit with us.
Mary started to protest. Lucy cut her off. "Your whole body is probably a veritable Petri dish from fooling around with those nasty-ass people." She handed Mary some Purell. "Was the junkie junk off, keep the bottle, and don't you fucking touch me when you come back!"
Mary's bottom lip began to quiver and she looked pleadingly at me. "Just wash up," I told her. "You're too pretty to go around smelling like that.”
Off she went to the dingy bathroom. Maybe I wasn't harsh enough, but flattery got results in this instance. And when she returned, she had managed to dilute the stench enough so that we could stand to sit at the same table with her.
Mary took a deep breath in preparation to gush about something that would have undoubtedly been disgusting, but George cut her off this time. "Mare. How do you even BANG someone with a belly like that?"
Mary (speaking a bit more quickly than usual): Oh, it just takes some creative positioning. We get him to lie down. If Mrs. Hogg is taking in the rod, I hold his bowl of jelly up with both arms and stick my cooter in his face. He eats it like his mommy made it! And when it's my turn to get blasted, the missus uses a bunch of yoga straps to hold it up. I have to take it from behind because my own little tiny bit of va-jiggle-jaggle bumps up against his bowl of jelly if why try to smash like vanilla people. It's so much fun, though!!! And then he props his bowl of jelly up on the coffee table and plays with himself while he watches his honey strap on a dil...
George: I so regret asking.
Mary: They're sooo fun to fool around with! I think they might be my forever partners! (Her hands were too shaky to slide down her body in unbridled ecstasy, so she clasped them together and hid them underneath her itty bitty little gunt.)
Lucy: So when are you gonna dump Chuck?
Mary: Well... Hogg and the missus don't have much scratch. And what they do have, they spend on smokeables. When I meet a real sugar daddy, I'll get rid of Chuckle. He pretended to be a baller before we got married. But he's just middle management and he's content to stay there. Pffffftt. No ambition.
Mary launched into another long, unnecessarily graphic gushing about her garbage partners and their nasty-ass boom-boom. So I decided this would be a good time to clear my conscience about dating Whisky. Mary hadn't so much as mentioned him in months. She was inexplicably smitten with The Hoggs. And her ultimate dream man was obviously some filthy rich dude (perhaps a literally filthy dude who was also rich), which took Whisky out of the running. I still think it would have been amusing if Mary had tried to date Mori...
I waited for her adult film star gasp to wind down before I finally interjected, "Wow. Sounds like you've got a fantastic sex life right now!"
Mary: I do! You need to get over that born-again weirdo and find a real man so that you and I can have good girl talk!
Me: Well... I'm not banging anybody, but I am dating somebody. Sort of. It's not really that big of a deal. I'm not even sure that I'm completely into him. But he's been super sweet to me...
Lucy put her arm around me, almost as if she knew I was about to need protection.
Mary: TELL ME!
I hesitated. "Well... It's Whiskers."
In an instant, George jumped up and grabbed Mary by the shoulders, lest she lunge at me.
But Mary got very quiet. Silent tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She gasped and buried her face in her hands, now emitting one seemingly endless, impossibly high-pitched whine.
George loosened his grip and began to pat her on the back. Lucy's grip tightened on me and she whispered, "Here we go. Overreaction sequence has commenced."
Mary lifted her red, tear-stained face and glared at me. "HOW COULD YOU???"
Me: Mary, I swear. I thought you hated his guts. I haven't heard you talk about him in ages. When he asked, I thought it would be good for me to give him a chance since he's always been really sweet to me.
Mary: But what about the way he treated ME??? He was such an asshole!
Lucy: Was he? Mary, you stalked the guy. If he was rude, it was only because you weren't taking NO for an answer.
Mary: He never told me he wanted to end things. He just kept ghosting me. But whenever I showed up at his house and jumped on him, we always wound up smashing. Eventually.
I didn't have the gumption at that point in my life to suggest to Mary that it's wrong on every imaginable level to coerce someone into intimate activity, regardless of gender. And even knowing what Whiskers would eventually become, he didn't deserve THAT. I should have called her out. Instead I tried to steer the conversation back to her current bedroom bliss and try to get her to resume thinking the disgusting thoughts that delighted her so much.
Me: Who cares what he's doing now?! Aren't you insanely happy with your fun new lovers???
Mary: NO! THEY STINK! HE'S FAT. I want my sexy Whisky-Boo Whiskers back!!! Give him back, Valley! Puh-leeee-eeee-eeeee-eeeease.
Me: I don't "have" him. I'm just seeing him. If he hurt you this much, why don't you try to sit down and have a real conversation with him? It might be good for both of you to clear the air.
Mary: He blocked me on everythi-iiiiiii-iiiii-iiiiiing. Waaaaaaaaaah!
Me: Well, I guess that's your answer. You probably overwhelmed him. He seems like a bit of a softy. Personally, I need a softy right now. But I think you need a manly man.
Mary rose. She gave me an icy stare. And then she cooed in an unnervingly sweet tone. "I love you, Valley-Boo. I know you didn't mean to break my heart."
Me: Thank you, Mary. Really, I wouldn't have even considered his initial invitation if you hadn't been calling him "Satan," and telling us all that you hated him, and dating all these new guys. I didn't do it to spite you, I swear. It just happened.
Mary (still creepily, icily sweet): Yes. We're so alike, you and I. It's perfectly understandable that the same guy would go for both of us. But you owe me. You owe me big.
Me: I'm gonna disagree with that. If you think I slighted you, just tell me to fuck off. If you really do understand that these things happen, then you'll accept that there was no malice on anyone's part.
Mary: Mmmm-hmmmm. We'll see about that.
She jiggled her Jupiters, tossed her hair, and stalked out of the dive bar...

AND THEN SHE BANGED DENNIS.

In the fast-evolving landscape of digital finance, cryptocurrencies have emerged as a groundbreaking innovation, offering decentralization, security, and anonymity. As the popularity of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others continues to soar, the need for reliable storage solutions has become paramount. This is where online crypto wallets step in, revolutionizing how users manage their digital assets. Check out: Best Crypto Wallet App
Understanding Online Crypto Wallets
An online crypto wallet, also known as a web wallet or digital wallet, is a software-based service that allows users to securely store, send, and receive cryptocurrencies through the internet. Unlike traditional wallets that hold physical cash or cards, online crypto wallets store cryptographic keys, which are essential for accessing and managing one’s digital assets on the blockchain.
The Mechanics Behind Online Crypto Wallets
Online crypto wallets come in various forms, each with its unique features and security measures. Here’s a breakdown of the different types:
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Online crypto wallets offer several advantages over traditional storage methods:

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Risks and Considerations

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Conclusion
Online crypto wallets play a crucial role in facilitating the widespread adoption of cryptocurrencies by providing users with secure and convenient storage solutions. Whether you’re a casual investor or a seasoned trader, choosing the right wallet is essential for safeguarding your digital assets. By understanding the different types of wallets, their features, benefits, and risks, users can make informed decisions to protect and manage their cryptocurrency holdings effectively in the digital age.
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Welcome to the School of Tango, where passion, rhythm, and connection come together to create an unforgettable dance experience. Located in the heart of Buenos Aires, our school is dedicated to preserving and promoting the artistry of Tango through immersive classes, workshops, and events. Join us as we dive into the world of Tango and discover how our school can help you unlock your inner dancer and embrace the beauty of this iconic dance form.
Why Choose Our School of Tango?

1. Experienced Instructors:
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3. Interactive Learning Environment:
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Introduction

Parenthood is a journey filled with countless decisions, each impacting the well-being and development of your child. One significant decision for many parents in Pembroke Pines is selecting the right daycare for their little ones. With technology becoming increasingly integrated into our daily lives, one option that has gained popularity is daycare centers equipped with cameras, allowing parents to check in on their children remotely throughout the day. While this innovation offers numerous benefits, it also raises certain considerations. Let's delve into the pros and cons of choosing a daycare with cameras for parents in Pembroke Pines.

Pros:

1. Peace of Mind: One of the most significant advantages of daycare cameras is the peace of mind they provide to parents. Being able to see their child engaged in activities, interacting with caregivers, and generally thriving can alleviate anxiety and reassure parents throughout the day.
2. Transparency and Accountability: Cameras in daycare facilities promote transparency and accountability. Parents can observe how their child is being cared for, ensuring that the staff follows established routines, maintains safety protocols, and provides adequate attention and stimulation.
3. Enhanced Parent-Provider Communication: Access to live or recorded footage fosters better communication between parents and daycare providers. If concerns arise regarding a child's behavior, interactions, or well-being, both parties can review the footage together to address any issues promptly and effectively.
4. Bonding Opportunities: For working parents who miss out on significant moments in their child's day-to-day life, daycare cameras offer valuable bonding opportunities. Being able to witness milestones, such as a first step or a creative artwork, in real-time can strengthen the parent-child bond despite physical separation.
5. Educational Insights: Observing classroom activities and interactions through daycare cameras provides parents with insights into their child's learning and social development. This information can inform discussions with educators and support parents in reinforcing skills and lessons at home.

Cons:

1. Privacy Concerns: While cameras offer transparency, they also raise privacy concerns. Some parents and caregivers may feel uncomfortable with the constant surveillance, fearing that their actions or conversations could be monitored without their consent.
2. Potential for Misinterpretation: Viewing snippets of a child's day through a camera feed may lead to misinterpretation of situations. Without context or understanding of the daycare environment, parents may draw erroneous conclusions or misjudge interactions between children and caregivers.
3. Impact on Trust: Excessive reliance on daycare cameras can inadvertently undermine trust in childcare providers. Constant monitoring may signal a lack of trust in the professionals entrusted with caring for children, potentially straining the parent-provider relationship.
4. Distraction for Parents: Constantly checking the daycare camera feed can become a distraction for parents, particularly those at work or managing other responsibilities. Obsessive monitoring may detract from productivity and increase stress levels.
5. Technical Limitations: Dependence on technology introduces the risk of technical glitches or malfunctions. Camera systems may experience connectivity issues, downtime, or hacking threats, compromising the reliability of the monitoring tool.

Conclusion

When considering daycare options in Pembroke Pines, the decision to choose a facility with cameras should be made thoughtfully, balancing the benefits and drawbacks. ~Nowtech Academy~ provides a nurturing and stimulating environment for children and offers the option of daycare cameras for added peace of mind. With a commitment to transparency, accountability, and excellence in childcare, Nowtech Academy ensures that parents can actively engage in their child's daily experiences while fostering trust and collaboration with caregivers.
If you're interested in learning more about Nowtech Academy and experiencing firsthand what sets it apart, we invite you to ~schedule a tour~. Taking the time to visit the facility, meet the staff, and see the daycare cameras in action can help you make an informed decision that aligns with your family's needs and values.

Hello reddit.
It's been 4 days since I finished Chap14. Took me roughly 80 hours, in the span of exactly 3 weeks. I was fortunate enough to find some free time to really immerse myself into Rebirth for the full 3 weeks.
But now it's been 4 days, I can't go back to 'normal'. Still crying on a regular basis, unable to move on.
It comes from two things:
One, I do believe that in my 20+ years of gaming, FF7 Rebirth is the best single player game I've ever played, from top to bottom. Combat is excellent, music it out of this world, I loved all the side activities, the charm shining through every moment, the locations and how polished everything was. Playing other games since then feels wrong. I came back to Destiny and Diablo, and these two games feel boring af. I feel anxious that this game destroyed gaming (at least a little bit) for me, because nothing comes close to this level of quality.
Second: I got really attached to the characters, especially Aerith. Don't get me wrong, I am in my thirties, I completely understand that it's a fictional character, but seeing the romance between Aerith and Cloud hit me harder than it has any reason to be. She's literally perfect, the way she is written, the way she looks and behaves, the way she's acted and animated. The Chap12 Gold Saucer date is when I started to feel unwell. I haven't played the OG, but i was fully aware what her fate was, which made this sorta like a sequel to Arrival, one of my favourite movies.
But then, the ending, confused as it was (along with the ending of chap13) really brought it home. I can't believe being more emotional over any piece of art like this. The 'last date' in Sector 5 was definitely the highlight.
It's been difficult to look for help or comfort from my friends or family - I'm the only gamer here, so I don't want to be vulnerable around them - the worst thing they can do is say "it's just a video game". So that's why I came here.
I don't want this thread to become another ending theory discussions hub (there are plenty of those already), but obviously I'm the "Aerith is alive, Cloud did create a new timeline" camp, but at this point I'm not sure if I truly believe in that, or it's just me coping (like Cloud is, based on the other theories). The genius of Square is that, at least for me, they managed to have cake and eat it too - they didn't fully commit to killing Aerith, yet they managed the ending to feel impactful and emotional, as if they did commit.
So, there I am, unable to move on. Still thinking about this almost constantly, crying sporadically, feeling this overwhelming loss, as if I actually knew her. I guess I'm a sucker for Japanese tragic romance stories - and this is what Rebirth essentially is for me.
I'm aware that time heals wounds and all that, but waiting 3-4 years to see the conclusion of this story is going to be devastating.

several months ago, I had a mass extinction level event in my 10 gal blackwater tank, for some reason which I never figured out the PH went down from a stable 6.5 to a PH of 4 almost over night, and it seemed like nothing was spared. My school of neon tetras, 2 otos, about 20 blue neo shrimp, 4 kuhlis 2 mystery snails and a bunch of bladder snails and Planaria as well as 3 baby electric blue crayfish that I had just gotten 2 weeks prior and even the majority of live plants all gone!!
I was soo upset I decided to just completely give up on that tank and left it as is (filter and heater still running) albeit without bothering to take parameter readings for about a month until I started noticing copepods, some bladder snail babies and tiny Planaria returning to the the tank. not sure how they survive the acid apocalypse!
fast forward 2 more months to the present, and about 2 weeks ago , I was walking past the tank and I notice the water was super crystal clear and pristine, the bladder snails were thriving the Planaria were also doing well (not that I want them to) and the 2 amazon swords I had in there had gone from having sickly translucent leaves to vibrant green opaque leaves and the bigger of the two was even sending a shoot up to the surface to flower....at this point I decided to take some parameter measurements and everything check out okay....perfect parameters and it it seemed like the tank had restarted the cycle and was now ready for fish, although the PH was slightly high (for that tank) at around 7.8 PH but nothing to worry about.....I thought about restarting the hobby but my financials atm did not agree....so I continued to ignore the tank and havnt touched it since...…..
As of last Friday I noticed the tank had started to become hazy, and getting more and more opaque by the day......it is currently sooo opaque whitish yellow I cannot see the other side.....This morning i took measurements of the parameters and they are as follows:
TDS: 457 PPM
PH: 7.6........................................... Ammonia: .25 ppm
GH: 4 dH ........................................Nitrites: 0 ppm
KH: 5 dH .........................................Nitrates: 10 ppm
If im not mistaken that looks like a cycled tank to me. what is happening to my tank?? why is it so cloudy?? is this the fog of rebirth??? are my fish going to miraculously reappear in the tank after the fog clears, lol jk......but honestly im just soo confused.....
p.s. i did a 50% water change and the haziness disipated for a few hours but is now almost back to what it was before the change.....

Before I even start I'm going to say that I think this is a very unpopular opinion. I'm expecting the vast majority of the interactions on this post to be downvotes. Honestly, I don't mind, I want to make this post to see how the community feels about this topic because while I've seen some complaints I have not seen any discussions about it, and I wanted to do it before the event disappeared. With the semester finally over I have enough time to do a lot more stuff including making this post.
Before I say this though you should know

• This isn't because I don't like the game. This is literally the best game I've ever played IMO, and I've been playing since the first hour of launch. I play for hours every day and have almost every nikke (Isabel come home :/ )

-This isn't about money as I have a bunch of it, and have even bought multiple Gacha skins in the past. I have the vast majority of skins (missing a few) to put into perspective how much I spend.
-I love Shift Up, and they're quickly becoming my favorite game company, but I hate how they did this.
-This isn't about hate or anything like that I just wanted to express my opinion and see the communities collective idea of it.
-I have no problem with Gacha skins, if this was handled differently I would have been the first to pick up both skins.
The reason I'm making this post is to talk about the new skins in the game, and how I find them to be greedy, and also how they should not have been released that way.
I'm trying to say that the skins that have recently been released are pretty scummy and I feel the game could go in a bad direction this way. Let me explain why I think this.
I was originally going to get both the Marian skin and the crown skin until I learned some stuff about the Marian skin which is the one I have the bigger problem with. Why release a new permanent canonical look for the story as a gacha skin!?
I've played Gacha games since I was around twelve, and I'm 22 years old now in College and I've never seen something like this. I've never seen a company lock a new canonical look for a major character behind a paywall like this. I've played well over 60 or so Gacha in the past 10 years, and out of all of those I've never seen a company lock a new canon look behind something like this.
Every time a character gets a new appearance from a power-up or something similar they ALWAYS do one of two things. They either put it as a new unit that you summon for, or they make it a farmable skin. DO NOT get me wrong I was never expecting this to be a free skin, NEVER, but I was kind of expecting Marian to be a new unit you could summon for.
I've never seen a company lock a major character's new look behind a paywall because they know how scummy it would be. Imagine if HSR made DH:IL a PAYWALLED SKIN instead of a new separate unit, That would be scummy right? THAT'S WHY THEY DIDN'T DO IT! I could name way more than this, but I feel like HSR is the biggest gacha rn, so it's a good example. It's greedy and honestly is the reason I'm skipping Marian's skin. I'm not skipping it for myself, but for the people that don't want to spend that much on the game, or can't spend that much because of circumstances. Some people now can't get the new canonical story look for their girl because of this decision and will be stuck with an old appearance that is outdated, and they'll never be able to get the new story appearance because of this. :/
When I first saw the crown skin in the story it pissed me off even more because I thought it would also be a permanent skin that'll be used in future stories from now on, but with the hard mode ending, I was thankfully proven wrong. Still that skin makes ZERO sense. The Naked King doesn't even use a lance to attack, so why even make it a skin? It makes no sense from a lore or story perspective, and I feel like this is another case of greed. They made a character with no clothes and knew that people were down bad enough to go crazy for it and spend like there was no tomorrow. It would have made WAY more sense to make this a separate unit since she doesn't even use a weapon as the naked king. :/
Gripes with Marian's skin

• In my decade of playing MANY other Gacha I've never seen a company make a major character's new Canonical story appearance locked behind a paywall, and it's infuriating how I don't see anyone talking about it. It screws over some people, Gatekeeping them from getting the new Canonical appearance.

Gripes with the new Crown skin

• It Makes no sense from a Lore perspective. Why put this as a skin over the crown that uses a lance when the naked king just uses her hands to kill? It screams greed and I don't want to support that. It would have made much more sense to be an alternate unit

These are the reasons I'm upset and honestly why I'm hoping this will never happen again. (I don't like skipping such good skins XD)
Anyway, It's like 4 am here and I gtg to sleep. I'll check the post in the morning, but again this is not to spread hate. I just wanted to see the community's opinion on these things.

Before I even start I'm going to say that I think this is a very unpopular opinion. I'm expecting the vast majority of the interactions on this post to be downvotes. Honestly, I don't mind, I want to make this post to see how the community feels about this topic because while I've seen some complaints I have not seen any discussions about it, and I wanted to do it before the event disappeared. With the semester finally over I have enough time to do a lot more stuff including making this post.
Before I say this though you should know

• This isn't because I don't like the game. This is literally the best game I've ever played IMO, and I've been playing since the first hour of launch. I play for hours every day and have almost every nikke (Isabel come home :/ )

-This isn't about money as I have a bunch of it, and have even bought multiple Gacha skins in the past. I have the vast majority of skins (missing a few) to put into perspective how much I spend.
-I love Shift Up, and they're quickly becoming my favorite game company, but I hate how they did this.
-This isn't about hate or anything like that I just wanted to express my opinion and see the communities collective idea of it.
-I have no problem with Gacha skins, if this was handled differently I would have been the first to pick up both skins.
The reason I'm making this post is to talk about the new skins in the game, and how I find them to be greedy, and also how they should not have been released that way.
I'm trying to say that the skins that have recently been released are pretty scummy and I feel the game could go in a bad direction this way. Let me explain why I think this.
I was originally going to get both the Marian skin and the crown skin until I learned some stuff about the Marian skin which is the one I have the bigger problem with. Why release a new permanent canonical look for the story as a gacha skin!?
I've played Gacha games since I was around twelve, and I'm 22 years old now in College and I've never seen something like this. I've never seen a company lock a new canonical look for a major character behind a paywall like this. I've played well over 60 or so Gacha in the past 10 years, and out of all of those I've never seen a company lock a new canon look behind something like this.
Every time a character gets a new appearance from a power-up or something similar they ALWAYS do one of two things. They either put it as a new unit that you summon for, or they make it a farmable skin. DO NOT get me wrong I was never expecting this to be a free skin, NEVER, but I was kind of expecting Marian to be a new unit you could summon for.
I've never seen a company lock a major character's new look behind a paywall because they know how scummy it would be. Imagine if HSR made DH:IL a PAYWALLED SKIN instead of a new separate unit, That would be scummy right? THAT'S WHY THEY DIDN'T DO IT! I could name way more than this, but I feel like HSR is the biggest gacha rn, so it's a good example. It's greedy and honestly is the reason I'm skipping Marian's skin. I'm not skipping it for myself, but for the people that don't want to spend that much on the game, or can't spend that much because of circumstances. Some people now can't get the new canonical story look for their girl because of this decision and will be stuck with an old appearance that is outdated, and they'll never be able to get the new story appearance because of this. :/
When I first saw the crown skin in the story it pissed me off even more because I thought it would also be a permanent skin that'll be used in future stories from now on, but with the hard mode ending, I was thankfully proven wrong. Still that skin makes ZERO sense. The Naked King doesn't even use a lance to attack, so why even make it a skin? It makes no sense from a lore or story perspective, and I feel like this is another case of greed. They made a character with no clothes and knew that people were down bad enough to go crazy for it and spend like there was no tomorrow. It would have made WAY more sense to make this a separate unit since she doesn't even use a weapon as the naked king. :/
Gripes with Marian's skin

• In my decade of playing MANY other Gacha I've never seen a company make a major character's new Canonical story appearance locked behind a paywall, and it's infuriating how I don't see anyone talking about it. It screws over some people, Gatekeeping them from getting the new Canonical appearance.

Gripes with the new Crown skin

• It Makes no sense from a Lore perspective. Why put this as a skin over the crown that uses a lance when the naked king just uses her hands to kill? It screams greed and I don't want to support that. It would have made much more sense to be an alternate unit

These are the reasons I'm upset and honestly why I'm hoping this will never happen again. (I don't like skipping such good skins XD)
Anyway, It's like 4 am here and I gtg to sleep. I'll check the post in the morning, but again this is not to spread hate. I just wanted to see the community's opinion on these things.

Hi no matter what version you advertised your server as long as you based on 4.6 this is my thought.

• 4.6 is overused and same setup every server.

Despite level limited is 55(2.7) or 60(3.0) most of the servers give starter set which meant to be given at 4.6 event with max level 65 in mind. This created unpleasant leveling experience for 2.7 and 3.0 limited content servers especially. I don't know what cause mentality that all players want to skip all leveling process to rush to max level as fast as possible. All servers have weekend exp boost drop boost in mind. This is not Aion only but most likely happening to all game servers. My opinion is this is causing FOMO (Fear of missing out)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_of_missing_out
It's negative feeling it doesn't make players feel healthier or happier but rather forced players to stay home during weekend to play the game. It's a scumbag strategy. Let everybody enjoy your server any day not just weekend. I would support a server without exp boost weekend boost just because it gives a peace to players and slow life.

• 4.6 still plague with events

Ultima of FOMO, most of 4.6 events give the tempering solution as an ultimate prize from event. IMO tempering solution should be farmable from instances at decent rate but it was designed to be abysmal rate so they would rather hand out in events instead I can't blame this on private servers directly but rather how lame NCsoft designed this item after all. Still on some 2.7 server I see they adapted event from 4.6 change some loots. More events don't mean healthier server it just means more FOMO and more money for the server owner during more reset scrolls etc they will sell during events. I saw some servers planning to add more custom events on their servers and I was like "FUCK THEM" I'd rather playing nothing than playing a game with a ton of FOMO.

• Most players are not English speakers

Well you misunderstood if you think Euroaion are made up by English speakers population. Most are Russians. If you check out all servers. You will find most popular server is Moscow based + some influx from Chinese players during their close location to Moscow given low ping enough (I believed it's about 100ms from Hong Kong). So no Europeans do not make the most populate of server but rather Russian and no Europeans shouldn't discriminate someone solely based nationality or whatever their political of their countries. Unless they're so arrogant about it then report them and get them ban.

• All servers require VIP (at least drop rate buff) to get something decent from instances

Again this is not direct blame on private servers but rather scumbag strategy from NCsoft. They made drop rate on instances abysmal so they can sell drop rate buff. This can be simply fixed by rising drop rate permanently and don't sell VIP or drop buffs.

• Too few mounts in game too many in shop.

This is clearly P2W, Mounts obtainable in game are too few such as Kahrun, TS mounts. They should add some shop mounts in game and making them drops from 4.x instances at decent rate 5-10%. It's not a game breaking. Mounts are essential in order to chase someone or escape someone in PvP so everybody should have it not just shop.

• Remove EB/SWB from the game.

This instance do no good for anybody. It's just luna instances of 4.x. It's boring stressful no fun of it at all and potential unleash the nasty greed of human. It's better to make cera medals rewarded from Tia siege at 100% chance and from Dredgion for winning. Those are much more fun at EB. EB gears can completely removed no one will miss it if nobody can get it. So Glory Point will mainly coming from PvP.

• Make all mobs in Katalam, Danaria ,ID dropping IDE

IS/Kata should be easily access to everybody not just rich people if you can't get rid of key process of it then at least make material widely available to 4.x maps.
I have no experience about PvP in Aion so I won't comment about Arena , PvP instances anyone want to add comments about it please feel free to do so.
Conclusion if a server followed my suggestions you would see a paradise server and it doesn't even need updated content or anything it's just regular 4.6 with some modify. Read and comment if you like thank you :)

Honestly im not the best at writing, but lately but have been feeling so confused and distraught, i have lived on and off with my mother in law for the past 3 years almost, for soe context her son is my fiance and we are a gay couple, when i first moved into there household a few years ago i had some savings with me, that i had used on stuff around her house, like decorations, stuff she wanted, groceries, bills, maybe if she ever wanted anything like a dress or cosmetics, that was my first mistake, she is the type of woman who will say money doesnt matter, and proceeds to be frugal with her own money but use as she wishes of mine lets say she goes grocery shopping usually shed spend 20 dollars or 30 for a fww things but if she knows we will help her with groceries (me as my fiance didnt work in the two years i lived there)Enter
She will use 40 - 60 or even 70 suddenly money is no longer an issue and it doesnt matter only when it comes to her spending, around this time, she barely worked as she only cleaned houses, her other two sons who lived with us didnt work, and if they did it was part time and sometimes not alot, leaving me too be the bread winner for many months, 3 months by myself, 6-8 by myself, until i had an explosion and couldnt handle seeing my fiance and his whole family laugh, eat and have a good time while i worked everyday and all i did was sleep, his mother resented me, for many months saying how i was stingy and controlling with money, saying i shoulsntEnter
Be like that with THE money, never my money, or me and MY fiances money as they saw we are together so whats mine is his, saying that my money belonged to him, at the time me and him shared my financial account, and we have savings but then suddenly he see a new compurer he wanted or something on facebook marketplace and that money would go away, id save it up, itd go away, leaving too a contant cycle of him buying and re-selling stuff at a higher price too make some sort of "income" for usEnter
I couldnt handle it, while his mother resented me for calling out her sons for not working, she called me out on the littleest things, oh he doesnt drive, oh look at these crumbs he let, hes so dirty, he walks weird, why does he talk lke tat and laughing with her two sons in the kitchen at my expense, while i paid for the things theyd eat, then if i talked with her sons about something if they didnt like it theyd go back too her and just know they are only a few years younger then me, one is 22, 24 and my fiance 26, she is in her 40s and also gets angry at me because since she is from mexico cant always understand what im saying and takes it as a insult or the wrong way, a few says ago i told her while have a conservation for hours, as i always try my best too spens time with her and talk about her interests, she was talking about her hair falling out and how if shes too rough it falls out and i said, that might be because irs very thick! Alot of people with native american ancestry have really thick coarse hair, in the olden days they said it was like horse hair, its not like mine, mine is really thin, I found out that upset her alot, but at the time she was laughing about it and was like oh really, but i think now shes seeing it as a insult or whatever excuse to be mad at me, because a few days ago she began too insult me again, for context in had just moved back with them because i left for almost 8 months or so too get away from her and too help my grandparents who had stage 4 cancer, they recently passed away in December and i moved back because my family saw me more of a nuisance, just as they did with my grandparents, i was taking care of them because no one in my family didnt want too, not my uncle, not my aunt (who lived with them) not my two cousins, not my brother, only my one brother sometimes, but mostly me then my mom and that was it, eventually it got too difficult too take care of my grandparents and my aunt and uncle kicked me out because my aunt kept talking badly about me because i overselpt and there would be a day or two were i wasnt as up to beat and aware there for my grandparents but its very difficult too constantly take care of two people all day long, id usualy get 5 hours of sleep every day or less sometimes, as id also do all the chores throughout the house, my laundry my grandaprents laundry, take out the trash, cook, clean, prepare my nans bed, help her too the toliet, stuff like that, but its way more said then done, i did try my best but my aunt complained too my nan once i told my aunt i didnt need to work because its already alot too take care of my granddparents and there social security pays for most of the bills, about 60-70 % and my uncle pays for the rest, my aunt wasnt paying for anyhting shed spend her money on herself, go hiking, spend time with friends, eat out all the time, or do doordash too make more money, so because i told my aunt about this she resented me and tried getting my grandmother on her side saying that i didnt do enough, it hurt me more then you could have ever imagined i looked at my nan and said nan i do everything for you, how dare you say that too me, and because of me and my aunt fighting my uncle kicked me out, throughout 3 weeks i spent time going there to still take care of them about 3 or 4 days a week with my mother, but there health got worse, they didnt eat as much and they went into a nursing home, my grandfather then passed away a few weeks into staying at the nursing home and then a 10 days later my grandmother did as well. i then stayed with my mom who put pressure onto me working right away when she knows it take some time to get work, i applied too many places, not getting anything at all, it doesnt help my mother lives in the middle of the woods 15 minutes away from any town. and i think as i said i dont drive, and no one was willing to help me. i then lived with my brother and his fiance who took all of my money and gave me false promises of helping me find a job and driving me there, then after they got what they wanted said we dont want too drive that far for you too work evne if i gave them gas money, i then decided to go back too being at my fiances families house and it seems things are repeating themselves and i feel lost, helpless and distraught, his family treats me, as if im the bad guy, and i should accept how his mom is. do you know how painful it is too talk with her and say oh sonia! lets go get some seeds and we can plant them together! so i did, i bought them a grill too, my fiance wanted it but i know my fiance just wants me for my money and his lazy ass, he doesnt want to work anywhere and lost his job, and when i got here his other brother lost his job and his other brother is saying he wants to quit leaving me as the only one working again, im going too lock my finances and move out. but today or tomorrow i am going too church after so many years to find solice i cant handle all this, after me and his mother were happy and planted all these vegtables and squash, etc. she comes into the house and screams that i am lazy, dirty, and that i dont want too work, i already have a job, i am going for my CNA classes in 5 days, it takes two weeks and then i work but it took me a month of waiting, and this is coming from the woman who barely works. but still it hurts that i do so much for them and get nothing in return but i shouldnt care. i honestly dont know how i havent pulled every single hair out of my scalp yet, this is only a small piece of all the things that have happened and context for my situation. in the past she has also said me and my fiances relationship makes her uncomfortable and she doesnt like gay people, especially after becoming muslim. I feel like i should put more, and i might later, but i am tired.. and its overwelming too type all of this.. i guess im making this post because im just hurt and feel alone, my grandparents were all i had in my life they raised me when my mother wasnt there until about 15 or older, my mother never gave me attention even when i lived with her only until i got too the age of 18/19 after her new baby was getting older.. today my "fiance" if you wanna call him that was siding with his mother, saying how this situation between me and her gave him anxiety but before that he said hed move out with me but i know he wont. He was saying how im dramatic and how i hold grudges against his mom and after all this and all, all the stuff he made false promises woth me and agreeed with me on, it just hurt too hear him say that again, he kept saying i love you when he went too bed, i didnt respond, they are all narcissists i am debaing on seeing if i can live at my towns university for a few years getting my degree and then leave this town once i do. also because i have no where else to go.

A little background first, keeping it short.
I have only recently discovered on a conscious level that I am transgender mtf. In retrospect so many things about identity and imposter syndrome issues have all became so very clear. I just turned 42 this past month and how strange to me it is that i went my entire life so far in the dark about what was missing.
Here is a song I had written a few years ago....just randomly....never had written a song down before. This one was clear that I needed to write.
I knew then I suppose.....deep down....but not consciously. Holy-moly I should have known so much earlier! So I am not interested on feedback about the song itself, whether it is a good song or whatever......but what do you guys think as far as.....was my brain telling me something?
When I woke up today no everything's all alright
like something or somebody that was swept aside
I know I ain't the same one that I had never been
but that ain't what this feels like its not that same song again
Cause my name feels like its changing
When you say it now it feels like its not even mine
When I say it to myself I can't stand how small it sounds
So I wish I had one to fit what I've become
Because dreaming is the only thing that's real to me now
That's the only place that's not me
The only place of peace that it feels like i have been
Because the day don't mean a thing
Cause my name feels like its changing
When you say it now it feels like its not even mine
When I say it to myself I can't stand how small it sounds
So I wish I had one to fit what i've become
Will morning come shine and set me free
From the darkness of the ghosts that watch me
This pain down inside that burns all I love
Come cut me out, remove the knives i'm full of
I need the days to be part of me so the places that I am can be whole
I can't keep living the days just to make it down to sleep
I have to be released only then i'll have someone to be
Cause my name feels like its changing
When you say it now it feels like its not even mine
When I say it to myself I can't stand how small it sounds
So I wish i had one to fit what I've become
Thank You.

This story is also being posted on royal road, my username over there is cosmicslime. You can find the rest here: ROYAL ROAD
If you do end up reading this story, then I'd appreciate a follow over on Royal Road. I'd also like to hear your thoughts on it up to chapter twelve. You can share them in the form of a review, mentioning what you did and didn't like about the story, I'll try to get through as many of them as possible.

Chapter Two - Beginning Of Ruin - Part Two

Slowly coming to a halting stop, the wooden boat previously acting as my mode of transport came to a complete rest against the river's gentle current, precisely lining up with the river dock now on my right.
Stepping out of the drifting craft, my feet made contact with the solid ground once more. For some reason the ground below me felt somewhat ethereal after travelling that short distance by water. Laid out in front of me was a paved path that perfectly divided the rows of red spider lilies on either side.
Strewing the familiar weapon across my shoulders, I flicked the timeless hood over my head before traversing the vacant road with no particular destination in mind, as I walked by, the spider lilies blowing in the wind would halt their swaying motions in an unnatural display of primal fear.
No matter how much I tried to tone it down, it seems the ominous pressure being emitted by this body couldn’t help but inspire fear in the hearts of living creatures. Even here in this Celestial realm, it was still the domain of the living so my presence here was hardly ever warranted, nor welcomed for that matter. It wasn’t hard for me to see the effect my presence had on a given setting, it would always elicit a combination of three reactions from those around me.
It was either fear, hatred or anxiety.
That was the case for all but one....just a single girl didn’t seem to mind me being near her at all.
Just as I was about to rescind myself to the inevitable fate that came along with this existence, I saw something or rather, someone approaching in the distance.
It was another young female wearing glasses and speeding towards me as fast as her nimble legs could carry her. She was holding something like a scroll in her right hand and given how awkward her tumbling strides were, it was clear that athletics weren’t her forte.
As soon as she’d gotten within range, her eyes sparked with a sudden realization, and she abruptly placed her right leg in front of her to slow her awkward sprint. Kicking up a fit of dust in the process, the green haired girl stopped just a few footsteps away from me before immediately bowing in a trembling motion.
“G-G-good evening, Sir Shinigami....or would you prefer Sir Reaper instead?” That timid question trailed behind her upturned eyes.
“It doesn’t matter. What is it Minerva? I doubt you sprinted all the way here just to give me such an awkward greeting.”
“Eh....you-you know my name?”
“Naturally.”
I saw her face lose a bit of its color after I spoke those words, but she soon collected herself before correcting her posture.
“Ah! I wanted to ask you about something. You see I’m in charge of managing the souls that get sent to reincarnate from both the overworld and Eden, but something odd has come up.”
“Something odd you say?”
“Yes, I was going through the archives just now and from what I’m seeing, none of the celestial souls that were sent to reincarnate have entered the cycle. Our souls usually tend to take a little longer to recycle but this is just an anomaly, for the past four hundred years very few of the celestial souls have managed to successfully reincarnate. That’s why I was rushing over here, I wanted to see if you could somehow properly escort Luelle instead of just letting things happen the usual way.”
“I saw her off just as she’d requested, she didn’t want me to personally send off her soul for some reason.”
Minerva’s neon eyes drooped a little lower just then, it almost seemed as if she was staring at the scroll now in her hands but after a few seconds it quickly became clear that it wasn’t the case at all.
“I see...so she’s really gone then.”
“Yeah.”
The distant silence that fell over us seemed to drown out even the humming winds now passing through the field of lilies.
“That scroll...doesn’t it automatically record everyone who enters the source?”
“Yes, I was just about to check it myself.”
She unraveled the thick parchment like material, scanning the myriad of letters that were appearing on its surface.
Her eyes widened in anticipation and after a while, a careless stream of words escaped her mouth. “It’s.....not....here.”
That was the beginning of it.
“Not there? You mean her soul....hasn’t returned to the source?”
The edges of the well-aged scroll crumpled under the force now being exerted by her slender fingers.
“Usually if I want to search for a particular soul, I just need to concentrate on the name of the person I'm trying to find. Even a vague image would usually be enough but....no matter how hard I focus, nothing comes up when I skim through the archive for Luelle’s name.”
This was a problem. All souls were originally supposed to return to the source, a realm even beyond reach of the Celestials for reincarnation, but for some reason that just wasn’t happening this time.
Souls did occasionally lose their way along that journey and eventually become evil spirits, but that kind of thing only happened by coincidence, the mere prospect of it ever occurring for a Celestial spirit like Luelle was simply absurd.
“Well, this is a problem. I’m certain I witnessed Luelle’s soul drifting off just now, but I’ll have to look into this. For now, you shoul-”
Before I could even finish speaking, a strange mechanism appeared in the skies above us.
It was a large white crack, the kind of thing you’d almost exclusively see on a mirror. The sprawling white lines spread across the sky, leaving an ominous screeching sound behind every time they expanded their jagged paths. Each fissure seemed to tear through the fabric of the heavens, revealing glimpses of an otherworldly darkness beyond. As the cracks widened, a sense of foreboding filled the air, suffusing the atmosphere with an eerie tension that seemed to reverberate through every fiber of existence.
“What....is that?” Minera barely managed to mutter those words in astonishment.
Soon after, a litany of white cryptic markings began escaping from the jagged openings, spreading across everything from the skies above to even the waves washing below. The strange symbols glowed with a demeaning white light, emanating a strange kind of energy each time it cast its ethereal glow.
“U-Uhm....Shinigami...do you know what this is?” Minerva asked from beside me, timidly surveying our unusual surroundings.
“No....but you should head back just to be-”
Cutting me off once again, the strange markings etched on to the world itself began emitting bright white sparks like a timid, yet persistent firework display. The sparking lights grew fiercer and fiercer by the second, and before I could even execute my next move, the entire world was seemingly engulfed in a blinding cascade of light. It was as if the very essence of existence had been ignited, and we were just insignificant specks adrift in the vast expanse of creation.
Before my vision was completely overpowered by the tormenting flash, I saw Minerva extend a hand towards me with tears flowing from her eyes. I wasn’t able to hear the words that escaped her, but for a second it looked like she was calling out to me.
Apparently, even Celestials found solace in my presence at the end.
The world was divided into three realms. The first of these was the lower realm that the humans inhabited, we called it ‘Terrania’. It was a land festering with humans, a world where only they were able to dominate and reign supreme - Or at least that’s what they thought anyway.
In reality, that realm had only managed to continue functioning because of the efforts of the beings known as ‘Celestials’. These Celestials resided in a realm that was far above Terrania known as ‘Eden’. They were responsible for overseeing the various aspects of the world these humans inhabited and that just meant that they were in charge of maintaining its balance. If things ever started getting out of hand, then they would intervene to re-establish that balance, but that would only happen if it was absolutely necessary. Though they could influence aspects of the world itself, the Celestials weren’t gods but rather akin to something like a superior version of humanity, the humans of the lower realm often referred to them as ‘angels’.
The only thing in the entire world that came close to mirroring anything even close to that level was the entity known as ‘Akasha’ or the ‘Source.’ It wasn’t an actual person but rather, the mechanism in place that managed the influx of both mortal and Celestial souls accordingly, managing them in a timely manner and allowing them to reincarnate given time.
It resided in an exclusive realm that surpassed both Eden and Terrania. Akasha was the recycling mechanism put in place to cleanse and return souls to the mortal cycle. Every time a human died, their souls would naturally return to Akasha over a number of years given that they hadn’t become an evil spirit or deviated from the natural order in some other way. That’s why even as a Reaper, I didn’t actually need to guide the souls of every single mortal that had perished, but rather just the ones still clinging on to the mortal realm or those that had deviated from the natural order.
Seeing as only pure souls could pass between the realms without restrictions, very few Celestials had ever gone directly to Akasha, but just about anyone who wasn’t mortal could detect its overwhelming essence radiating from some far-off place. The same went for me and I was neither mortal nor a Celestial.
That was how it had been, the way in which the world managed to maintain some amount of balance even without outside intervention, but the moment I saw those strange cracks appear in the sky I could already tell that the fragile balance keeping this world afloat was beginning to crumble.

For starters, this should be applicable to anyone who has the misfortune of owning anything by NordicTrack that has the ifit app installed. Ultimately, these are all powered by slightly different variants of the same android control board. So similar even, that if you crack open any of them, the boards have the same shape, mount points and locations of all the primary components and connectors. They all have the same design flaw.
All that being said, I've fixed a bike and two treadmill boards so far by re-flowing them. The problem wasn't the screen. It wasn't an issue of the board not getting power, etc. The issue was cold solder joints.
One of them had to be reflowed twice, but...again, I've got a pretty good track record going, and am now convinced that these are just cheaply made "not even half as good as an Amazon Fire" tablets with cold solder joints. If you don't know what a cold solder joint is, it's simply areas on the board where the board was not heated enough during production, resulting in poor joints that crack and fail overtime. It would be kind of like if all the important nerves in your nervous system just started breaking. You'd stop working too. Fortunately, there's usually ways to fix this on circuit boards.
If you have a multi-meter, you can poke the 12v power header into the tablet to confirm that it's getting 11 to 13v power. If it is (and assuming it's also getting 2 amps then), you're probably looking at cold solder joints. If you don't have a multi-meter, but you're mechanically inclined, you can pick one up for under $10 USD. Takes about 10 minutes to learn how to use on on Youtube. If you want to test if it's a screen issue....well, short of visible, physical damage, screens *and* the touch overlays don't just die at the same time. So even if the screen was totally failed, the touch overlay should still let you poke around if you know exactly where to click to make *something* happen. (You could also hook the screen up to a laptop if you have a large format screen with a 30 pin connector, but that seems overkill when, overwhelmingly, it's likely cold solder joints on the PCB in the tablet)
Also, it's worth nothing that cold solder joints don't always result in being dead in the water right away. While I would try *everything* else from a software perspective first to fix instability issues, constant crashing and reboots, completely frozen screens, inability to fully boot, or error messages preventing boot can all be related to this, too. For my own treadmill, it started with freezing after a couple workouts, and quickly (over a day) progressed to a boot loop where it never would fully load. For kicks, I let it torture itself and when I came back the next day, it was completely dead.
Anyway, fixing this is pretty much the same as what everyone used to do to XBOX 360's that had the red ring of death...cook the PCB until the solider melts again, but also try not to cook it so far that the components on the board literally burn and become unusable again.
Also, it's worth noting that if you're lucky enough to still be under warranty, you should pursue that first. And don't discredit looking at what credit card you bought your machine with, if you're the original owner. Some credit cards double warranties, so that 2 year warranty on the tablet could very well be turned into a four year warranty by your credit card company. This is actually a surprisingly common, but not well known, benefit of major cards.
To get started, unplug the unit from the wall. The last thing you need is to end up electrocuting yourself or blowing something out on your machine because power was still being applied to it.
Ok, so onto the actual repair.....to do this, you'll need to unplug the four cables going into the back of the tablet. On some machines, like my 9.5s, you might have to take a back cover off the whole unit to actually reach the back of the tablet, and its connectors. Once that's taken care of, you'll need to take out the (likely) 3 screws on each side that hold the tablet mount into the upper assembly that the tablet itself is mounted in. From here, the tablet should be freely removable from the unit.
Now you need to undo the screws in the back of the tablet to separate it from the touchscreen front. Warning: There are delicate ribbon cables going from the screen in front, to the board in the tablet. Damage one of them, and you may as well just buy a new tablet for the few hundred bucks NordicTrack will shake you down for.
Once you've exposed the board, you should be able to pull out the wire connectors and flip the pressure fit levers on the ribbon cable connectors for the tablet to remove the camera and touchscreen ribbon cables. Note that the wifi antenna is also relatively delicate, and should be pulled as upward as possible. You also need to be careful when reinstalling it, or you can crush the connector, and then....either you're good at incredibly small soldering by hand, or again, you're buying a new tablet with half the power and build quality of the cheapest Amazon Fire at quadruple the price.
Next, remove the screws securing the board to the inside of the tablet, and you should be able to freely remove it with ease. Now comes the Really delicate part.

THE ACTUAL FIX ITSELF

Ideally, you would be doing this in a precision controlled re-flow oven with a profile that walks the board through exact temperature changes....but you can get 90% of the way there, and have pretty excellent chances of fixing your board, nontheless. You just need an oven and a thermometer you can read from inside the oven.
Before prepping the board to go in the oven, remove the large metal RF shield covering the back of the board. Not the one that's postage stamps sized, but the one that's about the much larger one, about the size of two human thumbs. You can discard this - it's an RF shield and honestly it does nothing but trap heat that really shouldn't be trapped, in my opinion.
Using the "toaster oven method" to reflow a PCB, you will want to make a few loose (not very compacted) foil balls. Set them on a plate in a way where you can press the board into them, connectors side facing up. You should have the board be as level as possible - re-flowing a board at an angle can make the chips fall out of alignment, and then you pretty much have a dead, now-un-repairable board.
Once the board is level, put a thermometer you can read on the plate with the board and pop it in the oven. Set the oven to bake at 230C (About 445F) and once the oven has actually reached this temperature, count off two minutes. That is how long you want to let the board bake before you remove it. You don't have to be exact with this, but don't leave it in for only a minute and don't forget about it and come back after it's been cooking for 5 or 10 minutes. Try to be within a few seconds of that 2 minute mark. And the temperature gauge on the plate is so you can know that it really is within a few degrees of 230F. The temp gauge on stoves often lies, and if the board is below 220 it won't really re-flow, and above 240 you run the risk of cooking it to death.
Anyway, the final, and arguably most delicate part, is removing the board. You want to be as gentle as possible. No bumps, no jerky motions, and setting it down with great care once it's out of the oven. Also, set it down *away* from the oven so that the board can cool off faster. Don't put it in the fridge or anything, but let it sit undisturbed for about 15 minutes before trying to do anything with it. After that amount of time, it should be cool enough to touch. Once all of this is done, screw the board back into the tablet shell, but ONLY put the screws in along the two sides that have connectors coming out of them. This means you should have three of the four corners screwed down, and one or two additional screws along those two sides. Leave the fourth corner undone since it gives the board some wiggle room without constant straining & flexing. (The best option would be making silicone bushings to mount the tablet board to, much like portable had drives have, but that's just me trying to get as much life out of my tablet & treadmill as I can).
Now, reattach all the connectors. My preferred order for ease is: Camera cable, microphone cable, touch screen cable, wifi antenna, display cable (the largest flat ribbon cable in there). Then close up the two halves of the tablet, pop a couple screws in the corners, and reattach the four external cables to the tablet. Don't bother screwing it all back in yet because we're just testing to make sure it works at this point. You should be able to lay the tablet down, plug the machine in, and have the tablet power up. It should respond to touch and work just like it used to. If it works again, congrats! Now unplug it once more and finish reinstalling the tablet, plastic pieces, and screws.
If it didn't work, there's no harm in trying to reflow the board again. In fact, if the issue happens again later on, you can just try reflowing the board once more. That said, there's only so many times you can re-melt the solder holding everything together before the board will just plain out be toast. Usually it's somewhere around 3 or 4 times, but you could be unlucky and have 0 or 1, or be incredibly lucky and get away with it a dozen times over many more years of life from your machine, if you even need to.
All that being said, if anyone needs help with this, just reply here. I'm not on Reddit often anymore, but I'll try to get back to you within a week, and I'm much more responsive once we've started on a conversation.
Again, to date, I've fixed three NordicTrack devices doing this, and many MANY other PCBs in similar fashion. What's alarming to me here is that the units I've fixed all have usage times of under 100 hours for the machines. Honestly, I'm amazed this hasn't come up yet and that NordicTrack hasn't been litigated into free replacements like Apple and Microsoft have from similar mass failures out of warranty due to poor build quality. (Xbox 360, iPhone battery & back glass issues, etc...) I'm even more amazed that they'll sell the tablet for most models, but *not* the PCB....though, I guess that just goes to show that whatever lowest-bidder factory cranked these out for them, NordicTrack as a company has never even seen component level parts like that - just finished tablets, so it's not even something they *can* offer their ~~hostages~~ customers.
OH! And final word of advice! Put your units on a smart outlet that turns off after whatever the max time you use your equipment would be! Not only will it prolong the equipment life, but it actually makes it easier to use! For example, instead of waiting for the treadmill to wake up, I just say "Alexa, turn on the treadmill" and by the time I'm at it, it's happily waiting for me to click my name and go. And then if I forget to turn it off, the smart plug is programmed to shut it down after 2 hours anyway, so it won't be sitting there idly chewing away at the new life ~~breathed~~ baked into it.
If you want to make sure the temp if your oven is hot enough, but not going to fry something, try taking an old remote that you know works but that you don't care about. Disassemble it, reflow it, and make sure it still works when you put it all back together again. Now do it again and see if, once it reached temp in the oven, you can scrape parts off the board with relative ease. This will destroy the remote, but it's a good way to get comfortable with baking boards.
Anyway, that's about all. I wish I'd though to record videos of this process, but I hope this guide is enough to get most people back in business. And if you've already been through swapping the whole tablet and have a dead one you'd like to donate to seeing if my theory continues to hold true, I'd be happy to pay shipping to get it from you, or have you pay shipping if you want me to just take a crack at fixing it and sending it back to you.
If you're already skilled in these areas, it should take about 20 minutes to do, excluding actual bake and cooling time. If you're totally new at this but you can follow instructions with care and precision, you can probably have it done in under 2 hours. And hey - short of burning or electrocuting yourself (again, unplug before working on the equipment!) ....if you already have a dead board, the only thing you really have to lose by trying this is some of your time. =)

One of my few post that i share on reddit, but this problem is affecting our relationship in last couple of months quite a bit.
A bit of background....i was a professionall football player till 21 years old, had from 16 to 21 very bad mindset about things in life, ( parties, drugs, girls) searched only for short term fun without any goals in life or concentration on present moment and what needs to be done to sustain life i was living.
Im now 30 years old, moved to another country to start from scratch more or less...reading mindset and goal oriented books has helped me much about how to look on life. Im now working and playing football to have 2 seperate incomes which are okey to get by and save some.
My spouse, i love her very much. She is down to earth person, she is direct, helpfull, caring and many other things. She lack motivation to improve herself in any way.
When we started living together back in the days we talked about long term goal = that we do in our life what we will be happy to do, this we both meant:
-To work normal job that we at least a bit enjoy and is payed okey

• To have our bussiness that we will enjoy leading ( for me football trainer, for her nails, makeup)
  
• to invest in some way long, short term and hopefully be financial in better way so we can make living easier.
  
• to have as much as possible free time to raise kids in future and to enjoy free time off work ( our own schedule or at least together work free days to go somwhere to ease minds.
  

I do consider myself last couple of years to do "hard" things that will benefit us in a long term. Ofcourse could invest more time, but better some than none i guess.
My week is like this:
-work Monday-Friday
-football trainings 3x per week + weekend game

• 6 times per week gym
  
• free time pc games, movies with spouse, reading books, going for a walk, chilling listening to music.
  

My goal is to be in future football trainier at club or to be individual trainer for players who want to try to become pro.
2nd goal to be fitness coach for recreatives, in best way to open in future own studio and can help people become fit ( workouts, streching, massages)
Girlfriend :
Is currently at home for a year now, which we both agreed and we like it that she dont need to go to work at some company that she will hate. She dont yet speak language that is used where we currently alive... So work she would like to do would be hard to find and also we have stable income and for now enough money that she can be at home. She is not lazy.
The problem we have in last months is that she cant understand really when we talk about concept "do things that are hard now, that in future will be easier" or dont just go past the day with short term fun ( mobile games, food, tv, sex, buying things online, planing vacations).
From time to time i remind her about our goal and what for example she did towards this goal for us in last month. Trying to explain that mobile games every morning and searching things online to buy, are free time things that should be done moderate while other things that can help heus in future are not even focused on.
Problem that i see in her is that anything that is now enjoyable ( cleaning the house, going for a walk/run/fitness, read a book, water the garden, clean the dishes etc,) are things just to be done quick as possible and then return to enjoyable things.
The worst thing is when i try to be direct with her and try to explain that what she do most of the days brings no benefit to us, also im direct that i dont want that she over push herself, but once twice in a month she could do something for our goals, or at least ask me something about this, tips help, she could suggest something or just that we talk about some things that we can improve in any way.
When i come home from training or work is just lets watch movie, lets cuddle, lets play cards etc. ( fun things)
Last time i asked about why in last month or two didnt do any workout besides going for a walk to my training place ( 25min away), the answer i got is why i dont suggest to go hill hiking once or 2 per month???
So the problem is when i confront her sometimes if she is even willing to do for herself/us something beneficial long term is always comming to an end where im the bad person and insult her that she is nothing.
And thats far from my point, i try to explain that from nothing we get nothing, not that she is 0 and im hero.
We both are in normal situated life right now but like from our goal is to rise above working level and do things that only gets you by.
Couple days ago the argument finished with me saying: I dont see myself with person who only looks for fun and easy things and dont even understand the concept of what to do in present to be better someday( in a year or 20 years)
Answer was from her: i also dont like to be with person who says im 0 all the time.
Please share some answer or your point on view on this, i appreciate it.
TLDR: Spouse seems to not understand without thinking that i insult her, when trying to explain that some things we dont want to in the present do is neccessary for long term goals.

Discovered this reddit few days ago and has been tremendously helpful - so thanks for everyone contributing. This is my story with the pouches, and why i firmly believe they are insane to be legal.
Been a nicotine addict for 10 years - first smoking cigs, then started doing 10mg VELO pouches (similar to Zyn) while in office to distract myself from not having smoke breaks. Then decided to quit smoking altogether and go full-on the VELO wagon. This was 14 months ago i quit smoking and picked up VELOs (roughly 15-20 pouches a day of 10mg) and since then, my health has SIGNIFICANTLY deteriorated. The irony is amazing, right?
8-10 months ago while at work i came very close to fainting all of a sudden. Huge shock but im a big guy, so went to bathroom, splashed some cold water in my face and went about my day, not thinking more about it. Weeks later this happened again, and I started feeling heart palpations, dizziness, difficulty breathing, difficulty sleeping, restlessness... Went to doctor who checked EKG, bloodwork, all looked superb. Was very dissatisfied as I was sure my symptoms were real, I was literally terrified, and so I demanded a long-term heart monitoring (Holter monitor, wearable EKG that detects artifacts). Turns out heart was as healthy as ever; no issues at all. Doc came to conclusion that i was suffering anxiety or similar mental illness, as all my physicals were on point. I have absolutely never experienced any mental conditions what so ever, so I was very surprised with this - but also eager to tackle it and find a solution. Months go by and I try meditation, breathwork, cold plunges, better exercise, lowering caffeeine intake, better diet. God i tried it all, but with very limited / no direct effect. I still experienced insane heart palpations; sometimes feeling very sure I would drop dead. It could happen multiple times a day, then vanish for a month, then return, and it seemed all random; it could not tie it to workload, alchohol, diet or similar. But truth be told; i was extremely scared, and my girlfriend got scared as hell as I was a complete mental mess at times. I even started leaving my apartment door unlocked to make sure I could get help if my heart failed during sleep. It was really that bad..
Then, on a flight home from a business trip 4 days ago I started getting crazy palpations, becoming dizzy. It was scary as shit as we were nowhere near an airport or any help. For some reason, it occured to me that it might be the fucking pouches; all this shit started as soon as i ditched the cigs and went full-on nicotine pouches. After landing at home i decided to ditch the pouches. This is now ~60 hours ago, and to be very honest, I cannot believe how incredible this is.
60 hours only, and my heart palpations are COMPLETELY gone. I feel I can breathe 2x the volume of air as I could before. Yesterday I had the best sleep of my entire life; not having to spend 1½-2 hours twisting and turning and being afraid my heart is gonna stop. BP back at 120 / 75, resting heart rate stabile at ~50 BPM. Overall my body feels amazing. Sure, the nicotene withdrawal is very real and that part suck massively, but it is NOTHING compared to that terrifying feeling of your heart exploding or stopping at any minute.
To anyone considering quitting, this will very likely be the single best decision you ever make for your health - both mentally and physicaly. I have been a fucking mess for the past 10 months, honestly believing I could drop dead any second; and it is only now clear to me that I'm good - its the pouches wrecking my system like mad. If I can do it after 10 years of nic addition, ~200 mg per day for the past 14 months, so can you!!

One of my few post that i share on reddit, but this problem is affecting our relationship in last couple of months quite a bit.
A bit of background....i was a professionall football player till 21 years old, had from 16 to 21 very bad mindset about things in life, ( parties, drugs, girls) searched only for short term fun without any goals in life or concentration on present moment and what needs to be done to sustain life i was living.
Im now 30 years old, moved to another country to start from scratch more or less...reading mindset and goal oriented books has helped me much about how to look on life. Im now working and playing football to have 2 seperate incomes which are okey to get by and save some.
My spouse, i love her very much. She is down to earth person, she is direct, helpfull, caring and many other things. She lack motivation to improve herself in any way.
When we started living together back in the days we talked about long term goal = that we do in our life what we will be happy to do, this we both meant:
-To work normal job that we at least a bit enjoy and is payed okey

• To have our bussiness that we will enjoy leading ( for me football trainer, for her nails, makeup)
  
• to invest in some way long, short term and hopefully be financial in better way so we can make living easier.
  
• to have as much as possible free time to raise kids in future and to enjoy free time off work ( our own schedule or at least together work free days to go somwhere to ease minds.
  

I do consider myself last couple of years to do "hard" things that will benefit us in a long term. Ofcourse could invest more time, but better some than none i guess.
My week is like this:
-work Monday-Friday
-football trainings 3x per week + weekend game

• 6 times per week gym
  
• free time pc games, movies with spouse, reading books, going for a walk, chilling listening to music.
  

My goal is to be in future football trainier at club or to be individual trainer for players who want to try to become pro.
2nd goal to be fitness coach for recreatives, in best way to open in future own studio and can help people become fit ( workouts, streching, massages)
Girlfriend :
Is currently at home for a year now, which we both agreed and we like it that she dont need to go to work at some company that she will hate. She dont yet speak language that is used where we currently alive... So work she would like to do would be hard to find and also we have stable income and for now enough money that she can be at home. She is not lazy.
The problem we have in last months is that she cant understand really when we talk about concept "do things that are hard now, that in future will be easier" or dont just go past the day with short term fun ( mobile games, food, tv, sex, buying things online, planing vacations).
From time to time i remind her about our goal and what for example she did towards this goal for us in last month. Trying to explain that mobile games every morning and searching things online to buy, are free time things that should be done moderate while other things that can help heus in future are not even focused on.
Problem that i see in her is that anything that is now enjoyable ( cleaning the house, going for a walk/run/fitness, read a book, water the garden, clean the dishes etc,) are things just to be done quick as possible and then return to enjoyable things.
The worst thing is when i try to be direct with her and try to explain that what she do most of the days brings no benefit to us, also im direct that i dont want that she over push herself, but once twice in a month she could do something for our goals, or at least ask me something about this, tips help, she could suggest something or just that we talk about some things that we can improve in any way.
When i come home from training or work is just lets watch movie, lets cuddle, lets play cards etc. ( fun things)
Last time i asked about why in last month or two didnt do any workout besides going for a walk to my training place ( 25min away), the answer i got is why i dont suggest to go hill hiking once or 2 per month???
So the problem is when i confront her sometimes if she is even willing to do for herself/us something beneficial long term is always comming to an end where im the bad person and insult her that she is nothing.
And thats far from my point, i try to explain that from nothing we get nothing, not that she is 0 and im hero.
We both are in normal situated life right now but like from our goal is to rise above working level and do things that only gets you by.
Couple days ago the argument finished with me saying: I dont see myself with person who only looks for fun and easy things and dont even understand the concept of what to do in present to be better someday( in a year or 20 years)
Answer was from her: i also dont like to be with person who says im 0 all the time.
Please share some answer or your point on view on this, i appreciate it.

DevOps implementation brings automation to the table along with continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) and collaboration between development and operations teams. This together speeds up the delivery of the software. Nevertheless, the urge to speed and be agile poses a critical challenge in maintaining security, both for teams and organizations. Here, in this blog, we’ll explore the complicated obstacles and hurdles of balancing speed and security in modern DevOps environments.

The Need for Speed vs Security Concerns

Speed is one of the core pillars of the DevOps philosophy. Reduction in the time required for product development and market release due to rapid iterations and shorter deployment cycles makes enterprises capable of moving faster than their competitors. Yet the argument between speed and security is the main conflicting idea. Traditional security culture, mainly characterized by manual checks and gates, can slow down the development pipeline, hampering the agility that DevOps targets to bring in.
[Good Read: Top 5 Ways Devops Teams Can Contribute To a Greener ]
Lack of Security Awareness
Security is no longer a highlighted concern in many DevOps teams like it was in the previous tradition. Instead, it is incorporated into the development process from the end. Primarily, developers and operations teams, which strive for delivery of features, as well as maintaining uptime, may not consider security among the list of their priorities. Inadequate recognition of issues in the pre and post-development phases can create vulnerabilities in the delivery chain.
Complexity of Microservices and Containers
The adoption of microservices architecture and containerization have significantly added to security issues in the DevOps environment. Although microservices help scale up and deliver customized services, they separate the environment from centralized control. This leads to a situation where securing communication between the services becomes critical. Similar is the case with containers, which are good for both consistency and portability. In containers, the security measures need to be enhanced by the ,security consulting services providers to avoid container escape or unauthorized access to the containers.
Integration of Security into CI/CD Pipelines
Equipping CI/CD pipelines with security is a must to remedy any threats at the production and development levels. But achieving a synchronous integration process is also tangled with its tricky issues. CI/CD procedures should be synchronized with the security tools to ensure that these tools provide accurate results without causing significant delays. Automating security checks involves meticulous calculations to prevent both false positives and negatives. Choosing the right monitoring and service management techniques can help in integrating security checks in CI/CD pipelines.
Continuous Monitoring and Incident Response
Even, implementing impeccable precautionary measures would not prevent security incidents from occurring. Monitoring the system constantly and incident response processes is essential for detecting and mitigating threats in real time. Here is how monitoring and service management comes into the picture. However, handling security alerts as well as responding to incidents on time is hard to accomplish, as it requires dedicated resources, the right security consulting and infrastructure which should be in place.
You can check more info about: Balancing Speed & Security In Modern DevOps.

• DevOps Company In USA.
• AWS Consulting.
• CI/CD Consulting Services.
• Managed Kubernetes.

Hello!
I hope we're all doing well!
We did relatively okay last time, with our secondary parlay landing clean! Everything else kinda fell apart, but I did a bit better than I feared i would have done.
Another rough fight night to predict here! Should be a fun event though.
Onwards to the predictions!
(c) - Champ
D/DWCS - Debut/Dana Whites' Contender Series
FLS - Fight Lose Streak
FWS - Fight Win Streak
NS - No Streak
(#x) - Rank in Division
x/3 - Confidence Levels
lets go!
Prelims
Women’s Strawweight
Emily Ducote (-275) (13-8-0, NS) v Vanessa Demopoulos (+220) (10-5-0, NS) - Oh look, a fight that’s probably going to go to the scorecards. Ducote is coming off a relatively strong win against Yoder, she was very capable of stuffing all of those takedown attempts coming her way and matching the tenacity of Yoder on the feet. Now, I am always a bit iffy when it comes to someone with a record like Ducotes’, but I do believe they (The UFC) didn’t quite build her up properly, giving her opponents like Godinez and Hill very early on in her UFC career. Ducote is a fairly well rounded fighter who does well on her feet, but most importantly, her grappling is relatively good, having been capable of defending the takedowns of Godinez, which isn’t a small feat since Godinez is well known for her wrestling capabilities. That ability to defend takedowns is massively important when dealing with someone like Demopoulos, whose main threat in most of her fights are her takedowns and grappling attacks. Ducote has fairly standard striking attacks for a well rounded MMA fighter, she is very quick on the feet and throws a lot of volume when she attacks, which could prove challenging to Demopoulos as she tries to enter range and initiate a takedown. Now, whilst Ducote has a lot of volume and speed to her strikes, she lacks in the “finishing” area, she doesn’t quite have the tenacity to finish her opponents, there’s no hurry. With that said though, she does have a bit of a familiar pattern of touching up her opponents until that right hand finds its mark, then she adds emphasis on that right-side punch. She has, however, one weird tendency to just stand there, staring, whilst in the pocket, with a rather square stance, and whilst that might help her with the offensive output, she is still standing there with minimal defences. That’s something that has contributed to her losses in the past and something that Demopoulos could possibly use as a way to find an entry for a takedown. Demopoulos is coming off a win against Murata, but it was a fairly unimpressive performance with Demopoulos getting taken down a lot, and although she looked fairly good on the feet with powerful single attacks, I don’t quite know how effective she is going to be against a volume-heavy fighter like Ducote. Demopoulos has a few tendencies as a fighter that are great, she is fairly active in the guard off her back, throwing up submissions very quickly, but the problem with that is nowadays if you can’t lock in a submission, then you are losing the fight, and I think if Demopoulos does pull guard, Ducote should have the ability to control her on the ground and avoid submissions. This is a very, very 50/50 fight in my opinion. Ducote has a slight advantage on the feet due to her speed and volume, but on the ground it’s looking like Demopoulos has the advantages there, as she does have great instinct on when to lock in a submission or shift the hips. The safest bet here is either o2.5 rounds or the fight going the distance, this isn’t a ML bet fight by any means in my opinion. As for my prediction, I am very split but i’m leaning towards Ducote to win this one, but it’s the slightest lean one can imagine.
Ducote via UD - (1/3)
Bantamweight
Alatengheili (+150) (16-9-2, NS) v Kleydson Rodrigues (-185) (8-3-0, NS) - This is a fascinating one. Alatengheili was scheduled to fight a month ago but it was cancelled due to an illness, so I fully expect him to fight again this week. The kinda good news about that is he doesn’t really need to have a big camp since he already had the conditioning and cardio from that other camp preparing for Victor Hugo. Alatengheili is a very aggressive and powerful fighter, everything he throws has so much speed and power behind it, and whilst there might not be a lot of volume behind those punches, he shouldn’t be underestimated on the feet because of his explosiveness. Alatengheili also uses that explosive power to wrestle, and he is fairly good on the ground, able to maintain a strong position at all times and just land heavy ground and pound. Alatengheili is powerful but he doesn’t display that power with reckless abandon, he tends to be a bit of a counter puncher, his hands are often low or loose, which lures his opponent in to strike, in which he then propels himself forward with a quick flurry of dangerous punches, then there’s a reset and he waits to lure his opponent in again. That’s his typical gameplan and it works a lot of the time, but I do think he might get exposed by one thing that Rodrigues could do, and that’s chop at the legs to remove or mitigate that explosiveness that Alatengheili relies on. Rodrigues on the other hand has not had as much experience nor octagon time that Alatengheili has had, but his style seems to be a bit of a challenge for Alatengheili, at least from what I can see. Rodrigues is very well rounded, he is very quick on the feet, but most of all, he doesn’t do anything too crazy to be lured into a potential counter-flurry by Alatengheili. Rodrigues loves to kick at range, he is so dynamic and can switch up the angles of the attacks so quickly that he could possibly just keep kicking Alatengheili until the fight is over, as long as he keeps a safe distance from a retaliatory attack. He is very quick at throwing out those kicks and I do think if he attacks the legs early enough he is going to be effective, as Gutierrez was when he fought Alatengheili. Alatengheili is going to have to mix it up in this fight to get ahead, he is going to have to rely heavily on his wrestling in order to get a win here, because we have seen that Rodrigues is mostly a kickboxestriker, and if Alatengheili can push a nasty pace and pressure (something he only does if he is successful with his counters or see’s his opponent is hurt), that completely removes Rodrigues’ ability to kick. However, the biggest danger with any sort of aggressive forward movement from Alatengheili is the ridiculous hand speed of Rodrigues, his boxing speed is ferocious and he doesn’t necessarily overthrow, everything is clean and tight, and given how open the defences are with Alatengheili, I do think a check left hook or an uppercut is going to be a highly effective tool that Rodrigues is going to utilise, especially if Alatengheili is going to look for takedowns. The focus and timing of Rodrigues is something that I really like also, he is so calm but intense in the cage, he sees a lot of his opponents attacks coming, and since Alatengheili’s actions are huge and relatively easy to read (as there is quite a wind up for it) Rodrigues should be able to avoid it or counter effectively. One major thing I want to point out here that makes me lean on Rodrigues even moreso is the striking inaccuracy of Alatengheili, he is a powerful fighter, i cannot state this enough, but it is thanks to that power and his willingness to throw down heavy punches that he often misses. I’m gonna list some stats, so bear with me… These are his striking accuracy stats from a handful of his recent fights, starting from the most recent to ones earlier in his career. Gutierrez with 28% Accuracy, Anheliger with 37%, Lopez with 30% and Kenney with 26%. This is why I emphasized before how important Alatengheili’s wrestling is going to be in this fight, because if you’re going to go up against a very tricky and accurate striker like Rodrigues, you cannot play that accuracy game and risk winging punches against him. With that said though, don’t count of Alatengheili here, his power and explosiveness are always going to be a problem and it should generally be a good idea to sprinkle a little bit of money on him, even moreso that he’s an underdog. My prediction for this fight is a long, drawn out Rodrigues win, but it’s a tough one because we haven’t quite seen that much greatness from Rodrigues.
Rodrigues via UD - (1/3)
Women’s Strawweight
Piera Rodriguez (-175) (9-1-0, NS) v Ariane Carnelossi (+145) (14-3-0, NS) - Normally, a lot of fights interest me, even the ones that don’t interest the vast majority of others… but this one? I have no feelings one way or the other about this one, it seems like a filler fight lol. Rodriguez is a relatively well rounded fighter coming off a tough loss against Gillian Robertson, and I mean, that kind of loss tends to come with the territory of wrestling a well known submission specialist, so I don’t exactly fault Rodriguez for losing in that way. There is very little doubt that Rodriguez is going to have a major advantage in the wrestling department, a lot of her fights involve her taking down her opponent, it's what she does exceptionally well and considering how dreadful Carnelossi’s takedown defence is, it is going to be Piera’s imperative to take down Carnelossi. The problem with Rodriguez is that she's a little bit one dimensional, she doesn’t do too well on the feet and Carnelossi does have very strong strikes, I mean, look at her, she’s absolutely a power puncher. Rodriguez is highly diverse with her striking, both in terms of range and variability of attack, she has excellent fundamentals with the boxing, landing combinations in the pocket and moving away, and one main thing she does extremely well is that jab, its a really long, lunging jab, and the reason why I point that out is because it somewhat masks the takedown, she uses that jab over and over, and because that motion to jab is almost similar to a level change, she doesn’t necessarily feint the jab to get to the level change/takedown position, but her opponents just think another jab is coming. This is going to be a great set up against Carnelossi, attack her with long, prodding jabs, and after a few of those, go for a level change, because its that long lunge that looks like a level change. To put it bluntly, anything to get a level change and a takedown will be highly effective against Carnelossi. Carnelossi is an interesting one to talk about because she had a fun start to her career with an extremely entertaining fight against Liang Na, but if you look closely, she is just a fun fighter, not a great one. Her punching power is probably her biggest asset, because everywhere else she absolutely is not worth talking about, and it’s that punching power that will be evident when she inevitably clips Rodriguez. Carnelossi is one dimensional, but boy is she scrappy and I don’t think Rodriguez can afford to get crazy with her on the feet, because Rodriguez will be hurt by something in the pocket, the smartest thing Rodriguez can ideally do is level change and absolutely remove the power from Carnelossi, and considering that Carnelossi’s power is generated from a very still-standing stance, it wouldn’t take much to take her off her feet. I got Rodriguez winning this one, it should hopefully be a fun fight.
Rodriguez via UD - (1/3)
Middleweight
Abus Magomedov (-250) (25-6-1, 2 FLS) v Warlley Alves (+205) (14-7-0, 3 FLS) - It kind of seems like they are setting Magomedov up for success here. Magomedov may have had a tough last two bouts, but considering the fact that he faced Strickland and Borralho, that’s ridiculous levels of competition for a newcomer. Magomedov had one major issue exposed when he fought Strickland and that was his cardio, everything else he looked absolutely incredible at, he has a lot of power in his hands, he’s long and dynamic with his attacks and he has great wrestling, but it was his cardio that made him fall apart. During his Borralho fight, despite losing that bout, those cardio issues didn’t seem as present, he has seemingly learnt to pace himself and he honestly looks to be a decent up and comer now that he’s facing slightly more adjusted competition instead of straight up killers. Magomedov has a massive, massive reach advantage over Alves, and that’s going to be prevalent when Magomedov lands those beautiful strikes at range. He does use his kicks alot, and alongside said kicks are a lot of knee feints, it's a bit odd to look at, it could just be him getting ready to check leg kicks or to feint a kick, but it's just one of those things that I can’t quite figure out. Anyway, Magomedov’s cardio is going to be in question again today, and whilst I did say that he seems to be mostly fine, or at least a bit better than when he fought Strickland, he still tends to overthrow a lot, there is no pitter patter of punches that you somewhat see, they’re all still big actions and those big actions cost him his cardio early on. The best way to kind of describe Magomedov, at least cardio wise, is a slightly more talented and skillful McKinney. My main concern is how exposed his face is to getting hit, all it would take is for Alves to rush in like a bull and throw some heavy overhand punches, make it very gritty in there and make Magomedov tired. That’s the only way I can kind of see Magomedov struggle a lot. Alves is an exceptionally quick starter, he is an absolute firecracker and if he can catch Magomedov early, that’s going to be absolutely massive given the size difference. Everything Alves throws comes with silly amounts of power, and he isn’t necessarily a headhunter, he chops at the legs and body occasionally, he’s quite diverse and I think those leg kicks are going to be problematic for Magomedov, considering Magomedov needs to push forward in order to get his combinations off. Alves is a tough, tough fighter, and whilst he is coming off a savage knockout by Aliskerov, I do think that Alves is still one dangerous fighter to take on, maybe not as technical as Borralho (to compare to Magomedov’s last opponent), but he is an absolute monster when it comes to aggression and that alone could exhaust Magomedov. However, the reach and movement of Magomedov is going to be a major challenge here. I am not completely counting out Alves here, I think he is being a bit underestimated here, but I just think Magomedov has a lot more tools in his arsenal that is going to be boosted by that reach advantage, and it does seem that Alves is fairly susceptible to down the pipe shots, something that Magomedov does well. Range and distance are going to be the main gameplan for Magomedov and his time I think. I got Magomedov winning this one, but i am not very confident in this one due to the volatility of Alves’ actions. He is a wild and fast starter so I expect that first round to be the most sketchiest.
Magomedov via KO R2 - (1/3)
Women’s Bantamweight
Tamires Vidal (+300) (7-2-0, NS) v Melissa Gatto (-410) (8-2-2, 2 FLS) - This is certainly an interesting one. Vidal is coming off a tough loss against Rendon, and it was a bit of a boring fight in all honesty, with Vidal being somewhat effective on the feet with big and powerful attacks, but ultimately succumbing to the wrestling of Rendon. I don’t see that much changing this time around since Gatto is a great wrestler and Vidal has clearly shown major defensive issues in the wrestling department, so to put it bluntly, it just seems like Vidal has a puncher's chance, and if she does land those punches, I do think the tides can change a little in her favour, but it would only take one takedown for Gatto to be in full control for the rest of that round. Outside of her loss to Rendon, Vidal looked fun against Pascual, then again, a lot of fighters of a reasonably low calibre can look good against Pascual, so I think that was one of those “set up for success” fights. Still, the aggression and threat of a knockdown/out from Vidal will be fairly prevalent during this fight. But that’s about it, shes a powerful striker and quite dynamic, but her takedown defence is going to be a problem. Gatto was scheduled to fight Dudakova a few weeks ago, however that fight fell off, which is probably good for Gatto coz she’s ready for a fight regardless, shes still somewhat fresh off camp and was going to probably employ the same strategy against Vidal that she would have against Dudakova, and that was to wrestle. Gatto’s wrestling has always been a bit of a highlight for her, she’s physically strong and is able to do well in advantageous positions, holding her opponents down and either landing ground and pound or just grinding them out, exhausting them for a large chunk of the round. Gatto is also very dangerous on the feet, she has deceptively quick and powerful punches which she uses to both damage her opponents but also as an opportunity to raise their guard so the level change is more easily accessible. No matter what way you cut this slice of cake, I think Gatto’s wrestling is going to be a major problem for Vidal, and Vidal’s only way to win this fight is to keep it standing and just brawl, make it look gritty in there and potentially freeze up Gatto’s ability to wrestle cleanly. I am leaning on Gatto to win this one, but that unpredictability of Vidal’s aggression is going to be a big factor here. No major bet advice here, it seems like there is a possibility of it going over 2.5 rounds, but that’s about it.
Gatto via UD - (1/3)
Light Heavyweight
Oumar Sy (D) (9-0-0, 9 FWS) v Tuco Tokkos (D) (10-3-0, 3 FWS) - ITS DOUBLE DEBUT TIME!!! These are getting rarer and rarer the more we see fighters from DWCS make their way to the UFC, so this is a fun little occasion. Sy is coming into this fight a little bit more prepared, at least physically and cardio wise, than his replacement opponent in Tokkos. Sy is coming off a string of beautiful fights on various promotions, but most importantly he’s been relatively tested on KSW, which is one of the better promotions to come out of the European world of MMA. Sy is a long and rangey fighter who has dangerous head kicks and dangerous wrestling skills that he uses really well, and whilst he has a massive reach advantage over his opponent, he doesn’t exactly strike in any traditional way, you don’t see him throw a lot of jabs, he mostly uses his reach to lock in takedowns (since it’s easier to lock in takedowns with longer arms), and the moment the fight goes to the ground, expect him to find a position to where he can reign down heavy ground and pound. I would love to see him strike a bit more, but most of his fights are him taking his opponents down and landing ground and pound, and if he does that against a replacement fighter in Tokkos, I expect him to dominate and completely shut down Tokkos since it would take preparation to get out of funky positions that Sy puts his opponents in, and I don’t know if Tokkos has that wrestling background to handle the larger and longer opponent in Sy properly on the ground. Tokkos seemingly came out of nowhere this last week, and that one thing that blasted me in the face was the record of his second most recent opponent, Brian Jackson. Dudes got a 1-7 record and Tokkos torched him (expectedly), that doesn’t bring a lot of confidence to me that a guy like Tokkos, coming from a relatively decent gym in Kill Cliff FC, takes on and fights someone like that. Tokkos is overall a decent fighter with some strong wins under his belt, but the main thing going against him here is preparation time, and whilst he does have a fair bit of experience under his belt, I just don’t think he’s ready for someone like Sy on short notice. Tokkos is a relatively well rounded fighter with great wrestling and decent striking, but i just think all of that is going to be possibly negated by the substantial reach advantage of Sy. This is a double debut though, and whilst I normally steer clear from calling someone new to the UFC a lock, I think the fact that Sy has had a full camp for… three fights (Bellato, Trocolli (both cancelled) and now Tokkos), I think he’s ready for this fight and ready for the UFC. He will be an optional lock, but still a 2/3 confidence pick, if that makes sense.
Sy via KO R1 (2/3)
Lightweight
Tom Nolan (-450) (6-1-0, NS) v Victor Martinez (+340) (13-5-0, NS) - Both fighters made their debut and lost in the same way, in the same round, so let’s call this a second attempt at a debut lol. Nolan made his debut against knockout artist Nikolas Motta, and honestly that is a dangerous fight for anyone to take, but it probably made sense to the matchmakers since both fighters are prolific knockout artists. Nolan does finish his opponents very quickly a lot of the time, and I do think he has a massive advantage on the feet against Martinez since Martinez isn’t exactly a big threat on the feet, and his inactivity over the past few years (or lack of solid activity at least) leaves some questions hanging in the air. Nolan has a reach and height advantage here, but the most prominent advantage will be with his reach where he can string together gorgeous straight combinations to decent effect, and that’s what he’s really known for, he’s got awesome boxing and he is very confident in his punching power. He is also relatively defensively sound for someone with his size because I have pointed out before that a lot of taller and longer fighters don’t shell up a lot or have a lot of defensive layers to their style, but Nolan is overall a fairly solid boxer both on the offence and defence, it’s just a shame he got fed to the wolf when he fought Motta. Nolan made the simple mistake when he fought Motta of being in the pocket without care, and i think those kinds of mistakes are easy enough to fix, and considering Martinez is not the same kind of threat on the feet compared to Motta, I do think that gives Nolan a bit more freedom to string together combinations and overall look great on the feet, as he was meant to be, since his whole career up until that loss to Motta has been him having gorgeous striking. Martinez is coming off a KO loss also, but it was by Jordan Leavitt, and that’s just a painful look on anyone's record to get knocked out by someone who is not known for his striking. Martinez is overall a good striker, he has very fast hands, but I have noticed one thing about him that I can see Nolan landing cleanly. Martinez has the tendency to leave his right hand far from a block position, its more of a parry position, in front of him instead of beside him, and he tends to lower that hand when taking a back step, and I cannot help but see the Southpaw striker in Nolan land that left hand to the chin of Martinez. Now, any sort of exchange between either fighter here is going to be a dangerous one for both parties, but that is where reach comes in, Nolan has a diverse boxing skillset and his long attacks allow him to carry power as much as anyone elses short hooks would. One major thing Martinez is going to have to be careful of is a knee up the middle by Nolan as Nolan’s height is going to allow that knee to come up to target without a major loss to momentum, and I mean, if Martinez got dropped by Rosales on DWCS, then by Leavitt, I just don’t know if he has the chin to withstand the battering that comes from Nolan. I got Nolan winning this one, but this is going to be a fantastic fight which isn’t likely to go the distance.
Nolan via KO R1 - (2/3)
Main Card
Women’s Strawweight
Angela Hill (#12) (-160) (16-13-0, NS) v Luana Pinheiro (#13) (+130) (11-2-0, NS) - This is a great fight. Hill is coming off a very strong win over Denise Gomes, and it was honestly such a brilliant performance by someone who a lot of people tend to ignore. Hill is an incredibly diverse fighter, she is tenacious on the feet, highly capable of stringing together strong combinations from all ranges, and as she closes the distance, she’s good at tying up her opponent in a clinch and landing awesome knees and elbows. This is all Hill and her cumulative experience in the Octagon against a wide range of different fighters and styles, and it’s clear to me that her preparation for a lot of her fights involve solid planning and back up plans, because whilst her record reflects a rough run through her career, her level of competition is insane. Hill isn’t a finisher though, but she is someone who can keep a ridiculous pace for three rounds, so I do think that she has the capabilities to overwhelm Pinheiro on the feet, especially since we just saw Ribas do the same thing a little over 5 months ago. Hill will have a striking advantage in this fight, she throws a lot of volume at high speed towards her opponent and they do land effectively, and with a slight edge in reach I do see her having a bit more success on the feet here especially since Pinheiro does not have a lot of head movement or striking defence. Pinheiro is a danger to Hill in the grappling department though, especially in those transitions from standing to ground, she utilises hip throws relatively well and could make this fight ugly on the ground, but I don’t think there is a major submission threat here, I think her style is predominantly control and ground and pound, both things that Hill has experience in dealing with, although she still will lose the round if Pinheiro executes her gameplan well. Pinheiro has power in her hands, she could potentially make Hill a little bit frozen and hesitant on the feet once Pinheiro lands that overhand right that Pinheiro loves to throw early, but she doesn’t throw it often enough to lead to a significant finish, she’s a very low volume, high impact striker and that could play in the favour of Hill if Hill’s volume walks Pinheiro back into the cage. Pinheiro could make this fight dangerous for Hill on the ground, but we have seen a few times now that Hill is very good at the basics of takedown defence, underhooks, whizzers (if i spelt that correctly) and quickly getting back to a standing position, she is not complacent on the ground or in that transition to the ground, and I think any sort of failed takedown attempt from Pinheiro is going to fuel Hill a lot more, since Pinheiro only has a few kinds of takedowns. This is a hard on to pick in all seriousness, I might get the prediction wrong, but I have a strong feeling that we are going to see this fight go over 2.5 rounds, or even hit the scorecards. As for the prediction, looking at this fight, I am kind of leaning on Hill here, because Pinheiro’s wins aren’t as significant as Hill’s wins, and i do think Pinheiro fades a little bit as the fight goes on.
Hill via UD - (1/3)
Bantamweight
Adrian Yanez (-350) (16-5-0, 2 FLS) v Vinicius Salvador (+275) (14-6-0, 2 FLS) - I love this fight. Yanez is coming off two painful back to back KO losses, whenever a young fighter comes into the UFC, tears through the division, then hits a losing skid, it’s always a concern to any fan or pundit. However, I do think that leg kick KO is anomalous to the UFC, it rarely happens and I don’t think Salvador is much of a leg kicker anyway so the threat isn’t there. However, I do want to add that the psychological factor of maybe getting leg kicked to oblivion is going to weigh heavy on Yanez’ mind, and I do wonder if Yanez has drilled checking leg kicks before. Now, Yanez is still a dangerous opponent for anyone to take, he still has incredibly technical MMA boxing, and that’s going to be on full display this weekend. Yanez is so fluid and yet tricky on the feet, he’s very good at gauging range and firing away from different angles, as well as timing his shots off his opponents striking attempts, everything involving striking exchanges will most likely be in the favour of Yanez, he thrives in that space and I do believe his experience and his wins prior to those two devastating losses are going to shine this weekend. My only concern about Yanez is his ability to not get carried away and show his chin too much, because whilst Salvador is yet to get a win in the UFC, he still has had some mild striking success against fighters like Altamirano and Vergara, and it wouldn’t take a lot for Salvador to find the chin of Yanez. Salvador is a very funky and unorthodox fighter, and whilst that always brings positive attention to him, I also think that has been a product of failure for him also since the more cleaner fighters outbox him, are generally a lot faster and just find their mark a bit quicker, if that makes sense? I mean, Salvador’s stance is fairly loose, his chin is in the air and his shell is rather loose, and that’s not good news, especially if he’s facing a vicious fighter like Yanez. Salvador thrives in chaotic fights though, he is awesome and making it dangerous and risky for his opponents to fight in the pocket, but his style emanates a lack of self preservation. He is a kill or be killed kind of fighter in my opinion, and I firmly believe that when he got dropped numerous times in that first round against Victor Altamirano, it only showed us, and any future opponent (via tape watch in prep) that he is very hittable, his head is right there and the only reason it wasn’t there for Vergara was due to the significant difference in height and reach. Salvador moving up to 135 could make him a lot more interesting in terms of being able to explode more often and having more power behind his punches, but I also think it means he is dealing with more harder hitting fighters, and with the accuracy and boxing skill set of Yanez, I just think Salvador is going to get outdone here. I got Yanez winning this one, but I am interested to see if Salvador has what it takes to win and upset a lot of parlays out there.
Yanez via KO R2 - (1/3)
Welterweight
Ramiz Brahimaj (+170) (10-4-0, NS) v Themba Gorimbo (-205) (12-4-0, 2 FWS) - Brahimaj is coming back after two tough years away, and the reason why it’s tough is because he has been dealing with a spinal injury, and boy do i empathise with that. Now, his injury is mostly C-Spine and shoulder area nerve damage, this is terrible for a fighter because it effectively eliminates your ability to comfortably strike, sprawl, wrestle, underhook/overhook stuff, everything that you see in a fighter typically comes from shoulder rotation and all that stuff, so for Brahimaj to be out for two years, dealing with all of that, does not give me a lot of confidence in him being 100% coming into this fight against Gorimbo. Brahimaj is a dangerous grappler who thrives on the ground, he is honestly only dangerous on the ground, but the problem is that Gorimbo is very good on the ground himself, at least good enough to know what is being set up, and it’s on the ground where Brahimaj has his only chance to win. Unfortunately for Brahimaj, it’s going to take some work to get the fight to the ground and Gorimbo is more than willing to keep the fight standing, so honestly, I just don’t think Brahimaj is going to be as well rounded or as effective as he needs to be in order to get a win here. Gorimbo is riding some momentum coming into this fight, as he is coming off a lightning quick KO over Pete Rodriguez, and I mean, Rodriguez sucks, he’s one of the worst fighters in the UFC and that KO means nothing in the grand scheme of things, it’s just an additional win on a record with barely any weight to it. Gorimbo is going to be a lot more confident in his boxing though since that win, that feeling of getting knockouts is an addictive one and I think he’s going to be using his incredible reach advantage to look to get another KO this weekend over the possibly rusty Brahimaj. Gorimbo is a very well rounded fighter who honestly has a lot of potential to be a star, he has excellent boxing, and honestly very good wrestling and grappling, and I do think if the fight does go to the ground, Gorimbo has the fight IQ to notice set ups coming, neutralize them and remain on top in control, landing ground and pound or just advancing to his own submission positions. The most likely scenario though is Gorimbo keeps this fight standing and overwhelms Brahimaj on the feet, because he probably wants to chase another KO since that feeling is notoriously addictive. I got Gorimbo winning this one, I can’t wait to see how far this man goes in his career.
Gorimbo via KO R1 - (2/3)
Co-Main Event
Welterweight
Khaos Williams (-125) (14-3-0, NS) v Carlston Harris (+105) (19-5-0, 2 FWS) - This feels like a classic Striker versus Grappler fight. Williams is a strong, powerful striker who is such a threat on the feet, especially early on when he wants to push a nasty pace and land those devastating punches. He is known for being a bully, crashing forward with crazy power and aggression. There is no clean technique coming from Williams, it is mostly wild, wild punches and he is confident in his ability to knock out his opponent, that’s what makes him a dangerous threat to his opponents, that confidence. The right hand is Williams best weapon, his right overhand or hook is going to be the one that knocks out Harris if it lands, but that’s all he is, a powerful right side puncher, and if Harris times a takedown well, all of that threat is gone. On the flip side, Harris is primarily a grappler with a solid grappling base, and whilst he has faced his fair share of dangerous strikers, I believe Williams’ power is something different. Now, Harris has the potential to take this fight to the ground, I know that according to UFC stats that Harris has an 80% takedown defence, but there has not been enough wrestling in his fights, by his opponents, to fully prove that his takedown defence is that great, it’s only been used sparingly against him since most of his fights are absolute wild exchanges and beautiful displays of violence on the feet. Williams' propensity to head hunt could lead to an opening for a level change by Harris, but it’s a risky thing to do because any punch that lands on Harris is going to hurt him, and considering the age factor here, its possible his chin isn’t going to hold up well against the power of Williams. Now, Harris was getting ragdolls and outwrestled by Wells when they fought, and whilst that isn’t a great look for Harris, I don’t think Williams has the wrestling capabilities that Wells has, so I think the main submission threat from Harris in this fight is going to come from the clinch, so guillotines and front head choke variants are going to be on the menu for Harris this weekend, it’s just a matter of if he gets into that position or if he gets his head blasted over and over by powerful punches from Williams. This is a dangerous fight to bet on if you’re thinking of Moneyline betting, it can easily go either way since both excel in their respective styles, the safest and smartest bet here in my opinion is that this fight doesn’t hit the judges scorecards. As for my prediction, I don’t think i’ll be getting this right due to the volatile nature of this match up, but…
Harris via Sub R2 - (1/3)
Main Event
Featherweight
Edson Barboza (#14) (+125) (24-11-0, 2 FWS) v Lerone Murphy (-150) (13-0-1, 5 FWS FWS) - Man this is a funky main event. Barboza is a legend of the sport, but most importantly, and perhaps most relevant to this write up, he is an old dog who can still hang with the toughest. His last two wins have been against Yusuff and Quarantillo, two very difficult fighters to take on at 145 and it’s his win over Yusuff that I want to highlight… Yusuff exploded in the first round, looked for that finish and Barboza survived and thrived throughout the rest of the fight, it was a beautiful display of heart, toughness, and adaptability, because that was not the first firefight that Barboza has been in, and considering his current opponent, it sure as shit won’t be his last. Barboza is well known for his outstanding kicks, but he’s also just overall a ridiculously dangerous striker. An understated aspect of his whole game though is his wrestling and grappling, he might not be looking for a lot of takedowns when he fights, but he is well versed on the ground, having taken down Yusuff 3 of 4 times in the final round of a high pace main event is testament to his cardio and conditioning, despite the concern surrounding his age. Barboza is going to be a true test on the feet for Murphy, and I think it’s going to be the toughest fight of his career. Murphy is coming off a string of strong victories in the UFC, with his most recent one being against Culibao, and I gotta say, Murphy is one of those dangerous prospects that we all should keep an eye on. Murphy is a rapidly improving fighter who adds weapons to his arsenal every single time he comes out. He was originally a boxer with outstanding punching power and speed, he was ridiculously slick on the feet, but after each fight he adds more kicks, more movement and wrestling, he has slowly become a very well rounded fighter, and this makes his upcoming bout against a very tested veteran who is still here to stay in Barboza incredibly fascinating. There is a slight catch to all of those additional things added into his arsenal though, and that’s each time something has been added, the next opponent has something else to prepare for. I firmly believe that Murphy’s rise to this position and to this fight is not from his outstanding skill level, but from his incredible repertoire of techniques he has acquired and learnt over his UFC career. Unpredictability is king when it comes to new fighters, we have seen new fighters add things to their game that have completely changed and accelerated their growth, and that’s exactly what we have seen for Murphy. Murphy has a wide variety of strong strikes he uses effortlessly, from standard boxing combinations to a very snappy high kick, to strong grappling and control on the ground, he hasn’t mastered any of these things, but since they are added along each and every time he fights, his opponents are rarely prepared. This is not going to be the case for Barboza, Barboza is very, very well rounded and well versed in almost every aspect of MMA. Ill keep this short. I got Barboza winning this one, but I am still going to be a fan of Murphy, regardless of result.
Barboza via UD - (1/3)
Primary Parlay: Ducote/Demopoulos o2.5 or GTD + (optional Gatto/Vidal o2.5 or GTD) + Nolan/Martinez ITD + Hill/Pinheiro o2.5 or GTD + Barboza/Murphy R3 Starts
Locks of the week: Optional Sy + Nolan + Gorimbo
Alt Bets: Alves KO R1, Pinheiro Sub R2 or 3, Williams KO R1, Murphy KO R1 2 or 3 (combo rounds)
And that's it!!!!
Prediction accuracy as of 2024: 64.6%
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I hope you all have an amazing day, look after yourselves, and enjoy this awesome event!

So I recently started a villain campaign, and with the help of a DM friend, we made a fighter subclass that is loosely based off of havik from Mortal Kombat. With how the character works, I was wondering if anyone had some creative roleplay ideas or maybe suggestions with this class.
Bloodied thrall sub class
3rd level
Vessel of Chaos When you reach 0 hit points, you fall unconscious as normal but you don't roll death saving throws. In exchange, your HP is reduced by half of its maximum until you finish a long rest. Roll a d20. On a result of 6 or higher, you reawaken with 1 hit point and take your turn as normal. Your hit points are only halved once. If you fall to 0 HP three times before finishing a long rest, you die and are unable to be resurrected by any means short of a wish spell. If any effect would reduce your maximum hit points to 0, you die as a normal creature would and may be resurrected by the usual means. Any missing limbs and battle damage is repaired upon finishing a short rest.
Somatic Weaponry When you take the Attack action, you may create a melee weapon out of your body parts as part of the same action. Rip off an arm to make a club, break a bone to use as a rapier, tear out your guts to make a whip, etc. You can create a replica of any martial weapon using this ability. Weapons you create have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. You may use Constitution for your attack and damage rolls using a somatic weapon. You take 1d4 psychic damage each time you create a weapon. A weapon disappears as soon as the attack action ends, and the body part it was broken from regenerates.
At 5th level, your somatic weaponry becomes magical for the sake of overcoming resistances and immunities.
Adrenaline Rush When you roll for initiative, you restore HP equal to your level x2. Additionally, you regain HP equal to your proficiency bonus at the beginning of each turn.
7th Level
Blood Drive You use your pressurized blood to propel a part of your body as a projectile. The projectile uses your Constitution modifier for attack and damage rolls. It deals 2d6 damage and has a range of 30 feet. It is considered magical for the sake of overcoming resistances and immunities. If you can make multiple attacks per attack action, you may replace one or more attacks with this ability. You take 1d4 psychic damage each time you use this ability.
10th Level
Living Weapons When you create your somatic weaponry, you can choose to take an additional 1d10 damage and infuse the weapon with some of your life force. A living weapon deals an additional 1d6 necrotic damage on hit. Creatures struck must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. On a failure, a creature becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. On a successful save, a creature is immune to this ability for 24 hours. A creature may repeat the save at the end of their turn, with disadvantage if you have dealt damage to them with a living weapon that turn.
Advanced Living Weapons The extra necrotic damage dealt by your living Weapons increases to 1d8.
14th Level
Reign of Chaos Whenever you create an instance of your somatic weaponry, you can deal damage to yourself and creatures of your choice within 10 feet of you. You deal 1d10 psychic damage to yourself and all targeted creatures as the situation invokes chaos. You can only activate this ability once per attack action.
18th Level
Avatar of Chaos You are resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. Additionally, whenever you kill a creature or knock a creature unconscious, you restore HP equal to your level.