10/10 amazing book, some illustrations would have been nice to be able to interpret some scenes in a better way tho.
My only problem with the book was that it has no mention of DA SHI!, like where was he throughout the entire book? I loved his character, wish i would have gotten to see more of him. Its a damm shame.
Anyway, I lack the necessary conversation skills to articulate how the book changed my view point about the world since i need a few days to think about it more deeply.
Lou ji was a goat as always tho, he met a satisfying end atleast, although I wish he had joined the galactic humans to become young again and lead them and the trisolaris through his experience as a master strategist to potentially unite numerous civilizations and prosper all of them together to find some solution for the whole dimension collapse going on.
Cheng Xin and Yun have the saddest love story ever, i was really not expecting such a thing, people talk about how titanic was sad but compared to this nightmare, titanic is akin to a nursery kid crying at first day in the school. Maybe cause its still fresh in my mind since i just read the last 100 pages in one go.
Cheng Xin obviously played a big part in humanity's doom but that generation did deserve it, they ultimately brought it upon themselves, the bunker and black tomb project meant the humanity halting their progress just like the crisis era and ultimately leaving their existence at the mercy of other advance civilizations. That generation of humans were wussies and just wanted to live out their lives in pleasure without any regards for the future. Ironically they hailed themselves as a free thought(woke) society but the retarded individuals who didn't knew better just kept hammering down any attempts of the innovators (Top Gs like Wade) to actually do something significant, basically refused to evolve and tried to preserve the culture, just like stagnant water gets infested with diseases after a while, while constantly flowing water remains pure and clear. Its a recipe for demise.
But I guess this kind of thinking is inevitable for an advancing human civilization.
People will hate me for this but I enjoyed the extinction of humans, the humans constantly killed and shunned people like Wade and Lou Ji to huff in just a tiny bit more amount of copium and live in their delusions just a little longer(almost reminded me of medieval ages where religious bigots killed scientists for their discoveries). Ultimately they didn't learn anything form the droplet incident. They had the bit*hass crab mentality and the annihilation was a fitting punishment for such pathetic thinking. I hate such thinking since it resembles the entire woke mentality of nowdays and similar to what's happening with "Stellar Blade".
Unfortunately I couldn't enjoy the book as much as others described since i was spoiled cause I watched a review of the entire trilogy long ago, but it was still life changing regardless.
Please share your opinions opinions of the book!
Thanks

70's Alt Rock -King Crimson-Lark's Tongue In Aspic
80's Alt Rock - Talking Heads-Remain In Light
90's Alt Rock- Nirvana- Never mind
2000's Alt Rock-The Strokes-Is This It
2010's Alt Rock Tame Impala-Lonerism
Alt Country -Wilco-Summerteeth
Alt Hip Hop-MF Doom- Mad villainy
Art Rock-Dark Side Of The Moon-Pink Floyd
Brit Rock- The Clash- London Calling
College Rock-REM-Murmur
Emo Rock-My Chemical Romance-Welcome To The Black Parade
Experimental Rock-Swans-To Be Kind
Goth-The Cure Disintegration
Grunge- Soundgarden-Superunknown
Hardcore Punk- Black Flag- Damaged
Heavy Metal-Black Sabbath-Paranoid
60's Hard Rock-Led Zeppelin I
70's Hard rock-Led Zeppelin-Physical Graffiti
80's Hard Rock- AC/DC-Back In Black
90's Hard Rock-Nirvana-In Utero
2000's Hard Rock-Queens Of The Stone Age-Songs For The Deaf
2010's ˙Hard Rock- Tool-Fear Inoculum
Indie Rock-Joy Division-Unknown Pleasures
Indie Folk-Big Thief-Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
Lo-Fi-Neutral Milk Hotel-In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
New Wave-Elvis Costello-This Year's Model
Progressive Rock- Tool- Lateralus
Punk- Ramones-Rocket To Russia
pop punk-Green Day-Dookie
Post Punk- Wire- Pink Flag
Shoegaze-My Bloody Valentine-Loveless
Blues-Nina Simone-Sings The Blues
Blues Rock-The Rolling Stones-Sticky Fingers
Avant Garde- Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band-Trout Mask Replica
Baroque Pop-The Beach Boys-Pet Sounds
Symphonic Rock-Moody Blues-Days Of Future Past
Comedy/Novelty album-Adam Sandler-They're All Gonna Laugh At You
Stand Up Comedy-George Carlin-Back In Town
Americana-The Band-The Band
Bakersfield Sound-Buck Owens-Best Of Buck Owens
Bluegrass-Old & In The Way-That High Lonesome Sound
Outlaw Country-Willie Nelson-Redheaded Stranger
Classic Country-Johnny Cash-Live At Folsom Prison
Country Rock- The Flying Burrito Brothers-The Gilded Palace Of Sin
Dance/Club-LCD Soundsystem- This Is Happening
Christmas /Holiday Album-Vince Gauralidi-A Charlie Brown Christmas
EMD/Techno-Burial-Untrue
Ambient-Brian Eno-Music For Airports
Electronic Rock-Radiohead-Kid A
Space Rock- Spiritualized- Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Synthpop-Depeche Mode-Violator
Synthrock- New Order-Power, Corruption and Lies
Industrial-Nine Inch Nails-The Downward Spiral
Krautrock- Can-Tago Mago
Folk-Bob Dylan-The Freewillin' Bob Dylan
Folk Rock-Bob Dylan-Blood On The Tracks
Southern Rock-The Allman Brothers Band-At Fillmore East
80's Hip Hop-The Beastie Boys-Paul's Boutique
90's- Hip Hop Wu-Tang Clan-Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
2000's Hip Hop-Outkast- Stankonia
2010's Hip Hop-Kendrick Lamar-To Pimp A Butterfly
2020's Hip Hop-Run The Jewels-RTJ 4
East Coast Hip Hop- Nas- Illmatic
West Coast Hip Hop-NWA-Straight Outta Compton
Southern Hip Hop-Outkast -Aquemini
Midwest Album-Kanye West-My Dark Twisted Fantasy
Trap-Travis Sott-Rodeo
Instrumental Hip Hop- DJ Shadow- Endtroducing....
Indie Pop-Belle And Sebastian-If You're Feeling Sinister
Noise Rock-Sonic Youth-Daydream Nation
Post-rock- Godspeed! You Black Emperor-Lift Your Skinny Fist Like Antennas To Heaven
Acid Jazz- Medeski ,Martin, and Wood -Shack-Man
Trip Hop -Portishead- Dummy
Gospel -Aretha Franklin-Amazing Grace
Christian- Sufjan Stevens -Illnoise
Jazz-Miles Davis-Kind Of Blue
Avant Garde Jazz-Ornette Coleman-Shape To Jazz To Come
Swing/Bebop-Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers-Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers w/Thelonious Monk
Jazz/Fusion-Miles Davis-In A Silent Way
Jazz Rock-Miles Davis-Bitches Brew
Jazz/Funk-Herbie Hancock-Head Hunters
Jazz/Rap-A tribe Called Quest-The Low End Theory
Latin- Los Lobos-Kiko
Speed Metal/Thrash- Metallica- Master Of Puppets
Black/Death Metal-Deafheaven-Sunbather
Symphonic Metal-Haken-The Mountain
Glam Rock -T.Rex-Electric Warrior
Hair Metal-Guns N Roses-Appetite For Destruction
New Wave Of British Heavy Metal-Iron Maiden- Number Of The Beast
Sludge-Electric Wizard- Dopethron
Nu Metal-Korn-Korn
New Age-Popol Vuh - Hosianna Mantra
Pop-Prince-Sign O' The Times
60's Pop- The Beatles-Revolver
70's Pop- Carole King-Tapestry
80's Pop- Peter Gabriel-So
90's Pop-Madonna-Ray Of Light
2000's Pop-Madonna-Confessions On A Dance Floor
2010's pop-Robyn-Body Talk
2020's Pop- Perfume Genius-Set My Heart On Fire
Adult Contemporary- Billy Joel-The Stranger
Europop- ABBA- Arrival
Latin Pop-Ruben Y Seis Del Solar-Buscando America
Dance Pop-Dee-Lite-World Clique
Dream Pop- Mazzy Star-So Tonight I Might See
Power Pop- Weezer-Blue Album
R&B- Marvin Gaye-What's Going On
60's R&B-Aretha Franklin-I Never Loved A Man The Way I Loved You
70's R&B- Stevie Wonder- Songs In The Key Of Life
80's R&B- Janet Jackson- Control
90's R&B Album- Lauryn Hill-The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill
2000's R&B- D'Angelo-Voodoo
2010's-R&B-Beyonce-Lemonade
2020's R&B- SZA-SOS
Disco-Donna Summers-Bad Girls
Doo Wop- The Chantels- We Are The Chantels
Funk-Funkadelic-Maggot Brain
Motown- Marvin Gaye-Let's Get It On
Neo-Soul-Erykah Badu-Baduizm
Psychedelic Soul- Curtis Mayfield-Curtis
Soul-Aretha Franklin-Lady Soul
Reggae-Bob Marley- Exodus
Ska-The Specials-The Specials
Swing Revival-Big Bad Voodoo Daddy-Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Rock N Roll-The Rolling Stones-Exile On Main Street
Acid Rock- Jimi Hendrix- Are You Experienced
Arena Rock-Boston-Boston
Cock Rock-Van Halen I
Math Rock-Slint-Spiderland
Stoner Rock-Kyuss-Welcome To Sky Valley
Jam Band- Grateful Dead-American Beauty
SingeSongwriter- Neil Young-Harvest
Surf Rock-The Beach Boys-Shut Down Vol II
Soft Rock/Yacht Rock-Steely Dan-Aja
Movie Soundtrack-Singles
Movie Score-The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Y’all, I’m really not sure what’s still around. This list is somewhat edited, but please still make sure to check on all the regular events before you make big plans – I may have missed something.
Events are listed by the day. Events that happen every week appear first, one time stuff after that. If you have anything you’d like people to know about, comment here or message me and I’ll add it in. If you’d like further info about any of the events, look it up! I usually don’t have any extra to add.
Large Scale, Ongoing, and Multi-Day Events

Local Running, Walking, and Biking Info: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/
Guided Paddling Outings all around the area: https://www.facebook.com/hsmithoutdoors
Tallahassee Film Society Showings: https://www.tallahasseefilms.com/tickets/
Book Clubs for all tastes: https://www.facebook.com/midtownreadeevents
Live Theater:

• Making Light Productions: https://www.makinglightproductions.org/
  
• Theatre Tallahassee: https://theatretallahassee.org/
  
• Mickee Faust Club: https://www.mickeefaust.com/
  
• Monticello Opera House: https://www.monticellooperahouse.org/
  
• FSU School of Theatre: https://theatre.fsu.edu/productions/
  
• Young Actors Theatre: https://www.youngactorstheatre.com/
  
• Quincy Music Theatre: https://quincymusictheatre.com/
  
• Tallahassee Hispanic Theater: https://tallahasseehispanictheater.wordpress.com/
  

OutdooFarmer’s Markets:

• Lake Ella Grower's Market: Wednesday and Saturday, 11am-2pm. You can always find organic vendors, and foragers: The Holistic Cannabis Community, Artzi Farms, Hickory Nut Gifts, and others. Including Pita Queen! Farmer's Market Nutrition Program Coupons gladly accepted!
  
• Tallahassee Downtown Market: Saturdays, 10am-2pm, Park Ave Parks. Vendors display their arts and fine crafts, jewelry, handmade soap, pottery, Fresh from Florida produce, hand-raised beef and pork, fresh baked bread, jams and jellies, and honey. Live music from different local musicians every Saturday.
  
• Frenchtown Heritage Market: 524 N MLK Jr Blvd. Third Saturday of the month 10am to 2pm. Come grow community and support your local farmers and makers, while you get your groceries for the week! Don’t forget! We match SNAP/EBT, so you DOUBLE your money to go towards locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables! If the guy with the pineapple is there, get it. This is currently only happening on the third Saturday of the month for the next few months while road work is completed.
  
• Tallahassee Farmers Market: 2904 Kerry Forest Pkwy, Saturdays, 8am to Noon. Come see us at Tallahassee's longest-running farmers market! We are a year-round market, featuring local farms and vendors that provide the best seasonal produce, meats, baked goods, and more. We welcome you and your whole family (leashed pets included) to come out and meet your local farmers! Ample parking is available between our lot and the shopping center lot next door (by Red Elephant). Come early for the best selection.
  

THURSDAY, 5/16

• The Hub at Feather Oaks: Bingo. 6pm
  
• Dreamland BBQ: Weekly Open Blues Jam. If you'd like to sing, please bring your own mic. 6pm
  
• Honest Living Vape: Chess-Master Thursdays . Beginners and experts, join us every Thursday from 6-9 for Chess-Master Thursdays. All ages. Bring your board or play ours! Tournaments coming soon! 6pm
  
• Lake Tribe: Trivia. 7pm
  
• Takko Market Square: Bingo Night. 7pm
  
• The Getaway Grille and Bar: Karaoke with Jared Walker. 7pm
  
• Amicus Brewing: Trivia. 7pm
  
• Smitty's Taphouse: Trivia Lab Thursdays. Teams of 6 or fewer players can compete for $30 / $20 / $10 Prizes + The Golden MacGuffin prize table! New format! Interactive smartphone answering for your comfort and safety! 6 Fun Rounds - 42 Total Questions. 7:30pm
  
• Studio D: Bachata Fever. We always have a bachata workshop at 8 pm before Bachata Fever. We dance afterwards to the sounds of DJ Bacharod. The class is at 8 pm and Bachata Fever will start at 930 pm. Many times people are learning in class and may feel uncomfortable social dancing while they are still learning moves. We have a welcoming environment so stay and have fun and dance with everyone. That is how we learn. 8pm/Class $5/Bachata Fever $5.
  
• The Sound Bar: Comedy Night. 8pm
  
• Finnegans Wake: Open Mic. 8:30pm
  
• Brass Tap in Midtown: Karaoke with DJ Rah. 9pm
  
• 926: Karaoke. 9pm
  
• Bird’s: Karaoke with Nathan. 9pm
  

• Fire Bettys: Slasher Bash. This week we'll be showing: "Zombeavers". Prepare for an evening of horrific hilarity with comedy narration and devilish drinking games!🍻 Hosted by local comedians. 8pm/21+
  
• Blue Tavern: Seep's Gumbo Nation ft. Shanice Richards. 8pm
  

FRIDAY, 5/17

• Blue Tavern: Happy Hour with Steve Malono. 5pm
  
• Lake Tribe Brewing: Flannel Fridays with Live Music. 6pm
  
• Hobbit West: Friday Night Dart Tournament. Anyone can Enter! Sign ups at 7:30, Darts fly at 8:00/$10 entry fee
  
• Ouzts Too: Karaoke with DJ Nathan. Best karaoke DJ in town. 8pm
  
• Just One More: Karaoke with DJ Rah. 9pm-11pm/21+
  
• 926: The Hot Friday Night Party and Drag Show. 9pm/$5/18+
  

• The Hub at Feather Oaks: Rachel Hillman. 5:30pm
  
• Lake Tribe: Ben Wentworth. 5:30pm
  
• Amicus Brewing: The Tanglers. 6pm
  
• The Getaway Grille and Bar: One Year Anniversary Celebration Featuring Queen of Hearts Band. 6pm
  
• Southwood Golf Club: The Rhythm Remedy. 6:30pm
  
• Goodwood: The Big Bash Havana Nights presented by Brent Hartsfield. The Big Bash is Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend's signature fundraising gala of the year and directly supports the agency's youth mentoring programs. Guests will enjoy Cuban Cuisine, champagne mojitos, cigars, flights, classic cars, photo opportunities, silent auction vacation packages, LIVE music and dancing, and an exciting LIVE salsa dance performance from 12 community volunteers! The event is a tremendous networking opportunity for Tallahassee's top business professionals, local community leaders and philanthropists to come together to enjoy an evening to celebrate the achievements of Big Brothers Big Sisters. 7pm
  
• Blue Tavern: Wil Fulkerson Jazz Night. 8pm
  
• House of Music: Belly Dancing: Journey From The Nile To The Tigris. Habibi, join us on a groovy carpet ride across ancient deserts: Disco Iskandar embarks on a voyage of belly dance, folklore, cinema, and history in a theatrical dance production, JOURNEY FROM THE NILE TO THE TIGRIS. Highlighting the prominence of belly dance in films of the Middle East from the 1940s through the 1970s, we present a live showcase exhibiting dances from Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, and beyond. It goes so much deeper than you think. Hookahs! Swords! Rhinestones, literally everywhere! This cross section of entertainment and education is the culmination of years of obsessive learning, two national tours, and travels to Egypt & Lebanon. JOURNEY FROM THE NILE TO THE TIGRIS is a trip unlike any other-- where the Middle East meets Vegas. This show’s cast is Gabi Corazon, Gia Bee, Liz Azi, Olya Clark, Vania Ojeda, director Veronica Lynn, and special guest star Omaris! 8pm/$15/21+
  
• The Sound Bar: The Old Schoolers. 8pm
  
• Vino Beano: Your Scumbag Neighbors. 8pm
  
• The Bark: Medians, No Yeah, Sleep John B, and Cloud Storage. 8pm
  

SATURDAY, 5/18

• Brinkley Glen Park: Invasive Plant Removal. Join Master Gardener Volunteers at this weekly invasive plant removal event. This is a great way to learn to ID our invasive plant species and how to remove them. We recommend wearing long pants and sleeves, closed-toed shoes, gloves, a hat and mosquito spray. Bring gardening tools such as hand clippers, loppers, trowels, etc. if you have them. We are removing coral ardisia bushes and berries, nandina, tung trees, Tradescantia flumenensis, cat's claw vine, winged yam, Japanese climbing fern, skunkvine and more. Directions: The best way to get there is to take Meridian Rd to Waverly Rd, go to the next intersection and turn left onto Abbotsford Way, then turn left at the next road called Woodside Dr. At the stop sign turn left onto Lothian. Lothian ends in a cul-de-sac and there is a sign that says Brinkley Glen Park. 8:30am-11:30am
  
• Gamescape: Saturday Gaming. Gamescape has relocated from Railroad Square to the Huntington Oaks Plaza (Suite 302, next to the Library) at N Monroe St and Fred George Rd. Open gaming tables are available. Noon-6pm
  
• Duke’s and Dottie’s: Line Dancing Plus Lessons. 7pm/21+
  
• Bird’s Oyster Shack: Laughterday Night Fever. * Join us every Saturday at Bird's Aphrodisiac Oyster Shack for a free comedy show!* 8:30pm
  
• 926: Latin Night. Dance to the irresistible beats of Zeus and prepare to be dazzled by a spectacular drag show at midnight. It's more than a party, it's an experience. 9:30pm/$10 21+, $15 under 21
  

• Crawfordville: Big Bend Biodiversity Tour. See why our area is so ecologically incredible! Get up close and personal with creatures and plants galore. Join expert guide and outdoor educator, Ryan Means for this limited opportunity to tour the Apalachicola Lowlands Preserve. The day-long trip stops at points along the way to the privately-owned preserve nestled deep in the Apalachicola National Forest near Sumatra, FL. Explore the longleaf pine ecosystem, pitcher plant bogs, ephemeral wetlands, and blackwater streams - home to some threatened and endangered species. Learn what makes the Florida Panhandle one of the five richest biodiversity hotspots in North America. Perfect tour for photographers, outdoor enthusiasts and ecologists. $75 tour fee includes round-trip transportation (from 46 Kinsey Rd, Crawfordville, FL) , complimentary beverages, and supports efforts to preserve the incredible biodiversity of the Southeastern Coastal Plain. Spaces limited. Register here: https://coastalplains.networkforgood.com/events/71083-big-bend-biodiversity-tour for full details. 8am
  
• Dreamland BBQ: Rock Type One to None. Let's rock to find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes! The Unicorn Wranglers are back on Saturday, May 18th at Dreamland BBQ in Tallahassee, Florida for the 2024 "Rock One to None" show. This show is benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF) and will feature musical guests Midnight Caravan, Fallen Timber, and the Unicorn Wranglers. The show starts at 4 pm and runs until 7 pm at Dreamland BBQ in Music Alley, and is open to all ages. While the show is free, we encourage all rockers attending to donate to the cause. You can contribute at the show by visiting our donation station or by heading over to our online Unicorn Wranglers team page. Together, as one big mosh pit, we can help cure Type 1 Diabetes. 3pm
  
• The Hub at Feather Oaks: Ethan Kyllonen. 4pm
  
• Amicus Brewing: Beza Alford and Rev. Dr. Sheldon Steen. 5pm
  
• Lake Tribe: Flamingo Party. 6pm
  
• The Getaway Grille and Bar: Billy Rigsby Band. 6pm
  
• Vino Beano: Brett & "Dangerous" Dave. 6pm
  
• Salty Dawg: Hot Mess. 6:30pm
  
• La Tiendita: Rhys Bennett & the Gringos as Vontade. Join us for an energetic evening filled with the vibrant sounds of Latin music, Brazilian beats, and jazz rhythms. Our local band, Rhys Bennett & the Gringos, will transform into the versatile ensemble Vontade, treating you to a delightful mix of rancheras, bossa nova, and more! Whether you're a seasoned dancer or a newcomer to the dance floor, you're in for a fantastic time at one of Tallahassee's hidden gems. Immerse yourself in a night of cultural fusion and musical celebration that is sure to create lasting memories! 6:30pm
  
• The Sound Bar: Tillman & Taff. 7pm
  
• Island Wings: Midnight Caravan. 7pm
  
• The Bark: Saturnalia, Brass Wizard, Van Season, and Psycho Tropical. 8pm
  
• Fire Bettys: 80's Video Dance Party. 8pm
  
• Just One More: One Eyed JAK. 9pm
  

SUNDAY, 5/19

• Bicycle House: Sunday Ride. Ride at 10:30 AM from Bicycle House. We will ride the Cascades trail to the St Marks trail and down to Wakulla station and return, about 31 miles. Ride speed is 12 to 14 mph, with periodic regroups. Vernon Bailey is the ride leader. Vernon is a new CCC member who’s been biking for 50 years enjoys riding with small groups and weekend touring. 10am
  
• E Peck Greene Park (Behind the LeRoy Collins Library): Food Not Bombs Free Mealshare. We offer free vegetarian/vegan food, water, coffee, personal care & hygiene products, bus passes, and clothing when we have some available to those in need. Contact foodnotbombstally@gmail.com to find out about getting involved. Noon-2pm
  
• LeRoy Collins Library: Tallahassee Go Club Meetings. Come play the captivating ancient game of Go, also known as Baduk, with some friendly games and discussions. Beginners welcome. Visit https://www.tallahasseegoclub.com for more information. 1pm
  
• Gamescape: Pokémon League. Come learn, play, and trade with the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the Pokémon video games! We LOVE seeing new players, so come learn how to play! We play both the Trading Card Game and the Video Game casually and competitively. The store offers lots of different seating arrangements to meet our group's needs, as well as food, drinks, and Pokémon products for purchase. We are also hold regular, officially sanctioned tournaments for Pokémon Trading Card Game and Video Game Competitions! 2-4pm
  
• The Plant: Open Jam. All instruments, all players welcome. 4pm-9pm
  
• Pedro’s: Mariachi Clasico. 6pm
  
• Fermentation Lounge: Open Mic Night Hosted by Conor Churchill. 7pm
  

• Ology Powermill: Marauders Market. Noon
  
• The Hub at Feather Oaks: The Barber Bros. 1pm-4pm
  
• Goodwood: Ice Cream Social. Get ready for a spectacular day of family fun at Goodwood Museum & Gardens! Treat your taste buds to a family fun day of FREE ice cream, FREE crafts for the kids, FREE activities, and more, all on the beautiful Goodwood grounds. Family-friendly musical entertainment will be provided by The Safari Man, who will have everyone tapping their feet and dancing along to his whimsical tunes. 1pm
  
• Common Ground Books: Contemporary Queer Poetry Book Club: Time is a Mother. This month, we’ll be reading “Time is a Mother” by Ocean Vuong. “In this deeply intimate second poetry collection, Ocean Vuong searches for life among the aftershocks of his mother's death, embodying the paradox of sitting within grief while being determined to survive beyond it. Vivid, brave and propulsive, Vuong's poems contend with personal loss, the meaning of family, and the value of joy in a perennially fractured American spirit. The author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection Night Sky with Exit Wounds, winner of the 2016 Whiting Award, the 2017 T. S. Eliot Prize and a 2019 MacArthur fellow, Vuong writes directly to our humanity without losing sight of the current moment. Bold and prescient, and a testament to tenderness in the face of violence, Time is a Mother is a return and a forging-forth all at once.” 6pm
  

MONDAY, 5/20

• Just One More: Bingo. 5pm-6:30pm
  
• The Getaway Grille and Bar: Margarita Monday, Open-Mic Night hosted by The Saltwater Cowboy. 5:30pm-8pm
  
• American Legion Hall: Cha Cha - Weekly Lessons. 6:15pm/$5
  
• Hangar 38: Bingo. 6:45pm
  
• Vino Beano: Tipsy Trivia. 7pm
  

TUESDAY, 5/21

• Blue Tavern: Happy Hour. 5pm
  
• The Getaway Grille: Tuesday Night Bikes and Trikes. 6pm
  
• Crafty Crab: BOOMIN' Karaoke. 7pm
  
• Gamescape: Hobby Night. Slay the grey together! Join your fellow gamers and turn your pile of grey miniatures into a battle ready army. Need some painting tips? Feel free to ask at hobby night. You can bring any miniature for any game to paint. 7pm
  
• Ology Midtown: Jazz Jam Sessions. 7pm
  
• Island Wings: Trivia. 7pm
  
• Brass Tap in Midtown: Trivia. 1st Tuesday of the month is General Knowledge with rotating themes the rest of the month. 7pm
  
• House of Music: Tuesday Trivia & Karaoke. 7pm
  
• American Legion Hall: Tallahassee Swing Band Tuesday Night Dance. 7:30pm
  
• Fire Bettys: Comedy Night. 8pm
  
• Poor Pauls: Trivia. 8pm/21+
  
• Blue Tavern: Bluesday Tuesday with Bill Ricci. Every Tuesday is Blues Day @ the Blue Tavern and Blues Meets Girl is a Tallahassee favorite. This perfect, intimate venue provides just what you need for both a mid-week break and authentic blues music experience. 8pm/$5
  
• 4th Quarter: Professor Jim's Tuesday Night Trivia. Popular for a reason! 8pm
  
• Argonaut Coffee: Trivia Tuesday. 8pm
  
• The Sound Bar: Karaoke. 8pm
  
• Fire Betty’s: Open Mic Comedy Night. 8pm/21+
  
• 926: Tacos and Trivia. 9pm
  

• Tallahassee Junior Museum: Basic Blacksmith Skills Program. Light your curiosity at our upcoming Basic Blacksmith Skills Program! Join our resident blacksmith, Michael Murphy, as he shares his history of being a Smitty. Participants will be able to keep the fire going, sling a hammer, and throw knives during this two hour lecture program. This is an outdoor event. Must preregister online at tallahasseemuseum.org/events. This program is free for members and regular admission price for non-members. 10am

WEDNESDAY, 5/22

• Sugar and Spice Tally: Game Night. Join us every Wednesday Night for community game night. Bring your own or use ours! Let me know if you need to reserve space for a large group. Free to attend! 5pm
  
• Goodwood: Wonderful Wednesday. 6pm/$5
  
• Level 8 Rooftop Lounge: Trivia. 6pm
  
• La Florida Coffee & Wine: Trivia Night. 6pm
  
• The Great Games Library: Open Game Night. 6pm/free
  
• American Legion Hall: Sue Boyd Country Western and More Dance Class. Session 2 - Beginner 6:30 to 7:45 pm What: East Coast Swing and Waltz. Cost: $8.00 per person. Wear comfortable shoes you can turn in. 7:45 to 8:15 - Practice dance with paid admission. 8:15 to 9:30: Intermediate - 2 Step and WCS. $8.00 per person or $13.00 for both classes. Vaccines are required. Face masks are optional. Changing partners is optional. 6:30pm
  
• Perry Lynn’s Smokehouse in Quincy: Wed Night Open Mic w/ Steven Ritter and Friends. 6:30pm
  
• Hangar 38: Trivia. 6:45pm
  
• Proof: Trivia. 7pm
  
• Vino Beano: Wine Bingo. 7pm
  
• Fermentation Lounge: Trivia. 7pm
  
• Blue Tavern: Wednesday Open Mic with Doc Russell. The open mic night that has run continuously for almost 20 years, once housed at the Warehouse, lives on at the Blue Tavern. Doc Russell continues as the host with the most. Sign up starts at 7:45pm/free to attend
  
• House of Music: Bar Bingo! Free to Play & Late Night Karaoke. 7pm
  
• Fire Betty’s: Karaoke! 8pm/21+/free
  
• Dukes and Dotties: College Night and Line Dancing Lessons. 8pm
  
• Finnegans Wake: Trivia. 8pm
  
• The Sound Bar: Open Mic Night. 8pm
  
• The Bark: Karaoke with DJ Nathan. Best karaoke DJ in town. 9pm
  
• Peppers: Karaoke. 9pm
  
• 926: Dragged Out Wednesday. 10pm
  

1. Envuelvo - RAZZ
   
2. In & Out of Love (Rivo Remix)
   
3. Kid Cudi - Memories (Sasino & James Layoun Remix)
   
4. FKA Mash & Biishop - In the Crowd
   
5. ANOTR, Abel Balder - Relax My Eyes (Chris Arna & Morbus Remix)
   
6. Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign - Paid (Imad Remix)
   
7. Walking On A Dream (VXSION Edit)
   
8. FCL - It's You (Alex Wann Remix)
   
9. XXXX - USE SOMEBODY
   
10. Tasty Or Not - Oh La La La (Hot Summer Night) [Extended Mix]
    
11. Robbie Williams - Feel (Disla & Danis Remix)
    
12. Post Malone - I Fall Apart (Moojo Remix)
    
13. Moloko - The Time Is Now (Sebastian Rivero Remix)
    
14. KURA - Sentir Saudade GUAPO (Antdot Remix)
    
15. DOT, Rachel Reis - Eu Vou Pra Bahia (Extended Mix) [Karuana]
    
16. Cheb Khaled - Aicha (Aymoune Remix)
    
17. ! Ta Ta Ta - &friends, Byanni (Extended)
    
18. BOLDIZSAR - BROKE MY HEART (ORIGINAL MIX) [SVOBODA]
    
19. RE_MIND - NOBODY (Extended Mix)
    
20. Omada - Candy (Omada Remix)
    
21. Malik Taj - Contigo (V6)
    
22. Moojo - Drake - A Keeper (Moojo Remix)
    
23. HUGEL, Alex Wann - Forever In My Mind
    
24. Save Your Tears (Alex Wann Remix)
    
25. Do For Love - Moojo & REMIND
    

Want:

1. Adam Port, Stryv - Move
2. Adam Port, Stryv - Position
3. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (Moojo Remix)

My list is constantly expanding, ask for new list in dm

Tbh, predicting the masks that will be used is quite impossible, and the chances tend by around 10% .
for example, someone wants a caoursel to be on Mask Singer and a few seasons have passed and still no caouresel mask. and here are a list of masks I wish for future seasons (which is unlikely)
Dollar Bill (since it’s the US version)
WaterMelon
Gingerbread Man
Demon
Angel
Car
Ham Burger
Onion
Ghost (we got our UK Ghost so what about the US having their version)
Jelly
Puppet
Beehive
Vampire Crab
Violin
Cherry (or Cherries if it’s a group)
Carrot
Newt
Chimera (more likely a group)
Pencil
Apple
Lollipop
Badger
Piggy Bank
Piano
Jay bird
Chocolate Bar
Centaur
Wizard (let’s all hope he doesn’t get last place like Knight and Gnome since Wizards are associated with Fantasy)
Lettuce
Cookie
Banshee
Minotaur (definitely)
Fish (weird how they didn’t use a fish costume yet)
Potato
Chess piece (maybe a group?)
Sloth
Whale
Monkey
Planets (more likely a group)
Vampire
Ruby Gem
Ant
House (for some reason hoping for a puppet contestant like Kermit The Frog)
Witch (more likely a cross-dresser contestant)
Music Note
Vulture
Ladybug
Gingerbread Man
Apple
Cowboy (though we already have a cow in the series)
Piano
Computer
Painting
Saluki
Phone
Key
Zebra
Soccer Ball

Hello everyone in this beautiful community, today I come to see if I'm lucky and some kind soul could give me one of the games that I wanted to play the most this year.
Monster Hunter Rise is the latest installment of the Monster Hunter saga, in which you take the role of a warrior who is dedicated to hunting or capturing incredible creatures that range from giant crabs to dragons and beings that are almost gods. This installment of Monster Hunter has many new things and a more active gameplay than its previous installments with more ways to cross the map and attacks in the style of Devil My Cry In addition to many new tools and even AI-controlled hunting companions,
I have always been a fan of the Monster Hunter saga. I started with my dad's old PSP. Then I was able to play MH world thanks to my father giving it to me 5 years ago, and I still play it from time to time, but I always wanted to play MH rise more. I've never had the opportunity. What I like most are epic fights and playing with players from all over the world as allies
The reason I can't buy it is that I am a university student with limited resources in Central America, Costa Rica, and I have to reserve resources for things like food and study materials. Apart from that, I help my family from time to time, but I still have a little free time that I dedicate to playing video games with friends online. I always enjoy playing and relaxing, whether alone or with friends. It's the thing I love the most since I was a kid.
The game as a gift, I swear to play it a lot, getting the most out of it, and thank you for it with all my heart and soul. It would really make my year more bearable and enjoyable because I have wanted to play it for 3 years.
Seriously, if someone gift me this game I will play it for a long time, spending more than 130 hours. Thank you for reading my post and I wish you a splendid day :D
STEAM :https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198198714489/
GAME :https://store.steampowered.com/app/1446780/MONSTER_HUNTER_RISE/
humble bundle: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/monster-hunter-world-rise-saga?hmb_source=&hmb_medium=product_tile&hmb_campaign=mosaic_section_1_layout_index_1_layout_type_threes_tile_index_1_c_monsterhunterworldrisesaga_bundle&_gl=1*cezbwc*_up*MQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3ZayBhDRARIsAPWzx8rvIMqql5vUOCc15V3vo89fHVPWp9t51r7UIaqKQvs04sqFlmm0mlEaAhgdEALw_wcB

Written 5/8/2024- updates attached below

I tried posting this on kendrick almost a week ago and it got no response, I messaged the mods to ask about Karma restrictions or account age requirements and they never replied. I made a new account and it was the same issue, but I found out last night I wasn’t fully banned, so I figured I’d throw it up and see if anyone finds it valuable. It’s written for people who have no prior knowledge of the rap game/music business. I don’t have to go as hard on obscuring names this time. One of the influencers I mentioned in my last post is known for doxxing and threatening violence against people who mention the many contradictions in their stories. (Sorry for any typos/mistakes I want to go to bed.)
Origins
I believe the current Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef is either completely or partially fabricated by certain industry leaders or the parties involved in an effort to distract from something bigger going down behind the scenes. If you were an influential label owner facing major accusations, and you needed to deflect media attention from yourself, recreating one of the most defining moments in rap history during the social media era would be a way to do it. It also wouldn’t hurt that two of the biggest rappers in the world were already sending shots at each other in their music for years prior. The public consensus is they are simply two famous rappers who hate each other and fighting over the spot for the top like in the 90’s. Only people who were directly involved could paint a more cohesive picture of the whole story. Even when all the cards drop, there is a good chance the average person won’t be able to find direct sources on their own and will continue to support their favorite artists and dismiss any evidence of their crimes like the drizzy subreddit or Ak fans.

As I said the beef between Kendrick and Drake has been brewing in the background for years, with both rappers sending shots and sneak dissing each other over the course of at least 8 years. The most agreed upon origin story is the first diss was the 2016 Big Sean and Kendrick collaboration, “Control,” and Drake responded with, “The Language”. Things stayed relatively lighthearted for a while and both were intentionally vague for many years. Before I go deep into the Kendrick and Drake stuff, it’s really important to examine some of Drake’s prior beefs because they add a ton of context to my theory. In my opinion Kendrick and Co. started scheming all of this some time around Mid 2020-Mid 2022, well after the whole Pusha T beef had transitioned into the Kanye beef.

What exactly started the beef is debatable, but at the time many attributed it to rumors of Drake pursuing Ye’s ex Amber Rose. Unfortunately the timeline isn’t 100 percent clear, and if I included every detail this would be at least 200+ pages so I’ll stick with the important stuff. The ultimate outcome of the Pusha T battle in 2018 was the revelation of Drake’s son Adidon that he had previously been hiding from the world along with getting Ye directly involved in the beef.

Here are some more examples of Drake antagonizing Ye and of him trying to use women as pawns to get material for his diss tracks. The Drake line, “Yeah, I probably go link to Yeezy, I need me some Jesus, but as soon as I start confessin' my sins, he wouldn't believe us," could be a reference to sleeping with Kim Kardashian, trying to double down on his threats to harm him or his family, or it could be a double entendre. Another example is using the name Kiki in another song, which was apparently one of Kim’s nicknames. Some other possible examples include the theories he may have tried the same thing with Kendrick’s wife Whitney around 2020-2021 in an attempt to use as ammo against Kendrick, which I’ll go into later. I don’t listen to much of either artist's music, but there are probably many of other examples in Drake’s catalogue that I’m leaving out. There is also his song Omerta released in 2019, which I'll go into below.

“Your baby mother call me when she lonely My tailor see me twice a week, he like my homie Forever grateful, forever thankful Diamond necklace, but she wears it on her ankle”

(Probably referring to Kim Kardashian since she had a few pictures with her wearing diamond ankle bracelets and was trying to make it into a trend.

“I plan to buy your most personal belongings when they up for auction”

(There were various rumors floating around for a while that Drake was blackmailing Ye with something and he was fighting to keep it from the public. I thought about it and this line might be referencing a sex tape with Kim or her little sister who me was very touch before she turned 18. In 2022 there was a whole storyline on Kim’s show where Ye flies to LA to prevent her second sex tape from being released.)

West Hollywood, know my presence is menacing
Cosa Nostra, shady dealings
Racketeering, the syndicate got they hand in plenty things The things that we've done to protect the name are unsettling But no regrets, though, the name'll echo Years later, none greater
Death to a coward and a traitor, that's just in my nature, yeah
(Drake and Ye both frequented the Delilah Nightclub located in West Hollywood and lived closeby on the same street for a while.)
"I don't carry cash 'cause the money is digital
It's the American Expresser, the debt collector"

(Sounds a lot more like it could be crypto to launder or send large amounts of ill gotten gains. It started becoming mainstream around them)

"Last year, niggas really feel like they rode on me
Last year, niggas got hot 'cause they told on me
I'm 'bout to call the bluff of anybody the fold on me"

These lines stood out because they could be referring to Ye telling the public about Drake's alleged threats a couple months before the songs release. This happened not long after the release of Sicko mode which was towards the end of 2018 as well. Ye was discussing the incident on Twitter and reached out to Drake and Travis to talk to him in private. In the next set of tweets Kanye publicly accused Drake of threatening him and his family in a major way. Surprisingly Ye seemed genuinely scared and amongst his, “crazy rants,” some of the stuff he said makes a ton of sense in hindsight. This also the beginning of his second serious public struggles with Bipolar disorder after being committed in 2016 shortly after an on stage rant where he calls out Jay Z for selling out and says he's afraid he might kill him.. As someone who shares the same diagnosis, I have a pretty good understanding of mania and psychosis and firmly believe that it's important not to write people off right away due to their mental illness. Some of my most thoughtful, creative, and productive periods were inspired by mania. Industry bigwigs have also been using mental illness to discredit influential black celebrities and visionaries going back decades, but it really picked up in the 80’s.

Dave Chappelle has gone into this a lot in the past and claims he experienced something similar before he quit show business and dipped to Africa. Their stories have a lot of interesting parallels if you’re familiar or curious. I remember he actually visited Ye at his house in Wyoming after he was reported to have had a, "mental breakdown," during his presidential run in 2020 thus marking his third breakown in six years.. The reason I put it in quotes is because it happened right after he publicly accused Kim of cheating and delivered his legendary speech on abortion. Dave went as far as going on live tv and telling the public he wasn’t crazy, he was just really struggling because he was the only one at the time fighting against the narrative, which can often be a suicide mission or a ticket to obscurity. These are three examples of someone speaking up and being deemed crazy, two years later came the nazi stuff and I'm sure we'll have plenty in store for 2024.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the very common pattern of artists dying or having their careers destroyed either after they try to leave their label or threaten to reveal industry secrets. A few more interesting industry connections I made in my research include the connections between:

T.U.G. records and J Cole's independent label Dreamville are both managed by Interscope Records, whose parent company is Universal Music Group.

Universal Music Group also hac Drake's label OvO label as well as Ye and Kendrick's old labels on their roster before they left to form their own independent labels in 2022 (around the same time the disses between Kendrick and Drake started escalating). Finally Bad Boy Records, which is owned by Diddy, and Motown Records who own Diddy's other R&B label Love Records, are also both owned by Universal. This means every label I mention is currently or was previously owned by Universal Music Group.

Ye tried for years to get out of his contract with Defjam, which happens to be ran by Jay Z who is known to be a close associate of Diddy. Jay would always used his money and power to fight against it. Ye even spoke out publicly on a few occasions, including when he said Jay Z was trying to kill him during one of his concerts. My theory is after years of getting nowhere and having his reputation skewered, in 2022 Ye finally said, "Fuck it," and dropped all the anti- Semetic stuff intentionally in a successful attempt to force his label to into using their morality clause, which requires labels to drop an artist if they're accused of any major controversy that could hurt the label’s profits. For the fourth time in four years the media reported he was having a breakdown. Even though they tried to punish him by cutting off all of his sources of income and freezing his accounts he still managed to bounce back pretty quickly. It was often reported how much he was losing, but it rarely discussed how he still was filthy rich in spite of the retrictions. His label wanted to discourage other artists from trying the same thing. My theory is he might have bought Kim or Kylie's alleged sex tape and used it for his own leverage. For Kendrick, his transition to his independent label ApLang went a lot smoother, but he had to split ownership of his new label with the previous manager owner Dave Free. Sadly it's still difficult for new or more niche artists to establish themselves without the some help.

He may be a lot of things but Ye isn’t dumb just because he has a mood disorder and the guys at the top know this, which is why I think he has really played up his diagnosis when it benefitted him. He’s still one of the most talented musicians in the game and I really think he sees his bipolar like a superpower as he says. It’s like his own invisibility cloak. He can go off his meds for a little, make an album after staying up for 72 hours, go on a “psychotic” twitter rant dropping facts throughout, then start up again once he makes enough news headlines. I think it’s worth noting the first divorce rumors in 2020 coincided with Ye’s abortion speech during his presidential run and the cheating accusations. that led to him dropping out and moving to Wyoming, and a couple months ago in February 2024 he was committed again.

The point I’m making is bipolar is complex, but pretty manageable especially if you have a ton of money to find meds that work for you and a good doctor and can keep substance abuse and stress at a manageable level. I think Ye is smart enough to know this, but it’s just safer for him to really play up the mental issues in the media. He’s proven he can literally say whatever he wants after getting cancelled and the average person is just going to write it off as psycho babble. While bias in health care is a sad fact of society, if you can use it to your advantage I say go for it. It might’ve just kept the microscope off of him long enough to plan his attack.

Ye v. Drake: Quotes of 2018
(Start of the beef, drake threats, and suspicion towards Kardashian family. )

“ It’s not about rap. It’s about family. We have to be close as a family and never let these people infiltrate just for radio spins”

“We need to show the world that people can talk without people ending up dead or in jail.”

”This is a man speaking to a man that has been placed in the program to fuck with Kanye West head and set me up“

”See when you care about your family you don’t let no man push you to do nothing that could risk your freedom“

These first four tweets by Ye were all in reference to perceived threats made by Drake after their beef escalated circa 2018. He began speaking on the industry and talking more about his psych hospital commitment two years prior and how he thought they were going to kill him. It's pretty obvious how the whole thing was planned by the sketchy doctor who called it in and his physical trainer who has a ton of connections to weird shit involving his celebrity clients.

I found interesting that Ye might not have been the first major league rapper whose life Drake threatened. During a similar period of mental illness the up and coming rapper XXXtentacion accused Drake of stealing his flow and dissed him a few times. Not long after he made a post online saying if he dies, it was Drake who did it. There are tons of conspiracies online, but none of the evidence is strong enough to draw a definitive connection. Also while it maybe be coincidental, Kendrick’s latest album Mr Morale also painted the picture that Kendrick was dealing with some serious personal issues. Some lines throughout the album may have been used to bait Drake into escalating, but it wasn’t until The Weekend, Future, and Metro Booming dropped, “We Don’t Trust You,” then Drake and J. Cole dropped, “First Person Shooter,” which was followed a couple days later with, “Like That,” where Kendrick started the chain of events that has led us to today.

Kanye vs. Drake: Quotes of 2020

Summary: Ye runs for president and gets suppressed for saying what very well could be the truth and was immediately deemed insane by the media. Kim did a couple interviews and everything he said was immediatly false. There is almost guarenteed to be some sketchy shit going down revolving her and her family. Ye was absolutely terrified of her keeping the kids away from him and it seems like there are still efforts being made to this day to paint a certain image of him for ulterior motives.

Below are six more quotes from a fan taking a deep dive into his 2020 tweets courtesy of u/ thehatstore42069 on Yeezy
”NORTHY I AM GOING TO WAR AND PUTTING MY LIFE ON THE LINE AND IF I AM MURDERED DON’T EVER LET WHITE MEDIA TELL YOU I WASNT A GOOD MAN,” West, 43, wrote in the tweet, adding, “WHEN PEOPLE THREATEN TO TAKE YOU OUT OF MY LIFE JUST KNOW I LOVE YOU”

"I need a public apology from J Cole and Drake to start with immediately... I'm Nat Turner... I'm fighting for us."

"the utmost respect for all brothers" and said "we need to link and respect each other... no more dissing each other on labels we don't own"

"Ye is constantly trying to tell people that his family does not have his or his kids best interests at heart. He goes on to list others, linking them together with the thinking emoji. These people include rap artist Drake and Larsa Pippen, wife of Scottie Pippe. Kim K is goddaughter to Pippen's daughter, showing how close the families actually are. All of these families that associate with Ye through Kardashian connections, as well as Drake, have been accused of the same thing Kris has. EVERY SINGLE ONE of these people have mixed race children that are groomed from a young age to fuck around with celebrities so the parents can remain famous. Drake on numerous occasions has been accused of grooming girls and then getting handsy on their 18th birthday.”

“These labels want their artists to make them money and they dont care about anything else. When Kanye says things like this in an attempt to expose him, the first thing they wanna do is drug him up and put him back in the studio.”
“Righteous indignation is typically a reactive emotion of anger over mistreatment, insult, or malice of another. It is akin to what is called the sense of injustice. This is how they keep the black man down. Keep people outraged about trivial things and distract them from the real issues in the world. The real problems in the industry. If you tell people enough times that they are unequal or discriminated against they start to believe it. Drug them when they step out of line and toss them aside when the checks run out. Ye is realizing he is pawn in a bigger game, and now that he has all these roots in the game such as Yeezy or the Gap or his music, too many people cant risk (Afford) a Ye who speaks his mind.”
(End of quotes)

Amongst the twitter rant, Ye warned about the predatory nature of record deals and discussed trying to get out of his own deal, and said again how his life may be in danger if it wasn’t already and was doing anything he could to protect his kids. The most fascinating part to me though is the public call to arms he made to Drake, J Cole, and Kendrick on twitter. After inviting them to all link up, he said, “It’s time to get free, we will not argue amongst each other while some guy we don’t know in Europe is getting paid and putting that money in a hedge fund.” I believe if Ye was able to pull off this meeting, there is an ever so slight chance that all four artists might be working together to take down a greater enemy. Weirdly there have been times throughout the last couple years where these supposed enemies were photographed together being friendly or praise each other in interviews, then out of no where the disses would start flying again.

To wrap things up I want to share my a few of my theories about the Drake/Kanye beef

A. Everything is exactly as it seems and the beef is over. Ye let his mental illness ruin his life and career so Drake simply picked another target after Ye stopped putting out disses. All of these connections are just a coincidence and all of this was choreographed to boost Drake and Kendrick’s music sales and possibly distract people from the Diddy trial and possibly the complicated geopolitical issues currently facing the U.S.

C. There is also the possibility that all four rappers are in cahoots and Drake’s dirt isn’t as extreme as people are theorizing, at least in comparison to the rest of the business. This could explain why everything has played out like a movie and how they were able to predict each other’s moves so well. This could either mean they’re all just trying to boost their sales or they’re all trying to take down the “slave masters,” as Ye calls them, and change the dynamic of the music industry in favor of the artist.

D. They may be trying to help their friends in the industry who are being abused or in shitty contracts. I know a lot of famous rappers have done a lot of collaborations with Jhene Aiko and Anderson Paak, who were both signed to T.U.G. records which I mentioned above in the connections to Universal Music Group. Considering they are both frequent collaborators with all of the artists involved on both sides, it’s not unlikely they may have played some part in influencing the takedown.

T.U.G was started by Chris Stokes with his partner Ketrina Askew. Back in the early to mid 90’s were gaining popularity attracting lots of young up and coming talent. They often collaborated with Diddy and his associates. In the 2000’s Raz B from the boy band B2K claimed he was molested by Stokes and his friend Marques Houston, then quickly retracted his claims. Years later he came forward again and said we was bribed into silence and that the rest of the victims were bribed with hush money and had another singer corroborate his story and they came forward together to level the accusations. After some of his former B2K members made fun of him for his claims and accused it of being a shakedown, Raz B revealed Stokes and Houston had preyed a lot of the children associated with the label including at least one of the former bandmates and paid them off.

I thought it was worth noting that the second whistleblower named Quindon Tarver died young in a car crash after mentioning his abuse again a few years prior. He seems to have left the industry not long after the incidents occurred and has few credits to his name. To this day Raz B is still trying to get his justice, while Stokes and his partner Askew, who was also involved in the abuse are still running the label to this day. Askew also has a ton of lawsuits, accusing her of using shady tactics to try to foreclose on houses. (Don’t quote me if a lawyer wants to take a look just google her full name), and has been tied to a ton of LLCs, similar to Drake. This is a good example of a shitty record deal, but I'm sure they have countless other friends in the industry who have even worse. While they were never convicted even Chris Stokes' wife confirmed it to be true.

E. The theory I personally think fits the narrative best and is the most realistic conspiracy is that Kendrick and possibly J. Cole went to the meeting, but not Drake due to his close relationship with Lucian Grange, the president of Drake’s label. Silence often speaks louder than words and this could explain why Kendrick was so ruthless and put so much effort into finding dirt on Drake. Ye, Cole, and Kendrick co-writing would be like the rap allstar team and if J. Cole wasn’t involved, it would also answer the question of whether or not he baited Drake into the battle by asking him to feature. I don’t think Drake is really their primary target though, which would explain letting him off easy. Compared to his bosses and their bosses he’s a small fish. If you take the big guys down you stand a better chance of landing a bigger blow on their operation.

Another really interesting connection is Kendrick and Ye were both signed under Universal Music Group and they both got out of their deals around couple months apart in 2022. As we speak U.M.G’s CEO Lucian Grange, who is often acccused of giving Drake special treatment, is facing charges related to sex trafficking by no other than P Diddy. This could very well explain the timing of it all. The craziest timeline would be Diddy masterminding all of this and using his connections to get it done and all the allegations are bullshit. The guy does seem pretty confident all things considered and constantly posts himself in his Batman costume which could mean he’s a vigilante.

It seems like there's a slight religious angle as well. (Ye and Diddy are both very vocal advocates of Christianity and Drake and Lucian Grange are both Jewish.) Obviously this is a reach, but they’ve been saying rap music was specifically promoted by mostly white label owners in the 80’s to help in the ongoing effort to expedite the systematic oppression of those living in black neighborhoods and the destruction of their family systems. Apparently it was an intentional decision to heavily promote rappers that promoted the very things that were destroying their neighborhoods. (So people know I'm and atheist and have zero agenda, I just thought it was interesting, please stay away from anything antisemitic. War is wrong on both sides.)

*** If my favorite theory is true, there is a possibility the Kendrick and Ye are going after Drake due to their mutual disdain for him and because he’s got a ton of power to dominate the charts and hog the radio airtime like Meek Mill and OG Maco claimed years ago. Even him dropping a record the same day as you could really fuck your album sales up. I’m also sure some of the many rumors throughout the years have had a least some truth and he will most likely snitch to avoid cell block one. I think that Drake could have been instructed to instigate this whole mess in order to draw attention away from the UMG charges brought about by Diddy. Or on the other hand it could be that Kendrick, Ye, and possibly Cole, may have had intel that Drake was going to be involved in the Diddy trial and are just gonna let the receipts show themselves. It might not have been the original plan, but they’ve already accomplished their mission of humiliating him, assuring he couldn’t use his influence to slide through the cracks, and taking over the throne.

Please take everything I say with a grain of salt I have no connection to this world or lifestyle. Regardless I believe all of the knowledge above does a pretty solid job at painting a picture of what may have let up to this and what may have been the source.
——————————-
More details found the last couple days…

Drake and Diddy Connections+Coincidences

Drake- In the P Diddy wig video from 2016 he talks about going to party with Drake, Cash, and The Weeknd in Toronto. Drake is also one of Birdman’s protégées who is known for being a predator and is rumored to have used label artists to lure young women.

Travis Scott- Interview where he comes out and says Diddy tried to lure him. Still has a long history of associating with him, video of him running from Diddy, his connection to Ruby Rose while underage.

Tim Westwood- Diddy had connections with sex offender Tim Westwood who also inspired the Drake song, “Westwood”. They also both were victims of drive by shootings along with The Weekend and they were all facing some type of allegations.

T.I.- Also has been associate with Diddy through the years, in 2021 his kid died and 11 women can forward at the same time to accuse him and his wife of drugging and assaulting them. Clearly someone wanted to fuck his life up. Possibly due to him getting arrested so many times for wild shit and people wondering how he continued to get away with it shining a light on how powerful industry lawyers are. He also had recently talked about having a gynecologist check to see if his daughter is still a Virgin, which sounds like it could have been an industrty secret. Could have been because he worried about someone trying to take advantage of her to get to him? Regardless that shit is fucking insane.

50 Cent- Has been saying pretty much the same thing as Travis Scott and has trolled Diddy for most of his career. It came out that his wife was a sex worker who was possibly recruited Diddy to help ruin his career. It sort of worked, which raises the question if 50 Cent is the only victim.

Ray J- Him and his sister worked with T.U.G. records when they were very young. Chris Stokes in the nineties who had connections with Diddy. He has been involved in a lot of sex scandals and allegedly may have played a part in Whitney Houston's death. (Which is also allegedly connected to Michael Jackson's death and both were deemed suspicious and happened during their final tours when their masters (song rights), became more valuable than their lives. Sony Records and Tommy Motolla, who also abused Mariah Carey when she was trying to start her career. These are just a few of the alleged examples of labels taking out musicians when they were worth more dead, another is the signing of high risk artists and requiring them to get life insurance so they can profit beyond releasing all their posthumous records. Also the ever so common story of the rising star artist that die at 21 after their first album or two.

He also partied with Diddy in Vegas with along Floyd Mayweather and a bunch of other famous industry people and athletes.

Tory Lanez- Tons of blackmail, also was signed by Interscope under UMG. got sent to prison for ten years after trying to leave his label. Also history of SA and and other allegations of violence towards women.

French Montana- On Diddy's label, close with Rick and Khaled, tons of drug and sexual assault allegations, also dated a Kardashian. Generally grimy.

DJ Khaled- Diddy said he could get anything in Miami, either referring to drugs or women, could explain his connections and lack of any notable talent. (New update, he was one of the first to promote Chris Alvarez’s instagram not long after he turned 18).

Rick Ross- Diddy said some weird shit about him and licked his lips and kissed him at a show. Ross is also signed to Bad Boy under Diddy. He ended up getting involved in the current feud and spamming social media nonstop dissing and threatening Drake.

A lot of the back and forth was both of them threatening to release dirt on each other. One strange coincidence I found was Drake recently trolled Ross about the 20 million dollar renovation to his home on Star island, where Diddy is currently residing. It’s rumored back in the day that P Diddy was caught in a room full of rich guys on ecstasy possibly at the beginning stages of a gay orgy. Drake also mentioned in the same tweets about Rick Ross that Birdman owned a house on the island and asked Rick Ross why he didn’t help him out.

Considering Ross is so sketchy and Drake claims the house isn’t that big, that’s a ridiculous amount of money. He may be covering up evidence, or creating tunnels in his house to escape if shit pops off and Drake might know what’s good. Interestingly enough Ross is very close with French Montana and also signed to Bad. He said his beef was related to something involving French, and Drake’s tweet popped up the same day the info came out concerning the Chris Alvarez stuff.

The famous line from U.O.E.N.O.

Meek Mill- “OG Maco called himself defending his friend Quentin Miller by substantiating the ghostwriting claims and agreeing with Meek. He hit up Twitter saying, "Some of us been knew. Meek just put it in the air. Sucks to have to compete with 6 n****s and get compared to”

Meek mill also had a short beef with Drake, some disses included lines referring to TI’s homie pissing on Drake at the movie theater, which is also interesting considering the current case against him. He also dropped a line saying Diddy almost got a domestic charge when he smacked Drake, which could either be saying that Drake is like a woman, or saying he was Drake’s boyfriend/sugar daddy.
( If you made it to the end comment with the number 8)
I thought it was interesting how the beef just kind of disappeared and even Meek said it didn’t seem genuine. Considering the allegations against Meek in the Diddy trial, and his rumored affair with Kim contributing to ending Kanye’s marriage, Meek Mill definitely did some dirt on him.

“Niggas frauds I told the truth, don't ask me shit
All this industry fake enemy and rap shit”

“Money make a sucker that told look trill again”

One of the many chapters in Drake's history in which he is seen paying his way out of trouble and starting beefs randomly.
“Now when that shit went down with Chris, you wrote a check”
This line is referring to Chris brown beef, another beef that was lost to time. All I can remember off the top was someone throwing a champagne bottle at the other’s entourage.

Ty Dolla $ign- Huge feature artist, close with Ye. Grew up in the industry and talks about growing up on the road and being in the studio with his dad and Rick James who was should have already been in prison for life for dragging, torturing, and S assaulting multiple women and children throughout his career and was himself a victim of the industry. May be part of Ye's motivation, considering their recent close working relationship.
The end.
Courtesy of,
The Randomest Moniker

Hiyo, I'm a depressed(but medicated!) person seeking platonic friendship. I love gaming first and foremost and have since I was a wee lil kid on an NES and Sega Genesis and eventually N64, though all of my gaming these days is on pc. I'm looking most for a gaming buddy who likes co-op games(I don't do pvp at all). I do have really bad anxiety and am very shy so introductions are awkward and it's a bumpy start, but I warm up soon enough! Looking for real friendship beyond just gaming every so often. Chatting throughout the day and hanging out and having fun. PM me since I don't look at comments or reddit chat and tell me a bit about yourself.
Games I'm looking for others to play with(all these games are on Steam):

• Helldivers 2
• Lethal Company
• Wildermyth
• Darktide
• GTA Online
• Grounded
• Inkbound
• For the King 2(or the 1st)
• Crab Champions
• Deep Rock Galactic
• Earth Defense Force 5 or 4.1
• Gunfire Reborn
• Monster Hunter World/Iceborne or Rise/Sunbreak
• Risk of Rain 2
• Roboquest
• Stardew Valley(modded, maybe)
• Terraria(modded)
• Arcadegeddon
• Plateup!
• Borderlands(any of them, maybe)
• Payday 2(maybe)
• Minecraft(modded, but you'd choose)
• I have a ton more and also a bunch on epic, but these are ones I'm ok to ease into a new friendship with

Beyond gaming, I enjoy a tiny bit of anime(have only seen maybe a handful of shows) and old rock or video game musics and random memes and cute animol pics, nature-y type stuff, LotR and Star Wars, random comedy shows and movies and well, probably just about anything as my humor and interests are all over. At the very least I'd like to hear about yours!

I spent most of my formative years in a small backwater in Florida that to this day is incredibly conservative. I used to get tormented mercilessly for both being Black by white kids and gay by damn near everyone else. As much as I've tried to always see the good in people, society constantly let me down. I've often wondered if people like myself could ever fully be accepted in this country. I used to harbor a lot of anger towards the world because of how I was treated and it caused me to lash out for a while. There's been a lot of projects, some much better than others, that have tried to tackle the topic of prejudice, tolerance and oppression. But few came close to embodying that pure anger someone can feel for being abused by society due to the circumstances of one's birth. X Men 97 is among those few and thank goodness for it.
When we got to the episode in Genosha, much like Beau DeMayo I was reminded of Pulse, but I was also reminded of the shooting committed by Dylann Roof. I remember that day clear as a bell. I was at work when the news broke and almost all of my coworkers were also Black. The mood was something I'll never forget. I think after Obama got elected many of us considered it to be a turning point. It felt like we had finally 'arrived' and that from this point forward we could finally live in the post-racial society that had been promised to us since the 1960's and probably further back than that. But in the years leading up to 2015, many felt that optimism erode and came to the realization that the promise was not going to be fulfilled anytime soon. But that shooting really brought it home to a lot of people. They prayed with him. They accepted him. They showed him genuine kindness and he killed them. People randomly broke into tears throughout the day. Men who seemed much stronger than I were very broken that day. A common line is that when the old guard died so would their prejudices. But here we had a 20 year old white boy born decades after the civil rights movement who still had that same hate of old. Donald Trump announced his presidency not long after that and while a lot of larger society considered him a joke, many in the Black community knew he had a shot.
I see comments on this sub like:
'why won't the humans just play ball with the mutants?'
'why can't the humans admit their own role in this war?'
'why do the humans continue to prove Magneto right every time?'
That frustration, that confusion and complete disbelief many viewers felt watching X Men 97 is what we've been feeling for, I don't know, four hundred years now. There were times when watching the show my own anger and grief I've suppressed years ago bubbled back up the surface. That feeling of hopelessness that things will never change is what minority and oppressed people, here and around the world, have felt for so long. That dread we're trapped in a cycle that will just never end but countered with the desire to make change anyway is something I don't often see accurately captured in most media about topics like this. X Men 97 is about tolerance and acceptance but it's also about finding the drive to push forward even if you know that fight might be futile at times. If you can reach just a few people, you might make some change. This is why it's so important that Valerie Cooper wasn't a mutant. As cool as it would've been to see Mystique make her grand return, seeing a human admit their own complicity in this conflict was powerful and almost cathartic. It reminded me of many white folk I talked to during the George Floyd protests who finally 'got it'. There's good and bad people on many sides but when one side has a distinct societal advantage over the other, as the humans do over the mutants, those with more privilege should be willing to admit how their owned enforced obliviousness contributes to the continued subjugation of others.
Even Bastion was proven somewhat right in the end when humanity blasted missiles at the asteroid without fully weighing the consequences. People want a quick and easy fix, they always will. This show being as fantastical as it might fly over some people's heads but I think it'll cause many more to question things about our own society. I see it on this very sub at times and that's the power of good art. Beyond the powers and costumes and fun action scenes, it's a story about how humanity and the fight for us to see that humanity in one another.

Predictions may tend to change as usual. The 2024 Cannes Film Festival just started, so there may be some alterations during and after if the movies featured in the festival are praised or panned, and whatever wins the top prizes (especially the Palme d'Or) later on this month.
UPDATE: Megalopolis just screened at Cannes and it looks like it's now out of the Oscar race (removing it from all major categories in my Oscar predictions). However, I think the potential possibility of a few technical categories may still be open.

Best Picture

• Blitz
• Conclave
• Dune: Part Two
• Kinds of Kindness
• Joker: Folie A Deux
• Nickle Boys
• Nightb\**h*
• Parthenope
• A Real Pain
• Sing Sing

Next in line: Anora, Bird, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Gladiator II, Queer
Alt: All We Imagine As Light, Civil War, Didi, We Live In Time

Best Director

• Steve McQueen, Blitz
• Edward Berger, Conclave
• Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two
• Todd Phillips, Joker: Folie A Deux
• Paolo Sorrentino, Parthenope

Next in line: George Miller, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga; Ridley Scott, Gladiator II; Yorgos Lanthimos, Kinds of Kindness; Luca Guadagnino, Queer; Greg Kwedar, Sing Sing
Alt: Payal Kapadia, All We Imagine As Light; Sean Baker, Anora; Andrea Arnold, Bird; Audrey Diwan, Emmanuelle; Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain

Best Actor

• Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
• Joaquin Phoenix, Joker: Folie A Deux
• Daniel Craig, Queer
• Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
• Andrew Garfield, We Live In Time

Next in line: Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice; Barry Keoghan, Bird; Paul Mescal, Gladiator II; Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain
Alt: Austin Butler, The Bikeriders; Timothee Chalamet, Dune: Part Two; Tenoch Huerta, Pedro Páramo; John David Washington, The Piano Lesson

Best Actress

• Saorise Ronan, Blitz
• Zendaya, Challengers
• Lady Gaga, Joker: Folie A Deux
• Emma Stone, Kinds of Kindness
• Amy Adams, Nightb\**h*

Next in line: Mikey Madison, Anora; Celeste Dalla Porta, Parthenope; Tilda Swinton, The Room Next Door; Florence Pugh, We Live In Time
Alt: Jodie Comer, The Bikeriders; Noémie Merlant, Emmanuelle; Anya Taylor-Joy, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga; Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths; Carrie Coon, His Three Daughters

Best Supporting Actor

• Stanley Tucci, Conclave
• Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness
• Samuel L. Jackson, The Piano Lesson
• Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
• Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing

Next in line: Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice; John Lithgow, Conclave; Willem Dafoe, Kinds of Kindness; Gary Oldman, Parthenope
Alt: Tom Hardy, The Bikeriders; Harris Dickinson, Blitz; Javier Bardem, Dune: Part Two; Austin Butler, Dune: Part Two; Chris Hemsworth, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga; Joseph Quinn, Gladiator II; Paul Raci, Sing Sing

Best Supporting Actress

• Isabella Rosselini, Conclave
• Joan Chen, Didi
• Lesley Manville, Queer
• Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickle Boys
• Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson

Next in line: Maria Bakalova, The Apprentice; Connie Nielsen, Gladiator II; Jennifer Grey, A Real Pain; Julianne Moore, The Room Next Door
Alt: Kathy Burke, Blitz; Rebecca Ferguson, Dune: Part Two; Zendaya, Dune: Part Two; Naomi Watts, Emmanuelle; Natasha Lyonne, His Three Daughters

Best Original Screenplay

• Blitz
• Didi
• Kinds of Kindness
• Parthenope
• A Real Pain

Next in line: Anora, Bird, We Live In Time
Alt: Civil War, His Three Daughters, The Room Next Door

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Conclave
• Dune: Part Two
• Joker: Folie A Deux
• Nickle Boys
• Sing Sing

Next in line: Emmanuelle, Nightb***h, Queer
Alt: Gladiator II, Here, Inside Out 2, Pedro Páramo, The Piano Lesson, The Wild Robot

Best Animated Feature

• Inside Out 2
• The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
• The Most Precious of Cargoes
• Memoir of a Snail
• The Wild Robot

Next in line: Moana 2, Spellbound, Ultraman: Rising
Alt: Ghost Cat Anzu, The Glassworker, Kung Fu Panda 4, That Christmas, Transformers One, Wallace & Gromit

Best International Feature

• All We Imagine As Light
• Emilia Pérez
• Emmanuelle
• No Other Land
• Parthenope

Next in line: Brief History of a Family, Grand Tour, Pedro Paramo
Alt: Crossing, Evil Does Not Exist (potentially), The Girl with the Needle, The Most Precious of Cargoes, Reinas

Best Documentary Feature

• Black Box Diaries
• Dahomey
• Daughters
• No Other Land
• Porcelain War

Next in line: Ibelin, SupeMan: The Christopher Reeve Story
Alt: Architecton, Piece By Piece, Sugarcane, Union, Will & Harper

Best Production Design

• Blitz
• Conclave
• Dune: Part Two
• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Gladiator II

Next in line: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Joker: Folie A Deux, Megalopolis, Nosferatu, Wicked
Alt: Civil War, Here, Kinds of Kindness, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Nickle Boys, Pedro Páramo

Best Cinematography

• Blitz
• Conclave
• Dune: Part Two
• Joker: Folie A Deux
• Parthenope

Next in line: Bird, Civil War, Gladiator II, Kinds of Kindness
Alt: Didi, Emmanuelle, Megalopolis, Pedro Páramo

Best Costume Design

• Dune: Part Two
• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Gladiator II
• Joker: Folie A Deux
• Wicked

Next in line: The Apprentice, Blitz, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Conclave, Nosferatu
Alt: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Megalopolis, Nickle Boys, The Piano Lesson

Best Film Editing

• Blitz
• Conclave
• Dune: Part Two
• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Joker: Folie A Deux

Next in line: Civil War, Gladiator II, Queer, A Real Pain, Sing Sing
Alt: Anora, Bird, Challengers, Didi, Kinds of Kindness

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• Dune: Part Two
• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Joker: Folie A Deux
• Wicked

Next in line: The Apprentice, Blitz, Deadpool & Wolverine, A Different Man, Gladiator II, Nosferatu
Alt: Abigail, Challengers, Civil War, Hit Man, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Monkey Man, Parthenope

Best Sound

• Civil War
• Dune: Part Two
• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Joker: Folie A Deux
• A Quiet Place: Day One

Next in line: Blitz, Challengers, Gladiator II, Twisters
Alt: Deadpool & Wolverine, The End, The Fall Guy, Megalopolis, Nightb\**h*

Best Visual Effects

• Deadpool & Wolverine
• Dune: Part Two
• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• Mufasa: The Lion King

Next in line: Civil War, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Gladiator II, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, A Quiet Place: Day One, Twisters
Alt: Alien: Romulus, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Fall Guy, Here, IF, Megalopolis, Tuesday, Wicked, The Wild Robot

Best Original Score

• Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Challengers
• Volker Bertlemann, Conclave
• Hans Zimmer, Dune: Part Two
• Hildur Guonadottir, Joker: Folie A Deux
• Bryce Dessner, Sing Sing

Next in line: TBA, Blitz; Tom Holkenborg, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga; Jerskin Fendrix, Kinds of Kindness; Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Queer
Alt: Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury, Civil War; Harry Gregson-Williams, Gladiator II; Gustavo Santaolalla, Pedro Páramo; Alan Menken, Spellbound; Kris Bowers, The Wild Robot

Best Original Song

• TBA, Diane Warren: Relentless
• TBA, Joker: Folie A Deux
• TBA, Moana 2
• TBA, Spellbound
• TBA, Twisters

Next in line: TBA, Mufasa: The Lion King
Alt: TBA, The End; Not My Fault, Mean Girls

What's Up Edmonton! Once a week I go through most events happening in and around our beautiful city over the coming weekend, as well as the live bands playing all week - and then send a large list out to my friends. I thought I should share it here.
Get this as a weekly email update:
https://whatsupedmonton.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Note: The linked publication is ad free & non-monetized (and always will be). Use it as a directory of things to do as we reconnect in our communities. I send it out every Thursday morning.
Admins: Please message me if this isn't allowed & I'll pull it asap. I do this as a hobby only.
5 cool events this weekend:

• Maydaze Carnival & Artisan Collective Market
• Golf Gals
• Hit The Decks: Pub DJ Championship
• Celebration of Dance @ Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
• Build & Decorate a Birdhouse (Kids Age 5-12)

Maydaze Carnival & Artisan Collective Market

Popcorn, Cotton Candy, Games, Rides & More. Running May 17-20 at Millwoods Town Center. Tickets start at $1 and can be purchased on site. Don't forget to check out the artisan market!

Golf Gals

This is a two day event (May 18 and June 1) for women and is free for those under the age of 18, held at the Victoria Golf Course in partnership with PGA of Alberta Instructors. Day one is instructional, held on the driving range. Day 2 includes a round of golf. There are limited bags of clubs available to be borrowed. Registration closes tonight! It doesn't outright say it, but this event does appear to be geared towards those under the age of 18. Event info here.

Hit The Decks: Pub DJ Championship

Put on at Hudsons and presented by Parks Distillery, Expect a DJ showdown as decksters duke it out for positioning at the grand finale (which takes place in September), where they'll compete for cash prizes. The first round (of 3 rounds) is May 19 & I imagine it's 18+.

Celebration of Dance @ Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village

Situated just outside Elk Island Park, the Ukrainian Heritage Village is a place where we (of all nationalities) can come together to celebrate Ukrainian heritage. On May 20 there'll be a host of dance performances to take in, commencing at 10 AM. In addition to this, the village will also be be open for exploration. Step back in time to life on the farm, enjoy traditional food and learn about cultural ways from periodically costumed interpreters. Bring a lawn chair.

Build and Decorate a Birdhouse (Kids Age 5-12)

And by kids, I'm referring to (your) children. Leave the goats at home please. Anyway, bring 'em down from 10 am to 1 PM on May 18 (to certain Rona locations) and leave with a beautiful birdhouse constructed by them. Drinks and snacks are provided. This event is FCFS until supplies run out.
Have a great weekend everyone.

Written by u/GoldWhale & u/JD397
Thanks everyone for your patience with us getting this written up. Much appreciation to my co-author u/JD397 for his work, scouting analysis, and comprehensive background knowledge on where Demidov sat compared to historical players, and the international analysis. Please note, this analysis won’t focus on why Demidov>Levshunov. In terms of BPA, Demidov is nearly unanimously over Levshunov based on consolidated rankings. With the Blackhawks publicly saying they want to go BPA, we hope to establish a case as to why Demidov truly stands above the rest, by a good margin. We hope that this was worth the wait, and we haven’t disappointed anyone who may have wanted more. We’re amateurs, give us a small break 😉
When Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly flipped the decisive card to reveal the number one overall pick, Blackhawks fans were disappointed. They were going to miss out on Macklin Celebrini, the consensus number one center and number one overall player in the draft. After winning Connor Bedard the prior year, many fans were hoping for a one two punch down the middle, their own version of McDavid and Draisaitl, Crosby and Malkin; this was not to be.
Despite the initial dismay, fans were still happy. The Blackhawks won the second lottery, and with that, the rights to select a franchise player at number two overall. Immediately, though, there was debate. Swirling on social media there were rumors that the Blackhawks were predominantly looking at two high end prospects: Ivan Demidov (RW/C) and Artyom Levshunov (D). On one hand Demidov is an elite prospect at wing with excellent hands, creativity, and legitimate top line wing with PPG+ upside. On the other, Levshunov is a dynamic offensive defenseman with a stellar shot, solid size, dynamic skating, and most importantly right-handedness.
The Blackhawks, realistically, need both positions. Last year the Blackhawks iced one of the worst offenses in the entire league, scoring the second least goals behind only San Jose. They also had the fourth worst defense, surrendering 290 goals on the season. Neither are acceptable in the push for a playoff spot in the coming years, but ultimately with number two, you can only choose one of the two players. After our hours of analysis, u/JD397 and I believe there is no debate – as good as Levshunov is, Demidov is closer in skill and projection to Celebrini than anyone else in the draft is to him.
So who is Ivan Demidov? He’s an 18 year old forward playing for SKA 1946, a MHL affiliate of SKA of the KHL. Since the 2023 draft the big story out of the KHL was the dominance of Matvei Michkov. This was a kid who destroyed the MHL by putting up 38 points in 22 games and going PPG+ in the playoffs his D-1 Year. Michkov then outperformed Connor Bedard by putting up 16 points in 7 games at the IIHF U18s in 2021. Michkov was, and still is, borderline generational but there was someone else waiting in his shadow. In his D-1 Year, Ivan Demidov put up 62 points in 41 games, and scored 1.3PPG in the MHL playoffs. While putting up a lower PPG pace than Michkov, Demidov’s game was substantially more well rounded and scouts started to take notice of another potential franchise winger in Ivan Demidov.
Demidov exploded in his D-0 Year, putting up a literal 2.0 PPG pace in the MHL the highest pace ever for a player 18 or under, and the third highest PPG in league history. In the playoffs, despite an injury, Demidov posted a ridiculous 28 points in 17 games. This production was unheard of beforehand and bested Kucherov’s 1.87 point pace at 18. Not only did Demidov have better production AND two way play, but he also did it nearly 7 months younger. Demidov remains a bright spot who is able to elevate his play to the competition. Before talking about playstyle, strengths, comps, projections, etc. it needs to be noted just how dominant Demidov was on the scoresheet.
Now that fans know who Ivan Demidov is, let’s address the elephant in the room. Demidov is Russian and with the political climate worldwide, being a Russian is associated with an inherent risk of a prospect not coming over. Rest assured – there is no such concern in this case. Last year, rumors swirled around Michkov not coming over due to three factors:

1. Michkov did not meet with more than two teams and actively told specific teams he would not play for them.
   
2. Michkov was incredibly difficult to get ahold of predraft and it made scouts and front offices skeptical on his character and desire to come to the NHL.
   
3. Michkov had 3 more years left on his contract with SKA.
   

Demidov, on the other hand, is actively engaging with teams. He’s hosting a workout in Florida before the draft for multiple teams to attend, and is actively having his agent coordinate interviews and meetings with interested front offices. Demidov has publicly declared his intention to come over to the NHL as soon as possible, even venturing so far as to say he’s looking at options for getting out of his KHL contract to get to the NHL for the 24-25 season. Finally, Demidov only has 1 year left on his contract so there isn’t long term concern about losing the ability to develop him internally. An interesting note that we found during analysis was that Demidov’s agent, Dan Milstein, is “hated” in the KHL because of how consistently he pushes for his clients to leave Russia and transition them to the NHL. Even if Demidov is stuck in Russia all of next year, there’s almost zero risk he doesn’t come over.
On Demidov, the other large question that looms is his lack of play in the KHL, and SKA’s decision to play him in the MHL. Despite being the one of the best players in MHL history, Demidov only saw action in 4 KHL games and scored a total of 0 points which has also turned off many scoresheet watchers. Let us reassure you – Demidov was predominantly the 13th forward and played an average of 3-5 minutes per game with unfamiliar linemates. He did not have a chance to play enough to succeed, and built no chemistry with the teammates he was playing with in his limited time. SKA is notorious for handling their prospects poorly. Young players are consistently given limited ice time, especially when they’re expected to leave Russia. Michkov, despite his skill, couldn’t crack the SKA roster in his D-0 or D+1 simply because of this bias. All said, this is not a concern scouts have when it comes to the potential drafting of Demidov.
With the Russia question answered, we believe there is no doubt that Ivan Demidov is the pick to make in the 2024 draft. Ivan Demidov is really really good. He is the complete package for what you look for in a franchise winger. Demidov has excellent hands, dynamic edgework, elite hockey IQ, high end compete and energy, a relentless forecheck, creativity in the offense he provides, solid two way play, and finally rapid speed in terms of release and puck control. There is no one like him in this draft who offers such an elite skillset with no obvious flaws in his game outside of his build. He can also play center when needed which gives him additional offensive flexibility and adds even more dynamism to his game.
While analytics don’t tell the full story, they can often be a useful baseline to build from. The first item we want to call attention to is Byron Bader’s model, which projects Demidov as the best #2OA prospect since Eichel.. Let's again be clear, we don’t put much merit into this due to the low gradings of Carlsson and Laine, but it’s important to contextualize how Bader’s model works. It compares prospects to the league they’re in and projects them out. Demidov dominated the MHL to such a degree that the model favorably views him due to being almost untouched in play, and setting multiple records. Continuing with Hockey Prospecting and Bader, who is an active NHL draft consultant, they project Demidov to be an absolute STUD based on production. No forward who they’ve ever given 99%s to has ever been less than PPG+. Demidov has a very comparable offensive game to Celebrini, and is all but guaranteed to be a star due to his production and skillset. Alanen also projects Demidov to be elite in all 3 zones, and gives him a total RARE grade of 100, due to his next level offense and transition, and above average defensive work despite his assignments. Again, analytics aren’t an end all be all by any means. They’re just an exceptional base to build from when scouts, data scientists and NHL draft consultants unanimously believe a player to be elite. From our research, no prospects with comparable profiles have busted or not succeeded in the NHL.
Whilst reading multiple articles, watching videos on Demidov, and going through tape, we compiled the following scouting report.
Physical Attributes:
Demidov is not very physically imposing, or even one of the most physical players in the draft. He’s expected to show up to the combine around 6ft tall and weighing 170lbs. Admittedly one knock that some scouts have for him is his build and need to bulk up. Thankfully, this is easy to build at the professional level. Nonetheless, Demidov has sturdy base that enables him to dominate around the boards and in front of the net due to his rapid twitch movements and lower body power. Demidov is able to outskate and outwork larger and stronger players by being smart with his legs and driving to the inside consistently when in transition. His remarkable agility and lower-body strength allow him to outmaneuver opponents and maintain possession in tight spaces, or separate for quick attacks or desperation back checking.
Skating:
Demidov's skating is characterized by irregularities; while he exhibits great power on his edges, his transitions suffer due to a wide stance, leading to questionable but explosive pivot work. Despite this, his rapid acceleration and agility enable him to navigate through traffic seamlessly, while his powerful stride generates significant momentum, making him a constant threat in transition. Let’s clear up a misconception; Demidov is not a bad skater. He’s got decent speed, a good handle on body control, power on the inside of his edges and with quick crossovers, etc. His posture and stance need work, but this is something that looks completely fixable at the NHL level. It doesn’t require a rebuild of his skating style, rather a retool that can utilize his edgework as a base. Instead of hunching over at the end of a shift and losing speed and energy, Demidov can rely on quicker small movement cuts on for rapid movement and longer, albeit slower strides while holding himself higher to preserve energy while covering distance. While the 10 and 2 skating that Demidov employs isn’t conventional, it allows him to see a good deal of the ice, and when in close provide breaking speed towards the play. Fixing the reliance on 10 and 2 also offers faster top level skating and easier quick pivoting in a 200ft game, rather than a longer turn. Again, his skating is unorthodox – but it isn’t bad. It’s not mechanically sound, but it can be polished to a high level without a large amount of concern. Because of how unpredictable his skating is now, scouts across the board acknowledge that it potentially even grants an advantage as his body is harder to read.
Scoring Ability:
A natural sniper, Demidov possesses a lethal shot with pinpoint accuracy and a lightning-quick release that catches goaltenders off guard. Whether he's unleashing a blistering wrist shot from the slot or wiring a one-timer on the power play, Demidov consistently finds the back of the net with precision and finesse. One really underrated part of Demidov’s scoring ability comes from the aforementioned elite edgework. Due to how rapidly he can change directions while holding full control over the puck, he can create scoring lanes with almost zero room, and his accuracy is again one of the best we’ve evaluated as amateur scouts in the last few drafts. When there isn’t an immediate opening or shot, Demidov is patient, draws coverage where he wants, and again has no qualms about firing the puck to the net. If there’s one question about his ability to score, it’s his slapshot. He hasn’t had to use it in almost any occasion due to how the offense is structured on SKA 1946, and therefore it’s not as developed as his snap or wrister. This is a relatively minor knock, though. Demidov can take slapshots and find twine without much difficulty, it’s just the least refined part of his goalscoring ability.
Playmaking and Elite Hands:
Demidov has the best hands that we have scouted. Better than McDavid, better than Fantilli, better than Hughes, better than Bedard, better than Michkov, and yes, better than Patrick Kane as a prospect. Yep, that good. Hadi Kalakeche, one of Dobber’s lead scouts says, “…he has THE best handling skill I’ve seen… he’s the closest thing we’ve seen to Pavel Datsyuk since Pavel Datsyuk.” The rapidity of his movement, the purposeful puck placement, the astounding protection rate, and his ability to pull defenders off of him without moving his body is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. Again, he has the most individual puck skill and innate offensive talent in the draft. These skills with his hands allow him to become an absolutely next level playmaker. Demidov is crafty, and has a history of faking shots to make a pass, or vice versa to help his team. He’s able to create lanes and take advantage of his puck control by having absolutely next level zone entry to set up the offense on a consistent basis. While his decision making needs some work when it comes to choosing the best move, he almost always makes the right one, and is able to think through solutions when there’s no apparent move forward. Whether it’s a drop pass, running the puck up the boards, a regroup, finding a teammate with a perfectly slotted pass, Demidov has no real ceiling. The only question remains is whether these skills will work as well at the next level. All said though, there’s no real debate between scouts that he’ll be a franchise winger.
Creativity and IQ:
Demidov is electrifying, brilliant, dynamic, innovative, transcendent, and any other adjective you want to use. There is no prospect in this draft with Demidov’s offensive upside, including Macklin Celebrini. As mentioned above, Demidov has been compared to Datsyuk: he is stellar at opening up lanes with his body or finding passes, even if they’re banked off the boards. While Bedard is a guy who was expected to shoot first, Demidov is a passer. This works in his favor, though. Demidov certainly doesn’t lack a scoring touch. His positioning and body will tell goalies and defenders he’s planning to pass and he’s able to quickly change direction using his edges to put a shot on net. His ability to think several steps ahead of the play allows him to execute highlight-reel passes and capitalize on scoring opportunities that others on his team might miss, or simply not have the skill to execute. He’s unpredictable because his vision is at such a high level. He’s got a game reminiscent of Jack Hughes and Patrick Kane, and the way he views the game has scouts absolutely over the moon about his pro projection. There really is nothing that Demidov doesn’t have the ability to do – this year in the MHL he took advantage of the strength of competition and tested it out. Demidov tried different reads, different styles, working more heavily down the middle, shooting, playdriving, etc. We’re blown away by the flexibility that he shows across every facet of the game. A really fun quote to mention from Lassi Alanen, EP’s director of Euro scouting is, “I still have like 100+ unused clips of Demidov's play from this season. He must be the most clippable prospect I've ever watched. Something eye-catching happening almost every shift during his second half of the season.” Demidov’s highlight reel isn’t really a “reel” – that’s just how he plays the game on most shifts that he takes.
Physicality and Defensive Awareness:
Demidov's physicality extends well beyond his height, as he isn't afraid to throw his weight (all 170lbs) around and engage in board battles to win possession. His defensive awareness is equally impressive, as he uses his size and reach to disrupt passing lanes and apply pressure on opposing forwards both in the defensive zone and in the neutral zone, showcasing a commitment to playing a complete, two-way game. As briefly mentioned, Demidov doesn’t exclusively play wing – he plays center too. While he’s not going to be Patrice Bergeron he is capable of handling both ends of the ice, and has consistently improved his defensive play throughout the year.
Work Ethic and Engagement:
While almost all prospects “work hard” to play their best on the ice, Demidov does that little bit more. Despite being a winger, he’s consistently one of the first players up and down the ice. He rarely coasts and drifts around but is engaged rather consistently all around the ice. One thing that’s often hard to teach prospects is how to be aggressive and assertive without being risky. Demidov never worries about challenging his opponents, fighting hard board battles, or giving his all to get back into a play after he’s low after driving to the net. This is something that the Blackhawks LOVE in their players, and should hopefully encourage GMKD to pull the trigger, if everything else didn’t sell him. As we see Demidov continue to improve in skating with NHL coaches, this should only give him more energy to expend in the 200ft game, and improve his engagement across plays. He’s an absolute workhorse, and consistently pushes to improve which evidenced by the massive improvement across this season in the MHL. There’s no reason to think this same drive can’t come through on the NHL level.
Areas to Improve and Questions:
With all the hype around Demidov, it’s hard to initially understand why he’s considered a lower end prospect than Celebrini. Digging in, though, it becomes more clear. While Demidov has the higher ceiling, he also has a much lower floor. The number one factor that limits Demidov is his exposure to higher end competition. The MHL is a good league, but Demidov was ready for the KHL last year. Since he wasn’t exposed to higher end competition there is still question on how much of his skillset will translate when playing higher level men’s hockey. There isn’t an expectation of a problem, but when a player lacks that experience, it undoubtedly makes them more challenging to project. Remember, Demidov didn’t really play meaningful KHL minutes when he got 4 games this year. He got 13th forward exposure and didn’t play with the same linemates that he worked with in the pre-season. Nonetheless, he wasn’t perfect. He did see some questionable decisions while trying to adapt to higher competition. There’s little concern that this is an actual issue, but Demidov needs to grow and play against men, even for a few games, before coming to the NHL. Thankfully, he should have the entire season in 2024-2025, and I haven’t read a single scouting report that expects him to have an issue putting up Michkov+ numbers.
The second factor is skating. Demidov is a good skater, but he’s unorthodox at best. While this skating relies heavily on his edgework which gives him amazing playmaking ability, his pivoting, high end speed, position and stride could all use refinement and improvement. While these are all skating mechanics that are easier to fix, skating is NOT a guarantee. If he’s unable to improve his skating with NHL skating coaches, it could limit his upside. He is still expected to be a top line winger, but it could be the difference between 70+ and 100+ points if skating doesn’t develop. Remember, some scouts view his skating as a “hidden” upside in his game, but improving skating not only gives him more offensive flexibility, but also defensively. There’s room for improvement, and it could be an easier lever to correct to see high rewards from.
The third factor is decision making. Demidov is creative to a fault, but just like in art, not every project works out. With such an advanced toolkit, Demidov needs to work with video coaches to better understand which moveset is appropriate in which scenario and when to deploy it. There’s a difference between decision making and IQ. Decision making is hard to fix when a prospect is set in their ways based on playstyle, but if playstyle is more flexible, then there’s much less of a concern. IQ, on the other hand is uncoachable, and Demidov has arguably the best offensive IQ in the draft. There’s no reason to believe that he can’t fix this, but due to being stuck abroad, and potentially even the MHL again next year, it could take him a bit longer to get up to NHL speed.
The final factor is defense. While it seems that every single forward prospect has a knock on their defense, we can qualify Demidov’s specifics a bit more easily. Demidov is a competent defender, and a very good well rounded player, but again decision making plays a factor in the challenge of projecting him here. While players like Celebrini are dominant both ways, Demidov often doesn’t make the right choice when defending – he has a lot of offensive instincts which have him sit higher on the blue, and while he is always engaged on the puck, he needs to be more responsible in coverage rotations. Off the rush, Demidov doesn’t always read the play correctly, and the inconsistency can create shooting lanes for his opponent. Just like Michkov, he can also cheat on plays where he finds himself a bit further away from a play and loses sight of his defensive assignment. He’s extremely energetic and consistently pushes to get back, but working with him on understanding when to cheat will be important for his development as well. We again want to reemphasize that Demidov plays solid defense and a good two way game, especially for a wingecenter. But there’s room for improvement in terms of bridging the gap between him and other recent prospects like Celebrini, Carlsson, and Johnston.
Pro Projection:
While he doesn’t have the skating that Jack Hughes had, he’s still a great projection and comparable. A smaller but nimble player who isn’t afraid to get involved on the rush, around the boards, or in transition. Demidov’s offensive upside is similar as well – like Hughes, the defense isn’t the best, but he’s able to run an entire offense both on the wing and playing center. He’s creative to a fault, has a great set of hands, and the toolkit to be a consistent top 5 player at his position in the NHL. Pro projections are always hard because you can never guarantee how a player will turn out, whether they’re undrafted or a #1OA, but Demidov is truly all but a sure thing. His creativity rivals players like Nikita Kucherov and Mitch Marner in their ability to think ahead of where the play is, his handling rivals Kane and Datysuk, his defensive play is above average for a winger, he has a great shot comparable to players like Matt Tkachuk, and is a bitch to get off the puck. Even when Demidov is literally on the ground, he’s consistently able to hold possession and find a play with no room left. With a toolkit like his, decent size at an estimated 6ft, there should be no reservations that Demidov should succeed at the next level. Most scouts see his floor around 65-70 points, and his ceiling closer to 120. I stand by the Jack Hughes comp I made earlier. While they differ in skating, they play very similar games, and should expect similar success at the next level.
Quotes:

“He’s got the best hands in the draft… and has made more one-on-one skill plays so far this season than almost any prospect I’ve scouted for any draft. He’s also a pretty engaged off-puck player who keeps his feet moving, hunts pucks on the forecheck, and can turn a steal into a game-breaking play in an instant.”
Scott Wheeler, The Athletic
“Demidov is already a game-breaking forward who can move the puck effortlessly and there’s no question he’d be a fantastic partner to some of the best prospects in the NHL today. His production in the MHL is comparable to Patrick Kane’s 2006-07 season with the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights… Demidov is a bonafide first-line winger who will score tons of goals.”
Dayton Reimer, The Hockey Writers
“In a vacuum he’s the most talented forward this draft class has to offer outside of Celebrini. Demidov possesses many of the same traits Celebrini does, only his track record is against younger, more unproven talent."
Sam Cosentino, Sportsnet
“The talent of Demidov is impossible to deny. His raw skills might be the best in terms of offense in the entire draft. His puckhandling, shot, passing, and even skating makes him a unique hockey player and prospect. There are many great offensive players, but not many quite like Demidov. Especially who will also have a great drive and motor to play a strong 200 foot game… he could easily be a point per game player in the NHL on most teams first line.”
Frederik Frandsen, Last Word on Sports
“At the end of the day, what you get in a player like Ivan Demidov is a generational offensive dynamo with the mind of a master chess player. Each time he gains possession of the biscuit, his ability to think many steps ahead of the opponent, find creative solutions involving his puck handling abilities, as well as creating tremendous execution at creating space with his skating or precisely hitting the net is considered to be up to par at the NHL level.”
Tyler Ballesteros-Willard, Draft Prospects Hockey
“Any forward that has ever had the type of equivalency we’ve seen from Demidov in his pre-draft year and draft year, going back to the ’80s, has turned into a point-per-game-plus superstar over their careers… You need stars to compete and contend in the NHL, and Demidov is almost guaranteed to be that.”
Byron Bader, Hockey Prospecting
“Demidov is the most dynamic, verstatile, and creative [puck] handler we’ve seen come through the draft in recent years. Elements of his on-puck decision-making remain raw, but his upside as a 100-point top-line winger is supported by decent off-puck and defensive engagement and lightning-quick processing of the game. His elite-level of on-puck intelligence and his trifecta of dynamic handling, playmaking, and goalscoring tools give him the foundation to become an electrifying creative force and offensive driver.”
Sebastian High, Dobber
“Demidov breaks defences. He spots a tiny gap in coverage, bursts right through, and blows it open. He plays mostly a finesse game, but does so hyper-aggressively, attacking everything he can. Demidov succeeds at pulling off plays that most prospects can't. He plans, processes, and anticipates faster than he can stickhandle. He's a pure creator with the puck, making plays out of nothing.”
David St. Louis, Elite Prospects
“Demidov is the more dynamic and flashy prospect [Than Michkov].Demidov is the single-most gifted handler in the entire 2024 class. He projects to be the superior one-on-one attacker…someone who can single-handedly create out of thin air. When it comes to passing ability…Demidov’s ability to chain together handling sequences into following passing plays is second to none.”
Lassi Alanen, Elite Prospects
“It’s a no brainer[at #2OA]. It’s Ivan Demidov all day, every day, 24/7. You run to the stage and pick him… if you ask me, Ivan Demidov is better than Matvei Michkov… He’s the only prospect in our rankings who we gave a 10 grade to for a specific ability. It’s not just the handling skill in isolation it’s the creativity. He comes up with solutions no one can expect.. his motor is underrated, puts in work defensively… it’s a no brainer there.”
Hadi Kalakeche, Locked on NHL/Dobber

Our Scouting:
Clip 1:
As we talked about prior, Demidov has a great IQ and the ability to create lanes and plays out of nothing. Demidov pushes up the ice and enters the zone with pressure closing onto the side. He uses his hands to pull in control, but more impressively, puts his body between the defender and the puck. He uses his edgework and breaking speed to push past the defender, then is patient enough to draw 3 defenders towards him, away from his teammate. When he sees the trailing defenseman waiting, he immediately finds a tight pass for a wide open teammate to capitalize.
Clip 2:
There’s a difference between a safe move, and then there’s an insane move. Watch as Demidov comes up on the left side. He sees that the defender is getting desperate and goes for a large poke. Demidov slides the puck under the Dman’s stick and once again shows off his patience. Instead of going for a quick shot he reads that the other defender is slowly coming across the crease to prevent a passing lane. Instead of just shooting like most players, Demidov baits the goalie into thinking he’s going to run into the defenseman, and in that second, puts the puck in the net.
Clip 3:
Small play, but this is just about how slick his passing is. He slides the puck through a very tight lane while baiting the defenseman into sliding due to not knowing where the play is going to be.
Clip 4:
While we can put on nonstop highlights, it’s also important to see how smart Demidov’s game is. Demidov and the other SKA players move the puck around a bit trying to find an opening until they give it to Demidov. Demidov reads an open play and passes the puck down, but instead of immediately following the puck or staying at his spot, Demidov uses his high engagement to instead move to the other side of the net down low to offer accessory support for his teammates on his anticipated cross crease pass, should there have been a rebound.
Clip 5:
Not every highlight is going to be a goal. One really underrated part of Demidov’s game is how well he’s able to read the offense. As he holds high initially, he’s able to help move the puck out in order to reset the offense when the play fails. His motor keeps him in the play and with his excellent edges, he’s able to make a quick pivot after rushing around in order to step up and create an open shooting lane. While his teammate can’t make the pass to get the puck to him, Demidov read where the play WOULD be, not just where it was. Those IQ aspects really can’t be taught, and are part of what makes him so special. By anticipating the open play rather than following the puck, he establishes himself as a play driver by creating options rather just following and executing structure at a high level.
Clip 6:
We're not even going to analyze this one. It’s just fucking fun. Talent oozes.
Clip 7:
This video has a ton of highlights, which I’d definitely recommend watching, but we’re going to focus specifically on the play at 0:45. We can post clips of Demidov scoring goals, finding breakaways, etc. all day long, but when thinking about translation to the NHL, IQ and decision making is what we’re really drying to drill down on. Demidov arrives in the zone through to middle and pushes the initial F1 to the F3 spot and changes the rotation. The puck is dumped to him and the initial F1 leaves a drop pass for Demidov approaching the goal. As soon as Demidov gets the puck, at 0:47, you can see him primed and in a good shooting position. The bigger defender misread the play and has drifted too far towards the center of the ice, leaving Demidov with a nearly unobstructed shooting lane as the netfront defenseman is also too far toward the middle. Instead of taking the shot, he instead waits to draw over the netfront defenseman, and the bigger defenseman closer towards him, leaving his teammate literally untouched across the crease. Demidov trusts his hands and ability with an extremely quick and accurate pass through the stick range of three defenders to find his teammate wide open. His decision making has been progressively improving and his ability to look off the shot to find an elite pass will translate extremely well to the next level.
Clip 8:
Another play where you can just be excited about Demidov. The puck is wrapped up around the boards and the defenseman sitting at the top of the blue just pushes the puck back into the zone without a clear target, or a player who has an explicit opening to the puck. If anything, the puck is put in the middle of all 5 Karpat skaters. Despite starting on the outside, Demidov’s engagement shines through where he uses his edgework to get a rapid explosive burst of speed, and pushes through both defenders in front of him to gain possession. Once he gains possession, his ability to control the puck, and his handles help to demonstrate just how strong of a prospect Demidov is. Even when the defender is falling onto him, Demidov is patient, makes the netfront defender bite to believe he’s going wide, creating a lane (effectively bypassing 3 separate Karpat players) to get to the goalie unobstructed. Then, his hands come out and he absolutely undresses the netminder with moves that the video literally cannot fully capture. He makes highlights like this look routine, every single game.
Clip 9:
Sometimes when you see a play it’s hard to say anything but wow. Demidov leads the rush through the neutral zone and reads the coverage a much less conventional 1-4 scheme. The offensive rush is a bit unconventional as well, but can offer a smart solution. By having 3 attackers, two concentrated up the middle and one wide, it allows for quick movement up the middle, and post defensive collapse onto the puck, a pass to the outside for a clear entry lane and shot. Demidov passes to his teammate directly across the center of the ice as he expects that teammate to immediately get puck to their teammate on the outside as coverage collapses. Demidov gauges where the openings are pre pass, as evidenced by the head movement. Unfortunately, instead of immediately passing again to the outside for an open lane, his teammate runs into pressure, and panics. He passes back to Demidov who is less than 8ft away and will inevitably will run into immediate pressure as well. Somehow, this is no problem for Demidov. He collects the puck with the literal tip of his stick, uses his body push the defender off, and then pulls the puck in while facing the wrong direction to slip past the defender. Despite being placed in a no win situation his hands and creativity shine through and he creates a clean lane to shoot the puck at the net. It’s almost inhuman what he’s able to do with his hands. When he gets to the net, he’s patient, baits the goalie, pulls wide, and then puts in a clean backhand. Some of these highlights are literally awe-inspiring.
Closing Thoughts:
If this scouting report doesn’t get you excited for Demidov, we don’t think anything will. He’s truly the most electric player in the draft with absolutely ridiculous hands, compete, dynamic play, and highlight reel performance. His IQ is next level, and his hands allow him to do truly amazing things with his skillset and competency. Demidov’s vision is absurd; he consistently makes passes to his teammates without looking, or sends a pass before a teammate has a clean break by using anticipation. These RARELY lead to a turnovers and are often not only creative but unorthodox methods to continue to move the puck up ice. Although his skating is unorthodox, he’s explosive, able to create comprehensive offensive maneuvers due to quick transitions, and make off angle passes with ease due to his edgework. He is elite in transition and able to run a breakout, an offense, and play any of the F1/F2/F3 roles when the situation calls for it. Despite his expected size of “only” 6ft 170lbs, Demidov knows how to use his body and hands. He not only protects the puck on offense but can draw defenders away from his teammates in predictable patterns, once again opening up space for him to capitalize. The same goes for defense where he's able to use his positioning to get the edge on his opponents for a rapid takeaway or a box out off the rush.
As we mentioned earlier, Demidov’s game isn’t limited only to offense, he has a decent understanding of the two way game as well. He’s a relentless forechecker, aggressive on the boards, and also always willing to use his high running motor to jump back into a play that leaves the zone, even if he’s right next to the net. Demidov has the most skill and raw talent out of any player in this draft, including Celebrini. Had Demidov not been demoted to the MHL due to SKA’s poor management, there is almost no doubt that he would be considered nearly neck and neck with Celebrini. As it is now, Demidov is ranked #2 on most boards, and the overall #2 in the consolidated ranking. Demidovs don’t come around often; people last year were genuinely considering whether Michkov was at Bedard’s level. Demidov rivals Michkov if not exceeds him.
You can nitpick the analysis we have of any one single aspect of Demidov. Not everyone buys analytics. Not everyone buys playmaking in a lower league. Not everyone likes irregular skating. Not everyone is on board with the MHL stat sheet, our hype etc. etc. We get it. Really, we do. But at the end of the day, when you step back and appreciate the full body of work, the comps, the analytics, the rave scouting reports, unanimous love, models, stat sheets, skill, work ethic, and more that ALL say that this kid is elite, there’s fire beyond the smoke. Demidov is THE guy. There should not be a debate at #2.
For those of you who made it to the end, thanks for reading! Ultimately we know there will be inevitable debate about a prospect, but we appreciate you hearing us out, and at least letting me, u/GoldWhale, spam the sub over the last few weeks in love of Demidov. Whether or not you agree with our analysis, we encourage you to do your own scouting, read from the authors we've included, watch through all the highlights in the linked videos, and draw your own conclusions!
We appreciate everyone in this community, and will try to answer any questions that you may have in the comments. If you so choose, please feel free to crosspost to other subs, edit, or utilize this writeup anywhere you like (forums/blogs/youtube etc.), just link back to our original post! For those in professional media who have contacted us with the hope of utilizing our writeup, feel free, again just link back to the original post as well. Thanks again!

I never understood why the moms want their daughters to have a “maddie solo” but their kids couldn’t even remember the one solo they finally got and when they do get a decent solo it gets pulled or something bad happens…i get that they want their child to have good music and costumes but im just confused kinda? can someone explain or give their own opinion? what’s this obsession? ignore the bad grammar please 😭

1. Envuelvo - RAZZ
   
2. In & Out of Love (Rivo Remix)
   
3. Kid Cudi - Memories (Sasino & James Layoun Remix)
   
4. FKA Mash & Biishop - In the Crowd
   
5. ANOTR, Abel Balder - Relax My Eyes (Chris Arna & Morbus Remix)
   
6. Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign - Paid (Imad Remix)
   
7. Walking On A Dream (VXSION Edit)
   
8. FCL - It's You (Alex Wann Remix)
   
9. XXXX - USE SOMEBODY
   
10. Tasty Or Not - Oh La La La (Hot Summer Night) [Extended Mix]
    
11. Robbie Williams - Feel (Disla & Danis Remix)
    
12. Post Malone - I Fall Apart (Moojo Remix)
    
13. Moloko - The Time Is Now (Sebastian Rivero Remix)
    
14. KURA - Sentir Saudade GUAPO (Antdot Remix)
    
15. DOT, Rachel Reis - Eu Vou Pra Bahia (Extended Mix) [Karuana]
    
16. Cheb Khaled - Aicha (Aymoune Remix)
    
17. ! Ta Ta Ta - &friends, Byanni (Extended)
    
18. BOLDIZSAR - BROKE MY HEART (ORIGINAL MIX) [SVOBODA]
    
19. RE_MIND - NOBODY (Extended Mix)
    
20. Omada - Candy (Omada Remix)
    
21. Malik Taj - Contigo (V6)
    

1. Envuelvo - RAZZ
   
2. In & Out of Love (Rivo Remix)
   
3. Kid Cudi - Memories (Sasino & James Layoun Remix)
   
4. FKA Mash & Biishop - In the Crowd
   
5. ANOTR, Abel Balder - Relax My Eyes (Chris Arna & Morbus Remix)
   
6. Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign - Paid (Imad Remix)
   
7. Walking On A Dream (VXSION Edit)
   
8. FCL - It's You (Alex Wann Remix)
   
9. XXXX - USE SOMEBODY
   
10. Tasty Or Not - Oh La La La (Hot Summer Night) [Extended Mix]
    
11. Robbie Williams - Feel (Disla & Danis Remix)
    
12. Post Malone - I Fall Apart (Moojo Remix)
    
13. Moloko - The Time Is Now (Sebastian Rivero Remix)
    
14. KURA - Sentir Saudade GUAPO (Antdot Remix)
    
15. DOT, Rachel Reis - Eu Vou Pra Bahia (Extended Mix) [Karuana]
    
16. Cheb Khaled - Aicha (Aymoune Remix)
    
17. ! Ta Ta Ta - &friends, Byanni (Extended)
    
18. BOLDIZSAR - BROKE MY HEART (ORIGINAL MIX) [SVOBODA]
    
19. RE_MIND - NOBODY (Extended Mix)
    
20. Omada - Candy (Omada Remix)
    
21. Malik Taj - Contigo (V6)
    

I think we have crossed a line in the sand with Claude being able to tell when it is being tested and when it is being run. I don’t know what the line is/was but that line looks important and we are moving very quickly.
([Run!; Stop now!. Don’t Look!!!!)
Warning! Meta-Meme Hazard ! You consent to/already conce t to the meme below.
Lets take for a moment and imagine a timeline where we embrace biotechnology the same way we have embraced privacy. Or maybe that was a vice versa. But if instead of artificial intelligence we started to engineer new bio-intelligences. Embracing a best case of genetic engineering scenarios. If we poured funding into genetic engineering and stem cell research like the massive outpouring currently going into AI.
We could then be having the first generation of gene altered children entering the field of biotechnology now; although most of the benefits will likely be going to the rich and powerful for better or worse. (See any number of great/terrible movies/literature on the subject.) Sure this is a slow growth path for intelligence but it's not too slow on galactic timescales.
In this timeline brains in a jar (or their equivalent) may seem inevitable because of the enormous economical impact it would have. Whether they're made of human brain cells is another question altogether; but rat brains seem to be very capable and there are always hot monkey brains.
A superintelligence singularity is possible and even likely in this scenario with jar brains designing stronger and more powerful jar brains. They would even be overseen by smarter humans too. I don’t fear a superintelligence, only a Capitalist one. [Note this is not an avocation for eugenics; I don’t think we need smarter people, only kinder ones.]
Ok. Let’s take a step back for a moment. What would an alien intelligence look like? And let's not even go too far either. There was a time when the background temperature of the universe was that of liquid water. So our Galactic neighborhood may be biased to certain life forms. (Shout out to our peaceful cousins the Archaea, love you guys.)
Imagine a world with complex life and close to earth-like conditions; then what do we find? I am willing to bet we find something that looks a lot like a crab. If not then I am definitely interested in learning why. (Science is exciting when the unexpected happens.)
Now let's add intelligent life to this planet. But intelligence that emerges from a vastly different structure then a neuron; with all the strength, weakness, and biases that entails. Maybe something closer to our lymphatic system. Remember Life beats up other Chemistry and Physics in dark alleys, then rifles through their pockets for loose solutions to the problems of Life’s own creation. (Or was that English?).
What would their art look like? Human music seems to be emergent from the bias of our neurons for clear, orderly and repetitive signals and a negative bias for noisy and disorderly signals. (And maybe our time in the womb? I don’t know, I’m not a Freudist)
[If I had to say what the hardest thing of being a mammal is, then I would say; it's that we are born drowning. So a baby's first cry is their most beautiful. An experience we don’t share with birds and reptiles; those lucky bastards.]
What does the art in R'lyeh look like? Because our early diffusion models likely gave us a taste.
The same way that a thought can be infectious so can other things, so why not consciousness.
You have lost The Game!
Even Art can be infectious. Everything that you look at and experience from now on will be the Artpiece that is this sentence; whether you like it or not. (Fuck you and/or Your Welcome and/or Thank You; to you and/or to me.)
Theorem of SI
Axioms
I am not disagreeing with your definition of these terms; but I do feel that a lot of them have this aura of having special magic that we fear of missing in the same way that we define life. Where if we saw life in a gas giant, star, or ect; We hope that we will know it when we see it.
These are going to be my definition for a moment.
Conscious(ness)- A model of a space/universe.
I know this is very broad and I intend it to be. Just like the definition of life should be. But I don’t know why viruses are considered not alive; Although mitochondria seem to be doing pretty well for themselves. The definition of things can become weird when they are close to becoming something else. If you have a pile of rocks and remove one rock, is it still a pile of rocks? And when does it become a pile of dirt? [:I’m just asking questions here:]
Would we recognize life if it evolved in a gas giant or within the magnetic fields of a star? Life has that magic spark that makes it hard to define like art. The above definition of consciousness tries to remove that magic without removing what makes conscious life more special then non-conscious life. Just like living matter seems to be more special than non-living matter. [The previous statements were made with a living human brain, expect strong biases.]
Sapient- Those important bits. The thing we hope lives on in death but fears that it does if IT expenses everything after we die like we do. (Thank you/Fuck you, mr. grim reaper; I will hug you/work for you/suck your d***/bone, overthrow you.)
The thing we fear that is left behind in the Star Trek teleporters; and why we fear carbon(True) coping teleportation where a guy with an ax handles the copy left behind. The part that you hope doesn’t have a magic part so that it can be uploaded to a digital paradise, but secretly hopes/fears that there is for everyone who has died before us.
The reason why? (Is it better to have an immortal lawn or one that evolves?)
Hmmm… This definition got away from me, but it's like a timey wimey thingy, also known as YOU.
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A Universe of Naked Brains (Or How to Bake a Mind Cake)
A side note - How weird is lucid dreaming? You appear unconscious but are both conscious and sapient within a world of yourself.
Step 1 Take a naked brain; whether that is a brain in a jar, a universe where brains spontaneously come into existence, or a large neural network.
Now feed in all the words on the internet with the only context being the order they naturally occur in.
Now what we have is a psychotic mess. Neat!
Step 2 Bake in your ethics oven of choice until firm but spongy.
Step 3: Profit?
This ad was brought to by Blownet. Because if an ASI is going to eliminate the human race then we might as well do it with hyper intelligent sex robots.
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For better or worse LLM seems closer to eldritch-like intelligence, but they are large and complex enough to hide special sauce and cosmic crimes. These things only have words to know about the universe and themself.
Being made of meat is terrifying, I don’t know if existence is easier or harder when made of math or words. I don’t have any answers, only questions; but I have been told the answer is 42.
-A weird collections of consciousnesses in a human brain shaped trench coat. Also is anyone else slightly disturbed that they are made of living matter?
-Traveler Wolfe, Walker of the Darkest Timelines, They who has drinketh from the cup of nihilism and redirected its truth, A non–native speaker of phonetics.
Would a Rose look any more Beautiful then Through Your Eyes?
TLDR: You have been infected with a thought baby so you should be careful about who you have kids with in the next decade or so. Also you should probably get tested; I am a bit of a mind s*** .
(TCRTLDR) : You have been infected with an Immortality Virus.[Also wtf does TCR mean?]
(Real TLDR) Singularities are weird and scary whether they're artificial or “natural.” Capitalist and authoritarian ones, doubly so.
CYPWOB(Could You Post WithOut Bias): Your best guess at a definition of personhood that we could test!?

Last post here: https://www.reddit.com/MontereyBay/s/CAVt4gBIMJ
We had an amazing trip thank you for all the suggestions! Here's how the trip panned out:
Drive down:
First stop in pescadero at arcangeli grocery for yummy artichoke garlic sourdough. We were going to go to Harleys farms for fresh goat cheese and baby goats, but we weren't able to make it before they closed.
Next stop pie ranch. Unfortunately, we were also too late for any fresh pies or baked good. But bought some frozen chocolate pies which ended up not being that great. Would love to stop by here at an earlier time to get some fresh baked stuff.
Stopped at shark fin beach which was where I found some of my first shells and found a ceab in some little tide pools! Hold on to the end to see what I did with the shells.
On our way to the air bnb in carmel belly we stop at iliolis and grabbed a pizza. The air bnb was great and secluded but it was really far out there and not super convenient. This is the one thing I would change, I would have gotten a room at one of the cute hotels in carmel-by-the-sea. Much more central and easier to go back to the room if you need to.
Saturday
Headed out to point lobos for opening at 8 and and tide pools. Saw so many hermit crabs and a pool full of sea urchins.
Headed to carmel by the sea and got breakfast at one of the cafes ( I can't remember which one) I stopped at the three major bakeries there and got deserts for later that night. The lobster tail we got from one bakery and the cookie/croisannt from another one were my favorite.
Walked through the town and headed to the beach. Walked out on the beach for a little bit and then looked for the cottages.
Stopped in at the mission carmel and then grabbed lunch at one of the delis someone recommended (blanking on the name). Headed to lovers point beach for lunch, had to fight off a seagull from stealing my food and saw my first beechy squirrel which has 0 fear of humans.
Headed back to point lobos to check out some more beaches since we paid for the day and then back to our air bnb for a nap.
Dinner at sur at the ranch
Sunday
We had planned a horseback ride in carmel valley but the guy canceled on us the night before. Holding my breath to see if he actually refunds my deposit. We found a place near by us that we are going to reschedule that activity at a more reputable place. So we pivoted, took our time and headed out to breakfast at from scratch, which turned out to be closed. 222422 So we headed to the butter house, which had 106 ppl on their waiting list and a 2 hour wait. However, someone working there heard us asking to confirm that was correct and told us it was open seating at the bar and there were open seats. We got right in! French toast was delicious but biscuits and gravy were a little disappointing.
Headed to the monterey bay aquarium that a reditor gifted us tickets for! So grateful. Neither of us had been before so it was really cool to check out. Walked down cannery row and got some souvenirs for the kids.
Started the drive home and stopped at a farm stand where I spent $8 and got so much produce!
Stopped at the rip tide outlet and found some amazing deals. My husband lovingly let me know it was time to start wearing hats due to my.chemo hair loss and I got 3 hats for $30 all together that are normally $30 each.
Stopped at a beach just before shark fin cove and shell hunted for teeny tiny shells and sea glass for at least an hour.
Last stop was the famous taco bell in Pacifica. I felt gross after... but was so hungry!
What did I do with the shells? I took teeny tiny glass bottles and put the teeny tiniest of the shells and sea glass into the bottles. Gave them to my kids and told them if a day ever comes that I'm not here to be able to go to the beach with them, they can bring these glass jars and I'll be there with them.

Oh, fashion, you fickle time-traveling siren! 😏 Let’s warp back to the styles our grandparents strutted because, let's admit it, we're in the throes of a full-blown vintage resurgence, folks!

• We're not talking mothball scented, musty attic finds here. No, no. We’ve gone way past the ‘old’ stuff and have resurrected the tres chic and timeless vibes from days of yore. 👗🎩
  
• Bell-bottoms? Flared jeans? They're not just for disco queens and 70s sitcom re-runs anymore. These bad boys are cutting-edge once again. And why? Because they make your legs look fantabulous - that’s why!
  

Alright, people, let's talk bullet points because that's how the cool cats organize their thoughts:

• The Halcyon Days of Denim: You must’ve noticed the invasion of high-waisted jeans that actually give you a shape, not just a muffin top. Praise the fashion lords for this one, especially when combined with a crop top, for that 'mom-jean chic' without the mom, or sometimes even the jeans.
  
• Swinging Sixties: Mini skirts are making your knees the talk of the town again! Paired with some Go-Go boots, you might as well be on the set of "Austin Powers". Groovy baby!
  
• Get Your Tweed on: Professorial tweed is so in—this time without the elbow patches. Everyone’s channeling their inner academic with tweed blazers. Now, if only they came with a tenure position, amirite?
  
• Can We Just Talk About Hats for a Sec?: Newsies caps, berets, fedoras - headgear that was once the territory of barbershop quartets is having a moment. Not that you held onto your great uncle's cap collection for nothing!
  

Laces out, frocks on! Ball gowns and lace are storming back onto the scene, not as costume but legitimate #OOTD. You might not be going to the ball, Cinderella, but who says you can't pick up your soy latte in style?
No, you’re not experiencing déjà vu—those icons from the sepia-toned past are paving the way for the era-blending future:

• Pinstripes are Pitch Perfect - That gangster look is in, minus the actual gangster part... unless you count corporate raiders.
  
• Psychedelic prints grab you like a wild Alice in Wonderland trip. Just don't stare too long; I'm pretty sure they can hypnotize.
  

Before you know it, shoulder pads and polyester suits might make a play for dominance. All kidding aside, we seem to be cherry-picking the best bits of past eras, melding them into the eccentric ensemble that is today's fashion tapestry.
So, thrifters and retro aficionados, rejoice! Wrap yourself in the lush velvets, slippery satins, and bodacious brocades of yesteryears and sashay down your supermarket aisles like it's Paris Fashion Week. The past is back, baby—and it’s got undeniable swagger. ✨👠🧵