Dalbello krypton cross review

I cover most topics, I'll do love readings, general, career, what the universe wants you to know and more detailed readings like a celtic cross spread. I won't do readings based on pregnancy, legal matters, health matters, death or yes/no questions. If you're interested feel free to comment and shoot me a message, I only have paypal and a tip jar at the link in my bio due to me being canadian and my reviews are linked below. <3
Readings will be delivered in 24-48 hours depending on when I have time so please contact me and I'll do your reading as soon I can!
https://www.reddit.com/userubygrey2021/comments/ur7xdk/reviews/
https://www.reddit.com/userubygrey2021/comments/160p4ereviews_part_2/

I cover most topics, I'll do love readings, general, career, what the universe wants you to know and more detailed readings like a celtic cross spread. I won't do readings based on pregnancy, legal matters, health matters, death or yes/no questions. If you're interested feel free to comment and shoot me a message, I only have paypal and a tip jar at the link in my bio due to me being canadian and my reviews are linked below. <3
Readings will be delivered in 24-48 hours depending on when I have time so please contact me and I'll do your reading as soon I can!
https://www.reddit.com/userubygrey2021/comments/ur7xdk/reviews/
https://www.reddit.com/userubygrey2021/comments/160p4ereviews_part_2/

I cover most topics, I'll do love readings, general, career, what the universe wants you to know and more detailed readings like a celtic cross spread. I won't do readings based on pregnancy, legal matters, health matters, death or yes/no questions. If you're interested feel free to comment and shoot me a message, I only have paypal and a tip jar at the link in my bio due to me being canadian and my reviews are linked below. <3
Readings will be delivered in 24-48 hours depending on when I have time so please contact me and I'll do your reading as soon I can!
https://www.reddit.com/userubygrey2021/comments/ur7xdk/reviews/
https://www.reddit.com/userubygrey2021/comments/160p4ereviews_part_2/

Title.
I’m so tired of it. People don’t use turn signals but get mad cuz you didn’t know they wanted to turn. Especially when they don’t do it at the start of a turn lane, but wait and wait and then go over the solid white line, which is illegal anyways…
Or when people get physically upset that you stop at a stop sign, or at a yield cuz there is oncoming traffic. Sorry I don’t decide to just randomly turn into traffic. I know doing random things while driving is the norm for this town, but believe it or not it’s not the norm literally anywhere else.
Or have the audacity to tell someone else how to drive, but then randomly crosses into lanes, again no signal, almost hitting someone. Then also drives I between 2 lanes, because 1 isn’t good enough, gotta be in both while also going slower than you should cuz fuck anybody else who might be driving.
And yes, talking to you dumb lady in her blue CR-V who didn’t have a turn signal so got mad that I got in the turn lane first despite my signal being in for the suggested 0.25 mile leading up to the turn lane. Sorry I couldn’t read your mind to know what you were planning to do. And sorry I had to stop to not get hit by a Semi in the round about, but that made me a “prick.” And sorry you don’t know that the roundabout has 2 lanes and wanted to just cut across them but almost hit me and got mad cuz I was there… and sorry you don’t know you’re supposed to drive in 1 lane. And sorry I stopped at the next stop sign. But maybe, just maybe, you’ll realize you’re a horrible driver. Got it all on camera also if you’d like to review.
Or when people just randomly go 25 mph in a 35+ zone, and can’t figure out for the life of them why people behind them are getting annoyed.
Basically, driving from point A to point B in Durango without seeing some fucked up driving stuff is never an easy task. People in this town suck, and due to the fact that everyone seems entitled AF in Durango cuz god forbid we take accountability or responsibility for our actions, I know the reply will be “BuT wHaT aBoUt NeW mExIcO, tExAs, or CaLi.” And to that I say y’all are dumb af cu when I had NM temp tags people in Durango drive crazy af around me, but same roads, same time of day, likely same people, didn’t do any of that after getting CO tags…
Just like the guys in big trucks with small dicks who can’t emotionally handle that someone passes them. Sorry you can’t be bothered to do a socially excepted norm so I passed you. Get over it, no need to get so mad like y’all do. Get a therapist if other cars on the road bother you so much.
Or the people who speed up the hill going north on College but after the round about refuse to go faster than 25 mph, despite the sign showing 35 mph, and then after the speed limit changes to 30 mph go 40-50 for some reason. Just fucking why…
So yeah, this is beautiful town, and an amazing place to live. But the shitty driving habits, and Durangos general lack of personal accountability really makes this a shitty place to live. Even at work god forbid we tell someone that anything is “your responsibility”, but that gets Durango people screaming cuz again, no personal responsibility exists in this town.
Edit to add how the evidence of shitty drivers is on the Durango Bad Drivers FB page. 99% of it is people who can’t park, never actual bad driving. Meaning all the dumb shit y’all do apparently doesn’t register as bad driving.
But when I drive 20 minutes and see 7 different dumb things, 3-4 of which are people not paying attention, getting honked at for almost hitting me, and then getting mad they got honked at… it’s very telling.

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Anyone have experience with either or both hospitals as a high risk patient? My mom(39) is having her fifth kid, and her OB is associated with UMMC, but she wants to go to Holy Cross instead. I've been looking through reviews for both hospitals and its a mixed bag, which I'm sure is normal, but she's had bad complications before, both because of staff and just because she is a high risk patient. I want to find people with actual experience at both or either to compare with her before she makes her decision. She nearly bled out with her last pregnancy while being cared for by one nurse who had to get shoved away by someone else to stop the bleeding. The nurse that was useless just shrugged and left while the nurse that cared was assuring both her and trying to stop the bleeding. I don't want her to have to go through an experience where she is the least priority and she can't do anything about it. So if anyone can share their experiences, good and bad, with the hospitals, it would ease both of our minds.

Rating DLC is hard. It's usually only played by people that already really like the game, so those with notable criticisms don't buy it. Therefore a DLC that reflects the main game can be reviewed more positively. I thought 16 was a solid game, but had my issues. It's still a good game.
I think the DLC was pretty bang average. It was more of the same. Whatever your thoughts are on FF16, are probably your thoughts on the DLC. I won't speak much on Kairos gate, my other thread covers a lot of opinions on that.

• Story, Characters and Location

The story is whatever to me, and I don't particular care for the characters in the DLC. I don't dislike them, I just felt nothing, sorry. Some trickery to explain why Leviathan has been missing but can be found now, and why Mysidia is able to exist but look dead outside. Whatever lack of change the DLC has on the ending means nothing to me, as my interest in the story largely waned at Cid's death/Ultima's introduction. Mysidia is pretty, and I loved the location, but it was a lot smaller than expected, with much of the playtime in the area being padded out by forcing repeat trips through the same zone.

1. Explore region.
2. Re-explore region looking for materials when you get the sensor
3. Side quests that take you back through the region multiple times

The main 'stage' of the DLC was nothing ground-breaking. It was pretty, had some good fights, but was just another straight run through a series of easy encounters and then some fun bosses I'll talk more on later.

• Side Quests

I think the side-quests were as mixed as the main-game. A couple of hunt-like quests that were alright and should've been available BEFORE Leviathan, given their lack of difficulty (and to pump up the levels of those struggling with it's damage check), but some really bad quests like fetch flowers in town and that's it. A quest like that is more excusable as part of many in the base game, but as part of 11? quests in a paid DLC is insulting. As part of 3, some of the quests just took you to dead ends you already explored that had a mediocre material chest you don't need to fight an elite you already killed to collect some arbitrary item. Some of the quests also just involved fighting a simple repeat or minor variation on a DLC enemy like the Leviathan Egi's. They're not really substantial beyond the idea of "here's some time to kill." Whatever lore or world building they might've provided, I just don't care if the playable content isn't justifying its inclusion.

• Leviathan abilities (And ultima I guess.)

The Leviathan abilities for Clive, weren't for me. I liked Tsunami as a replacement to Flames of Rebirth, but the rest weren't categories I enjoyed using. Deluge is a flare breath type that leaves you vulnerable and does its damage slowly. Cross swell is a redundant move. It groups enemies together, but with so many moves that wave clear on their own, the need to group them is basically useless. Abyssal Tear is alright, but, the set and let it build type isn't for me. Good at clearing waves, which is redundant, but often inconvenient against bosses and staggers. You can't have it come off cooldown during a stagger for example and have it be immediately useful like a Wind up, it needs to charge. As for the Eikonic feat, as a dodge, feat, it was never going to be able to compete with the sheer strength of permafrost from Shiva for me. I think everyone has their 'main feat' they spend most of their time on, where their lower cooldown abilities are, and it never stood a chance for me. The relevance of these moves might change when it comes to arcade or kairos point scoring, but criticism of those systems have been done to death. I frankly didn't bother using much of ultima's abilities. You get it right at the end of the DLC to use in Kairos and I didn't feel like learning a new moveset while trying to S-rank something.

• Enemies

This is another part of the DLC that for better and worse, reflects the main game pretty well. The regular enemies are push overs that offer little to nothing to the combat, and the enemies across the main map of Mysidia were much the same as the main game. Minor visual variations, but the same punching bags. Tonberries might as well have been reskinned goblins.
The big fights were mostly good though, but felt far too few, with similar issues to the main game where there'd be minor variations on existing types. Large tonberry bosses/elites I no damaged all on first attempt. A big lizard variant that had maybe 1 difficult to avoid move.
Time Keeper is great though, and imo is the best fight of the DLC. No complaints honestly. A really good fight, unique mechanics with the way it freezes you, and no excessive cutscenes that make refighting it for no damage (despite no medal) hassle. The cutscenes are short and sweet. Every attack, including its big desperation moves are flashy with incredibly reasonable tells. A great fight all around.
Leviathan is a solid fight, but I have problems with it. The difficulty is fine though, hits hard when doing it first time on FF though! I'll get a personal gripe that isn't the fight itself out of the way. I go for no damage and medals of valour, so the fact I couldn't save closer to the beginning of the boss was annoying. Each attempt unless I wanted to let myself die, required walking through the part where it's firing orbs at Clive. Very time consuming to restart each attempt.
The fight itself immediately started off disappointing with the falling segment similar to titan lost part 3. I don't like how these sections work. The way Ifrit moves in the air, imo, creates depth perception problems and hitbox shenanigans where you can easily be missing swings during openings, and your moveset is much more limited than regular Ifrit. The design of Leviathan's moveset during this phase is PERFECTLY FINE though. Everything is fair, dodgeable and has ample tells.
The main portion of the fight is a lot better, and honestly, it felt like a much better version of Elden Beast from Elden Ring. A LOT of similarities IMO. Not without criticism though. There's still a lot of waiting around waiting for Leviathan to come back to you, and I think a couple of moves are problematic, namely maelstrom and riptide. They're easy to handle with the brimstone trick though. Maelstrom starts extremely quickly and I think is too large. The logical answer is to jump and dash out, but that often gets you caught on the outer edges. The 'tell' to dodge through it 3 times in a row is only there if you know to look for the THIN ring that expands out in inside the start up, dodging when it reaches the perimeter. I no damage the fight and didn't know about the tell until watching someone else. Riptide is easier to dodge than it looks, even without brimstone hover, but it's absolutely sensory overload. I don't know how I would change this move. It's just hard to know which ring you're dodging first when they overlap so much. The DPS check I didn't think was a problem. If you're underleveled not using attack accessories or bad at backdrafting, that's just something to overcome. I think it's completely manageable. Other than that, everything else about the fight is absolutely great to me.

• Equipment / Accessories

Incredibly disappointing. A ton of accessories I don't see a purpose for, the obligatory equivalents for Leviathan/Ultima abilities that lose all relevance by endgame anyway. There are some weapons in Kairos gate that are so far below what you'd be using I don't understand their point, especially when Kairos is like the final challenge of the game. What is radiant X eikon weapon at 500 damage doing for me me I have the best weapon in the game??? Some extra defensive armours I guess, but that's just numbers. Tonberry weapon might've been interesting if there was anywhere to use it. It should have been an accessory so it's useable in arcade. -X attack for +X will damage as an accessory. You can't change weapons or armour in arcade or kairos, so it's unusable on anything you might still have to do. Major mistep.

• Overall

Reiterating the intro, it's a DLC that very much reflects the good and bad of the main game. Echoes of the Fallen has it beat out in enemy design (barring maybe time keeper) and new accessories (mm assailment bit.) I don't really want to throw a number out, as 'more of the same' really just speaks to everyone, whether you loved or hated 16, or were somewhere in the middle.

Jon Hopkins - Ritual
Jon Hopkins is a top 5 favorite artist of all time for me and with the announcement of a new album and the release of a first song and music video linked above, I offer my first wishlist post of the new season!
Jon Hopkins has been around for awhile but is truly unique in the electronic space. He was classically trained in piano and even graduated high school early to become the traveling pianist for Imogen Heap in the summer of 1997.
However, he was attracted to electronic music at a very young age and brings his classical composition and piano abilities to bring some of the most emotive and stunning work in EDM today. From his wiki: According to reviews, "Hopkins's aesthetic is perpetually intriguing. He transcends genres, melding digital coldness with subtle, bucolic textures; veering from skewed elegance to strange, unsettling depths."^\16]) "He makes powerfully emotive, instrumental music that consistently crosses genres, ranging from solo acoustic piano to explosive, bass-heavy electro."^\17]) Also, he "meticulously constructs lush, downtempo arrangements, blending digital beats and soothing ambience."^\19])
His 2011 album, Immunity is widely acclaimed and considered by many to be one of the best electronic albums of this century. We Disappear, Open Eye Signal, and Collider are some of my favorites, but the whole album deserves a listen.
His two most recent albums, Immunity and Singularity are great if you need to bang out a memo or a novel or a TPS Report with your headphones on.
His 2019 set combined Immunity with his 2018 album Singularity with pulsing, glitching, poetic energy and still lives rent free in my heart. It is one of my favorite sets of all time, such that, it became the first time I went both weekends, and my first back to back full set sends.
And let's talk about his live show. He is a complete maniac wizard. He is known to play with up to 5 Kaoss pads... at the same time. Jon Hopkins Live at Glastonbury 2019
Genius - Psycho - Octopus Arm Man. I fucking love Jon Hopkins!!
BRING HIM BACK TO THE FIELDS!!

Plot
When Beshte's dad Basi gets injured by a frightened young rhino while creating hippo lanes in the flood plains after a big rainstorm, Beshte must step up and make the hippo lanes instead. Meanwhile, Kion, Bunga, Ono, and Fuli lead a herd of stubborn antelope led by Bupu to higher ground, and Makuu and his float of crocodiles return and try to help Basi so that there will be no rules to stop them.
Song: "Makin' Hippo Lanes"
Pros
-This is a really sweet father-son episode between Beshte and Basi. It's the first episode where we really get a feel for who Basi is as a character and I really like him. He's loving, compassionate, kind, sweet, fatherly, encouraging and most importantly supportive of Beshte just because he made a mistake while making the hippo lanes.
I like him because he's such a model dad, comforting Beshte about his mistake and not just flying off the handle and chewing him out for it. I love this because Beshte can't be older than 14 at this point and so he still has a lot to learn. Plus, it was his first time making the hippo lanes that we wouldn't have had to make except that Basi got injured at the start when Habib (let's call the little rhino "Habib" from now on because it means "Precious" in Swahili) panicked and accidentally poked him with his horn. Anyways, I love Basi for being completely understanding, with the knowledge that Beshte is not used to making the Hippo Lanes and therefore, made a genuine rookie mistake.
-Makuu is back and I'm thrilled about this because he was such a cool, menacing and really charismatic villain. I love him because he has an ulterior motive that's kind of similar to Scar in the original film, to give himself power over the crocodiles and the entire floodplains. Another reason he's really cool is because he has a really menacing and threatening presence in the Pride Lands whenever he's around and actually looks like someone who you wouldn't want to mess with. I do think Beshte and Basi were right to chase him away though, because he was making the floodplains a scary place when it was supposed to be a safe place and he was clearly trying to terrorize everyone. Given all the trouble he caused in "Never Roar Again", I wouldn't want him in the Floodplains either, though. Also, there's again, another unspoken rule about not eating the children of the Pride Lands.
-I love the fact that Makuu has a bit of a rivalry with Basi and resents the idea the hippos (in the Pride Lands at least, remember guys, hippos are not like that in real life) are rule-following, peaceful animals in contrast to crocodiles. So, I'm not surprised that he has a personal vendetta against Basi's pod, especially considering that as long as hippos are in charge of the watering hole, Makuu can't really do anything because they are more powerful than him. From what we've seen in "The Rise of Makuu", he seems to have a long-standing rivalry with the hippos and they were probably always fighting.
"Hippos.... always obeying the rules," Makuu, aggravated. "Come on. One little rhino's not worth the effort." Realistic behaviour on his part. I mean, Basi and Beshte would whoop his ass into the next world if necessary. Hippos are way more ferocious than any other animal in the Savannah and are one of the fiercest animals worldwide.
-Why do you guys think Habib was in such a hurry anyway that he ran into the Floodplains even though the Hippo Lanes were not ready, yet? Do you think he was being chased by Makuu's float or was in a hurry to meet up with his herd or something?
-I liked when Kion and the rest of the Lion Guard came on the scene and how they're all equally concerned about Basi's leg being hurt by Habib (accidentally, of course). Kion informs him to not walk on that leg, which is actually a realistic thing because in feel life, if you do injure your leg, it's best not to walk on it for a while or at least not do anything strenuous and just start small so you can help it to recover rather than make the pain worse. Kion is such a sweet boy for informing him of that and constantly showing concern for every animal in the Pride Lands. Basi kind of feels all of the Guard's father in some way, doesn't he?
-"Maybe Basi should be on the Lion Guard too, Kion," Bunga. I mean, he's not wrong. The Pride Lands' wisest or the Pride Lands' kindest/sweetest animal. By the way, Basi would make a good teacher role for Kion and his friends.
-I like the worldbuilding and lore aspect in this episode. In this episode, as promised in the title, we are told that Basi is in charge of making the Hippo Lanes for the Pride Landers after a big rainstorm and that his son, Beshte, is learning the ropes of it at the start. I like this mechanic because Basi is the leader of the hippos in the kingdom, and so, it's job to teach his son what will be his responsibility someday. I like how every animal in the Pride Lands has their own customs.
-I love how much Beshte really wants to make the Hippo Lanes for Basi's sake because obviously, his father is in no fit to do them at that point. Beshte is understandably nervous because it's a huge responsibility for a child to have and he was just learning how to do it at the beginning of the episode. I love how Kion, being an absolute sweetheart, encourages him and ultimately relaxes him telling him that as the Strongest hippo in the Pride Lands, they all believe in him. Also, I like this mechanic of by making the Hippo Lanes, he'd be automatically helping with the circle of life, like he's supposed to.
-Bunga; "What's the big deal? The floodplains will dry up soon. There's not a cloud in the sky." Thunder clouds start rumbling over the Pride Lands. Don't jinx it! Fuli; "You what they say, if ya don't like the weather on the Savannah, just wait a few breaths." You're damn right, Fuli. That was actually a really funny joke they threw in the episode because it's very accurate.
-I've always liked the main plot-point of this episode because it's actually believable. Did you know that in real life, hippos are known as "ecological engineers" and can modify and influence their own habitat and ecosystem. Just like Basi and Beshte, after a heavy rainstorm in real life, hippos actually do plough through submerged wetland or grassland areas, that are used by other animals living in the same habitat. In doing so, they make nutrients flow around and end up making new gateways for different types of animals. Other animals follow the hippos into these wetland areas to access more food, nutrients and shelter. So, I like how this episode is about something that hippos actually do.
-I love Beshte in this episode. He's such a big, lovable and kind-hearted sweetheart who's whole motivation is to help animals get where they need to go and to do favours for them, even if he should've told them to wait until the hippos lanes are done. I just can't help but love him for giving animals rides and being kind to them. It fits well with his character to focus more on being nice than to focus on the task at hand, that he's only been assigned to this episode. He's just an adorable, sweet gentle giant whom I can't help but admire.
-I know he wasn't doing the Hippo Lanes the right way, but, I can't help but admire him for his kindness towards animals in the floodplains, even if they shouldn't have been in there in the first place and should've waited until Beshte was finished the task. I still admire him for giving them rides. I understand why Beshte would struggle to say "No" or "You have to wait til I finish the Lanes, okay." He's got a big-heart, like Kion in "Never Judge a Hyena By Its Spots" and "The Kupatana Celebration".
-And actually giving animals rides across the Floodplains, I think, would actually be a good idea, albeit not very convenient. Basi, the leader of the Hippos, probably does not have the time to take every small animal everywhere, not to mention it would be just as easy for them to cross the Floodplains themselves, or on another animal, like a lion or an antelope or something. Maybe they should start a "Pride Lands Riders Association for your crossing pleasures".
-I think the Hippo Lanes is an interesting and a wholesome concept. Hippos are not like in real life, they are extremely territorial to other animals and very aggressive and they are the most dangerous mammals in the world (BBC Wildlife Magazine). That being said, I think this could've been a very send off for Beshte after Season 3. I think this could've been a great new purpose for him instead of the writers making all the Lion Guard go to the Tree of Life. Plus, the start of the episode really hints at Basi training his son to take over his role in the circle of life, someday.
-For the most, I did like the rest of the Lion Guard in this episode. I'm glad that Beshte was the main focus though, because he hasn't really had a dedicated episode besides "Follow that Hippo" earlier on in the Season. But, I liked Kion being the serious, calm, yet frustrated leader trying to corral Bupu's herd of stubborn antelope. It's funny because I feel his frustration at Bupu's stubborn and stuck-up attitude over being bossed around, even though they weren't being bossed around. I love Fuli tolerating Bupu and trying hard not to lose her temper because she's so frustrated that the antelope are not following instructions even though it's all for the best. I feel her frustration towards Bupu because I would be losing my patience as well in that situation, with how annoying the antelope are being at this point. I love Bunga for trying to remain optimistic, but, even he's losing patience. I understand the Lion Guard's annoyance towards the antelopes at the beginning.
-Shout out to the little baby antelope in Bupu's herd for being one of the most adorable babies in the show and making a big pleading face at Bupu, to get out of the water. Also, shout out to Boboka for being the most protective and perfect mother to her little baby and the only real sane member of Bupu's herd. Seriously though, she's the only one reason that Bupu ultimately decides to follow the Lion Guard's instruction. I think she should be leader, tbh. Who let that guy lead the herd?
-"Hang on to your antlers," Bunga. "For one thing they're horns...." Bupu. That was funny because antelopes are often mistaken as being part of the deer family, but, they're actually part of the Bovine genus (aka Cattle family) and so have horns, not antlers. But, I also like the fact that the kids watching the episode may have thought they had antlers, like Bunga in that moment.
-Kion's Roar being used to move the rocks out of the way is a good idea because they would never be able to push them aside since Beshte was not with them at that point. Also, more evidence to suggest Kion and Beshte are the two muscles on the team.
-I like the random cute animals that are riding along on Beshte's back, Laini, Churu (the frog), a wagtail, a hare, young aardvark). I love these more cute scenes in The Lion Guard. Also, I know this not how the Hippo Lanes works, but, how could you say "no" to them?
-I like the way Beshte is not perfect at making the Hippo Lanes at first, he's a young teenager who's only filling in for his father on this occasion and still has a lot to learn about the role. It's like Kion learning how to be good leader. I like that Beshte is clearly a rookie who's not perfect and the job yet, but is learning and is eager to do it because Basi is injured. He's also not able to say "no" to the small animals because of his kind heart and again, his inexperience at making the Hippo Lanes. I love it when the writers explore all the members of the Lion Guard learning new jobs.
-"More like a curly elephant's trunk. Actually, they're more like a bunch of elephants trunks. All twisted up together. And stuck in a Baobab tree's roots." Ono's funny moments. You gotta love for that.
-"This way. Step right up. One new Beshte-made Hippo Lane for all your crossing pleasures! Moms and babies first!" That seems fair to me, tbh. Also, I can't tell you how much I love Bunga for his optimism and his kindness. Also, I love it when he calls them "anty-lanty-lopes".
-Bupu, "Now I bet you'll tell us to get out of the rain. Well, we're not going anywhere!" Fuli, "Good." Bunga, "Yeah, that's kinda what we want." Well done, Bupu, you did something sensible for a change. Also, no, there's no where for you to get out of the rain, anyway.
-Now let's talk about Kion and Ono going into the floodplains. After Boboka and her son accidentally go into the floodplains, thinking that the were ready, they end up getting lost. Kion and Ono go after them to rescue them. First off, Kion dives in to save Boboka's son from drowning. Drowning was a little a dark for this series, especially by Season 1's standards. But, on the other hand, I like stimulating, engaging cartoons that aren't afraid to get dark even if they are made for children. When I first watched that scene back when it came out, I was on edge even though I knew that he wouldn't drown. It made it exciting and compelling for older viewers. I like cartoons that challenge younger children with action sequences. Plus, it was exciting and Kion would obviously risk his own life for the baby, and it was all fine because they got out of it.
-Also, Kion has a big-heart to go and search for Boboka all on his own, without having any eyes in the sky. By the way, he's so much better at swimmer compared to the beginning of Season 1, that means he's gotten stronger at this point. Ono was good as well to protect and guide Boboka's son back to the herd. I mean, I kinda think Kion could've waited with the calf and Ono could've looked for Boboka, but, then again, Ono couldn't carry her like Kion. Maybe the calf could've stayed with them and he wouldn't drown with Kion and Ono around. I don't know, I did like the rescue scene, but, I don't know that that's how I would've done things. But, in fairness, Kion is only cub learning about his role and finding his feet at this point.
-Also, as annoying as Bupu was at the start, I do like the fact that this episode is like the precursor for Fuli and Bupu's "adult/child friendship" later on in the series. I like their dynamic in Season 2 because they're very similar to each other, hot-headed, impatient, short-tempered, stubborn, overconfident, strong-willed, but also very different from each other and so they clash, but are also very loyal to each other. I like how this episode basically founded their relationship. I did like how at the end of the episode, they came to an understanding in the end which was really sweet. By the end, I thought Fuli and Bupu had a really sweet "child/adult" dynamic.
-I loved Beshte and Basi's dynamic at the end too. After Beshte how the Hippo Lanes had gone wrong and that he thinks he let everyone down, Basi comforts him and agrees to help him make a new lane this time "straight and true". Another example of Basi being a total sweetheart and a freaking awesome dad, never once chastising his son for his mistake, but instead, helping him correct his mistake and understanding that it was Beshte's first time making the Hippo Lanes. I know I keep talking about it, but, I've always love their sweet father-son dynamic.
-Makuu returns at the end to murder Basi to in his words "get rid of the rules", while Beshte's back is turned. Makuu is a total savage this episode, but, he has been my favourite villain in Season 1. His voice actor, Blair Underwood is flawless and is clearly loving the role. He has so much charisma. Plus, Makuu trying to outright kill Basi was downright evil and cold and, not to mention dark for a show that was made for kids, after all. I mean, I knew he wasn't going to win, but he's still a great villain, with his intimidating presence in this scene. I get excited every time Makuu's float show up in the series.
-Also, Makuu attempts to murder Basi while he's injured. I thought that was interesting and smart because he knows that Basi would destroy him and his float under different circumstances. In the wild, hippos are, as I said, very aggressive, threatening and powerful, and could go completely ham on every animal if necessary. So, no crocodile can beat up a healthy and fit adult or teenaged hippo, even if they have numbers on their side. I get the writers gave Makuu more of a chance to make things interesting for the audience, but, I'm just saying it's no wonder Makuu opted to bring back up crocs. As soon as Beshte showed up to back Basi, Makuu gets a little afraid because, out of nowhere, came this healthy and fit younger and stronger hippopotamus, enraged by his presence.
-Now, of course Beshte was right to stop Makuu. I mean Makuu was so in the wrong when he said, "we get ride of the hippo, we get ride of the rules." He wasn't talking about hunting or being allowed to eat in the Pride Lands, he was talking about giving himself power over the whole Floodplains, with Basi out of the picture (which would obviously never come to pass because the Lion Guard are keeping Makuu in check at this point). Also, given what Makuu did the last time he tried to take over the Floodplains, I don't blame Beshte for kicking him out, in the end. And, most importantly, Makuu was going to attacked Basi. I mean, he is Beshte's father and Beshte would want to defend by him any means necessary. Of course Beshte wants to whip Makuu's ass at this point. It's one thing wanting to eat in the Pride Lands, but, Makuu clearly had an ulterior motive by wanting to kill of the hippo leader. But, also, I know I would want to do what I can if my family were in danger, I assume you guys in the comments would do the same.
-Speaking of Makuu's attack on Basi, I thought it was clever to use the Hippo Lanes as a way to outsmart him and defeat. Hippos can swim and sprint faster than crocodiles, and Makuu clearly did not see it coming what they were doing. So, I liked it a lot. Beshte went from struggling to do the Hippo Lanes correctly, to using them to defeat a terrible foe in the final act, ultimately tricking Makuu and his float into being trampled by Bupu's herd. Makuu decides to scram after this. Fun Fact: In real life, Beshte or Basi alone, could go completely ham on Makuu's float and essentially destroy them.
-Also, I am sure Kion, being one of Beshte's best friends, knew all about this attempted murder on Basi by Makuu. I think we can assume Beshte told him and the rest of the Guard at some point and that would've caused them to resent Makuu even more by the time of The Savannah Summit, where they do not see good in him for quite a while. Season 1 kind of hints that Kion and Beshte, in particular, had personal vendettas against Makuu because he had caused them stress in the past.
-Finally, to end this review, I liked the scene at the end where Basi commends Beshte for making the Hippo Lanes. It was word for word exactly what Simba said to Kion and Kiara in "Can't Wait To Be Queen", "I never had any doubt."
Cons
-Bupu was fairly annoying at the beginning of this episode. I really didn't like him until the very end. He makes me question, who the heck let this guy lead his herd, anyways? I get that the Lion Guard are children and all, but, they clearly made the right call to lead the antelopes away from their grazing grounds so they don't drown and ushering them away from the rockslide so they don't die. Bupu annoyed me the way he was acting all pissed off and dismissive of the Lion Guard. He accused them of bossing his herd around and berating them even though they wouldn't have had to get angry if Bupu had been more cooperative. It feels like he should already know to get to higher ground to protect his herd. I didn't like the fact that the antelopes were just standing around waiting to be drowned.
-I didn't like how Bupu was disrespecting Fuli towards the end just because she had been losing patience. I would be losing patience as well if I was in that situation. I don't like how when they got them away from their grazing grounds, Bupu said that they've come so far even though they barely left because of him. Also, why is it that Boboka (the sane one of the herd) had to be the one to talk him into it? I think she should be the leader, tbh. I don't like how he berates the Lion Guard, even though the Guard were leading them around so they would be safe. I'm really glad to see Bupu become more likable later on. I am not saying Fuli should've eaten him, but, I am saying that he should've more understanding and more appreciative of the Lion Guard's efforts to help.
-Bunga > Bupu any day. At least Bunga is shown to be cooperative, smart, intelligent, mature, sensible, polite, kind, understanding and wise when he needs to be. What does Bupu think this whole ordeal is, some kind of game? A hoax? A prank? How stupid can you get? I also don't like how Fuli had to apologise to Bupu at the end just because he made her frustrated. She didn't mean to get frustrated. And actually all the Guard got frustrated with the antelope. Fuli did not need to learn anything in this episode or admit to being wrong, in my opinion. Imagine if this had a more severe, life or death situation where they had to force the antelope along. Bupu should learn to understanding people's intentions better and maybe then he won't be a headstrong jerk.
-And the whole "It never hurts to be polite thing" could've been avoided if Bupu had just told that that's all he wanted at the beginning. But, more importantly, he's a terrible role model for little kids in this episode. He demands the Lion Guard say "please" for everything even though they are helping him and his herd get to safety so they don't die. He demands they be polite to him at all costs even they have tried to patient and calm and he wasn't having any of it. Kids need to see that you can't expect someone to say please all the time because there are times where you just have to do as you are being asked for safety or otherwise. I also don't like the way he refuses the get his herd out the floods when he should know what's best for them. He doesn't even think to get the calves out of the water and to higher ground. Leadership 101, for crying out loud! I don't like his attitude for most of the episode and the fact that he removes to see that the Lion Guard are only looking out for him and the rest of his herd by ordering them to cooperate and be safe.
-But, I also do not like his herd at the start of the episode. Boboka is, in fairness, the smartest and the least annoying in this episode because she has the herd's best interests at heart and wants to get them to safety. She also has a son that she wants to protect. But, if I were in her shoes, I would be leading the baby antelopes to safety whether the rest of the decided to follow or not. Are we really expected that there no other calves in the herd with older antelopes? I don't understand why she didn't just take her calf (with other antelope parents) and up and get to higher ground. So, yeah, I liked Boboka, but, that was the only time in the episode where she annoyed me. Any mother would want to get their baby to safety immediately.
Overall
So, I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this episode and getting to review it. To recap, I loved Beshte and Basi's father-son dynamic. I thought it was really cute and sweet and loving. I love how much they are two characters that jump through hoops for each other to protect each other no matter what. They're kind of similar to Kion and Simba. I do like the dynamic between Basi and the rest of the Lion Guard as well. He feels very fatherly towards them and I like to think he was childhood friends with Simba and Nala, and still is. I found the rivalry between Basi, Beshte and Makuu's float interesting because the idea of the hippos and the crocodiles being at odds has come up before in the series. I find it interesting that they have some hatred for one another. Makuu was perfect as always. I love him whether he's in his villain phase or his reformed phase. Blair Underwood's performance is really spot on for Makuu. The episode was surprisingly dark, but, exciting with the whole Makuu trying to murder Basi and also Boboka and her son almost drowning in the floodplains. At the end, I enjoyed Fuli and Bupu's dynamic. It's an underrated "child/adult" friendship and is on par with Kion and Ma Tembo's. The jokes were pretty solid in it and I loved the scenery in the Pride Lands in this episode. I loved the more cutesy animals in this episode. The only animals that really annoyed me were the antelopes. I thought Bupu's stubbornness eye-rolling and I didn't like his rudeness. However, I still really love this episode and the antelope became a lot more polite later on. I thought the educational value was really interesting in this episode. I'll give it a 7.5/10 overall.

I try to trade for games of equal steam value, but I'm open to negotiate. PayPal wise, just make an offer. I'm UK, so you can do F&F for EU, but otherwise you'll cover fees if reasonably low (just use a PayPal fee calculator). Not looking to buy myself
SGS Flair, IGS Rep & GameTrade Rep (I'm new on there)
Ignore asterisks (\) as they are just a reminder for me*
​
SORRY IF I DONT REPLY IMMEDIATELY I AM VERY BAD AT CHECKING NOTIFICATIONS
​
[Wants]
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v v v v I DONT HAVE THESE GAMES v v v v
Recent Bundles:
Rain on your Parade, Strayed Lights, Endling

• Stanley Parable, Entropy Centre, Resident Evil Village, Sucker For Love
• Tormented Souls, Dread X Collection 5, Home Sweet Home Pt 2, Horror of Salazar House

^ ^ ^ ^ I DONT HAVE THESE GAMES ^ ^ ^ ^
[Have]
Heroes of the Monkey Tavern
The Long Reach
The Wild Eight
Spiritual Warfare & Wisdom Tree Collection
Tunche
Humble Heroines:
Metal Hellsinger
A Plague Tale Innocence
Chorus
Wanted Dead
Games Done Quick:
Hylics 2
Maid of Sker
IGN Fan Fest:
Loop Hero
Islets
Black Book
Mind-Bending Masterpieces:
The Talos Principle Gold Edition
The Witness
Superliminal
Unparalleled Puzzlers:
Baba Is You
Creaks
The Last Campfire
Positively Playful:
Super Bunny Man
One Hand Clapping
Pogostuck Rage With Your Friends
Will You Snail
Bandai Nameco:
Tekken 7
Katamari Damacy Reroll
Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition
Awesome Indies:
Void Bastards
UNSIGHTED
Ring of Pain
Ikenfell
Flynn Son of Crimson
Fae Tactics
Archvale
Untold Tales:
BangOn Balls Chronicles
Golf Club Nostalgia
ATONE Heart of the Elder Tree
What Lies in the Multiverse
Samudra
Aspire Inas Tale
Mythic Ocean
Masterful Modern 3D:
Kao the Kangaroo
Demon Turf
Whimsy & Wonder:
Witchy Life Story
Cat Cafe Manager
Capcom Heroic:
MONSTER HUNTER RISE
Phoenix Wright Attorney Trilogy
Mega Man 11
Dragons Dogma Dark Arisen
Lost Planet 3 Complete
STRIDER
Bionic Commando Rearmed
Must-Play Metroidvania:
Rain World
Blasphemous
Bloodstained Ritual of the Night
Lost Ruins
Lone Fungus
Haiku The Robot
Pixel Pride:
Boyfriend Dungeon
Celeste
Super Lesbian Animal RPG
Get in The Car Loser
Easy Going Games:
Aground
Calico
Newt One
We Should Talk (key not in stock yet)
Evans Remains
Teacup
StarCrossed
Princess Farmer
Wytchwood
APICO
RE:CALL (key not in stock yet/epic option)
Scary Games to Play In The Dark:
Visage
Mortuary Assisstant
Celebrating Black Creators/Characters:
Swimsanity
Shaq Fu A Legend Reborn
Mafia III Definitive Edition
Sim-ple Life:
Townscaper
Staxel
Steamy Sakura:
Sakura Succubus
Sakura MMO
Sakura MMO 3
Sakura Dungeon
Sakura Swim Club
Fightin Farms:
Lens Island
Serin Fates
ReLegend
Stranded Island
Spirit of the Island
Survival Instinct:
State of Decay 2 Juggernaut Edition
SCUM
The Long Dark Survival Edition (Survival Mode Only, no story)
Starsand
SurrounDead
Starlight Children Foundation:
LEGO STAR WARS The Force Awakens
LEGO Star Wars The Complete Saga
LEGO Star Wars III The Clone Wars
Star Wars The Force Unleashed Ultimate Sith Edition
Day Of The Tentacle Remastered
Stand With Ukraine:
Back 4 Blood
The Amazing American Circus
Crying Suns
Lust For Darkness
We Are Alright
​
Super Summer Bundle:
Sunblaze
Ludus
Lair Of The Clockwork God
JANITOR BLEEDS
Dust To The End
Discovery Bundle 2:
The Chronicles of Nyanya
Sea Horizon
Landlords Super
BYO Indie-Pendence Bundle:
What Lies In The Multiverse
Redout Enhanced Edition
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2
Funtasia
Assorted Fanatical Bits:
Dark Devotion
Shantae Riskys Revenge Directors Cut
The Hong Kong Massacre
Grapple Hoops
Velocity Noodle
RoboPhobik
Good Night Knight
Fates of Ort
Depths of Sanity
MARSUPILAMI HOOBADVENTURE
Eternal Edge
Dread X Collection 2
Dread X Collection 3
Orbital Bullet The 360 Roguelite
Elderand
Double Kick Heroes
Startup Panic
Osteoblasts
Beholgar
Twilight Town A Cyberpunk Day In Life
Discolored
Beautiful Desolation
Safe In Our World:
Kingdom Two Crowns
Field of Glory II
Chivalry Medieval Warfare (slight maybe)
Rise of the Slime
Steel Rats
Platinum Jan 2023:
The Elder Scrolls III Morrowind Game of the Year Edition
Death Road to Canada
Escape from Naraka
Creaks
Anime Bounty Bundle:
Graze Counter
Build Your Own Anime Bundle 4:
How To Fool A Liar King
How To Take Off Your Mask
East Tower - Akio (Vol 1)
East Tower - Takashi (Vol 2)
East Tower - Kuon (Vol 3)
East Tower - Kurenai (Vol 4)
​
Upload VR Showcase:
The BreakIn
Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs
AMID EVIL VR
Guardians Frontline
Get Your Head in the Game VR:
Rick and Morty Virtual Rickality
After The Fall Deluxe Edition
Grimlord
STRIDE
Upload VR Showcase:
Warhammer Age of Sigmar Tempestfall
The Walking Dead Saints & Sinners
Pistol Whip
Dragon Fist VR Kung Fu
Green Hell VR
In Your Face VR:
Zenith The Last City
Battlegroup VR
RUMBLE
Superfly
Eternal VR:
Karnage Chronicles
Time Lock VR 1
Operation Armstrong (slight maybe)
Trickster VR (slight maybe)
Vengeful Rite
VR Voyagers Bundle:
Until You Fall
Sairento VR
The Wizards - Dark Times
CookOut
Acron Attack of the Squirrels
VR Discovery Bundle:
Synth Riders
Blaston
​
Choice Leftovers:
April: Region Locks
Victoria 3
HUMANKIND Definitive Edition
Terraformers Region Lock
Symphony of War The Nephilim Saga
Coromon
March: Region Locks
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin Ultimate Edition
Nioh 2 The Complete Edition
Saints Row Region Lock
Citizen Sleeper
Black Skylands
Destroyer The UBoat Hunter
February: Region Locks
Life is Strange True Colors Region Lock
Destroy All Humans 2 Reprobed
There is No Light
Oaken
Snowtopia
January: Region Locks
Midnight Suns Region Lock + Doctor Strange Defender Skin
Two Point Campus
Aragami 2
OTXO
Roguebook
Hell Pie
Twin Mirror
December: Region Locks
Expedition: Rome
Midnight Fight Express
ELEX 2
Nobody Saves the World
The Pale Beyond
From Space
November: Region Locks
WWE 2K23 Region Lock
Friends VS Friends Region Lock #
Prodeus
The Legend of Tianding
Souldiers
October: Region Locks
The Quarry Deluxe Edition Region Lock
Metal Hellsinger
Rebel Inc Escalation
Spirit of the Island
Lords and Villeins
A Jugglers Tale
Mr Prepper
September: Region Locks
Tiny Tinas Wonderlands Chaotic Great Edition Region Lock
Deceive Inc Region Lock
Aces & Adventures
Patch Quest
Foretales
Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus
Autonauts vs Pirates
August: Region Locks
Disco Elysium Final Cut
Chivalry 2 Region Lock
Arcade Paradise
Hot Brass
July: Region Locks
The Outer Worlds Spacers Choice Edition Region Lock
Yakuza 4 Remastered
Roadwarden
Kraken Academy
Merchant of the Skies
Ozymandias Region Lock
June: Region Locks
Ghostwire Tokyo #
Honey I Joined A Cult
Eternal Threads
GRIME
Turbo Golf Racing
Meeple Station
May: Region Locks None Apply
Bendy and the Dark Revival
Operation Tango
Windjammers 2
Builder Simulator
Behind The Frame
The Invisible Hand
April: Region Locks None apply
Alien Fireteam Elite
Rollerdrome Region Lock
Life is Strange 2 Complete Season
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
Revita
Founders Fortune
March: Region Locks (EU so only one affected really is Hero Hour)
Biomutant
Jurassic World Evolution 2
Edge Of Eternity
Rogue Lords
Demon Turf
Golden Light
January Region Locks
Tribes of Midgard
Encased REGION LOCK
December Region Lock
First Class Trouble
Blade Assault
November Region Locks
Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning Fate Edition REGION LOCK
UnMetal
Morbid: The Seven Acolytes
September Region Locks
Descenders
​
Random Humble Leftovers:
DOOM VFR
Propagation VR - Coop
X Rebirth
Random Fanatical Leftovers:
Dance Collider
Tunche (maybe)
The Wild Eight
Scarlet Tower
VirtuaVerse
Main Assembly
Darkwood
Survive The Nights
Smoke and Sacrifice*
Blazing Chrome*
Wounded The Beginning*
Doorways: Prelude **
DESOLATE**
Headbangers in Holiday Hell (maybe)
Free with trade:
The Walking Dead
Wishlist

I try to trade for games of equal steam value, but I'm open to negotiate. PayPal wise, just make an offer. I'm UK, so you can do F&F for EU, but otherwise you'll cover fees if reasonably low (just use a PayPal fee calculator). Not looking to buy myself
SGS Flair, IGS Rep & GameTrade Rep (I'm new on there)
Ignore asterisks (\) as they are just a reminder for me*
​
SORRY IF I DONT REPLY IMMEDIATELY I AM VERY BAD AT CHECKING NOTIFICATIONS
​
[Wants]
​
v v v v I DONT HAVE THESE GAMES v v v v
Recent Bundles:
Rain on your Parade, Strayed Lights, Endling

• Stanley Parable, Entropy Centre, Resident Evil Village, Sucker For Love
• Tormented Souls, Dread X Collection 5, Home Sweet Home Pt 2, Horror of Salazar House

^ ^ ^ ^ I DONT HAVE THESE GAMES ^ ^ ^ ^
[Have]
Heroes of the Monkey Tavern
The Long Reach
The Wild Eight
Spiritual Warfare & Wisdom Tree Collection
Tunche
Humble Heroines:
Metal Hellsinger
A Plague Tale Innocence
Chorus
Wanted Dead
Games Done Quick:
Hylics 2
Maid of Sker
IGN Fan Fest:
Loop Hero
Islets
Black Book
Mind-Bending Masterpieces:
The Talos Principle Gold Edition
The Witness
Superliminal
Unparalleled Puzzlers:
Baba Is You
Creaks
The Last Campfire
Positively Playful:
Super Bunny Man
One Hand Clapping
Pogostuck Rage With Your Friends
Will You Snail
Bandai Nameco:
Tekken 7
Katamari Damacy Reroll
Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition
Awesome Indies:
Void Bastards
UNSIGHTED
Ring of Pain
Ikenfell
Flynn Son of Crimson
Fae Tactics
Archvale
Untold Tales:
BangOn Balls Chronicles
Golf Club Nostalgia
ATONE Heart of the Elder Tree
What Lies in the Multiverse
Samudra
Aspire Inas Tale
Mythic Ocean
Masterful Modern 3D:
Kao the Kangaroo
Demon Turf
Whimsy & Wonder:
Witchy Life Story
Cat Cafe Manager
Capcom Heroic:
MONSTER HUNTER RISE
Phoenix Wright Attorney Trilogy
Mega Man 11
Dragons Dogma Dark Arisen
Lost Planet 3 Complete
STRIDER
Bionic Commando Rearmed
Must-Play Metroidvania:
Rain World
Blasphemous
Bloodstained Ritual of the Night
Lost Ruins
Lone Fungus
Haiku The Robot
Pixel Pride:
Boyfriend Dungeon
Celeste
Super Lesbian Animal RPG
Get in The Car Loser
Easy Going Games:
Aground
Calico
Newt One
We Should Talk (key not in stock yet)
Evans Remains
Teacup
StarCrossed
Princess Farmer
Wytchwood
APICO
RE:CALL (key not in stock yet/epic option)
Scary Games to Play In The Dark:
Visage
Mortuary Assisstant
Celebrating Black Creators/Characters:
Swimsanity
Shaq Fu A Legend Reborn
Mafia III Definitive Edition
Sim-ple Life:
Townscaper
Staxel
Steamy Sakura:
Sakura Succubus
Sakura MMO
Sakura MMO 3
Sakura Dungeon
Sakura Swim Club
Fightin Farms:
Lens Island
Serin Fates
ReLegend
Stranded Island
Spirit of the Island
Survival Instinct:
State of Decay 2 Juggernaut Edition
SCUM
The Long Dark Survival Edition (Survival Mode Only, no story)
Starsand
SurrounDead
Starlight Children Foundation:
LEGO STAR WARS The Force Awakens
LEGO Star Wars The Complete Saga
LEGO Star Wars III The Clone Wars
Star Wars The Force Unleashed Ultimate Sith Edition
Day Of The Tentacle Remastered
Stand With Ukraine:
Back 4 Blood
The Amazing American Circus
Crying Suns
Lust For Darkness
We Are Alright
​
Super Summer Bundle:
Sunblaze
Ludus
Lair Of The Clockwork God
JANITOR BLEEDS
Dust To The End
Discovery Bundle 2:
The Chronicles of Nyanya
Sea Horizon
Landlords Super
BYO Indie-Pendence Bundle:
What Lies In The Multiverse
Redout Enhanced Edition
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2
Funtasia
Assorted Fanatical Bits:
Dark Devotion
Shantae Riskys Revenge Directors Cut
The Hong Kong Massacre
Grapple Hoops
Velocity Noodle
RoboPhobik
Good Night Knight
Fates of Ort
Depths of Sanity
MARSUPILAMI HOOBADVENTURE
Eternal Edge
Dread X Collection 2
Dread X Collection 3
Orbital Bullet The 360 Roguelite
Elderand
Double Kick Heroes
Startup Panic
Osteoblasts
Beholgar
Twilight Town A Cyberpunk Day In Life
Discolored
Beautiful Desolation
Safe In Our World:
Kingdom Two Crowns
Field of Glory II
Chivalry Medieval Warfare (slight maybe)
Rise of the Slime
Steel Rats
Platinum Jan 2023:
The Elder Scrolls III Morrowind Game of the Year Edition
Death Road to Canada
Escape from Naraka
Creaks
Anime Bounty Bundle:
Graze Counter
Build Your Own Anime Bundle 4:
How To Fool A Liar King
How To Take Off Your Mask
East Tower - Akio (Vol 1)
East Tower - Takashi (Vol 2)
East Tower - Kuon (Vol 3)
East Tower - Kurenai (Vol 4)
​
Upload VR Showcase:
The BreakIn
Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs
AMID EVIL VR
Guardians Frontline
Get Your Head in the Game VR:
Rick and Morty Virtual Rickality
After The Fall Deluxe Edition
Grimlord
STRIDE
Upload VR Showcase:
Warhammer Age of Sigmar Tempestfall
The Walking Dead Saints & Sinners
Pistol Whip
Dragon Fist VR Kung Fu
Green Hell VR
In Your Face VR:
Zenith The Last City
Battlegroup VR
RUMBLE
Superfly
Eternal VR:
Karnage Chronicles
Time Lock VR 1
Operation Armstrong (slight maybe)
Trickster VR (slight maybe)
Vengeful Rite
VR Voyagers Bundle:
Until You Fall
Sairento VR
The Wizards - Dark Times
CookOut
Acron Attack of the Squirrels
VR Discovery Bundle:
Synth Riders
Blaston
​
Choice Leftovers:
April: Region Locks
Victoria 3
HUMANKIND Definitive Edition
Terraformers Region Lock
Symphony of War The Nephilim Saga
Coromon
March: Region Locks
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin Ultimate Edition
Nioh 2 The Complete Edition
Saints Row Region Lock
Citizen Sleeper
Black Skylands
Destroyer The UBoat Hunter
February: Region Locks
Life is Strange True Colors Region Lock
Destroy All Humans 2 Reprobed
There is No Light
Oaken
Snowtopia
January: Region Locks
Midnight Suns Region Lock + Doctor Strange Defender Skin
Two Point Campus
Aragami 2
OTXO
Roguebook
Hell Pie
Twin Mirror
December: Region Locks
Expedition: Rome
Midnight Fight Express
ELEX 2
Nobody Saves the World
The Pale Beyond
From Space
November: Region Locks
WWE 2K23 Region Lock
Friends VS Friends Region Lock #
Prodeus
The Legend of Tianding
Souldiers
October: Region Locks
The Quarry Deluxe Edition Region Lock
Metal Hellsinger
Rebel Inc Escalation
Spirit of the Island
Lords and Villeins
A Jugglers Tale
Mr Prepper
September: Region Locks
Tiny Tinas Wonderlands Chaotic Great Edition Region Lock
Deceive Inc Region Lock
Aces & Adventures
Patch Quest
Foretales
Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus
Autonauts vs Pirates
August: Region Locks
Disco Elysium Final Cut
Chivalry 2 Region Lock
Arcade Paradise
Hot Brass
July: Region Locks
The Outer Worlds Spacers Choice Edition Region Lock
Yakuza 4 Remastered
Roadwarden
Kraken Academy
Merchant of the Skies
Ozymandias Region Lock
June: Region Locks
Ghostwire Tokyo #
Honey I Joined A Cult
Eternal Threads
GRIME
Turbo Golf Racing
Meeple Station
May: Region Locks None Apply
Bendy and the Dark Revival
Operation Tango
Windjammers 2
Builder Simulator
Behind The Frame
The Invisible Hand
April: Region Locks None apply
Alien Fireteam Elite
Rollerdrome Region Lock
Life is Strange 2 Complete Season
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
Revita
Founders Fortune
March: Region Locks (EU so only one affected really is Hero Hour)
Biomutant
Jurassic World Evolution 2
Edge Of Eternity
Rogue Lords
Demon Turf
Golden Light
January Region Locks
Tribes of Midgard
Encased REGION LOCK
December Region Lock
First Class Trouble
Blade Assault
November Region Locks
Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning Fate Edition REGION LOCK
UnMetal
Morbid: The Seven Acolytes
September Region Locks
Descenders
​
Random Humble Leftovers:
DOOM VFR
Propagation VR - Coop
X Rebirth
Random Fanatical Leftovers:
Dance Collider
Tunche (maybe)
The Wild Eight
Scarlet Tower
VirtuaVerse
Main Assembly
Darkwood
Survive The Nights
Smoke and Sacrifice*
Blazing Chrome*
Wounded The Beginning*
Doorways: Prelude **
DESOLATE**
Headbangers in Holiday Hell (maybe)
Free with trade:
The Walking Dead
Wishlist

I try to trade for games of equal steam value, but I'm open to negotiate. PayPal wise, just make an offer. I'm UK, so you can do F&F for EU, but otherwise you'll cover fees if reasonably low (just use a PayPal fee calculator). Not looking to buy myself
SGS Flair, IGS Rep & GameTrade Rep (I'm new on there)
Ignore asterisks (\) as they are just a reminder for me*
​
SORRY IF I DONT REPLY IMMEDIATELY I AM VERY BAD AT CHECKING NOTIFICATIONS
​
[Wants]
​
v v v v I DONT HAVE THESE GAMES v v v v
Recent Bundles:
Rain on your Parade, Strayed Lights, Endling

• Stanley Parable, Entropy Centre, Resident Evil Village, Sucker For Love
• Tormented Souls, Dread X Collection 5, Home Sweet Home Pt 2, Horror of Salazar House

^ ^ ^ ^ I DONT HAVE THESE GAMES ^ ^ ^ ^
[Have]
Heroes of the Monkey Tavern
The Long Reach
The Wild Eight
Spiritual Warfare & Wisdom Tree Collection
Tunche
Humble Heroines:
Metal Hellsinger
A Plague Tale Innocence
Chorus
Wanted Dead
Games Done Quick:
Hylics 2
Maid of Sker
IGN Fan Fest:
Loop Hero
Islets
Black Book
Mind-Bending Masterpieces:
The Talos Principle Gold Edition
The Witness
Superliminal
Unparalleled Puzzlers:
Baba Is You
Creaks
The Last Campfire
Positively Playful:
Super Bunny Man
One Hand Clapping
Pogostuck Rage With Your Friends
Will You Snail
Bandai Nameco:
Tekken 7
Katamari Damacy Reroll
Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition
Awesome Indies:
Void Bastards
UNSIGHTED
Ring of Pain
Ikenfell
Flynn Son of Crimson
Fae Tactics
Archvale
Untold Tales:
BangOn Balls Chronicles
Golf Club Nostalgia
ATONE Heart of the Elder Tree
What Lies in the Multiverse
Samudra
Aspire Inas Tale
Mythic Ocean
Masterful Modern 3D:
Kao the Kangaroo
Demon Turf
Whimsy & Wonder:
Witchy Life Story
Cat Cafe Manager
Capcom Heroic:
MONSTER HUNTER RISE
Phoenix Wright Attorney Trilogy
Mega Man 11
Dragons Dogma Dark Arisen
Lost Planet 3 Complete
STRIDER
Bionic Commando Rearmed
Must-Play Metroidvania:
Rain World
Blasphemous
Bloodstained Ritual of the Night
Lost Ruins
Lone Fungus
Haiku The Robot
Pixel Pride:
Boyfriend Dungeon
Celeste
Super Lesbian Animal RPG
Get in The Car Loser
Easy Going Games:
Aground
Calico
Newt One
We Should Talk (key not in stock yet)
Evans Remains
Teacup
StarCrossed
Princess Farmer
Wytchwood
APICO
RE:CALL (key not in stock yet/epic option)
Scary Games to Play In The Dark:
Visage
Mortuary Assisstant
Celebrating Black Creators/Characters:
Swimsanity
Shaq Fu A Legend Reborn
Mafia III Definitive Edition
Sim-ple Life:
Townscaper
Staxel
Steamy Sakura:
Sakura Succubus
Sakura MMO
Sakura MMO 3
Sakura Dungeon
Sakura Swim Club
Fightin Farms:
Lens Island
Serin Fates
ReLegend
Stranded Island
Spirit of the Island
Survival Instinct:
State of Decay 2 Juggernaut Edition
SCUM
The Long Dark Survival Edition (Survival Mode Only, no story)
Starsand
SurrounDead
Starlight Children Foundation:
LEGO STAR WARS The Force Awakens
LEGO Star Wars The Complete Saga
LEGO Star Wars III The Clone Wars
Star Wars The Force Unleashed Ultimate Sith Edition
Day Of The Tentacle Remastered
Stand With Ukraine:
Back 4 Blood
The Amazing American Circus
Crying Suns
Lust For Darkness
We Are Alright
​
Super Summer Bundle:
Sunblaze
Ludus
Lair Of The Clockwork God
JANITOR BLEEDS
Dust To The End
Discovery Bundle 2:
The Chronicles of Nyanya
Sea Horizon
Landlords Super
BYO Indie-Pendence Bundle:
What Lies In The Multiverse
Redout Enhanced Edition
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2
Funtasia
Assorted Fanatical Bits:
Dark Devotion
Shantae Riskys Revenge Directors Cut
The Hong Kong Massacre
Grapple Hoops
Velocity Noodle
RoboPhobik
Good Night Knight
Fates of Ort
Depths of Sanity
MARSUPILAMI HOOBADVENTURE
Eternal Edge
Dread X Collection 2
Dread X Collection 3
Orbital Bullet The 360 Roguelite
Elderand
Double Kick Heroes
Startup Panic
Osteoblasts
Beholgar
Twilight Town A Cyberpunk Day In Life
Discolored
Beautiful Desolation
Safe In Our World:
Kingdom Two Crowns
Field of Glory II
Chivalry Medieval Warfare (slight maybe)
Rise of the Slime
Steel Rats
Platinum Jan 2023:
The Elder Scrolls III Morrowind Game of the Year Edition
Death Road to Canada
Escape from Naraka
Creaks
Anime Bounty Bundle:
Graze Counter
Build Your Own Anime Bundle 4:
How To Fool A Liar King
How To Take Off Your Mask
East Tower - Akio (Vol 1)
East Tower - Takashi (Vol 2)
East Tower - Kuon (Vol 3)
East Tower - Kurenai (Vol 4)
​
Upload VR Showcase:
The BreakIn
Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs
AMID EVIL VR
Guardians Frontline
Get Your Head in the Game VR:
Rick and Morty Virtual Rickality
After The Fall Deluxe Edition
Grimlord
STRIDE
Upload VR Showcase:
Warhammer Age of Sigmar Tempestfall
The Walking Dead Saints & Sinners
Pistol Whip
Dragon Fist VR Kung Fu
Green Hell VR
In Your Face VR:
Zenith The Last City
Battlegroup VR
RUMBLE
Superfly
Eternal VR:
Karnage Chronicles
Time Lock VR 1
Operation Armstrong (slight maybe)
Trickster VR (slight maybe)
Vengeful Rite
VR Voyagers Bundle:
Until You Fall
Sairento VR
The Wizards - Dark Times
CookOut
Acron Attack of the Squirrels
VR Discovery Bundle:
Synth Riders
Blaston
​
Choice Leftovers:
April: Region Locks
Victoria 3
HUMANKIND Definitive Edition
Terraformers Region Lock
Symphony of War The Nephilim Saga
Coromon
March: Region Locks
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin Ultimate Edition
Nioh 2 The Complete Edition
Saints Row Region Lock
Citizen Sleeper
Black Skylands
Destroyer The UBoat Hunter
February: Region Locks
Life is Strange True Colors Region Lock
Destroy All Humans 2 Reprobed
There is No Light
Oaken
Snowtopia
January: Region Locks
Midnight Suns Region Lock + Doctor Strange Defender Skin
Two Point Campus
Aragami 2
OTXO
Roguebook
Hell Pie
Twin Mirror
December: Region Locks
Expedition: Rome
Midnight Fight Express
ELEX 2
Nobody Saves the World
The Pale Beyond
From Space
November: Region Locks
WWE 2K23 Region Lock
Friends VS Friends Region Lock #
Prodeus
The Legend of Tianding
Souldiers
October: Region Locks
The Quarry Deluxe Edition Region Lock
Metal Hellsinger
Rebel Inc Escalation
Spirit of the Island
Lords and Villeins
A Jugglers Tale
Mr Prepper
September: Region Locks
Tiny Tinas Wonderlands Chaotic Great Edition Region Lock
Deceive Inc Region Lock
Aces & Adventures
Patch Quest
Foretales
Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus
Autonauts vs Pirates
August: Region Locks
Disco Elysium Final Cut
Chivalry 2 Region Lock
Arcade Paradise
Hot Brass
July: Region Locks
The Outer Worlds Spacers Choice Edition Region Lock
Yakuza 4 Remastered
Roadwarden
Kraken Academy
Merchant of the Skies
Ozymandias Region Lock
June: Region Locks
Ghostwire Tokyo #
Honey I Joined A Cult
Eternal Threads
GRIME
Turbo Golf Racing
Meeple Station
May: Region Locks None Apply
Bendy and the Dark Revival
Operation Tango
Windjammers 2
Builder Simulator
Behind The Frame
The Invisible Hand
April: Region Locks None apply
Alien Fireteam Elite
Rollerdrome Region Lock
Life is Strange 2 Complete Season
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
Revita
Founders Fortune
March: Region Locks (EU so only one affected really is Hero Hour)
Biomutant
Jurassic World Evolution 2
Edge Of Eternity
Rogue Lords
Demon Turf
Golden Light
January Region Locks
Tribes of Midgard
Encased REGION LOCK
December Region Lock
First Class Trouble
Blade Assault
November Region Locks
Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning Fate Edition REGION LOCK
UnMetal
Morbid: The Seven Acolytes
September Region Locks
Descenders
​
Random Humble Leftovers:
DOOM VFR
Propagation VR - Coop
X Rebirth
Random Fanatical Leftovers:
Dance Collider
Tunche (maybe)
The Wild Eight
Scarlet Tower
VirtuaVerse
Main Assembly
Darkwood
Survive The Nights
Smoke and Sacrifice*
Blazing Chrome*
Wounded The Beginning*
Doorways: Prelude **
DESOLATE**
Headbangers in Holiday Hell (maybe)
Free with trade:
The Walking Dead
Wishlist

Warning: Long post.
So, I'm sure that most people here have some experience with the GTA franchise. There's a reason why it's so highly regarded. You can't talk about open world games without mentioning GTA, because it's basically their god, and rightfully so. Obviously, any GTA title has big shoes to fill. GTA V is the second best selling video game ever, only behind Minecraft. It made back its budget through pre-orders alone, and over 10 years after its release it's still going strong. You know all that. To a lot of people, for a long time, it was peak GTA, peak video game even. And I have a problem with that.
I'd like to mention some obviously positive things about it. It's a well built game, runs smoothly, no glitches or anything (none that affect the gameplay anyway), and all in all, it's in excellent working condition, especially compared to contemporary games, and even new ones, that get released with a ton of bugs and problems that gamers have to then find and complain about, hoping developers will fix them. You can tell it's a quality game in all its aspects. On a technical level, it's probably as good as a game could have been in 2013. That's about where all the positives end for me.
My problems with GTA V lie with the creative decisions behind it. First of all, and this is a huge problem I have with it, gameplay-wise, everything and I mean everything is dumbed down. All cars drive essentially the same, like they are on rails. Obviously an adjustment that was made after GTA IV was criticised for having "boat-like handling" cars. But they overcorrected. Fist fighting is a joke compared to IV, that has more complex mechanics and the punches actually feel like they have weight. And there's the weapons. I'm not sure how to feel about those. One the one hand, I feel like weapons in GTA V are more precise, but once again, I do feel like they're too effortless and perfect. Notice a pattern? All the major mechanics in GTA V have been made easier, simpler and effortless compared to GTA IV, which in my opinion takes away from the experience.
Then there's the story, which is just weak. GTA III had a protagonist that wouldn't even speak. Vice City gave him lines and a more complex story about crime. San Andreas took that many steps up with themes about family, loyalty, commitment, and coming from an underprivileged background. Then, it all came to a peak with the most mature story of any GTA, in GTA IV, with Niko being a war veteran with a dark past he is running from. Themes about the effect and stupidity of war, regret, the need for revenge, and the American dream, or the reality of it. Then there's GTA V. This time around, we get three protagonists, and at best, they each get 1/3 the characterisation they should have gotten, and the shortest story since Vice City. There's Trevor, basically a wild animal with trauma that never gets explored. Then there's Franklin, a complete nothing character who only exists to be ordered to do stuff or get yelled at by other characters. Then there's Michael, the character with the most potential for exploration. Instead of that though, his story is basically "boohoo, I miss being a criminal". And the game doesn't even have a main villain. In the end you get to kill two guys that were minor annoyances at best, just because the story needs to wrap up somehow.
Now that isn't to say that what we got is without potential. It has been said that the three characters represent each GTA generation, Trevor being the mad top down games, Franklin being the 3D era criminal that wants to rise through the ranks and be someone, and then there's Michael. He's what happens next. What happens after he gets what he wants. That's honestly very interesting and worth exploring, but the story only ever goes surface level deep. The story, which comprises mostly generic action set pieces, with only a few standouts, jokes junior highschoolers would find funny, a bunch of set up missions that require nothing more than a bit of walking around...and heists, which can be interesting, but they too seem more ridiculous the more you think about them. All of which brings me to my next point.
GTA V tries too hard to be GTA, instead of just...being it. In a way, it is a parody of itself. In many aspects it has a few SaintsRow-isms. It's over the top, overly on the nose and generally speaking, "too much", in a bad way. Meaning: No subtlety. Now, that isn't a word that would quickly pop into your head when thinking about GTA, but it is what sets it apart in the end. GTA, usually, knows just how far to go without crossing the line. Not so it doesn't offend, but so it pulls off what it's doing tastefully. It's a good satire that makes fun of and criticises the shortcomings of the modern world. GTA V often crosses the line and ends up being ridiculous, and not in a good way. It feels like the franchise has suffered a sort of flanderization with this entry. It's like they forgot what GTA actually is and tried to make everything that GTA is remembered for by the general public, regardless of how accurate that is. Like I said earlier, it's dumbed down in every aspect.
And I haven't even said a thing about the map, which is huge, the biggest in any GTA ever, yet so empty. It's literally a tiny urban part and then there's just bland nature. If you see it once, you've seen it all. There's no point exploring because you won't find anything interesting. It's huge for the sake of being huge, with no attempt to make it interesting. There's also all the missing content. No restaurants, no bars, no sports, no minigames generally speaking, for absolutely no good reason. GTA IV infamously took stuff out, and was criticised for it, but there were reasons for that. Technical limitations and such. I mean, you can't even crouch properly. You can't even leave your car running. Why would they even take that out? More dumbing down and simplifying. Which is ironic, because you can also carry like 30 weapons at once, complete with attachments and everything, which is absolutely ridiculous. The point of it all is, the game is a dilution of its formula, to the point where it loses character.
And I would be...okay with it, if it wasn't for the game's reception. Raving reviews everywhere. "GTA V is the best game ever" I've seen written annoyingly many times. It seems like people just took this game and embraced the shit out of it. They just took it all and jumped right into it, no criticisms, no nothing. It doesn't matter that is was hyped as fuck and that it didn't even come close to meeting expectations after GTA IV, two excellent trailers, years of quiet development, and gameplay rumours that ended up not being true. Now, is it the game's fault if random people came up with stuff that would obviously never have made it into the game? No. But it serves as a cautionary tale to everyone who is too ambitious with their expectations. It also helped its success that it was probably the jumping-on point for a lot of people.
Anyway, I have a lot of problems with this game. I got it when it was brand new and it took me years to really admit that it was simply a disappointment, at least to me. I've spent countless hours playing it. I've seen the good, I've seen the bad, and even though I think it's a good game on its own, especially compared to its rivals, I still think it leaves a lot to be desired as an entry in the GTA franchise.
And I haven't said a single thing about GTA Online, which is a whole different beast.
Sorry for the long post, thank you for reading if you made it this far. I'd love to know what you think.

After the Mini PC became a paperweight and sent it to a repair shop, technicians received the unit and they successfully repaired it. Guess I'll have to pay USD $300~ (inc. shipping, luckily).
Got the email, and their app technician's note says the following:

In-situ programming of the firmware delivered by the customer ‘ARB19DH105.bin’. The board presents the same problems. The ‘reset’ button was held for 30 seconds, causing the CPU FAN to increase speed. Subsequently, the system was manually restarted, and the equipment is functioning. Stress test with Windows 11 22H2 using Furmark and Prime95 drivers, without any issues. Memtest in both slots, Crystalmark in both NVMe ports. BIOS reports v1.07. Repair successfully completed.

I don't have any clue why the firmware flash would fail, but that's it. Also, the BIOS someone sent me is v1.07, not the original v10.5 (as noted by the technician), so who knows what happened to the file during the copy, upgrade, and verification. Note that the reset CMOS is weird. 30 seconds ramping up the fan? What is this?
My only advice for those folks on the same situation: backup the BIOS, update the BIOS through the UEFI utility itself, cross your fingers. Or don't buy this shit at all in the first place.
Anyway, I've been burned by all of this regardless of the device repair, so I will look into a Mac Mini M2 16/512 once I sell this.

The midday sun cast a warm glow over Ola's expansive yard as she stood, surveying her home. The lively wisteria climbed the walls, and the sweet scent of lilacs lingered in the air. The mansion, boasting 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms, was once a testament to grandeur, but now, the marks of time were evident—peeling white paint, cracked tiles and weather-worn and decaying wooden windows.
A confident voice sliced through the tranquil birdsong, drawing Ola’s attention. "We can do a great job with this place, Ma," the contractor, clad in a white shirt and worn-out but well-maintained denim overalls, proclaimed, gesturing towards the mansion.
Ola's piercing eyes assessed the man before her, his words hanging in the air like the scent of her garden. She had dealt with many contractors in the city before, each promising excellence but delivering varying degrees of disappointment. As the owner of a multimillion dollar IT company and a single mom at that, precision and reliability were virtues she valued dearly, virtues seemingly elusive in the realm of home renovations.
The contractor continued, listing the proposed renovations. "New floors, best-quality materials, and newest windows. Everything new, Ma," he said, smiling just as he practiced in front of the mirror this morning.
"How much?" Ola said, meeting the man's brown eyes directly.
"Ma, we can handle everything for $100,000 US."
"$100,000?"
"Yes, Ma," the contractor replied, grinning like the clown she had seen at a rodeo show whilst attending a business tech conference in Oklahoma.
Ola sighed. It was undeniably the highest quote she had ever received. However, after spending thousands dealing with numerous contractors, she didn't feel like negotiating for a lower price at this moment. As long as the man could complete the job to her satisfaction, the $100,000 seemed inconsequential. The contractor came highly recommended by a close business acquaintance, which added to her confidence in making the payment. Plus, she still had to fence her yard, a necessity to shield her private space from the prying eyes of nosy neighbors. The sooner renovations could be completed, the quicker she can tackle this looming need.
"Alpha," Ola called out from behind to a gray-haired man with freckles, who was leaning against the driver’s window of a sleek silver 4-door Mercedes.
“Yes Ma,” Alpha said, standing up straight.
“Get me my purse in the car,” Ola said.
As if someone slapped him on the butt, Alpha scurried to the mansion’s front door. “Annie! Annie! Bring Ma’s purs—”
“Alpha!” Ola yelled.
“Yes Bosslady!” Alpha shouted, abruptly turning around from the door.
“I said my purse is in the car. IN. THE. CAR. Leave Annie alone, she’s busy with her work.”
“Oh…sorry Ma.” With an invisible slap on his butt, Alpha hurried back to the car. “Oh, it’s not in the front seat. Maybe in back. Let us see here.”
Ola massaged her temples. The old man had been getting slower and slower as of late. Nevertheless, she appreciated his loyalty: 5 good years without any incident or stealing or using her cars as taxis for that matter. Still, at some point in time not too far, she realized she would eventually have to pay him his severance and bring in someone younger, more mentally sharp.
As she waited for Alpha to retrieve her purse, Ola glanced towards the corner of her yard. There from the paved street, emerged a disheveled figure. Howard, the drunkard who roamed the neighborhood, staggered into view. His clothes, large baggy black pants held together around the waist by a power cord as belt and used to be white t-shirt now covered in black stains and stretched out from the collar, clung to his dark-skinned and frail frame. His bald head was concealed under a tattered cap, while a lengthy and unkempt beard graced his wrinkled face.
"Good afternoon, Madam. Lovely day today, isn't it?" Howard greeted with a toothless smile, his words slurring.
Ola acknowledged him with a nod and friendly smile. Howard was a familiar sight in the neighborhood. She considered him harmless and, compared to the other homeless she had encountered, more refined. She also appreciated his politeness, good manners and proper way of speaking (though she questioned if it was all an act or might it be the alcohol talking).
Howard shuffled closer as the scent of alcohol clung to him, intermingling with the fragrance of the surrounding flowers. The contrast couldn't have been starker as he stood next to the taller and polished contractor, who then blocked his nostrils with upper lip and raised his head high.
“Thank you Alpha,” Ola said, taking the purse from her driver. As she fumbled inside the bag, the contractor lowered his head, focused his eyes on the potential client and decided to do some last minute selling to seal the deal.
“$100,000 US is all we need to get this place new. We will start on the tiles first, then paint and then windows. Should only take us 9 months.”
“Where’s that damn thing,” Ola mumbled, digging in her purse.
“9 months that’s all, Ma,” the contractor continued selling. “Once we get the—”
“Madam, $100,000 US is too high for that price,” Howard blurted out, causing Ola to look up from her purse.
Ola peered into Howard's eyes, half-expecting to find a glint of mischief or an April Fools joke. Yet, there was no trace of humor.
On the other hand, the contractor thought it was a joke, an offhand one at that, and did not pay no mind to Howard, choosing to continue his spiel. “Anyways Madam, once we get the payment, we can start work right away and—”
“Madam, I’m serious,” Howard said with an emphatic tone. “$100,000 is too high for that price. I can do that for half. I know a lot of factory guys—”
The contractor let out a roaring laugh, slapping his knees before bending down to clutch his stomach.
Ignoring the contractor, Howard continued his case to Ola. “I am serious Madam. Lot of the guys from the factory that closed down last week are looking for work. Honest guys, I know. We can do this work for $50,000 and finish everything in 3 months. I can show you a scope of work.”
“Oh Lord,” the contractor said, standing back up and wiping a tear from his eye. “I thought I saw everything today. The drunk bastard and his army of drunks now knows how to do contract work.”
“Mister!” Ola shouted. “You will not use such rude language on my property.”
The contractor gulped, swallowing a mouthful of spit. “Sorry Ma. But, sometimes you have to laugh at these types of people. Beer can make people think all kinds of crazy things.”
Ola, intrigued by Howard's confident demeanor, considered the possibilities. She raised an eyebrow and looked from Howard to the contractor.
“Okay, here’s what I will do,” she said, crossing her arms. “Howard is correct about a scope of work. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. Both of you, give me a detailed scope of work for the renovation. I want specifics: what you'll do, the materials you'll use, the costs and…the timing. The one with the best plan gets the job.”
Howard broke into a wide grin, his face resembling that of an old man without dentures. The contractor, on the other hand, furrowed his brows, realizing this wasn’t a joke.
"Ma, I swear to you, my team has the professionalism and experience," the contractor began, trying to salvage the deal.
Howard, however, wasted no time to seize the moment. "Don't worry, Madam. I'll get it done. High-quality work at half the price. You'll see."
“Madam, please” the contractor said, clasping his hands together as if preparing to recite a prayer. “Please think this over. We are much more better for the jo—”
Ola shook her head. "You both have until tomorrow morning to submit your plans.”
With a final glance at both men, she turned and walked back towards her house. As she entered, she couldn't help but ponder the decision she had just made. Amidst the increasing demands to straighten out at her company and pending to-dos here at home, she wondered if she was wasting time on a whim: adding a homeless man to an already packed schedule.
“God, please don't let me regret this.”
Howard wasted no time in presenting his scope of work plan. That very evening, as Ola prepared to unwind with a warm bubble bath after finishing dinner, her houseboy, Isaac, delivered a document dropped off by him. Glancing at the stack of composition notebook papers folded, Ola couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head.
Initially, she entertained the thought of waiting until the following morning to review the document, anticipating to receive a quality presentation from the contractor by then. However, as she rose from the dining room table to retreat to her bath, her attention was drawn to the handwritten words in the center of the document's front page: "To: Madam" followed by "From: Howard S.," impeccably written in beautiful penmanship.
Intrigued, Ola settled back into her seat, unfolded the pages, and began to peruse. She was astounded by what she found. Howard's plan was nothing short of exceptional: meticulously detailed, with a clear timeline for each renovation task and precise costs outlined for materials and labor. Moreover, Howard had included intricate drawings illustrating the envisioned exterior of her house with the proposed new windows.
It was the most comprehensive and well-structured scope of work plan Ola had ever come across in all her dealings with contractors. Yet, what fascinated her even more was the penmanship—crisp, orderly, and elegant. It exuded a refinement reminiscent of the finest educational upbringing in their country. Surely, her eyes were not deceiving her. The question was lingering in her mind: was this something special?
As a CEO, Ola was always on the hunt for exceptional talent to work for her. Yet, she never anticipated finding such potential in the city streets. Still, her business mind cautioned: well-drawn out plans were meaningless without successful execution. She couldn’t get her hopes up unless she saw for herself Howard completing the job, and completing it well.
The next morning the contractor dropped off his scope of work plan. But Ola did not bother to look at it. Her mind was already well made up. She delivered the news to Howard, who couldn't stop smiling, revealing a gaping hole where rows of front teeth once resided.
The terms of the contract were set—verbally that is. A three-month work agreement included a payment plan of $50,000, divided into three installments scheduled for Howard and his team of former factory workers at the end of each month, contingent upon the successful completion of each renovation phase. Window replacement and installation concluded the first month, followed by new tiles at the end of the second month. The final touch of new paint, encompassing both interior and exterior surfaces, was set for the completion of the third month.
“Now Howard,” Ola began, standing in the courtyard of her home as the morning sun cast a warm glow. “If I catch you and your boys with any drunk foolishness or any foolishness, I will void our contract and not pay any of you a single penny.”
Howard lowered his head. "Yes, Madam. No foolishness. We'll get the job done right."
“Don’t think because we do not have a contract, that you can play with me. If there’s anything stupid happens, I will throw you all in jail and you will never see the sunlight. Understand?”
“Yes Madam.” Howard raised his head to meet Ola's gaze. A chilling shiver ran down his spine as he caught a glimpse of the callousness in her eyes, akin to the focused stare of a coiled black mamba poised to strike. One did not become one of the most successful business figures in their country by being tender-hearted, that’s for sure.
“Iron woman,” he thought.
Next Part 2 Preview:
“You must come from a well off family to afford such education.”
A shadow passed over Howard's face. "I did, Madam…My parents…they even paid my way through college…at MIT…Once upon a time."
/The Tragic Tale of Howard. A West African 9-Part Series short story about loss, second chance, betrayal and personal demons. By West African writer Josephine Dean/

The midday sun cast a warm glow over Ola's expansive yard as she stood, surveying her home. The lively wisteria climbed the walls, and the sweet scent of lilacs lingered in the air. The mansion, boasting 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms, was once a testament to grandeur, but now, the marks of time were evident—peeling white paint, cracked tiles and weather-worn and decaying wooden windows.
A confident voice sliced through the tranquil birdsong, drawing Ola’s attention. "We can do a great job with this place, Ma," the contractor, clad in a white shirt and worn-out but well-maintained denim overalls, proclaimed, gesturing towards the mansion.
Ola's piercing eyes assessed the man before her, his words hanging in the air like the scent of her garden. She had dealt with many contractors in the city before, each promising excellence but delivering varying degrees of disappointment. As the owner of a multimillion dollar IT company and a single mom at that, precision and reliability were virtues she valued dearly, virtues seemingly elusive in the realm of home renovations.
The contractor continued, listing the proposed renovations. "New floors, best-quality materials, and newest windows. Everything new, Ma," he said, smiling just as he practiced in front of the mirror this morning.
"How much?" Ola said, meeting the man's brown eyes directly.
"Ma, we can handle everything for $100,000 US."
"$100,000?"
"Yes, Ma," the contractor replied, grinning like the clown she had seen at a rodeo show whilst attending a business tech conference in Oklahoma.
Ola sighed. It was undeniably the highest quote she had ever received. However, after spending thousands dealing with numerous contractors, she didn't feel like negotiating for a lower price at this moment. As long as the man could complete the job to her satisfaction, the $100,000 seemed inconsequential. The contractor came highly recommended by a close business acquaintance, which added to her confidence in making the payment. Plus, she still had to fence her yard, a necessity to shield her private space from the prying eyes of nosy neighbors. The sooner renovations could be completed, the quicker she can tackle this looming need.
"Alpha," Ola called out from behind to a gray-haired man with freckles, who was leaning against the driver’s window of a sleek silver 4-door Mercedes.
“Yes Ma,” Alpha said, standing up straight.
“Get me my purse in the car,” Ola said.
As if someone slapped him on the butt, Alpha scurried to the mansion’s front door. “Annie! Annie! Bring Ma’s purs—”
“Alpha!” Ola yelled.
“Yes Bosslady!” Alpha shouted, abruptly turning around from the door.
“I said my purse is in the car. IN. THE. CAR. Leave Annie alone, she’s busy with her work.”
“Oh…sorry Ma.” With an invisible slap on his butt, Alpha hurried back to the car. “Oh, it’s not in the front seat. Maybe in back. Let us see here.”
Ola massaged her temples. The old man had been getting slower and slower as of late. Nevertheless, she appreciated his loyalty: 5 good years without any incident or stealing or using her cars as taxis for that matter. Still, at some point in time not too far, she realized she would eventually have to pay him his severance and bring in someone younger, more mentally sharp.
As she waited for Alpha to retrieve her purse, Ola glanced towards the corner of her yard. There from the paved street, emerged a disheveled figure. Howard, the drunkard who roamed the neighborhood, staggered into view. His clothes, large baggy black pants held together around the waist by a power cord as belt and used to be white t-shirt now covered in black stains and stretched out from the collar, clung to his dark-skinned and frail frame. His bald head was concealed under a tattered cap, while a lengthy and unkempt beard graced his wrinkled face.
"Good afternoon, Madam. Lovely day today, isn't it?" Howard greeted with a toothless smile, his words slurring.
Ola acknowledged him with a nod and friendly smile. Howard was a familiar sight in the neighborhood. She considered him harmless and, compared to the other homeless she had encountered, more refined. She also appreciated his politeness, good manners and proper way of speaking (though she questioned if it was all an act or might it be the alcohol talking).
Howard shuffled closer as the scent of alcohol clung to him, intermingling with the fragrance of the surrounding flowers. The contrast couldn't have been starker as he stood next to the taller and polished contractor, who then blocked his nostrils with upper lip and raised his head high.
“Thank you Alpha,” Ola said, taking the purse from her driver. As she fumbled inside the bag, the contractor lowered his head, focused his eyes on the potential client and decided to do some last minute selling to seal the deal.
“$100,000 US is all we need to get this place new. We will start on the tiles first, then paint and then windows. Should only take us 9 months.”
“Where’s that damn thing,” Ola mumbled, digging in her purse.
“9 months that’s all, Ma,” the contractor continued selling. “Once we get the—”
“Madam, $100,000 US is too high for that price,” Howard blurted out, causing Ola to look up from her purse.
Ola peered into Howard's eyes, half-expecting to find a glint of mischief or an April Fools joke. Yet, there was no trace of humor.
On the other hand, the contractor thought it was a joke, an offhand one at that, and did not pay no mind to Howard, choosing to continue his spiel. “Anyways Madam, once we get the payment, we can start work right away and—”
“Madam, I’m serious,” Howard said with an emphatic tone. “$100,000 is too high for that price. I can do that for half. I know a lot of factory guys—”
The contractor let out a roaring laugh, slapping his knees before bending down to clutch his stomach.
Ignoring the contractor, Howard continued his case to Ola. “I am serious Madam. Lot of the guys from the factory that closed down last week are looking for work. Honest guys, I know. We can do this work for $50,000 and finish everything in 3 months. I can show you a scope of work.”
“Oh Lord,” the contractor said, standing back up and wiping a tear from his eye. “I thought I saw everything today. The drunk bastard and his army of drunks now knows how to do contract work.”
“Mister!” Ola shouted. “You will not use such rude language on my property.”
The contractor gulped, swallowing a mouthful of spit. “Sorry Ma. But, sometimes you have to laugh at these types of people. Beer can make people think all kinds of crazy things.”
Ola, intrigued by Howard's confident demeanor, considered the possibilities. She raised an eyebrow and looked from Howard to the contractor.
“Okay, here’s what I will do,” she said, crossing her arms. “Howard is correct about a scope of work. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. Both of you, give me a detailed scope of work for the renovation. I want specifics: what you'll do, the materials you'll use, the costs and…the timing. The one with the best plan gets the job.”
Howard broke into a wide grin, his face resembling that of an old man without dentures. The contractor, on the other hand, furrowed his brows, realizing this wasn’t a joke.
"Ma, I swear to you, my team has the professionalism and experience," the contractor began, trying to salvage the deal.
Howard, however, wasted no time to seize the moment. "Don't worry, Madam. I'll get it done. High-quality work at half the price. You'll see."
“Madam, please” the contractor said, clasping his hands together as if preparing to recite a prayer. “Please think this over. We are much more better for the jo—”
Ola shook her head. "You both have until tomorrow morning to submit your plans.”
With a final glance at both men, she turned and walked back towards her house. As she entered, she couldn't help but ponder the decision she had just made. Amidst the increasing demands to straighten out at her company and pending to-dos here at home, she wondered if she was wasting time on a whim: adding a homeless man to an already packed schedule.
“God, please don't let me regret this.”
Howard wasted no time in presenting his scope of work plan. That very evening, as Ola prepared to unwind with a warm bubble bath after finishing dinner, her houseboy, Isaac, delivered a document dropped off by him. Glancing at the stack of composition notebook papers folded, Ola couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head.
Initially, she entertained the thought of waiting until the following morning to review the document, anticipating to receive a quality presentation from the contractor by then. However, as she rose from the dining room table to retreat to her bath, her attention was drawn to the handwritten words in the center of the document's front page: "To: Madam" followed by "From: Howard S.," impeccably written in beautiful penmanship.
Intrigued, Ola settled back into her seat, unfolded the pages, and began to peruse. She was astounded by what she found. Howard's plan was nothing short of exceptional: meticulously detailed, with a clear timeline for each renovation task and precise costs outlined for materials and labor. Moreover, Howard had included intricate drawings illustrating the envisioned exterior of her house with the proposed new windows.
It was the most comprehensive and well-structured scope of work plan Ola had ever come across in all her dealings with contractors. Yet, what fascinated her even more was the penmanship—crisp, orderly, and elegant. It exuded a refinement reminiscent of the finest educational upbringing in their country. Surely, her eyes were not deceiving her. The question was lingering in her mind: was this something special?
As a CEO, Ola was always on the hunt for exceptional talent to work for her. Yet, she never anticipated finding such potential in the city streets. Still, her business mind cautioned: well-drawn out plans were meaningless without successful execution. She couldn’t get her hopes up unless she saw for herself Howard completing the job, and completing it well.
The next morning the contractor dropped off his scope of work plan. But Ola did not bother to look at it. Her mind was already well made up. She delivered the news to Howard, who couldn't stop smiling, revealing a gaping hole where rows of front teeth once resided.
The terms of the contract were set—verbally that is. A three-month work agreement included a payment plan of $50,000, divided into three installments scheduled for Howard and his team of former factory workers at the end of each month, contingent upon the successful completion of each renovation phase. Window replacement and installation concluded the first month, followed by new tiles at the end of the second month. The final touch of new paint, encompassing both interior and exterior surfaces, was set for the completion of the third month.
“Now Howard,” Ola began, standing in the courtyard of her home as the morning sun cast a warm glow. “If I catch you and your boys with any drunk foolishness or any foolishness, I will void our contract and not pay any of you a single penny.”
Howard lowered his head. "Yes, Madam. No foolishness. We'll get the job done right."
“Don’t think because we do not have a contract, that you can play with me. If there’s anything stupid happens, I will throw you all in jail and you will never see the sunlight. Understand?”
“Yes Madam.” Howard raised his head to meet Ola's gaze. A chilling shiver ran down his spine as he caught a glimpse of the callousness in her eyes, akin to the focused stare of a coiled black mamba poised to strike. One did not become one of the most successful business figures in their country by being tender-hearted, that’s for sure.
“Iron woman,” he thought.
Next Part 2 Preview:
“You must come from a well off family to afford such education.”
A shadow passed over Howard's face. "I did, Madam…My parents…they even paid my way through college…at MIT…Once upon a time."
/The Tragic Tale of Howard. A West African 9-Part Series short story about loss, second chance, betrayal and personal demons. By West African writer Josephine Dean/

The midday sun cast a warm glow over Ola's expansive yard as she stood, surveying her home. The lively wisteria climbed the walls, and the sweet scent of lilacs lingered in the air. The mansion, boasting 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms, was once a testament to grandeur, but now, the marks of time were evident—peeling white paint, cracked tiles and weather-worn and decaying wooden windows.
A confident voice sliced through the tranquil birdsong, drawing Ola’s attention. "We can do a great job with this place, Ma," the contractor, clad in a white shirt and worn-out but well-maintained denim overalls, proclaimed, gesturing towards the mansion.
Ola's piercing eyes assessed the man before her, his words hanging in the air like the scent of her garden. She had dealt with many contractors in the city before, each promising excellence but delivering varying degrees of disappointment. As the owner of a multimillion dollar IT company and a single mom at that, precision and reliability were virtues she valued dearly, virtues seemingly elusive in the realm of home renovations.
The contractor continued, listing the proposed renovations. "New floors, best-quality materials, and newest windows. Everything new, Ma," he said, smiling just as he practiced in front of the mirror this morning.
"How much?" Ola said, meeting the man's brown eyes directly.
"Ma, we can handle everything for $100,000 US."
"$100,000?"
"Yes, Ma," the contractor replied, grinning like the clown she had seen at a rodeo show whilst attending a business tech conference in Oklahoma.
Ola sighed. It was undeniably the highest quote she had ever received. However, after spending thousands dealing with numerous contractors, she didn't feel like negotiating for a lower price at this moment. As long as the man could complete the job to her satisfaction, the $100,000 seemed inconsequential. The contractor came highly recommended by a close business acquaintance, which added to her confidence in making the payment. Plus, she still had to fence her yard, a necessity to shield her private space from the prying eyes of nosy neighbors. The sooner renovations could be completed, the quicker she can tackle this looming need.
"Alpha," Ola called out from behind to a gray-haired man with freckles, who was leaning against the driver’s window of a sleek silver 4-door Mercedes.
“Yes Ma,” Alpha said, standing up straight.
“Get me my purse in the car,” Ola said.
As if someone slapped him on the butt, Alpha scurried to the mansion’s front door. “Annie! Annie! Bring Ma’s purs—”
“Alpha!” Ola yelled.
“Yes Bosslady!” Alpha shouted, abruptly turning around from the door.
“I said my purse is in the car. IN. THE. CAR. Leave Annie alone, she’s busy with her work.”
“Oh…sorry Ma.” With an invisible slap on his butt, Alpha hurried back to the car. “Oh, it’s not in the front seat. Maybe in back. Let us see here.”
Ola massaged her temples. The old man had been getting slower and slower as of late. Nevertheless, she appreciated his loyalty: 5 good years without any incident or stealing or using her cars as taxis for that matter. Still, at some point in time not too far, she realized she would eventually have to pay him his severance and bring in someone younger, more mentally sharp.
As she waited for Alpha to retrieve her purse, Ola glanced towards the corner of her yard. There from the paved street, emerged a disheveled figure. Howard, the drunkard who roamed the neighborhood, staggered into view. His clothes, large baggy black pants held together around the waist by a power cord as belt and used to be white t-shirt now covered in black stains and stretched out from the collar, clung to his dark-skinned and frail frame. His bald head was concealed under a tattered cap, while a lengthy and unkempt beard graced his wrinkled face.
"Good afternoon, Madam. Lovely day today, isn't it?" Howard greeted with a toothless smile, his words slurring.
Ola acknowledged him with a nod and friendly smile. Howard was a familiar sight in the neighborhood. She considered him harmless and, compared to the other homeless she had encountered, more refined. She also appreciated his politeness, good manners and proper way of speaking (though she questioned if it was all an act or might it be the alcohol talking).
Howard shuffled closer as the scent of alcohol clung to him, intermingling with the fragrance of the surrounding flowers. The contrast couldn't have been starker as he stood next to the taller and polished contractor, who then blocked his nostrils with upper lip and raised his head high.
“Thank you Alpha,” Ola said, taking the purse from her driver. As she fumbled inside the bag, the contractor lowered his head, focused his eyes on the potential client and decided to do some last minute selling to seal the deal.
“$100,000 US is all we need to get this place new. We will start on the tiles first, then paint and then windows. Should only take us 9 months.”
“Where’s that damn thing,” Ola mumbled, digging in her purse.
“9 months that’s all, Ma,” the contractor continued selling. “Once we get the—”
“Madam, $100,000 US is too high for that price,” Howard blurted out, causing Ola to look up from her purse.
Ola peered into Howard's eyes, half-expecting to find a glint of mischief or an April Fools joke. Yet, there was no trace of humor.
On the other hand, the contractor thought it was a joke, an offhand one at that, and did not pay no mind to Howard, choosing to continue his spiel. “Anyways Madam, once we get the payment, we can start work right away and—”
“Madam, I’m serious,” Howard said with an emphatic tone. “$100,000 is too high for that price. I can do that for half. I know a lot of factory guys—”
The contractor let out a roaring laugh, slapping his knees before bending down to clutch his stomach.
Ignoring the contractor, Howard continued his case to Ola. “I am serious Madam. Lot of the guys from the factory that closed down last week are looking for work. Honest guys, I know. We can do this work for $50,000 and finish everything in 3 months. I can show you a scope of work.”
“Oh Lord,” the contractor said, standing back up and wiping a tear from his eye. “I thought I saw everything today. The drunk bastard and his army of drunks now knows how to do contract work.”
“Mister!” Ola shouted. “You will not use such rude language on my property.”
The contractor gulped, swallowing a mouthful of spit. “Sorry Ma. But, sometimes you have to laugh at these types of people. Beer can make people think all kinds of crazy things.”
Ola, intrigued by Howard's confident demeanor, considered the possibilities. She raised an eyebrow and looked from Howard to the contractor.
“Okay, here’s what I will do,” she said, crossing her arms. “Howard is correct about a scope of work. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. Both of you, give me a detailed scope of work for the renovation. I want specifics: what you'll do, the materials you'll use, the costs and…the timing. The one with the best plan gets the job.”
Howard broke into a wide grin, his face resembling that of an old man without dentures. The contractor, on the other hand, furrowed his brows, realizing this wasn’t a joke.
"Ma, I swear to you, my team has the professionalism and experience," the contractor began, trying to salvage the deal.
Howard, however, wasted no time to seize the moment. "Don't worry, Madam. I'll get it done. High-quality work at half the price. You'll see."
“Madam, please” the contractor said, clasping his hands together as if preparing to recite a prayer. “Please think this over. We are much more better for the jo—”
Ola shook her head. "You both have until tomorrow morning to submit your plans.”
With a final glance at both men, she turned and walked back towards her house. As she entered, she couldn't help but ponder the decision she had just made. Amidst the increasing demands to straighten out at her company and pending to-dos here at home, she wondered if she was wasting time on a whim: adding a homeless man to an already packed schedule.
“God, please don't let me regret this.”
Howard wasted no time in presenting his scope of work plan. That very evening, as Ola prepared to unwind with a warm bubble bath after finishing dinner, her houseboy, Isaac, delivered a document dropped off by him. Glancing at the stack of composition notebook papers folded, Ola couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head.
Initially, she entertained the thought of waiting until the following morning to review the document, anticipating to receive a quality presentation from the contractor by then. However, as she rose from the dining room table to retreat to her bath, her attention was drawn to the handwritten words in the center of the document's front page: "To: Madam" followed by "From: Howard S.," impeccably written in beautiful penmanship.
Intrigued, Ola settled back into her seat, unfolded the pages, and began to peruse. She was astounded by what she found. Howard's plan was nothing short of exceptional: meticulously detailed, with a clear timeline for each renovation task and precise costs outlined for materials and labor. Moreover, Howard had included intricate drawings illustrating the envisioned exterior of her house with the proposed new windows.
It was the most comprehensive and well-structured scope of work plan Ola had ever come across in all her dealings with contractors. Yet, what fascinated her even more was the penmanship—crisp, orderly, and elegant. It exuded a refinement reminiscent of the finest educational upbringing in their country. Surely, her eyes were not deceiving her. The question was lingering in her mind: was this something special?
As a CEO, Ola was always on the hunt for exceptional talent to work for her. Yet, she never anticipated finding such potential in the city streets. Still, her business mind cautioned: well-drawn out plans were meaningless without successful execution. She couldn’t get her hopes up unless she saw for herself Howard completing the job, and completing it well.
The next morning the contractor dropped off his scope of work plan. But Ola did not bother to look at it. Her mind was already well made up. She delivered the news to Howard, who couldn't stop smiling, revealing a gaping hole where rows of front teeth once resided.
The terms of the contract were set—verbally that is. A three-month work agreement included a payment plan of $50,000, divided into three installments scheduled for Howard and his team of former factory workers at the end of each month, contingent upon the successful completion of each renovation phase. Window replacement and installation concluded the first month, followed by new tiles at the end of the second month. The final touch of new paint, encompassing both interior and exterior surfaces, was set for the completion of the third month.
“Now Howard,” Ola began, standing in the courtyard of her home as the morning sun cast a warm glow. “If I catch you and your boys with any drunk foolishness or any foolishness, I will void our contract and not pay any of you a single penny.”
Howard lowered his head. "Yes, Madam. No foolishness. We'll get the job done right."
“Don’t think because we do not have a contract, that you can play with me. If there’s anything stupid happens, I will throw you all in jail and you will never see the sunlight. Understand?”
“Yes Madam.” Howard raised his head to meet Ola's gaze. A chilling shiver ran down his spine as he caught a glimpse of the callousness in her eyes, akin to the focused stare of a coiled black mamba poised to strike. One did not become one of the most successful business figures in their country by being tender-hearted, that’s for sure.
“Iron woman,” he thought.
Next Part 2 Preview:
“You must come from a well off family to afford such education.”
A shadow passed over Howard's face. "I did, Madam…My parents…they even paid my way through college…at MIT…Once upon a time."
/The Tragic Tale of Howard. A West African 9-Part Series short story about loss, second chance, betrayal and personal demons. By West African writer Josephine Dean/

I've used a couple of the passage walk-through resources (where they read through an actual AAMC or third-party passage, and then answer the questions while describing their specific logic and thought processes) both to get a general feel for how to approach MCAT questions and to understand why I missed a particular question. However, I can't help but feel that most of these walk-throughs have to be BS, they're phoned-in.
A lot of them give the impression that they read through the correct answers first, and then developed an explanation around the answer that they again already knew was correct, instead of going through the passage like a real test-taker and answering the questions without the correct answers.
You can really tell this is the case when a lot of these resources don't really provide any additional explanation beyond the explanation provided by the AAMC or other resource (showing that they didn't have any unique approach to the right answer), or especially, when the only reasons they give to cross out the other answers are that "they feel weird."
I'm especially peeved about this because I feel like the alternative – actually taking the test and missing some questions and then reviewing all, including the missed, questions – would actually be so much more helpful. It would help the readers/viewers understand possible incorrect thought processes that they should try to avoid, or clarify ambiguous topics. Most of all, I think it would reset expectations, that it is okay to miss questions, especially when you're taking practice problems.
And this may be superficial, but to further reinforce my point, I've seen these types of walk-throughs be presented by people who scored in the 510-ish range. Not trying to knock on your score, but with that score, it almost necessitates that you missed one or two questions in a given passage. At this point, it almost feels like they're trying to feign expertise.
Do you guys have any of your own examples, or am I just going crazy?

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VANCOUVER, BC / TheNewswire / April 23, 2024 – Element79 Gold Corp. (CSE: ELEM) (OTC: ELMGF) (FSE: 7YS0) ("Element79", the "Company”) reports additional results from the most recent underground and surface sampling of its flagship Lucero property.
These geochemical assays of exploration samples continue to support the immense potential housed within Element 79’s crown jewel.
“The data obtained is not just promising; it's the cornerstone upon which our future endeavors will be built,” said James Tworek, CEO of Element 79. “These recent results coupled with historical data represent the bedrock upon which we are advancing our Lucero project.”
Among a total of 97 samples were sent for assays, 56 of which returned greater than 0.1 g/t gold (up to 8.55 g/t gold and 523 g/t silver) which are shown in Table 1. Several samples also were also rich in base metals (up to 23.7% lead and 9.9% zinc), all of which underscores the richness of our project further supporting the Company’s belief a robust resource base can be delineated.
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Figure 1. Fall 2023 Sample locations (yellow stars), mapped workings (crosses), with selected Samples highlighted.
Table 1. Samples returning >0.1 g/t gold from the fall 2023 sampling program, C (channel sample), G (grab sample), S (surface), U (underground).
​
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https://preview.redd.it/pne479r782yc1.png?width=1297&format=png&auto=webp&s=3e564ce28a98dd0af2e243c1b173574f7783bc35
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All Samples were sent for To CERTIMIN S.A. Laboratories, Lima, Peru for analysis. Standards and duplicates were inserted every 10th samples.
Recent data from assay results is pivotal for Element 79. Firstly, it will serve as the foundation for the Company’s resource development and future mine planning. These reports are both essential steps the mine evaluation process and highlights crucial milestones in demonstrating the project's viability.
Secondly, this data will inform the direction of the Company’s upcoming 2024 drill program, which will be guided by a 3D modelling of both geology and historic mine workings, designed to maximize efficiency and accuracy. The 3D model will harness the comprehensive dataset that has been amassed, including historic data compilation from the past-producing era leading up to 2005, current surface and underground geochemistry, review and channel sampling of underground workings, mapping (both underground and surface), geophysical surveys, as well as cross-sectional and longitudinal interpretations.
Tworek continues: “This data helps to prove from a methodical and unbiased perspective where both the ore “is” as much as where the ore “isn’t”. When modelled in conjunction with past sampling data and historical production data, this proves that the current underground addits and open veins as well as their surface level expressions are strong economically, where future exploration and drilling campaigns will highlight where we will focus for ore extraction.“
As the Element79 team moves forward, its confidence is both in the skill and experience of its team as well as the continued positive results its work programs have yielded. The Company’s mission is to maximize shareholder value through continued development of the Lucero project, by bringing it back into commercial production, in a safe, ethical, sustainable and profitable fashion.
Qualified Person
The technical information in this release has been reviewed and verified by Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P. Geo., Director of Element79 Gold and a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101.
About Element79 Gold Corp.
Element79 Gold is a mining company focused on gold and silver committed to maximizing shareholder value through responsible mining practices and sustainable development of its projects. Element79 Gold's focus is on developing its past-producing, high-grade gold and silver mine, the Lucero project located in Arequipa, Peru, with the intent to restart production in 2024.
The Company also holds a portfolio of 5 properties along the Battle Mountain trend in Nevada, with the Clover and West Whistler projects believed to have significant potential for near-term resource development. Three properties in the Battle Mountain Portfolio are under contract for sale to Valdo Minerals Ltd., with an anticipated closing date in the first half of 2024. The Company has also signed an Option Agreement to sell the Maverick Springs project, an advanced-stage exploratory property with an Inferred Resource of 3.71MMoz AuEq (1.37MMoz Au and 175MMoz Ag) (see 43-101 technical report titled: Amended Technical Report on the Maverick Springs Project, Nevada, USA, by Allan Armitage, PhD., P.Geo, and Rohan Millar, B.Sc. P.Geo., dated October 7, 2022, available on SEDAR) and anticipates completing this sale on or before July 21, 2024.
In British Columbia, Element79 Gold has executed a Letter of Intent and funded a drilling program to acquire a private company that holds the option to 100% interest of the Snowbird High-Grade Gold Project, which consists of 10 mineral claims located in Central British Columbia, approximately 20km west of Fort St. James.
The Company has an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Dale Property, 90 unpatented mining claims located approximately 100 km southwest of Timmins, Ontario, and has recently announced that it has transferred this project to its wholly owned subsidiary, Synergy Metals Corp, and is advancing through the Plan of Arrangement spin-out process.
For more information about the Company, please visit www.element79.gold
Contact Information
For corporate matters, please contact:
James C. Tworek, Chief Executive Officer
E-mail: [jt@element79gold.com](mailto:jt@element79gold.com)
For investor relations inquiries, please contact:
Investor Relations Department
Phone: +1.403.850.8050
E-mail: [investors@element79.gold](mailto:investors@element79.gold)