I'm super introverted and shy.. (I joke all the time I got it from my Mom, it's all her fault >_<). I even built my current car because she used to own my car brand new stock back in 1995. On the plus side, I'm an open book, so feel free to talk about literally anything with me!
Politically I'm a Democrat. Religiously I'm an Atheist. (I grew up Catholic, converted to Christianity, now an Atheist. But you can believe whatever you want.) Ironically my Step Dad is a Pastor. So you can say I know the Bible pretty well.
Physically, I'm 5'10', Asian (Filipino) always shave my facial hair, 194lbs, dad bod. My goal is to lose my stubborn belly fat via running. Working on getting my arms toned with dumbbell workouts.
I'm a huge car enthusiast. Grew up watching an anime called "Initial D", that started my love for underpowered Japanese cars, purely because going around a corner is more interesting than who has the most money spent on a car in a straight line. The first Fast and Furious and Tokyo Drift, pretty much insured I was obsessed with modified cars. I could have bought a new $30K car soo many times (was eyeing a Manual Subaru Brz) but I knew it would be stock for a longg time if I did, I'd rather have an old super modified car. Needless to say, if your into cars, I'll probably fall for you fairly quickly.
What makes me a nerd? Well I have a high end custom built PC with 5 monitors. (Check my Twitch/IG if your curious.) Nothing on my setup is cheap. And of course I have all the consoles. And a LG C1 120htz OLED 55' TV, with a surround sound system. (Sound bar, and rear speakers). I even sit on a $1700 Herman-Miller-X-Logitech-G Embody Gaming Chair. I also have a "Budget" Asus Rog 17.3' Gaming Laptop with a 4070 and 32GB RAM. Ironically I never use my laptop for gaming. I just want my portable setup when I travel to be almost as quick and snappy as my PC setup. (I even have 2 portable Asus Rog 17.3 Monitors).
I prefer Marvel over DC, but I watch both! I'm one of the rare few who didn't hate the ending of Game of Thrones... I haven't watched House of the Dragon yet.
Gaming wise, I have a huge ~70 Game backlog (not including PC) that I already know I will never make a dent on unless I win a Poker Tournament and am able to not work anymore. But competitive wise, it will always be the latest Halo game. I used to compete in LAN tournaments back in the day. I definitely want to compete one more time before I hit 30yrs old. If I have free time I'm always tired, would rather just watch Twitch/YouTube. But I'm about 5 hours into Hogwarts Legacy. #RavenClaw
Before that, I was almost done beating the Mass Effect 3 remake on Insanity. (1 more priority mission before endgame!)
And of course I love racing games! On every Forza, I always make sure all the simulation settings are turned on. (I have a Thrustmaster Steering Wheel w/Shifter setup). And I always build my IRL car in game (same mods and power), and always drive it instead when possible.
What I am I looking for? Well aside from a serious relationship, obviously mutual attraction is important. So definitely be HWP, but being a little chubby is fine, just not obese. Age range is 18-42. When I was 21 I dated a 26yr old, and when I was 26 I dated a 20 yr old. If we vibe, then we vibe. I assume if your replying to this post, we have similar interests?
Location wise, I live in East Elmhurst, NY (5mins away from LGA Airport). Because I have a car, I'm willing to travel for the right person. (Car can't handle rain, or if your super far away, it can't handle hot weather (aka 80 °F due to over heating). Probably 2 hours drive is my max. Another Con, is because it has Track Suspension, you will feel every - single - bump - on the road. Basically I love Long Island because the roads are perfect and I won't break my car.
Random facts about me I couldn't put in my neat paragraphs:
I used to watch The Bachelo The Bachelorette religiously, so I consider myself a hopeless romantic.
Love Is Blind is in my Watch List in Netflix, only watched Season 1.
Clingy doesn't scare me off.
Attempting to grow my IG thru reels.
Saving for the labor costs to install my $3k Seibon Carbon Fiber Doors. I was quoted $2K minimum alone to install the doors due it not being a perfect fit, and fabrication needs to be done. I plan to do this July 2024. (And save at least $6K.)
Studied 2 years of Aeronautical Engineering at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology (Can't afford to finish..)
I personally hate texting, rather get to know someone on a first date. Ironic as an introvert, ik.
Will be in Las Vegas June 4-12 for a Poker Tournament (WSOP).
Anyways if you made it this far, takes for reading my post. Let's chat for a bit and go on a date! (Please don't just say "Hey". A pic would be appreciated also. )

So, as the title suggests, this is my idea for the Indigo Park Timeline and Lore, including the time before, and the game's events. This will be one of three parts due to character limitations, this part dealing with the time before the events of the game.
BEFORE THE GAME
So, this game is clearly based loosely on Disney, if it wasn't obvious enough: a man by the name of Isaac Indigo opening Indigo Park (Walt Disney, Disney World, self-explanatory), starting out with cartoons in the early 1900s.
Mr. Isaac Indigo started out his business ventures in the cartoon sphere, specifically with Lloydford L. Lion, or more commonly known as Lloyd the Lion. The reason that it's Lloyd specifically, and not anyone else, can be seen when interacting with the Retro Lloyd Plush, both from the protagonist and Rambley the Raccoon, the modern day representative of Indigo Park.
Protagonist in regard to the Retro Lloyd Plush: "Lloyd obviously had an older look in the classic Indigo cartoons, but I'm not sure it looked like this. I guess nostalgia sells..."
Rambley AI in regard to the Retro Lloyd Plush: "Ugh...I don't get why we even have those. And why did they only make one of LLOYD? Is it because he's the loudest? I CAN BE LOUD TOO! WHERE'S MY LIMITED-EDITION THROWBACK PLUSH?! WHERE'S MOLLIE'S? WHERE'S FINLEY'S?"
Protagonist in regard to the Lloyd Plush: “I feel like as a kid, Indigo used Loyd a lot more.”
If it wasn't obvious enough by Rambley's rather frustrated demeanor regarding the plush, only Lloyd received this sort of plush, while none of the others received such a collectible. Well, it's possible Salem the Skunk received one, since Rambley didn't mention her, but that might be more representative of his intense dislike for Salem, something that will be discussed down the line. Another thing to note is that this plush does not look like the original Lloyd Lion, which is a detail I will discuss in depth towards the end.
Anyways, over the years, the other mascots we know and love, Mollie the Macaw, Finley the Sea Serpent, Salem the Skunk, and Rambley the Raccoon are added. I would like to put forth the idea that Mollie, Salem, and Rambley were all added in the same general time period, thanks to the Rambley Rush Arcade Game.
The quick rundown of the game is thus: Mollie Macaw crashes somewhere in the depths of Rambleberry Woods, and Rambley goes to find her. Along the way, he must jump across rivers and pits, collecting Rambleberries, and stomping upon evil purple squirrels, eventually reaching Mollie, who is still near her crashed plane. When she gets up, she claims that she crashed because her vision became rapidly obscured, at which point Salem Skunk appears and takes credit for that, claiming that she needed better test subjects for her potions than a bunch of squirrels. Infecting Mollie with the potion, Salem flees, not before Rambley and Salem exchange some barbs. Rambley eventually knocks Mollie out by stomping on her a few times, and the game glitches and crashes.
This arcade game is important for several reasons, one of which is that it introduces us to the dynamic that Rambley and Salem have: one of enemies, different than with Lloyd, because Rambley is merely jealous of the fact that Lloyd came before him, and was the main character for a long period of time. There is also the fact that Salem's area in the Rambley Railroad is completely destroyed. Not even Lloyd's area is so damaged.
From my basic understanding of early black and white television, based on the Chapter 1 opening cutscene of Isaac Indigo, Indigo Park opens somewhere in the 1940s to 1950s, as the grainy, blurry footage and somewhat muffled audio is reminiscent of such times. All sorts of rides and attractions are available for families to explore, such as Rambley's Railway, Jetstream Junction, Oceanic Odyssey, and Lloyd's Main Stage Theater. Again, interesting to note that Salem doesn't have such an area dedicated to her, though that might just be a way of putting off that area for later in the game. People in costumes (note, not called Mascots themselves, as I will use the term to address the replacements of these costumes) roam about the place, likely acting like modern day Disney Cast Members do today, interacting with guests in character.
After a long period of time, and possibly into the early 2000s, the focus is drawn away from Lloyd and onto Rambley, and specifically after the park was open, and not before, because in that same commercial that I dated to approximately the 1940s or 50s, the front gates are decorated with artwork of Lloyd, which is different than in game, where the Lloyd artwork has been replaced by art of Rambley. The reasoning for this is unclear, though I do have a few speculations. It is noted, both by the Rambley AI and the protagonist when interacting with the limited Golden Rambley Plush, that the idea is kind of cheap.
Protagonist: "So wait. They were so money hungry that they just recolored a regular Rambley plush and called it a new product? Kinda lazy don't you think?"
Rambley AI: "... Seriously, our employees had to clean up SO many stray teeth and nails. Hard to believe that there was all this demand for a regular Rambley Plush we blasted with gold spray paint..."
The idea of cutting corners and lowering costs comes up a fair bit. This might be the reason that they swapped main characters, after all: it's easier to animate a cute, small raccoon with a bandana than a large lion in a full on suit. This might also be the reason that the park transitions from costumed staff members, or "Ranglers", to Mascots.
Another reason for the change could have been growing awareness of animal welfare issues at the time, with many circuses and zoos facing criticism for how they treated their animals, lions and elephants specifically, and is an issue that is still ongoing, so perhaps Indigo Park didn't want the negative press to come to them, so they swapped. However, it is important to note that these are purely my speculations, and no concrete reason for the swap was ever introduced in Chapter 1 (to my knowledge).
A third possible reason could be in reference to what Indigo Park represented, at least in the time that it was built. According to Isaac Indigo:
Isaac Indigo, giving a press conference outside Indigo Park: “Indigo Park offers a slice of the American dream to call your own. In this place, echoes of days gone are brought back to life as a new generation captures a glimpse of the exciting potential of Tomorrow. Indigo Park pays homage to the values, dreams, and unwavering truths that gave rise to our great nation.”
Let’s take a step back. Remember how I dated the opening of Indigo Park to the 1940s or 1950s? If that was true, that means that Indigo Park opened in the shadow of the Second World War, the deadliest human conflict ever recorded, with a death toll of over 50 million people, both soldier and civilian. After the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, it was eventually public knowledge that the USA still decided to drop the second one, even after Imperial Japan had surrendered after the first one had been cast.
It's entirely possible that Indigo Park was, in some way, propaganda. Think about it, Lloyd the Lion was the mascot. And what do lions represent? Strength, power, unity, leadership. Lloyd could have been a symbol to the American people that proclaimed themselves as leaders, people who thought of the future, while trying to sideline the negative press the USA received.
After a while, however, there was no need to justify their victory. People, for the most part, accepted their victory, and as the world headed into a Cold War, there was no need to justify themselves; many people were afraid of the Communists, the Red, and the influence it may have. Clearly, the USA and its allies were the good guys. Communism was a threat to democracy, everyone knew that! So there was a switch to a more child friendly character, Rambley, as the main man himself.
That might also explain why the retro plushie doesn’t look like how Lloyd did in the old cartoons, as stated explicitly by the protagonist; perhaps that older Lloyd was more mature, older, and signified some much darker. There’s no need to stir up bad memories of WW2, so they changed his design to be softer, younger, much more unassuming.
The Protagonist, regarding the Retro Lloyd Plushie: “I always find it weird when companies make merch that’s supposed to look old. Lloyd obviously had an older look in the classic Indigo cartoons, but I’m not sure Lloyd looked like this.”
There’s also a case to be made that Disney also participated in some good old propaganda of their own, mocking Nazi Germany and their ideals.
Now, disregarding politics, because that thing is a minefield to safely navigate, this is just my theory. I am not trying to radicalize the game, and if you hate this theory, you can go about ignoring it! I personally don’t think it’s the correct answer, just a potential answer.
Another change that soon occurred was the change from costumed "Ranglers" to living, breathing, flesh and bones Mascots, introduced to us in the Rambley AI interaction with the Rambley mask.
Rambley AI, playing an old tape in the database in regard to the costumes: "First Person - Hey Jackson! You hear about the new mascots? Jackson - Yeah, you think it will put us out of a job? First Person - I think so, Old Sport, and right after we got this damn raccoon costume."
An important note to this is that this interaction is considered an Easter Egg to a FNAF fan game called Dayshift at Freddy's, alongside some other references such as the Golden Rambley being a reference to Golden Freddy, and the Poodle Plush being a reference to another FNAF fan game Playtime with Percy. Despite this, these items seem to carry a bit of significant lore in them, something that I think is an interesting way of hiding it. It opens up the possibility to state that it should be disregarded, since it's supposed to be an Easter Egg to something else, but I don't think so.
This quote makes me think that the switch from costumes to Mascots happened quite early on in Indigo Park's lifetime, considering it's said that the Mascots should appear quite soon after the introduction of the costumes, perhaps yet another clue that Indigo Park was looking to cut costs. After all, why pay people when you can have Mascots roaming about, doing just the same, if not better, of a job?
And everything seems to be going fine for quite a while. The protagonist notes several times that his family, and especially his mother and himself, were avid fans of the place and characters, his mother liking Mollie Macaw the most, while the protagonist favored a few, such as Lloyd the Lion, while disliking Finley due to his large size, which was revealed when interacting with a few different collectibles.
When the protagonist interacts with the Lloyd the Lion plush: "I feel like as a kid, Indigo used Lloyd a lot more. He was always one of my favorites."
When the protagonist interacts with the Mollie the Macaw plush: "I remember when my mom took us to the parks one summer. Her favorite was always Mollie, so when they first opened new Mollie Meet & Greet in Jetstream Junction, we were some of the first in line."
When the protagonist interacts with the Rambley Ears: "My dad promised me he'd buy me a pair when we went."
When the protagonist interacts with the Souvenir Rambley Cup: "When I was a kid they used to have free unlimited refills on those things. I once drank so much Bird Up that I got sick and threw up while riding Rooftop Races. That poor kid behind me..."
Anyways, we got the point: the family went there often and were huge fans of the park. What could go wrong?
Well, apparently a huge evacuation and closure of the park with no explanation whatsoever, to the point where the authorities also were not able give any reasoning or answers.
This comes from the newspaper we see in the beginning cutscene, after the old video of Isaac Indigo introducing Indigo Park. So, let's theorize a bit. Out of everything in the park, what could possibly lead to such a drastic evacuation of a place so well loved? Oh, I don't know, maybe the killer Mascots that try to kill you in Chapter 1 ...
What isn't so clear is what happened to them. Clearly, they were well behaved and safe to be around, even for small children, as the park remained open for 50 years (minimum) without issue, and almost as long with the actual mascots themselves. Obviously, they went rogue, as can be seen when the protagonist has to run away from Lloyd the Lion's attempts to attack and have the Rambley AI save the protagonist from the Mollie the Macaw by killing the Mascot with a metal door. I don't think it had to do with resources such as food, since the Mascots remained by themselves in the park for 2920 days, exactly eight years, and only seemed feral. Besides that, we see a bunch of vendor stations and a few cafes, still with food in them. Moldy, perhaps, and expired, but there's still food. There's also water (possibly) available in those self serve drinking fountains. The last time the park was operational was October 7th, 20XX (with the exact year being a mystery), and the reason I say operational is because of an announcement seen on one of the Rangler monitors in the reception area.
Announcement: "Attention Ranglers. The date is October 7th, 20XX. Charge guests the SATURDAY pricing indicated in your Rookie Rangler Handbook! Thanks! - Management."
What jumps out immediately is the way Saturday is so bold. So, what can we assume? The last operational day we have knowledge of was Saturday, October 7th, somewhere in the 2000s. Unless this is the future (which we have no reason to believe), we can assume this Saturday occurred somewhere between 2000 and 2023 (2023 and not 2024 because the creator, in a livestream, ended up giving a vague message of the game taking place in 2023). Looking up old calendars and looking specifically for an October 7th that lands on a Saturday reveals a couple potential years: 2000, 2006, and 2023. We can discount 2023, as we know the park was closed for 8 years. I did try to find a date on those three monitors the protagonist uses in the opening cutscene, but only found the time, 7:32 pm. Unfortunately, Harmony, a knock off of Discord (antonyms) also doesn't have a date, or even a time, for that matter. And besides, we know that we're the first actual person to visit in quite some time. So, we're left with 2000, and 2006. Assuming this game takes place in 2024, I have a feeling the year it closed is actually 2006.
First foremost because of the Rambley AI. Having AI Rambley be as advanced as he is makes it seem like the park was closed in 2023, but again, there is no evidence to say the game takes place in the future. And AI's back in 2000s and 2010s eras were good, but nothing like we have today. They were capable of basic object identification, and navigation, but the capabilities were limited, compared to today. And in 2000, it was much more basic. Image recognition consisted of identifying edges. That's it. Edges, not distinct features, and even then, the accuracy was pretty bad. At the time, AI was mainly used for data retrieval and predictive modeling, mostly for things like language translation, text classification, and such. They were basically office assistants.
Of course, that's assuming that the AI was introduced back then. It is entirely possible, and likely plausible, that the AI was introduced later. After all, the park may have closed, but Ranglers were still visiting the place as late as 2015, which was the last time the AI Rambley notes an actual person arrived. So, if that's true, then I am still not too sure as to which of the two years the park closed.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. And the present of the game and my conclusions shall be posted in separate posts, as there is a 40k character limit. Leave any theories of your own in the comments, and I'll be happy to theorize regarding and questions or concerns yall have!

FAIR WARNING THIS WILL BE A WALL OF TEXT
Intro: In a series of reviews that will begin (or return) here; we are going to try and take a critical look at the Chuck series, especially the unfolding of the story as scene through the teleplay. In this case we are assuming multiple things about a potential watcher:

• The watcher is new to the series and does not know about future episodes, but there is an expectation any previous episodes have been watched.
• I will try not to point information out that becomes important for later episodes, though there may be times it's important because of how episodes are filmed and how episodes string together, I will however try and hide these behind a spoiler tag. I say this as a person who has watched Chuck dozens of times, so if I inadvertently spoiler, sorry.
• I will do my best to point out interesting references that are hidden within the Chuck universe, but not at the expense of extended expositions unless in-depth analysis is necessary as it relates to the scene.

What is this all for: This started as a project to improve my critical reviewing skills for a hobby of movie script writing and analysis. Chuck happens to have published 3 original scripts and all the text of every episode has been published to a searchable database. This affords an opportunity to break from my movie writing woes and infinite revisions to just have fun enjoying Chuck and trying to deepen my understanding of the intersection of script writing with filmography and visual editing. Having said this, it should be known I have no affiliation to the show, no additional insider knowledge, and I do not write scripts for a living. So, consequently, feel free to ignore everything I say :). I do hope, however, we can go on this journey together and appreciate the excellence that is a love story called Chuck.
So, don't freak out, and lets get started.
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Chuck 01x04 (Chuck vs the Wookiee): TEASER - We open with the gang playing "Know Ya!", which isn't actually a real board game, but based on the game Paddles. It's amazing that Morgan can't stand Ellie/Awesome being in love/winning, but marches triumphantly whenever he gets a question correct. I also like we see, in frame, Chuck watching Sarah pick off olives; he's beginning to notice things just like a real spy. The deep sadness and yet storied confliction on Chuck's face when he discovers Peaches 1 and Peaches 2 was great.
For those who don't know about dogs:

• A cocker spaniel is typically smaller; by ~5inches and up to 30lbs lighter than a springer spaniel.
• Springer spaniels also have shorter fur across their bodies, with feathered hair under their chests and legs.
• Only a cocker spaniel will be solid colored
• Springer spaniels have longer muzzles, while cockers have fluffier ears.

I find it very interesting how Sarah has "spidey sense" about potentially being watched. At no point previously did either Sarah nor Casey display this trait and I'm not totally sure how an open window was enough to do this; I wonder if Sarah's comfort being around Chuck's family is causing her to develop a "feeling of being watched" as she is comfortable with the Bartowski's? For those who missed it, Sarah talks about having a sister I think at the time this was just a throw-away line to protect her cover, but in season 5 Sarah does actually have a little sister if you count the little girl she rescues One last thing about Sarah here, when Bryce is being discussed, I really like how it was played where she acts quiet and shocked, but not saying anything. The facial expressions of Yvonne here are really special and you can tell Sarah lives a life of secrets. This is carried outside when Chuck asks Sarah about her relationship with Bryce. She is totally looking down and to the right, a classic indication of an emotional response searching for rationalization (ie. she is clearly lying)
As they end the game and exit to the courtyard, there teleplay of Chuck does something I've been wanting to see forever; they switch perspective to keep both characters in camera and follow them around from a 3rd perspective. We know this is supposed to indicate they are being watched, but I really enjoy getting to see them together reacting and talking instead of the constant close-ups and cuts. Normally Chuck will be shot with something between a medium close up (MCU) and Medium Shot (MS) to emphasize their characters and highlight their faces and expressions. This works really well because Chuck's cameras are typically either shoulder level or hip level based on the operators moving through their space. In many more modern TV shows, the technology of boom cranes and gyroscopic gimbals allows for content to be show from ground level to overhead giving directors the opportunity to tell their story through a variety of shifting profiles. If Chuck were shot today, we would see everything from full body shots all the way to extreme closeups without the need for continual jump-cuts and re-shoots because the technology is there. At least for this episode, it's nice to see the director explore more hip/knee level motion and more cowboy framed shots when having a distant observer perspective. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/types-of-camera-shots-sizes-in-film/ does a fantastic breakdown of all the different shot type and camera perspectives for you want to read more!
As we transition into Sarah's hotel room, did anyone pick up on how NICE this is? She has double sinks, a king bed, a sitting mirror, free standing tub, and a great view. I doubt any agency in the "real world" would ever spring for something like this for multiple years for one of their agents, it's fancy! Enter Carina, tell me, who saw Sarah fight with a soap sock and think of iCarly and the famous "butter sock". Also during this fight, why is Sarah wearing a golden bikini? I know she is about to get into the shower, but what plausible reason is there for her to a) wear a bikini at all and b) it to be a bright golden yellow?? If you slow this fight scene way down, you will notice Yvonne's strikes actually come close to hitting Mimi as she has had a lot of training, whereas Mimi's strikes are miles from Yvonne and she just over-acts their impact. The most noticeable is the kick into her table, Sarah goes flying back, but we can tell from the angle, Carina missed her by a good 2 ft. This was just some sloppy editing and not getting the camera into position. I give it a pass because you have probably 3 camera operators wearing stabilized camera rigs trying to rotate around a room with 2 girls fighting and they just missed the angle by like 2 feet. I did really like at the end of the fight Carina had the option to go for the gun but instead went for the fish. If you didn't know they were not enemies before, this should have been a big clue! Carina calls Sarah's life in LA boring #1
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ACT I
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Carina aka: Maria Elena Argalberdi was born Jun 16, 1978 in Alberdi Argentina with a Buenos Aires passport. Maria Elena is actually the name of a famous song in Mexico and eventually had a movie. This Chuck learns on Flash #1 and is the precursor to meeting the general for the first time. I know I've mentioned this before, but to reiterate; the pictures in Casey's apartment are all wrong; he has photos of Chuck and Morgan that don't happen until season 5 (lost footage) he has a map of Echo Park and Malibu already on display, and he has tactical information for each member of the Buy More (which he has no reason for at this time). It is interesting they talk about an opium cartel in Afghanistan as Afghanistan is known for it's huge poppy fields for heroin drug money.
The NADAN-I-NOOR diamond:

• The Nadan-I-Noor diamond has never been known to be bought or sold and ha only changed owners as a result of theft, conquest, or endowment
• It's listed as having 57 facets + 16 facets on girdle = 73. A facet is comparable with the brilliance of a diamond and is really the flat surfaces of a gemstone arranged in a geometrical pattern. In this case it helps characterize the refraction of light through the diamond interior. The girdle i the outer edge of a diamond surface, having 16 faces is quite large, as the girdle is the largest section of a gem, but also the thinnest when viewed from the side. In this case, having 73 facets puts the Nadan-I-Noor in either the Princess-Cut Diamond or Radiant Cut Diamond category, which are also the most expensive as they have the most possible facets.
• having 4-fold, mirror-image symmetry refers to how the light reflects internally to the diamond and indicates there are no impurities within the crystalline structure.
• interestingly a purity rating is not given, i would expect something like a F or IF (flawless/internally flawless) for a diamond described like this, but one isn't provided.
• the angles of incidence just describe the best way for light to enterefract from the diamond, these numbers are fake, but the metric is real
• there is a lot of sanscript written around the diamond markings, I can't figure out what if anything it means it looks like repeated nonsense
• could be a nod to the Koh-i-noor or "mountain of light" diamond, although this one in Persian is the "fool of light".

We open back to see Carina and Sarah looking at classified files within the restaurant. THIS IS AGAINST THE LAW, you do not look at classified files out in the open and especially not where there are clearly other customers around. Venturing into the BuyMore, there is a monster truck rally on the TV's showing grave digger and reaper, two famous trucks from this time period. Morgan wants to spread his wings and be the fourth wheel to the perpetual 3 wheel party and Sarah, ever the schemer, literally glows when she thinks of the plan to have Carina go on a date with Morgan. I THINK this was just to help maintain their cover, but also maybe Sarah is just needling Carina? If you look in the back of the store when Chuck is talking to Sarah and Carina, there is a really cool Nerd Herd poster that says "Bringing peace to your computer emergency". "if a yawn could yawn" is Carina calling Sarah's job boring #2. One thing I really like with the double data is the way the camera jumps between the couples: boy/girl, boy/boy, girl/girl. I think they way they try and keep private conversations via screen time is a really nice, typical, teleplay trick that really works well here. In a "real" environment, everyone could hear everything, but by splitting the camera focus or playing with perspective, the viewer clearly knows "this is a conversation between girls the boys don't hear it". We see Chuck noticing Sarah picking off olives #2 while they watch a movie about penguins: who mate for life, present their love in the form of rocks, and are pack animals. In Chuck's bedroom as he talks to Morgan, Chuck has a box of King Edward Invincible underneath bongos; for those who don't know this is a famous box for mild tobacco cigars. So I wonder what Chuck is up to in his free time :P.
On the Nerd Herd call with Carina, she opens a bottle of wine with a butter knife. This is actually a pretty famous thing that is done all over the world with everything from a key to a saber. In fact they make a specially type of knife with an extra wide blade for this it Italy. I do want to ask the question; is Carina dressed in red lingerie (Chuck's favorite color she stole from Sarah) really necessary for this scene? I know that Carina is all about improvising and she often uses her sexuality to progress her cause (Casey), but I think we could have gotten away with just the top. I can certainly see the rationalization for going this far, but I think as an artistic choice it wasn't necessary. What IS necessary however is to talk about how Chuck's world implodes when Carina tells him about Sarah and Bryce. Also the perfect act transition ending right at Chuck's jaw dropping and the work boyfriend!
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ACT II
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I'll say it again, the back an forth with Chuck and Sarah should have been a medium close up, shoulder level straight on shot instead of the constant cuts. Seeing their reaction in real time would have been easier and it would have allowed the Weinerlicious to be maybe 15 ft smaller to not need so many cameramen rotating. "Unless talking to your boyfriend is a matter of national security, the ketchup bottles won't refill themselves". Why yes it IS a mater of national security for Sarah to talk to Chuck... also if any one of us stood up to our boss like Sarah did, I'm pretty sure we'd be fired on the spot!
Malibu is ~2hours for Echo Park with standard LA traffic. Seriously, how do girls in high heels walk down stairs; we see Carina and Sarah walking sideways so there is enough space on each step to fit their shoes. Girls, how do you do that and not fall especially with narrow staircases and 3-6inch heels! Inside the room with the stone there is a bust of Cesare, archenemies, da vinci, and biblical David. There is also some famous paintings the best of which is Vemieer's "young girl with a pearl earring" which is rather appropriate considering it's meaning. There is also a Van Gogh of man in a wheat field and a Monet in one shot too. If ANY of these paintings were real instead of reproductions, they would be worth millions, in fact the young girl with a pearl is estimated at 40million, which is 1.5x the sell value of the Nadan-I-Noor! If we take a look at the engineering drawing of Flash #2 on the pedestal, we would see this design creates a closed circuit around the tongs the diamond rests on; which might explain it's red hue. If a person were to touch the diamond, it would close the circuit on their body allowing the 4000volts to travel through their heart. A person can die with ~20volts, though it's usually more like 50 in most occurrences. 4000volts is enough to kill a herd of elephants and completely overkill for a person. Also the amount of power that would take is more than the city of Malibu... this is to say the trap is real, the numbers are complete nonsense; thinking lightning! Nice shot by Sarah with the plate (there are some great bloopers on this too where she misses badly)! A remote controlled jet ski... i'm not even going to calculate the nonsense for this; it's just total nonsense. Almost as much nonsense as Casey using his phone to track Carina's call. That would take minutes, even with today's technology to back trace like that and way more power than just pushing a button on a razer flip-phone from the 90's!
back at the house, Chuck i playing halo with the legendary skulls as his weapon; this is nice because in the BuyMore at the end of the episode there are dudes dressed as master chief! I really like the changing perspective here with Chuck and Morgan. Chuck's reactions remain in focus while Morgan tells a story behind him, then it switches as Chuck starts to move around until bringing both into focus for the final line "we still have each other and that's really sad". The side cut to Sarah picking locks to the hotel door is classic early 2000's TV and i'm all for it, even if it is super cheezy. BTW as someone who used to lock pick in college, that's .... not how that works, but good try. We get our Flash #3 on the diamond in Morgan's back nuclear explosions. I wonder if the refractive capability of a diamond this pure is enough to focus laser to induce fission or if the value of selling the diamond is enough to buy nuclear material on the black market? Either way, we end the act with... the man with the golden gun!
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ACT III
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Chuck uses Sarah's plate move against Carina, nice inter-episode call back; he's clearly watching/learning, but his aim is terrible. This was actually clever as Sarah has perfect aim for she is a professional, while Chuck is still definitely a civilian and has no aptitude for fighting. I really like both these types of simple call backs but also how seemingly throw-away lines/actions help tell the broad story of the show. Chuck talking to Carina also shows Chuck has this weird, innate aptitude to get people to re-evaluate themselves and grow internally. You can watch Carina "grow in real-time. When we get to the hotel and Carina opens her trunk first there are a few glocks, a couple rugers, and a 1911; then she switches to blades and we see some folders, some strait blades, an illegal gravity blade (still illegal today), and a kbar... nice selection! Carina, always the flirt, gives Chuck some very insightful works about the nature of being a spy, but also maybe some way to get through to Sarah.
Inside the hotel we see Carina and Sarah speaking; Carina is speaking Swedish, while Sarah replies in Polish. "Om jag slänger nycklarna till dig, kommer du tappa dem då?" which is Swedish for "If I throw you the keys, will you drop them?" Sarah answered in Polish: "Tylko jak rzucisz jak twoja mamusia", which means "Only if you throw it like your mommy". This is just great!
I want to talk about how fast Chuck managed to find an address for DC, print a label, open a box, put the label on, and get the diamond there all before the door gets broken. Somehow on screen time this is like 10seconds, but in real life this would have to be like 3minutes minimum? Either that door is remarkably strong or... TV magic??
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ACT IV
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Even with all the flirting, as we say goodbye to Carina >! for now !< she is still joking with Casey and every the professional. I like how they show when it's "game time" it's all about the job, but spys can be people too! Carina still calls Sarah's life boring #3 (the common trifecta of episode repeats).
Sarah's face when Chuck brings the pizza with no olives is the reason I think Yvonne makes the perfect Sarah. She exudes the hidden beauty needed and has the acting to so such emotion for Chuck being sweet. The whole scene with Chuck and Sarah asking questions, then Chuck backing off, then Sarah acting stoic like she WANTS to open up but doesn't know if she can really trust Chuck, is ready to move on from Bryce, and should for the nature of her job. This was probably the most well acted 20seconds of the entire episode. Finally, we hear Sarah's middle name is Lisa. Now we never officially know if Chuck hears this or not both due to camera focus and distance, it's never officially confirmed in the entire show. When the intersect is updated in season 4 we see Sarah's picture and it lists Lisa as a middle name, so we assume it's official, but it's never confirmed at any point. Finally, I really like how they end the episode with Sarah closing her eyes as the fade to black.
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Few notes: There are 5 official songs in this episode:

• "Yea Yeah" by Matt and Kim - when the gang is playing board games during group date night. This song is about not worrying about the things you cannot change. Little things that build up and bum you out that you need to just let go.
• "Wild Girl" Matt Pond PA - Chuck and Morgan discussing their relationship problems. This song is about overcoming past struggles and finding hope in the present and future. Describing a sense of resilience and optimism
• "weird science" by does it offend you - Chuck and Carina talk at Peyman' Malibu Compound. This is a remind to break free and embrace individuality and live on your own terms. Be unapologetically ourselves.
• Shy by Mathew Dear - the double date
• "Fall into place" the apartment - the team say's goodby to Carina. Deals with growing up, taking (or not taking) chances. finding oneself in the unpredictability of life. I have to say, we don't actually hear the lyrics to any of these songs during the episode just the melody, but I don't really appreciate the music choices here. I feel like there were better options at key points, so that's a miss from me.
  
• On the DVD for Season One the word Wookiee is spelled incorrectly, leaving off the last E.
  
• "It used to be titled "Chuck Versus the Speedo" because the main bad guy in this show is this dude who wears a Speedo all the time. Then when the casting guy realized he had a good amount -- and by good, I mean healthy, a healthy amount of body hair -- they thought, why not call it "Chuck vs. the Wookiee". So it's this guy who's got this diamond, and we're trying to heist the diamond and all hell breaks loose." ―Zachary Levi quoted by Access Hollywood discussing this episode's title
  

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I think this was a great episode and really showcased what they can do when additional cast members join the team and when they are not afraid to play with perspective. Mimi as Carina is a great addition to the ensemble and I wish we saw her more, but every time she drops in, it's always a wild episode and it's fantastic. Watching Chuck learn about Sarah and seeing Sarah start to open up is a good way forward and heck Casey had some of the best humor in the episode. Overall, it was fast paced, had some nice character development, as funny in the best way, and moved the main theme along, 8/10.

Shared false memories are often perpetuated when one person's false memory, misquote, joke or inaccurate reference makes it into pop culture where it is seen by millions.
SHATNER, SALLY FIELD & HANNIBAL Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura calling a monacled man the Monopoly guy, or doing Shatner from The Twilight Zone, "There's... someone on the wing! Some... THING!" or imitating Sally Field in The Mask and Hannibal Lecter in The Cable Guy: these were comedic impressions, not quotes.
TANK MAN & THE LINDBERGH BABY I was recently watching episodes of The West Wing which perpetuated 2 more common MEs. Richard Schiff's character mentions people watching TV and seeing a man get run over by a tank - a reference to Tiananmen square. A woman sarcastically confesses to a crime, adding that if you search her house, you'll find the Lindbergh baby. People watching could easily remember these events incorrectly.
GHOST POTTERY Patrick Swayze was still alive during the pottery scene. Family Guy spoofed this scene with Swayze's character as a ghost, and you have probably seen similar spoofs, leading to the false memory that he was a ghost in that scene. YOU WANT SOME CORNBREAD, MR. JINGLES? Michael Clarke Duncan's character rarely interacted with Mr. Jingles and never fed him cornbread. That was a different inmate. The Simpsons spoofed this, with MCD saying "You want some cornbread, Mr. Jingles?" which is how many people remember the movie. SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR'S DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE In I Know What You Did Last Summer, SMG witnesses a murder while performing on stage, to a stunned audience who remain silent. Some people remember the audience erupting in applause. That was a parody scene in Scary Movie.
You may have seen a different version of a popular movie as a child.
PHILOSOPHER'S STONE There are 2 versions of the first Harry Potter movie. The title macguffin is called the Sorcerer's Stone in American releases, the Philosopher's Stone in UK and Canada.
AUSTRALIAN PETER PAN If you remember Peter Pan having a British accent, Tinkerbell saving him from a poisoned cake, and Smee going home to his mother at the end, the you saw an Australian version not made by Disney. This one MESSED with my head after watching the Disney version as an adult.
CALIGULA There are MANY different edits of this film based on it's country and time of release and censorship laws. Some versions include hard-core pornographic scenes which were cut in other versions. Some versions have the order of scenes mixed up. You could watch 2 versions edited so differently that the plot is not even the same. I have seen 2: one that starts with Caligula in bed with his sister, the other that starts with a hunting scene intended to come later.
BRIAN COX AS HANNIBAL LECTER? You may have seen either or both Manhunter and Red Dragon - 2 adaptations of the same novel. Manhunter came out before Silence of the Lambs and featured Brian Cox. Red Dragon was made later as a prequel featuring Anthony Hopkins. There could be many instances of people confusing originals and remakes.
If you tend to watch DVD special features, you may remember deleted or alternate scenes more vividly than the actual movie.
DON'T DROP THAT NECKLACE, ROSE! Yes, there was an alternate ending of Titanic in which Bill Paxton confronted Old Rose on the back of the ship, but it completely messed with the flow and the audience's catharsis. Bravo to James Cameron for chosing the better ending. One of my Favorite movies.
IT'S THE DIRTIEST JOKES THAT STAY WITH YOU Years after watching Team America: World Police on DVD, the only 2 scenes I remembered were a disgustingly graphic scat sex scene between two marionettes, and a scene of man-on-man oral sex that ended with the superior saying it would be hard to make his subordinate into the perfect soldier... because he's gay now. I was dismayed when I watched it a second time and both these scenes were absent. Turns out, years ago, I watched the deleted scenes in the DVD special features.
Historical films VS reenactments
HOUSTON, WE'VE HAD A PROBLEM This is the line as it was actually spoken in real life and, subsequently, in several dramatic reenactments. In the popular movie, Tom Hanks says "Houston, we HAVE a problem."
THAT'S NOT HOW THEY KILLED BIN LADEN! Shortly after it happened, you may have watched one of several dramatic reenactments of the raid, including an animated recreation of the actual helmet cam footage, which differed drastically from how it was portrayed in Zero Dark Thirty. Aside from the production quality, the reenactments were far more enthralling.
FALSE TRAILERS Yes, sometimes a movie trailer is made using whatever footage is available, before the final cut of the film is finished. Therefore, it is not uncommon for scenes from the trailer to be missing from the movie.
WATCH OUT FOR THAT TIE FIGHTER! That's right, Jyn never comes face-to-face with a TIE fighter in Rogue One, despite it being one of the most exciting shots from the trailer.
LIVE. DIE. REPEAT. Not the title of the movie. It was called Edge of Tomorrow, though you wouldn't know it from the constant repetition of the tag line in the trailer and minimal use of the actual title. Most DVD/Blu-ray releases have this tag line prominently on the cover art, so viewers know what movie it is.
SOUNDS LIKE A SEXY HAMBURGER! Seth Rogen never says this in Superbad, in reference to the fake name McLovin, but it is one of the most memorable lines from the time of the film's release.
False memories sometimes form from combining several related ones.
TINKERBELL DOTS THE I No, she doesn't. But you've seen her flitting across the screen and flicking a wand to make words appear or the castle disappear in several different title sequences. See the Disney home video one, for example.
I SEE WHITE PEOPLE! No, the line spoofing The Sixth Sense was not spoken in Scary Movie, but you DID hear it the same year. At the 2000 Oscars, host Billy Crystal did a bit where he had the camera zoom up on celebrities in the audience and he said what they were thinking in that moment. He spoke this line when the camera was zoomed in on Michael Clarke Duncan, to much laughter.
SINBAD THE... SUPERVILLAIN? Sinbad did not play a genie called Shazaam, but in 1996, the same year Shaq played Kazaam, Sinbad played a mischievous character in a ridiculous costume as the main antagonist in the Christmas film Jingle All the Way. You may have combined these 2 images in your memory.
THAT DARN CORNUCOPIA No, it wasn't part of the Fruit of the Loom logo, but it was a frequently reproduced image every kid saw in school when they learned about Thanksgiving. The 2 images were so similar that many teachers made the assumption they were the same, telling kids they may have seen it on their underwear. In fact, the cornucopia image was so common, it seems to have even been used on some knock-off brands of socks and underwear, making this MA totally understandable.
MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL... The evil queen never said it when you were a kid, but Lord Farquad did in Shrek when you were a bit older, which probably misinformed your memory of the original line.
IT'S THE EYE OF THE TIGER... Does the song make you think of the movie Rocky? It shouldn't. It was never used in the original film, only the sequels. Although Rocky's original theme music is just as iconic.
OH, NO! NOT PLASTIC SHEETS! There were none on the floor for Tommy's hit in Goodfellas, but you may be thinking of a similar scene in Lethal Weapon 2.
IS LIBERTY ISLAND A THING? Yes, it always was. You always associated it with the immigrants who came over through Ellis Island when you learned about them in school. Your teachers may not have bothered telling you the name of the island that houses the statue and you assumed it was the same. And here's something else to think about: Liberty Island is located in the waters of New Jersey, not New York.
THAT'S THE WRONG ACTOR! Meg Ryan was not Maverick's love iterest in Top Gun; she was Goose's wife. Some people made that mistake as Ryan soon became a household name and was mentioned in a lot of the film's marketing, especially for the home video release. Ben Affleck was not in Saving Private Ryan, but you have seen him collaborate with Matt Damon many times, and there was an actor named Edward Burns who bares a bit of a resemblance to him. I hope not many of you have made this mistake, but some people remember Angelina Jolie in the original Mission Impossible. It was an actress named Emanuelle Beart... thank God, since she was playing the wife of Jon Voight - Jolie's father. And of course, anyone who watched The X-Files as a kid might remember some episodes with David Duchovney as Agent Mulder, when it was really his replacement, Robert Patrick as Agent Doggett.
Sometimes, a movie or show doesn't go the way you were expecting, or you think "wouldn't this have been better" and your mind dwells on your own version more than on how it actually happened, then, years later, you only remember your version. In some cases, so many people were thinking the same thing, that when you mention your ending later, others say "Oh, yeah! That was great!"
DOLLY'S BRACES She never had any. But she did have pigtails which, like braces, are often associated with youth and feminine cuteness. Add to that the fact that Jaws had metal teeth and you were rooting for them to get together, and it would have given them some great common ground. So when she gave that slow, shy smile at the end, you saw what you wanted to see.
THEY WERE DEAD THE WHOLE TIME! That's not how Lost ended. Whine all you want, or just go and watch it again and pay attention. It was such a popular theory that people were simply expecting it. The popularity of the theory inspired the producers to give us a glimpse into the afterlife in the last season, but by the end, it was made very clear that everything that happened on the island really happened. Christian might as well have been looking directly into the camera when he spelled it out for his son. But many of you couldn't accept that your theory was wrong. If you watched the Jimmy Kimmel Live special that immediately followed the finale, you saw that even Jimmy subscribed to this theory and refused to let it go. It was a classy move for the cast to refrain from berating him about it on his own show.
AVE SOL INVICTUS! The Sun is classified as a yellow dwarf star, which is why it has always been drawn yellow. Since you were a kid, you drew the Sun with a yellow crayon. When you were older, you learned that sunlight is white light, which is composed of every color in the spectrum. White light surrounds us all the time, but we don't see it. We only see the colors that are reflected off surfaces based on their material composition. The Sun EMITS white light, but it APPEARS yellow, or orange-yellow.
That's all I've got for now. I hope I've given you lots to think about and would love to hear your responses!

I don't like doing these "look at what this person said" post, but holy shit this women is too insane for you guys to not know.
Yesterday there was a post in AskMenRelationships asking "why do heterosexual cismen refuse to commit to relationships" and everyone hated it. The post. TLDR: she is a femcel who believes incel.io / incel.is is a domestic terrorist organization that is growing rapidly. All you have to do is read this and you'll get it. She also believes the following: "I hate to educate you but 97% of all sexual offenders are male. Even men fear male predators in gay community or other circumstances let's say prison." (her)
In short, some random, obscure, in the neck of the woodlands, online forum has men who call women "war pigs" and this is the first horsemen of the coming misogyny apocalypse, apparently. I made this my argument against her, calling out the hypocrasy by pointing out feminist-endorsed rhetoric like "men are our natural predators" (me).
Now, I had wanted to ignore her, but I couldn't after I read what she said here.

I'm sorry but opinions, like yours, are perceptions not facts. Patriarchy is real - have a look in nature what rule applies in nature? Female choice. Who raped women, betrayed natural selection for 10.000 years and forced women to serve as sex and household slaves while raising the offspring of rape? Toxic men that wouldn't have been chosen by any women voluntarily. We are all descendants of rape.

At this point, all I could see was her saying women were selectively bred by men for 10,000 years. At that point, I died from laughter and choked on my own saliva.
I called her out on this and it only went down hill from there.
Here's my response (here), basically there's a whole slew of societies in which rape was not a norm nor endorsed or allowed all across the globe. The opposite is also the case, unfortunately, but I believe they are more a minority not a majority from what I learned a while ago. This is feminism proper 101 and she has failed. I also made it very clear that in order for a man to become a rapist, he must have an insecure attachement (there are exceptions, obviously). She then says this:

As someone who holds a degree in forensic psychology and criminal justice, I can assure you that attachment style is essential in forming all types of relationships with other human beings BUT NO PREDICTOR FOR RAPE [...] Majority of women are victims of a man they trusted since its her boyfriend /husband /ex partner or man she is dating. Only 7% of all rapes reported are committed by strangers. So the attachment in a dating situation is already there.....

And this was too good (my reply here covers everything that needs to be said). A person with a forensic psychology degree, and a patriarchy believer, who doesn't understand attachment theory. It only gets worse from here...

MEN RAPE BECAUSE THEY CAN - THEY HAVE MEANS AND OPTIONS AND IF THEY DON'T FEAR CONSEQUENCES THEY RAPE EACH OTHER OR WOMEN. THEY EVEN RAPE ANIMALS. RAPE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DESIRABILITY OF VICTIMS NOR THE INTENTION TO FORM A RELATIONSHIP AND FAILING TO BECAUSE OF ATTACHMENT STYLE

So, she's insane. Let me show you more.

It's you who has made up his mind that "women aren't worth it" because men lack the emotional skills to get a women sexually aroused in casual sex /engage in equal relationships - men need to improve the offer or live happily alone with mastrubation. Don't weaponize your shortcomings as assumptions on why the other gender or representative of that gender is /isn't worth pursuing
I'm engaged - again you use just a simple but persistent statement all men use "blame women for the circumstances men created. You blame women for giving sex to the wrong men yet men like you believe that women deserve to get used if they were silly enough to ever trust a man." You're a textbook example of indoctrinated female hattress. Men like you get to chose which women are" only good enough to get used for sex and which are good enough to commit to"-yet this is the attitude why most men have neither - neither a woman to use for sex nor one to marry. Because every time a man is using a woman for sex he is decreasing the chanced for all other men that this women will trust a man again. I laugh so hard when we end up in a society again where men have to marry before kissing a girl to get sex. Because the easiest way according to all of the male comments here for a women to make sure she is never used for sex is to never engage in sex until marriage. According to recent biological research most of men like you will finally die out. You don't make kids that's the good thing. Women are more and more in favour with single motherhood or shared parenthood with a gay couple /sperm donator. Women are happy with mastrubation and they certainly don't miss the condescending treatment of men like you when dating. You better hurry up to get married /commitment or start saving some money for the prostitutes you gonna have to pay in your 40s to suck your dick. Again it is not women who will ever need to pay for sex or companionship

This is her response to me, and I don't even know what to say about it (comment)

Nope you don't debate with people that are more intelectual than you because you fear to expose vulnerability and being not "smart enough or prepared enough with well researched points" - you engage in invalidation, projection, blame shifting and deceiving why you commented in the first place - you feel inferior and threatened by educated females, that are neither misandric nor mysogyne, that aren't ugly single ladies falling for men's lies to commit, that try to sympathise with men and you aren't answering my very simple question "why do you, yes a man like you, refuse commitment knowing the odds for casual sex are against you and you get the better deal in heterosexual commitment?"

the guy she's responding too literally said: "I do not debate with people who believe in the Patriarchy or Trump. A waste of my intellectual energy"

Most dating apps have 70-90% male rate vs 10-30% female rate = each women has plenty of options to chose for sex. When women are looking for something causal dating is a dream - all these good looking model guys would queue in line to come over to eat your pussy - brillant. But it's actually MEN WHO DON'T GET LAID AS MUCH AS THEY PRETEND - male sexlessness is rising. So if I would be a man, I know my chances to belong to the top tier males in looks is low, I know my chances to get a good looking women to have sex with me is basically non existent, I know that men also have better Sexual satisfaction in relationship - why wouldn't I commit? Isn't it easier to just turn around and have great sex with lust and love with your partner /poly partners than swiping forevermore to hope one day you score a bad ons? Do men actually love themselves or are afraid of being dumped?

this is her going off on a dude giving a very basic "no duh" answer
Anyway, she's just venting :). You can read my whole reply to her here, where I quote all the most insane femcel schizoposting she does. I can't quote all the batshit crazy takes she has.

I often hear this quote thrown around as an excuse for all the franchise's inaccuracies, along with Alan's "genetically engineered theme park monsters" quote. Genetic modification is not a valid excuse to the franchise's inaccuracies. Here is why.

1. The raptors. In the original Jurassic Park and JP3, Alan digs up Velociraptor skeletons. These are clearly far more similar to their InGen counterparts than the real animal. These were not cloned by InGen. Therefore, Velociraptor is a big animal, in-universe, and genetic modification cannot be blamed. Alan also discovers a resonating chamber in JP3. These do not exist in the real animal, but they do exist in the InGen clones. The InGen raptors are very, very accurate, IN-UNIVERSE. You could say that they're meant to be Velociraptor antirrhopus, but the proposition of merging Deinonychus and Velociraptor was very controversial, even back then. However, InGen still calls them Velociraptor, Alan calls them Velociraptor, and so does everyone else. Either every single person in the JP universe agrees with a very poorly thought out and controversial idea, or the raptors are just from the complete wrong continent and are the wrong size.
2. The Tyrannosaurus. Alan already knew that its vision was based on movement prior to visiting the park, and judging by how he addresses the kid (he says YOU might think his visual acuity...) it seems to be common knowledge in the JP universe. The public and Alan were not aware of InGen's T. rexes yet. When Alan meets a real T. rex, his theory is corroborated and never contradicted, unlike the novels. The novels are NOT canon to the films. Information from there cannot be taken as fact in the films, they're completely different continuities. Therefore, this is just something the real T. rex has.
3. The Dominion prologue. The T. rex, Giganotosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Quetzalcoatlus, Moros, Dreadnoughtus, Oviraptor etc all appear in Dominion's prologue. Giganotosaurus, Oviraptor, Iguanadon, and Moros are all out of time and/or on the wrong continent. The Rex, Anky, Giga, etc. all look pretty much identical to their InGen/Biosyn counterparts. None of these inaccuracies can be blamed on genetic tampering, since these are supposed to be the real animals.
4. Alan and Wu are not omniscient narrators. Alan is a very biased source. InGen's Velociraptors and Tyrannosaurus tried to kill him, of course he'd view them as "monsters."

Wu, even though he is the dinosaur's creator, is also clearly not being objective in the scene where his quote is from. He is trying to win an argument with Masrani. Of course he'd say whatever he had to in order to justify his actions with the Indominus.

1. This excuse doesn't even work in the novel canon. The dinosaurs are said by Wu, Alan, Ian, and Hammond to be very accurate and life-like. Wu even proposes making the dinosaurs LESS accurate in order to appeal to the general audience's expectations more.

The JP series has inaccuracies, and we're gonna have to live with that. There is no excuse for them, that's just how the prehistoric animals look, in-universe. It doesn't mean Jurassic Park is a bad movie, it's a great movie, but anyone trying to justify its inaccuracies with the genetic modification excuse is just in denial.

Alright first thing's first, here's a pic of me to know if I'm your type. With that out of the way, I'm 5'7 INFP and probably autistic with an average body (not fat but not super skinny) hoping to find a nerdy gf to eventually settle down with and cook for. I'm also getting into calisthenics since it's great for a home workout, going for a toned/fit body by the end of the year. If you lack cooking skill no need to worry, I got us covered and can even show you how if you're interested :P. I'm a bit of an animation nerd, primarily western animation like hand drawn animated movies and cartoons but I like anime too. Also learning how to draw, I mostly draw cute furry characters like pokemon, digimon, yordles, etc for fun. I write fanfics and would really love to turn them into comics, I draw traditionally so have no fear of the AI art menace.
As for what I'm looking for in a woman, I tend to vibe best with nerdy girls. I've only ever done online dating because I live in a very small rural town and had some success chatting but never actually gotten into a serious relationship with anyone yet. I don't mind a little chubby, just not really into the obese territory. I'm a non-denom christian but am open to dating non-christians so long as you're fine with no premarital sex.
If you're interested or want to know more feel free to DM me, I also have discord if you're more comfortable chatting there or moving to there to chat. I'm open to LDR and can see myself moving only within the US, if you live outside of the US don't be afriad to send me a DM but just know I only plan to live here.

Leviathan, the Eikon of Water concept art
Leviathan, the lost Eikon of Water, has finally been found! After months of waiting, the Rising Tide downloadable content (DLC) has been released and with it, I am once again rambling about the mythological, religious, and cultural inspirations behind the Eikons of Final Fantasy XVI. If you would like to check out any of my previous posts on the subject of Eikons, you can find them here:

1.) Phoenix

2.) Ifrit

3.) Shiva

4.) Ramuh

5.) Garuda

6.) Titan

7.) Bahamut

8.) Odin

As I’ve said in the past, if you feel that I may have said something wrong, or if you would like to add to what information I have provided; by all means please do so. I absolutely welcome the discussion.
The sea serpent Leviathan, like most of the Eikons, has been a staple of the Final Fantasy series since its introduction as one of the original summons#Summon_Magic) from 1990’s Final Fantasy III. While modern usage of the terms “leviathan” and “behemoth” are often used to denote something large and imposing, these words actually originate as the names of two creatures from the Tanakh (or Hebrew Bible). According to the verses 40:15-41:34 in the Book of Job, Leviathan and Behemoth are two gigantic and nigh indestructible animals born around the same time as the creation of the first two humans Adam and Eve, with Behemoth residing over the wilderness east of the Garden of Eden called Duidain and Leviathan bound to the watery Abyss) as stated in verses 60:7-10 in the apocryphal Book of Enoch. While the term abyss may bring to mind the idea of a bottomless hole or even an underworld such as the Greek Hades, Hebrew Sheol, or Christian Hell; the Septuagint, the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, often uses the term abyss to instead refer to deep bodies of water. In fact, Abyss is the translated noun for the Hebrew Tehom, or the “deep” primordial waters from which the god Yahweh formed the world after the creation of light as stated by the verses 1:2-10 in the Book of Genesis; which is but one example of the cosmic ocean motif, whereby existence is conceptualized as originating from a watery void. I find it very interesting then that the Abyss is referenced several times in the Rising Tide DLC, such as in the name of Leviathan’s Eikonic ability Abyssal Tear; the Motes of Water adage “Know that even should you walk Abyss, our hands will guide you home” from the Minwu Arm Ring description; or the description of the Radiant Tidestrike weapon that says “Surge did the tide, the water rising as if it were some mighty whale stranding itself upon the shore. Behold, the Devourer of Worlds. The beast within whose foul belly our hopes are carried unto the Abyss. - Eikonomachy - Book of Currents 15:40-41”.
From the aforementioned verses of the diegetic Book of Currents, as well as one of the Active Time Lore Entries for Leviathan that states “Old writings clearly speak of Dominants past summoning great whale-like creatures capable of swallowing entire cities…”; we can possibly see a reference to Leviathan) swallowing the protagonist Firion and his allies on their way to the Mysidian Tower in Final Fantasy II. However, I would suggest that these quotes go further than mere references to past games and are actually an allusion to the parable of Jonah surviving in the belly of a whale from the eponymous Book of Jonah. For those unfamiliar with the story, the Hebrew prophet Jonah was tasked by God to preach on His behalf to the citizenry of Nineveh in the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Jonah instead refuses the call, and attempts to sail across the sea to Tarshish. On the journey, Jonah and the sailors he is accompanied by are caught in a huge storm, and believing that Jonah’s dismissal of God is the cause, the sailors thus throw him overboard. God then sends a whale to swallow Jonah, with the intention of preventing the Israelite from drowning. Miraculously surviving in the whale’s stomach for 3 days, Jonah vows to do God’s bidding and is thus safely returned to shore, whereby he travels to Nineveh and beseeches the citizens to renounce their wicked ways, lest they be visited by calamity. This story is meant to illustrate that Yahweh is a merciful god who allows for second chances, giving not only Jonah, but also the Ninevites the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and redirect their course of actions.
With this parable in mind, I would like to mention that in 1949, literary professor Joseph Campbell published “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”; a work of comparative mythology in which he proposed his idea of the Monomyth (later called the Hero’s Journey). Campbell’s theory of the Monomyth posits that while most narratives involving a heroic protagonist may have differing contents, these stories also typically follow a similar pattern; that being a three-act structure comprised of 17 subset stages. One such stage in Campbell’s model is the Belly of the Whale (sometimes also referred to as the Abyss), one of the literally or figuratively lowest points in the story for the protagonist in which the hero must engage in introspection and commence a process of self-transformation if they are to be equipped to finish their journey. This stage acts as a symbolic death and rebirth for the protagonist, with some Christians even interpreting Jonah’s story as actually being an allegory for Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection.
A prime example of this stage can be seen in Carlo Collodi’s 1883 novel “The Adventures of Pinocchio”, whereby the eponymous puppet Pinocchio and his creator Geppetto are swallowed by the Terrible Dogfish; with the typically irresponsible and selfish Pinocchio instead performing a self-sacrificial act in order to save his “father”, which he is thus rewarded for by being brought back to life as a human by the Fairy with Turquoise Hair. Viewing the Pinnochio narrative as an example of a more modern mythical epic, Thomas J. Morrissey and Richard Wunderlich state in “Death and Rebirth in Pinocchio”; “Gods can die and be reborn, or rise from the dead. Such mythological events probably imitate the annual cycle of vegetative birth, death, and renascence, and they often serve as paradigms for the frequent symbolic deaths and rebirths encountered in literature. Two such symbolic renderings are most prominent: re-emergence from a journey to hell and rebirth through metamorphosis. Journeys to the underworld [Katabasis] are a common feature of Eurasian literary epics: Gilgamesh, Odysseus, Aeneas, and Dante all benefit from the knowledge and power they put on after such descents. Rebirth through metamorphosis, on the other hand, is a motif generally consigned to fantasy or speculative literature… These two figurative manifestations of the death-rebirth trope are rarely combined; however, Carlo Collodi’s great fantasy-epic, The Adventures of Pinocchio, is a work in which a hero experiences symbolic death and rebirth through both infernal descent and metamorphosis”. We as the player also experience this Belly of the Whale stage in Final Fantasy XVI, when our heroes Clive Rosfield and Jill Warwick confront the Dominant of Darkness Barnabas Tharmr on the seafloor of the sundered Naldia Narrow, appropriately labeled as the Abyss, whereby Clive is soundly defeated by Barnabas for a second time. Fleeing their assailant, Clive and Jill consummate their love for one another on the shore of Ash, with Clive acquiring a portion of the Eikon Shiva’s powers from Jill so that he may finally triumph over Barnabas in a battle of physical prowess and ideals; proving to the false prophet and his God that compassion and the desire for freedom will always overcome any adversity.
With all this talk of whales, I should mention that from the descriptions as given in the Book of Job, Behemoth sounds to resemble that of a large ox or hippopotamus, while Leviathan is suggested as being similar to that of the tanninim) or “great whales” mentioned several times in the Hebrew Bible. In fact, Islamic folklore has its own variant of this terrestrial and aquatic duo, that being the large bull Kujata and the even larger whale Bahamut; as outlined by the medieval cosmographer Zakariya al-Qazwini in his seminal work “The Wonders of Creation”. Even though I am going to hazard a guess that the name of the Kuza Beast), a variant of the Behemoth enemy in several Final Fantasy games, is named after Kujata; it is quite obvious on the other hand that the draconic Eikon Bahamut borrows its name from the Islamic whale of the same name as well as the dragon god Bahamut) from the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. While the Book of Job describes Leviathan as being a whale or even a crocodile as suggested by a footnote in the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, verse 27:1 in the Book of Isaiah instead equates Leviathan to a sea serpent or dragon, with the Book of Job description also making it a point to mention Leviathan’s fearsome fiery breath. Given its status as a tutelary god for the Japanese-inspired nation of Wutai in Final Fantasy VII, it could be argued that Leviathan in the Final Fantasy series also shares similarities with Eastern dragons, such as the Chinese Lóng or Japanese Ryū; beneficent, serpentine deities of water and rain.
It is presumed that the figure and name of Leviathan actually originates from the older Canaanite sea monster Lôtān, whose name in the Ugaritic language meant “coiled” and was given the epithets “the fugitive serpent” or “the wriggling serpent”. In the first two tablets of the fragmentary Ugaritic Baal Cycle text, the storm god Baal (Lord) Hadad engages in a feud with the deification of the sea Yammu) to succeed their father El) as the ruler of the gods. At some point in this first chapter of the Baal Cycle, Hadad strikes down the seven-headed serpent Lôtān, who given the missing pieces of the text, could either be a servant of or another name for Yammu, with it also being believed that the monster was a zoomorphic representation of the Lebanese Litani River. Why I bring this up is to illustrate that Hadad’s defeat of Lôtān is but one example of the Chaoskampf mytheme, a pattern found in numerous Indo-European mythologies whereby a younger storm god or culture hero representing order and human civilization slays an ancient serpent or dragon associated with water that represents primordial chaos); perhaps a sentiment held by early agricultural riverine civilizations wishing to triumph over the constant and often devastating threat of floods.
One of the oldest examples of this mytheme is that of the Mesopotamian god Marduk’s dismemberment of Tiamat. According to the Babylonian Enūma Eliš, in the beginning there existed only Tiamat, the female personification of salt water; and Abzu, the male personification of fresh water. From the union of the two primeval waters sprang forth the first generation of gods called the Anunnaki. One such god, Enki (or Ea) would capture and kill Abzu after he plotted to kill his children due to the commotion they were causing. Enraged by Enki’s actions, Tiamat gave birth to eleven monstrous children to wage war against the gods along with her new consort Kingu, who possessed the Tablet of Destinies); the mark of divine rule. Marduk, the son of Enki, challenged Tiamat and her monsters, eventually slaying his opponents with lightning and storm winds. Defeated, Tiamat’s body was sliced in twain, with the two halves becoming the sky and earth. From an earlier promise made with the Anunnaki and the Igigi (lesser gods) as well as the acquisition of the Tablet of Destinies from the beaten Kingu, Marduk was made king of the gods; later mixing the blood of Kingu with clay to also become the creator of mankind.
Through the lens of the Chaoskampf mytheme, we can start to see connections between Tiamat’s dismemberment, the defeat of the multi-headed Lôtān, and Leviathan form. The non-canonical Book of Enoch actually specifies that the land-dwelling Behemoth is male, while the aquatic Leviathan is female; possibly creating an inadvertent association between Leviathan and the sea goddess and mother of monsters Tiamat. This may also be why Leviathan’s Chronolith Trial is named the Hand of Tethys. While still following the moons of Saturn naming convention, it is very fitting that the trial is also named after the Greek Tethys); wife of the world-encompassing river Oceanus and mother to the male river gods and female water nymphs called the Potamoi and Oceanids, respectively. Furthering the connections to Tiamat and Lôtān, several accounts in the Hebrew Bible describe Yawheh triumphing over the forces of the sea, such as in Isaiah 51:9-10 “Awake, awake, arm of the Lord, clothe yourself with strength! Awake, as in days gone by, as in generations of old. Was it not you who cut Rahab) to pieces, who pierced that monster through? Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed may cross over?” and Job 26:12-13 “By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces. By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent”. It is believed that Rahab, while occasionally used as a flowery term for Egypt or arrogance, was also a sea serpent either comparable to or synonymous with Leviathan. While Leviathan’s death at the hands of Yahweh in Isaiah 27:1 is viewed as a metaphor for the enemies of Israel who will submit to the Hebrew God, the Chaoskampf and the connection with the Canaanite Lôtān is further shown in verse 74:14 from the Book of Psalms, which says “Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness”; which is where the name of the trophy for beating Leviathan on Final Fantasy mode, Thou Brakest the Head, comes from.
Along with the account of Leviathan’s death in Psalms 74:12, several other Jewish sources, such as the Second Book of Esdras 6:47-52, the Apocalypse of Baruch 29:4, and the Bava Batra tractate in the Talmud state that Yahweh will slay Leviathan and Behemoth so that their flesh shall be given as food and shelter to the righteous during the End of Days and the Messianic Age. This may explain why the Behemoth King in FFXVI has several attacks referencing Christian eschatology from the Book of Revelation, such as the Four Horsemen; personifications of War, Conquest, Famine, and Death that herald the Last Judgment; and the Apocalypse, another term for a revelation which has since become synonymous with a cataclysmic end-time event, like the battle at Armageddon for instance. Leviathan and Behemoth’s statuses as eventual sacrifices is very similar to the role that Leviathan and its Dominant unfortunately play in Final Fantasy XVI.
Both DLCs, the Echoes of the Fallen and the Rising Tide, deal with themes of rectifying the sins of the past; whereby the Fallen and the Motes of Water engaged in questionable behavior in an attempt to create their own Mothercrystals to disastrous effect. The Motes of Water, a central focus of the Rising Tide, are a tribe originating from the southern coast of the continent of Ash and hosts to the Dominants of the Eikon Leviathan. After the loss of their Mothercrystal Drake’s Horn, the tribe migrated across the twin continent of Storm; where they were mercilessly persecuted by several groups, particularly the Greagorian faithful of the burgeoning Holy Empire of Sanbreque, causing the tribe and their Eikon to become “lost” to history. Due to their nomadic nature as well as Sanbreque’s similarities with the Roman and Holy Roman Empires, one could say that the Motes of Water mirror the Jewish Diaspora (exile) and transformation of the faith after the Roman Empire’s siege on Jerusalem) and the destruction of the Second Temple during the First Jewish-Roman War; or perhaps one could say the tribe is treated in a similar fashion to the oft demonized itinerant Romani people of eastern Europe. Either way, the Motes of Water are meant to represent the “Other”; ostracized outsiders to the customs of Storm who hid themselves away from the rest of the world to avoid further religious persecution.
After finding sanctuary in the northern territory of Mysidia, the Motes of Water tried to create for themselves a new Mothercrystal to replace the Northern Territories’ own shattered Mothercrystal called Drake’s Eye. The story of the Motes of Water is one of loss and a constant fight to carve out a place in the world to call their own, so it is no surprise then that they wished to regain something taken away from them so many years ago. However, the tribe would engage in a terrible act, enraging their Eikon Leviathan that laid dormant within the infant Dominant Waljas, and freeze both the baby and the Eikon in time to essentially act as an aether battery. Unsuccessful in turning Waljas into the heart of a Mothercrystal, all the tribe achieved was robbing the poor baby of its life and autonomy, imprisoning the Dominant and the tidal wave it summoned in that moment where the tribe’s greatest sin occurred for 80 years.
This frozen tsunami, dubbed the Surge, is not only a monument to the tribe’s greatest shame, but is also a constant looming threat over the tribe’s village of Haven; a reminder to never again engage in such a transgression, lest they be met with watery doom. This mirrors not only Jonah preaching to the Ninevites to change their ways, but also God’s warnings against individuals sacrificing children to Moloch in the Book of Leviticus 20:2-5. In fact, as ProfNoctis suggests in his video “Final Fantasy XVI Lecture Stream: The Mythos of Leviathan Part 2”; Leviathan and the Surge are symbols of human and divine regret, with Ultima, the creator of mankind and the Mothercrystals, referring to Leviathan as its “most profaned fragment”; due to the Eikon being rested from its creator’s control and the act of creating a man-made Mothercrystal being a repeat of the Fallen’s blasphemous attempts at attaining godhood during the War of the Magi and the Sins of Dzemekys, flagrant displays of mankind’s development of free will which is anathema to Ultima’s collective identity.
As a symbol of divine regret, the Surge could be seen as a parallel to the Flood from the Book of Genesis. Deluge or flood myths are motifs that can often be found amongst cultures residing near the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, and Persian Gulf such as Egypt, Greece, and Israel; with these stories usually recounting a tale in which a deity or deities summon a world-wide flood as a form of divine retribution. One of the earliest examples is the Mesopotamian Epic of Atra-Hasis, in which mankind was created by the gods to act as servants and laborers. However, due to overpopulation, the storm god Enlil seeks to reduce their numbers by bringing forth a great flood. Enki, seen as a benefactor of mankind, warns the human Atra-Hasis about the flood, telling him to build a boat to protect himself, his family, and his livestock from the deluge. After seven days, the waters recede and Enki and Enlil agree on other means of maintaining the human population. This story is also thought to have been later adapted in Tablet XI of the Epic of Gilgamesh, where the survivor of the flood is renamed Utnapishtim; though both the Atra-Hasis and Gilgamesh flood accounts seem to originate from an even older source called the Eridu Genesis. Similarly, the Greeks also had a deluge myth, as outlined in the Roman poet Ovid’s Metamorphoses, where Deucalion, the human son of the divine Prometheus, is warned by his father to build a chest for himself and his wife Pyrrha to escape a gigantic flood that the storm god Zeus plans to bring forth as a response to the insufficient offering given to him by Lycaon), the king of Arcadia); with the pair washing up on Mount Parnassus nine days after the storm.
There are several theories, such as the Black Sea Deluge Hypothesis, that propose that the ancient Middle East did indeed experience a large flood at some point in the very distant past. Given that flood myths are thus believed to have originated from Mesopotamia, it should come as no surprise that the Hebrew flood narrative bears similarities to the previously discussed deluge myths as well. According to chapters 6-9 in the Book of Genesis, God grows increasingly distraught over the wicked nature of the humans descended from Adam and Eve and their inadvertent creation of sin, and so decides to reset creation to a state of watery chaos. God warns one of the few moral men, the Antediluvian patriarch named Noah, about His plan to flood the world and instructs him to build an ark to house himself, his family, and two of each animal to be the first creatures to inhabit the new world. After the firmament breaks forth and floods the world for 40 days, Noah’s Ark washes up on Mount Ararat. Noah then builds an altar, with God forming a covenant with Noah whereby He declares to never again summon a flood to devastate the world. As Genesis 9:9-17 states, this promise between Noah and God is commemorated by the rainbow, a symbol of peace; which as ProfNoctis points out, also appears once Clive saves Waljas.
Through a certain perspective, the Flood could be seen as a sort of baptism, a spiritual cleansing of the world through physical water. Baptism is considered one of the 7 sacraments of the Christian Catholic denomination; a rite of initiation whereby the individual joining the faith is either submerged in or sprinkled with water three times, representing the purification of sin and the grace given by the Holy Trinity. This is not unlike the Rite of Immersion that the infant Waljas is granted at the conclusion of the Rising Tide DLC; a ceremony for all babies born into the Motes of Water in which the initiate is sprinkled with mountainous rain water from Maiden’s March, river water from Riversmeet, and sea water from Tailwind Bay. The water used in this rite is used as a metaphor for life’s journey, likened by the tribe to that of a river, with this revealing that the Motes of Water hold a very cyclical view of life in a similar fashion to the Buddhist beliefs in reincarnation or the Lifestream from Final Fantasy VII. As the descriptions for the 3 kinds of water used in the ceremony state; “The rain that falls upon the mountains of Mysidia emerges in the springs of Maiden’s March. Thus the water collected from said springs represents birth-the fountainhead from which the river of life begins”, “In the Riversmeet valley, several tributaries merge into a single stream, where clear currents and roiling eddies swim side by side. Its water represents life-a course complete with myriad meanderings, yet one that runs inexorably from source to sea”, and “The Mysidian river empties into the ocean amid the shallows of Tailwind Bay, and thus its water represents death-the stillness that lies beyond the end of the river of life, and from whence the raindrops are born anew”. In fact, the symbol for the village of Haven is meant to be the combination of Leviathan’s scales and the river called the Ceaseless Rill, “...the circle of life that has neither beginning nor end”, not unlike the serpentine symbol of the Ouroboros. I would thus argue that not only does Leviathan represent regret and retribution, but also the chaotic journey of life.
If it’s not already apparent, I find Leviathan to be very interesting. I want to thank you all for sticking around and reading the whole thing, as I know this was a lot. If you would like to check out some more information about Leviathan, I would recommend checking out the videos “Leviathan of Final Fantasy VS the Leviathan of the Bible - FF16 The Rising Tide” by Country Kratos and “A Brief History of Final Fantasy Summons Final Fantasy Lore” by Alleyway Jack.
With the conclusion of both DLCs, Clive and by extension the player, is granted one additional Eikonic power. As such, I am actually going to do one more essay, which I will post next week. I hope you look forward to it and thank you again for reading this. Have a fantastic day!
​

Hello there,
I hope you are having an amazing weekend either enjoying all the activities that make you happy, or simply by just relaxing at home, and being lazy because why not, right? But dont ignore the classic Sunday activities... Yeah, I'm talking about cleanning and laundry haha.
About me:
Ok, let's start by putting a name and a face to whoever is writing this: My name is Miguel, and I'm just a 34 years old guy enjoying a peaceful, and simple life in a small town in Mexico. Here are a few pics. But keep in mind that those pics are all good angles and lightning, so maybe I'll have to send you a selfie after just waking up to show you my reality haha.
In terms of personality people describe me, primarily, as a really chatty, goofy, and curious person. But also as caring, supportive, empathic, and attentive. I value honesty, good communication, respect, loyalty, kindness, and empathy.
I consider myself a homebody type of person: I love to spend plenty of time at home watching Netflix, baseball games, interesting (they are random but I prefer to call them that) YT videos, sometimes listening to music, and I have been getting into reading recently (It helps me to sleep better). When I'm not at home I like to go for walks around town or spending time at the plaza or the park. On rare occasions I go to the city either to go to the movies, a baseball game, or just to buy clothes.
I have been slowly getting back into working out after some time dealing with injuries, so I'm taking things slowly, and being mindful about my body. Important to mention I workout at home. Another thing I'm getting back into it is learning new languages. On top of Spanish and English, I also speak Portuguese, a bit of French, and I'm currently starting with Norwegian (people say it's easy so why not).
Last but not least, animals are a really important part of my life, especially dogs, and even when I don't have pets of my own just yet, my family and I, we take care of a couple of stray dogs, and one feral cat (I'm pretty sure my parents love them more than they love me). So cute dog and cat pictures are always on the menu.

Newly updated with recent arrivals including The Deadliest Prey, Hands of Steel, RepliGATOR, Near Dark, Skate or Die Scary or Die, Predator, and the Milwaukee Culkin-endorsed The Last Dragon.
A few notes, to clarify things that confused people on prior occasions: All movies from Best of the Worst and re:View are listed alongside the episode that they were covered in on RedLetterMedia's YouTube channel. If the movie is on Tubi, it's linked; if the movie is not on Tubi, it's not linked and the name is just there as a placeholder. Sometimes that link will take you to a page that says "Content unavailable," which means that Tubi's rights to the movie have lapsed; however, they cycle through those fairly often and they'll probably get those rights again in the future, so check back down the line.
Best of the Worst

• Best of the Worst Episode 1: Russian Terminator, Ninja Vengeance, Never Too Young to Die
• Best of the Worst: The New Gladiators, Exterminator 2, and Aftermath: New Gladiators, Exterminator 2, Aftermath
• Best of the Worst Episode 3: The Killer Eye, They Bite, and Xtro: The Killer Eye, They Bite, Xtro
• Best of the Worst: Deadly Prey, Hard Ticket to Hawaii, and Miami Connection: Deadly Prey, Hard Ticket to Hawaii, Miami Connection
• Best of the Worst: The Vindicator, Cyber Tracker, Robot Jox, and R.O.T.O.R.: The Vindicator, Cyber Tracker, Robot Jox, R.O.T.O.R.
• Best of the Worst: Playing Dangerous, Shapeshifter, and Thunderpants: Playing Dangerous, Shapeshifter, Thunderpants
• Best of the Worst: V-World Matrix, The Amazing Bulk, and ????: V-World Matrix, The Amazing Bulk, Gymkata
• Best of the Worst: Bloody Birthday, Crazy Fat Ethel II, and Psycho From Texas: Bloody Birthday, Crazy Fat Ethel II, Psycho From Texas
• Best of the Worst: Night Beast, Trick or Treat, and Skull Forest: Night Beast, Trick or Treat, Skull Forest
• Best of the Worst Extras: Shark Movies: Hobgoblins 2, Sharknado (original not available, RiffTrax version), Sharktopus
• Best of the Worst: Playing Dangerous 2, The Exterminator, and The Deadliest Prey: Playing Dangerous 2, The Exterminator, The Deadliest Prey
• Best of the Worst: Elves, Santa Claus, and Christmas Vacation 2: Elves, Santa Claus, Christmas Vacation 2
• Best of the Worst: Robo-C.H.I.C., Alien Seed, and Yor: The Hunter from the Future: Robo-C.H.I.C., Alien Seed, Yor: The Hunter from the Future (original not available, RiffTrax version)
• Best of the Worst: Supergirl, Captain America (1990), and Roger Corman's Fantastic Four: Supergirl, Captain America, Fantastic Four
• Best of the Worst: Direct-to-Video Horror: The Ice Cream Man, Recoil, Dracula 3000
• Best of the Worst: Ninja Movies: Ninja III: The Domination, Ninja Warriors, For Hire
• Best of the Worst: Ghetto Blaster, Terror in Beverly Hills, and Killing American Style: Ghetto Blaster, Terror in Beverly Hills, Killing American Style
• Best of the Worst: High Voltage, Death Spa, and Space Mutiny: High Voltage, Death Spa, Space Mutiny
• Best of the Worst: Shakma, Python II, and Beaks: The Movie: Shakma, Python II, Beaks
• Best of the Worst: Theodore Rex, Carnosaur, Tammy and the T-Rex: Theodore Rex, Carnosaur, Tammy and the T-Rex
• Best of the Worst: The Item, The Crawlers, and Blood Lock: The Item, The Crawlers, Blood Lock
• Best of the Worst: The Star Wars Holiday Special: The Star Wars Holiday Special
• Best of the Worst: Alienator, Alien from the Deep, and Hands of Steel: Alienator, Alien from the Deep, Hands of Steel
• Best of the Worst: Blood Debts, The Tomb, and Undefeatable: Blood Debts, The Tomb, Undefeatable
• Best of the Worst: Lady Terminator, Lost in Dinosaur World, and Low Blow: Lady Terminator, Lost in Dinosaur World, Low Blow
• Best of the Worst: Future War, The Jar, and White Fire: Future War (original not available, MST3K version), The Jar, White Fire
• Best of the Worst: Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, Killer Workout, and Mystics in Bali: Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, Killer Workout, Mystics in Bali
• Best of the Worst: The Photon Effect, How I Saved the President, and Double Down: The Photon Effect, How I Saved the President, Double Down
• Best of the Worst: A Very Cannon Christmas: Death Wish 3, The Christmas Tree, Invasion U.S.A.
• Best of the Worst: Order of the Black Eagle, Wired to Kill, and Raiders of Atlantis: Order of the Black Eagle, Wired to Kill, Raiders of Atlantis
• Best of the Worst: Plinketto #1: Double Dragon, Deathstalker, Doctor Butcher M.D., Kazaam
• Best of the Worst: Pocket Ninjas, Cyclone, and Dangerous Men: Steel, Pocket Ninjas, Cyclone, Dangerous Men
• Best of the Worst: Plinketto #2: Mutant Species, The Skateboard Kid, Repo Jake
• Best of the Worst: Parole Violators, Future Force, and Geteven: Parole Violators, Future Force, Geteven
• Best of the Worst: Scary or Die, Chopping Mall, Exorcist II: The Heretic: Scary or Die, Chopping Mall, Exorcist II: The Heretic
• Best of the Worst: RepliGATOR, Johnson Family Christmas Dinner, and Alligator: RepliGATOR, Johnson Family Christmas Dinner, The Legend of Gator Face, Alligator
• Best of the Worst: Episode 48: Plinketto #3: The Survivor, Keaton's Cop, Space Raiders
• Best of the Worst: Carnosaur 2, The Skateboard Kid 2, and Future Zone: Carnosaur 2, The Skateboard Kid 2, Future Zone (original not available, RiffTrax version)
• Best of the Worst: Biohazard, Slaughter High, and Kill Point: Biohazard, Slaughter High, Kill Point
• Best of the Worst: Bigfoot vs D.B. Cooper, Black Cougar, and Raw Force: Bigfoot vs D.B. Cooper, Black Cougar, Raw Force
• Best of the Worst: Hollywood Cop: Hollywood Cop
• Best of the Worst: The Sweeper, Empire of the Dark, and Mad Foxes: The Sweeper, Empire of the Dark, Mad Foxes
• Best of the Worst: The Last Vampire on Earth: The Last Vampire on Earth
• Best of the Worst: Plinketto #4: Turbulence 3: Heavy Metal, Little Bigfoot, Feeders
• Best of the Worst: Vampire Assassin, Hack-O-Lantern, and Cathy's Curse: Vampire Assassin, Hack-O-Lantern, Cathy's Curse
• Best of the Worst: Suburban Sasquatch: Suburban Sasquatch
• Best of the Worst: Merry Kick-mas!: Karate Cop, The Christmas Light, Night of the Kickfighters
• Best of the Worst: Plinketto #5: Nail Gun Massacre, Deathstalker II, Princess Warrior
• Best of the Worst: The Black Spine Edition: Partners
• Best of the Worst: Hologram Man, Faust, and Blood Street: Hologram Man, Faust, Blood Street
• Best of the Worst: Plinketto #6: Rocktober Blood, The Pit, Mankillers
• Best of the Worst: Kill Squad, Ryan's Babe, and Demonwarp: Kill Squad, Ryan's Babe, Demonwarp
• Night of the Lepus, Zombie 3, and Silk: Night of the Lepus, Zombie 3, Silk, Pass Thru
• Best of the Worst: Lycan Colony: Lycan Colony
• Best of the Worst: Carnivore, HauntedWeen, and Black Roses: Carnivore, HauntedWeen, Black Roses
• Best of the Worst: Plinketto #7: Prototype X29A, Quigley, Home Alone: Taking Back the House
• Best of the Worst: Christmas or Cats: Two Front Teeth, The Uninvited, Christy - Santa's First Female Reindeer
• Best of the Worst: Cybernator, Panther Squad, and Project Metalbeast: Cybernator, Panther Squad, Project Metal Beast
• Best of the Worst: Spookies, Action USA, and Alien Private Eye: Spookies, Action USA, Alien Private Eye
• Best of the Worst: Twister's Revenge: Twister's Revenge
• Best of the Worst: Hawk Jones, Winterbeast, and ROAR: Hawk Jones, Winterbeast, ROAR
• Best of the Worst: Plinketto #8: Demon Cop, Ratatoing, Alien Force, Game of Survival
• Best of the Worst: Petey Wheatstraw: Petey Wheatstraw
• Best of the Worst: The Instructor, Through Doohan's Eye, and Twisted Pair: The Instructor, Through Dead Eyes, Twisted Pair
• Best of the Worst: Jack-O, Rock n' Roll Nightmare, and Shark Exorcist: Jack-O, Rock n' Roll Nightmare, Shark Exorcist
• Best of the Worst: A Very Scary Christmas: Santa Claws, Iced, Silent Night, Deadly Night: Part 2
• Best of the Worst: Wicked World: Wicked World
• Best of the Worst: Showdown, Robot in the Family, and Bloodz vs. Wolvez: Showdown, Robot in the Family, Bloodz vs. Wolvez
• Best of the Worst: Bad Movie Scavenger Hunt: Her Name is Cat, Computer Beach Party, Mission: Killfast
• Best of the Worst: Diamond Cobra vs. The White Fox: Diamond Cobra vs The White Fox
• Best of the Worst: Twin Dragon Encounter, American Rickshaw, and Infested: Twin Dragon Encounter, American Rickshaw, Infested
• Best of the Worst: Shock Em Dead, Hollow Gate, and The Satan Killer: Shock'Em Dead, Hollow Gate, The Satan Killer
• Best of the Worst: Ben and Arthur: Ben and Arthur
• Best of the Worst: Plinketto #9: The Ice Cream Man, Spacejacked, The Dungeonmaster, The Suckling
• Best of the Worst: Blood Shack aka The Chooper: Blood Shack
• Best of the Worst: LA Wars, Unmasking the Idol, and Robowoman: L.A. Wars, Unmasking the Idol, Ankle Biters, Robowoman
• Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Black Spine Plinketto: Fateful Findings
• Best of the Worst: APE, Easy Kill, and Honorable Men: APE, Easy Kill, Honorable Men
• Best of the Worst: Dragon Hunt, Tartarus, and Born into Mafia: Dragon Hunt, Tartarus, Born into Mafia
• Best of the Worst: Halloween Spooktacular 2021: Primal Rage, Dorm of the Dead, Don't Panic
• Best of the Worst Spotlight: New York Ninja: New York Ninja
• Best of the Worst: Christmas 2021: Feeders 2: Slay Bells, William Wegman's Fay's Twelve Days of Christmas, Santa with Muscles
• Best of the Worst: Blindfold Picks!: The Incredible Melting Man, Starship, Lady Avenger
• Best of the Worst: Plinketto #10: 100 Million BC, Stone Cold, Bog
• Best of the Worst: Clash in the College: Clash in the College
• Best of the Worst: Bad Movie Scavenger Hunt Too: Silk 2, American Cyborg: Steel Warrior, Ultra Warrior, Blood Freak
• Best of the Worst: Halloween 2022: Demons at the Door, Evil Toons, Night Killer
• Best of the Worst: Cyborg and Arcade (Albert Pyun Double Feature): Cyborg, Arcade
• Best of the Worst: A Very Cannon Christmas II: Avenging Force, The Barbarians, Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo
• Best of the Worst Spotlight: After Last Season: After Last Season
• Best of the Worst: New Releases!: Mega Lightning, Fight of Fury, Birdemic 3: Sea Eagle
• Best of the Worst: Hawk the Slayer, Slaughter Day, The Kid with the X-Ray Eyes: Hawk the Slayer, Slaughter Day, The Kid with the X-Ray Eyes
• Best of the Worst: Back in Action vs. Enemy Territory: Back in Action, Enemy Territory
• Best of the Worst: Halloween 2023: Tim Ritter's Killing Spree, Night of the Demon, Vampire Riderz
• Best of the Worst Spotlight: Wish Upon: Wish Upon
• Best of the Worst: Christmas Plinketto: Cancel Christmas, Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker, Mee Christmas
• Best of the Worst: Glenn Danzig's Death Rider in the House of Vampires: Death Rider in the House of Vampires, Verotika
• Best of the Worst Spotlight - Cade: The Tortured Crossing: Cade: The Tortured Crossing
• Best of the Worst: Battle of the Genres: The Baby, Interceptor Force, Mr No Legs

Re:View

• Tremors - re:View: Tremors
• Escape from New York - re:View: Escape from New York
• Independence Day (1996) - re:View: Independence Day
• Eraserhead - re:View: Eraserhead
• Ghostbusters (1984) - re:View: Ghostbusters
• Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior - re:View: Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
• The Blair Witch Project - re:View: The Blair Witch Project
• Blade - re:View: Blade
• The Gate - re:View: The Gate
• Dawn of the Dead - re:View: Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead
• Land of the Dead and The Social Commentary of George Romero - re:View: Land of the Dead
• True Stories - re:View: True Stories
• Starship Troopers - re:View: Starship Troopers
• Demolition Man - re:View: Demolition Man
• The Mist - re:View: The Mist
• Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me - re:View: Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
• Blade Runner - re:View: Blade Runner
• George A. Romero's Martin - re:View: Martin
• Blind Fury - re:View: Blind Fury
• Joe Versus the Volcano - re:View: Joe Versus the Volcano
• Re-Animator and From Beyond - re:View: Re-Animator, From Beyond
• Nothing But Trouble - re:View: Nothing But Trouble
• Ed Wood - re:View: Ed Wood
• Pink Flamingos - re:View: Pink Flamingos
• Freddy Got Fingered - re:View: Freddy Got Fingered
• The Guest - re:View: The Guest
• Critters - re:View: Critters
• John Carpenter's The Thing - re:View: The Thing
• Strange Brew - re:View: Strange Brew
• Predator - re:View: Predator
• The Psycho Franchise - re:View (part 1 of 2): Psycho, Psycho II
• The Psycho Franchise - reView (part 2 of 2): Psycho III, Psycho IV: The Beginning, Psycho
• Hackers - reView: Hackers
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture - re:View: Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• Return of the Living Dead - re:View: Return of the Living Dead
• Top Secret - re:View: Top Secret
• Suspiria (1977) - re:View: Suspiria
• Suspiria (re:Make) - re:View: Suspiria
• The Rocketeer - re:View: The Rocketeer
• The Warriors - re:View: The Warriors
• In the Mouth of Madness - re:View: In the Mouth of Madness
• Bone Tomahawk - re:View: Bone Tomahawk
• Gremlins 2: The New Batch - re:View: Gremlins 2: The New Batch
• The Exorcist - re:View: The Exorcist
• Exorcist III - re:View: Exorcist III
• The Last Dragon - re:View: The Last Dragon
• Tron and Tron: Legacy - re:View: Tron, Tron: Legacy
• Cabin Fever - re:View: Cabin Fever
• Freaked - re:View: Freaked
• Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - re:View: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
• UHF - re:View: UHF
• Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure & Bogus Journey - re:View: Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey
• Friday the 13th Sequels - re:View: Friday the 13th - The Final Chapter, Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI
• More Friday the 13th Sequel Talk - re:View: Friday the 13th Part III, Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
• The Blob (1988) - re:View: The Blob
• Event Horizon - re:View: Event Horizon
• Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone - re:View: Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone
• Bram Stoker's Dracula - re:View: Bram Stoker's Dracula
• Ice Pirates - re:View: Ice Pirates
• Ranking Every John Carpenter Movie (part 1 of 3) - re:View: Body Bags, Dark Star, Escape from L.A., Ghosts of Mars, The Fog, Prince of Darkness, Village of the Damned, Halloween
• Ranking Every John Carpenter Movie (part 2 of 3) - re:View: Assault on Precinct 13, Vampires, The Ward, Memoirs of an Invisible Man
• Ranking Every John Carpenter Movie (part 3 of 3) - re:View: They Live, Starman, Christine, Big Trouble in Little China
• Enemy Mine - re:View: Enemy Mine
• Dune (1984) and Dune (2021) - re:View: Dune, Dune
• Blood Beat - re:View: Blood Beat
• Total Recall - re:View: Total Recall
• Near Dark - re:View: Near Dark
• Darkman - re:View: Darkman
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit - re:View: Who Framed Roger Rabbit
• Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy - re:View: Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy
• The Good, The Bad and the Ugly - re:View: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
• Creepshow - re:View: Creepshow
• Creepshow 2 - re:View: Tales from the Darkside, Creepshow 2, Creepshow III, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie
• The Nightmare on Elm Street Series - re:View (Part 1): A Nightmare on Elm Street, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
• The Nightmare on Elm Street Series - re:View (Part 2): A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, Wes Craven's New Nightmare
• Mars Attacks! - re:Visit: Mars Attacks!
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - re:View: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
• Robocop 2 - re:View: Robocop 2
• Little Shop of Horrors - re:View: Little Shop of Horrors
• The Friday the 13th Series - re:View (Part 1): Friday the 13th, Friday the 13th Part 2
• Pee-Wee's Big Adventure - re:View: Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
• The Friday the 13th Series - re:View (Part 2): Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, Jason X
• Raising Arizona - re:View: Raising Arizona
• Showgirls - re:View: Showgirls
• The Dark Backward - re:View: The Dark Backward
• Predator 2 - re:View: Predator 2

Bonus Len Kabasinski filmography

• Swamp Zombies!!!
• Curse of the Wolf
• Fist of the Vampire
• Warriors of the Apocalypse
• Wendigo: Bound by Blood
• Ninja: Prophecy of Death
• Skull Forest
• Blood Mercury
• Angel of Reckoning
• Hellcats Revenge
• Blood Prism
• Swamp Zombies 2
• Challenge of 5 Gauntlets
• Hellcats Revenge II: Deadman's Hand
• Pact of Vengeance

Super Bonus Deep Cut only referenced one time by Jay on a Best of the Worst eleven years ago

• Fart: The Movie

Hi everyone!
Long time no see :)) I wanted to wait a little bit so I could do a 9th and 10th dose post at the same time since my 10th dose was the 5th dose of my 5mg. I have so much to update you all on.
Okay so I took my 4th dose of 5mg and had an extremely frustrating week. I injected in my upper left thigh for the second time and everything went well.
For 2 weeks (from my 3rd and 4th dose of 5mg) I was just yo-yoing from 105.5kg - 105kg. Most days I was 105.2 or 105.3 and it was sooo frustrating. I started thinking that this was the start of my first weight stall until I woke up one day and I was 104.5kg and literally jumped for joy. This was promptly “ruined” by going home from uni for a few days. My mum cooks delicious food everyday and I can probably count of one hand how many times we’ve ordered delivery to my childhood home but the food of my home country is veryyyy carb heavy and the sauces we eat often have a lot of oil included. I wanted to enjoy my mum’s cooking though because it is so good and I don’t have it at university so I decided to do a OMAD for the few days I was back home. My mum was worried that I wasn’t eating as much (she doesn’t know about MJ) but that is also partly because her love language is feeding her children lovely food and making sure they’re always well fed. When I came back I weighed myself and I ended the week on 104.7kg which meant that I ended didn’t lose ANYTHING this week for the first time on this journey. I am not complaining because I enjoyed some delicious home cooking and no loss is better than gaining. I’m was also definitely retaining water weight from all those incredible carbs.
NSV for 9th dose: when I walked through the door at home my mum said hi to me and hugged me and then stepped back and said you’ve lost weight😂 trust my mum to be the first person to verbally tell me. I was sooo happy and it just reinforced the fact that I must be doing something right.
Moving swiftly on to my 5th dose of 5mg which has been more successful than its predecessor. During this dose I had to pay a lot of attention to my appetite suppression levels and side effects because I have had a hard time deciding whether to stay on 5mg or go up to 7.5mg. I ultimately decided to stay on 5mg because I have had really good success with these lower doses so it would probably be better to continue on them until the benefits stop. My side effects are at a minimum and I have less food noise. In my case I don’t have intense appetite suppression but when I eat even small portions, I will feel very full an hour later which I am very happy with. I also think I’m one of the youngest people on this medicine that I’ve seen and I want to take care of my body as much as possible since its the only one I’ll have for many decades to come and I don’t think overloading it with high doses too soon (or at all) would be the best decision at my age.
This week I have lost another 3kg so across these two weeks I’ve averaged 1.5kg loss a week which I cannot complain about.
NSV for 10th dose: This is really strange but I am cold😂 like I know I live in the UK and our summer isn’t really really summering right now (or ever) but I am never normally cold and usually sleep with my window open. But I am genuinely more cold and I am putting this down to my 18kg (so far) weight loss.
My main task right now is upping my protein intake which has been the biggest struggle. I cannot drink protein shakes anymore because the taste of them make me feel ill and they give me a lot of bloating so I’m going to try really hard to eat more natural protein (aka animal products) even though I currently have the chicken, egg, and fish ick. I had a delicious burger the other day at my friend’s birthday meal so I know beef is still a safe option. I may try to make some “Big Mac salads” soon so I can keep the carbs to protein ratio low.
Exercise wise I am doing 2-3 gym sessions a week on average (sometimes more) and trying to get 10k steps in whenever possible. I am think of making a complete switch from weight lifting to pilates though as I really do prefer low intensity workouts that won’t mess with my cortisol levels.
That is all from me! Talk to you all next week :)))
Stats as of 25/05/24 - after 9th dose week 5’7 21F, SW and HW: 120kg (265lbs), CW: 104.7kg (230.8bs), GW: 60kg (132lbs)
Stats as of 31/05/24 - after 10th dose week 5’7 21F, SW and HW: 120kg (265lbs), CW: 101.7kg (224.2lbs), GW: 60kg (132lbs)

The fate has led you here. Sit down by the campfire and rest. We got Starbucks coffee or whatever the cool kids drink these days.
Thank you for stopping by! Are you looking for the best friendship you ever had. "Best friendship?" You might think. "I ain't insane lmaooo".
Someone who will always be your shoulder to cry on whatever it is? Your personal 24/7 hype person who will make you wake up to the craziest memes, cursed images, messages, fun facts, cringe stories, boring facts and conspiracy theories? Someone who will watch movies with you, anime, tv shows, play dumb games, or perhaps start new MMORPG that we will invest into together? Someone who will discuss fashion with you, exchange gym/workout videos and pics, or just discuss deep meanings behind life, books and other media? Someone you could tell all your secrets and deepest desires without fear of being judged? Do not look any further... for I am not that person. I AM KIDDING, yes that's me I am absolutely that person. I am here to invest my full free time into you!
Do I sound like Skyrim NPC to you? Good. Here are my stats:

• Based in Europe
• Interested in other languages and cultures (If yo DM me your country I will tell you everything I know about the politics, language, history, culture and heritage)
• Big fan of rock and metal
• I consume Greek and Roman philosophy books like drug addict steroids
• Owns a pet
• used to model
• Student in early 20s
• Saw a guy shave his beard once in 5 years and his dog shit himself on the spot
• banan👍

Now to avoid writing whole-ass Old Testament here, I cannot wait to hear from you and invest all my time into you and getting to know you! Let's face the deepest depths of despair together. Hey, if ya do not like me, you can always run away like Romanian with a TV. If you aren't interested, that is fine as well! I wish you an amazing day stranger and love you lots. Ant-eaters be like "what am I gonna eat today? let me take a wild fuckin guess"
Comment Christiano Penaldo if you came this far
Alright now I gotta dip, my cat is mooing
See ya
Sincerely,
Tarzan of Chernobyl

What I’m looking for: I’m on the search for someone that I can truly vibe with to be my best friend and life partner 🫶🏻
‼️ Very important to note:

• I really hate flying on planes, so if you are big on travel by plane and want a partner that will join you, I’m probably not the one for you!! At least as of the foreseeable future. (I’m so sorry- I’m very very uncomfortable with flying, but in a hypothetical scenario I would do my best to accomodate long distance travel for you!!)

About me!:

• Location: I currently live in Ohio and am stuck here for the next 4 years of college :,D
  
• I’m a trans guy (ftm) 🏳️‍⚧️, I’ve been on testosterone and had top surgery, but don’t want bottom surgery. I do pass and look like a guy, so please be aware, I am not a girl!!!
  
• 5’4” (5’5” if I really stretch..), average build, a lil soft which is good for cuddles (I like to workout but won’t say no to desserts >:3)
  
• I’m a nerdy guy! I love science, physics, pc stuff, astronomy and deep topics (big brain interests, even though I can be a dumbass LMAO)
  
• Other interests: video games (minecraft, stardew valley, fortnite, dbd, etc.), anime, webtoons/webcomics, movies/show, nature, walks and hikes, reading, and animals :D
  
• I love being clean, smelling good, and practice good hygiene! I even FLOSS 🙂‍↕️
  
• A bit shy at first, can be quiet and I’m comfortable with silence, but also very outgoing once I open up and connect with someone!
  
• I don’t really like parties, and I don’t drink or do drugs. I love quiet activities with that one special person, walks, star-gazing, picnics, thrifting, book stores, nights in, cuddling, that sort of stuff 🫶🏻
  
• I’m affectionate, cute, excitable, empathetic, and understanding. I really love self-awareness and communication!
  
• Some flaws: My anxiety can be very bad and cause me stress at times, and I can be a bit of a hypochondriac and germaphobic, especially when stressed but I do my best to manage it, and majority of the time am okay!
  

For compatibility reasons:

• I am a sensitive person, and have sexual anxiety. I also have a lower sex drive and need to be very comfortable with someone to do these things, which takes time. It is never my priority with my partner, emotional connection comes first!
  
• I’d prefer having pets over kids in the future, and it’s a dream of mine to some day live in a rustic style home near lots of beautiful nature! I’m more of a countryside or mountains guy as opposed to cities :)
  

I bet you’re wondering what I’m looking for? Only requirements tbh:

• Age 18-26
  
• Good hygiene and sense of taking care of yourself (showering, brushing teeth, a sense of responsibility and maturity)
  
• Smells good (smell is a BIG factor in my attraction, I have a sensitive sense of smell, and if you smell good to me I’ll be very attracted, if you’re stinky.. I cannot 😭)
  
• Good personality, and we vibe >:3
  
• You’re honest about your intentions, have good morals, are gentle and understanding
  

Anyway! Phew! If you’re still here after all that text, I’m honestly impressed, because my keyboard started lagging while typing it all :,D
If you’re interested in me, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Send me a message with an introduction and your age, description of yourself, and why you thought my post was intriguing to you!! We can trade face pics if that’s cool with you to see if there’s some mutual attraction! 🫶🏻🙂‍↕️

After reading the content of this subforum, I was motivated to see what I could achieve by giving up my regular doses of antibiotics and focusing on physical therapy. It turns out this worked quite well so far. Below are the things that helped me especially.

• Reading “A Headache in the Pelvis”: This described my condition perfectly, and being authored by a graduate student at Stanford under the supervision of a professor of Urology, had enough credibility that I started paying attention. After reading, I started touching my trigger points and noticed that after they were touched, the pain was diminished for a while. This demonstrated to me that I could control the pain, and not just by not doing things that triggered it and made it worse (like masturbation). Feeling in control after 2 years of trying out various antibiotics without success, is a truly amazing feeling.
• Giving up antibiotics: I wanted to see if there were any bacteria in my urine and semen samples that warranted antibiotics, believing that it’s possible that I could both have pelvis floor dysfunction (muscle issue) and a potential infection (bacterial issue). After a little over a week of being off antibiotics, I did the tests and everything came back negative (no surprise). After years of being on antibiotics, my system is probably nuked of many bacteria. Once I gave these up, the pain flared quite substantially, and I had some of my worst days ever. But it got better over time and now I no longer need to worry about what I’m doing to my body by taking antibiotics, which is a huge psychological relief.
• Quercetin: I found believable studies (search for Shoshkes and quercetin) that this helps with inflammation (in much the same way that taking antibiotics helped with inflammation and helped me feel better). I take 600mg twice a day, with bromelain. I’ve tried to stop taking it twice, and the pain flares after a few days, so for now, I’m still taking it. Once the pain goes down to zero for a longer period, I hope to stop.
• My physiotherapist: I was lucky enough to find a therapist specialized in pelvic floor therapy, who had 12 years experience with just this in both men and women. Most of our sessions consisted of 30% talk and 70% dry needling. I think the talk actually helped more than the dry needling (and will test that out now since I’ve moved cities). Specifically, she helped me understand that my pain is in the ligaments in the pelvic muscles, the same ligaments where sperm travels during ejaculation. We believe these ligaments hurt due to bad posture, specifically a weak transveral abdominal muscle whose primary job is to stabilize the body. Due to this bad posture, other muscles compensated to stabilize the body and now ache due to being misused. To fix, we need to strengthen the stabilizing muscle and transform the body to a healthy, natural state of being. I started a training program at the gym where I now dedicate an entire day/week to core strength (mostly calisthenics exercises). She insisted the pelvis is neutral (as opposed to flat on the floor or otherwise supported during these exercises). I’ve realized my core is weaker than average during the yoga classes I’ve taken and believe that specific core exercises at the gym will help. She also explained that I hurt more in cold weather because the muscles tighten more in cold weather. I hurt more when I sit because the muscles are tight and crunched when I sit. Same for being anxious or stressed. The overall takeaway is to return the muscles and ligaments to their normal, strong, and healthy function through regular exercises with maybe some impulse to speed things up (like dry needling).
• Vegan diet, lower in carbs: I understand this is a contentious topic, but for whatever reason I always have pain flares after eating meat or heavy meals. I feel lighter and better when eating a plant-based diet. However, I’ve noticed that eating lots of grains/carbs leads to agitation so I’ve been trying to eat more nuts/beans and less grains and found that helps settle the mind (and the muscles too). In practice, lots of beans, nuts and vegetables with a little fruit and grains (and nothing processed beyond tofu or hemp protein). This is what works for my pain, I’m not advocating it for everyone or for the health of the planet or animal welfare. Maybe you can try it and it helps you too.
• Near zero masturbation and only sex, preferably in active positions: Understanding the problem is in the ligaments and the tightness of the overall muscles/ligaments in the groin area, I realized that whenever I masturbate there’s a whole lot more tightness in those muscles. For whatever reason, I end up pulling more and I feel the muscles are tighter during masturbation than during sex. Even during sex, if the girl is on top, the muscles are scrunched together more than if I’m on top or in a position where the body has to move in a natural way (as opposed to collapsing and mostly laying there). This makes a big difference in the pain symptoms, when I’m able to practice it correctly. I actually feel this helped the most out of everything.

After 3 months of gradual improvement, I’ve had periods of one or two days where the pain was barely perceptible. My flares (usually triggered by masturbation) are still bad, but they last less than before. My pain also feels differently, more in the muscle of the leg and less in the groin (in other words, it moved, which my physiotherapist sees as a good sign). I tried doing trigger point release at the beginning but found that it mostly flared my symptoms and have stopped doing it. I have no “daily practice” to manage the pain, beyond taking quercetin . The core workouts, healthy diet and natural sex I would hope to do regardless if I have this pain, and I see things improving. I hope it continues.
I’d like to thank those who posted their experiences, as that was the impetus to make the change in my life. I hope this post helps others make a change in their lives.

The fate has led you here. Sit down by the campfire and rest. We got Starbucks coffee or whatever the cool kids drink these days.
Thank you for stopping by! Are you looking for the best friendship you ever had. "Best friendship?" You might think. "I ain't insane lmaooo".
Someone who will always be your shoulder to cry on whatever it is? Your personal 24/7 hype person who will make you wake up to the craziest memes, cursed images, messages, fun facts, cringe stories, boring facts and conspiracy theories? Someone who will watch movies with you, anime, tv shows, play dumb games, or perhaps start new MMORPG that we will invest into together? Someone who will discuss fashion with you, exchange gym/workout videos and pics, or just discuss deep meanings behind life, books and other media? Someone you could tell all your secrets and deepest desires without fear of being judged? Do not look any further... for I am not that person. I AM KIDDING, yes that's me I am absolutely that person. I am here to invest my full free time into you!
Do I sound like Skyrim NPC to you? Good. Here are my stats:

• Based in Europe
• Interested in other languages and cultures (If yo DM me your country I will tell you everything I know about the politics, language, history, culture and heritage)
• Big fan of rock and metal
• I consume Greek and Roman philosophy books like drug addict steroids
• Owns a pet
• used to model
• Student in early 20s
• Saw a guy shave his beard once in 5 years and his dog shit himself on the spot
• banan👍

Now to avoid writing whole-ass Old Testament here, I cannot wait to hear from you and invest all my time into you and getting to know you! Let's face the deepest depths of despair together. Hey, if ya do not like me, you can always run away like Romanian with a TV. If you aren't interested, that is fine as well! I wish you an amazing day stranger and love you lots. Ant-eaters be like "what am I gonna eat today? let me take a wild fuckin guess"
Comment Christiano Penaldo if you came this far
Alright now I gotta dip, my cat is mooing
See ya
Sincerely,
Tarzan of Chernobyl

(Only Europe, Please) - short note - If you're not into reading or receiving long messages,don't read any further + Please If you don't want to read everything because of my post being too long for you & instead of reading It all - ..skip some parts - find another person to talk to.Let's respect each other and our free time. All people criticizing/making fun of me & other people - will be blocked.Pretty much as people questioning my post and giving me unsolicited advice.I'm not here for any conflicts and I know I can't please everyone - I know I never will.. However It's me who should feel comfortable in my new potential friendship & obviously someone who wants to be my friend - not the whole world.. which is why I don't need any advice from people who don't even want to be a part of my life. The amount of rude people on Reddit always criticizing others and making fun of them is unbelievably high but let me tell you something - NEVER let anyone make choices for you and criticize you only because you're different! Always fight for your dreams and never let anyone make you think you're worthless! It's your life and you're the one deciding what's best for you - If you want to judge me despite not even wanting to talk to me or give me advice better block me! I'm an adult woman and I make all decisions on my own.I'm not trying to "fit in" and be like everyone else - just to get more attention.Accept me for who I am or let go - is my motto.
★
🤍
Hello guys! 🙂 (read everything before you decide to send me a message) Please send me a message ONLY If you're in the same situation and If your expectations are the same as mine.I want to find like minded people from Europe (Why Europe? Read my post to find out) I'm looking for something permanent (remember - you can feel lonely even If you're surrounded by others - If there's no emotional bond) I'm fed up of meeting people who never make time for me & only text me once or twice a week to ask me "what are you up to?" Out of boredom.I don't want to meet people asking others a million of questions like "what's your favorite movie?" Just to give them one word answer and ask them another question "and music? Your favorite song?" I'm looking for something "deeper" & different 🙂
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What kind of friend would I like to find? Someone to talk to on a daily basis - Someone who needs It & wants It just as much as me
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What are my expectations? I would like to meet someone in a similar situation – why? Because I honestly feel like only a person with the same expectations and a similar outlook on life would get along with me & because I feel more comfortable talking to people like me..Friendless people who need a strong bond - people without friends and partners.. Don't get me wrong…Most people deserve to be happy and It's good to have friends but people who have friends or families in real life are usually more focused on them (which is completely understandable) & have less time for others + I simply don't want to be replaced by anyone..I kind of envy people who can call others , true friends given I don't have an emotional bond with any of my acquaintances. Please send me a message only If you're not In a relationship and don't have friends for the same reasons I've already mentioned before
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Whenever I hear that others have friends I simply get sad because (believe it or not) If I had to choose between 20 people to talk to (acquaintances) and one special person - I'd choose that one special person without any hesitation .
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I also want to talk to others every day because..I want to see someone’s effort & be someone's first choice - not another person to have random conversations with..some people ask me "Why do you want to talk to people from Europe?" Well..Because I would like to see someone I'd get along with - In the far future - face to face :) + I don't want to wait any longer than 6 hours to receive a message - waiting 6 hours to receive a message is more than enough
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I'm by no means criticizing people who don't want to talk to others often / People who really are super busy & People who want to find someone to have unimportant conversations with - I'm aware that not everyone has the same expectations which is why everything you're reading now - is here for a reason :) All I'm suggesting is - I don't want anything temporary and I don't want to be the one always giving more than receiving.Listen people - I used to ignore being..ignored by others..always being just an option to talk to during tough times or moments of boredom.I was too young to realize that I was never important enough for most people that were a part of my life. I don't know who needs to hear this but..No one is too busy to make time for you! People make excuses to avoid others because they prioritize everything and (maybe) everyone..over them. It's true that most people are busy - but It takes only a few seconds to start a conversation (If you're into short messages) and a few minutes (1-10/15) to type a long message . Don't let anyone lie to you.
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Truth is that most people either don't like you enough to make time for you or just simply - feel no need to talk to others often but are they too busy? No..You don't need to send me a message just to ask me and tell me "Do you really want to talk every day? I like long messages but I can't promise to contact you often" If you really are unsure please don't send me a message.I don't need more acquaintances aka people to talk to - occasionally.
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I'm not trying to sound rude but conversations once or twice a week wouldn't be enough for me and I don't need them... Let me tell you one thing – A true friend would never just give up on you for no reason :) It’s always possible to find someone to have a random conversation with – someone willing to send you one message once or twice a week..but..It’s almost impossible to find people willing to make more time for you.
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I’m not asking a busy person to make time for me by changing some plans! Absolutely not! I’m here to find someone who wants to talk daily (throughout the day or maybe even night) of one’s own will.Someone looking for the same kind of connection.Strong friendships are based on mutual support. One of the best things you can do for a friend in need, is just to be there for them when they want to talk.I often see posts from people who always say how friendless they are because they don't feel loved or appreciated by their "friends" remember! A true friend - someone who truly likes you or someone who wants to get to know you - will always find time for you.
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I'm not interested in small talk/short messages - I love long and meaningful conversations. It's so easy to find someone who loves abbreviations and questions like "How are you?" How was your day? Or what are you interested in? But so hard/almost impossible to find a person who knows how to keep a conversation going & show others some effort.Building and maintaining friendships takes time and effort.Never allow pursuits or possessions to become bigger priorities than your relations with other people.Close friendships are so important to us because they are so difficult to form + Having friends can help you feel as if you belong to something that brings purpose and connection to your life
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• I do NOT respond to any „Hey,hmu” or „u want to talk?” type of messages (super short messages or messages full of abbreviations – I literally can’t stand abbreviations and acronyms in text messages) ALL messages full of abbreviations will immediately be ignored.I also don't like it when people ignore everything I say in private messages just to focus on a random question or? When they start talking only about themselves and don't ever ask me anything. I love conversations with people referring to everything I say...I want everything I say and do - to be reciprocated
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• No NSFW profiles (checking mental health subreddits NOT included as I'm a huge empath and always try to understand others) - Please! I'm not looking for anyone to flirt with and I'm not looking for a partner either. I always check people's profiles (even comment history) - To avoid guys, trying to get inappropriate pictures from adult women or? flirt with them + I don't want to see you with no clothes on so If you're on Reddit only because you want others to see what's underneath your clothes - I'm not for you! I just simply don't want to see any s e x related activity on your profile If you want to talk to me.
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• If both of us (you and I) are from the same country (I live in a non-English speaking country) - I want to communicate with you in our first language! No - Not because I don't understand English - because as you see - I do. Why then? English is simply overrated and people don't appreciate other languages as much as they should. So.. If we're from the same country and you want to talk only in English (which is quite common on reddit) - Talk to someone else. I just don't want to talk to a person from the same country as mine - in a foreign language as It's just something I don't understand even If all you want is to improve your language skills
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• Please only adult people 18-36 (age range) It doesn't matter to me If you're younger or older than me (as long as you're not underage) So.. don't worry! I just want to have discussions with emotionally mature people :)
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• I don’t respond to messages I don’t find interesting even If they're long - If after receiving and reading your message I don't feel comfortable or think "I wouldn't get along with him/her" I simply do not respond (what I’m suggesting is that I don’t always respond to someone’s first or second message because..sometimes you just know If you’d get along with someone or not- I’d never ignore anyone after days or weeks of daily conversations though) just because I don’t want to do anything forcefully & because I don’t want to lead anyone on. I read all messages but I definitely don't respond to all of them! I want to make it clear because I don't want to be accused of not responding and not reading people's messages! - Some people don't message me back as well and even If It's a bit disappointing I'm ok with that! - as long as there's no emotional bond - Not responding to someone's first or second message Is completely OK! If people think they wouldn't get along with a stranger - is there a reason to start a conversation? I don't think so. I can't stand being ignored after days or weeks of daily conversations and seeing people changing priorities over time.. but that's something different - something I don't want to go through ever again for real. If I'm really interested in someone's message it's impossible to hear from me "I'm too busy" because I know myself and If I had no time for others - I wouldn't be here. I don't want to pretend someone I'm not and always try to find some cheap excuses to avoid others. (unlike most people who don't want to talk to others)
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• Don’t ask me “Can you tell me something about yourself?” If you really want to get to know me - you can ask me questions :) I'm an open book.
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• It would be better If you guys were into emojis - like me - to describe your emotions In text messages. Two emojis - 🙂 and 🙁 are completely enough! I just don't like emotionless conversations.I also don't like it when people say "yeah" or yea"as it sounds dismissively. First impression Is everything to me! I want to see your kindness even in a text message - Emojis are very helpful to express your emotions.I don't want to meet people who say "crying Is a weakness" - It's OK to cry even If you're a guy!
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• I want to talk on reddit first (just to make sure If I'd get along with you) before moving to Discord or some other app
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• I would rather talk to a homebody - not another person who always has something to do as people who are very busy don't even have time for daily conversations
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• If you're another person interested only in "childish conversations" such as "HEYOOO! I'M BORED! Ya like Pizza or cheese? xDDDD 🤣" I'm begging you! Don't send me a message.I'm not a child anymore and such messages don't make me smile or laugh.I'm looking for someone interested In serious discussions - not another person just seeking some entertainment out of boredom . Conversations with sarcastic undertones (even when It comes to some emojis such as 🤣😂) are not for me. Your typing style matters to me! Why? when It comes to online conversations with someone new - It's not always possible to know If someone Is laughing at you.. or with you. Let me tell you something else! Jokes about cancer, disabilities and death are UNACCEPTABLE to me. If you find joy In someone else's misfortune you are not a person I want to know.
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• Time response matters to me a lot! I would never ask anyone to be online all day long and I'm NOT asking any of you for any instant messaging as I'm someone who would rather wait an hour or two to receive a proper response instead of some short and pointless messages but I'm interested only in daily conversations and I don't want to wait any longer than 6 hours to get a message from you.I don't need unbelievably long messages either! Messages as long as the second paragraph of my post - are completely enough. If you like longer messages? you can send me a longer message, but If you want to send me one word or one sentence as a response to my post - don't expect a reaction from me. I don't want to come across as rude - I just don't want to waste your time
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• I'm strongly AGAINST picking on people you don't even want to chat with - and making fun of them! I can't stand people who criticize others publicly or make fun of them! (only because they disagree with someone they don't even know) There's no place In my life for someone using Reddit, to hurt other people
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• I'm not into foul language and I definitely don't want to talk to people who swear a lot...
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• I want to meet assertive people who know what they want and always stand up for their friends
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• I want to meet someone willing to call me In the future, someone spontaneously sending me pictures of animals or food, et cetera. I want more than just text conversations.. 🌻
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Why can’t you see any of my hobbies listed down below? Because what really matters to me is..who you are (If you’re honest, talkative ,understanding, caring and trustworthy – for example) just simply – It matters to me what you’re like! not what you like.Don’t get me wrong – you can tell me what your hobbies are but from my point of view - people's hobbies are important - If you want to find a gaming buddy or If you want to meet someone to hang out with in real life and..go bowling for example.What most people seem to care about are other people's passions – I don’t. I get along with other people despite having completely different hobbies but I absolutely don’t get along with people way different than me (different expectations and outlook on life – way different sense of humor or personality traits – It’s just an example) It doesn't make ANY DIFFERENCE to me If you're a gamer or? Someone interested in photography! It doesn't make any difference - > as long as you're talkative and kind and If you also want to find someone willing to stay in your life..for good - But If you're into small talk and all you want is to...type and receive super short messages or If you're here only because you're bored and don't know what to do + If you're a very sarcastic person - I'm definitely not for you! I don't get along with overly sarcastic people turning everything into a joke. Friendships should be natural – not forced. I wouldn't get along with people who laugh at everything.. In my opinion most people are way too sarcastic.. It's quite sad... Sarcasm can also be another form of passive-aggressive behavior.
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People who want to be to friends should feel comfortable and have something in common. No - not necessarily a similar taste in music or movies but something else..Most friendships don't fizzle out because of people not having the same hobbies but..because they just simply have different expectations when It comes to something important.I'm not here out of boredom and trust me - I'm not here to meet as many people as possible.I choose quality over quantity.I highly value myself and my time & Sometimes one person but a person who makes you feel comfortable and understood - is more than enough :) We ALL can choose what kind of people we’d like to talk to and maybe even become really good friends with and I? I don’t want anyone to be disappointed.We all have some expectations after all.I know that people don't have to talk as often as possible in order to become friends but I'm interested only in daily conversations. If you really need someone to talk to due to loneliness and If you have time to talk to me daily (throughout the day and maybe even night) I always make time for others.I'm literally always available.I could even stay up all night long only to talk to someone important to me. I’m ready to commit but only If there’s some chemistry between me and someone else.I don’t do anything forcefully.
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If you want to talk to me tell me your story - tell me why you're here, what kind of friend would you like to meet :) Et cetera.Such messages are way more interesting to me than...someone's long list of hobbies. I know! It's unusual on reddit but I don't make friends based on hobbies..I want to meet someone with the same mindset as mine to finally feel understood and get close to someone new. You can share your problems with me - I absolutely don't mind "complaining" as I've been through a lot in my life.What do people usually tell you when you tell them that something's wrong? "Don't complain" or "Life's not over yet - one day you'll be happy" or "There are worse situations than yours" and..obviously "Find a therapist" Life's not a fairytale and sometimes things don't go as planned.Emotions shouldn't be bottled up.I'm sick of people always telling others "everything's gonna be ok" move on " & more..Trust me people - not everyone wants to hear "Just believe in yourself and everything's gonna be ok" Some people take it as reassurance - but others? They would rather hear something different 🙁Imagine being told that things will be okay, only for them to get worse..Do you guys know why telling someone "everything's gonna be ok" Is wrong? Because you can't see the future.
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You can't guarantee others that one day they'll finally be happy + when It comes to social interactions - We're responsible only for ourselves - not others & as you guys know people let us down quite often (sometimes even when there's no reason) so instead of telling people how they should move on, forget everything and be happy or asking them to find a therapist - be there for them! Always be willing to listen to them If you really like them or want to get to know them & don't suggest everyone in a tough situation to find a therapist because even the best therapist won't ever replace a true friend + It's quite normal to be disappointed If people always do something to hurt you. Sharing your hardships with other people in a very similar situation or exactly the same one - is VERY helpful If the other person understands you & wants to start all over by just letting it all out! Feeling emotional support instead of always hearing some "positive quotes" or someone saying "Stop complaining let's talk about something else - Is very important! "Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on. I appreciate sensitive people who always try to understand others. If after hearing a sad story all you want to say is "forget the past and move on" you're not for me. It's important to be a good listener and provide emotional support to others
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Please - If you're a completely different person than the described type of person I'm looking for (If you love abbreviations,If you don't need a stable friendship, If you're sarcastic and quiet) or If you simply disagree with my post - don't force yourself to send me a message.I want my new potential friendship to be natural which is why I want you to contact me only If your needs are the same - I don't want you to pretend someone you're not - only to please me - Pretending to be someone you're not - is the worst.I want to finally be happy again & find someone "always" wanting to talk - sending me random pictures throughout the day - food pictures or pictures of some animals. What is the most important to me? I want to find people who value online friendships as much as they would value real life ones as there's another human being on the other side
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No comments please.Only Private messages and chat requests 🌺
I know It's possible to meet people with exactly the same expectations as mine but It's just not easy because most people are Interested In temporary and entertaining conversations. People like me are just "different" I really want to finally find someone who loves emojis as much as I do.. someone who loves sweet, warm and serious discussions at the same time. Emojis really do - change conversations 😊

Im 13 and in year 8 and had the homework task of writing a paragraph about how Boxer from animal farm progresses throughout the novella and here it is! I know it’s not good so I would really appreciate feedback. I know it’s really long sorry
Throughout the novella, Orwell depicts Boxer as a selfless and sympathetic worker while simultaneously portraying him as gullible, and exposing the manipulation he suffers due to his naïveté and lack of literacy.
Napoleon, after successfully exiling Snowball, decides that the building of the windmill will in fact go ahead, requiring the animals’ input. In an attempt to inspire the animals, Squealer is then tasked with giving motivational speeches to them, yet it was often the sight of Boxer ‘toiling up the slope inch by inch, his breath coming fast, the tips of his hoofs clawing at the ground and his great sides matted with sweat’ that filled everyone with motivation. The use of listing emphasises the substantial amount of strength and vigour exerted by Boxer while working on the farm. Concurrently, it also creates a vivid image of travail using figurative language, which causes the reader to feel sympathetic for Boxer. The verb [toil] implies prolonged and fatiguing labour, uncovering how much he sacrifices for the farm and revealing Boxer’s altruistic and heroic character. Alternatively, it also connotes exploitation, with employees being forced to work unjust, strenuous hours with little to no return, exposing how his willingness to drudge is leveraged by Napoleon.
Despite enduring all these struggles, he never complains or protests and in fact regularly states ‘[he] will work harder’. Boxer’s frequent repetition of this maxim reveals how devoted he is to the animal’s cause and his unwavering dedication to Napoleon’s regime. It also demonstrates how he is a vital and key part of Animal Farm’s revolt, as he already works more than any other animal on the farm yet still endeavours to give more, shown by him reducing his sleep hours. His constant desire to ‘work harder’ is what has led to him becoming one of the most respected animals on Animal Farm, a quality Napoleon manipulates to promote his ideology towards the other animals. The first person personal pronoun ‘I’ depicts the accountability Boxer feels and through this, we are able to infer that in the face of adversity, he finds faults in himself, rather than in Napoleon and his governance, hinting at his indoctrination; he is convinced that Napoleon, as the leader of Animal Farm, can do no wrong, and any problems on the farm are a result of his own shortcomings, illustrating his naïveté. Alternately, ‘I’ could perhaps elucidate how he sacrifices himself to ameliorate the lives of the other animals on the farm, conveying his self-abnegation.
This is not the only motto Boxer adopts, as after Squealer diminishes Snowball’s accomplishments in the Battle of the Cowshed, Boxer has the chance to think things over, and comes to the conclusion that ‘Napoleon is always right’. The use of the simple sentence betrays Boxer’s innocence, as well as his lack of intelligence, as he is not able to deliberate complex pieces of information. Furthermore, this quote demonstrates that he believes everything told to him by Napoleon, uncovering the degree to which Napoleon reveres and follows the Pigs, indicating how he has been indoctrinated. This is further emphasised by the use of logical fallacy; it is impossible for Napoleon to be right all of the time, implying that this statement is false. From this, we come to acknowledge that Boxer is tricked and manipulated into assuming an argument that, with logic, can be easily dismantled, uncovering how it is lack of literacy that is allowing Napoleon to abuse and terrorise him and the other animals. Boxer is an extremely strong, large horse, as well as the most powerful on the farm, meaning he could easily take down the Pigs with brute strength, but as he isn’t able to realise the corruptness of Napoleon’s regime or speak out against him, he ends up suffering. The adverb ‘always’ implies the fact that there is no room for dissent against Napoleon and emphasises how absolute his power is. It also suggests continued faith and devotion to a leader, and this devotion keeps the animals passive towards Napoleon and his abuse.
Boxer, due to his lack of intelligence, is constantly at the receiving end of this abuse, contrary the fact that ‘Nothing on the farm could’ve been achieved without [him], whose strength seemed equal to that of all the other animals put together’ The use of the declarative sentence asserts Boxer’s significance on the farm, and shows that his strength was essential and critical to the farm’s development. By emphasising Boxer’s brawn through comparison, Orwell, while conveying his notably immense physical strength, prompts you to consider the fact that he is still just a subordinate worker, due to his stupidity. Additionally, the phrase might allude to how Boxer, as arguably the most influential character on Animal Farm, is used by Napoleon to control and manipulate the other animals: by indoctrinating Boxer with his corrupt ideologies, Napoleon is able to sway the others, meaning without Boxer and his influence, Napoleon would not have been able to dominate and command Animal Farm, exhibiting his role as a pawn in enabling Napoleon’s regime. The pronoun ‘nothing’ exaggerates the extent to which the farm requires Napoleon’s input, by suggesting that absolutely nothing could have been achieved without him, indicating his prominence. Contrarily, ‘nothing’ also connotes insignificance, which exposes how despite everything Boxer does for the farm, he is a mere tool utilised by Napoleon to further his agenda.
Orwell has arguably presented Boxer this way to reveal how without the benefit of learning and the ability to express themselves, people are susceptible to being exploited by their ruthless leaders, despite their strength in number. Boxer serves as an allegory for the Russian proletariat, who helped to oust Tsar Nicholas II and establish the Soviet Union, but were eventually betrayed by the Communist government under Stalin. His sympathetic character alludes to how the proletariat were abused by Stalin unjustly, and is a result of Orwell’s intent to prompt pity for the Russian proletariat from the reader. By characterising Boxer as gullible and naïve despite his immense physical power, Orwell uncovers the ease Stalin had in enforcing his power over the numerous proletariat and manipulating them due to their lack of literacy and simultaneously criticises Stalin’s tyrannical rule of the people powering his nation.

(Only Europe, Please) - short note - If you're not into reading or receiving long messages,don't read any further + Please If you don't want to read everything because of my post being too long for you & instead of reading It all - ..skip some parts - find another person to talk to.Let's respect each other and our free time. All people criticizing/making fun of me & other people - will be blocked.Pretty much as people questioning my post and giving me unsolicited advice.I'm not here for any conflicts and I know I can't please everyone - I know I never will.. However It's me who should feel comfortable in my new potential friendship & obviously someone who wants to be my friend - not the whole world.. which is why I don't need any advice from people who don't even want to be a part of my life. The amount of rude people on Reddit always criticizing others and making fun of them is unbelievably high but let me tell you something - NEVER let anyone make choices for you and criticize you only because you're different! Always fight for your dreams and never let anyone make you think you're worthless! It's your life and you're the one deciding what's best for you - If you want to judge me despite not even wanting to talk to me or give me advice better block me! I'm an adult woman and I make all decisions on my own.I'm not trying to "fit in" and be like everyone else - just to get more attention.Accept me for who I am or let go - is my motto.
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Hello guys! 🙂 (read everything before you decide to send me a message) Please send me a message ONLY If you're in the same situation and If your expectations are the same as mine.I want to find like minded people from Europe (Why Europe? Read my post to find out) I'm looking for something permanent (remember - you can feel lonely even If you're surrounded by others - If there's no emotional bond) I'm fed up of meeting people who never make time for me & only text me once or twice a week to ask me "what are you up to?" Out of boredom.I don't want to meet people asking others a million of questions like "what's your favorite movie?" Just to give them one word answer and ask them another question "and music? Your favorite song?" I'm looking for something "deeper" & different 🙂
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What kind of friend would I like to find? Someone to talk to on a daily basis - Someone who needs It & wants It just as much as me
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What are my expectations? I would like to meet someone in a similar situation – why? Because I honestly feel like only a person with the same expectations and a similar outlook on life would get along with me & because I feel more comfortable talking to people like me..Friendless people who need a strong bond - people without friends and partners.. Don't get me wrong…Most people deserve to be happy and It's good to have friends but people who have friends or families in real life are usually more focused on them (which is completely understandable) & have less time for others + I simply don't want to be replaced by anyone..I kind of envy people who can call others , true friends given I don't have an emotional bond with any of my acquaintances. Please send me a message only If you're not In a relationship and don't have friends for the same reasons I've already mentioned before
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Whenever I hear that others have friends I simply get sad because (believe it or not) If I had to choose between 20 people to talk to (acquaintances) and one special person - I'd choose that one special person without any hesitation .
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I also want to talk to others every day because..I want to see someone’s effort & be someone's first choice - not another person to have random conversations with..some people ask me "Why do you want to talk to people from Europe?" Well..Because I would like to see someone I'd get along with - In the far future - face to face :) + I don't want to wait any longer than 6 hours to receive a message - waiting 6 hours to receive a message is more than enough
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I'm by no means criticizing people who don't want to talk to others often / People who really are super busy & People who want to find someone to have unimportant conversations with - I'm aware that not everyone has the same expectations which is why everything you're reading now - is here for a reason :) All I'm suggesting is - I don't want anything temporary and I don't want to be the one always giving more than receiving.Listen people - I used to ignore being..ignored by others..always being just an option to talk to during tough times or moments of boredom.I was too young to realize that I was never important enough for most people that were a part of my life. I don't know who needs to hear this but..No one is too busy to make time for you! People make excuses to avoid others because they prioritize everything and (maybe) everyone..over them. It's true that most people are busy - but It takes only a few seconds to start a conversation (If you're into short messages) and a few minutes (1-10/15) to type a long message . Don't let anyone lie to you.
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Truth is that most people either don't like you enough to make time for you or just simply - feel no need to talk to others often but are they too busy? No..You don't need to send me a message just to ask me and tell me "Do you really want to talk every day? I like long messages but I can't promise to contact you often" If you really are unsure please don't send me a message.I don't need more acquaintances aka people to talk to - occasionally.
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I'm not trying to sound rude but conversations once or twice a week wouldn't be enough for me and I don't need them... Let me tell you one thing – A true friend would never just give up on you for no reason :) It’s always possible to find someone to have a random conversation with – someone willing to send you one message once or twice a week..but..It’s almost impossible to find people willing to make more time for you.
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I’m not asking a busy person to make time for me by changing some plans! Absolutely not! I’m here to find someone who wants to talk daily (throughout the day or maybe even night) of one’s own will.Someone looking for the same kind of connection.Strong friendships are based on mutual support. One of the best things you can do for a friend in need, is just to be there for them when they want to talk.I often see posts from people who always say how friendless they are because they don't feel loved or appreciated by their "friends" remember! A true friend - someone who truly likes you or someone who wants to get to know you - will always find time for you.
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I'm not interested in small talk/short messages - I love long and meaningful conversations. It's so easy to find someone who loves abbreviations and questions like "How are you?" How was your day? Or what are you interested in? But so hard/almost impossible to find a person who knows how to keep a conversation going & show others some effort.Building and maintaining friendships takes time and effort.Never allow pursuits or possessions to become bigger priorities than your relations with other people.Close friendships are so important to us because they are so difficult to form + Having friends can help you feel as if you belong to something that brings purpose and connection to your life
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• I do NOT respond to any „Hey,hmu” or „u want to talk?” type of messages (super short messages or messages full of abbreviations – I literally can’t stand abbreviations and acronyms in text messages) ALL messages full of abbreviations will immediately be ignored.I also don't like it when people ignore everything I say in private messages just to focus on a random question or? When they start talking only about themselves and don't ever ask me anything. I love conversations with people referring to everything I say...I want everything I say and do - to be reciprocated
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• No NSFW profiles (checking mental health subreddits NOT included as I'm a huge empath and always try to understand others) - Please! I'm not looking for anyone to flirt with and I'm not looking for a partner either. I always check people's profiles (even comment history) - To avoid guys, trying to get inappropriate pictures from adult women or? flirt with them + I don't want to see you with no clothes on so If you're on Reddit only because you want others to see what's underneath your clothes - I'm not for you! I just simply don't want to see any s e x related activity on your profile If you want to talk to me.
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• If both of us (you and I) are from the same country (I live in a non-English speaking country) - I want to communicate with you in our first language! No - Not because I don't understand English - because as you see - I do. Why then? English is simply overrated and people don't appreciate other languages as much as they should. So.. If we're from the same country and you want to talk only in English (which is quite common on reddit) - Talk to someone else. I just don't want to talk to a person from the same country as mine - in a foreign language as It's just something I don't understand even If all you want is to improve your language skills
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• Please only adult people 18-36 (age range) It doesn't matter to me If you're younger or older than me (as long as you're not underage) So.. don't worry! I just want to have discussions with emotionally mature people :)
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• I don’t respond to messages I don’t find interesting even If they're long - If after receiving and reading your message I don't feel comfortable or think "I wouldn't get along with him/her" I simply do not respond (what I’m suggesting is that I don’t always respond to someone’s first or second message because..sometimes you just know If you’d get along with someone or not- I’d never ignore anyone after days or weeks of daily conversations though) just because I don’t want to do anything forcefully & because I don’t want to lead anyone on. I read all messages but I definitely don't respond to all of them! I want to make it clear because I don't want to be accused of not responding and not reading people's messages! - Some people don't message me back as well and even If It's a bit disappointing I'm ok with that! - as long as there's no emotional bond - Not responding to someone's first or second message Is completely OK! If people think they wouldn't get along with a stranger - is there a reason to start a conversation? I don't think so. I can't stand being ignored after days or weeks of daily conversations and seeing people changing priorities over time.. but that's something different - something I don't want to go through ever again for real. If I'm really interested in someone's message it's impossible to hear from me "I'm too busy" because I know myself and If I had no time for others - I wouldn't be here. I don't want to pretend someone I'm not and always try to find some cheap excuses to avoid others. (unlike most people who don't want to talk to others)
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• Don’t ask me “Can you tell me something about yourself?” If you really want to get to know me - you can ask me questions :) I'm an open book.
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• It would be better If you guys were into emojis - like me - to describe your emotions In text messages. Two emojis - 🙂 and 🙁 are completely enough! I just don't like emotionless conversations.I also don't like it when people say "yeah" or yea"as it sounds dismissively. First impression Is everything to me! I want to see your kindness even in a text message - Emojis are very helpful to express your emotions.I don't want to meet people who say "crying Is a weakness" - It's OK to cry even If you're a guy!
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• I want to talk on reddit first (just to make sure If I'd get along with you) before moving to Discord or some other app
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• I would rather talk to a homebody - not another person who always has something to do as people who are very busy don't even have time for daily conversations
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• If you're another person interested only in "childish conversations" such as "HEYOOO! I'M BORED! Ya like Pizza or cheese? xDDDD 🤣" I'm begging you! Don't send me a message.I'm not a child anymore and such messages don't make me smile or laugh.I'm looking for someone interested In serious discussions - not another person just seeking some entertainment out of boredom . Conversations with sarcastic undertones (even when It comes to some emojis such as 🤣😂) are not for me. Your typing style matters to me! Why? when It comes to online conversations with someone new - It's not always possible to know If someone Is laughing at you.. or with you. Let me tell you something else! Jokes about cancer, disabilities and death are UNACCEPTABLE to me. If you find joy In someone else's misfortune you are not a person I want to know.
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• Time response matters to me a lot! I would never ask anyone to be online all day long and I'm NOT asking any of you for any instant messaging as I'm someone who would rather wait an hour or two to receive a proper response instead of some short and pointless messages but I'm interested only in daily conversations and I don't want to wait any longer than 6 hours to get a message from you.I don't need unbelievably long messages either! Messages as long as the second paragraph of my post - are completely enough. If you like longer messages? you can send me a longer message, but If you want to send me one word or one sentence as a response to my post - don't expect a reaction from me. I don't want to come across as rude - I just don't want to waste your time
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• I'm strongly AGAINST picking on people you don't even want to chat with - and making fun of them! I can't stand people who criticize others publicly or make fun of them! (only because they disagree with someone they don't even know) There's no place In my life for someone using Reddit, to hurt other people
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• I'm not into foul language and I definitely don't want to talk to people who swear a lot...
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• I want to meet assertive people who know what they want and always stand up for their friends
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• I want to meet someone willing to call me In the future, someone spontaneously sending me pictures of animals or food, et cetera. I want more than just text conversations.. 🌻
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Why can’t you see any of my hobbies listed down below? Because what really matters to me is..who you are (If you’re honest, talkative ,understanding, caring and trustworthy – for example) just simply – It matters to me what you’re like! not what you like.Don’t get me wrong – you can tell me what your hobbies are but from my point of view - people's hobbies are important - If you want to find a gaming buddy or If you want to meet someone to hang out with in real life and..go bowling for example.What most people seem to care about are other people's passions – I don’t. I get along with other people despite having completely different hobbies but I absolutely don’t get along with people way different than me (different expectations and outlook on life – way different sense of humor or personality traits – It’s just an example) It doesn't make ANY DIFFERENCE to me If you're a gamer or? Someone interested in photography! It doesn't make any difference - > as long as you're talkative and kind and If you also want to find someone willing to stay in your life..for good - But If you're into small talk and all you want is to...type and receive super short messages or If you're here only because you're bored and don't know what to do + If you're a very sarcastic person - I'm definitely not for you! I don't get along with overly sarcastic people turning everything into a joke. Friendships should be natural – not forced. I wouldn't get along with people who laugh at everything.. In my opinion most people are way too sarcastic.. It's quite sad... Sarcasm can also be another form of passive-aggressive behavior.
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People who want to be to friends should feel comfortable and have something in common. No - not necessarily a similar taste in music or movies but something else..Most friendships don't fizzle out because of people not having the same hobbies but..because they just simply have different expectations when It comes to something important.I'm not here out of boredom and trust me - I'm not here to meet as many people as possible.I choose quality over quantity.I highly value myself and my time & Sometimes one person but a person who makes you feel comfortable and understood - is more than enough :) We ALL can choose what kind of people we’d like to talk to and maybe even become really good friends with and I? I don’t want anyone to be disappointed.We all have some expectations after all.I know that people don't have to talk as often as possible in order to become friends but I'm interested only in daily conversations. If you really need someone to talk to due to loneliness and If you have time to talk to me daily (throughout the day and maybe even night) I always make time for others.I'm literally always available.I could even stay up all night long only to talk to someone important to me. I’m ready to commit but only If there’s some chemistry between me and someone else.I don’t do anything forcefully.
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If you want to talk to me tell me your story - tell me why you're here, what kind of friend would you like to meet :) Et cetera.Such messages are way more interesting to me than...someone's long list of hobbies. I know! It's unusual on reddit but I don't make friends based on hobbies..I want to meet someone with the same mindset as mine to finally feel understood and get close to someone new. You can share your problems with me - I absolutely don't mind "complaining" as I've been through a lot in my life.What do people usually tell you when you tell them that something's wrong? "Don't complain" or "Life's not over yet - one day you'll be happy" or "There are worse situations than yours" and..obviously "Find a therapist" Life's not a fairytale and sometimes things don't go as planned.Emotions shouldn't be bottled up.I'm sick of people always telling others "everything's gonna be ok" move on " & more..Trust me people - not everyone wants to hear "Just believe in yourself and everything's gonna be ok" Some people take it as reassurance - but others? They would rather hear something different 🙁Imagine being told that things will be okay, only for them to get worse..Do you guys know why telling someone "everything's gonna be ok" Is wrong? Because you can't see the future.
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You can't guarantee others that one day they'll finally be happy + when It comes to social interactions - We're responsible only for ourselves - not others & as you guys know people let us down quite often (sometimes even when there's no reason) so instead of telling people how they should move on, forget everything and be happy or asking them to find a therapist - be there for them! Always be willing to listen to them If you really like them or want to get to know them & don't suggest everyone in a tough situation to find a therapist because even the best therapist won't ever replace a true friend + It's quite normal to be disappointed If people always do something to hurt you. Sharing your hardships with other people in a very similar situation or exactly the same one - is VERY helpful If the other person understands you & wants to start all over by just letting it all out! Feeling emotional support instead of always hearing some "positive quotes" or someone saying "Stop complaining let's talk about something else - Is very important! "Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on. I appreciate sensitive people who always try to understand others. If after hearing a sad story all you want to say is "forget the past and move on" you're not for me. It's important to be a good listener and provide emotional support to others
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Please - If you're a completely different person than the described type of person I'm looking for (If you love abbreviations,If you don't need a stable friendship, If you're sarcastic and quiet) or If you simply disagree with my post - don't force yourself to send me a message.I want my new potential friendship to be natural which is why I want you to contact me only If your needs are the same - I don't want you to pretend someone you're not - only to please me - Pretending to be someone you're not - is the worst.I want to finally be happy again & find someone "always" wanting to talk - sending me random pictures throughout the day - food pictures or pictures of some animals. What is the most important to me? I want to find people who value online friendships as much as they would value real life ones as there's another human being on the other side
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No comments please.Only Private messages and chat requests 🌺
I know It's possible to meet people with exactly the same expectations as mine but It's just not easy because most people are Interested In temporary and entertaining conversations. People like me are just "different" I really want to finally find someone who loves emojis as much as I do.. someone who loves sweet, warm and serious discussions at the same time. Emojis really do - change conversations 😊

Edit: The downvotes have begun but hopefully that means people are reading till the end too. Will have to try the BridgertonRants sub as that seems more accepting of discussions and debates. : )
Would super appreciate it if everyone reads this long-ass thesis of a post with an open mind and to the end...its me being vulnerable in an anonymous reddit sub because i think these things matter in the larger framework of a uniquely special show and the big, bright, beautiful, multicultural gorgeous world we all as humans live in. My last post in this sub was downvoted to hell which btw totally ok...and i dont depend on reddit currency for my livelihood so its all good. I just care about my posts being read...specially this one.
Some context:
I'm very new to this community and reddit as well. Currently have time off work and going ham on reddit and venturing very scared into the deep dark of world of rabid fandoms and small niche communities. Getting a little burnt along the way but also learning from some super talented fans with their own eye-opening ideas and funny posts. Fans of all kinds, Im peeping into profiles, so white, black, brown multicolored rainbow of the world right here.
I'm also an aspiring writer and well...some of my best ideas have come from reddit lurking on cool and active subs with bridgerton sub being new for me. Jet lagged, anxious and just a tad bit antsy, I'm trying to go down and deep and maybe open some deeper discussions here.
I am Indian and lived primarily in India my whole life and now for the last 10 years between London and Canada (why am I sharing all this like and am I also going to tell you my weight, my height etc too...No but hopefully you'll understand this revelation as you read ahead without me spelling it out)
So I've been trying to figure out why fan wars as they pertain to this show prick so personally, so particularly.
I think fandoms anywhere in every country are full of insane people, obsessive chronically online people who find comfort through living through their faves..your beyonce stans, your rihanna stans, your Taylor Swift stans, your harry styles stans, your k pop stans, etc etc..
This show also has some rabid fans..But there is a conversation I want to open up only because I think it's important...Is fighting extra hard for your poc fave because you know their representation in pop culture is limited, their getting jobs is limited, subconscious biases exist even though we have been making great strides and even eradicated overt biases in employment, in accessibility, in government service etc etc ..and their culture not as dominant, their worlds not as seen or coveted.
Our ideas of beauty are framed by the extensiveness and longevity of colonial rule across the world.
there are shit people across all ethnicities religions and genders and nationalities. Barbarians, conquerors, invaders, pillaging villages raping women destroying livelihoods suppressing the peasant class, mutilating and diluting cultures- exist in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, East asia, middle East etc so not just Britain. Basically being brown, black or East Asian and Middle Eastern doesnt grant you moral superiority over white people and you can be racist and casteist and colorist and bigoted and biased and just all around shitty and criminal as a black, brown, east asian middle eastern etc etc person just as much as white people.
So now that thats settled, lets look at specific issues that POC only face because that eventually streams into the show and its politics and its discussion as well.
But for whatever reason ...the British were able to colonize on a scale that the other countries and ethnicities were not able to.. African and the Indian subcontinent's conquests and invasions were limited in area and time period...their scale of conquest limited to a small radius around their own countries...and not foreign lands travelled via sea etc.
As a result and only as a result and not because and I cannot emphasize enough that black, brown or east asian invaders, rulers etc were morally superior, kinder, less assholes...the culture that became dominant was white british culture..or european culture...if Indians had conquered the world, they would have imposed their culture on the lands and countries they invaded, if different African countries invaded the world to the extent of the british colonists, same thing...the dominant culture that would have been forcibly imposed by the people of african ethnicity would be their culture... Black skin would have been considered beautiful, white fair skin would not have been the standard....thats history....thats something we know to be true even through modern wars...the victor dictates...But that simply didnt happen.
it's not because t Africans or Asians or basically non white people are morally superior, more virtuous, incapable of terrorist acts or colonizing or I don't know were like we don't invade and conquest, we so good. But because that's history. They just didn't manage it. thats simply our current historical reality.
Being that the country or countries that did manage to conquer the world or close to 9/10ths of it were Europeans or more specifically British white nationals..which means as would happen even if another nationality had managed to invade the world, the culture that is dominant across the world is a west/white slanted world..
Colorism as a concept didnt exist until colonization: Why would it? If everyone existed under the same harsh sun, had the same skin color with minor variances...why would they think fair is more beautiful. Its because they wouldnt...the first blond haired blue eyed people would have been introduced to India via early traders of east india company in India and dutch colonists before them...Its like if everyone around you is brown, you assume thats just how everyone else looks like...thats the only reality you know...you simply havent seen anyone look any different..you havent seen blue eyes or anything else....same for africans and within that framework as humans are wont to do you create ideas of beauty.
So yes. POCs across the globe had just as arbitrary ideas of beauty as white people (chiense mutilated young women feet cuz small feet more beautiful, in africa genital mutiliation) because humans are humans and humans mess everything up...and animals are so much better...but color as a construct is a colonial one and one which managed to find deeep deep roots because of the extent of the rule, the sheer longevity, For context, India has been independent for the last 75 years..from over 200 years of colonial british rule...Not even the length of the life of a single human. Not even as long as Britains former queen was alive. It will take some more time for that in fighting and ideas of colorism deeply penetrated from the inheritance of our rulers to get dismanted...and totally thrown own...because you can freee from literall bondage more easily, the mind takes longer to adjust and form independent thought. But it will happen.
White people are not more or less racist than POC. Thats not a thing. There are shit people and you can find shit people anywhere...I have shit people right in my own home country, bigots, destroying the diversity of India by bullshit tactics...
But as it stands...because this cultural superiority of British and white people took over, the framing of beauty, of whats fashionable, of whats cool, of whats civilized is all seen through the lens of white culture...eating with hands which many cultures across the world do uncivilized unhygienic, paris fashions and made in italy...mark of excellence...made in India and China...cheap, low quality, scammers and shit people, (thats not to say shit people and scammers dont exist in India and China and there arent industries of scammers across these poorer nations but there is also denying the equisite craftasmanship across fashion and beauty in both countries-China and India.
Brown skin bad, even darker skin even bad etc etc...We wear clothes that our colonial masters did across the world, you wont find people in china wearing Chinese clothes, same for India, african countries etc...everything from clothing, to beauty, to furniture, to houses everything indigenous was changed to a foreign ideal from our rulers. The same would have happened whoever whichever ethnicity had invaded the world...like i said above..
Now and thanks for reading whoever read till here and I hope a lot of people did-on to to the show...
There is this frequent refrain and accusation of oppression olympics that I read about when it comes to this show, in general online discourse and also this insanely disgusting article fat shaming Nicola Coughlan in The Spectator.
And i really really want to open up this conversation...cuz race gets discussed a lot on this sub and other bridgerton subs and therefore a perfect place to have that conversation...Do Non-POC really believe in the concept of oppression olympics and that all kinds of biases are equally treacherous to navigate?
So I was overweight in my teens...I had a close friend who was wheelchair bound. my life was hard and I was bullied but surely surely I do not think that my plight was the same as my friend in a wheelchair...In class 10th, a close friend's father passed away, the same year my grandmother passed away, surely, surely, I dont think we are experiencing the same pain the same setback to our life...Class 10th in India is akin to A levels in Britain and SAT in the USA..
You know why I didnt think any of this and why if I had i was wrong, because there is a hierarchy to opression, .to loss, to struggles. There simply is. Opression Olympics is rooted in reality.
Pain is pain, loss and bad foundations suck ass...but privilege is a thing and some pains some loads just lighter compared to others. I could lose weight and get over the oppression I was facing because of my weight in school. My wheelchair bound friend didnt have that option..I wouldnt get my grandmother back...but my fathers loss would have a more immediate affect on my life and my friend who lost her father and her loss was just simply deeper. She needed more support, more help, more people crowding around her saying you've got this Niharika..well make sure your life doesnt change permanently cuz youlve lost your dad.
So when show fandom compare Jonathon Baileys struggle to Rege Jean George or say Victor Ali, they are simply pointing out that yes while Jonathon Bailey is gay...there is a difference between being white and gay and being black and gay or simply harder being black. And therefore there is a hierarchy. Why POC are less loath to crticize the average acting of their POC faves because they know the opportunities for them are limited. Lets do an exercise name 5 shows led by a POC in the USA or Britain or Canada-any POC..brown, black i dont care. And im not talking about black or brown actors in a show or film, im talking leads...
Also biases are self perpetuating....When black or brown led films fail, the opportunities immediately dry up because it shows that its just fairness and the numbers dont lie..Except this is not maths.....Maths would be first making equal amount of shows starring black or brown people, and then comparing...Now if the end result is white led shows do better-that would be correct math...but ratios and comparisons and statistics need to first start with an even scale...thats not even me taking about diversity...thats just math formulas...
If lets say there are 500 actors who are white in hollywood and 200 who are Black in hollywood, and lets say all 200 black actors are shit...would you say the statement...god white actors are so much better than black actors...no cuz the maths is not adding up...you compared 500 actors who were white of which 300 were excellent 200 bad and you made that into the conclusion that white actors are better because you were comparing only with 200 black actors to begin with...the actual math formula yieled equal number of bad and good actors..
Why people defend Kanthony harder...or wanted Simone Ashley to be promoted as much as Polin is because (lets go with my Math analogy again) all things being the same) unless Nicola and Luke are really bad actors compared to Simone Ashley, theyll still have it easier in acting...they simply will. they wont have to change their confusingly, long foreign sounding name, they wont have to work at assimilation in other ways, lets say they were muslim they wouldnt have been trying hard to sell themselves as Im just as liberal as you, im not a threat. And I love Luke Newton and Nicola Coughland-both seem like throughly, likable, personable, kind hearted beans..
Now my own experience. I have stated in an earlier post on this sub that I'm a Shonda Rhimes fan...because I have personally benefitted from the diversity she has included so naturally, so elegantly in all her shows. My own ideas of beauty, have been tested and transformed. In fact I know exactly the moment it happened...watching Christina Yang as a 14 year old...and thinking god meredith is so beautiful and I want to see more of HER and Izzie but then seeing christina again and again and again over each episode over hundreds of hours of binging, school, college, masters, big move outside India, my own constant this show..my brain was soft mushy and impressionable and christina yang, korean Sandra Oh became suddenly but actually slowly and then all at once became beautiful to me...I dont know when it happened but like the book Colin telling Penelope I dont know when or how and why others dont see it but you ARE beautiful in the book carriage scene. I found her hot, I found her cool. I cared to learn more about her Korean mother and her Jewish father and it didnt matter that the show never covered that culture..Christina was atheist and could handle her shit..even around racists.. But I still wanted to learn more about HER..a woman I simply didnt think was beautiful comparable to meredith and Izzie..me an impressionable 14 year old..just made that turn because of a show.,..a fluffy...not that deep soapy as hell show.
But it was only possible cuz I saw 24 episodes day in day out,...over many many years....for that to happen. I had many more years of falling asleep to dawsons creek joey and dawson, joey and pacey, gilmore girls rory and jess rory and dean rory and logan..i imagined and dreamt of windswept Mr. Darcy...and of course I luckily had my own countrys pop culture cuz I grew up and lived in a country where I was repped plenty eveywhere... So i found bollwood heroes hot and I found White americans or british people hot...my brain simply didnt have a framework for East Asians hot. And I needed to seem them constantly and frequentlyn and in Hot front and center, desirable covetable-their culture, their families all respected, admired again and again and again over many years for that switch to happen.
So why do we fight for our POV faves.. fight hard (some fight really ugly too which....they are not my people ( as in I dont know them) so sorry for that)....because we know how much more repping they need...we know how much MORE MORE MORE important it is to see POC culture done right...because it simply is not accessible,...cannot be to people outside..
K POP is making waves super..., people love themselves some MANGA and kimchi...so good and progress...but a lot of countries pop culture is in the native tongue...people outside of it cannot access it...in the same way one would English language content-books, podcasts, news, films, shows etc etc. And hollywood does our culture wrong, played up for laughs, stinky curry, stinky indians, scamming Indians, uncivilized heathens, oh so funny that Sofia Vergara and her funny accent (The Ellen Show), niche shows that dont become popular behemoths because it stars all ethnic casts-Fresh Off the Boat.
You simply will not understand how brilliant and gorgeous my country's embroideries, temple art, clothing and fashion, actors and sculptors, museums and writing and authors are...not because YOU are racist..but because you dont speak-my language and my culture isnt dominant or wide spread enough-insert again-my above explanation of colonialism and dominant and suppressed cultures. History made one culture the most widespread...again not because white people = bad and racist...brown and black people = good and not racist and benevolent..but because some people simply were the victors...for centuries...plural.
We want to fight harder for Rege and defend him leaving the show (im not even black but when you live outside of your home country, all POC seem like a united underrepresented group and you find kinship everywhere) because any potential cancellation or quote unquote unlikeability and hes difficult accusations would hurt him far far more than Nicola Coughlan, Luke Thompson, Newton, Phoebe etc. for the same "crimes" And there just arent enough of us to begin with to lose even one. For what is quite honestly a mid Netflix show with seeds of promise but a lack of ambition.

"That’s the reason you should never be given control of a Star Trek show and why Mike McMahan’s appointment is as self-destructive and ruinous for the franchise as the Genesis effect.
After four seasons, you really have to pinch yourself that a man whose qualification for writing Star Trek was running a Twitter account for an imaginary TNG Season 8, which imagined plots like Worf’s testicles inflating to the size of a moon and producing their own gravity, and Picard’s head tipping into a time hole and rejuvenating his scalp to the point where new hair threatened to fill the ship and suffocate all on board, is now in a position where the choices he makes about legacy characters may actually become Star Trek canon. "
Ed Whitfield (Opinionoid, Critic's Log)
Link:
https://edwhitfield.wordpress.com/2023/11/02/critics-log-star-trek-lower-decks-season-4/
Quotes:
"Another year, another season of Lower Decks – the animated Star Trek encyclopedia, with its continuing mission to remind you that there was once such a thing as Star Trek, and it was good, and produced television and movies brimming with vivid moments and iconography that one day, in the creatively inert future, would become a reference library for shallow hacks who’d raid it for ideas, as they sought to continue the adventure without an original thought.
It’s hard to believe such an, er, enterprise could be sanctioned as official canon, or be a standard bearer for the brand , but season four of the show Beckett Mariner would call “the decks”, introduced a new threat to the Star Trek universe. No, not, and I can hardly believe I’m typing these words – Nicholas Locarno’s Nova Fleet, but Mike McMahan’s long-gestating ambition to occupy and colonise Star Trek canon.
In reviews of past seasons, we speculated that inevitably, McMahan, like any frustrated fan fic writer, would start to worry less about the jokes (which is a bad idea in a show that desperately needs some) and more about his show’s place in the celestial firmament. After all, one wouldn’t want to be a Star Trek showrunner and have a series that’s entirely inconsequential and has no life independent of those stories whose vitality it parasitically sucks away at to tell its own tall tales.
No, someone in the Lower Decks writers room wants to be part of those beloved TNG, Voyager and DS9 stories, and so, in this latest batch of what Beckett Mariner would call “eps”, this animated non-entity got busy sequelising.
There were weak comic follow-ups to Voyager’s “Tuvix” (the premise being the joke, this was like Scary Movie following Scream), a DS9 follow-up featuring Rom and Leeta, and an egregious and silly sequel to TNG’s “The First Duty” and, in an act of furious masturbation, “Lower Decks”, in which Nicolas Locarno’s story was picked up with all the care and attention of a late-transformed Seth Brundle trying to groom his pet gibbon.
Locarno’s story had, effectively, been told – he became Tom Paris due to the idiotic notion that Locarno couldn’t be redeemed (why not, you might ask?) – and his redemption arc played out in the Delta Quadrant over seven years. But the decision of Voyager’s producers not to literally pick up the character, had the unforeseen and terrible consequence that he was still an exploitable TNG reference, and so we get the Lower Decks version, in which the character has curiously morphed into a megalomaniac, incited mutinies on a dozen ships, and formed a fleet of mavericks who’ve requisitioned a Genesis device (because apparently they’re been mass produced by 2380) for leverage over the Federation.
This ends in a re—run of Wrath of Khan’s nebula battle, and Locarno becoming part of a new planet which is named in his dishonour. I’ll bet you 5000 bars of latinum that you didn’t envision that end for the character when you last saw him in 1992.
If you didn’t have a single original thought in your head, and you were minded to asset strip Trek of old, it’s the kind of ending you might have come up with. That’s the reason you should never be given control of a Star Trek show and why Mike McMahan’s appointment is as self-destructive and ruinous for the franchise as the Genesis effect.
After four seasons, you really have to pinch yourself that a man whose qualification for writing Star Trek was running a Twitter account for an imaginary TNG Season 8, which imagined plots like Worf’s testicles inflating to the size of a moon and producing their own gravity, and Picard’s head tipping into a time hole and rejuvenating his scalp to the point where new hair threatened to fill the ship and suffocate all on board, is now in a position where the choices he makes about legacy characters may actually become Star Trek canon.
Lower Decks seemed so harmless, if pointless, when the worst it could do was feature some Binars, or reference “Time’s Arrow” with a Mark Twain holodeck simulation, or re-run a 40-year old Monty Python gag about a cute little creature being a ravenous killer. But this is a show that’s fast realising it’s the only TNG-era show in town, so has cart blanche to keep raiding the archive to sate its own, self-eating, franchise-weakening tendency. Season 5 is in production, and fuck only knows what horrors this writers’ room of clueless geeks have in store in the episodes bought and paid for. Tom Riker living on a planet with a cloned Deanna Troi? An aged but very much alive Tasha Yar, enjoying the good life on Romulus until a liberated Armus holidays there? Reginald Barclay’s drumhead trial for sex crimes?
Don’t imagine it can’t happen. Lower Decks has a taste for it now. Fans who can tell the difference between pastiche and the real thing will hope and pray that Star Trek: Legacy or something like it gets the green light. Not because Cobra Kai in space is a good idea either, but if the world of ‘90’s Trek is going to continue, let it at least be with some pretensions to dramatic integrity. If not, it’s clear who and what will step in to fill the void.
The show’s one good move this year was Vulcan T’Lyn becoming a regular. The only character who could plausibly transfer to live action Trek, her deadpan undercutting of the hysteria around her has been a tonic and perhaps an acknowledgment that the mania, unchecked, was exhausting for the audience as well as mirthless."
Ed Whitfield (Opinionoid, Critic's Log)
Link:
https://edwhitfield.wordpress.com/2023/11/02/critics-log-star-trek-lower-decks-season-4/