1.Anyone got any videos of good horizon plays with in depth discussion 2.Anyone have any game breaking tips or plays for ranked and or pubs 3.(I don't have a mic but I can type) If anyone wants to coach me in like firing range (for free bc I'm broke asf) username is x_Azylem 4.thank you for reading all this I will appreciate any sort of help .
Hope you have an amazing day

Good morning everyone! Welcome to the writing prompt thread for the Dragon Age series. I hope everyone has fun and lets their muses fly free and they have an excellent weekend!
Submit Writing Prompts Here
GUIDELINES FOR THE WRITING THREAD
Hey everyone. Welcome to the writing thread that is now seven years old.
Below are some general guidelines for the thread. Also please don’t hesitate to add prompts to the linked doc just above. This helps me out greatly when choosing prompts. Whether it’s a specific pov, or a line of a dialogue, or a theme choice, or whatever strikes your interest. Label the type of prompt you want it to be (Examples: bard style, villain pov, Modern Day AU, What If?, 100 Word Drabble Dialogue Only, etc) and then whatever phrase or idea for the prompt itself. Anyways, guidelines below, and also the prompts!

1. Constructive Criticism and interaction is always welcomed and encouraged on the thread. What is not welcomed nor encouraged: Making people feel unwelcomed, whether through unneeded negative comments or downvoting, copying others work and trying to pass it off as your own, or trying to bring in unnecessary fandom feuds/wanks. Please keep any and all negativity off this thread, and continue making it a welcoming place for sharing stories, writing and ideas. This is a place to share our works and encourage creativity in the community.
   
2. Word limit is between 1500-1800. You are welcome to respond to multiple prompts, butPLEASE DO NOT PUT YOUR WRITING IN MULTIPLE POSTS. It makes the thread hard to read. Instead, link to AO3, google docs, etc if you go past the reddit post limit. Please keep all visible content SFW. ANY CONTENT THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED NSFW MUST BE PLACED IN GDOC OR ON A WEBSITE AND LINKED-This Thread is To Be SFW If you are unsure about something, then put it in a doc and link it, just to be on the safe side.
   
3. The writing thread will be going back down to 4 prompts- 3 plus freeform.. Every now and then there will be Challenges, or Themes. Every 5 to 6 weeks will be Catch Up Weeks. If you are interested in a specific prompt, challenge, or theme to appear, please don't hesitate to PM me on Reddit or Discord. Also, the prompts are for any character set in the Dragon Age Universe, in any form of media. Ranging from Original Characters, to an NPC in the game or comic, or anything that happened in the books.
   
4. MOST IMPORTANT: PLEASE HAVE FUN! Make us cry, laugh, growl in frustration, cover our faces in secondhand embarrassment, snicker, or awwww at the disgustingly cute fluff. And I want to continue to thank everyone for their part in making this an awesome place to indulge our creativity.
   

Addition: If you are indeed posting, but the post is not showing up, please message the moderators of the subreddit to let them know that there is a glitch.
** Welcome to Catch Up Week! Below are the last five weeks of the weekly threads, where you can dive into the old prompts! **
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5

I spent months researching bikes and finally decided to purchase a grizil 7 for my birthday. The bike was shipped via FedEx and was scheduled to arrive on 5/28. I took the day off of work to make sure I could sign for the package when it arrived (I was so excited). FedEx messed up and missed the original delivery date.
I contacted FedEx to discuss alternative delivery options because I was required to be in office the next few days and would miss subsequent delivery attempts (I am in meetings every day 8am-4pm, I can’t leave to pickup the package + FedEx never estimated a delivery time). FedEx told me there were restrictions placed on the shipment by canyon and to contact customer support. Canyon customer support basically said “we can refund you.” I didn’t want a refund, I wanted my bike to be delivered after 5pm or allow me to pick it up directly from FedEx, both choices FedEx confirmed they could do if canyon placed the request. Canyon customer support said they would contact FedEx and send me a confirmation email. The confirmation email never came. Delivery attempt #1 missed.
I contacted canyon again. Canyon customer support told me they sent FedEx an email and must have been too busy to see it. I requested that they call or try harder to contact FedEx because I surprisingly had no trouble getting into contact with FedEx customer support. Canyon said they’d send another email. Delivery attempt #2 missed so I contacted Canyon again. This time they did get through and received confirmation that FedEx would attempt to contact the delivery team to delay delivery until 5pm. Of course FedEx attempted final delivery at 11am on 5/31 and now my bike is being shipped back to canyon because of canyons shipping restrictions. Canyon customer service didn’t respond to me yesterday and I think they’re tired of trying to help me.
I know this is partially my fault for not being home but I’m so disappointed. I don’t want a refund. I want to pickup my bike. I guess I have to start my search all over again.

I'll be honest, I'm that guy that picked it up for $20 because of the TV show. I know the game came out ages ago but when it came out my kids were young and my video game time was nil.
I wanted to share my thoughts, if anyone cares. Maybe no one does, but I'm guessing everyone here has played through a bunch of times, has a bunch of mods downloaded, etc. so maybe you will.
1) Dogmeat is annoying, I made Codsworth my follower out of frustration.
Literally shot that dog dozens of times since he would jump between my gun and the enemy trying to be helpful. Then had to stimpack him out of guilt.
2) The Sad Couple and Minuteman Mission Giver made me avoid Sanctuary.
I know it's supposed to be home, but I actually made my home the Drive in Theater instead where I didn't have to listen to the could complain or risk being given another Minuteman mission that I didn't want. I made a really cool base (at least I loved it). Building was tricky, but I basically made tiers of society up to the top of the screen. Wasted a ton of time but had a lot of fun.
I wished I could have reserved the top bed for myself, but I basically had the King's Quarters on the highest level, my citizens the next level down, shops below that, then my workshops, and surrounded on the bottom level with turrets.
And then... My citizens kept getting trapped under the ramshackle palace, which was annoying. But otherwise building was fun.
3) I loved exploring the world overall.
The little sidequest stories found on various terminals were really cool. Especially the vault ones, but also finding little email arguments and whatnot. I always read what they said. Getting the special power armor chest from that lab was also cool, they should have had more stumble upon things like that.
4) I found all 3 factions distasteful, but went with the Institute as my choice.
The Institute was the least bad option, and it had my family loyalty. I also loved the backstory of how it was founded by survivors living in tunnels and that they created a paradise, and were still expanding underground.
I didn't like how the story tried to drive me into the arms of the railroad. Sorry not sorry: AI isn't people. Building a machine for a purpose and using it isn't "slavery."
Meanwhile the Brotherhood wanting to destroy everything and rule through military might just drives the world into further dystopia.
Did I agree with everything the Institute was doing? No. Replacing people with Synths and experimenting on people is obviously bad, and is too "Vault" type thinking, but it felt like the game wanted me to find out the evil part of the seemingly perfect society in order to push me into the arms of the railroad but didn't make the evil part all that shocking.
Sorry not sorry, but attempting to murder and destroy people over "enslaving" technology that they make themselves wasn't my cup of tea. So the Institute was the least bad of 3 immoral options. At least society isn't going to be a brutal fascist Brotherhood or run by people that want to stop using technology to improve humanity.
5) After the main quest line was over everything was meaningless.
It felt like a real lost bit of potential not to have a "part 2" to the game where you rebuild society. Fishing the main quest should have been the halfway point. I would have loved post-main quests based on your faction of choice. Like reestablishing the CIT. Cleaning it up and using the Minuteman network to recruit townships and create a functioning society.
I've glanced at mods and I don't mean "download a mod that makes this town look like it did before the fall". I mean like recruiting townsfolk to produce wall panels and machinery in one of the factories. Establishing local school houses. Using the Institute to invent some Environmental Rad Away Processors to slowly purify the lake water. That sort of thing.
Part of the hollow feeling was that the world didn't change. We destroyed the Railroad and Brotherhood, but then... It's just raiders and super mutants. No where to progress. Not even a cheesy montage with a time lapse of society improving over the course of decades and a credits scene. No closure. Just back to killing NPCs that are trying to invade Greentop again... Overall I enjoyed the game, just felt like it was unfinished.
I was only level 41 when I finished the main quest line too. Just did Minuteman quests for a while. I put off finishing it until I unlocked the final level of mods for weapons and armor, but probably would have been fine to finish it 10 levels earlier.
6) I also didn't love that I was required to unlock hacking and lockpicking to finish the game.
I was going to anyway, but the game sets up for customizing you're character and then forces you to build a certain way. I felt like I was required to have a high Charisma guy that could pick every lock and hack every terminal. If I wanted to be an ignorant brute just kicking down doors that option wasn't open to me. That master lock can't be picked? BS, I'm wearing power armor and can punch a giant monster to death, pretty sure I can rip a wooden door off it's hinges!
7) The fact that Deacon was supposed to be their idea of "cool" showed the writers grew up watching 80s movies.
It was laughable how big of a dork he actually was.

Hi I am female (37) been seeing this guy M ( 25) for 2 years now. We started off casually more like a fwb situation. Because of our age gap and I thought he isn't matured enough to be in a committed relationship. But things started changing between us. Even though I maintained that I don't want anything serious and still I see this as a casual relation. But I think he started feeling differently. He became more and more clingy and even though I try not to involve or share much about my life with him, he is the polar opposite. He brings me into his family. His parents, sister, friends know who I am. It was a bit awkward for me at the beginning but later I adjusted with the situation. After 1 year being casual he started insisting to be his gf. I took it jokingly at first and agreed to it ( all light hearted and in my head it's still a joke). But little did I know he was serious. Since that day he wanted to spend more time with me . Here I want to add I have a very busy schedule and I don't have time to be in a bf gf situation. I can only be casual as a nd when needed , as selfish as it might sound thats all I'm in for. I tried creating distance by ghosting him time and time and not meeting up for months. But he is persistent. Even if I don't respond he sends text everyday. He would act all normal even when I respond to his text after few weeks of ghosting. I think I feel a bit sorry for him at times ,and couldn't cut it off completely. Recently I started seeing him again somewhat regularly. And he is fixated at the term that I'm his gf. I'd like to add he is young , tall and handsome. I think he can definitely find a gf of his age . Anyways, to come to the end of my story , yesterday was his birthday. He turned 25. We had a good time and although i told him my age several times before I still casually asked guess how old I am. He hesitated a bit and said 46. I know very well I don't look 46 and that made me furious ( judge away if you want to , but a 37 y/o lady who's always used to hear from everyone that I look late 20s or early 30s this came to me as shock). Then and there I decided this situationship has to end. I straight up told him we are done and I don't want to see him anymore. I can't be with a young dude who thinks he's with a super old 46 y/o lady when actually I'm 37. This gave me a Martha vibe ( from baby reindeer lol). I can't be Martha. So I broke up. Still he's sending me msgs non stop. I'm going to ignore. I can overlook, but then again as I said I'm not Martha. Please give me your point of view reddit. Thanks

So I've been working in this company for almost 1.5 years now, in my contract it's explicitly mentioned that i get 2 percent commission on the projects i bring to the company, my boss and his boss are pretty good guys, they've offered me a decent package with benefits as well, but the fact that i am not getting my commission is not sitting well with me.
Sometimes my boss changes the quotation of the project and puts it under his name if the value of the project is decent in order for him to get the commission.
In that past 1.5 years i have brought well above 2 million AED for the company and the only commission that I've gotten is around 8000 AED.
Whenever i bring up the subject of the commission my boss either throws more work at me or disregards me by saying I'll talk to the accounts and see what's what
Any ideas on how to handle this matter?
Ps. I kinda need the job cause i am settling my debts so taking the aggressive approach is not a good idea.

hi! it is the guy who asked if dps ranchi was good as per my requirements, understood it wasnt, went to JVM, took direct admission. (marks aa gye hee hee)
now where do i go coaching?? fiitjee ne scholarship diya hai, around 1 lakhs for 2 years. i think thats cool, bokaro me fiitjee is op, but idk about ranchi.
so what coaching should i go with? is this cool? and what next, etc etc
also JVM starter kit koi dedo lol, kya karna hai kya nahi

📢 DON'T MISS THE LAUNCHING OF 'UNITING THE CULTS' ON JUNE 14TH 12PM CDT

Mark your calendars for the 'Uniting The Cults' livestream event on the 50th anniversary of Feynman's 'Cargo Cult Science' speech. Signup for email updates/reminders here & here's the livestream link!
Uniting The Cults' is a non-profit whose purpose is to be an agent of cultural change with a vision of a world without apostasy laws.. a world governed by scientific thinking, where people recognize love as the goal and rationality as the method to achieve it. Our brothers and sisters need our help. They're living in fear, unable to speak for themselves.. so we must speak for them. Here's how you can support your brothers and sisters suffering in fear... 💘
➡️ Dear doubting Muslims

• Dear Muslims, why do you believe in Islam? 🆕Youtube 🆕Reddit
• Could God be evil? Discuss. 🆕Youtube 🆕Reddit
• Religions give you purpose, which is why many people want to believe in some sort of religion Let's help people by showing them how we think Dear atheists, what is your purpose? 🆕Youtube Reddit
• Dear Muslims, why do you think it matters whether or not God exists? 🆕Youtube 🆕Reddit
• Are you a good Muslim or an evil Muslim? 🆕Youtube Reddit
• What if I'm wrong about Islam? Let's consider the question and what is the proper response 🆕Youtube 🆕Reddit
• Muhammad was a conman. #BetterThanMuhammad Youtube Reddit
• "Why do you guys actually hate Islam and Muslims?" 🆕Youtube Reddit
• Do you need more criticisms of Islam so you can reject it? Youtube Reddit
• The Moral Mistakes of the Quran Youtube
• Why I left Islam, but still think about it everyday. 🆕Youtube Reddit
• "What's your proof against Islam?" 🆕Youtube Reddit
• Dear Muslims: Do you know that Islam spread all over the world by the sword? 🆕Youtube 🆕Reddit
• Dear Muslims, what superstitions do your parents believe in that you think are ridiculous? 🆕Reddit
• Dear Muslims, what is your argument against this? Any religion that says good people who don't believe in god will go to hell is complete nonsense. 🆕Youtube 🆕Reddit
• Dear Muslims, If an act doesn't hurt anyone, but it's prohibited by a religion, how does that make sense? 🆕Youtube 🆕Reddit
• Dear Muslims, aside from not going to hell, why should I embrace Islam? 🆕Youtube 🆕Reddit

➡️ Dear doubting Muslims and new Ex-Muslims

• Are you struggling with doubt, fear, guilt? We're here to help. 🆕Youtube 🆕Reddit
• Dear Muslims & ex-Muslims, what are the principles that you live by? 🆕Youtube 🆕Reddit
• How to break free from indoctrination With wisdom from Bruce Lee Youtube
• Miracles Explained - Are they myth? Or science? Youtube
• Are you feeling guilty after leaving Islam? Reddit 🆕Youtube
• Do people shame you for being selfish, and then you feel guilty? Reddit 🆕Youtube
• Do you spend a lot of your time debunking miracles because you're afraid of hell? 🆕Youtube 🆕Reddit
• "You can't know that hell doesn't exist." Reddit 🆕Youtube
• Are you afraid of being dead? Please explain why so we can help you stop fearing. Reddit 🆕Youtube
• "I have experienced God and that's all the evidence I need." Reddit Youtube
• Do you feel guilty when you lie to your parents? Reddit 🆕Youtube
• "I was Muslim for 25 years, how long does it take to reprogram everything?" Reddit Youtube
• "Who are you to say that your morals are superior to Islam's morals?" Reddit Youtube
• "How to strengthen my critical thinking muscle?" Reddit Youtube
• Advice to Ex-Muslims on how to help Muslims (7 posts & 7 videos) Reddit

➡️ Ready to learn more philosophy? 💪

• Thought-terminating cliché: How do Muslims do it? 🆕Youtube 🆕Reddit
• Muslims often make the "correlation is causation" mistake 🆕Youtube 🆕Reddit
• Best counter to anything a Muslim claims about Islam 🆕Youtube 🆕Reddit
• Internal conflicts: let's help each other resolve them Reddit Youtube
• What is an unfalsifiable claim, and what should we do with them? Reddit Youtube
• Islam is a "mind virus" that disables its host's critical thinking faculties. Reddit Youtube
• When Muslims ask you what you believe in if not Allah... Reddit Youtube
• 7 LEVELS OF HONESTY/DISHONESTY Reddit Youtube
• Are you surprised when you see Muslims claiming to win debates that they clearly didn't win? 🆕Youtube 🆕Reddit
• Clear example of tribalist thinking. Reddit Youtube
• How do you continue to practice spirituality after leaving Islam? Reddit Youtube
• Morality is objective, regardless of God/religion We're doing a livestream on this, are you interested? Collecting responses until 5/15 ! Reddit Youtube
• Bad arguments for why morality is not objective + how to form a good argument. Reddit Youtube
• How to deal with people wasting your time? Reddit
• Many Muslim parents are narcissists Reddit 🆕Youtube

➡️ Uniting The Cults podcast, new episodes since last newsletter

• How To Debate And How To Deal With Trolls Uniting The Cults Podcast EP 5 with chorale11 🆕Youtube
• The Fear of Hell: The Logic, or lack of it Uniting The Cults Podcast EP 6 with Zorro 🆕Youtube
• Interview w/ RedWing 21M Indian left Islam 2 wks ago Uniting The Cults Podcast EP 7 with RedWing 🆕Youtube
• Islam's Impact on Modern Society & How Can We Help? Uniting The Cults Podcast EP 8 with Redwing 🆕Youtube

Some posts from last edition were removed because they weren't as good, and to make this list short and sweet. If you want to see them anyway, check out the last edition.

1)Guys I have given 3 papers available on the Mathongo platform: PYQ 2022, FT 11 and FT 12. My scores are 300, 302 and 332 respectively. Are these tests comparable to actual BITSAT or are they just giving me that deadly dose of hopium?
2)About Bonuses: I usually do about 110-120 odd questions, I am forced to leave some questions as I dont recall the concept(like in IOC and also with certain mains specific Physics chapters that I havent revised yet). Is attempting the bonuses worth it, considering the risk involved with tukke? I usually dont finish attempting the entire paper until 20 minutes before time, might take longer depending on how tough I find the paper to be. Should I worry about the bonuses or just focus on the main questions and try to maximise my score there itself for now?
Would be grateful for your help.

https://reddit.com/link/1d5lhw2/video/70zff80p8y3d1/player
Hey Guy! My name is Conor. I used a Polycam 3D scan .fbx file, a ball i modled in spline to make this. I also used spline to animate this as well with a spin on the room, the ball animated up and down, lights animated to flash. I then exported it in two opposite hues ( the yellow/red one and the blue one ) and then I edited them together, slightly mis-aligning them to give the weird drunk effect.
THe little ball is kinda my trademark so if you see my other socials of the same name you'll see him around in other animations

I think some douche accidentally roofied me the weekend before last thinking my drink was some girl i was with's drink (can you put ownership on with? IDK I'm not an English major) but this piece was inspired by that.

If you wanna see the full 60fps 4k HD version, i have a FREE GOOGLE DRIVE FULL OF ANIMATIONS that anyone can download an use. It's mostly for DJ's, Bands, Rappers etc. to use as projections at their shows. I like to give them away for free bc I know being an artist & performer is not easy.

Anyway I'd love to know your thoughts? Anyone use the Spline Tool. If not its free, very intuitive to learn and has lots of web integration, game building, and animation capabilities. The export/ renders could be better but the team is always working very hard on adding cool new uypdates. They just added a 3D AI generator into the app a couple weeks ago. Try it out at https://spline.design

Heres a gif of it
and a still

Welcome to This Week In KPOP, a collection of everything you may have missed during the past week on kpop.

May 25, 2024 - May 31, 2024

TOP 10 STORIES

#	Votes	Thread	Comments
1	(+2446)	The 13 original members of Super Junior reunite at Ryeowook's wedding	167 comments
2	(+2252)	Kep1er will continue promotions as a 7 member group after the project term has expired. Mashiro and Yeseo will be leaving	277 comments
3	(+1704)	fromis_9 Confirmed To Be Preparing For August Comeback	97 comments
4	(+1389)	aespa Karina to guest on LE SSERAFIM Eunchae's Star Diary	69 comments
5	(+1325)	EXID’s Hani To Reportedly Tie The Knot With Boyfriend Yang Jae Woong; Agency Briefly Comments	64 comments
6	(+1237)	3rd Gen Idol Revealed to be Daughter of SM C&C CEO, Friend-like Relationship with Dad	53 comments
7	(+1083)	NewJeans To Donate All Profits From University Festival Performances	66 comments
8	(+1026)	SQU4D releases statement confirming the NMIXX sound issue incident at Shinhan University’s festival was planned	291 comments
9	(+955)	(G)I-DLE SOYEON to go on a temporary hiatus from current promotions schedule to focus on her health	60 comments
10	(+758)	K-pop agency HYBE asks US court to help unmask X account in defamation case	168 comments

HYBE vs. ADOR

Votes	Thread	Comments
(+518)	Megathread 7: HYBE vs. ADOR - Post-Injunction Hearing Statements, Breach of Trust Investigation proceeds, and More	7580 comments
(+443)	Megathread 8: HYBE vs. ADOR - Petitions filed, Injunction ruling and Shareholders' Meeting ahead	7546 comments
(+446)	Min Hee Jin (ADOR CEO) holds a 2nd Press Conference - Live Discussion	2054 comments
(+235)	Megathread 9: HYBE vs. ADOR - Shareholders' Meeting recap, Min Hee Jin Press Conference pt.2, and More	2717 comments

TOP ANNIVERSARIES

#	Votes	Thread	Comments
1	(+725)	Happy 9th Anniversary to SEVENTEEN!	33 comments
2	(+300)	Happy 7th anniversary to ALICE!	8 comments
3	(+265)	Happy 1st Anniversary to BOYNEXTDOOR!	8 comments

TOP 10 PERFORMANCES

#	Votes	Thread	Comments
1	(+636)	[Dance Practice] aespa - Armageddon (Dance Practice)	46 comments
2	(+568)	[Performance] BABYMONSTER - LIKE THAT (Performance Video)	117 comments
3	(+536)	[Live] aespa Ningning (Host: Lee Mujin) - Thirsty, Be Natural (S.E.S. / Red Velvet), Paper Hearts (Tori Kelly), Breath (S.M. THE BALLAD) @ Leemujin Service Episode 116 (240528) [ENG SUB]	32 comments
4	(+521)	[Live] Comeback Stage: aespa - Armageddon @ Mnet M Countdown (240530)	34 comments
5	(+317)	[Live] Solo Debut Stage: Yves - LOOP (feat. Lil Cherry) @ Mnet M Countdown (240530)	9 comments
6	(+271)	[Live] Comeback Stage: XG - WOKE UP @ Mnet M Countdown (240530)	16 comments
7	(+270)	[Performance] aespa - Supernova (M2 Relay Dance)	3 comments
8	(+208)	[Live] NMIXX - Love Me Like This + DICE + Roller Coaster + Soñar (Breaker) + DASH (Official Stage Cam) @ Korea University Festival: KUtopia (240523)	5 comments
9	(+199)	[Live] Debut Stage: Soojin - MONA LISA @ MBC M Show Champion (240529)	7 comments
10	(+187)	[Dance Practice] tripleS - Girls Never Die (Official Dance Practice)	5 comments

TOP 5 DANCE CHALLENGES

#	Votes	Thread	Comments
1	(+128)	tripleS Seoyeon & Kotone (with ARTMS Heejin & Choerry) - Girls Never Die (Dance Challenge) (240527)	2 comments
2	(+87)	tripleS Jiwoo (with H1-KEY Hwiseo) - Girls Never Die (Dance Challenge) (240528)	1 comments
3	(+64)	ME:I Miu (With Kep1er Mashiro) - Click (Dance Challenge) (240524)	0 comments
4	(+61)	ARTMS Haseul & Jinsoul (with tripleS Hyerin, Lynn, Hayeon) - Virtual Angel (Dance Challenge) (240531)	0 comments
5	(+55)	aespa NINGNING & Girls' Generation (SNSD) HYOYEON - Armageddon (Dance Challenge) (240529)	3 comments

TOP DISCUSSIONS / FEATURES

#	Votes	Thread	Comments
1	(+58)	Throwback: VIXX released "ETERNITY" this week in 2014	1 comments
2	(+44)	/kpop Top Ten Tuesdays Results: Seventeen (2024)	15 comments
3	(+28)	JTBC Girls On Fire - Episode 7 (Post-Episode Discussion + Preliminary Ranking + Rival Death Match Performances Part 3 + 60-minute Sudden Death Performances + 3rd Elimination) (240528)	17 comments
4	(+19)	What Are You Listening To? - May 29, 2024	21 comments

MUSIC SHOWS

Date	Performances	Discussion Thread	Winner
20240525	Music Core	Thread	aespa
20240526	Inkigayo	Thread	aespa
20240528	The Show	Thread	ZEROBASEONE
20240529	Show Champion	Thread	NewJeans
20240530	M!Countdown	Thread	aespa
20240531	Music Bank	Thread	NewJeans

 

NEW RELEASES

Day	Artist	Album Title	Type	Music Video	Streaming
25th	FL1X	Two Of Us	digital single	Two Of Us	Spotify / Apple Music
	Gabby Onme	멸망 Doom	mini album	Diamonds	Spotify / Apple Music
26th	CATtTRIEVER	Wedding Ceremony	digital single	Ordinary days
	Wooseok (PENTAGON), Taka Perry	YOU	digital single	YOU
27th	NIKA (ex-BADKIZ Monika)	Easy to please me	digital single	Easy to please me
	aespa	Armageddon	full-length album	Supernova / Armageddon
28th	Sejin (ex-ANS Lina)	Lean On Me	solo debut digital single	Lean On Me
	Taeho (IMFACT)	FOR YOUR BRILLIANT DAY	single album	FOR YOUR BRILLIANT DAY
	YUL2	Starry night	digital single	Starry night
	Chen (EXO)	DOOR	mini album	Empty
	Jay Park	Jay Park Season 2	Jay Park Season project single	Taxi Blurr (feat. Natty (KISS OF LIFE))
	TREASURE	KING KONG	digital single	KING KONG
29th	GLAY	whodunit / Share	anniversary single album	whodunit-GLAY x JAY(ENHYPEN)- / Share
	JO1	HITCHHIKER	Japanese single album	Love seeker
	Huh	Swear	digital single	Swear
	Yves (LOONA)	LOOP	solo debut mini album	LOOP
30th	UKISS	Beautiful you are	pre-release single	Beautiful you are
	WATERFIRE	POSSIBLE	debut single album	POSSIBLE
31st	Taeha (ex-Berry Good)	SATELLITE	digital single	SATELLITE
	ARTMS	Dall	debut full-length album	Virtual Angel
	ATEEZ	GOLDEN HOUR : Part.1	mini album	WORK
	A.C.E	Supernatural	special single	Supernatural
	Suho (EXO)	1 to 3	mini album	1 to 3 / Cheese (feat. Wendy (Red Velvet))
	NEXTU	OOPSY DAISY	debut digital single

"This Week in KPOP" Archive

Looking for recommendations for a USB-C hub that supports all of these ports:

• at least 2 USB-C
• DisplayPort or USB-C port that supports DisplayPort 1.2 (since I already have a DisplayPort to USB-C cable that I am using right now)
• at-least 2 USB-A 3.0

I am using a Macbook Air M1 and I need extra ports to connect my ultrawide 34-inch monitor (1440p 144hz, although I am fine using 60hz only since I'm not using it for gaming), one USB-C external SSD, and two USB-A external HDD that I use for video editing.
My external monitor also supports HDMI, however I am not sure if the HDMI ports of some of the hubs can support 1440p 60hz. Looking for any actual experience with this.
I don't really need PD support since I will charge my laptop via one of the two USB-C ports of the Macbook Air M1. The other port will obviously be used for the hub.
Hopefully something not too expensive and can be purchased via Shopee/Lazada since I am not living in Luzon.
Thank you!

Hi guys, I got nominated for valedictorian, and now I have to prepare my (1 minute) speech. I want to ask a couple questions.

1. What do you look for in a valedictorian when voting?
2. Any tips for my speech?

Thanks

***ads play and podcast starts at 1:47
Intro (Timestamp: 1:47) - Rachel: Welcome back to another episode of Rachel Goes Rogue. This is your host, Rachel Savannah Leviss. Today, we are talking about part three of the Vanderpump Rules reunion. - Rachel: It has finally come to an end, season 11. It's been a long time coming, and we're here to react. I have my producers with me, and as usual, they will be asking me some questions to get my perspective on what we just watched during the reunion.
Well, first of all, I want to start off with asking you just your overall thoughts on the reunion, watching it. How do you feel? (Timestamp: 2:19) - Rachel: Overall, I just feel tired at this point. I don't enjoy watching this show, and (Rachel starts to get emotional) I'm just happy that it's over. It was good that they didn't talk about me very much this last episode, part three. - Rachel: That's great, but it's been really difficult watching each week. And I feel like I can finally start to move on from all of this, because it's been really difficult. It was really heavy and sad. - Rachel: And I think everyone on that cast is struggling. And I would be too if I was there. I mean, I'm struggling just watching it from the sidelines, so I can only imagine what it's like being on that stage.
So you're getting really emotional right now. Where is this emotion coming from? (Timestamp: 3:28) - Rachel: It's coming from a place of feeling like I haven't had much room to go. Feeling like stuck between a rock and a hard place, so to speak. Because this entire time, I have been preparing for them to slander my name, to paint me in the worst light. - Rachel: And my goal with this podcast was to be able to represent myself, to defend myself, to share what I've learned through my time that I took away and my recovery, and just to shed more light on the situation. - Rachel: And it hasn't been easy. It's been an extreme rollercoaster of emotions in a lot of different phases, getting sucked back into it, and then feeling like all consumed by all the comments and everything, and then completely cutting off communication with the outside world and living in my own reality in the moment. It's all about that balance, and it has not been easy to move on. - Rachel: I don't think it's been easy for any of the cast to move on rehashing it and talking about it and having other people tune in. It's not typical. It's not normal. And the day has finally come that the show, season 11, is over, and it's a relief to me because I don't have to keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. - Rachel: I don't have to think about what lies they're going to spread about me, and I don't have to think about what I need to defend myself about. And then following week, I feel like I can finally start to live my life again.
And so you're kind of talking about the boundaries that you've been setting by staying away and cutting people off, which obviously boundaries was a really big topic at the reunion. You obviously set some really strong ones by not returning to the show. What's your take on this discussion of boundaries? Do you agree with Lala or do you side more with Ariana when it comes to boundaries when it's in regard to filming the show? (Timestamp: 5:40) - Rachel: I could see both of their points of view. Setting a boundary for yourself is not an easy thing to do. And when other people are upset that you set a boundary for yourself, that's usually a telltale sign that that person is using you in some way and is not happy that you have this new boundary because it's not serving them. - Rachel: So, I can see why Ariana upholded her boundaries by not speaking to Tom, even though she actually did film with Tom this whole season, or for the later part anyway. But she refused to have that conversation with Tom at the end of the show, and I commend her for it because it would have been a fake conversation. You could tell that Tom, his only motive to having that conversation with her is for camera purposes and storyline purposes. - Rachel: Therefore, it's not an authentic conversation. It would have been crocodile tears, the whole thing. And I completely understand Ariana walking away. I walked away too, and people weren't happy about that either. - Rachel: For Lala's point of view, I can understand her perspective in wanting to have a good TV show for her livelihood and the longevity of her career. If you're going to commit to filming, then I can see why Lala is upset, because you are not only committing to filming with this person, I can see her point in that she is living under the same roof as Tom. - Rachel: They're living together, they're filming together, yet in Lala's eyes, Ariana is being stubborn by not filming with Tom, or that one scene. Who even cares about that one scene? I don't know. - Rachel: It's all so silly to me, but boundaries are important. I was in a place where I didn't have boundaries, and I was really trying to appease production and put on a good show. That became my priority season 10.
And where do you think the line needs to be drawn, you know? When at the end of the day, this is a paycheck and this is a job, versus this is someone's real life. You've talked a lot about wanting to live in reality. Where do you think that line should be drawn? (Timestamp: 8:32) - Rachel: I think that's an impossible question to answer when you're filming a reality TV show, because the line is so blurry, it's impossible to know what's real and what's not. And the more I'm out of it, the clearer I can see that. We see it with Tom Sandoval when he talked about production. - Rachel: He did the New York Times article, and he stopped talking mid sentence when a plane flew over or a truck drove by, whatever it was, because the audio, typically when we're filming a show and a plane flies by, you stop talking so that the audio can pick up normally without the distraction in the background. - Rachel: So it's like programmed in your mind to think a certain way, to act a certain way, to talk a certain way, to pursue certain things, where it becomes a part of your patterning. We also see the lines get blurred with Scheana and the comment section, and what is real life and what is not, what is her own true motivation for doing certain things, and what is influenced by outside commentary. - Rachel: That gets so blurry, and when you're all consumed in the perception of yourself, how can you really be sure that you're operating from a place of an inner knowing? That's a boundary that's blurred. With Lala, she clearly prioritizes the success of the show because she wants to secure her paycheck, and when people are setting boundaries for themselves and it's conflicting with what she wants and what is successful in her eyes, that sparks an anger within her. - Rachel: And it's all fabricated to a certain point because the bottom line is this show. So, I think it truly is impossible to live a real life and be on a reality TV show.
So, do you think it's fair for Lala to direct that anger towards Ariana? Or do you think she should be directing it more towards the show? (Timestamp: 11:12) - Rachel: Oh, no, not at all. I don't think that it's fair that Lala is directing that anger towards Ariana because Ariana has been very clear with her boundaries since the very beginning and…
I guess if she's feeling this way, do you think maybe she should have upheld her boundaries more if she was feeling so resentful towards someone doing the same? Do you think she's feeling like she regrets things that she had said in the past? (Timestamp: 11:35) - Rachel: I think she did uphold her boundaries. I think that she feels like she hasn't been supported the same way that Ariana is being supported. And it's probably not a good feeling, but she maneuvered differently than Ariana has. And Lala doesn't extend the same empathy towards others. So it's harder to support her, I believe.
She does make a point to say, many times, that she feels like things are not being honest on camera. She points out Tom and Ariana’s relationship being one of those things. Katie has a flashback moment where she also calls it out. Do you agree that things are not always honest on camera? (Timestamp: 12:12) - Rachel: Totally. Yeah. I think the point that Lala is making is that Tom and Ariana haven't been honest about their relationship on camera. - Rachel: And I think people are getting caught up in Lala being hypocritical because she wasn't honest about her relationship with Randall. Okay, yes, that might be true. But the point is that Tom and Ariana haven't been good for quite some time. - Rachel: And their relationship that was portrayed on camera for fans to see was not an accurate representation of their relationship. I see the frustration because I agree with that too.
Even on your part, how does it affect you as someone on the show when people aren't fully honest on camera? How does that affect the rest of the cast? (Timestamp: 13:21) - Rachel: Yeah, it affects everyone when people aren't fully honest on the show. I mean, I wasn't fully honest the season 10 reunion. I was still covering up for Tom Schwartz. - Rachel: I was still covering up for Tom Sandoval. I was still going along with that narrative, and it would have been much better to just be open and honest about it. But of course, Tom was like, no, that wouldn't be good for business. - Rachel: It wouldn't be good for Schwartz and Sandys if people knew that the Schwartz kiss wasn't authentic and we need that to seem real. So it does affect everyone when you're not being honest, because it portrays a certain picture that isn't reality, and the whole point of reality TV supposedly is to be real, following these real people's lives. - Rachel: So honesty would be like the most important value characteristic you would think that everyone on this show should have. But it seems like nobody does.
Well, speaking of honesty, Ariana kind of called out Tom and his motives behind wanting to apologize on camera. He finally does get that moment during the reunion to apologize to Ariana. He has some words when he does, he calls the affair something he regrets every day. He says that he wears it like a badge of shame. On your end, how did that feel watching that? (Timestamp: 14:46) - Rachel: It's hard to tell if Tom is being honest or not. Even in the Secrets Revealed episode, when he was asked how many girls he had sex with since me, and he had to pause and think about if he was going to be honest or not, he's just been caught in so many lies that it's hard to tell if he's being truthful. - Rachel: But hearing Tom say that he regrets getting involved with me every single day, I regret it too, so it is a little bit painful, but it's also like maybe something is registering for him. - Rachel: I don't know. But then again, his actions speak a lot louder than his words. He knows what words to say, and then it seems that he fails to follow through with meaningful action. And that's where true amends come into play.
There was just, I feel like, a lot of pain in the room all around. You kind of acknowledged that at the beginning of this episode. What do you think that this pain, and even Lala saying that she was okay seeing some of those friendships end, what do you think that means for the future of this group? (Timestamp: 16:07) - Rachel: I don't see much of the future for this group. It looks pretty shattered. It looks like these friendships are not healthy friendships. - Rachel: The dynamic between Lala and Scheana is not a healthy dynamic. It seems to be like a power imbalance. It seems like Scheana is trying to appease Lala to make sure she's secure, and she's getting certain needs met in that friendship because Ariana hasn't been around for Scheana the way that she's used to. - Rachel: Yeah, you could tell that Scheana’s struggling with coping with that. It seems like Lala's really on a wavelength of not effing with anybody on the cast right now. It seems like her friendship with Katie isn't strong because Katie's gotten really close with Ariana. - Rachel: It seems like even her friendship with Scheana is a little rocky. I think she sees Scheana as someone that's not...How do I want to say this? - Rachel: And I hate saying this word, because I don't want to like categorize somebody as something, especially because I've been called this before too. But I think seeing how Lala reacted to everything and how Scheana was trying to be the fixer and appease Lala, and it just didn't seem like enough for Lala. I think Lala sees Scheana as someone who is weak, perceived weakness. - Rachel: I'm not saying that Scheana is weak. And I think that there's a lot of alliances and manipulation happening, and none of that is healthy for our friendship dynamic. I can see why the show is taking a hiatus, because it just seems so fractured
Well, it definitely seems like at the very end of the episode, Scheana was very sure to get that last word in. I felt like she was looking directly at Lala and almost begging for her to hear her out that she was on her side. And it really did seem like the very end, Scheana had to choose. Is she Team Ariana or Team Lala? Do you think she made the right choice? Do you think she needed to make a choice, or do you think that she's putting this pressure on herself? (Timestamp: 18:21) - Rachel: Ooh, that's a good question. I think she feels a lot of pressure from the outside perspective, and she doesn't want to, obviously, like burn bridges with Ariana or anything. And I think Ariana has been very gracious towards Scheana. Do I think that she needed to choose sides? I don't think so. I don't know. - Rachel: I can see Lala's frustration probably because I'm sure Sheena and Lala have had conversations about the whole situation. And without Ariana there, I'm sure Sheena's singing a much different tune than what we're hearing at the reunion, and that's sparking some frustration in Lala. And I'm sure that was a similar feeling when she called out Katie about it too. - Rachel: So yeah, I think that Lala feels pretty isolated, I want to say, in her feelings. And now that it's aired, and I did check Reddit for the first time in a very, very long time, it seems like the majority of people are hating on Lala right now. I'm human. - Rachel: I do hold some resentment towards Lala for the way that she's treated me over the years. I do empathize with her a little bit because all the hate online is just a little bit ridiculous. And I think also people are afraid to speak a differing opinion than the team Ariana side because people are just ruthless online and they don't want to hear a differing opinion. - Rachel: And if you do, then you get shunned out, too. It's very, my therapist calls it tribal shaming, where if you're not following the rules of the tribe, spoken or unspoken, then you're cast out and you're shunned.
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I mean, it does feel like the fans have had more of an impact on this season than ever. Would you agree with that? (Timestamp: 23:24) - Rachel: Yeah, especially because as they were filming this show, the fans were boots on the ground. We're going to production, we're going to filming, and we're going to take photos and document what we saw and all that stuff. Like it was very interactive in a way. - Rachel: I think with after show this year, it was a little bit different because some things have changed since the ending of filming last summer. One of the things was me starting my own podcast and speaking freely about my experience and my opinion and the after show gave the cast an opportunity to rebut what I was saying and it provided more of a context. - Rachel: And I think with more time passing from the end of filming last summer to, you know, early January, February of this year, when they filmed the after shows, cast dynamics shifted because as we all know, now watching the finale, Lala and Ariana did not end on a good note whatsoever. - Rachel: And so, you know, she had some choice of words to say during the after shows. And it seemed like she really got Sheena to support her with that.
Speaking about the fracturing of this cast, something about her did recently open. Not many cast members were in attendance to this opening. What's your take on that? (Timestamp: 24:56) - Rachel: Interesting. Do you know who went? - iHeart Lady: I know Schwartz went - Rachel: It seems a little telling that maybe Sheena and Lala aren't on the best terms with Ariana right now, because they went to like the Broadway opening that Ariana did for Chicago. And they also went to Dancing with the Stars. But this is all before they knew that she didn't watch the show. And so that was all before the reunion and everything. So yeah, it seems like maybe they're not on the best of terms right now.
What are your thoughts on production holding the last five minutes until the reunion to show to everyone? (Timestamp: 25:47) - Rachel: I wonder if they got word that Ariana wasn't watching the season. And they did that as a way to ensure that they would get a reaction from her, kind of like forcing her hand a little bit, forcing her into a situation that she did not want to be in. It was very strategic in that way. And it was something new. Like, we've never done that before. It was creative, for sure, on production's part.
Do you think it was fair to Ariana? (Timestamp: 26:27) - Rachel: There's a commitment, and part of that is watching the show and having an opinion on what's happening besides your own story that you're sharing. So in a way, it's like ensuring that Ariana did have an opinion on it. So very eye opening, to say the least.
I want your take on Tom's final words. He says, I love it. It's good for me. A lot of people in the room were very shocked by that. Tom even has a reaction to it, where he shakes his head no. They didn't even really press him on what he meant by that either. What's your take on all of that? (Timestamp: 26:49) - Rachel: I wish they pressed him on what he meant by that a little bit more. And Ariana was pretty much the only person that called him out on it too. She caught it. - Rachel: She was like, that exactly proves my point, that you are doing things for the audience, for the production value, and for his own story purposes. I guess in Tom's eyes, having Ariana refuse to film and walk off was good for him because he felt like he completed his job and fulfilled his duty with what production was asking from him. And Ariana was not. - Rachel: And I think selfishly, he probably thought that it would give him a better chance of having more of a redemption story. - Rachel: Because, ultimately, production is the one picking and choosing what they're going to share on the show and edit and put certain music behind certain scenes to make it seem even more of a certain way. Tom knows how to play into that. But I would have loved to hear what his explanation for that comment would be.
Why do you think they didn't press him? (Timestamp: 28:34) - Rachel: I think that they're protecting him, like they always have been.
We did see something interesting at the very end with Lisa stepping up and taking Ariana's side, which is kind of a different tune. You've talked about this before, where she seems to protect the guys a lot of the time, but then she changes her tune at the very end of the episode and takes Ariana's side. What are your thoughts on that? (Timestamp: 28:39) - Rachel: I think Lisa is very strategic with what she puts out there as well. And she knows what people are saying about her, with her always supporting the guys. So that could have been a motivation behind her changing her tune and supporting Ariana in that way. Yeah, I don't know. It's hard because I think also Lisa is very aware of who the fan favorites are. It's her show. - Rachel: She's an executive producer on this show. So she's not a dummy when it's coming to that. I think it helps her if she is supporting Ariana because she'll praise Ariana for walking away and end up holding her boundaries. - Rachel: But then when it comes to me, I don't even remember what she said about me. But when it comes to me walking away and setting a boundary for myself, I've been told that I'm a coward and I'm running away from my problems. - Rachel: So that part for me gets a little frustrating because it's like, and also the fans praising Ariana for upholding her boundaries and walking away and supporting her and telling her like, you know, she's outgrown this show. - Rachel: She should move on and do something even better with her life. And she's finding out now that these aren't her true friends and like good for her for upholding her boundaries and walking away from this situation. And I've done the same thing and it has been met with scrutiny.
Lala compares her situation with Randall to Ariana a lot throughout this reunion. Do you think the two are similar at all? (Timestamp: 30:37) - Rachel: I don't think that the relationship that Lala had with Randall is comparable to the situation that Tom and Ariana were in. It's hard to get on Lala's side with some of the things that she's saying, because the way that she spoke about her relationship with Randall is like bragging about doing BJs for PJs and getting gifted a Range Rover very early in their relationship and not being honest about who she was seeing and the situation that was happening basically. And it just seemed like she was in it for the money and like to secure her success and fame. - Rachel: So it's hard to get behind that, especially when she's been so outright about it. Unfortunately, Randall wasn't the stand up guy that she was selling him to be. We weren't buying it. - Rachel: In Ariana's case, viewers got to see that relationship develop over the years, whereas with Lala's, he wasn't around, like it was secret for a while. And, you know, it's harder to develop feelings towards a person or a relationship when you're not seeing it play out on camera. I think Lala has a lot of anger, maybe even towards herself, for the situation that she allowed herself to be in. And I think she might be taking that out on Ariana.
How hard is it to be really honest when you're in this position? And do you think certain cast members have an easier time doing this? (Timestamp: 32:22) - Rachel: So this is like where your own values come in. Like, are you an honest person or are you not? Because there are people in this cast that are not, and we know who they are, and they have no problem lying, and it doesn't bother them when they lie. - Rachel: And for me, I'm working towards living a more authentic, honest life. And part of that is being honest with my emotions, thoughts, and feelings, and expressing that, and doing that in a way that is still respectful, because I'm not trying to hurt people in the process. And I am trying to express myself honestly and be true to myself. - Rachel: So I think it just depends on who you're asking. I mean, it's definitely not easy. It's definitely hard because you're on this platform, this public arena where you're opening yourself up to scrutiny. - Rachel: And if other people have differing opinions than you do, or if your opinion is the minority, you're basically going to be harassed and scrutinized. And so sometimes for people, it's easier to not be fully honest with their thoughts and feelings in order to save face or in order to go with more popular opinion because it's perceived to be safer that way. But I don't know. - Rachel: At this point, it's like your words aren't going to hurt me. You can say whatever you want to say about me online, and I've survived this far. So whatever else you say about me is not going to affect me any more than it already has. - Rachel: I've developed thick skin through this process, and I've come to the point where I value my friendships that are real in the sense of I interact with these people in real life. I care more about people's perception of me when they actually meet me and interact with me and the vibes I give off that way. So you get to a certain point where it's almost your duty to show up for yourself and be honest with how you feel and how you think about a certain thing in that moment. - Rachel: And your opinions can change with time too and with more information. It's not like I'm going to say this one thing and I'm always going to feel this way. It's always changing, it's always developing, we're always getting more information, and we're always experiencing new things that change our perspective on life. - Rachel: So it's just your duty to represent yourself in the most authentic way so that your people will find you.
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Well, I think there was one kind of shining moment, I'll say, even though it was a really emotional moment. But the moment between, and this is a little bit of a pivot, but the moment between Schwartz and Katie, I found really interesting, where Andy was asking about their relationship. It seemed like this season, they had a little bit more of a playful dynamic. But Schwartz gets really emotional, saying that he doesn't regret how their relationship ended. But you can kind of see in his eyes that he tears well up. He gets really emotional. What did you make of that moment? (Timestamp: 38:08) - Rachel: We don't think we've really seen a moment like that between Tom, Schwartz, and Katie. It really seems like they've come to terms with how the relationship ended, and that it was for the best. But it seemed like there was a lot of fond memories and just appreciation for one another, that I don't think I've really seen that dynamic between them before. - iHeart Lady: To me, it seemed like in a season where there was a lot of hurt, that seemed like the one moment of maybe seeing two people that are going through the process of healing. - Rachel: Viewing that, it did seem like they were both coming from a place of healing, because they weren't throwing insults at each other or trying to bring each other down. It was very respecting one another and appreciating the moments that they did have together while it lasted. And that's refreshing to see on this show.
Lala said something at the very end where she said it was really hard for her to show up to season nine reunion, I believe it was. You know, she didn't want to talk about certain things, but she showed up. Ariana said the same thing where she could say the same about the season 10 reunion. She didn't want to be there. You could probably say the same thing about the season 10 reunion. You didn't want to be there as well. Is it fair to say everyone's been in a position where they didn't want to be somewhere, but they did anyway? (Timestamp: 39:44) - Rachel: 100%. Yeah, totally. And that's like the part of committing to this show. It's a commitment. And even though you don't quite know what you're signing up for, you know that it's not going to be necessarily easy. And there's a challenge in that. - Rachel: And I think, just speaking for myself, there was an opportunity for growth for me in that. Yeah, I think we've all been in a situation where we didn't want to show up for something and felt, I don't think obligated is the right word, but we made a commitment to being there, and we followed through with our commitment. And it's hard.
You started this episode off by acknowledging that there was a lot of healing that this cast needs to do. As someone who has taken a step back from filming, you've had this time to kind of come back to your own reality. What can this cast expect when you have that moment to kind of breathe and have that separation and you rejoin reality for a minute? (Timestamp: 41:07) - Rachel: Oh, okay. That is a loaded question. Because I think that there's a little bit of fear with not being the current topic of conversation. - Rachel: I think addiction is the wrong word, but there's a little bit of the dopamine hits that you get when you're being talked about on a reality TV show and the fear of that going away permanently could be a scary thing. But taking time off and re-centering with yourself, I think is like the best thing for this cast right now, because we don't want to be forced into situations that we don't want to be in. That's not living an authentic life. - Rachel: I mean, I've been worrying about scenes and storylines, and I haven't even been a part of this show, but now it feels good not to worry about that. And I do have to say, just like reading all the comments on Reddit right now, it's like hardly anybody is talking about me, which is a great feeling. It's just so much more freeing when you're not living your life for somebody else's entertainment anymore. - Rachel: It just feels like you get your life back a little bit. It's so complex, and I think it's hard to understand if you haven't been through being on a TV show for millions of people to comment on and judge your life. I don't think humans are meant for that, and there's no way that that's healthy. - Rachel: Yeah, I said that I think the cast, we have a lot of healing to do. We, as in, I still do too, and part of that is coming back to reality. And I really don't think that we've had a minute this whole season. I think it's going to be good for everyone.
Has this year though felt different to you? I feel like you're like half in, half out (Timestamp: 43:42) - Rachel: Oh, yeah, it's felt so different. But I think like a large part of that has to do with going to the meadows and really reconnecting with myself and learning about my issues and how it was showing up for me and really coming to terms with like, what is this piece of external validation and how is that motivating me? And is it even real? - Rachel: And just like really re centering back into myself and gaining a lot more perspective with that. Without the meadows, I would not be where I am right now. There's no freaking way. So it is. I'm living a new life. I really am. - Rachel: And I feel like I haven't really been able to truly have the opportunity to live my new life to the fullest because this show has been holding me back. And I know that that's partially my fault too because I'm indulging and speaking about it, but I'm really looking forward to the days when I can truly move forward and evolve into something even more magnificent.
Outro (Timestamp: 45:02) - Rachel: Thank you so much for listening to Rachel Goes Rogue. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for exclusive video content at Rachel Goes Rogue Podcast.
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Hey, I’ve recently started talking to this guy more often who’s been after me for a couple of months.
The reason why I haven’t taken him serious before is because:

1. His following is ALL girls, with about 3 guy friends. He has about 300 following
   
2. The pictures he has up has only girls liking it. IMO even the cutest guys usually have a 50/50 ratio in likes.
   
3. He says that he isn’t into clubbing but his friends post him at clubs, beach parties, vacays etc.
   
4. I know he slides into a lot of girls dms, and idk If I can pursue something serious with that information.
   
5. The count of hookups he’s had is toooo low for the amount of girls he’s hit up. Idk I just feel like sex is very easy these days for him to have only a few girls on the list.
   

What should I do? I haven’t linked him yet cuz I’m nervous. I dont date or mess around much because I crave a serious relationship. The guy has been open w me and says that he wants something serious. But you tell me!

The Context:

Silent Hill 2 is a 2001 psychological horror video game from Konami. A trailer was recently revealed for a remake of the game, with updated graphics and gameplay.
Angela Orosco is a character in Silent Hill 2. She is 19 years old, suicidal, and implied to be the victim of sexual assault by her father.
With the release of the trailer for the remake, some have noted changes to character designs and models — specially Angela’s.
Our drama begins when a user posts a screenshot of a reply to a tweet. The original tweet includes Angela’s redesigned model and a “non-woke” edited version. The reply tweet points out that the character is a 19 year-old sexual abuse victim.
Our drama spans over two threads as the new trailer and changes have sparked debate in the sub.

The Drama, Pt. 1

One user objects that the character isn’t real:

She's not real

so ?

So that's not a picture of a 19 year old abuse victim. The outrage isn't based on reality

it IS the picture of a 19 year old abuse victim FROM silent hill, just because she isn’t real doesn’t mean she doesn’t signify or carry a message from the real world

Silent Hill isn't real. The events in Silent Hill 2 never happened

[Continued:]

u really are close minded.. sexual abuse and people dying from diseases, depression, etc does happen irl

I never said that doesn't happen in real life. I said angela sn't real, silent Hill isn't real, and all the events that take place in silent hill 2 are a work of fiction, it's made up, it never happened.

Sure, but that's no reason to justify people reacting like they are. One cannot argue 'None of it's real' while also arguing 'these characters are important to me' or 'I want to invest in this series/game' because the point of the game is for you to immerse and invest in it. You're meant to care about the characters intrinsically, and not about 'what they do for you'. It's absolutely fine to be upset if some 15 year old idiot 'consoomer' whose first thought when he becomes upset about how a female in the game looks responds with "You want my money~! I am your demographic!" makes such an ignorant, room-temperature IQ take like this, and it's fine to let them know why.

I didn't say these characters are important to me. Real people who exist are important to me. People who get emotional about other people having opinions on made up characters must have some deeper issues. This is a subreddit for discussing a video game series, it's not Doctor Phil.

You don't seem to understand the concept of context very well

[Continued:]

The context is that you and some others don't like anything I've said because it hurt your feelings. I understand the context that you are implying, but I want you to find a way to say it before I go on

[…]

It's story telling, dude.

I say this with relief, but most people have not expirienced sexual abuse. Obviously, this is a good thing. However, it's pretty clear these days that empathy for people who have isn't wide-spread. The point of storytelling is broadening horizons, through different perspectives. It should not just be about catering to the audience.

Storytelling is that means of spreading empathy. There is value to the experience it has to share, and regardless of if Angela is real, the experiences she's there to portray are not without inspiration sourced in reality. If your argument is "She's not real. It's not real. Why care?" then you don't get the point of the whole of storytelling. Not just games, like, all of storytelling.

I just want to draw you attention to the OP's post, the original commenter in the image said nothing about SA, it's not mentioned instead the OP brings it up as a shield to prevent any criticism of the characters redesign. That's manipulation, and only an idiot wouldn't see it.

But what about word choice?

Calling someone a “fucking worm” is just as childish as the post they’re criticizing

if someone doesn't want to be called a worm they shouldn't act like a worm. even the engagement bait excuse doesn't work, it's gross behavior.

I would never call someone a disgusting worm but that’s just me 👌

lol ok snowflake
Boo hoo
it's very noble of you to come to the defense of some insane misogynist on twitter

No calling someone a worm is objectively hilarious tbh

”Vulnerable beauty”:

She was still the poster girl for the original SH2. Yes she was a sexual abuse victim but there was a certain vulnerable beauty to her that Team Silent/Konami wanted to convey in that iconic knife closeup shot as well as using her face for the actual cover art of the game.

"abuse victim"
"certain vulnerable beauty"
You actually wrote those two things together mate. Get therapy.

a lot of people who apparently have played and think they like silent hill 2 completely lack the maturity to handle any of the themes of the game apparently. angela's attractiveness should not be part of the discourse around her character at all.

A base level of attractiveness is relevant for almost all characters except Eddie. Thats the uncomfortable truth of human nature.
Attractiveness enhances a character’s charm. It enhances melancholic and profound musical performances, it enhances melancholic and profound movies. See Mazzy Star. See 500 Days of Summer. It wouldn’t have been the same if those musical artists and actors had unappealing annoying faces.

just because you are too shallow to empathize with people you don’t find attractive doesn’t mean everyone’s brain is broken in the same way man.

[Continued:]

This isn’t about me. This is about human nature. Look at the top YouTube comments on a Mazzy Star performance. They are praising her visual beauty. And we all know it feeds into the tenderness of the song. Nobody goes “Wtf is wrong with you- her face has nothing to do with the artistic value of the song!!!” You might call it shallow but it’s nothing to be faulted for. We are human.
Angela’s story is melancholic and profound. But Konami wouldn’t have made her the cover art had she been morbidly obese with a pudgy unappealing face. Nor would we SH2 fans hang the game poster of her on our walls if she was morbidly obese with a pudgy unappealing face. That knife pose shot wouldn’t have been nearly as iconic.
Saying all this stuff is very not PC. But there’s a difference between being bothered by the truth and refusing to accept it as the truth.

[…]

You misunderstand the term “vulnerable beauty”. You’re thinking about it negatively in terms of being taken advantage of. It’s not that. Im talking about tenderness and sorrow that is enhanced by natural beauty- and vice versa.
Go on YouTube and look at all the musical performances of songs about melancholy/ vulnerability/tenderness played by legendary artists. Like “fade into you” by Mazzy Star. The top YouTube comments are full of praises on her natural beauty. We know that aesthetic beauty enhances the artistry and vice versa.
Human nature tends to gravitate toward certain types of faces. It wouldn’t be the same if she had a derpy face. There is a reason why Konami decided to use Angela’s face as the cover art for the original SH2 game. Because her vulnerable beauty is a key component of her character. And her character is a key component of the game.
Even for James. The artistic value would be diminished if James had an ugly douchey and generally unlikeable face.

The Drama, Pt. 2

In a second thread, it is confirmed that this is the character’s final design.
DEI is blamed:

i vision apparently given by a DEI consultancy group named Hit Detection.

Holy shit you people treat DEI like it’s the fucking boogeyman. You realize that most games hire DEI consultancy, and they’re not some evil org pulling the strings changing the game, they almost always just check the game to ensure there isn’t any content that will unintentionally offend people?
It’s not some crazy scheme, it’s literally just checking that the writing has the intended response. It’s proofreading.

Because it is. Go actually read the ideology they are based of. DEI is the new fascism

Jesus, you have no idea what fascism means.
Just use pornhub man, this isn't something to go to war for lmao
You know, I was gonna debate you and use logic and sense, but the moment you threw out “facism” because it’s the buzzword of the day, I knew I’d be trying to debate someone with the IQ of a single cell amoeba

Insult to the single-cell amoebas tbh
Sure. Insult the person and not the argument.
Just so you know, I read most of post modernism general theories. It is amazing how it resembles fascism but just much better worded.
So, if you feel so insulted maybe go actually read the texts about DEI,instead of going hating on people.

[Continued:]

They insulted your argument too though. It's just the same basic rhetoric that everyone who thinks this way speaks. It's like you all subscribe to the same newsletter and read the weekly approved script. It's tiring and a waste of everyone's time, including yours.

Dudes never had an original thought in his life, if he didn't just parrot what the other incels say he wouldn't speak at all and the world would be all the better for it.

[…]

Or you could stop being incel
You didn't make an argumeny. You basically said "DEI is fascist go look it up". I looked it up ages ago when all these gamer dudes started scaremongering and it was the biggest non-issue I've ever seen. Like the whole SBI thing that got debunked fucking instantly. Outrage youtubers just found their new target to farm clicks, that's all.
User from kotakuinaction probably gonna link Jordan Petterson video if you ask for links

[…]

Just say the n word, man. We all know what you mean
Yup. People can stick their heads in the dirt and pretend these firms don't affect character designs but it is what it is.
Oh boy. Fuck DEI. Those people came to ruin games. The same way they ruined the other media.

There are allegations of gaslighting:

I cant with so many people gaslighting themselves into liking this design, OR the horrendous voice acting. So many of you guys are in pure copium mode right now, Just like with the trainwreck that is SH short message. This game looks worse and worse every time they show more of it, and everyone sticking up for the hideous character design and pretending the game looks good only because some of you compare it to the miniscule ps2 era gameplay of the OG isn't going to change how crap this remake's vision is. As someone who encourages people to take risks when it comes to remakes and reboots, I will be open minded. But it’s not looking good.

This sub is deleting any comments or posts that even slightly suggest there is something weird with how she looks. Her face does not look like a normal 19 year old girls and if you think it does your on some of that high dose copium.

People on the sub won't take any form of criticism, they'll just downvote you to doom. Her face is rather uncanny imo. I feel like they could've done it better

I don't mind being down voted. I've expressed my opinion and anyone who disagrees is welcome to express theres. What I do find amusing is the "you're just an incel" cope. These are supposed to be people against sexualization but make fun of other people's sex lives. But this is Reddit, so I'm not expecting anything better.

Comparisons are made:

I agree. If they feel inspired by Quagmire from Family Guy, then they should stick to their vision.

Bait used to be believable

I swear Silent Hill “fans” have to be the most obnoxious, I kinda see why we got nothing for such a long time.

Make Genshin fans look almost sane.

Denial used to be believable. Hit Detection worked on this game and that explains a lot.

”Hideous:

She looks hideous. Can't believe this is what Blooper is doing.

Trust me brother you absolutely look worse than her

Yet you don't know what he or she looks like.
Stand on business and post yourself then lil bro
Sad to see people lack the critical thinking to critique this game. Blooper gave this woman a man jaw and it looks downright ugly. How does a character model from 2001 look better than one from 2024? Goes to show how much team silent cared about their game while blooper is just trying to make a quick buck.

The Flairs:

• “the trend of uglyfying formerly ok looking characters just for the progressive checkmark”
  
• “you’re all shit with your toxic positivity”
  
• “if a female doesn't give them a boner then it's woke”
  
• “theyre mad cuz they cant nut to a trauma victim”