Man what a pain it's been trying to find information on boosting pressure for city water. Our city water comes from a tower, and apparently our elevation in relation to the tower provides roughly 15-20 PSI of pressure. Virtually our shower (with spout) won't even stay on the pressure so low.
3 years ago someone installed a Drummond shallow well pump (one with small tank), 3 weeks ago it broke, over pressurized and blew a hose out, pumping water into the crawl space for an hour while we are at a little league game. Replaced a 30/50 switch, worked for a while til now. Pump keeps running and won't cut off, and I just need a new setup. Realized a replacement pump (Harbor freight) isn't super expensive but don't think the application is correct. Manufacturer manual says not to use in city water application, only meant for wells.
I need to figure out the correct setup to help boost pressure, meant for water from a city, that won't fry the equipment. Looked at K2 and Simer booster pumps, but then started reading about pressure tanks. Didn't know if I needed a pressure tank so a new booster doesn't run all the time. Some say you do some so you don't I'm confused what to do? What is best practice that wont be crazy expensive, hopefully less that $800.
I have a 3/4-in Pex main, running 300ft downhill where the water meter is. Don't know what other information might help but just need to know really have to set up a pump the correct way to boost the pressure for our whole house. We do run a sprinkler system an hour every 3 days, so there will be times where it's constantly running. Our current / old pump has been through a beating in the last 3 years, build a 7000 gallon pool with it last year. But don't want to have to deal with this every 3 years at least not this drastic.

Edit - Sorry for format, I'm on Mobile and unsure how to fix it
BG - My (50f) "sister" Brandi (50f) have been best friends since we were 12. You name it and we've been through it. Our entire 38 year friendship we've been pretty much inseparable, even if it's just through digital means.
Her husband Sammy is 17 years older than us, and Brandi is his 3rd wife. They have been married for 27 years. He hated me from the beginning because his first two wives cheated on him and their best friends helped.

 The guy I was seeing at the time that Brandi and Sammy got married, was well liked by Sammy (for the 10-20 minute conversation they had). When I broke up with Rick a week after their wedding, Sammy called me every name in the book. Granted this man had never spent more than 5 minutes in my presence, and I was 23 years old, But I was a vicious, back stabbing sl*t because I didn't want a man who couldn't have sex for weeks because he got into a small argument with his mom over mail. (30yr old 2nd Gen Italian American, youngest of three and the only son). 

Fast forward two years and I married the love of my life. Sammy and Brandi fought about my wedding because my husband bestman was African American and Brandi (Caucasian) would be walking back towards the exit of the church with him. It was my fault she told him to stuff it I guess.
My husband and I have been married for 25 yrs. We have six beautiful children 25-15. As the years went on and I had more kids, I got fat and extremely unhealthy. I weighed 250+ lbs, had extremely high blood pressure and was diagnosed type 2 diabetic with an A1C of 8.9. That was in 2017. I had been a stay at home mom for 17 years, had just gone back to school for my BA and just started working a job. I was also going through menopause. Then that same year my stepdad died. I loved this man so so much.

I promise all of this is important!!! 

He was 60 years old, upwards of 300lbs, t2 diabetic and his heart was at 15% working. Talk about a wake up call at 42 yrs old. What the hell was I doing with my life and my health?

I was so angry with him for not taking care of himself. For leaving me and my mom after only 30 years. For not keeping his promises. I am still angry with him. Anger is easier. I know it's not healthy. No, I'm good on therapy. 

My life started to change drastically. My husband and I started going out together more for dates. Remembering we weren't just parents. I finished my degree, got a full time job, dropped 55 lbs and got my blood pressure under control.
We moved to a new state in 2019 and I was finally able to receive good medical care. I began losing more weight, getting my numbers under control, working full time and enjoying life. We moved states again last July and are loving it here.

 In total I have lost over 120lbs. My A1C is a 5.5 and my blood pressure is under control. 

A year ago my sister told me she couldn't talk to me for a while but she couldn't tell me why. She said she didn't want me to vanish from her life, but that she just had to go low contact.
Here's the thing... nothing had been different between us. We talked every month or so before that and everything was like it always was.... until I realized the pictures I had been posting about myself on FB.

 I am so effing proud of myself you wouldn't believe it. I was working at Disney and posting pictures of myself in crop tops at the parks, for the first time in my life I was comfortable showing about 2 inches of my belly. I was posting pictures of myself in a conservative bikini. I don't know how to post pictures here or I would. 

Sammy has always thought of me badly because of other people's behavior. He's accused me over the years of cheating on my husband. Between raising six kids with only 10 years between them, I'm really not sure where he thinks I would have gotten the time, not to mention the energy, to cheat on my husband but... I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt he thinks the reason I've lost weight is to cheat or leave my husband. Very wrong.
My husband and I are closer than we've ever been. The kids are older and we can do our stuff more or less now, and I can do more!!! I can go longer, further than I've ever been able to.

If my sister seriously cannot even text me because of her husband's ...opinion or.... his own hangups, knowing I wouldn't help her cheat if she had ever come to me for that (she hasn't and wouldn't, for some reason she loves this d*ckhead) and her knowing I would never cheat on my husband... I don't know. I've tried asking her over the last year. She won't tell me. Once in a blue moon she will answer a text, or she told me Merry Christmas and wished me a happy birthday. 

I've begged and pleaded with her just to tell me what's going on. I've left text messages telling her how afraid I was for what we were going through as a family this year. She swears she doesn't want me to be out off her life completely but.... this past year has been terrifying for my family and I really really have needed my sister.

 I understand her choosing her husband. But do I just wait for her forever? Would it be wrong if me to just walk away? it breaks my heart but... if she can't be there then maybe I should just let her go. 

The last 2 nights ive had pretty vivid dreams where my body just feels like its on autopilot and I'm kinda just following people. Usually I subconsciously feel like I'm in control of the dream and it will just end if I stop making things up. But these last 2 nights its almost like I'm just a side character in someone else's dream and like even if I wake up the dream would continue without me. I'm not contributing much anyway.
The first I had was about me being in high school and going to some formal dance. I was just wandering around not really talking to people but listening in to their conversations. The conversations were very in depth and characteristically accurate to the people having them (I knew most of the people as I am from a very small town and it was pretty much everyone I went to hs with in the dream.)
The next was some kinda videogame like mission where I was in a party of people and we were trying to find items and stuff. I was kinda just tagging along I wasnt really part of the consulting or anything with the party. I knew what was going on and was helping a bit but I wasnt super invested.
It was actually really cool and kinda nice. I dont THINK I ever feel pressure in my dreams like to keep the dream going, but these dreams were just really carefree and I didnt know what would happen next. Anyone else have these kind of dreams?

STAY CLEAN: if your skin is very very damaged and dry i recommend using emolients first such as 5050 liquid paraffin & white soft paraffin this will make your shower less painful but also will mean your skin is able to stay hydrated and not as stripped of oil, also bare in mind that leaving eczema affected areas unwashed MIGHT lead to infections and worsened eczema (learned this the hard way) i would also recommend Dermol 500 Lotion as a BODY WASH substitute as i have found applying it in small ammounts to effected areas ensures theres a less chance for infection and keeps the areas clean whilst not irritating too much
PLEASE READ: i use cold water (no heat at all) and only get showers roughly once a day (wash away dead skin cells, pollen, dust mites and other allergens) i usually shower for no more than 3-5 minutes and make sure i have thoroughly cleaned every effected part and also areas prone to sweat, hot showers may be seriously hindering your recovery as they did with me and should be avoided at all costs in my opinion (if you cant handle the cold then just have it on a slightly higher temperature but make sure its not hot)
ALSO PLEASE READ: its important to consider that not everyones skin or eczema reacts the same, some people may find other emolients or lotions work better or may find other body wash substitues that work better for their skin. PLEASE TRY THINGS !! you can only try despite how annoying the process is and potential worsening of the skin it is vitally important that you do not give up on your treatment plan and make sure you continue to try other treatments (they might be painful at first or cause some side effects first but it will be better than stressing and putting immense pressure on your immune system having constantly increasing inflammation accross all of the skin (this can happen in untreated cases and can be very dangerous) some people claim that using no medication has helped, i tried this and just found my symptoms worsening and worsening until i couldnt take it (suicidal ideation every day sometimes for all of the day) so just remember everyone is different, you may or may not need medications to manage your symptoms depending on severity
please bare in mind i am on protopic 0.03% once a day right now (weening off after twice a day and 0.1%) after a year of extreme suffering and trying all sorts of oral and topical steroids and antibiotics (made my symptoms worse and worse) i found that protopic was the only thing that worked, when i started using protopic it was a nightmare and the side effects i wouldnt wish on my worst enemy but after around 3weeks-1month mark they eased off and then my skin was able to do a lot of healing
dont let anyone tell you that a certain thing will never work for you or your skin (theyve probably just been scared by social media and articles) YES there are side effects to all medication YES there can be withdrawals and unpleasant problems caused by medications but in many cases they are vital for improving quality of life and mental health which ultimately reduces stress and helps your skin (if there the right medication for you)
discontinue use of any medications if you notice your symptoms rapidly increasing, if you notice your eczema spreading or becoming more irritated painful or itchy, try out a different medication ( i was given 7 courses of steroids (topical and oral) which progressively worsened symptoms whilst being gaslit into trying even more which where prescribed in the wrong dose and strength before they finally gave up and gave me the medication that saved my life (Protopic)
if you live in the UK, try going private because lots of GPs are actually very misinformed and a chunk of the knowledge they believe to be the best advice is now outdated (including the incorrect dose i was prescribed) but be careful as to which medical centre you choose to visit as not all dermatologists have the same understanding of eczema, i can recommend a great private doctor in the UK if you struggle to find one.
SLEEP - THIS IS SO IMPORTANT try getting as much sleep as you can despite the difficulties with sleeping due to symptoms don’t give up on your sleep routine, its better to sleep than to not sleep - try sleeping pills / valerian root extract has worked well for me aswell as calming down the itch of my skin.
i also take 360mg of fexofenadine twice daily to help with histamines (this will improve sleep and symptoms if you build up enough of it in your system)
my skin is not perfect and is still a huge hinderence to my quality of life but the treatment plan which i found to work has saved my life and even my education so please be patient with your doctor / gp / dermatologist (they actually do want you to get better despite all of the conspiring healthcare haters) and try to understand they are trying to help you and not hurt you. some GPs may be rude or be impatient with you when you question there treatment plan as they see people just like you every day “in just as shit of a mood” so please remember we are all human and DONT GIVE UP ON YOUR SKIN !!!
also avoid processed foods if possible, avoid stress / comfort eating, i have also found intermittent fasting works for me if used correctly and low carb diets can reduce inflammation, mostly avoid sugar and alcohol at all costs(both terrible for skin and not worth a little buzz for degrading your health even further), id also avoid smoke, nicotine and caffeine. thankyou for reading

Hi everyone,
I'm (26F) seeking some advice regarding my relationship with my boyfriend (28M). We met with the intention of marriage about 3 months ago, and initially, everything seemed perfect. He made me feel incredibly special and prioritized our relationship, especially through frequent video calls and spending time together. We are in a long distance relationship.
However, recently I've noticed a significant change in his behavior. He's no longer prioritizing our relationship, and it's been causing me a lot of distress. For example, when I try to video call him, he's often unavailable, but I later see him active on social media, particularly Instagram. This has happened multiple times, where he chooses to engage with social media instead of returning my calls.
Today, for instance, I called him in the afternoon after not speaking much since morning. He mentioned he was watching a movie and said to call me afterward. When he eventually did call, I was upset and didn't respond positively. Later in the evening, when I tried calling him again, he was once more busy with something else. Again I asked through chat if he was busy he said he'll be calling me in 5mins. Then as usual he was scrolling his insta and gave me some reasons that he was doing something.
When I confronted him about feeling neglected, he dismissed my concerns, saying he's not used to being in a relationship and can't handle the pressure. This has left me feeling hurt and confused. Am I wrong to expect to be a priority in his life?
I've tried to give him space, but what I'm seeking is to feel valued and prioritized in our relationship. As someone who tends to overthink, these small actions affect me deeply, and I'm unsure how to proceed.
I know this is really a small issue but for me it matters how he values me.
TL;DR instead of replying to my call back whenever he's back to his phone, he will do some other things which make me feel ignored. So, the point here is- am I really being dramatic for the things I want?
Disclaimer - other than this he's really a good person.
I'd really appreciate any advice or perspective on how to handle this situation. Thank you for taking the time to read and respond.

Hey!! I am not currently diagnosed, but in the process with my doctor (a very... long... process...).
Why I think I may have EDS: - very thin see through skin that is always covered in bruises - cuts and scrapes take FOREVER to heal and commonly get infected if I'm not super ontop of daily care. I have had cellulitis 5 times, hospitalized twice. - very poor circulation. Standing on sitting for more than 15 minutes result is purple swollen lower limbs. - numb tingles!!!! - heart palpitations - every single part of my body pops or cracks. My chest/ribs/sternum?? pop in the morning, pelvis pops opening up, jaw, palm of my hand and all the usual joints - hypermobile body, mostly upper body. Elbows, wrists, all knuckle joints, shoulders, hips - twisted/enlarged intestines without a known cause (as seen by ultrasounds) - unregulated body heat
My biggest concern is exercising. I have always loved exercise but it's getting harder and harder to get through a workout. I feel like I'm going to pass-out or have a heart attack after only a few weight exercises. Full body tingles and light headed. Like I can't get enough air or water in me. Is this inline with the diagnosis? Has anyone found ways to help with this?
ALSO: Just out of curiosity... when my mom was pregnant with me, a test told her that I had an extremely high chance of having trisomy 18. I did not!!!! But I was born with quite small ears, large eyes, heart murmur, hearing problems (needed tubes), asthma, and super sensitive see through skin. Anyone relate or have anything to share that's similar? Wondering if it's all related somehow.

In which this ficnapping first-timer tackles An Introduction to Terran Zoology by u/Still_Performance_39. I'm still a newbie author, so imagine my surprise when I'm handed one of the most popular stories on the sub. One that's received the rare honor of being approved by the fifteenth holy knight of space himself. No pressure I guess lol.
I knew what I wanted to write about, at least. I've been waiting for this series to cover the ocean, so this was the perfect opportunity to do it myself! I had to think hard about what to include; the ocean is a big place after all. See if you can guess the secret (really obvious) theme I went with! Fingers crossed I did this story justice! (Shoutout to Wikipedia btw)
Memory transcription subject: Rysel, Venlil Environmental Researcher
Date [standardized human time]: Idk sometime after Cilany’s broadcast
Brahk, brahk, brahk!
I tore across the campus, sprinting for the Terran Zoology lecture hall as fast as my legs could carry me.
I can’t believe I overslept! Of all days, it had to be today.
Dr. Bernard had teased today’s topic last time. “By now we’ve learned about animals from all over Earth, and through our simulation exercises you’ve seen for yourselves how intricate Terran ecosystems can be.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Everybody’s simulated ecosystems had failed catastrophically on their first attempts. It’d taken a herd of paws for everyone to accept how necessary predators were to maintain balance in Earth’s ecosystems.
“With what we’ve learned so far, we are ready to finally tackle one of if not the most complex and vibrant ecosystems on Earth: the coral reef. This lesson even has some direct relevance to us here on Venlil Prime. You might have heard the recent news about those biologists exploring Venlil Prime’s oceans not far from here. Well, the region they’ve been studying shares many things in common with Terran coral reefs. Learning about reefs on Earth could be a useful reference point for uncovering the secrets of your own oceans. I hope to see you all tomorrow!”
I’d been so excited I could barely fall asleep. I’d also completely forgotten that Milam was away visiting family. Why did that matter? Well, without the raucous squawking of her alarm, I’d overslept, and now I was about to be late!
My lungs and legs burned, but I pressed forward. There, the lecture hall’s door was still open! I dashed inside and scrambled to my seat, gasping and wheezing as I tried to still my beating heart. I’d made it.
“Wow, Rysel, you’re right on time. That’s the latest you’ve been yet!”
I glanced to my right and saw Sandi chuckling heartily at my expense.
“I -hrrf- over -hrrf- slept,” I wheezed, “didn’t -huff- want to -huff- miss this -huff- though.”
“Hmph. Rysel, of all Venlil, oversleeping for one of the Doctor’s lessons. Never thought I’d see the day,” Kailo scoffed from my left, snuggled deep into his duvet. I supposed it was technically an insult, but there was no hostility in his tone. I knew what real anger and hostility sounded like from him, and he hadn’t done or said anything like that for some time. No, this was just Kailo being Kailo.
I flicked my tail at him in a friendly greeting. “Good paw to you too, Kailo.”
He huffed and turned away, but I didn’t miss his tail swishing under his seat.
Kailo’s changed so much since our first day. It’s like he’s a different person. Honestly, I sometimes feel like a different person too.
I’d come a long way from being scared of humans and enrolling in the exchange program for money. Now, these classes were the highlight of every paw, and I couldn’t imagine wanting to do anything else.
My reminiscing was cut short by a familiar series of sharp knocks on the doorframe. My tail whirled with glee at the sight of the familiar figure.
“Good morning everyone! How’re we all doing on this very fine paw?” Dr. Bernard greeted us with a beaming smile.
Most of us beeped out a cheery hello in response. I glanced around the room, warm contentment welling in my chest. We were no longer the nervous, skeptical, and borderline hostile class Dr. Bernard had to put up with on the first day. Now, even the shyest participants flicked a friendly greeting in his direction.
“Excellent! I’m always delighted to hear your enthusiasm. Now, just to remind you, today we’ll be taking our first proper look at one of the most beautiful biomes Earth’s oceans have to offer. I always enjoy chatting with you all, but we do have a lot to get through today. Would anyone object if we skipped the banter this time and dive straight into the material?”
Yes, I’m ready! Let’s go!
The rest of the class echoed my sentiment, beeping with varying levels of excitement and curiosity. Bernard smiled as he glanced over everyone, his gaze lingering on me. “I’m happy to see that everyone’s excited for today’s lesson.”
It was at this point that I noticed that in my excitement, I’d jumped out of my seat and lunged onto the table. Sandi was chuckling merrily, and I heard a cough from Kailo underneath his blanket cocoon. Did I say that out loud? I slowly slid back into my seat, my ears blooming hot orange from embarrassment. I knew at this point that Bernard wouldn’t take offense to my outburst, but that didn’t make it any less embarrassing for a grown man to be jumping up and down like a pup.
“Since everyone seems to be on board,” Bernard said, graciously distracting everyone from my faux pas, “let’s dive right into our ocean lesson, shall we?”
His pun was met with scattered beeps and groans, though most of the class let out merry bleats to express their excitement for the lesson. The classroom’s monitor flickered to life, and gasps echoed throughout the room. The image showed a rocky seabed covered with what looked like strangely shaped rocks in a wide array of bright colors. The fish swimming among the rocks, many of them as colorful as their environment, stood out against the deep blue background of the ocean water. Of all the gorgeous pictures of life on Earth I’d seen, none had ever been this vibrant, this full of color. It almost felt like I was looking at an art exhibit.
Wow… this develops naturally_? It’s so pretty! I wonder how the rocks form those bright colors._
“There’s really only one way to start a lecture about coral reefs, and that’s with the animals that give them their name. Coral!”
Bernard changed the screen to a close-up of the weird rocks.
“Now, at first glance, these may just look like a bunch of weird rocks.” Wait, they’re not? “But they are actually colonies of living creatures.”
Confused beeps and whispers broke out in the audience, as people tried to wrap their heads around how the objects on the screen could possibly be animals. My mind went back to our first day, when we classified a bunch of Earth creatures as prey or predator. There had been quite a few aquatic animals, and several of them hadn’t looked anything like animals. Maybe this was something like that?
It seemed my seat neighbors had come to similar conclusions, as both of them looked relatively unfazed by Bernard’s reveal, Milam instead flicking her ear in thought while Kailo leaned forward with intense focus.
“Each of these colorful formations is made up of hundreds of tiny, genetically identical individuals called polyps.”
The screen changed to a close-up shot of what at first glance looked like a fleshy plant that had grown roots into the rock, but the diagram next to it had labels that read things like “tentacle,” “mouth,” and “stomach.” Animal parts, not plant parts.
“This is an individual polyp. They are very small, typically only a few millimeters in diameter and a few centimeters in height. They anchor themselves in one place by secreting an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate from their base. From their anchored spot, they catch and eat any food that drifts by with the tentacles by their mouth. The exoskeleton they make gets left behind, allowing new generations of the colony to build on top of it. Thus, over many generations, the colony can build a skeleton like the ones you saw in the previous photo, up to several meters in size.”
So that was how it worked! It made sense once he explained it. Colonial organisms were an uncommon but familiar concept in the Federation, though they mostly consisted of various small insects. The idea of invertebrates secreting an exoskeleton was also a known concept. This was the first time I’d seen both traits in a single creature, though.
“These skeletons are the structure upon which the reef ecosystem grows, providing shelter for thousands of different species. Even though they occupy less than 0.1% of the world's ocean area, they provide a home for at least 25% of all marine species, making them one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet.”
With the truly staggering variety of species on Earth, 25% was no small number. My ears tilted back in awe at the pictures of the reefs on screen. They were like… underwater cities! Living cities that built themselves and teemed with all kinds of wonderfully fascinating creatures.
Bernard glanced around the room, wearing his “I’m about to ask a question” smile. The question arrived soon after. “Would anyone like to guess what corals’ diet consists of?”
Let’s see… they grab things with their tentacles, but they don’t move, meaning that they have to subsist on whatever floats by. Hmmm, why does that sound familiar…
The images from our first day still floated around in my mind. Wait! That’s it! I raised my paw.
“Yes, Rysel?”
“Is it like the jellyfish from our first day? Snagging small creatures in their tentacles and pulling them into their mouths?”
Bernard grinned widely. “Excellent conclusion, Rysel. You are right, coral polyps do indeed have similar feeding habits to those of jellyfish. Both coral and jellyfish belong to the phylum Cnidaria, so you were correct to draw parallels between the two. Obviously, due to their size, any prey they catch must also be microscopic.”
My tail wagged proudly at his praise. The feeding behaviors of jellyfish had horrified me back then, but now I could take it in stride. The fact that I could even remotely navigate the humans’ complicated classification system gave me even more satisfaction. I glanced around the room. A few classmates seemed a bit uncomfortable at the mention of coral’s predatory nature, but most remained fascinated and engaged. It’d taken months, but we were finally beginning to appreciate predators as something more than monsters, even if they had to be predators that didn’t even look like animals.
“However, while corals do feed with their tentacles, that isn’t actually where most of their energy comes from. You see, most corals have evolved a symbiotic relationship with certain types of algae that live in their tissues, which they acquire from the surrounding environment. The algae produce energy through photosynthesis, which the coral can then use. Algae also aid the coral in calcification for the coral skeleton and waste removal. The algae, in turn, benefit by having a safe place to live, and by consuming the coral’s carbon dioxide and waste products as nutrients. Truly an excellent example of two species coming together for the mutual benefit of one another.”
I knew what symbiosis was, of course. Traditional Federation classes loved to highlight how different prey species united together to benefit one another. It was considered a major part of the innate empathy in prey species that predators lacked. Not only was Bernard showing us a symbiotic relationship involving what would traditionally be considered a predator, but said predator was allied with a plant, of all things!
Was this phenomenon unique to Earth, or was this yet another thing the Federation hid from all of us?
“The coral reef is filled with mutually beneficial relationships like this. Take, for example, one of the most iconic reef creatures, the sea anemone.”
With the push of a button, the screen changed to show a creature that loosely resembled a coral polyp, only bigger, more colorful, and with longer tentacles.
“Now, sea anemones are close relatives of coral, and they share many similarities. They feed in much the same way as coral, snaring prey with their stinging tentacles and drawing it into the mouth. Their diet mainly consists of small fish, crustaceans, and other appropriately sized organisms. Despite its predatory nature, the sea anemone is often considered the poster child of mutualism in the ocean.”
Bernard’s words prompted hushed murmuring throughout the classroom. I was a bit unsettled by the anemone’s predator status, but those feelings were overwhelmed by my sensation of curiosity. What was it about anemones that made their relationships so notable? I just had to know!
I turned my ears to the conversations around me. Some classmates were saying that any mutualistic relationships an anemone could have must be predatory in nature: a union with other predators to hunt and kill more efficiently. Others argued it could be something else, like the coral and algae from before. Someone suggested that the humans were wrong about them, but that notion was quickly shot down.
Everyone’s reactions made me realize just how desensitized we’d all become to “predatory” things. While the term was still uncomfortable, Bernard had, through his lessons, patiently instilled in us the idea that predators were more than wanton bloodlust and violence. There existed predators like that, of course, but with such a broad and diverse class of animals, one would expect some horrible ones due to sheer statistics. Likewise, there would be plenty of good ones.
Sea anemones are predators, yet they’re famous for their mutually beneficial relationships with other lifeforms. If someone said something like that to me months ago, I’d never have believed them. I was so certain that I knew the fundamental mechanisms of ecosystems like the back of my paw. I chuckled to myself. Stars, so much has changed since then.
“First of all, many sea anemones form symbiotic relationships with algae in the same way corals do, benefiting from their photosynthesis while offering shelter and protection in return. But that’s hardly the only relationship they’re known for.”
Bernard changed the screen to a video of an anemone. Bright orange fish with white stripes swam around its tentacles. My heart skipped a beat as one brushed up against the tentacles, but the fish seemed unaffected by the anemone’s venom, much to my relief.
“This right here is one of the most famous symbiotic relationships on Earth: the sea anemone and the clownfish. These small, colorful fish have adapted to the anemone’s stinging tentacles, allowing them to nestle among them. The anemone protects the clownfish from predators, functions as a safe nesting site, and provides food from the leftover scraps of the anemone’s meals. The clownfish, in turn, defend the anemone from its predators, provide nutrients through their excrement, and circulate the water around the anemone, improving its respiration.”
As Bernard talked, the fish on the screen frolicked around their tentacled friend, the adorable sight eliciting pleased mewls from several audience members.
They protect each other, they feed each other, and they play together too! Who knew that two wildly different species could have such a beautiful friendship, even when one of them doesn’t have a brain!
Vlek spoke up, his voice skeptical. “Excuse me Doctor. You said that clownfish feed off of anemones’ meals. They are predators as well, then?”
“One could make that argument,” Bernard replied, “clownfish are omnivorous, and primarily feed on ambient zooplankton, with their diets supplemented by their anemone’s scraps and algae. The microscopic organisms they eat are so abundant that they don’t really need to hunt; they can just munch on whatever happens to drift by.”
“Like their anemone friends!”
“Yes, Rova, like their anemone friends!”
The class seemed to have mixed feelings about the clownfish’s diet. Zooplankton being tiny, simple creatures made it easier, but some still squirmed at the thought. Personally, I didn’t think it took away from how fascinating this duo was. As I’d come to learn with most predators, their diets weren’t what defined them; they were just one of many facets of their nature.
Bernard changed the slide to a photo of a different fish. “While clownfish are the most famous species to form mutualistic relationships with sea anemones, they are hardly the only ones. Take this cardinalfish, for example…”
Bernard went on to highlight several more species with special relationships with sea anemones, each one fascinating in its own way. Fish that laid their eggs among their tentacles. Snails that used them as shelter from predators. Crabs that mounted them on their shells for defense. One type of crab even attached anemones to its claws, using them as living weapons!
Such a simplistic creature, yet it’s evolved a rich network of relationships with so many different species. No wonder Bernard called them iconic.
Kailo fidgeted next to me. Something was obviously bugging him, but he seemed hesitant to speak up.
“Before we move on, does anybody have questions?” Bernard asked smoothly. He probably noticed Kailo’s uncertainty too. He had a teacher’s eye for that sort of thing.
Kailo huffed with determination and raised his paw. “Yes, Kailo?”
“Um, all the animals you’ve talked about so far have been pred– carnivores and omnivores. Where are all the pre– herbivorous fish?”
Bernard grinned. “That’s an excellent question, Kailo. There are herbivorous fish that graze on the algae of the coral, such as the parrotfish and the rabbitfish. That said, true herbivores are relatively uncommon in the ocean. After all, there aren’t many plants around besides algae and seaweed, and a lot of the algae that is there is integrated into the bodies of coral polyps. Thus, thanks to natural selection, most underwater species consume flesh in some form.”
A few months ago Kailo would’ve exploded in anger and denial at that response, but now his ears just tilted in confusion. “But… how can that work?? How can an ecosystem with so many pred– meat eaters sustain any sort of population, let alone the vast numbers you told us?”
Several sets of ears flicked in agreement at Kailo’s question.
“Of course, given what we know about land ecosystems, it makes sense to assume that the base of the food chain would be mostly herbivores. Under the sea, however, plants are much less abundant, so that role is filled by other animals. Some creatures derive nutrition by filtering food from the water or sand, much like a plant would pull sustenance from the air and ground. Many species, especially smaller ones, reproduce frequently and in large quantities, allowing them to sustain significant populations even when predators regularly hunt them. Finally, and this is a good transition into our next section, not all carnivores are predators.”
Wait. Huh? How does that even work? Isn’t that an oxymoron?
“Well, technically they are predators to the microscopic organisms they feed on, but they certainly aren’t predators in the traditional sense.”
A new set of images appeared on the monitor, showing off a handful of small fish and crustaceans.
“Now, as I’m sure you all have noticed, most fish don’t have hands or paws.” My brain conjured an image of a fish with furry Venlil arms. I stifled a whistle at the silly thought.
“This means that they can’t groom themselves. Dead skin, infected tissue, and nasty parasites can just accumulate on their bodies, and there’s nothing they can do about it. What’s a poor fish to do? Well, that’s where these guys come in. These are cleaner fish and cleaner shrimp. They are carnivores whose diet consists of dead or infected skin and parasites from the bodies of bigger fish, like so.”
He switched the screen to two photos: the left showed a fish (the parrotfish he mentioned just now?) floating by some coral with two cleaner fish picking at it. One was nipping at its scales, the other nestled all up in its gills. On the right, a cleaner shrimp mounted the back of a different fish, presumably using its claws to pluck things off its skin.
“These cleaners congregate in areas called cleaning stations, and animals from all over the reef swim to them to get cleaned. The cleaners remove parasites and dead skin from all the hard-to-reach places, like their gills and even inside their mouths!”
The monitor now showed a video, the contents of which elicited several gasps from the audience. The spotty fish in the video had its mouth open, revealing rows of sharp, mean-looking teeth. Side-facing eyes notwithstanding, this was definitely a predator. And a cleaner fish was swimming into its mouth. On purpose. And the predator just let it. We watched for a tense moment, waiting for those jaws to clamp down, but the cleaner swam out of the mouth with no issue, and the predator fish just… left, revealing a surprisingly long body to the camera as it did.
“That was a moray eel, considered an apex predator of the coral reef. Despite that, it allowed that cleaner wrasse to clean its mouth safely, and the wrasse clearly wasn’t concerned about being eaten. Would anyone care to guess why?”
Silence filled the room as everyone thought, until Sandi raised her paw. “Well, the eel wanted to be cleaned, and it couldn’t be cleaned if it ate the cleaner, so it resisted the temptation.”
As usual, Bernard paused to allow us to digest the answer before replying. “You pretty much got it! Even predators like the moray need cleaning, and eating the cleaners is a good way to get refused service from the rest of their kin. One minor correction, though. The average customer is not tempted to eat the cleaners, even when it’s a predator. There are exceptions, of course, but customers generally aren’t hungry when they show up for cleaning, or else they’d be out hunting instead. Moreover, the cleaner’s size makes for a poor meal; hardly worth the cost of being refused service at the cleaning station in the future.”
A chatter of discussion erupted after Bernard finished his explanation. It made sense, but it was still so… odd, to think about. I listened to the scattered conversations around me.
“How could a predator ever not be hungry? Sure, humans aren’t like that, but they’re sapient! An animal couldn’t possibly control…”
“...such a beautiful relationship. To think these cleaners get their food by helping others…”
“...wonder if there are others like them?”
The chatter hadn’t yet died down when the break bell rang.
“Ah, looks like we’ll have to end our conversation here for now,” Bernard chuckled. “Not to worry, though! Part 2 of this presentation will be after lunch, in which I will talk about humanity’s relationship with reefs and highlight some more of the amazing features of reef creatures. See you in a claw!”
Aw come on, you can’t just tease us like that! I have so many questions!
Coral reefs were so cool! I’d always thought the ocean was a dark, scary place where incomprehensible terrors lurked in the depths. Who knew the seas could be so lively, colorful, and fascinating?
I can’t wait to learn more!

Grab a snack if you want to reads this lol, this is a long one.
I’m sure a lot of people are curious about the lives of intl sch ppl, and haven’t seen this kind of post before. While this won’t be a comprehensive look at everything, it’s just my experience in the last 6 months. There’s a chance someone here could recognise me based on what I say, but if anyone does, please don’t reveal.
I suppose the first question would be why. It’s the most sensible question after all. Why not do the ‘usual’ route. Unfortunately that decision was never mine to make. A bit of background on me would be helpful first. You could say I come from an elite/good sec school in express stream. My grades, especially from sec 3 onwards, weren’t fantastic. By mid years of sec 4 I had a whopping l1r5 of 39. Fearing for the toll of jc work on me, they decided to start the application process to the intl sch around the same period. Without telling me. Kind of a dick move if you ask me. They informed me around the June holidays, and we had quite a few discussions over the next few days.
The next question would be “Why didn’t I just say no?”. My parents had already put down the initial deposit that is part of the application process, and they would only get back a small % of it if they forfeited my place. And since we're talking about intl schools here, its obviously no kopitiam coffee fee. Even though they applied me to one of the three local intl schs (HCI intl, ACS intl, SJI intl), it still was sizeable, and I didn't want to put another burden on my parents (my sister's in uni). And yeah you can call me rich or wtv, idrc at this point. So now I was pressured to keep to this path. But I wasn't going down without a fight though. I had worked so hard to get into my sec sch, and my teachers were really dedicated to getting the best out of us. Same goes for my tuition teachers. Even though my results said one thing, everyone could read between the lines that I was improving. Everyone except the people it mattered to the most. So I made a compromise with my parents. If I score below 10, I could join the jc's of my choice. As you can see, that didn't happen.
Please don't see this as me being insolent towards people who worked hard to get into any jc. They made a point about my older sister's experience. My sister had an unpleasant time during jc (She did her A's right smack in the middle of covid in 2020). Unpleasant chers, uncooperative pw group mates, council slackers, yk the usual. I guess what pushed them over the edge was that these weren't isolated events, she's had to deal with a fair number of them over the years. And combined with me being on a similar trajectory (I had a terrible math cher in sec 1&2, and a terrible cca teacher in charge), I guess it led them to believe I would go through the same things. I don't blame them for caring about my well-being, but I think they overreacted. For one thing 2020 was an unprecedented year, for all of us, and no one could've predicted the way things went. Also my sister would've had a much different teenage experience coming from an all-girls school to a co-ed jc, as compared to me going from an all-boys. So there would've been things she found weird or uncommon that I would find perfectly normal. But they did say a lot of nasty things about jc and a levels as whole that really irked me. "Anything above 10 is a step down from the IB". Granted it's not entirely wrong, but to completely disregard it is unacceptable. For all its flaws, which there are many, the A levels is still a really good form of education. I don't think a lot of us realise how privileged we are to have our own exam system that is internationally recognised, and can be put against the likes of the American and British system. A lot of teens here strive to get one of those coveted spots, and a lot don't make it.
So then I wanted to get below 10. I guess this is where the problem lay. Instead of proving to myself what I could do, I was working to prove them wrong. Because it hurt, to me it was like they didn't believe in me. And that's the last thing a parent should do, make their child feel as though their parents have no hope for them. In the end I got 14-2=12. While I did lower it by three times from mid years, and twice from prelims, I was still crushed. Cause now I was going to an unfamiliar environment, and all of my friends were moving on, while I was left thinking what if. To add insult to injury, my parents still had the nerve to comfort me and say I still had a choice. Literally 2 months ago they were slamming the system and the school I was posted to (CJC science). No no no no, if I went to cjc and struggled, they're the kind to slander me for the next 2 years.
Now the part you've all been waiting for, my experience. It's only been six months, so anything I say is still quite limited/unfinished. I'll make another post at the end of next year for a better look back on my time here. I'll do things chronologically. Orientation (if you can even call it that), was kinda like getting to know your new class at the start of sec 3. There were only 26 new students coming in this year, so I figured we wouldn't be much of a priority either way. Everyone already knew each other, so I was left to my own devices for the day. And it was only one day anyway, it was more of a sports day tbh. The first few days was just trying to find my way to classes. I had missed a school tour in august last year cause it was right smack in prelims. I had to rely on my timetable and some help from my form classmates. Speaking of which, they're nice people individually, but we haven't had any good moments together apart from one time when we went to Bounce @ Grange rd. And even that was a mandatory event that all classes had to organise themselves.
Before going in I had a lot of assumptions and generalisations of intl sch ppl, a lot of which came from being in the local system. After 6 months in, I won't say they're wrong, but they haven't been completely disproven yet. Yk the usual lah, snobbish, out of touch, don't care about grades. But if there's one things my parents got right out of this whole ordeal, it was choosing the correct local intl sch. At least at the one I'm currently in, there's a lot less of those kind of people than I expected. There's a fairly big sg/pr population here too, which means ns boys hehe. But even the ones of different nationality, and those who have bounced around a fair bit, have been welcoming of me. I've even made a few friends here (playing football every day helps). So life's better that I thought it would have been. I genuinely thought I would've offed myself by know. That's how bad my mental state was at the start of the year. Add to the fact that they start in Jan, so I didn't get my extra 1 month break >:( But yeah life's been ok.
But it's not always been ok. One of the preconceptions I had of intl schools was the overinflated drama, which I unfortunately got from Hollywood. But I never expected it to be true, and somehow on a worse level than sec sch. Honestly I can't even keep track of things at times, and I've even been in the crossfire of a few. Things spread around like wildfire here, especially when everyone's known each other for 5 years+. I thought that after surviving an all-boys school, where people would wrestle half naked, nothing would faze me. But it gets quite extreme sometimes, from what I've heard. The more the money the more the drama ig.
Speaking of which, lifestyles are quite different here. Not in a bad way, it's just something I'm not used to. Everyone is used to each other and can spontaneously just do stuff like pop over to someone's house with zero warning. Leisure back in the hood would be the boys pulling up for a game of footie or a late night gaming session. Here there's a lot of travelling, brands, going out and spending kind of things. Stuff that I've never been accustomed to doing and never been comfortable doing, even when I could. Not saying that doing those sorts of thing is bad. If you have money you can and should use it, not everyone is as fortunate as we are. I don't mean to sound patronizing, this is just new to me, being surrounded by a lot of these people, whereas elsewhere it was just me and maybe just one or two other guys. I've had many friends, close friends who have looked at me solely on who I am, and not the numbers in my parents bank account.
Speaking of numbers, grades are an interesting subject (pun intended). There are your usual mix, the hard workers, the average ones and the slackers. I have classes with several of all, and I try to avoid the slackers, because I knew from the stary that I would be irritated by them. Dyk how many people will kill to be in their spot? And they're doing nothing but rotting on their asses. For some reason, working hard is kind of looked down upon. I guess at this point in the course of the Diploma, there's nothing much to worry about, but that doesn't mean you should be failing. It baffles me, as a person who used to fail constantly, now being top in my class for several subjects. Like I said before, 6 months is not an accurate representation of people's entire lives, but I expected some dignity at least. If there's one trait that's the most different between home and here, is that at home the value of hard work is appreciated and is a common struggle. Somehow me doing the bare minimum here (In my eyes) is seen as impressive, which is something I've actually been told. A lot pf people told me they'd die if they tried the O's.
Friends is another thing. I was fortunate to make a few, but not everyone was as lucky as I was. There was one guy in my form class who joined this year like me, but made 0 friends, so naturally he gravitated towards me, having also come from the local school system. In fact there were more than than just the 2 of us. There are about 7 (from the ppl I've met), including one who was from my sec sch that I met on ori day, which was a nice surprise. I didn't know him too well in sec sch (we were in different classes but played recess footie) , but we've become closer in the past months. We all sort of understood each other in terms of shared experiences, but we made different friend groups, except him. I saw him sitting by himself a lot, be it eating or studying. Eventually he left for poly. (My mum would've dropped dead if I wanted that). He told me that the diploma wasn't for him, which I can understand. I used to think that too (still do sometimes). But I wouldn't be surprised if that had played a part in his decision to leave. Some other kids were more fortunate than me, as they did what I wanted to do, leave after getting their O lvl results. He also mentioned el (they call it langlit over here) as part of the problem, which I also agree with. It's actually my worst subject rn, mostly because I dropped lit in sec 2 and didn't want to deal with it, another reason why I didn't want to do the diploma.
Final thoughts for anyone who's bothered to make it this far: Thanks for bearing with me lol. I have one more week before the school goes on the six week summer break (June hols essentially). Yes the term hasn't ended and yes the term dates are weird. I'm most probably going to lepak in my room the entire time, cause honestly I need it. I don't know what to make of my time here so far, it's felt more like a dream at times, but I'll just go wherever the river takes me.
Edit: can’t believe I forgot to mention this, but one of my childhood friends joined said intl sch in sec 3, she had a topsy turvy sec 1&2, didn’t like school cultures and you know how girls can be sometimes. She described going here as the best decision she ever made. Which is the catch I guess. You can either get a cohort that pushes you to do your best and welcomes you into their family, or the opposite.

Because 3D vision and depth perception. Billions of dollars are spent in making of space shuttles and submarines for tourism. And more hundreds of thousands for their tickets. Instead of just watching a high quality image or video from space or the deep sea on a 4K display, some people are willing to risk their life, sit and poop uncomfortably in a pressure regulated container just to get the actual 3D view with their own eyes for even a few minutes through a terribly small window. Why should any car buyer settle for an inferior 2D screen instead of a real mirror to see what's behind?
Edit: I am not saying we shouldn't have parking assists in our cars! Just that cameras can never replace mirrors. And I know there are rules and regulations for that. Jeez.

Edging -Its basically like pumping air into a balloon but the balloon has a small hole to release the pressure. your job is to maintain the shape of the balloon. pump too much pressure you'll burst the balloon(orgasm), not enough pressure you lose the shape (no pleasure). its about adding in enough pressure when needed to maintain the shape(maintaining the pleasure). be very aware where your cum is at..... the more you don't leak or ruin the better
Once you can do that, next is to master the Goon State (constant pleasure)
Next is having the will to stop and save your cum for the next session as much as possible.... reason because when you cum that is it..... when you don't it Gets more intense
----------Bonus lesson-----------
Weed for vibrant state of mind, edibles if you want the extreme Don't consume a lot
Caffeine for focus and awareness (5 hour energy does the trick) Don't overdo
For Goon State -Separate your consciousness from your mind to stop racing/wondering thoughts (separate Meaning Your Mind isn't you its a tool that you control. you're a higher form of awareness and your mind and body is an extension of that) - your job is to focus your mind being aware of the porn and whats going on and focus on how your body feels.... try focusing on both areas simultaneously.
Finally Take a Break when you feel like you can't maintain the edge. A good sleep usually helps so you can go again but it can get hard to take your hands off lol.. but its worth it
Stroking Technique -
lube lube lube LUBE - You've been Warned
Stroke your cock at 180 degrees away from belly to close off sperm circulation. squeezing pee glands also helps.
caress the region just below to head of cock the top, sides, and underneath.
When close to edge, change degrees from 180 to 170 as often as you want(closing and slightly opening sperm circulation) and instead of stroking randomly,squeeze cock shaft a little with small strokes and unsqeeze and repeat
the sweet spot is on top just below the head ....
Remember your job is to be aware of your mind and body (your penis)
your mind job is to receive and consume porn
your body job is to produce and maintain pleasure flow
let your cock become your mind and your mind becomes your cock

Summary: Looking for a pair of comfortable over-the-head wireless headphones to wear while reading/studying when I want to block the world out. I'm willing to spend more for comfort; needs above-average noise cancellation to block out my surroundings; portability (foldable or carrying case I can clip to my backpack) ideal.
About me: Small-sized head for an adult female; I probably need something adjustable so I don't feel like my head is in a vice. Suspected undiagnosed ADHD makes me easily distractible, so quality noise cancellation is a MUST. I've determined having some level of noise is important for focus; hearing my own breathing/chewing while wearing earplugs won't work.
What aspect of your current listening experience would you like to improve? - #1: COMFORT above all. I want to be able to wear these for several hours without having to adjust or take a break. #2: Noise cancellation quality; I need to minimize distractions while I read/study. Just the slightest noise can throw me off track.
Budget - <$500 USD
Source/Amp - Bluetooth connection to iPhone; sometimes occasionally my MacBook Pro, but still always bluetooth.
How the gear will be used - At home (studying, reading) and travel (mostly plane, maybe train). Phone calls aren't important, but I'd like to be able to answer a call if one comes in while I'm already using the headphones. I already have AirPods Pro 2 headphones I use for phone calls, music, and the gym, but these new ones need to be over-the-head for more dedicated tasks. If I've got a tight deadline at work, I might take these to the office to wear while wrapping up a project to minimize distractions.
Preferred tonal balance - I'm not an audiophile and listen mostly to Spotify, so something that's accurate and balanced is fine.
Preferred music genre(s) - I will mostly be playing classical/instrumental music or brown noise while using these headphones, but if I decide to listen to music for entertainment, it will be hip-hop or hardstyle music with deep bass.
Past gear experience - I was gifted a pair of Beats Studio3 headphones a few years ago, and the battery life is great but I'll never need to test it because they're so uncomfortable I can't listen for more than 30 minutes without getting a headache; pain/pressure where the band touches the top of my head. As stated above, I already have earbuds I love--not interested in another set of earbuds.
Current research: Bose QuietComfort Ultra or one of the Sony models seem to be the best fits for what I'm looking for, but I don't have stores nearby with models on display. Using the new headphones in my own environment and being able to return them if they don't work out is preferred.

Hey everyone,
I've been diving into the world of high-performance speakers recently and wanted to share some fascinating insights about two leading technologies pushing the boundaries of bass performance in compact speakers: Brane Audio's Repel-Attract-Driver (R.A.D.) and Devialet's whole speaker lineup, especially the Mania.

Brane Audio's R.A.D. Technology:

Brane Audio's Repel-Attract-Driver (R.A.D.) technology is a game-changer. It uses a proprietary array of permanent magnets to cancel out internal air pressure forces within the speaker. This pressure cancellation allows for deeper bass output without needing a larger enclosure, effectively breaking Hofmann's Iron Law of Audio, which states that deep bass requires either a large speaker or high power consumption. R.A.D. enables Brane speakers to deliver powerful bass from a compact design efficiently and with minimal distortion​ (TechRadar)​​ (Brane Audio)​.

Devialet Phantom's "complete package" engineering:

Devialet's Phantom series combines several technologies, including high-excursion drivers and isobaric loading. The high-excursion drivers move a significant amount of air, producing deep bass, while the isobaric configuration (using back-to-back woofers) helps manage internal pressure and enhances efficiency. This setup allows the Phantom speakers to achieve a remarkable frequency response as low as 14Hz, providing an intense bass experience in a relatively small package. The Phantom's iconic spherical design also helps withstand the high pressures generated by these drivers. In fact, their unique speaker housing is absolutely necessary as it needs to withstand ~400 lbs of pressure. The cost of their speakers also makes sense, because of the materials and precision engineering required for such a housing​ (Audio Advice)​​ (pcgamer)​​.

Potential of Combining Technologies:

Imagine combining R.A.D.'s pressure cancellation with Devialet's isobaric loading and high-excursion drivers. This could theoretically result in a speaker system with unparalleled bass performance in a compact form factor. The R.A.D. would manage internal pressure efficiently, while the isobaric setup and high-excursion drivers would maximize air movement and bass depth. However, this combination would likely increase complexity and cost, but it could set a new standard for compact speaker performance, perhaps by 10-100x.

I usually like playing stock tribes on Small-Medium online 1v1s and I am running into a frustrating wall with high elo Elyrion players. If I am late to finding them (far spawns or terrain advantage), I end up being at a severe economic disadvantage by turn 12-13. I have reviewed replays and there have been games where Elyrion has double my stars per turn by turn 12-13. Is there any tips I should know when fighting a Ely with terrain advatage?
What tech paths/build strategy should I take against a turtling elyrion that has rebuffed an early offensive or is heavily entrenched by the time I meet them?
How many stars should I have as a t0 tribe by turn 13 on small/medium?
I am a bit frustrated when I read that Elyrion is supposed to have a "weak" mid-game because, in my experience, that is only true if you pressure them. If left alone, their early, mid, and late game surpass stock tribes due to polytaurs, sanctuaries, and dragons. Is this true or am I just salty?

If you need a friend—someone to have long and vulnerable conversations with after a tiring day, or you wouldn't mind spending a weekend chatting about everything in our lives—then look no further. Write me in the inbox.
Hello, all! I am here because I feel quite alone. The truth is, even though life has its ups and downs, I have a relatively stable and boring life. What I need is a friend. I just feel the longing to connect with someone.
I'd like to meet someone here who is mature and respectful and who would invest in creating a friendship with me gradually over time, as we get more comfortable with each other. I would like to find an interesting personality to learn more about their world, conflicts, and aspirations, to learn new perspectives from them, and ultimately become a better person by being their friend.
I'd like to meet someone who is a thoughtful and easy-going person and who would be willing to commit to this friendship. I'd like to meet someone with whom I would feel trusted enough to hear their life story and be trusted by them as I listen to theirs—with no judgments—and accept our struggles as they are. Someone who has a lot to say but hasn't had the opportunity to do so. I would be there for you. Someone willing to commit to this friendship with the intention of it lasting more than two days, ideally communicating daily and letting the friendship grow without pressure, at its own pace. A friend is all I need, nothing else.
A few words about myself: I'm a person in my twenties from a small corner of Europe. I am a reserved, introverted, and perhaps unnecessarily serious person. I live in my own world. I'm a hopeless romantic who sees the world through stained glass. I enjoy art, poetry, and movies. I love walking in nature, I love summer storms, sunsets, and the mountains.
I am a nineties person who likes everything created during that decade. I wish I were then right now. Currently, my favorite bands and artists are Electronic, The Cardigans, Talk Talk, etc. I would like to add new artists to the playlist of my favorite songs, so your suggestions would be more than welcome. I haven't seen a movie or a TV show in ages, but my favorite ones are The Young Pope, Breaking Bad, Utopia, etc. I also enjoy listening to podcasts, like Radiolab, 99% Invisible, Wiretap, Heavyweight, and others.
If the type of friendship I described resonates with you, feel free to send me a direct message with a brief introduction about yourself. I would be glad to engage in a conversation with you.

As a small developer, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of a brand new IOS app designed to help learner drivers pass the driving theory test first time in Malta!
As someone who understands the nerves and pressure of Malta highway codes and road signs.
Whether you’re preparing for your car, motorcycle, or heavy vehicle theory...etc., this app has got you covered.
Check it out! https://apps.apple.com/mt/app/malta-driving-theory-revision/id6503645365
Disclaimer: It is 6.99 euros, which will help fund the expensive AppStore fees and continue helping me develop apps like this to help more people. Hope you guys can show support! You can also show support by upvoting this Reddit post! Thank you very much - I am truly grateful and appreciative for any support. Thank you once again!
Good luck to those studying the driving theory test and remember – safe driving starts with a strong foundation!

As a small developer, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of a brand new IOS app designed to help learner drivers pass the driving theory test first time in Cayman Islands!
As someone who understands the nerves and pressure of Cayman Islands highway codes and road signs.
Whether you’re preparing for your car, motorcycle, or heavy vehicle theory...etc., this app has got you covered.
Check it out! https://apps.apple.com/lae/app/cayman-islands-driving-test/id6503645323
Disclaimer: It is 4.99 dollars, which will help fund the expensive AppStore fees and continue helping me develop apps like this to help more people. Hope you guys can show support! You can also show support by upvoting this Reddit post! Thank you very much - I am truly grateful and appreciative for any support. Thank you once again!
Good luck to those studying the driving theory test and remember – safe driving starts with a strong foundation!

Lifetime - Staked: 921.15u, Profit/Loss: +14.81u, ROI: 1.61%, Parlay Suggestions: 177-69 Dog of the Week: 13-18, Picks: 8-3 (73% accuracy)
2024 - Staked: 274.05u, Profit/Loss: -18.55u
As always, scroll down for UFC Louisville Breakdowns. The following is just a recap of last event’s results.
~UFC 302 (PREVIOUS CARD)~
Staked: 12.5u
Profit/Loss: +7.64u
ROI: 61%
Parlay Suggestions: 3-0
Dog of the week: Cesar Almeida ❌
Picks: 8-3
Underwhelming card, but as expected it was a pretty easy one to predict. The favourites were mostly consistent, and most of the expected methods of victory landed. Nice profit made for once, but I think I had some fantastic reads on the card in spots that I didn’t bet. I said I expected Poirier to be competitive, and that Islam ITD wasn’t the lock people said it was. Matthews Decision was one I wanted to bet. I warned people that Hafez or Morono were the most likely bed-shitters. Basically, I think last week’s post would have been very useful to read.
✅ 2u Sean Strickland + Over 1.5 Rounds (-130) (won +1.54u)
✅ 2u Sean Strickland in R4, 5 or by Decision (+175) (won +3.5u) (accidentally edited this to 1u on the previous post, which wasn’t the intention. It’s was originally listed as 2u, and was tracked as such on my BetMMA record).
✅ 2u Kevin Holland + Grant Dawson (+110) (won 2.2u)
❌ 2u Cesar Almeida (+125)
❌ 1u Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (+150)
✅ 2u Ailin Perez + Over 1.5 Rounds (-120) (won +1.66u)
✅ 1u Makhachev, Strickland, Holland, J. Almeida (+224) (won +2.24u)
❌ 0.5u Morono, Matthews, Hafez, Perez (+401)

~UFC Louisville~
Good to see more touring cards, and a slight step up in calibre from the usual Apex shit. Not a lot of spots I am confident in, I have to be honest…but I see a few underdogs that I’m sprinkling on.

~Jared Cannonier v Nassourdine Imavov~
Not another Nassourdine Imavov five rounder! I’m a fan of his skillset, but I think his cardio is suspect across 25 minutes, which ultimately makes his fights tricky to predict in spots like this. He’s not exactly a potent finisher, and I can’t trust him to win rounds four and five…so I think his path to victory is therefore limited by principal. A Nassourdine Imavov in a main event relies heavily on him winning R1, 2 and 3.
On the other side, Jared Cannonier is a guy I’ve never truly given the respect he deserves. A split decision win over Sean Strickland in a 25-minute fight is certainly impressive, as is the absolute beating he put on Marvin Vettori straight after* (* I believe Vettori has declined massively and is washed, so I won’t be going crazy in overreacting to that). Cannonier is a hard hitter, but he’s also gotten really comfortable in upping his volume across five round too, landing 141 and 241 significant strikes in those two aforementioned bouts respectively. The quantity didn’t dip in rounds 4 and 5 either, which is key considering my comments on Imavov’s cardio.
So I give Cannonier an advantage in R4 and 5, but what about across the other three? Well, the power advantage also goes to him, but the diversity with grappling and submission attempts falls with the Frenchman. Cannonier has started mixing takedowns into his game a bit more, which does present an opportunity for Imavov’s nasty front chokes…but other than that I’m not really sure where else I give Imavov a clear advantage outside of age and height. He’s the bigger fighter, but Cannonier is a strong dude and has looked just fine against other Middleweights (no one of Imavov’s size, to be fair).
Jared is now 40 years old, which is a bit of a dreaded number, which I think is the reasoning for this line being the way it is. People seem keen to blindly fade that age, regardless of whether it’s presented itself on tape. I see what they’re getting at, but Cannonier has put in two of his best performances of his career in his last two…I am not convinced it’s as simple as fading a 40 year old here.
So with that aside, I see far more merit to Cannonier’s side than Imavov’s, so the +100/-125 betting line feels off to me. I understand that Nassourdine just put in convincing performances against Roman Dolidze and Chris Curtis, but personally I think both of those fighters are a cut below Jared Cannonier (and I bet Nassourdine in both spots there). Cannonier would have looked good there too.
However, we have seen Imavov challenged against some of Middleweight’s common names, such as Sean Strickland and Joaquin Buckley…whilst Cannonier has looked good everywhere except against Izzy and Whittaker (he did drop a couple of rounds to Kelvin Gastelum, but it’s hardly raises alarm bells to me as Kelvin’s a tough guy to beat across 25 minutes of kickboxing).
I would personally make Cannonier the favourite here, anywhere between -125 and -150, and I assume the dreaded age of 40 is the reason for the odds here. I ask you this…if Jared Cannonier was 35, would the line be different? I believe it would be, and age is relative in MMA. It’s something to take seriously, of course, but I don’t think Cannonier even looked like he had started to decline in his most recent fight against Vettori last year.
I’ll be backing the underdog here at +100 or better. The line looks to be moving in Imavov’s favour so I will be patient.
How I line this fight: Jared Cannonier -137 (58%), Nassourdine Imavov +137 (42%)
Bet or pass: 1u Jared Cannonier to Win (+100 or better)
Prop leans: None
Live Betting Leans: If Cannonier looks to have won any of R1, 2, or 3 but is still a bettable price going into the championship rounds, I think he should be favoured to win those so could be a good entry in-play.

~Dominick Reyes v Dustin Jacoby~
This one should be fun for the live audience, but it’s an incredibly volatile fight for the bettors.
Very obvious to see why that’s the case for Dom Reyes – he’s got heaps of potential on a good day, but his chin is dust at this point. Seriously, he got knocked out cold by the jab of Ryan Spann. In a striking based fight at 205lbs, that’s all you need to know to decide that putting money on him is an uncomfortable idea.
Dustin Jacoby on the other hand is not the most potent finisher at Light Heavyweight, which immediately makes me think that Dustin isn’t the kind of guy you’d want to play executioner when he’s the favourite against someone with a flaw like Reyes’ chin. You want someone you can trust to put dudes to sleep in one punch – I don’t think that’s Jacoby (having gone the distance in seven of his 11 fights in this second UFC stint, and winning via leg kicks in one of the stoppages). Also, he’s not even particularly reliable to win rounds either, given that he was supposed to be the more technical fighter compared to Alonzo Menifield, Khalil Rountree, Azamat Murzakanov, and Maxim Grishin – where he was a moderate/big favourite every time, and never covered the price.
I still expect Jacoby to probably be the superior fighter across 15 minutes, but his -225 price tag definitely implies that a finish is expected by the oddsmakers…and I just have a whole lot less confidence that he lands it. From there, I also have less confidence that he’ll be the one winning rounds, given how easily he’s fumbled that in the past…so I just don’t see how you can have around 70% confidence in him winning here. Honestly I don’t really think Jacoby can ever justify that kind of pricetag at a UFC level when we have seen him shit the bed so many times.
On the other hand, I couldn’t trust Dominick Reyes’ chin to survive a strong gust of wind, so there’s no way I’d want to play him either. A very easy pass. I’ll pick Jacoby to win though, but I’d never bet him at this number.
In terms of thinking about props, I might be interested in looking at the Over 1.5 Rounds here, given that I disagree with the oddsmaker’s believe in Jacoby’s finishing ability. That’s going to be a horrible bet to sit through, so I’d probably need a decent price like +150 or better. We’ll see what they’re offering, but I doubt it’s that good.
How I line this fight: Dominick Reyes +175 (36%), Dustin Jacoby -175 (64%)
Bet or pass: Over 1.5 Rounds (+150 or better…no idea if that’s anywhere near what we’ll get)
Prop leans: See above

~Julian Marquez v Zach Reese~
Julian Marquez is a really fun fighter to watch, I’m glad to see him back inside the cage. He’s never been the most talented, but he’s a C+ at everything and has A grade heart. To beat him, you need to be clinical or vastly superior in one area, or Marquez might surprise you and turn the fight into a war of attrition.
Zach Reese is a 6-1 fighter that lost his debut Cody Brundage (I actually bet Brundage there, haha). Talk about fumbling the bag. He just seems like a classic DWCS fighter, who scores quick finishes against taxi drivers and then is suddenly expected to be diverse and talented enough to take on an actual trained professional that’s been competing against a much higher level for years. The difference between the regionals and the UFC has always been vast, and DWCS proves that time and time again.
Zach Reese’s longest fight time is 4 minutes and 13 seconds. He has literally never been in a fight that’s hit the second round. Julian Marquez, on the other hand, has gone longer than that in five of his 6 UFC appearances to date – and his opponents have all competed in the organisation at least five times. I genuinely think that tells you all you need to know.
And the craziest part is that Zach Reese ain’t even an inexperienced young gun. Him fumbling the debut wasn’t like Tom Nolan, a 24 year old kid that believed his own hype and got sloppy in his debut. Reese is THIRTY YEARS OLD.
The gulf in experience is massive, and the difference in age isn’t. I know Julian Marquez’s UFC record isn’t pretty at all, but how well do you think Zach Reese would fare if he faced the same opponents at the time Marquez did? I reckon he’d be 0-6.
Maybe I’m crazy, but Julian Marquez deserves better than to be a + money underdog against a literal regional opponent. Reese has tall man’s defence, he got tagged in both fights in DWCS/UFC and they were on the feet about 20 seconds combined. Yes he’s clearly got a great submission game on bottom, but Marquez has never been submitted, is a BJJ purple belt and has trained at decent camps before. He’s currently at the MMA Lab and has been training with Cannonier for this one.
I’ll be rolling the dice on the more proven fighter at +100.
How I line this fight: Julian Marquez -150 (60%), Zach Reese +150 (40%)
Bet or pass: 1u Julian Marquez to Win (+100)
Prop leans: None
Live Betting Leans: R1 finishers often have bad cardio, so if we get to the stool then Marquez is definitely worth a bet to turn the tide.

~Brunno Ferreira v Dustin Stoltzfus~
I can’t figure Dustin Stoltzfus out. He’s always presented himself as a good but one-dimensional grappler, judging by performances against high level competition such as Rodolpho Vieira and Gerald Meerschaert…but the way he showed up against Punahele Soriano made him look like a completely different guy. He was supposed to be easily outgunned on the feet there, but he looked seasoned and composed in the striking, and ultimately ended up getting a finish that I think very few people saw coming.
Brunno Ferreira is a super explosive Brazilian powerhouse that hasn’t gone past the halfway point in a fight yet. He throws heat and has that madman style, but his fights are so short I’ve no idea if he actually has any redeeming qualities from a technical or minute-winning perspective. As you probably know by now, my least favourite fighting style is ‘big strike go brrrr’. Ferreira has also had some bizarre results himself, pulling off a huge upset against Gregory Rodrigues, and then getting starched by Nursulton Ruziboev.
The only thing I know about Brunno is that he’ll go to war with an opponent that wants to meet him in the middle…I’ve no idea if Dustin Stoltzfus really wants to do that. He handled himself really well against a similar kind of style in Puna Soriano…but he’s also the same guy that got womped in under 20 seconds by Abus Magomedov.
To conclude, I think I could easily see Brunno Ferreira scoring an easy KO inside a couple of minutes, but I could also see this one looking way more competitive and close than the betting line suggests if Stoltzfus makes it to the stool. Lots of different possibilities, not a lot of confidence in any one outcome.
Brunno Ferreira kind of presents similar red flags to Zach Reese in the last breakdown. The difference between the two, and the reason I am fading Reese and not Brunno, is that I have confidence and knowledge that Marquez can handle that early chaos. I can’t say the same about Stoltzfus, so I won’t be taking a stab on him. Personally I think he’s absolutely the value side though, so if you’re someone who wants to bet every fight then absolutely take him.
I will also be picking him to win, but not because I think he does so 51% or more of the time…just because Ferreira is only known to have a limited path to victory that could easily fall apart.
How I line this fight: Such a volatile fight, I have no idea.
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None

~Punahele Soriano v Miguel Baeza~
Speak of the devil!
Punahele Soriano is so, so overrated. I have no idea how he’s even still in the UFC, or how he even got there in the first place. He was hyped up by Dana and the promo team as this scary and lethal striker….but then he pussy’d out and grappled his way to a decision win against Jamie Pickett on DWCS. Surprisingly they rewarded him with a contract (but didn’t want Brendan Loughnane!). Since then, lethal KO artist Puna has scored just three knockouts…but in the four fights he hasn’t, he’s looked like absolute shit. Getting schooled on the feet by Dustin Stoltzfus and Brendan Allen is a really bad look when you’re being advertised as a striker…and losing a decision to Nick Maximov isn’t a good look either!
To their credit, this fight against Miguel Baeza is a genius pairing by the UFC matchmakers though, because Baeza’s career has kind of panned out the same as Soriano’s. A hard hitting DWCS graduate, Baeza got off to a decent start with three consecutive finishes, most notably against Matt Brown. He stepped up the level of competition to face Santiago Ponzinibbio, which resulted in a life and death decision that he narrowly lost. Unfortunately, the losses snowballed dramatically as he was later KO’d by Khaos Williams and Andre Fialho. The latter result the most shocking, given that Fialho is dogshit. Baeza has since taken two years off…and everyone forgot he existed.
Apologies for taking two massive paragraphs to give you both men’s life stories, but it really does paint the picture of this fight from a betting perspective. Both men are overhyped KO artists - with one lacking in durability, and the other lacking in brain cells.
Puna is probably more likely to walk away with the KO win due to Baeza’s declining durability, but he’s also the more likely to get out-struck and styled on if this one turns into a longer distanced fight. Who wins that kind of fight? I have absolutely no idea. I’m just glad that one guy gets to stick around after this fight is over, because I’d be keen to fade both guys in the future.
I have little confidence so it counts for nothing, but I’ll pick Baeza simply because I like to fade finish-reliant fighters, and Miguel seems to be the more technical. His leg kick should work nicely here.
How I line this fight: Punahele Soriano +125 (45%), Miguel Baeza -125 (55%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None

~Raul Rosas Jr. vs Ricky Turcios~
I’ve copy/pasted my breakdown for this fight from the UFC Mexico event, and made some updated changes:
I’m still pretty gassed about hitting the fade on Raul Rosas Jr with Christian Rodriguez – definitely one of my favourite bets of 2023. I saw an untested 18 year old that was the beneficiary the UFC hype machine, and a then unknown opponent who had proven tricky to beat with the style Rosas Jr has. I saw it as a pick’em, and Rodriguez was +200. Easy bet to make.
In that fight, Rosas Jr kind of cardio-dumped and gave up once it was obvious that early finish wasn’t going to present itself, and that’s certainly a concern until we see him fight competently for 15 minutes at this level. I can think of countless UFC hype trains that hid their shocking minute winning ability behind dominant and exciting R1 finishes (Edmen Shahbazyan was my initial example, but since writing this Joe Pyfer has given another great recent example), and I therefore simply cannot trust Raul Rosas at this stage in his career when he’s still going to be sitting at -250 on the betting line due to his popularity.
Is Ricky Turcios worth the gamble as an underdog? I don’t really think so. He has been taken down seven and six times in two different UFC fights, has losses to Aimann Zahabi and Boston Salmon, and his wins were against Kevin Natividad and Brady Hiestand…which were both splits. The UFC are clearly treating this as a lay-up fight for Rosas Jr, but without feeding him a promotional newcomer or a fellow inexperienced guy. I don’t mean lay-up as if it’s a squash match, but it’s assumed that he SHOULD win here, instead of them throwing him to the wolves or making him go up against a fellow serious prospect.
Stylistically this one all revolves around the cardio for me, because I don’t think Turcios has what it takes to win this fight off the merit of his own skillset. He needs Rosas Jr. to gas out first, if he’s going to have any hope of having his way here. We have no way of knowing whether or not Rosas will gas, as it could have just been a one off and he’s so young that he could make the improvements quickly.
Personally, I’d be willing to give Rosas Jr the benefit of the doubt. The Rodriguez loss really should have opened his eyes, and it’s often the best thing for a young prospect to get that wake up call sometimes, as he was probably starting to believe his own hype. If the cardio is fixable, I assume he’s done all he can to fix it. He therefore deserves to be the favourite, but I won’t be betting on it.
How I line this fight: Raul Rosas Jr -200 (67%), Ricky Turcios +200 (33%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: I was originally going to bet the Over 2.5 rounds, but I’ll pass on that now.

~Eduarda Moura v Denise Gomes~
Eduarda Moura’s UFC debut did not impress me at all. I didn’t bother researching her regional footage, and from what I saw in that debut she’s a size/weight bully that isn’t even that amazing at what she does. Yes she outgrappled and mauled that Mexican woman, but the size difference was comical and she couldn’t have found an easier opponent to beat if she tried.
I had one of my best bets of 2023 on Denise Gomes’ last fight against Angela Hill (big up Angie for winning a couple of weeks ago, she’s such a money train for me), opting to fade the scary finishing ability of a WMMA fighter for a more technical and historically durable veteran on the return. Not only did Angie school her, she even managed to mix in some grappling to make the win even more stylish. That gets the alarm bells ringing here, as Moura’s MO is definitely to grapple, and Angie’s no grappler.
I don’t have a strong opinion on this one, because both women give me very strong fraud vibes. I think Moura is absolutely going to be one to fade in the future, and Gomes has already been faded in the past. Personally I don’t think the equally limited Denise Gomes is the woman to give Moura her first L, because stylistically this looks like a tricky fight for her. Fingers crossed Moura wins and the fade opportunity is live next time. It’s an easy pass for me.
How I line this fight: No idea, they’re both frauds
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None

~Puja Tomar v Rayanne Amanda (dos Santos)~
Some people believe in the narrative that you should try and fade Indian fighters. That worked pretty well last time Jeka Sarragih fought!
I bet on Rayanne dos Santos in her UFC debut, and she lost a split to an inexperienced opponent with bad cardio. I was impressed with her striking in Invicta, but she struggled to do anything meaningful stuff in that UFC debut. By the looks of the early line I’m seeing, she’s about -180 here. Who the hell is going to bet that!?
I obviously know nothing about Puja, but her record shows she’s fought two serious opponents. You know I love WMMA more than anyone else, but I have absolutely no interest in doing tape for this one. Pass.
How I line this fight: No idea
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None

~Cody Stamann v Taylor Lapilus~
Very disappointed by the betting line here. When a fight like this gets announced, I immediately get excited because I think there’s a chance the books might get caught out and give a very bettable price on a fight that seems close on paper, but should be quite one-sided in reality, due to the stylistics.
Taylor Lapilus deserves to be -200 here, maybe even steeper. Reason being, he’s great where Stamann is average, but he’s also good where Stamann is good. The Frenchman is a slick striker that should certainly be expected to land the more eye-catching shots, when compared to Stamann’s T-Rex boxing. He will enjoy a 9-inch reach advantage, and should just be able to hit and not get hit. Stamann barely has any power either, so even if he does land a punch for every two he absorbs, I doubt it’s going to do much to convince the judges to credit him as the round winner.
Cody Stamann has veered away from his wrestling roots in recent fights, but you’d think it would serve him well here, given the reach and technical disadvantage he will find himself at. Whilst this would be true against another opponent, Taylor Lapilus has a very good anti-grappling game. His takedown defence is good, but even when he does get floored he works hard and effectively to get back to his feet, or at the very least nullify his opponent. His most recent fight was an exception to that as Farid Basharat made light work of him…but that was a very impressive performance that I don’t think many could replicate.
So in summary, I think Stamann is going to be shut out here, and I don’t think he’s going to really be able to find success anywhere in this fight. He will either stand at distance and clearly get outstruck by the fighter with the better footwork that will keep him at range…or he attempts to wrestle and likely has little luck at finding any real success. At the very least, the success he does have probably won’t be enough to erase the striking deficit he’s already accrued.
On a more narrative based note, Stamann also appears to have regressed a fair bit in recent years. He was once a gatekeeper to the top 15, drawing with the likes of Song Yadong and even winning a round against Merab…but since then losing decisions to 37-year-old Douglas Silva de Andrade and winning questionable decisions against Luan Lacerda. I’d say this is a tricky fight for Stamann in his prime, but Cody’s trending downwards too.
As I said in the opening paragraph, I’m disappointed that the books didn’t offer a better price on Lapilus, and I’m interested to see if money comes in on Cody still. Personally I’d be happy to bet Lapilus at -175 or better, but I’d need the line to improve slightly before I could play it. I might parlay him with someone on next week’s card once I get further down the line researching it.
How I line this fight: Cody Stamann +225 (31%), Taylor Lapilus -225 (69%)
Bet or pass: No bet, for now.
Prop leans: None

~Brad Katona v Jesse Butler~
The less time spent talking about this one, the better. Brad Katona is possibly the least intimidating MMA fighter to have ever graced the UFC, both in the way he fights, and his demeanour. The former is more important, because he can sometimes struggle to win rounds because he’s outgunned most of the time. He needs to put on a perfect defensive display to win striking fights, because if he gets wobbled he probably can’t get the round back.
Jesse Butler is a can with about as much of a right to be on the UFC’s roster as I do. He has no striking ability, as seen in his 23 second KO MASSACRE at the hands of 40-year-old Jim Miller (one of my favourite KOs of 2023 that one, definitely recommend if you didn’t see it!). That lack of striking ability, both offensively and defensively, means that he is very unlikely to get the better of a good point fighter like Brad Katona. But everyone has a puncher’s chance.
Katona is nearly -600 here. Mostly justified, but also eye-wateringly steep at the exact same time when you consider Katona’s path to victory is almost exclusively by decision! Pass.
How I line this fight: Brad Katona -400 (80%), Jesse Butler +400 (20%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: Me to fall asleep watching this one (+200 or better)

~Ludovit Klein v Thiago Moises~
Two guys I have historically had a very tricky time analysing. I was high on Klein when he made his debut, then I turned my back on him after the losses to Trizano and Landwehr – and since then he’s been pulling off upsets and continuing to prove he was worth the hype he entered the UFC with. The dude has some of the best high kicks I’ve ever seen from a fighter.
Thiago Moises has always been credentialed and talented, but he’s failed to deliver on the promises his abilities make on paper. Moises is capable of taking fighters down and submitting them early, but it’s genuinely taken nine UFC fights for him to actually go out there and do that. And then he did it twice in a row (against Giagos and Melq Costa).
So I think that does a good job of explaining why I am going to be non-committal and just leave this fight alone. Klein is great when he’s on form, but he’s shown himself to be capable of dropping the ball in fights he really should win. He’s proven himself to be a guy that you back as an underdog, but avoid as a favourite. He’s barely either here, but he does have a minus next to his name.
Moises is also too inconsistent to trust either. I think there’s a chance that this could be a winnable fight for him, as his grappling will definitely be superior if he can force things to the floor. That sounds like a great opportunity for a +100 fighter…but Moises definitely won’t look that number if he decides to stand and trade – and his 1.64 takedowns landed per 15 minutes statistic is enough to assume he won’t.
The oddsmakers are right in lining this one close, because both men have very legitimate paths to victory with only a few small factors landing in their favour. I’d argue that Klein is the rightful favourite (and therefore my pick) due to all fights starting standing and Moises’ track record…but this is a close one.
How I line this fight: Ludovit Klein -125 (55%), Thiago Moises +125 (45%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None

~Charles Radtke v Carlos Prates~
If you’re a regular reader of my posts, you may know that historically I am someone who genuinely thinks Trevin Giles has some redeeming qualities. In fact, I claimed in his recent fight against Carlos Prates that the line was wide, and that Giles may be able to find a way to have some success. Having watched that fight back, I think I was justified to feel that way.
I liked what I saw from Prates on DWCS, with the way he mixed up volume, pressure and power…but ultimately that performance against Giles was a bit concerning. He definitely lost round one, and by the end of the fight he was outstruck almost two to one. Of course, he won via KO…but to expect a fighter to be bailed out by their raw power every time is a bit foolish.
Charles Radtke is ironically a fighter I’ve had nothing but bad things to say about. I slated his debut win against Mike Mathetha (the artist formally known as Blood Diamond), and tried to fade him when he faced Gilbert Urbina. Boy did he look great in that sophomore appearance, I was really impressed. His striking just seemed so tight, accurate and crisp, I couldn’t believe how easily he pieced up Urbina.
I’m obviously not super confident in my analysis here, simply due to the lack of tape we have on both guys…but I don’t really understand what we are supposed to have seen from Prates to justify a -200 pricetag? He was struggling against Giles, and had he not landed the precise punch that ended things…he could easily have lost that one! I get that he has a big size advantage…but Urbina was taller and Radtke approached the striking gameplan perfectly. He also has Belal Muhammad in his corner (or at least he did vs Urbina), who I rate as a pretty intelligent fighter.
This one feel like it could develop into a very competitive fight, and the finishing ability is strong on either side. Radtke has also shown a diverse game and an ability to mix in grappling when necessary, which could serve him well here. For those reasons, I’m happy to roll the dice on yet another underdog here, and back Charles Radtke for 1u at +150 or better. I’ll be waiting a little bit to see what the initial line movement does.
How I line this fight: Charles Radtke +100 (50%), Carlos Prates +100 (50%)
Bet or pass: 1u Charles Radtke to Win (+150 or better)
Prop leans: None

~Daniel Marcos v John Castaneda~
I’m quite high on Daniel Marcos. I just think he’s a really talented striker. I bet him heavily against Aoriqileng, and were it not for the unfortunate NC, I think that would have looked like a really smart bet (not the only time that’s even happened to me this year…thanks Piera Rodriguez). People still hate on him for potentially getting a robbery over Davey Grant…but Grant is a very tricky guy to look good against at the best of times. The likes of Jonathan Martinez, Adrian Yanez, and even Marlon Vera have all struggled to decisively beat Davey.
John Castaneda is certainly the more well-rounded martial artist here, as the way he’s mixed takedowns into his game has been really intelligent. He’s also shown much more dangerousness than Marcos, landing a knockdown in four of his six UFC performances, and even scoring a submission win over Miles Johns.
For as long as this one stays standing, I think it’s a close fight that’s hard to call. Whilst I give a slight minute winning edge to Marcos for his higher level of technicality to his striking, I think Castaneda’s power can be a great equaliser, as can his ability to mix in takedowns. I’ve not seen much of Marcos’ anti-grappling to believe he can fend off a takedown threat if Castaneda wants to force things there.
So yeah, a non-committal breakdown but I think this is a close fight to call. There certainly isn’t any betting value to a fight this close anyway. I’ll pick Castaneda and give him the slight edge on the betting line for his diversity and finishing upside.
How I line this fight: John Castaneda -125 (55%), Daniel Marcos +125 (45%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None

~Andrea Lee v Montana De La Rosa~
It’s always tricky to navigate the fade when you see a fighter with a glaring deficiency that keeps taking losses. Andrea Lee is on a sharp downwards slope – she’s 35 years old, she cannot stop takedowns, and she’s got a 3-7 record in decisions in the UFC. Those are some pretty damning facts, but what’s worse is that Lee’s decline is really showing in her performances. I confidently bet Miranda Maverick against her at near pick’em due to her grappling superiority, but I was very surprised to see Maverick actually clearly outrstriking Lee across 15 minutes. That was a terrible look because Maverick’s striking really has never looked good. That should not have happened.
The reason I began by saying that it’s difficult fading a fighter in Lee’s position, is because there comes a time where the calibre of opponent clearly takes a downwards step. I’ve always been a big believer in Miranda Maverick, and I believe she’s top 10 in the division, so trusting her to feast on Andrea Lee’s carcass was easy. This time however, we’re being asked to trust Montana De La Rosa, a clearly inferior fighter, to do the same. Historically, Lee is certainly a cut above her, and Lee’s 30-27 victory over MDLR in 2019 demonstrated that perfectly.
Montana’s not bad bad, she’s just lacking in physicality to really be able to get her game going. She’s definitely a grappler, but a 31% takedown accuracy and poor top control means that she struggles to really find openings to do her best work...so she just kind of survives in fights if she can’t grapple you. Just looking through her UFC fights and it’s so obvious where her calibre lies…none of the girls she’s beaten apart from Ariane Lipski have been in the UFC for years, and even some of the names she’s beaten aren’t super elite either. And back when she fought Lipski, the Brazilian had some of the worst anti-grappling we’d seen in WMMA.
So this is clearly one of those fights where my predictions and probabilities for the fight weigh more on how either woman loses, as opposed to how they win. Right off the bat, that’s an awful premise to be considering a bet, so I can easily tell you this is one to avoid…and I haven’t even looked at the betting line yet.
Yep, Andrea lee sits around -130. I expected exactly that, as it’s a coin-toss as to which woman is inferior, but history is worth something and Lee does have a win over her opponent here. I guess Andrea Lee is the pick because MDLR already landed five takedowns the first time and did fuck all with them, but I have little to no confidence here. I’m sure no one is even reading this far into the breakdown because no one even cares about WMMA like I do. It’s a pass. I'll keep an eye out for Lee by Decision, assuming it's around the +200 mark.
How I line this fight: Andrea Lee -150 (60%), Montana De La Rosa +150 (40%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None

Bets (Bold = been placed)
1u Jared Cannonier to Win (+100 or better)
1u Jacoby v Reyes Over 1.5 Rounds (+150 or better….I could be way off the mark there)
1u Julian Marquez to Win (+100)
1u Charles Radtke to Win (+150 or better)
1u Andrea Lee to Win by Decision (+200 or better...might not get anywhere near that number, idk)

Parlay Pieces: Julian Marquez, Taylor Lapilus
Dog of the Week: Jared Cannonier
Picks: Jared Cannonier, Dustin Jacoby, Julian Marquez, Dustin Stoltzfus, Miguel Baeza, Raul Rosas Jr, Denise Gomes, Taylor Lapilus, Brad Katona, Moises/Klein, Radtke/Prates, Marcos/Castaneda, Andrea Lee

I met this guy at a local asian restaurant that my friend recommended me to go. I was good friends w one of the servers that workes there because we worked together before she got into that place. She is a middle aged sweet lady and is often very supportive about everything and evryone. She often posts photos of the restaurant and the food to advertise it to the public. Whenever she posts something, I would often see this cute guy that are one of the chefs at the resto and i instantly knew he was my type.
One day, I finally decided to kinda give it a shot and go to the resto in person. I dragged my friend to go there w me and just hanged out. As usual, the lady was so happy to see me and I even met some people that we previously worked together that now working in the said restaurant (I was also close with them). From time to time they would always approach our table and say something funny which ig (caught someone's attention) .. it was a brief moment but i was able to meet the other staff and him too.. we even had a group photo together for my lady to post later on facebook lol. i was casual about it and everybody was friendly and we parted ways.. not until me and my friend saw the guy (the chef) again when me and my friend were waiting for our uber ride..
we had another brief interaction w him and ge invited us back for dessert but we had somewhere else to go but promised to comeback again another time .. ig a few weeks later, i suggested the resto to my parents and we agreed on eating there .. saw him again but we just said hi and didn't speak too much since it was busy, but so and so i caught myself giving glances at him and i knew he did the same thing. my parents really liked it and said that they will comeback again which made me really glad.
another time (a few days later), i was from work when i suddenly felt like going there again.. this time, i sat down to where his station is at.. the bar area and while he was working, we were kinda talking in between and was asking each other questions. At the end of the night, he asked for my number and if i was single to which i gave him my number and said i was indeed single. he asked me out and i said "yes." (i also found out that he was 26 .. 6 years older than me.. which i don't mind) my lady friend even told me that he's been asking about me and my phone number ever since i came into the resto.. she reassured me that she did not gave my number and honestly she was real for that..
atleast we did it naturally and got each other's numbers and we texted each other.. everything was short and brief tho.. we are both busy people.. i have 3 part-time jobs + in college + do sports so i always have something to do in any time of the day and he works there full time too and work long hours like i do.. he's a mechanic and loves engineering so he does like a bunch of stuff on the side that keeps him busy too. i've always been so awful w keeping up w ppl but whenever he texts me, i was DOWN so bad.
although i don't always have anything to say but i try to attempt on talking to him and be natural abt it. finally, i had free time (this is after a week) and we kinda made plans to meet at a local noodle place for lunch.. for context, he lives like an HOUR from the restaurant that he works (i live 10 mins away) .. the noodle place was like atleast 40mins away.. in my head i was like DAMN that's far. and for us to just meet for a couple of hours, i was under the impression that he really wanted to get to know me.
I was glad to meet him, been very casual about it but he definitely a very shy person up close. (ig when u work at a resto, u become a complete diff person cuz he be acting diff now lol) it was obvious to me that he doesn't know how to talk to girls and he def got no rizz.. during ig (the date?) we would ask questions and mid convo we would ran out of things to talk to and would like stare at each other and awkwardly laugh.
i try to maintain eye contact and listen to him but his voice is so soft (w all the background noise) i can't hear him sometimes and i awkwardly would ask him to repeat it back what he was saying. we got into the conversation about previous relationships and i learned that he don't have any experience. which it doesn't surprise me (for context, i always had bad experiences w relationships and i was honest about it too.. he was genuinely curious about it and was hesitant of asking me but i've addressed some issues about my previous relationships and the things that were importance for me that i consider / what im looking for in the relationship)
tbh, i was mostly talking for the both of us. i'm an introvert and obviously he was too but I TALKED TOO MUCH AT THE TIME and really really over shared..
i was worried that it might turn him off.. we even fought for the bill and agreed that he would pay and i get the next one.. we sat there for almost 3 hours but it was clear to me that he is very hesitant and cautious about me.
I had basically explained my whole lore to him and i feel like i still don't know anything too much about him other than like small superficial things about him. i didn't eat much and had to take home food too lol..
we decided to leave the resto but i had enough time before i had to go to work so we again, sat down outside and try to talk again.
in brief moments there was an awkward silence.. and we tryna figure out questions that we want to ask to each other but could not come up w one so it was definitely was awkward.
again, i would stare at him and just admire his features. his straight bangs, his face.. he wasn't very conventionally attractive and he's definitely one of the nerdy guys and loves geeky stuff but that side from him was enough for me to like him. even tho he doesn't say much .. although i had this strange feeling that he was not really interested in me but i really wanted to get to know him. idk what happened but he finally had the courage to ask VERY personal questions.
(for context, i am asian and immigrated in the US for 2 years now so i was really raised w traditional conservative grandparents.. he was born in the US , although his parents are asian, he does not speak his language very well and i could tell that he is very westernized.. also his parents too)
so naturally, i was shocked when he asked me my viewes about sex and my comfort level about getting physical. he even asked me how far i have gone to my previous relationships to which idk, was hesitant at first but replied truthfully that i do not have experience about it.
AGAIN, i'm still so confused that he was able to form that type of question and ((we even got to a point about healthy masturbation and stuff??)) like sorry,
I WAS GENUINELY BLOWN AWAY cuz this MAN, almost knocked our table out when he saw me walking in the restaurant.. HE WAS NERVOUS.. he definitely have that nerdy appearance that gives hime that innocent look. he doesn't talk to girls and previously never gone far w a girl..
he CANNOT even form a question without mumbling and pausing for like 5 minutes (looking stressed, defeated or pressured) ..
and i tryna constantly reassured him that it's okay -- so pls tell me that I AM NOT CRAZY.
and plus, like i said before.. he is very hesitant through and through.. i think he was like overthinking it tbh .. he addressed that there will be a time that we had to part both ways since he wanted to venture out more w tech/engineering..
to which i reassured him again that i was willing to work things out somehow and i was okay w it since i am also have similar plans in nursing + traveling (im currently in college and he's already out of college but he is still trying to find work relating to his degree, com sci) ..

• we live so very far from each other (1hour) , lived different lives , had some common interests but bot too much.. both busy and terrible communicators, both introverts and obviously we don't know where to start so I DEFINITELY STRESSED HIM OUT there.

very hesitant that even if i asked for his socials.. he was stalling and forgot about it after he said that he would give it "later.." but never did:( (turned me off tbh)
overall i was so down for him at first but it ruined my mood for the rest of day.
he was nice enough to drop me off to work which is like (20 mins away) which i feel so bad for letting him drive that far.. but ya, it was still a letdown.
i was so distracted throughout my shift and i kept on checking my phone if he texted me but never did.. for context (this was YESTERDAY) i had to text him first after my shift and we were on and off about the replies and he left me on delivered after he said he would stay up late that night..
i ended up not sleeping cuz i kept overthinking it.
i would love to tell him my feelings about this and see what would his response be you know, that first date definitely shattered me. so far, my previous relationships went pretty bad and i shared this to him also.. my partners would often over sexualize me and other people .. and that left me very uncomfortable. (that is why i felt the way that i felt about his questions) he is not very consistent with a lot of things and it just opened a lot of hidden traumas for me w my exs.
*chat, im sorry if this was very long and personal and i fear that he will find this post but i just really badly needed a second opinion.
i wanna know from the guys, is this normal? is it normal to ask a girl on their first date about sex? how about texting, i know we all can get caught up with life and i really understand that or atleast i try to but is the quote "if he really wanted he would" really true? (i mean he drove for such a long was so i think that was enough for me that he was yk, DOWN.
but the HESITATION, is it normal? i really appreciated his honesty there but was it really necessary to convey those things at a first date? (we're talking about potentially "trying" make it work here even if we both know that we would eventually live different lives together more than what we are now.
WAS THAT CONVERSATION TOO EASY FOR US? i genuinely wanted to try but he's been giving me mixed signals. maybe because he'a shy and really don't know what to say and i get that but i'm genuinely concerned, WAS HE TRULY INTERESTING IN ME? (could u even tell that after a first date?) did i pressure him too much?
I legit wanna know guys.. pls tell me ur thoughts and opinions.. i really wanted to know coming from a person w experience w serious non-toxic relationship. pls help me:)