Firstly, let us level the playing field, bring everything back to zero, and imagine building a political system from scratch. From this zero position, we can ask the most basic political question: what is governance, and why do we need it?
The answer is that we obtain certain benefits from cooperation and living in close proximity. For this reason, we need ground rules so that we are not living in a system of "might makes right." All politics begins with systems of group choice. Early humanity started with the simplest system of all: the strong man's word goes. If you disagreed, he'd kill you. This was not freedom, because you could not choose for yourself. You were told what to do under threat of death.
Even monarchy was just an advanced version of this one-man rule, systematized and ritualized to the extreme. Every possible variant of this has been tried historically. Eventually, we get the modern experiment with democracy. It was tried briefly in ancient Greece and found to lead to tyranny every time. Democracy replaced one man's rule with the rule of all by all. Instead of the king choosing for you, the 'group will' as determined by a majority, was choosing for you. This was still not freedom because you could not choose for yourself. You only hoped that the group agreed with your choice so that you would end up in the majority. You were still told what to do under threat of death.
But no one can be in the majority all the time when enough questions are considered and voted upon. As a wise man pointed out, because people are not choosing for themselves but the group will is choosing for them, the incentive to become educated in the choices is completely robbed for all people, and the group will becomes an idiot's choice. People substitute the study of the people and issues with a heuristic.
A heuristic is a thinking shortcut. Instead of reading up on a candidate and what they believe, people choose the most likable candidate with the most appealing name or the tallest candidate. These are things that have nothing to do with success in the job. People will vote for or against a proposed ballot measure based on the title and the stated intent, without reading it or the gotchas hidden inside it. Or they may simply vote the way some organization they like suggests to vote. Democracy's issues can never be solved while there is no incentive to become informed in group-voting systems.
I would like to suggest a new political system is possible and even desirable. It uses a radical new means of creating majorities, indeed unanimities. The only ethical form of group choice is not merely obtaining a majority but a unanimity because then we are not violating the rights and choices of anyone in that group. But a unanimous group is famously hard to form. So how can this be made practical?
The solution is actually rather simple. It's built into the process of voting. Take any measure or question up for a vote, separate the 'no' group to one side and the 'yes' group to the other side, and you now have two unanimous subgroups. After just one vote, each now-separate subgroup is significantly more ideologically aligned than before. Each group gets the policy they chose and continues separately from the original group.
By this means, unanimity is easily achieved through group-splitting. This concept is my original contribution to political theory and practice and turns unanimity from something many considered the gold standard but impractical into a practical system as long as we embrace decentralization. The creation of many sub-groups would further decentralize that society, which is, in my opinion, and that of most libertarians, a desirable outcome.
Imagine that we have asked these groups a full range of political questions and they have separated themselves into multiple groups. They now form separate political systems based on these unanimous choices. We now have functioning cities made up of people in this experiment.
Now you, I, or anyone else can find a full range of political possibilities to choose from. This is Unacracy. We find a city that made the same political choices we would have made, and we ask to join that city. We don't need to go through the system of questions and answers again. That's already been done, and now systems exist that reflect essentially all possible ethical and reasonable choices. We merely need to learn which city reflects our values and choices and join.
Let's say that we live in a city of 100,000, but that 100,000 are each split up into 12 cities of 8,000 people each. Surely there are some things we all agree on, like believing in innocent until proven guilty, a guaranteed speedy trial, and most basic rights and guarantees. Things that today are contained in constitutional law. Several of these cities may have one constitution they all agree on, several more have a similar one but don't allow gun ownership, and several more have another that requires everyone to contribute to social safety nets. Any mix of such policies is possible. Much like the US states today, we can still have one overarching identity while differing on various policies and laws. We can live nearby without war, as the US states do, and we can freely visit and move between them.
In such a system, there is no need for representation because you choose for yourself. There is no need for politicians to make choices for you. You make your own choices! That is the definition of freedom: to choose instead of being chosen for. Ultimately, that is why democracy must go because it is a system of control, a way to determine who chooses for you. Choosing who chooses for you is not the same as choosing policy for yourself. Only choosing policy for yourself, directly, gives you freedom.

Hello!
I hope we're all doing well.
We are very, very short on characters, so no wasting time here. Here is the PAYPAL 50 USD giveaway info.
To enter... just type Giveaway: -answer-
If you could walk out with a fighter of any organisation, at any time of era, who would you walk out with?
Draw will be randomly selected via random.org, and announced during the June 22nd write up!
We got 10/12 correct last time around, lets hope the good results continue this week with this insanely tough card (i have some doubts).
ALSO ITS A BIG ONE SORRY (I recommend using the TL;DR write up for this one... you'll see why soon.)
(c) - Champ
D/DWCS - Debut/Dana Whites' Contender Series
FLS - Fight Lose Streak
FWS - Fight Win Streak
NS - No Streak
(#x) - Rank in division
x/3 - Confidence Levels
Lets go!
Prelims
Women’s Strawweight
Puja Tomar (D) (+195) (8-4-0, 4 FWS) v Rayanne Amanda (-240) (14-7-0) - I truly have no clue what to say about this one.
Tomar is coming off a rather strong string of victories in the regional promotions of South Asia, and I believe they are giving her a spot here due to the popularity from the Road to UFC tournament where we are seeing an increase of Indian MMA fighters fight in the upper echelon of professional MMA promotions. Tomar is a very ferocious fighter who has a relatively strong Muay Thai and Kickboxing base, she is absolutely not afraid to let her hands go early, that first round is almost always her best round as she is seemingly able to just overwhelm her opponents on the feet. As much as her striking is rather aggressive and quite damaging, her ground game and wrestling is not quite up to that level, and it is the wrestling and grappling of Amanda where I see Tomar struggling somewhat. Now, circling back to Tomar’s striking, she is very volume centric with her attacks, with a severe detriment to her defences, her hands are fast with the aggression but her chin is exposed to counters and it just looks like a clumsy offence to me. She also uses her left body kick quite a lot in between her punch combinations, and whilst that’s going to be somewhat effective against Amanda, I do think the repetitious kicks are going to be well read by Amanda, leading her to catch and perhaps trip Tomar. Still, as long as this fight remains on the feet, we could possibly see Tomar take this fight to the distance and get a win.
Amanda is coming off a tough loss against Talita Alencar and did somewhat well against her, stuffing almost all of her takedown attempts and really dealing some damage on the feet. The problem with Amanda’s last opponent compared to Tomar is that Tomar’s striking is going to come with a lot more frequency, there will be quite a few combinations thrown her way and in order to counter that for Amanda’s particular striking style is to meet her in the middle and be the harder hitter. I don’t think Amanda is going to want to keep this fight standing a whole lot though, I think she is going to actively look for the takedowns and ensure that she controls Tomar throughout the fight, perhaps even look for a submission. However, since she did so well on the feet against Alencar, I do wonder if she is going to be a lot more comfortable on the feet coming into this fight against Tomar, because she does have quite a bit of power in her hands, although it’s not great knockout power, it’s still a very damaging right hand. In terms of her submission ability, she is very, very aggressive on the ground, not really wasting a lot of time in setting up a submission, typically favouring an armbar which is going to be a most likely submission in this fight due to Tomar having not that much experience in ground situations, thus perhaps punching off her back and leaving her arm open for a grab. That’s at least my speculation for a set up for an armbar, and since Tomar has lost twice already to Armbar, I think it’s just a tendency for her to leave her arms exposed for an attack.
This looks like a striker versus grappler bout, and whilst Tomar is a bit of a threat on the feet, I don’t think she has what it takes to take on a more experienced fighter in Amanda who has the near perfect style to counter the striking of Tomar. I got Amanda winning this one, it’s likely going the distance, but we could also see a submission here, so keep an eye out for a double chance Sub/Dec prop for Amanda.
Amanda via UD - (1/3)
Bantamweight
Cody Stamann (+175) (21-6-1, NS) v Taylor Lapilus (-210) (19-4-0, NS)
Stamann is coming off a fairly competitive fight against Douglas Silva de Andrade, and whilst it was clear that Stamann’s gameplan throughout the fight was to wrestle and get the fight to the ground, he still did show his ability to mix it up on the feet and even drop Silva de Andrade in the third round. Stamann might be a great wrestler but I think his boxing is pretty damn good as well, often using a very slick and quick jab to soften up his target before shooting for a takedown, so he is quite well versed wherever the fight is, however I do think he is going to have a tough time tracking down Lapilus here since Lapilus has a significant reach advantage and very, very good takedown defence (albeit with some trouble when he fought Basharat, more on that later). Defensively, Stamann is great at level changing and being a moving target, sometimes switching stance or moving his head off the centre line, he is quite good at being a hard to hit target, and what makes him even more dangerous is his ability to move off that line, then spring back into an aggressive attack, often throwing a three to four strike combination with heavy variance in attack (uppercut, hooks, straights, never the same sort of attack). However, one thing that I have noticed is that due to Stamann’s tremendous output that he usually utilises in the first round, he tends to slow down and not be as defensively sound in the second or third round, his hands remain somewhat low, there is not a whole lot of level changing and his takedowns become much easier to read as the entry looks a lot more laboured. However, as much as his takedown defence does slow down, his power and his boxing is still very good in bursts. I mean, this combination he lands is the same one he tried to set up in the first round, this is experience being shown by Stamann and something Lapilus is going to have to be keenly aware of coming his way. Stamann does favour the double leg entry a lot, and since Lapilus is relatively good at reading level changes and fighting off takedown attempts, I just think that after the first or second round, the chance of success of a takedown diminishes greatly.
Lapilus is coming off a tough loss against Farid Basharat, someone who is rapidly becoming a force of somewhat gentle nature who is highly technical and very well rounded, so for Lapilus to experience three rounds against someone like Basharat is pretty damn great for one's career. Lapilus is a very well rounded fighter who has pretty sharp boxing, favouring straights over hooks and uppercuts, this plays into the favour of his significant reach advantage, but I do see him being victim to a left hook by Stamann, a left hook that Stamann uses fairly well. Lapilus is going to have to rely on a strike and move pattern in order to stay away from that left hook because that is probably one of the most dangerous weapons that Stamann uses well. Lapilus is pretty good at defending takedowns, he isn’t impervious to them, but his instinct to stuff the head and circle away has made him a tough opponent to wrestle against, because not only does he stuff the leg, but he often retaliates with strikes as he circles away, so whatever failed takedown comes his way from Stamann (if any), Stamann will be on the receiving end of some good strikes. Lapilus also has a thudding left kick which is effective at smashing his opponents body or head, and we have seen Stamann eat a lot of body shots by Silva de Andrade, so I do think that Lapilus does have some striking advantage at distance, he just needs to be aware of that left hook of Stamann.
The possibility of an upset here is pretty high since Stamann is very well rounded and has a lot of speed and explosive forward movement. However, the reach advantage of Lapilus is going to help him in fighting at a distance and dealing significant damage from his brilliant counter punching, and I don’t think the wrestling threat is going to be too high for Lapilus because he has already boosted his wrestling capabilities in preparation for his fight with Basharat, and that’s a skill that is carried very much onto future fights. Lapilus should win this fight, but if you are looking for underdogs, I wouldn’t be surprised if Stamann gets this.
Lapilus via UD - (1/3)
Women’s Strawweight
Eduarda Moura (-175) (10-0-0, 10 FWS) v Denise Gomes (+145) (8-3-0, NS)
Moura is coming off a strong debut win over Montserrat Ruiz, and honestly, it probably is a good opponent to debut against, but it doesn’t really show me, personally, a lot of what she is capable of since I don’t exactly rate Ruiz highly. Moura has shown to have great wrestling and grappling, she utilised her wrestling very well against Ruiz, utilising a slick sweep to get into top control in the first round, basically keeping the fight on the ground for the remainder of the round. Moura is absolutely awesome on the ground, and since she has a huge physical advantage in this fight against Gomes, as soon as she ends up in top position here, I suspect Gomes is not going to have a very easy time getting out of it. Moura’s striking is a bit wonky though, she isn’t at all a standard kickboxer or anything like that, it’s all basic strikes to set up a takedown, and I do think the longer she stays on the feet to trade with Gomes, the worse it is going to be for her since Gomes has ridiculous sharp and fast boxing, the very same power and force that knocked out Jauregui, someone who I rate fairly high as a tough up and comer. Now, there is some slight concern regarding that recent weight miss by Moura, as she weighed in at 119 pounds when she fought Gomes, but I feel like that is due to the cancellation of her first bout against Kim, so whilst it’s not a weight miss against a long scheduled opponent, her size and physique could be a tiny bit of a problem on the scales. Not a huge one, but the possibility is there.
Gomes is coming off a tough loss against the veteran Angela Hill, and it was Hills wrestling that ultimately got her the win, it was the path of least resistance for her and she took it. That same advantage on the ground falls within Moura’s style and so I do hope for the sake of Gomes and her team, that she has improved in the takedown defence just enough to make Moura’s takedowns less of a certainty, because if she can stuff that first takedown, I think we are going to see the live odds switch throughout the fight. Gomes has a massive advantage on the feet, she is so quick with her punches and is able to just be a ferocious, aggressive fighter from the get go, it didn’t take her long to take out Jauregui at all, and it all started from that very powerful right hand. That is the biggest threat for Moura, that right hand, if she can land that against Moura I think we are going to see another big upset because boy does she have power. However, it looked too easy to take Gomes down when Hill fought her, it was a relentless pace and I think Hill's volume of takedowns assisted her greatly in controlling the heavy hitter in Gomes.
That’s essentially it for this fight, I don’t quite see it being too competitive as both fighters have opposite styles, so whoever is able to counter the other with their own style (Moura with the wrestling/grappling and Gomes with the boxing) is most likely to win this one. I do not at all feel comfortable saying that there is possibility of an upset here because both fighters have a somewhat equal chance to win this one, but in terms of my prediction I think we are going to see Moura utilise her wrestling from the get go and be a bit of a bully.
Moura via UD - (1/3)
Women’s Flyweight
Andrea Lee (-125) (13-9-0, 4 FLS) v Montana De La Rosa (+105) (12-9-1, 3 FLS) - From here on in, i’m calling “De La Rosa” DLR. Although I think everyone calls her DLR in the betting/chat circle. Also, I am aware that this is a rematch, but I will be somewhat typing as if it’s a fresh fight because of the subtle improvements both fighters have made since their first bout in 2019.
Lee is on a pretty horrendous losing streak right now, and one might imagine that at the age of 35, we are only going to see a steady decline from now on. However, despite her losing streak, she is still a rather fierce competitor on the feet. Lee is typically known for her Muay Thai, she is very, very good at dealing damage through the traditional means of clinch striking, so a lot of elbows and knees are incorporated into her striking. Lee is also generally good at moving and circling away from danger, she’s a very light footed fighter and this often helps set up her leg kicks and long punches, but most of her effective damage comes from the clinch, so as long as DLR is engaging in the clinch with Lee, Lee will hold most of the advantage. One thing that I do like seeing about Lee is her wrestling improvements, she has become a fairly well rounded fighter, and this was very much highlighted when she fought Miranda Maverick. Miranda Maverick is very well known for her takedown and wrestling capabilities, and even she struggled to get Lee down 5 of 8 times. Her takedown defence may not be outstandingly great, but her urgency to get up if that takedown was sloppy and had minimal control or positional advancement behind it is her best new asset as a fighter, and sometimes urgency is all one needs to turn the tide.
DLR is coming off three tough losses against the likes of Aldrich, Suarez and Barber, three names who we all recognise by now, but I suppose the most relevant fight to look back on would be her most recent against Aldrich, also because Aldrich generally is a fairly good striker and that’s the kind of fighter DLR needs to prepare for. DLR, straight off the bat, has a very obvious wrestling and BJJ advantage over Lee, there is very little doubt in my mind that a lot of the planning for this camp, and preparation for Lee surrounds level changing and keeping Lee on the ground, however I do not at all expect there to be a threat of a finish here, it is simply going to be a control based game plan with some ground and pound or positional changes. During their second bout in 2019, DLR landed a whole lot of takedowns on Lee, although it was 7 of 12 that did not land which is a massive amount for someone who needs to get that takedown to get a win. DLR’s striking is a bit rudimentary, she can throw all the attacks any other MMA fighter learns to throw, although it’s clear that her main style is wrestling. She has absolutely made a lot of improvements to her striking, her shot selection is a lot better, but she is not a striker, she uses all of her kicks and punches to set up takedowns and such. Her striking defence is a bit of a problem, I do see her close her eyes a lot and react to feints often which makes me think she is a bit anxious on the feet, so once Lee pours on the pressure, expect a clinch or a level change from DLR.
Here’s a slight rub. Judging criteria has been a major point of change in MMA history, there has been a lot more focus on damage over control, and who has received the most damage when Lee and DLR fought in 2019? DLR. Who receives the most damage on the feet in her last 5 fights? DLR (at least for the most part). I see Lee winning this fight, I think Lee’s takedown defence and urgency to the feet is an upgrade that DLR has not caught up to (with her striking). This fight is going the distance, or at least over 2.5 rounds.
Lee via UD - (1/3)
Bantamweight
Daniel Marcos (15-0-0, 15 FWS) v John Castaneda (21-6-0, 2 FWS) -
Marcos is coming off an unfortunate NC over Aoriqileng in which he may have accidentally neutered Aoriqileng with a perfectly timed nutshot, but prior to all of that happening, he was systematically breaking down the 35 fight veteran. Marcos has always been a patient but vicious fighter, capable of dealing damage from all ranges, and most important, all angles. I bring the angles part up because the one thing I see Marcos doing consistently well are his leg kicks, he is so good at dealing damage from both the inside and outside angle, making it hard to check due to not knowing which way to turn the leg. Now, I do have some concerns when it comes to Marcos, but they mostly stem from his strengths as a counter-striker. First, he doesn’t move a lot, he has a typical counter style of waiting for his opponent to make the first move. I don’t have a lot of faith in this style, Aoriqileng managed to land some clean straight punches on Marcos during that fight and I think a very good boxer will be able to deal some more significant damage. Marcos’ takedown defence is also, whilst not properly tested, sitting pretty at 89% and that is a huge factor coming into this fight for Castaneda, because if Castaneda is eating too many leg kicks and goes for a sloppy takedown (a tale as old as time, we have seen this happen many times to many, many fighters) Marcos is capable enough to shrug it off and keep the punishment going.
Castaneda is coming off a fantastic win against Kang in which he effectively outpaced him on the feet, and it was a rather challenging fight for Kang due to Castaneda’s constant movement and stance switches, it was difficult to get a read on what was coming Kang’s way. Castaneda’s kicks were pretty fun to watch, he has a very strong right leg kick which buckled the stance of Kang a little bit, but it didn’t come without a heavy read on the defensive “flaws” of that kick, and that is the fact that Castaneda is fairly counterable when he lands that outside right kick, his hands are low and it’s not exactly a quick kick, it comes fully loaded, so the from the time he launches that attack to when he can return it to a rear post position, he is very exposed to counters, and traditionally the best way to counter a kick is with a straight punch down the line, and what have we seen Marcos do effectively throughout his UFC career? Counter. That is the only clean counter that I can see Marcos using because Castaneda doesn’t set up those kicks, they are naked single shots that, whilst very quick and effective, is going to be a risk to use against Marcos. Castaneda’s wrestling is also a great weapon he utilises often, and whilst he might not be too effective against Marcos due to Marcos’s excellent ability to defend takedowns, it would be enough to pressure Marcos back and perhaps pin Marcos against the cage. However, I do think the biggest danger to Marcos here will be Castaneda’s movement and speed, Castaneda is very good at switching stance and throwing some very, very hard to read attacks, he uses these stance switches to mask kicks and entries to a blitz, and he can keep up this style of movement and attack for a long, long time.
I do think that Castaneda is susceptible to well timed counters, especially if his kicks are well read by Marcos, and whilst Marcos is most definitely going to struggle somewhat in finding his offensive attacks, those counters are going to be key in winning this very interesting fight. I got Marcos winning this one, he is such an interesting Bantamweight, I can’t wait to see how far this fighter soars.
Marcos via KO R3 - (1/3)
Bantamweight
Brad Katona (-500) (13-3-0, NS) v Jesse Butler (+380) (12-5-0, NS) - I must say, sometimes i’m a little bit concerned about wide lines like this, but at a glance, it makes sense.
Katona may be coming off a loss against Armfield, but boy was the fight a great back and forth, fought at a very high pace. Katona thrives in chaos, the faster the pace, the better it is for Katona as he often overwhelms his opponent as the rounds go by. He may not be the cleanest fighter defensively or offensively, but the overwhelming activity he uses when he fights is often his best asset as a fighter. Katona uses a lot of striking volume when he fights, often in exchanges but initially at distance and in bursts. He is very durable and whilst he absorbs a lot of damage, his chin is pretty damn tough as he hasn’t been cracked or dropped too many times. Katona also has very good wrestling, he’s often able to just blast the double leg and get the fight to the ground relatively quickly, and whilst I don’t exactly see him looking for takedowns in this fight due to the submission threat from Butler, I do think that any takedown and any control time on top of Butler is good, especially if Katona reads the submission setups fairly well. Since the main threat coming from Butler is his submissions, I do suspect that Katona is going to keep this fight standing where he will no doubt have a substantial speed advantage, but I am not too sure if the possibility of a finish is there. If you do want to bet on Katona via KO, I suggest a combo round 2 or 3 is your best bet, as the first round is going to be a bit of a feeling out process in my opinion.
Butler is someone who I was hoping to see a bit more of when he fought Miller one year ago, but the fight didn’t even last a minute before Butler got knocked out and put away. Butler’s history has mostly been him getting his opponents to the ground and using his long frame to lock down his opponents and look for submissions, that long frame is going to be incredibly advantageous in this fight against Katona if he can lock in a body triangle, because the longer the legs, the stronger the hold is, especially if there is a tie up where one leg is under their opponents leg, I don’t know the technical term for it, but hopefully you know what i’m talking about. Anyway, Butler’s main chance to win this fight is to take it to the ground and find that submission, because the longer he remains on the feet, the more comfortable Katona becomes, and thus the more confident he is as the fight goes on, and a confident Katona is a very, very dangerous one. I don’t think we are going to see Butler use his striking that effectively, the reach advantage does make me think that there’s going a natural jab/cross range advantage for Butler, but I just haven’t seen him use it that much, most of his success is from his grappling. If the fight goes to the ground, with Katona in top control, I almost guarantee that Butler is going to go for an arm triangle off his back, his long legs make that lock so easy to set up and secure, so expect Butler to be active on the ground.
Fights like this are tough, it’s hard to tell what Butler is going to do since we barely saw him fight against Miller, and in those 11+ months since, we haven’t seen him fight again until now, so I don’t know what he’s improved on, all I know for a fact is that his grappling is going to be dangerous for Katona, but the stand up should be all Katona here. That’s about as simple as I can put it. I don’t really see a chance of an upset here unless Katona is employing a wrestling heavy gameplan.
Katona via KO R3 - (2/3)
Welterweight
Charles Radtke (+165) (9-3-0, 6 FWS) v Carlos Prates (-200) (18-6-0, 8 FWS) - Straight off the bat, I want to say that placing a bet on this fight not going the distance is looking like a fairly safe bet. Let’s get to the breakdown.
Radtke is coming off an upset win over Gilbert Urbina, and whilst he was facing someone who had a taller frame and a reach advantage, Radtke was very good at slowly walking him down with some slight pressure, and measuring that left hook over and over until he was it cleanly, and boy is that left hook a work of art. One thing that I do like about Radtke is his coachability, he listens actively to his corner, and if Belal is in the corner of Radtke, I genuinely think that’s the secret weapon because Belal has pretty damn good fight IQ and being around that kind of fighter accelerates growth somewhat. Radtke has a very tight guard, his hands are somewhat high and he is very good at adjusting defensively to his opponents attacks. Radtke is quite diverse with his weapons as well, often using the leg kicks to soften up his target and making his opponent somewhat drop the guard a little bit, allowing that left hook target to be more available. Now, Radtke is going to be fighting in a bit of a similar way to how he fought Urbina, he is going to bounce into range in order to land that left hook, and having seen Prates fight Giles, that left hook is going to be there all day due to how Prates defensively backs away. Hands low and often head a bit out of range, but it’s going to take very little for that punch to land and deal significant damage, it absolutely destroyed Urbina when it landed, I can only imagine what it’s going to do against Prates.
Prates is coming off a very competitive back and forth KO win against Trevin Giles, a very tough opponent to debut against and for the most part, prior to the KO win, Giles was very effective with his boxing, landing his punches fairly cleanly, but it does not take much for the Muay Thai fighter in Prates to find his shots and land that phenomenal one-two. Prates has a significant reach advantage coming into this fight, but he somewhat suffers from the same defensive problems a lot of longer fighters suffer from, and that’s their defence being their offence. Teeps and jabs are his best defensive tools since it keeps his opponent out of range and unable to land the cleaner shots, which is why when Giles started to extend the combinations, the last few shots in that combination would land hard. Prates not only has to be worried about that dangerous left hook that Radtke throws so effortlessly, but he also has to be concerned about the wrestling offensive that Radtke has in his back pocket too, and whilst we haven’t seen a lot of his wrestling in the UFC or DWCS, you would think that he is well rounded enough to know how to wrestle.
I do not know who is going to win this one, on one hand Radtke’s left hook, perhaps an overstated attack of his, is most likely going to land if he uses it as an extension to a combination, but on the other hand, Prates has over a hundred Muay thai fights under his belt, he has a significant reach advantage and he has a nasty nasty arsenal of attacks. His left knee up the middle is such a dangerous tool he uses. The safest bet here, and the only betting advice i got for this one is that this fight doesn’t go the distance. As for my prediction, I want to say Prates wins this one, that reach advantage is massive, but his defences are a concern. This one is probably going to shove my face into a pile of shit, but I think Prates wins this one. I think that the left knee is going to be pivotal in countering some of the boxing that Radtke uses, and that height advantage is going to allow that knee to come up quicker.
Prates via KO R2 - (1/3)
Lightweight
Thiago Moises (+115) (18-7-0, NS) v Ludovit Klein (-135) (21-4-1, 2 FWS)
Moises is coming off a strong win over Mitch Ramirez, but its one of those fights that seems like a set up for future fights, like a comeback win set up deal because Ramirez isn’t exactly a high level opponent, and the competitive step up from Ramirez to Klein is astronomical. Moises does have a grappling advantage in this fight, and I do think that this is the first time Klein has faced a proper BJJ specialist, so it would be interesting to see if the very impressive takedown defence of Klein is going to hold up well enough against Moises. Moises is a fairly calculated striker as well, he does not throw volume nor combinations, a lot of his attacks are safe, single shots that have quite a bit of power in said shots, but they are by no means anything too special, it's just the timing and shot selection that impresses me the most. Now, if Moises cannot get the fight to the ground, he is going to lose this fight, Klein is so fast with his strikes, his kickboxing is far better, he has a lot more power and he is a tenacious fighter who tends to throw a lot of volume, all things that could freeze Moises a little bit. Moises is going to have to stick to him like glue and try to get the fight to the ground, that is his only way to win this fight, grapple and submit. I am not too confident in saying Moises will keep Klein down, because Klein himself has shown to be very good on the ground, although perhaps not to the level of BJJ that Moises is.
Klein is coming off back to back wins against Bahamondes and AJ Cunningham (late replacement), and Klein honestly has never looked so good. Klein is an exceptionally well rounded fighter who has extremely slick striking as well as outstanding kicks, in fact I would say his kicks are his best form of striking, they come from all angles and there are almost no reads for them, he just flings them out there without any major set up, it’s such an effective attack. Kleins southpaw stance allows him to target the liver side of the body effectively, and that’s most likely going to be a key in this fight in order to slow down and lower the hands of Moises, and once his hands are lowered, then you will see Klein attack the head. Now, the biggest concern I have for Klein is the grappling of Moises, but that concern isn’t exactly a major one because Klein is so well rounded, he has very, very good takedown defence and if he is in top position there is little doubt in my mind that Moises will be safe in that bottom position because boy does Klein like to ground and pound, he is very active in top position. Klein is going to have to be aware of the exchanges as well because Moises is more than willing to sit down on his punches and throw them back his opponents way, and that’s probably where Moises is at his most dangerous because he doesn’t care how much he gets hurt, as long as he’s firing back. There is a possibility of Klein slowing down after the first or second round, the power and volume he throws at is brilliant and such a dangerous force to deal with, but that comes at a cost to cardio and I think if Moises is able to hang in there for two rounds and survive the storm, he should be able to turn this fight around, but that’s all speculative since Klein typically takes a fight to the distance, and to take a fight to the distance and fight like he does, that’s some excellent cardio.
Ultimately, this is a tough fight to predict, Moises is going to have to either use the same game plan he did against Ramirez and chew up the legs, or he’s going to have to stick to Klein like glue, whether its against the cage or on the ground, and try to find that submission because on the feet, Moises is going to contend with a barrage of highly technical strikes that come from all angles. Klein has excellent takedown defence, he is quick to stuff the head or sprawl, and he is very quick at retaliating with elbows and knees when the break happens, so he is constantly damaging his opponent. I got Klein winning this one, I did have Moises as an underdog pick prior to tape review, and there is a solid chance of him winning, but I think Klein is a very well rounded fighter who can make this fight very difficult for Moises. This fight could also go the distance so keep an eye out for o2.5/1.5 odds.
Klein via UD - (1/3)
Main Card
Welterweight
Punahele Soriano (+140) (9-4-0, 2 FLS) v Miguel Baeza (-170) (10-3-0, 3 FLS) - Boy oh boy is this going to be a battle, I cannot imagine any other outcome here other than brutality and bloodshed, and I'm all for that happening.
Soriano is in a bit of a tough position, his last 4 losses have occurred in his last 5 fights, and each time he has lost he has been on the receiving end of some savage knockouts or brutal beatdowns, but that is his entire style and it is something he is typically known for, walking through fire to deal significant damage back. This is also the first time Soriano is moving down to 170, so be aware of how he looks on the scale because he’s already a very large and thick fighter, so that cut could be concerning. Soriano is a heavy hitting fighter, everything he throws is powerful and it is generally a bad idea to stand in front of him unless you are a technical striker, and I don’t think Baeza is that technical of a striker. Soriano’s best weapons are his power side punches, he is so good at setting those up with standard jabs or even just letting them go without any set up because he knows the knockout power he possesses is often more than enough to put away his opponents. The only problem he has come across when he fights is someone who is typically a lot quicker and longer than he is, someone who can throw a very quick combination and circle away from any retaliatory strikes coming his way. One major advantage that Soriano has compared to Baeza is his activity, he has always been a somewhat active fighter, he has been in three fights whilst Baeza has been inactive, and whilst it is true that his chin has been rocked and shocked, he has always hung in there until the end, he has never really been put away cleanly. I do see Soriano look for strong liver punches throughout this fight in order to slow down the returning fighter, his left hand is very good although when he’s in the pocket his striking misses a lot, it’s highly inefficient and it sometimes looks clumsy, so his best range is going to be straight range, boxing range where he can rely on those straight overhand left and left straights.
Baeza is an interesting case, he was a highlight fighter for me when he won against Matt Brown, and then he had that remarkable performance against Takashi Sato, but since that fight three years ago, he has hit roadblock after roadblock named Ponzinibbio, Williams and Fialho. Baeza is no doubt still a very well rounded fighter who, despite not being much of a submission artist, could very well submit Soriano as he is a black belt in BJJ and it has been shown that takedowns are a bit of a problem for Soriano. However, it is quite difficult to say how Baeza is going to approach this fight since he hasn’t fought in two years, and I spoke about a two year break recently with Gall. What has Baeza worked on in those two years? The amount of unknowns in this particular fight doesn’t please me that much because I hate speculating, but if we are to compare the Baeza of 2022 to today's Soriano, I think we are going to see Baeza land a lot more cleaner punches down the line, but Soriano’s left hand is so educated and so quick and powerful that it could stun or rattle Baeza who is possibly still making mid-fight adjustments as he gets used to fighting again (as there is octagon rust/ring rust). Baeza has a bit of an opening for Soriano and that’s his right side body, the liver side, I see Soriano smashing that body with powerful hooks over and over, and whilst you might argue that Baeza switches his stance a lot, he primarily favours the orthodox stance where he can launch that beautiful jab which could be problematic for Soriano. The other weapon that Baeza uses very well is his outside leg kick, it's not necessarily a thudding kick, but it’s incredibly effective due to the speed of it, making it hard for Soriano to read it.
I need to cut this short, heck, this whole write up feels too long, so in conclusion, it’s a very tough fight to predict with a lot of story behind it, you have Soriano moving down to 170 and the question as to how he is going to look on the scale, then you have Baeza coming back after two years, with questions surrounding how he is going to look, and what he has improved on going to be answered this weekend. This is a fun fight though, but I have to go with the underdog here in Soriano.
Soriano via KO R2 - (1/3)
Middleweight
Julian Marquez (-115) (9-4-0, 2 FLS) v Zach Reese (-105) (6-1-0, NS)
Marquez is coming off back to back KO losses against “Robocop” Rodrigues and Barriault, two fairly hard hitting fighters, and it kind of makes sense that he lost to them because Marquez barely has any defence, he is a stand and bang kind of fighter who ultimately is here for mostly entertainment value. He has no prospect of being a champion or even a ranked fighter at that rate, he is simply a stepping stone for more talented fighters to advance through the ranks. With that said, Marquez is a reckless individual who throws ridiculously heavy and can be a danger to practically anyone he faces, minimal technique, maximum damage, he is a heavyweight in a Middleweight’s body. However, his propensity to finish fights is ridiculously high, so whenever there’s a Marquez fight, its generally a good idea to look out for the odds for his fights not going the distance. If Marquez’s massive punches don’t phase his opponents, he usually goes for a takedown and grapples where he is surprisingly decent, so that’s an alternative way to win a fight, but I honestly don’t think he’s going to do that against a much taller and longer fighter in Reese, who has quite good BJJ himself.
Reese is relatively new to the UFC, and he is unfortunately coming off a brutal loss against Brundage, and I mean, losing to Brundage adds a little bit of a sting to the record I think. Reese has never fought past the first round in his professional career, he is an exceptionally quick finisher and whilst the quality of his opponents is somewhat questionable, I do think that he uses his reach fairly well, although since he finishes fights tremendously quickly, I also think he can be a bit wild with his punches, marching his opponents down and throwing heavy attacks with a tonne of volume, which usually results in a ref stepping in to call the fight. My concern is that I don’t think Marquez is that easy to put away, I mean, sure, Marquez absorbs a lot of damage, but he isn’t one to go down without swinging back.
I need to make this one short, so whilst this prediction could be a bit sketchy, my betting advice for this one is to look for under 2.5 rounds, or “In the distance” (ITD).
Marquez via KO R2 - (1/3)
READ THE COMMENTS BELOW FOR THE REST OF IT!

How does "Attack Potency" work exactly? I'm genuinely confused with how this concept is treated in the powerscaling community. I'm gonna use a specific character to help you guys understand the problem. So, let's just get straight into the point:
So, Heisei Godzilla is stated to be "x" times stronger than Showa Godzilla, which if you do some maths on the latter's power level, the result would be Solar System level
This "Solar System level" heat ray is fired to the vicinity in almost every fucking time he appears and only caused a bunch of sparks (like sparks when you dremel a machete), which is far from being Solar System, yet it still scales that high because "AP≠DC"
In short, you can make your character as OP as you want just by stating them to be at that level via guidebooks or other means as long as it's "official", and then you can let said characters spam their "focused" attacks on the localized region while not causing as much destructive scale as the statements suggest, and is still considered to be that powerful
How egregious is this, you say? Well, Heisei G is that one mf who loves spamming his beam to the ground and at one point, his beam clashes with that of Super Mecha Godzilla's which is supposedly around the same power at Solar System level according to the guides, yet there are ONLY sparks in the aftermath of the clash even though I'm expecting something as catastrophic as when Saitama does the serious punch² with Garou. Despite this, he still scales to Solar System level because "AP≠DC"
What even is AP? Statement-wise power level? As far as I'm aware, AP is literally just a hidden DC. If an attack hits someone who is "stated" to have Solar System level durability, then he has Solar System level AP, that's how it works, right? But what exactly makes this concept remain valid when an attack with Solar System level of "hidden DC" hits the earth surface in almost fucking time but it ain't producing as much destructive scale as thought via scaling off the statements? Isn't this just a deliberate contradiction to the stated power level? Why still use it especially when shit like this is repeated throughout the series?
Like what's the damn point of stating that your characters are that strong if you can never offer ANY demonstration of that scale for that ONE scene when this "focused" attack clearly hits the surrounding? Where's the tension? Where's the intensity? Where's the stakes? How am I supposed to believe what you stated if what you demonstrated doesn't reflect it?
The closest approach for cosmic level of power is when Heisei Goji detonates after meltdown, which honestly is still nowehere near stellar tier. What the fuck is this? Apparently, Toho can visualize planet level explosion, and yet they still resorted to exhibit "sparky" effects when one of these "Solar System level" heat ray hits the earth surface? What part of this indicates that the power level were truly that high!? This crucial category directly AFFECTS the impact left in the narrative, and we're ignoring this inconsistency entirely in favor of those statements?
Yeah I'm not a fan of this kind of scaling. It's just feels so... wrong
Take, for example, the idea of scaling Jujutsu Kaisen characters to Large Island level based on the statement that Black Flash exponentially increases striking power by 2.5 times. This is ridiculous if you're still sane. Why? Because the narrative emphasizes that Cursed Techniques like Blue, Red, and Purple are more powerful than Black Flash, and no Cursed Techniques scale above Small City level, with Yuki Black Hole being the only exception
Even if you tried to argue that these attacks are "focused," there's still zero justification for the clear discrepancies between statements from external source and visual demonstrations in the actual narrative. "Solar System level" attack regardless of the area they affected should still leave a profound impact of their stated scale imo, e.g. the "depth of effect" should still be substantial and noticeable, especially when they're cosmic level in potency and directly hits the earth surface so frequently + no detailed explanation in the narrative as to why this occurs. For instance, in the context of Solar System level attacks, these focused attacks should've easily made a "hole" to the earth even if it only affect small area, kinda like how blade attacks can cause deeper wounds despite affecting a much smaller area than normal physical strikes like punches
However, Heisei Goji never ONCE demonstrates this until the meltdown scene. If his heat ray is supposedly "Solar System level" but only ever produces sparks upon impact with the Earth, it directly contradicts the stated power level. This kind of inconsistency undermines the overall narrative impact and the majority of "powerscalers" tend ignore these contradictions in favor of statements solely due to the "AP≠DC" logic
This doesn't just apply to Big G, but the villains as well, including ones that are only aiming for destruction like Destoroyah, which should logically disregard any collateral damage it may cause, yet causing a bunch of sparks is all its beam can do 😑 it's unbelievable how conveniently tiny the actual "hidden DC" is compared to what was speculated via the statements
If this is really how "Attack Potency" works, then all calculations of feats pertaining enviromental destruction can be dismissed, yet the same people still use them for scaling their "AP". What the heck? Why such selective application of AP? How does AP even work? I don't know anymore. It's so puzzling
If a character destroys a city, these guys might use the energy required for that destruction to scale the AP tier. However, when it comes to attacks that are supposed to have much higher power levels via guidebooks like having 20,000x more power than before but still show minimal visible damage, they fall back on the AP≠DC argument. WTF?
This feels like laziness on the author's part as they avoid the consequences of writing such overpowered characters. But what's even more frustrating is when powerscalers continues to consider these characters as that powerful using the convenient "AP≠DC" excuse. It's soooo lame, bruh
If you argue that "Oh, so do you want the earth to be blown up everytime?", then go back and read the 6th paragraph. If you cannot maintain consistency between external statements and visual narrative evidences, then perhaps you should NOT write them to be that strong in the first place. Intent essentially means nothing if you failed to effectively project it into your work. It's like when everyone intended to make their characters Boundless or Tier 0, but lacking the knowledge on how to do so and/or execute it poorly in their narrative work, will their intent still retain its credibility for scaling? No, because what was established in the narrative is what ultimately matters imo
Also, Spacegodzilla being above High 3-A due to the statement of his guide that suggests he have supergravity is horrendous. Supergravity arises in the context of M-Theory a.k.a String Theory which proposes the existence of higher 4-11 dimensions. However, these "dimensions" does NOT refer to the r>f dimensional layers. They are "curled up" or "compactified" in such a way that they are effectively undetected in the 3rd dimensional space that we're occupying where they become extremely tiny like a string, hence the name "String" Theory. In terms of size, these "higher dimensions" are smaller than the Planck Length itself, which already violates the criteria of "higher dimension" in the context of dimensional scaling that VSBW established where to qualify as one, this "higher dimension" is not compactified or curled up to such microscopic scales, rather, a larger dimensional "bulk" that embeds lower dimensional frameworks as "subsets" of itself. This is something that the Wiki itself explicitly asserted/stated
This means that, for the dimension to qualify as Low 2-C, it has to be a "bulk" that embeds the entirety of the 3rd dimension as its subset in the same extent as how the 3 brane embeds the 2 brane (surface area or plane) as part of itself, so on and so forth. Hell, there isn't even any mention regarding the concept of "Multiverse" in Heisei, so how the F did the fans even think of scaling him to that scale in the first place? His "Solar System level" scale is already iffy ASL. And even if there is a Multiverse, it would still depend on how many STC that exist there. It is said that for the "baseline", the character has to be able to either create, destroy, or affect a thousand and one seperate 4D space-time continuums (which I don't remember ever exists in Heisei) at once, yet people there claimed he is Multiverse level? Based on fucking what? 😭
Shit is crazy

The first thing I want to knock out of the way is that this post is going to be a bit difficult. The arc of the argument is going to be that both films discussed, while superficially progressive, lapse into more bigoted territory by accident of uncareful metaphor. So to clarify at the top, no offense is meant. I will try to be as careful and neutral as I can be while discussing them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I saw I Saw the TV Glow recently. As I've been working through discussions, I decided that it ultimately reminded me of 2022's Nope (hard to believe that movie came out 2 years ago). Not because they're both A24 movies, not because they're both trippy, not even because they're both "elevated horror", but because I think both movies got too clever by half and shot themselves in the foot with their metaphors.
In an interview promoting Nope, Jordan Peele described this "elevated horror" genre as a trap. I think in that interview he was referring more to audiences' lofty expectations of his movies, and maybe even a narrowing of what he felt he could make. I think the more appropriate use of the term starts with the understanding that "elevated horror" tackling the topic of race is, for better or for worse, his brand. He is compelled, it seems, to make movies that start on thorny issues and expand creatively from there via metaphor. Unfortunately, no metaphor is one to one, and when you set out to create a metaphor for a thorny social issue, you run the risk saying something you likely don't mean. THIS is the real trap, in my estimation.
First, I'll run down my understanding of the metaphors in Nope. There may be interesting things to say about the UFO representing a stand-in for audiences, but I'd rather trace how the film deals with race. The opening shot is of Plate 626, Animal Locomotion. The idea conveyed is that even in the origins of film, white auteurs have been credited and lauded while using the black image as a sort of prop subject. The metaphor in the movie extends to the animals used on set, first shown in the horse in Plate 626. This is extended as well in the relationship between Jupe and Gordy, explicitly stating that Jupe felt like just as much of a gag as the trained monkey on set who went ballistic and killed the audience. Jupe learns the wrong lessons from this and tries to recreate the outright dominance and exploitation he understood in his showings of Jean Jacket, and he's consumed by it. OJ then exercises a proper form of dominance over his horse to successfully draw Jean Jacket to its death, captured in an image. The way I read this all, in the end, is that the movie stands as a metaphor for Jordan Peele's difficulty in reclaiming the black image in filmmaking, and the herculean task of guiding audiences to see black art in a new light. The throughline is the idea that black actors, from the beginning, have been exploited, erased, and written off of the artistic history of filmmaking, and Peele has been charged with writing the new filmic grammar for blackness.
Seems like that'd weigh heavy on anyone's shoulders. Perhaps if that were all, you might say, that's pretty cool. Only.... well... wasn't the first half drawing a lot of parallels between the exploited black actors and the exploited animals? With that in mind, we're left with two rather problematic points. The first point concerns OJ's relationship with horses in the end. He has a certain level of respect for his horses, but he needs to exercise complete control over it. He even blindfolds it for its own good near the end so that he can make the call of when to look at Jean Jacket (if I recall correctly). So, is it then to be read that the hierarchical dominance itself isn't the issue, but it just needs to be undertaken by someone who knows how to "respect" the animal in question? The black image needs to be reclaimed by black auteurs, sure, but is it because the assertion is being made that black auteurs know how to handle the black image, the black actors that comprise it? That black actors are still objects to be handled? And that ties to the second problematic read. If you're drawing a metaphor between black workers and working animals.... where does that metaphor end, exactly? They start as coequals, Plate 626 exploits a black actor in the exact same way it exploits a horse. It's not too much of a leap from there to extend the metaphor to the end and say that black actors, much like the animals they were compared to in the beginning, are dangerous and violent but can be handled and tamed to not be so. Gross territory. Peele certainly doesn't mean this, I feel rather confident saying that. But if someone said that was their read, how would you refute it with the text? Other than a "c-cmon, man. Stop trolling."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I Saw the TV Glow tells the story of Owen, a young man who, as a child, first found expression through a 'girls show,' The Pink Opaque (as an aside, the film heavily implies that Owen is transfeminine. However, the character never transitions in the story proper. I'll stick to using he/him pronouns. I'm not 1000% certain the proper etiquette for this situation, but I think an argument can be made that it's clearer). Owen finds this show in seventh grade through Maddy, an oddball lesbian girl a couple years older than him. Owen spends nights at Maddy's house watching the show, she prepares taped episodes for him, and he develops a bit of a hidden persona through the show as he identifies with one of its protagonists (who is a girl). Maddy eventually loses herself into this TV world, she accepts who she is in a sense by entering this fictional reality. Owen tries to join her into the TV, but is caught by his step father and forcefully yanked out. Maddy disappears within it for a decade. When she returns, she finds Owen and tries to crack his egg by having him join her, by implying that The Pink Opaque was never just a show, but rather an elevated reality they can live in. In fact, an elevated reality they MUST live in, Maddy establishes life-or-death stakes. Owen doesn't accept this, he pushes Maddy down and runs away. He grows up, gets a normal life in the suburbs, finds that The Pink Opaque is nothing like he remembers, and gets a job at some sort of arcade. His existence is nightmarish there, until he strips down, slices open his chest, and sees the TV glowing inside.
What I often see in discussing the movie is that the central metaphor is one of "growing up", and the melancholy associated with a loss of one's childhood. And, every time that comes up, someone swiftly (and often, correctly) points out that the show is a metaphor for a queer or trans identity, and that there's a tragedy associated with Owen deciding that his trans identity is yet another thing he "grew out of" (though we should remember, he didn't just grow out of it; his step father beat it out of him). As trans visibility and acceptance has increased dramatically in the past 10 or so years, there are several older people who were bullied against transitioning up until now, and have decided to come out and live their truth. Concomitant with that is a deep tragedy of associating something so intrinsic to one's self with a childish foolishness to be grown out of. The movie understands this feeling and plays it tragically. Again, for clarity, I think the idea that The Pink Opaque is a metaphor for discovering ones trans identity is spot on. I just don't think that's a negation of the analyses that focus on the "growing up" aspect.
The unfortunate reality, for my taste, is that the movie falls apart in its third act when it tries to bring the metaphor between The Pink Opaque and trans identity home (with the help of some rather rough 'gaaah, i'm old now, gaaah' acting from Justice Smith). I claim that by associating trans identity with a pop culture fixation on one end, and an alternate reality on the other, the movie runs too close to bigoted conceptions of transness.
On the pop cultural fixation side, I think it's kind of belittling to tie something as heavy as trans identity with a flimsy and whimsical sort of "I really like this character on a TV show, I really identity with them." However, I think as an awakening of sorts, this is an entirely valid way to first interface with the idea you might be trans, and I don't find it to be an uncommon experience at all. Yet I think there's a lot more subsequent depth to developing one's identity that's not really explored in the movie. So, okay, shallow-to-the-point-of-being-kind-of-offensive, sure, not too big a deal, and sometimes shallowness allows the audience to construct their own depth to fill in and make the telling more personal. If someone took offense, I get it, if someone really connected with it, I get it.
On the other hand, I find the alternative reality side deeply troubling. Many live lives more blessed than mine, but I have the misfortune of consuming an unhealthy amount of right-wing, bigoted content. Their principle understanding of trans identity is that it is some sort of psychopathology characterized by a rejection of reality, right down to a negation of one's inherent genetic code (accompanied with a perpetual refusal to distinguish between sex and gender). It's not difficult to see why this is a terrain they fight on; they believe in a naturalized sex/gender hierarchy which can't really tolerate any sort of plasticity. And while the Right doesn't have a great relationship with biology in general, they've somehow clung to a flawed understanding of biology as the bedrock of this "reality" that trans people reject. Stirred into all this is a comorbid belief that those of the "left", the "woke", whatever, refuse to "grow up" and don't want to have jobs, don't want to take responsibility, don't want to face reality. The movie itself doesn't as strongly say "thinking you 'grew out' of your trans identity is a tragedy" as much as it says "growing up at all is a tragedy." It has to because it chose a childhood pop culture fixation as its load-bearing metaphor. Run this way, in my view, the film confirms the most hateful and bigoted perceptions of trans identity on the right. If you were to say the movie is about how people get bored in the suburbs and decide they miss the feeling of being a kid, the attention they got, the tv shows they watched, and just have a breakdown and call that being trans, I'd have a hard time arguing against that. Again, I don't agree, the same way I don't agree with that interpretation of Nope I made above. But I can't clearly point to the text and refute that read.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the end, cultural hegemony presents a sort of "heads I win, tails you lose" paradigm to any sort of effort to displace it. That's what happens when a totalized, supremacist system articulates itself culturally, you end up running into these thorny patches. None of this is new, people were writing about the inability to navigate between cultural perceptions of the Mammy or the Jezebel at least as early in the 90s. Perhaps the road for these progressive, elevated films has been so narrowed by a culture that, 20 years ago, would flat-out reject them, that we're just going to have to go through some growing pains. Perhaps there will come a day where there aren't rather active (not to mention politically powerful) groups that view black people as animals or trans people as psychos, and those reads simply won't follow. Yet it may also be the case that mere representation isn't enough, and marginalized audiences should still demand more effort and care in these sorts of "elevated horror" films. I think there's still plenty of profound human experience that can be focused through these sorts of 'Metaphors of the Marginalized'. For now, for me, both films really fell apart because they knew they needed a progressive metaphor to hook in audiences, but they fell into the trap of not thinking it all the way through. I think we can do better.

Hey everyone,
If you're looking for big fireworks to make a statement at your next celebration, you're in the right place. Here are some top recommendations for those show-stopping moments:

Top Big Fireworks for Sale:

1. Sky Symphony 500 Gram Cake
   • A spectacular multi-shot aerial display with vibrant colors and patterns. Perfect for a grand finale!
2. Rainbow Blast Mortar Shells
   • Large mortar shells that explode into dazzling bursts of colors. Includes a variety of effects for a dynamic show.
3. Patriot’s Pride Assortment
   • A selection of red, white, and blue fireworks, ideal for patriotic celebrations. Includes aerial shells and ground effects.
4. Ultimate Pyro Power Assortment
   • A premium collection featuring a mix of aerial cakes, fountains, and specialty items. Great for creating a professional-grade display.

Out-of-State Options:

While some of the bigger fireworks are not legal to set off in Illinois, I can still help you get them. These include:

1. Mega Burst Rockets
   • High-flying rockets that explode into massive bursts of color. Perfect for large, open areas outside of Illinois.
2. Thunderstorm Mortars
   • Extremely powerful mortars with multiple effects. Ideal for big events in states where they are legal.
3. Titanium Salute Cakes
   • Produces incredibly loud and bright bursts, creating a dramatic effect. Best used in out-of-state locations.

Please note: While I can provide these fireworks, I strongly advise against setting them off within Illinois due to state regulations. Always ensure you’re complying with local laws for a safe and enjoyable experience.
If you need personalized advice or want to know more about these fireworks, feel free to text me at 630-277-9379. Let’s make your celebration unforgettable with the best fireworks!
Have any favorites or recommendations of your own? Share them in the comments!

Tl;dr I used to struggle with social anxiety. However, by spending around 3 years learning and practising social skills, I’ve managed to overcome most of my anxiety and socialise with a ton of meaningful friends. Here's a Tl;dr of the tips, without going into depth:

• Before Talking: Define your purpose, prepare, learn social etiquette, and develop charisma.
• During Conversation: Practice active listening and continue to deep questions.
• After Conversation: Reflect, learn from resources/advice, and practice.

My background
4-6 years ago, I was a socially anxious introvert. Three years ago, I joined a class full of extroverts. I slowly began talking and doing really stupid stuff that I regret. Despite the setbacks, though, I would go on, year by year learning from my mistakes. Today, I talk with around 150 people across many classes whenever I want. I have an amazing best friend and a solid friend group.
I am still introverted; I don't like going to youth clubs or partying, and I feel drained after being with people. I still feel anxious around new people and people I like, but I’ve crossed a huge milestone today, by confessing my feelings to a girl I liked for 1.5 years and moving on. So overall, my anxiety has significantly reduced, and this is everything I used to get to this point where I can start conversations and become friends with almost anyone.
This guide is really detailed, and it took me years to implement a lot of these things, I am still not done implementing everything myself, so take this guide slowly. It’s going to be a long journey that will last many years.
Before talking
Purpose
The first thing to consider before engaging in conversation is the purpose. Why are you talking? What do you hope to achieve from the conversation?
Immanuel Kant’s moral philosophy suggests that we should treat humanity as an end in itself, not merely as a means to an end. For example, if your objective is simply to have sex, you’re using another person as a means to that end. However, if your goal is to genuinely connect and learn about someone, then the conversation's purpose keeps humanity alive and is valid. The important thing is to not objectify humans in one’s purpose.
A positive purpose is amazing. Positivity is more influential than negativity, like how optimism beats pessimism. Try to be as positive as possible, this does not mean lying. Just don't say the negative thing on your mind, and instead choose the positive version. When speaking about others, maintain a positive tone: Having a negative purpose, shows insecurity, and also just generally leads to unhealthy relationships. (I am not going to go into detail about relationships here, because this is socialskills).
Preparations
Once you have a purpose, it’s time to prepare by being in an environment where talking happens. While discord is convenient, real life is SOOO much more worth it. If you don't find school or work, a great place, clubs, or groups where people share your passions are amazing.
But what should you prepare to talk about? Literally, anything you find interesting. For instance, a couple of months ago, I watched Steins: Gate, my favourite anime. Then a couple of weeks ago, I noticed someone in school watching anime and struck up a conversation about anime, and it led to a longer conversation about our favourite anime.
So prepare by having opinions, thoughts, and curiosity for anything that interests you, like events that are happening, feelings for someone or something (Bold), opinions, sports, movies, or work.
The key is to be prepared by having a ton of knowledge in a variety of topics.
Social Etiquette
Social etiquette plays a HUGE role in our conversation. It’s an unspoken truth that we will hesitate to engage with someone who appears to be a mess or is distracted.
Having the right social etiquette makes a massive difference. First, and something very important, your first impressions are better. A bonus is that you feel more confident to approaching others, and are approachable yourself.
Being approachable means physically: Showering, brushing teeth, good clothes, etc. It also means not using one's phone, sunglasses, headphones or other distractions whilst or before talking.
Social etiquette is also in one's mental state as well: Being nervous or anxious shows in conversation, and it is not great.
I imagine it's a very difficult journey for everyone to beat their mental side that makes one, anxious and or nervous. It could be like years of trauma from one's childhood. So this is mostly for oneself to figure out, but here's how I beat it and became more confident:
I ran with the mindset “Fake it till you become it”. I also told myself other mindsets, like “Be the best version of myself” and “It's going to be okay, no matter what”.
When I was anxious, I would focus on exhaling longer than inhaling, like a 3-second inhale, a 6-second exhale, or use the 3-3-3 method (identify 3 objects and 3 sounds, then move 3 body parts.). After coming back to my own mind, I would think “3,2,1, go for it” if I was in a conversation or if I was in a conversation, I say “Sorry, I can’t think, can you give me a minute” or “Sorry, can you repeat from x” (x being the last thing I heard).
I would also go on rational thought experiments, asking myself, “When was the last time you remembered an awkward moment from someone who isn’t a close friend?”. It led me to realise "Well that's how others see your awkward moment”. It's pretty much the same mindset for others judging you, “Everyone is thinking about themselves, so nobody is thinking about you". It’s called the spotlight effect.
You can also notice others' Social Etiquette, both physically and mentally. By noticing these things in other people, you can indirectly find out if you are approachable.
When you have the basic preparations, the next part is preparing how to be engaging and interesting. How to be a likeable person.
Personally, I think people can be boring, but by learning charisma, you can go from being boring to being genuinely interesting. Instead of just saying whatever, you deliberately deliver the best of what you are going to say. (In mainstream media, it’s known as rizz. But I think rizz and charisma have become 2 different things by now.)
Charisma
True charisma isn’t about faking your personality; it’s about amplifying the best aspects of it. It’s about developing a character so strong that others’ opinions become ideas rather than definitive truths.
Developing charisma includes being consistent—keeping promises, telling the truth, and showing respect for both yourself and others. For instance, it's more confident to say "I am kinda nervous”, smiling, rather than, “No, I am confident", whilst being nervous. This is because, by admitting the truth, you show vulnerability, and as an added bonus you are smiling. Just having that positive energy, whilst showing that, being nervous does not define your character is charismatic. Alone, your positive energy can actually create a positive and fun vibe. But let me explain more deeply:
Charisma rests on three foundational concepts: presence, power, and warmth.
Presence
To cultivate more presence, practice focused attention. This can be done by doing meditation or lots of practice. The goal with presence is to make them feel great. This could be by letting talk them about themselves, which in turn mostly leads to conversations. This is counterintuitive, it’s because everybody loves talking about themselves and most do not want to leave others out. That leads the conversation to go back to you, whilst also showing that you are attentive and care for the other person.
Power and Warmth
These traits are more nuanced. Albert Mehrabian, a body language researcher, found that communication is 55% non-verbal, 38% vocal, and only 7% words.
So first, the right body language is crucial. There are tons of videos (I recommend Charisma on Command, to see others' body language analysis or specific Ted Talks about body language.) and research on this, but to summarise most of the advice: Smile genuinely, maintain appropriate eye contact, and use a ton of open and expressive body language.
Smiling and eye contact can come with training, eye contact by faking it, and for smiling, I recommend gratitude because fake smiles can be seen. For most, they genuinely smile, whilst showing gratitude or complimenting others. If that does not work, I recommend professional help.
For open and expressive body language, that's using hands, and arms whilst talking. I seriously recommend watching videos on it, because I can not show it on text. It also involves posture, walking, standing, sitting, and expression by touching.
I am a fan of acronyms, and a widely used acronym is SOLER acronym: “Sit squarely,” “Open posture,” “Lean towards the other,” “Eye contact,” and “Relax.”.
For vocal confidence, it's mostly just continuing to adopt the confidence mindset “It’s going to be okay, no matter what happens,”, because it helps you get the right energy whilst talking. This also helps by replacing hesitations like “uhmm” with purposeful pauses, which give your words weight and allow you to speak more deliberately. For example, slowing one's speed when talking about serious matters to convey gravity, and maintaining a casual tone for lighter topics. The aim is to use vocals to best, bring another person into one's world, show empathy, and storytell.
Like, storytelling is amazing. Engaging storytelling by having a hook, middle and end, acting out characters with different pitches and also “sound effects” gets people interested, and also leaves a lasting memory. Seriously, I went all out on a story about falling off my cycle to my friends, and they talked and remembered it almost 6 months later. I did not realise how amazing storytelling was until that happened.
This adds a ton of warmth, by bringing a fun vibe. Later, by adding vulnerability and initiating taboo subjects, you also show power, because your character is strong and you do not care about others' opinions. This is the word part of the conversation.
One of the most important things I learned is: People do not remember what you said, they remember how you made them feel. Charisma focuses on having fun and amplifying feelings a ton. By having a ton of positive and uplifting energy, whilst making the other person feel amazing, you basically have just got yourself a friend for life. (At least in memories.)
What about starting a conversation? I think small talk is overused. I feel like there are so many topics to go into, so why not use the topics that you have prepared or use the acronym HEFE — Acronym for Hobbies, Entertainment, Food, and Environment.
I often opt for Environment or Entertainment as my first talk. For instance, I recently noticed someone reading a book and I simply asked, “What book are you reading?”. This led to a longer conversation about the book contents, then later to shared interests in anime and book recommendations.
So even deeper in the environment, you could try observing something about the person or their actions and express genuine curiosity. It could be anything from a ring—“Is there a story behind that ring?”—to them working on something—“What are you working on?” The goal is to simply show interest and initiate conversation.
Not every conversation will be long, and that’s perfectly fine. The key is persistence and reflection. Again, chances are, in five years, the only person, who will remember that awkward moment while lying in bed is you.
But what if the conversation is long? How do you keep a conversation going?
During Conversation
Overthinking
I used to always overthink whilst in conversation. Like if you read this far, yea you can see I overthink a lot... 8 hours into writing this...
Here’s a really good piece of advice: Don’t overthink the conversation. If your mind wanders, or you keep thinking about what to say next, you’ll miss out on the most effective way to keep a conversation going: Active listening. You can also show it by nodding and making the listening sound, like an occasional nod and "hmm."
Deepening the conversation
Here’s a life hack to keep a conversation going: When somebody finishes saying something, summarise, then say whatever you were going to say. It shows that you were listening, and gives you a little time to think. It’s even possible to pause to think. It should not be “I am going to say this when you finish.". It could be "Summary, (Pause to think), (thought/opinion/curiosity/something related, etc)".
There's another part to this trick, most surface-level conversations, can lead to deeper conversations if you ask open-ended questions. For instance, if someone says the good old, “I’m doing fine,” you could actually dive deeper by asking, “What makes your days good / What brings you joy? (Basically, why are you doing fine, instead of good, but saying that is kind of odd, yea, no.)”.
An easy response to an open-ended question is “(Summary), (My own answer to the open-ended question that was asked (By me)), (New open-ended question)”. This keeps the conversation flowing without it feeling like an interview.
If you have reached this point in conversation, you’re likely going to be friends. This is where you can start asking more personal questions. A useful acronym for deeper topics is FORD: Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Dreams. If you’re speaking with a stranger, it can be polite to start your personal questions with “May I ask”. This isn’t always necessary, but it can help establish boundaries, and I always use it. This is because they always have the option to say no to answering the question. A deepening question here could be, “May I ask, what are your dreams for the future?”. It’s personal, but it’s not like crazy deep.
For even longer conversations and or deeper conversations, you have hit the jackpot. If it's a conversation with an acquaintance, you might even consider going into core values, personal challenges, taboo subjects, etc. Questions like “May I ask, what do you value most in life?” or “May I ask, what have been your past experiences with relationships?”, These questions can bring a ton of strong emotions, but also vulnerability. It may seem scary, but it's actually really rewarding and fun.
Eventually, every conversation comes to an end. Recognising when to stop is a practicable skill that can prevent a lot of awkward moments. A smooth way to finish a conversation is, “I’ve got to go, but I’d love to hear one last thing from you.” This signals the end of the conversation while allowing for one last thing. I think it's better than "Well, I have got to go, bye" (After a 1-hour conversation, randomly), but still both work fine.
Here's a thing to remember:
Not everyone is open to deep conversations all the time, many people are more open-minded when the timing and environment are right. I think most happen in one-on-one conversations. Deep conversations in groups are really, really rare. Still, deep conversations are worth it because they are incredibly meaningful. For instance, I once had a two-hour very deep conversation with an acquaintance about religion, life, and politics, and it all began when he heard and asked me about leaving my religion. It does not only have to be that; I have had a few deep conversations, about crushes and relationships.
The thing is that I think closer friends are more open, It was pretty chill with my best friend, I literally just said, "I found this website with deep questions.". Then I literally just asked very deep questions. We actually had already talked about many taboo subjects already, from other deeper conversations.
The key is to be open and respectful, and then take advantage when the opportunity for a deep conversation comes.
After conversations
Reflecting
What I have just been doing above is reflecting a ton. When there's so much information, it's super important to reflect. For instance, I used to suck at using my hands while talking, and storytelling, but by reflecting on what I could have done better, I slowly got better at using my hands and storytelling.
At the end of the day, I got better at just going for it. This is also, the most important thing, in many things in life, including socialising. If you never try, you are not giving yourself a fair chance.
If you have read through this humongous guide, congratulations! You now know how to master conversations. If you have not read it, come on, give yourself a chance.
This is just one resource, and later learning from another place, like, personally I loved Mark Manson's work, Ted Talks or Charisma on Command on YouTube. This guide is not perfect, and I am not an expert. This is just everything I learned, going from being socially anxious to beating my anxiety. If you are struggling with something specific, search for it, research it, and always don't be stuck with a closed mind, when it comes to social skills. Always have a growth mindset and remember the most important thing in socialising:
Practice makes perfect.
Written by Tamim, why did I just spend like 11 hours straight on this, lol. I should eat and drink water. Well, it’s my first piece of advice. If anyone reads this essay, was it good? Wait, fuck, I forgot to write about humour. AUUGHH.

Howdy l've been role-playing and writing in general for at least a decade. I am a Male who can play male and female characters. I have original ideas all over and a lot of Fandoms I'm in, which I'Il include below. I'm looking for OCXOC. Every character must be 18+ I have plenty of original characters and ideas along with fandom plots.
For original ideas, i like action, horror and a variety of other sub-genres. with depending romance. I do have a variety. I really like monsters and creepy things from the horror genre like vampires and Tentacles, and l even have my own idea set up in modern times dealing with vampires and hunters and all of that i also enjoy eldritch type horror. I also like old-school slasher films and space sci-fi horror similar to the Alien Franchise.
Now on fandoms! To get some other things down, l only play OC. The anime fandoms i like are Jojo's, Chainsaw Man, Naruto, JJK, Soul Eater, and more. I'm well versed in the Jojo's, Naruto, and JJK, and soul eater fandoms, though it's been a while since ï've stopped keeping up with soul eater. Other fandoms im in include Percy Jackson, Call of Duty, Marvel, and DC.
I tend to use character sheets to describe my character. These are very thorough and usually consist of names, backgrounds, and personalities, along with an in-depth look on appearance. More so on appearances, I don't usually use picture references, but I will if you would like me to.
The types of characters I write are the lone wolf type that has some sad past, which leads them to potentially go off the rails and gain a villain arc.I like all types of tropes, especially enemies to lovers or rivalry. I also really enjoy opposites attracted as a whole from either opposite personality or something else they would be opposites in. Enemies to lovers takes my heart, though.
I love seeing the characters go past theurge to ultimately hate each other and/or go past their usual way of disliking the others' lineage or upcoming I also love good written trauma moments. Like character death's, moments of pain and strife only to see the characters to deal and either be consumed or overcome them. I tend to either come up with original ideas for these scenes or use anime scenes as inspiration with narrative tweaks.
REQUIREMENT
I think my two biggest requirements are creativity and good pacing. Like any story, I feel these two things are very necessary to make a good story. Now, by Creativity, I don't mean you need to bring absolute craziness into the story, but abilities, character etc need to have some good genuine thought put into them. Along with that comes good pacing, which means I don't personally care about response length, and mine will vary from scene to scene accordingly.
I'm pretty much done if you have any questions. I'm here, and I'd love to hear back from you in chat the password is your favorite color. Supply it in chat only.

I have finally played Before the Storm, and I wanted to share my thoughts on the game! I've done this before back when I played Life is Strange 2 about a year ago, and people seemed to respond to it well, so I thought I'd make another post!
So I played the original Life is Strange back when it first came out and loved it, so when I first heard of Before the Storm, I was excited. Then I learned that it was made by a different dev team, and Chloe's actress was different along with a lot of the other characters. That all turned me away from the game initially, and then 2 was announced to be an anthology rather than a direct continuation, and at that point, I really stopped paying attention to the series. But one day, I saw 2 on a great sale alongside True Colors, which I hadn't actually heard of yet, but I had some money to spare, so I picked them both up. I replayed the first game to get back in the mood and then finally decided to jump in to the second, and I loved it. If you look at the post above, you'll see that I decided I would hop in to TC next, but I never actually did that when I learned there was a connection to BtS through the character of Steph, so I wanted to play this first. Unfortunately, by that time, I was jobless and couldn't afford to purchase the prequel, so I put the series on pause again.
Fast forward to this week, where I've finally been able to able to make the purchase, and I'm back! And let me tell you, first impressions were strong! It's so nice to be back in Arcadia Bay with all these familiar characters again, especially with Chloe. While I do still think it's a shame that they couldn't get Ashly Burch back for this (aside from the bonus episode), I think Rhianna DeVries did a great job of capturing Chloe's spirit while putting her own twist on the character, and I do think it helped the game find its own identity rather than just feeling like an expansion to Life is Strange. The other voice actors for the returning characters also did a really good job of portraying their characters, and I probably wouldn't have noticed how many were different if I didn't go into it already knowing that.
As for the game as a whole, I have to say, it didn't hit me as hard emotionally as the other two. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it. I thought it was great, and I was sucked into the story much more quickly than I was for the others, probably because I already knew Chloe and was already attached to her as a character. The main disconnect for me is just the fact that this is a prequel. Part of the emotional attachment for me in these games is the fact that they're choice-based, so the way I play will have an impact on the way the character's lives will play out after I'm no longer in control. While that's not untrue of this game, I already know exactly what will happen to these characters shortly after this game is complete. I mean, seriously, every time Rachel came onscreen, I couldn't help but think about how she's going to be killed by Jefferson in a year or two, however long it is. (Also, I seriously hate Mark Jefferson. That was a true statement before this game, but it has been reinforced now.) It's difficult to really care about how my choices will impact this story when I know for a fact I can't save the person Chloe cares about the most (aside from Max, though I'd argue she cares more about Rachel during the time that this story is taking place).
So that's my major complaint of the game out of the way, so let's get into the rest of the game. First of all, it was great getting to finally meet Rachel Amber. It was actually kind of crazy how much my reaction mimicked Chloe's in the first episode when she was excited and a little nervous to ditch school and hang out with her. I mean, she was talked about so much in the original game that it was exciting to finally get to meet her, especially with how well people regarded her to Max. It really did feel like I was finally getting to hang out with the popular kid, which was pretty cool. I also really liked seeing Chloe and Rachel's relationship grow. It felt like they moved to completely trusting each other a little too quickly. Maybe a little bit of time could have passed between the episodes to make that feel a little more like a naturally-developing lifelong bond as opposed to a sudden infatuation. That being said though, I do think it fit Chloe's impulsive behavior, and it does make sense that Rachel would need an outsider to feel like she can be herself with since she's put on a face with everyone else. Ultimately, it worked for me, and I was able to buy and root for their fast relationship.
The plotline of Rachel's family was fine, though I felt it was a little predictable. Granted, I was spoiled for this game a long time ago, so long ago that I don't actually remember what the spoiler was at this point other than it had something to do with Rachel's mom, so it's probably not a coincidence that I very quickly guessed that Sera was actually Rachel's birth mother. Maybe it wasn't as predictable if you just went in completely blind. Even so, I think it was a good storyline to choose as a way to explain Rachel's vulnerability towards Chloe and give Chloe something to focus on after her father's death.
Speaking of her father, I really liked the dream sequences she had with him. I mean, they were really sad, but it was such a good way of showing how she just couldn't move on. Her life was stuck in this moment, and she'd never figured out how to keep living and caring anymore, especially with Max gone. The only person in her life she cared about anymore was her mother, but even their relationship was strained by the way Chloe couldn't be polite and honest with her at the same time. It wasn't until she met Rachel and had someone else she could be herself with and something else to focus on that she was able to move forward with her life. She still brought her dad with her, as that scene where she talks to him on the side of the road before confronting Merrick at the mill, but she wasn't stuck just watching him die anymore. I thought that storyline of Chloe learning to accept her grief and move forward was exceptionally well done.
I want to talk about the final choice a bit, because I thought it was pretty underwhelming to be honest. With both the first and second game, I spent a long time thinking on that final choice screen about what I want to do. I didn't hesitate a second here. In fact, I think it was the easiest choices in the game for me. I am someone who thinks the idea of "protecting someone from the truth" is just another way of hurting them even more in the long run. On top of that, Chloe strikes me as someone who is brutally honest with everyone. So from both a player perspective and a character perspective, there was no way I was keeping that truth from Rachel. It was still pretty evenly split on the final results screen though, so maybe it was a more difficult choice for others, but for me, I had zero doubts and have zero regrets.
Speaking of the final results screen, apparently there is a way for Rachel to meet her mother!? I tried my hardest to convince Sera during our final meeting, but thought that it must not be possible once I got to the end, but apparently it is because it's right there on the stats page. So I'll have to go back and try to replay for that at some point.
Finally, I need to discuss that post-credits scene of Chloe trying to call Rachel while Jefferson was taking pictures of her in his studio. That just felt cruel. They didn't need to put that there. Like I said before, I thought of the tragic way Rachel's story would end pretty much everytime she was onscreen but actually seeing that (or I guess hearing it is more accurate)...ugh, it gave me chills and left me extremely disturbed. I mean, I get that's the reaction they were going for, but we all knew she would end up there. Did we really need to see it? I don't think I actually dislike them putting that there, it just sickened me a bit to actually witness that scene in any way. Once again, fuck Jefferson.
And I should probably talk about the bonus episode. I thought it was fun, though it felt more like a bonus episode of Life is Strange than Before the Storm. Still, it was cool to be back in Max's head, and it was nice hearing Ashly Burch as Chloe one more time. It was cool to see Chloe and Max as childhood best friends for really the first time (aside from when Max time traveled through the photo that one time, which I guess was actually right before this episode.) It was also really interesting to see Chloe before she lost both her dad and Max. She was still a little troublesome, but also focused on her studies and future a lot more than the Chloe we know now. I like that we got to see that side of her, even for just a little bit. And even though I figured out what day this was set pretty early into the episode, it was extremely sad seeing the episode's end. I just feel so sad for Chloe. She's had a rough life.
Anyway, I've written way too much. Thank you so much for reading it all if you got here! I love this series a lot, and I do plan to get to True Colors shortly now that it's the last one I have left! I'll probably post here again when I do so since I like sharing my opinions and thoughts but don't actually know anyone who's as into these games as I am right now. I'm really curious to hear other people's opinions on Before the Storm, particularly if they differ from what I've expressed here, so let me know what your thoughts are!

Hi folks, today i want to write up a quick piece on how you can build stunning webviews using the latest web technologies such as React and Tailwind for your current, future, or in progress vscode extensions.
If you want to jump straight to the code, view the following repo: https://github.com/harveenatwal/vscode-publicdev

Background

Last week I set out to build a vscode extension because I had an idea of something that would save me time marketing my websites. I never developed VsCode Extensions in the past and thought "hey, this should be easy enough. It's Microsoft. How hard could it be?". Well, it wasn't straightforward and i'm hoping I can share my learnings with you all.

Project Setup

Start off reading the guide: https://code.visualstudio.com/api/get-started/your-first-extension, which should show the "Hello world" toast message. For the options, I selected: "New Extension (Typescript)". I bundled with Webpack, but switched to esbuild. I think I regretted that decision afterwards, but it shouldn't matter which one you select. I probably would stick with Webpack if i had to do it again. If you ran into issues with the "hello world" guide like me, try restarting and downloading the latest VSCode, which fixed my issue.

Webview Terminology

I was a bit confused between these three: WebviewViewProviders, WebviewView, WebviewPanels, Webviews, Editors, and Views. Here are my short explanation for each and how they're connected.
View: Views are containers. These containers are rendered either on the Sidebar, Secondary Sidebar, or the bottom panel. You cannot render a view in the Editor Panel. There are different kind of views. The two most common are TreeViews and WebviewView.
Editor: The main area where you edit your files. They differ from views as they're designed to last a very short amount of time. Users can quickly remove these panels from the main area.
Webview: Think of a webview as an iframe. Webview's can either live inside of a view or an editor panel.
WebviewView: This is a container that renders web content. Each WebviewView will live within an iframe and can only communicate with your extension via post messages. This can be a little hard to wrap your mind around at first, but once you start thinking of WebviewView's as iframes, it makes it easier to understand.
WebviewViewProvider: A WebviewViewProvider connects the WebviewView to the extension's ecosystem. Once it's registered, we can specify where we want to render this view through package.json.
WebviewPanel: Renders a webview in the main editor area. Most vscode guides give great examples of how to create webview panels: https://code.visualstudio.com/api/extension-guides/webview.
View -> Webview -> WebviewView -> WebviewViewProvider Editor -> Webview -> WebviewPanel

Separating HTML from TS

I don't know about you, but I don't like my html paired with my typescript. Not to be confused with .tsx, which I very much like. Most React apps have an entry index.html file. We need to replicate this behavior as well.
This is the commit, where I separated my html from extension TS. You can put your entry file wherever. In that CL, I tried using the bundler (esbuild) to copy the html file to the `dist` folder. But, I ultimately used copy-and-watch and added a script to copy the html file to `dist`.
If you look closely at the html file, I have a custom templating syntax for variables. I got the idea from GitLens. Again, you can probably get super fancy with this and use something like jinja, mustache, or others, but i didn't want to learn template systems. So I used regex and built this simple function to replace the variables. Also, vscode extensions have strict content policies, to avoid you from reading from other extension scripts. Make sure to include the meta tag containing the csp source and nonce in order to load your local files.
The other important things to highlight are the webview options and URIs. Make sure to enableScripts if using scripts and set your extension directory as an array entry in `localResourceRoots` in order to load your resources. Lastly, URIs are a little confusing. Just remember that uris inside your html need to be called wrapped with `asWebviewUri`. WIthout it you'll see 500 errors. Any URIs you call from your extension code do not need to be wrapped.

Tailwind CSS

I love tailwind. Most webdevs do. Utility-first css framework means we don't need to manage our own CSS rules or using preprocessors like Sass.
This is the commit, where I added tailwind. Follow the installation guide here: https://tailwindcss.com/docs/installation. Since I was using ESBuild, I originally began with the PostCSS instructions. But, later switched to the Tailwind CLI, since I was running into issues with esbuild. If webpack has a postcss plugin, you can give that a go, but i'm not an expert on bundling and didn't want to spend time learning another new system. I opted for the Tailwind CLI and added the following script to my package.json: { "watch:css": "npx tailwindcss -i ./src/main.css -o ./dist/main.css --watch" }
This will watch for any changes across my app and create a new css entrypoint in my dist folder. Configure your webview html to read the css uri (remember to wrap the uri with asWebviewUri when passing it down to your html).

React

I like to manage application state with react and jotai. It's something i understand annd know. But, without an opinionated framework like nextjs, i wondered how I could get the things i know and understand to work in webviews.
This is the commit, where I added react. For each webview, I have a react entry point. In that commit, it's home.tsx. I use react-dom to render the app at the bottom of the file: ``` (() => { const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById("root")!);
root.render(); })() ```
The code is executed immediately when the webview loads. If you need to do complicated stuff like pass state from your extension to your webview, I had to make my extension wait for a post message from my webview to let it know that it was ready to receive extension data. If you fire state before that theres a chance your react app hasn't completely finished initializing.
In order for you to use browser specifics like window, document, etc inside of your tsx, you'll need to create 2 tsconfigs: one for your tsx, which contains dom compiler lib and one for extension ts. The extension tsconfig was also set to ignore tsx files. If you do this step correctly, you shouldn't see vscode complaining about your html inside your tsx file.
Now that the compiler is happy, we actually need to bundle this with our extension. For that, I created another esbuild file. Again, i'm no bundler expert. I couldn't fidn anything about combining 2 different builds in a single esbuild. I think webpack has better support for this scenario. Creating a different esbuild file was the easier option for me. But, it meant that i had two scripts to build my ts and tsx.

Watch

If you want your extension to watch for html, css, ts, and tsx changes you need to create launch tasks, which are found here: .vscode/tasks.json. If you used the vscode generator to create your project, you'll see you have two tasks that watch for esbuild and typescript changes. You'll want to add each of your watch scripts as tasks. Each time you run the VSCode Extension RunneDebugger, it'll execute your watch tasks for you so you don't have to do it yourself. But, you need to let it know when a file has changed and finished changing with this notion of `problemMatcher`. There are community provided problem matchers for esbuild and tsc, but not css and html. You can find mine here: .vscode/tasks.json.

Publishing

Lastly, when you're ready to publish, use this command: `pnpm vsce publish --no-dependencies`. Since we bundled with webpack/esbuild, we don't need vsce to try to install our package dependencies for us. You'll want to make sure all of your html, css, js files are in your `dist` folder before running this command.
Well, I didn't imagine this to be this long and dense and yet still cryptic haha. If you have any questions feel free to shoot me a direct message or reach me on twitter at x.com/harveenatwal_

How to get more likes on your post
Firstly, do not buy zombie powder from third parties. This is absolutely useless. Creating high-quality posts requires time and patience, and good posts can only get likes from people who truly like you and your brand. Ultimately, Instagram's goal is to showcase its best selves by sharing content that people are interested in. Only through genuine likes can we comply with IG's algorithm and bring truly effective and uninterrupted traffic.
Users can now hide their likes on Instagram. So is the number of likes still important? The answer is yes. If you want to run a brand on Instagram, the number of likes from fans is still crucial. In mid-2019, Instagram began attempting to not display the number of likes received on posts in certain regional feeds.
According to Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, this move is part of the company's efforts to protect the mental health of the platform community. This idea is to make the entire experience healthier and reduce user competition. Instagram explains, "We want your friends to follow the photos and videos you share, rather than how many likes they get."
This measure has achieved mixed success: some people enjoy getting rid of pressure and keeping up with the pace of competition, while others feel that they know nothing about popular things. Instagram's solution was announced in May 2021, which now allows account operators to choose to hide likes from the public - either by hiding the count on all posts or by hiding the count on their own feed, so that others cannot see it. But according to the platform, regardless of whether we can see Instagram likes or not, the Instagram algorithm will continue to work as usual. So how can I get more likes on Instagram? The following 7 mainstream methods for obtaining free likes on Instagram

1. Use the correct label

Tags are the key to expanding the audience of Instagram. After using the tag, your article (or story!) will appear on the page of that tag. People can also choose to follow tags, which means you may appear in a completely unfamiliar news source. Surprise! Illustrator Joe Taylor added tags such as "illustrations" and "character design" to this article to appear in these topic searches. Later, more than 1800 people liked it, so it seemed like a good idea. Whether you are using product or service labels, seasonal labels, acronym labels, or location labels, it is best to control the number of labels to no more than 11.

1. Mark relevant users

Whether you are labeling a collaborator or a new acquaintance, the goal is to highlight the level of importance you place on them and share this value with your audience. If their audience happens to see your value in this process? So you have additional benefits.
Cool Carpet - an account dedicated to documenting cool carpets from around the world, of course - clearly marks these trendy, Brazilian made camping chair designers. This is an opportunity to share love, but the additional benefit is that Instagram users and their own fan groups may pay attention to it.

1. Write captivating subtitles

It's best for you to write a novel that exceeds the 2200 character limit on Instagram, or use a single line of text to maintain mystery and power, depending on your brand voice and message. However, regardless of length, subtitles are a key factor in the success of an article. The great Instagram title adds background and personality, and forces your followers to take action. Don't worry about this part! Take a look at these 264 Instagram subtitle examples and draw some inspiration before you start typing.
Here you are, fiber artist H. H。 Hooks shared the inspiration behind her latest work (yes, this is another carpet. I'm sorry, we're in a good mood now!), which provided the background for her cocktail image and sparked dialogue and engagement.

1. Enter the exploration page

Behind this small magnifying glass icon, the exploration page is a beautiful treasure trove of personalized entertainment content provided by Instagram. The brands that appeared there attracted a lot of attention.
But how did the brand first get showcased on the "Explore" tab of Instagram? In short, you need a high engagement rate and an active community - and accepting any new features currently being introduced in Instagram's algorithms will not be harmful.

1. Timely release

Instagram does not display posts in chronological order, but its algorithm does support "closeness". This means that in order to increase fan engagement, you must know when your audience is truly watching the application. So... um... when is the best time? Okay, each brand has its own fan base, and based on its unique audience, you can obtain accurate data from the data analysis page.
According to the digital model calculations and various tests conducted by foreign media to find the best time to release Instagram, overall, Wednesday morning at 11am is a very good time.

1. Organize activities to increase fan engagement

Holding activities such as lucky draws or check-in is one of the simplest ways to gain participation within a given time period. The key is to ensure that your prize is fair and desirable to your audience, and it needs to be specific enough to attract true fans, not opportunists (these fake fans may have mixed up specifically for the prize, and if your activity requires enough specificity, fake fans may not be able to achieve all their goals easily).

At first, it was barely noticeable. He said it was a blood disorder, that was why his health had this “roller coaster” effect. Some days he looked like a million bucks, a little cocky but definitely healthy. Other days? He looked like he’d just finished his third month of chemotherapy. Sickly, pale and scrawny but watching him move you could tell he was deceptively strong. Yet he always looked tired. Dark circles under his eyes explained away with the claim of chronic insomnia. You could hear him up all hours of the night, not making tons of noise but the occasional thud or footstep. We all noticed how standoffish he was, his brief interactions and rushed pleasantries always cut short. Though, no one seemed to have any problems with him or the small amount of noise he made. Some said he was a smack-head, smoking or shooting up god knows what and that’s why he was so weird. I used to think so too…but that’s when things got a little too weird.
He asked for help once, I find him in one of his more sickly states. The buildings elevator broken, he needed a hand climbing the stairs and entering his apartment. The first thing I noticed was how dark it was. All the windows and mirrors were covered with sheets. He claimed he was highly insecure about his body and hated seeing it. He also didn’t let me stay long, claiming he felt ill and wished to be left alone, kindly, but very insistent. Our other neighbour, Ms. Espinosa, had brought him dinner one night, worrying for the man and his sickly figure. But he’d basically thrown the plate after touching it, apologizing, he’d left in a hurry. Apparently, the plate had been lined with silver, something which now makes complete sense to me. Then? There was last night.
I was walking home late one night and startled by his voice. It started as a laugh, a deep, maniacal kind of laugh that sent shivers down the spine and set even the hardest of criminals on edge. “Hahaha, Oh buddy, you have no idea how badly you just screwed yourself.” I looked down the alley to find him and another man, the man having pointed a pistol right at his forehead. “Come on, pull the trigger. I wanna see the look in your eyes when-” The man muttered something before squeezing the trigger…and he CAUGHT the bullet in his TEETH! “Heh Heh Heh…there it is,” he said, spitting out the bullet. “Nothing quite like the look of pure terror in the eyes of a mortal.” He took a step towards the mugger before the mugger emptied his clip. Most of the bullets lodged in his body but he didn’t even flinch. One managed to ricochet right into my leg. “Dam…” My neighbor said under his breath. “Looks like our game got a little out of control. That’s too bad, I was starting to have a little fun with you.” My neighbor back handed the man, but the amount of force behind it sent the mugger flying into the wall. He picked the man up by the scruff of the neck and dragged him over to me. “Now, apologize,” he ordered, to which the mugger obeyed. “Good boy, now if you’ll excuse me miss.” My neighbor grabbed the mugger by the foot and dragged him back further into the darkness and out of sight. It was that moment that really solidified my worst fears, the sounds of an otherworldly being tearing the mugger limb from limb, ripping the flesh from his bones and I assume ate the remaining viscera only hammering the point home. This man, no, that’s just it, he’s NOT a man. I don’t even think he’s human!
The screams ended quickly, after a few seconds the squelches and gnashing of monstrous teeth turning meat to mulch ended as well. Then, the monster walked back into view as if nothing had happened at all. There was no blood, his clothes weren’t torn, hell, he seemed to look BETTER then before. Healthier, stronger, even his hair looked fresh, clean and well kept. He walked over to me, pulling his hood down and crouched down to my eye level. “Hey, so…you need an ambulance or?…”
Hello, had this idea to alter an old vampire character I had in mind. First off? I can’t stress enough that this character is very much omnipotent. To the point where there is very little he can’t do in one way or another, including dying. He’s very different then most vampire interpretations, being my own take on Hellsing Ultimates type of Vampire.
I am extremely open to whatever character you’d have in mind, Neighbour was just the first idea that came to mind. Landlord, Mailman, Jehovahs Witness, doesn’t really matter who you are as long as you come into contact and interact/befriend my character. Romance is an option, but not required.
Play with some ideas, come up with a character you think would play well with mine. The ONLY rule I really wish to implement? You character is HUMAN, not knowing any magic or possessing any power before meeting my character. Maybe that will change later on, but we’ll leave it open to discussion.
Made it this far? Awesome! Start your DM with your zodiac sign to prove it!
Oh, and here’s a few songs to kinda hammer home the sorta character I’m going for.
https://youtu.be/1snr9wqlfr8?si=5hZPmEbuenKoo64y
https://youtu.be/nuYSarZXzrE?si=TE8edColScn5oqhM
https://youtu.be/yXNRGv2bz60?si=ZBIJYnGlEb-B2r5r

At first, it was barely noticeable. He said it was a blood disorder, that was why his health had this “roller coaster” effect. Some days he looked like a million bucks, a little cocky but definitely healthy. Other days? He looked like he’d just finished his third month of chemotherapy. Sickly, pale and scrawny but watching him move you could tell he was deceptively strong. Yet he always looked tired. Dark circles under his eyes explained away with the claim of chronic insomnia. You could hear him up all hours of the night, not making tons of noise but the occasional thud or footstep. We all noticed how standoffish he was, his brief interactions and rushed pleasantries always cut short. Though, no one seemed to have any problems with him or the small amount of noise he made. Some said he was a smack-head, smoking or shooting up god knows what and that’s why he was so weird. I used to think so too…but that’s when things got a little too weird.
He asked for help once, I find him in one of his more sickly states. The buildings elevator broken, he needed a hand climbing the stairs and entering his apartment. The first thing I noticed was how dark it was. All the windows and mirrors were covered with sheets. He claimed he was highly insecure about his body and hated seeing it. He also didn’t let me stay long, claiming he felt ill and wished to be left alone, kindly, but very insistent. Our other neighbour, Ms. Espinosa, had brought him dinner one night, worrying for the man and his sickly figure. But he’d basically thrown the plate after touching it, apologizing, he’d left in a hurry. Apparently, the plate had been lined with silver, something which now makes complete sense to me. Then? There was last night.
I was walking home late one night and startled by his voice. It started as a laugh, a deep, maniacal kind of laugh that sent shivers down the spine and set even the hardest of criminals on edge. “Hahaha, Oh buddy, you have no idea how badly you just screwed yourself.” I looked down the alley to find him and another man, the man having pointed a pistol right at his forehead. “Come on, pull the trigger. I wanna see the look in your eyes when-” The man muttered something before squeezing the trigger…and he CAUGHT the bullet in his TEETH! “Heh Heh Heh…there it is,” he said, spitting out the bullet. “Nothing quite like the look of pure terror in the eyes of a mortal.” He took a step towards the mugger before the mugger emptied his clip. Most of the bullets lodged in his body but he didn’t even flinch. One managed to ricochet right into my leg. “Dam…” My neighbor said under his breath. “Looks like our game got a little out of control. That’s too bad, I was starting to have a little fun with you.” My neighbor back handed the man, but the amount of force behind it sent the mugger flying into the wall. He picked the man up by the scruff of the neck and dragged him over to me. “Now, apologize,” he ordered, to which the mugger obeyed. “Good boy, now if you’ll excuse me miss.” My neighbor grabbed the mugger by the foot and dragged him back further into the darkness and out of sight. It was that moment that really solidified my worst fears, the sounds of an otherworldly being tearing the mugger limb from limb, ripping the flesh from his bones and I assume ate the remaining viscera only hammering the point home. This man, no, that’s just it, he’s NOT a man. I don’t even think he’s human!
The screams ended quickly, after a few seconds the squelches and gnashing of monstrous teeth turning meat to mulch ended as well. Then, the monster walked back into view as if nothing had happened at all. There was no blood, his clothes weren’t torn, hell, he seemed to look BETTER then before. Healthier, stronger, even his hair looked fresh, clean and well kept. He walked over to me, pulling his hood down and crouched down to my eye level. “Hey, so…you need an ambulance or?…”
Hello, had this idea to alter an old vampire character I had in mind. First off? I can’t stress enough that this character is very much omnipotent. To the point where there is very little he can’t do in one way or another, including dying. He’s very different then most vampire interpretations, being my own take on Hellsing Ultimates type of Vampire.
I am extremely open to whatever character you’d have in mind, Neighbour was just the first idea that came to mind. Landlord, Mailman, Jehovahs Witness, doesn’t really matter who you are as long as you come into contact and interact/befriend my character. Romance is an option, but not required.
Play with some ideas, come up with a character you think would play well with mine. The ONLY rule I really wish to implement? You character is HUMAN, not knowing any magic or possessing any power before meeting my character. Maybe that will change later on, but we’ll leave it open to discussion.
Made it this far? Awesome! Start your DM with your zodiac sign to prove it!
Oh, and here’s a few songs to kinda hammer home the sorta character I’m going for.
https://youtu.be/1snr9wqlfr8?si=5hZPmEbuenKoo64y
https://youtu.be/nuYSarZXzrE?si=TE8edColScn5oqhM
https://youtu.be/yXNRGv2bz60?si=ZBIJYnGlEb-B2r5r

Today, I’d like to answer a common question of how or whether a narcissist will finally get their karma for all the hurtful things they do. Let's clear something up: karma isn't some magical power delivering payback. At the core, karma is a spiritual principle which implies that every action we take has consequences for the future. Negative actions can bring more negativity, while kind actions can lead to positive outcomes. It's all about how our actions create a cycle of cause and effect in our lives.
People often love imagining that narcissists will eventually face cosmic karma for being insufferable and abusive. And I get why—it’s tempting to think about them getting what they deserve, especially when you’re dealing with the pain, anger, and confusion after narcissistic abuse. The idea of your tormentor getting their punishment feels very satisfying... at first.
But here's the harsh truth: obsessing over what "karma" your narcissistic ex might face is counterproductive to your healing. It keeps you mentally tied to them, and they don't deserve even one more second of your thoughts. They have already done enough damage in your life for them to even get some headspace deep within you. You should be channelling all your energy to fully flush them out or rather work on the pain you’re feeling.
Think about it: if the only way you can feel "justice" is by imagining scenarios where the narcissist faces major misfortunes, public shaming, or complete life destruction, aren't you still trapped by your trauma bond with them? You're getting a twisted sense of satisfaction from staying emotionally invested enough to watch their downfall from a distance.
Meanwhile, the energy you waste staying hypervigilant about karma striking your ex like a thunderbolt is energy diverted from your own recovery. By unconsciously clinging to the victimhood narrative, you're robbing yourself of the chance to rebuild. As long as your sense of resolution depends on the narcissist receiving catastrophic karma, they still have some control over your inner peace.
The only way to truly break trauma bonds is to reach a point where their existence and perceived fortunes—whether they're thriving or failing—are completely irrelevant to your wellbeing. You'll know you've healed when their name no longer triggers you, not because you're obsessively imagining their downfall, but because they have become an invisible afterthought in your journey of thriving.
In fact, you could argue that the ultimate karmic justice for narcissists is their own diminished capacity to experience life's full depth of meaning, beauty, and humanity. While you emerge from the shackles as a more compassionate, empowered, and grateful person, they remain stuck in a vortex of insatiable selfishness, envy, and emptiness. No ‘externally’ dictated "bad karma" could be a harsher prison sentence than that. You don’t need to see someone suffering physically to know they’re suffering. Internal suffering, which seems inescapable, is far worse.
So by all means, you can take solace in the belief that narcissists eventually reap what they sow in this life or the next. But don't make the mistake of basing your own fulfillment and inner freedom on the need to witness their downfall. The most devastating blow you can deliver to the narcissist in your life is to heal and evolve so completely that you forget they ever held the key to your happiness.
As satisfying as it might feel to indulge in fantasies of karma-fueled demise once in a while, don't let it become a harmful narrative that hinders your journey to a better life without them. Don't give them that power anymore. Your journey to thriving despite their destructive path is the most profound karma they'll face. As you heal and focus on yourself, you'll realize how fortunate you are to overcome pain and embrace joy in life. You might even feel pity or empathy for them when they try to manipulate or play games to fill their inner emptiness.
Note from the Author
If you’re ready and you’d like my help with healing, finding peace in life and breaking free from these toxic patterns, then you can book a FREE BREAKTHROUGH CALL with me HERE. Happy healing 💙💙. Feel free to share and comment! Use this information with caution, it comes from my own thoughts & bias, experiences and research😊.

Now that member renting is finally official (woohoo!) with Kang Hoon appearing weekly for the next few months, I wanted to compile a speculation of who else RM might recruit after. I know some others have made lists of guests they want to see as rentals, but this is mainly just a roughly ordered list of who I think might be one in the future.
~As a sidenote, I personally think that the RM team is probably looking at a kinda-young "crazy"-type female character that can really go the extra mile in the name of variety for the next rental, especially one that can fill Somin's shoes as well as bridge the gap between the current aging RM members and the new generation. Her departure has really left a glaring hole in the entertaining moments between members that Kwangsoo and her used to fill, before she took that role on solely. Female guests that display Somin-like qualities also have noticeably more positive reception from the fanbase than other ones (based on the rate of how quickly and how many people ask for them to be a rental member immediately after their appearance). As such, my picks will be pretty biased towards this idea, but I think somewhat reasonably so? I will still try to be as nonpartial as possible in my judgment.~
Feel free to discuss anything you disagree with!
LIKELY:
*Kwon Eunbi - A lot of people, both domestic and international, have already stated their desire for her to be a rental member, and honestly given everything about her it's pretty likely. A) On-screen, she's shown good chemistry with the other members as well as the ability to let go for variety moments (such as her betrayal in the first episode during the coin game), B) as a soloist idol, she isn't bound by group duties or responsibilities unlike someone like An Yujin, who is also a hot variety guest these days but has only been a regular cast of two seasonal shows (I'll get to her Waterbomb stuff later), and C) at 28 years (turning 29 this year) she's the perfect bridge between the older RM members and the MZ generation.
The main problem would be her idol schedule, especially the summer Waterbomb festival that she went viral for last year and is probably a mainstay in now. If they look for her, she'll probably be a rental during the Fall/Winter seasons to not coincide with that specifically.
*Jonathan - As a growing influencer on YouTube and a multitude of recent appearances, as well as above-average reception of each of his appearances, I think Jonathan is another likely candidate for a future rental member. While he's shown okay chemistry with Jongkook specifically (similar to Kang Hoon), he has also shown he's willing to create funny moments on his own (such as during the futsal game), and more importantly as a popular talk show host he will have great chemistry with a lot of future guests that RM invites. Again, as a growing influencer, Jonathan would also be a big bridge to the MZ generation that RM looks to tap into a lot.
Jonathan has shown that he's willing to come to RM when asked, which is why I put him in "likely"; ultimately, as his YouTube channel grows larger and larger, it is up to him to determine if he wants to or not. That being said, RM is a very uncontroversial show (except for that one 2017 fiasco) with a very large and loyal international fanbase, so there may not be too much consideration in that.
*Kim Do-Hyun - With a whopping 13 appearances (tied for 6th most with Son Na-eun and Heo Kyung-hwan), Kim Bong is by far the most-guested potential member on this list. After his retirement from the UFC, he's shown that he's looking to take his career to the variety/entertainment side, with 6 recent appearances on RM starting with Seokjin's break as well as being a contestant on the second season of Physical: 100. His character as a clumsy musclehead is also an interesting dynamic that could play foil to Jongkook's Sparta; this is especially noticeable on the TXT episode when Jee Seok Bong tried (and failed) to replicate KJK's windmill sweep move. He could also share the brunt of being the "bad" member with Jee Seok Jin, who has had to take on that role solely now that Kwangsoo and Somin both left.
I place him under the previous two, however, because reception to his appearances has not always been particularly positive, especially when there aren't any physical games. I won't include the tour episode as a case against him (because that was genuinely the most boring episode I have ever watched and I don't even know if Kwangsoo could've saved that), but he doesn't really have a member to lean on when it comes time to do bus chatting or talking games. While JSM integrated flawlessly into the RM cast, Sechan had the "underling of Jongkook" character for a while before he found his own footing, and right now it looks like Kang Hoon is also depending a lot on moments between him and Jongkook. Given that RM is very 50/50 these days if they're going to be physical or not, sometimes Bong might shine, and sometimes he won't.
UNSURE:
*Shin Ye-eun - As acknowledged by both RM team (in the weird special thing they did at the end of the year) and RM members (during Kang Hoon's first appearance as a rental member), Ye-eun is their number one pick as a rental member. However, I think it's difficult for this to come to fruition to realistically, as after her The Glory appearance she is slowly shooting up to be a top-tier actress as well and her schedule is extremely packed, as they've also previously mentioned in the 700th anniversary episode. Her agency has also shown a history of wanting her to keep more that traditional "actress image", like when they told her not to dance in her first guesting on RM (she did it anyway lol).
*Ji Ye-eun - Her first appearance was literally just days ago, so I hesitate to put her on this list: however, she has received a ton of positive reception to her guesting similar to Eunbi and the other Ye-eun. Her flirting with KH and crying after being complimented seemed to remind people a lot of a certain love frog, and in addition the PD team even played Somin's theme during her appearance (the only other time I know of was during Eunbi's second guesting). As an SNL actor, she has tons of experience in creating funny moments and doing a character for entertainment, and doesn't need to worry about "actress image" or anything like that. It also looked like the rest of the RM cast found her endearing as well.
The main roadblock, I think, is that she literally has one appearance so far. Although people were clamoring for Eunbi to be a rental member after her first appearance as well, she still came on a second time, probably for the PD team to test the waters. Also, unlike Eunbi, Ye-eun is not known whatsoever outside of Korea, and given the international fanbase of this show they'd just be asking for tons of negative reactions or even hate if they were to make her a rental member after one episode. That being said, if they keep inviting her and reception remains positive, she has a strong case to be a future rental member.
UNLIKELY:
*Any former member - I know, I know: a lot of people have expressed desire for someone like Kwangsoo or Somin to come back as a rental member (including the current members themselves, can't remember which episode), but unfortunately the reality is that a big reason why someone leaves the cast is to leave behind the variety image and build a name for themselves as an actor. Somin is especially unlikely since she just left not a while ago, and Kwangsoo has shown on numerous occasions to avoid RM as a topic (can be seen whenever he's on a different show with Jaesuk because Jaesuk will tease him about it). Also, coming back as a rental member would just cause a lot of fans to beg for their return to the main cast, and that's usually something you probably want to avoid when trying to get away from the RM image. As for Gary and Joongki....lol.
*Any former "famous" guest: Kang Hanna, Hong Jin-young, Lee Sang-yeob, Lee Da-hee, etc. - Of the most iconic guests on Running Man, Hanna is the only one to have appeared even remotely recently, and even before that it was almost a 4-year gap between her last appearance (702) and the one before that (509). Most of the best guests we know were here during a very different era of Running Man, and there is a reason most of them haven't shown up again in 4+ years. I know a lot of people wish for them to come back at least once, and there is hope given that Hanna just came back, but it also does need to be known that RM now is almost a completely different show than when they were first "famous" guests, and at this point we should just hope they even come back as guests, let alone rental members.
*Hong Jin-ho - While he has a similar number of recent appearances to Bong, I just don't see a world where he becomes a rental member. I'm not tryna sound like a hater, BUT: A) At 41, he's far too old to really bridge anything with the current generation, B) he hasn't shown any particular character other than the bad-pronounciation one, C) and his overall reception has been lukewarm at best, since he doesn't really add anything to the cast.
*Cha Tae-hyun - A very out-of-left-field pick, but he has stated previously (on KJK's channel or MYOB, I don't remember which) that he would be completely open to being a rental member. Of course, it was mentioned in passing so I'm not sure how seriously we should take this, and also as he hasn't shown up very recently as a guest it's not likely the RM team are considering him either. Consider this one to barely make the list, since no one has brought it up since.
That's all the people I have down so far! I'm open for discussion of any member placement you disagree with, or if you have another person in mind that you think might become a member in the future.
Edit: typo, formatting
Edit 2: expansion