Introduction: Artificial intelligence (AI) is the simulation of human intelligence processes by computer systems. Over the years, AI has developed to be more useful and more sophisticated, and like every scientific advancement, people are interested in what it can do. This article seeks to explore what AI can do.
Advancements in Healthcare: Artificial intelligence is applied in healthcare to create intelligent devices that can predict and diagnose diseases, prevent disease outbreaks, and improve healthcare delivery. AI can help doctors and researchers to identify patterns in data, develop treatment plans, and analyze medical images. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can also help patients to get medical advice and provide mental health support. Additionally, AI-powered robots can be used to perform surgeries and other medical procedures, which will help reduce the risk of human error.
Enhanced Business Operations: Business owners can use AI to improve their operations in various ways. AI-powered chatbots can help businesses to automate their customer service, thereby enhancing customer experience and reducing labour costs. AI can also be used to predict and control machine downtime, reduce errors in the manufacturing process, and improve the efficiency of logistics management. Furthermore, AI can be used in marketing to automate the process of identifying potential customers and customizing messages to suit their needs.
Improved Public Safety: AI can help improve public safety by increasing the accuracy in surveillance and detection. AI-powered devices such as security cameras can detect suspicious behaviour and alert security personnel in real-time. Additionally, AI can be used to analyse social media posts and identify potential threats, thereby enhancing the ability of law enforcement agencies to prevent crimes. In transportation, AI can be used to predict and prevent accidents, reduce traffic congestion, and improve the efficiency of public transportation.
Conclusion: From healthcare to business operations to public safety, AI has many applications that can benefit humanity. The use and implementation of AI will continue to evolve, and we can expect more applications and advances to come in the future.

Since this sub and some 4000+ others are going dark in 2 days in protest of probably this site's stupidest decision ever, I figure this is probably the last time I'll get to share my pointless thoughts on this game here, so may as well. It doesn't really matter anymore if it's full of awful takes and people just downvote and insult me in the comments, it's been a grand time and I'll miss seeing posts and having discussions over this dEaD gAmE.

Construction

• Starting off strong, construction was a mistake. While it did have potential and had some cool moments, it was ultimately a distraction from the parts of the game that most of the playerbase actually interacted with. Even now with the latest updates to it, I feel like it's still a waste of time and effort on the devs' part and I'd have preferred if that time went into something like improving existing base designs instead.

Base/Map Design

• Speaking of base design, where the hell are those shielded garages outside of Oshur and containment sites? Such a small thing would have gone a long way towards improving fight longevity and yet it just never happened.
  
• Containment sites themselves are a mixed bag of design as well. Ultimately you're trying to funnel players into three long hallways with 2 areas for them to spawn/approach from, the defender lower spawns and the attacker lower spawns or the buses parked just above. Because everyone's funneled like this, the pop ends up highly concentrated in one hallway or the other in a sort of "wave" pattern and people usually won't spread out aside from a handful of folks sitting on point to prevent ghost flips. I'd have liked to see more ways for attackers and defenders alike to get in and out of the lower levels, make use of the base's design to add more verticality to the action and break up the very predictable movement.
  
• Oshur is just a tremendous waste of potential in terms of design as well. The water and boats are just utterly squandered for some reason, despite the whole continent being designed for them. Why are the islands almost entirely cliffs that make it impossible for boats to actually engage? Where are the docks, the coves, rivers, straits, channels cutting through bases? Boats should be the centerpoint of logistics in Oshur, instead of just the most convenient means of capturing points that are just floating in the middle of the ocean with some ruins underneath.
  
• Underwater combat could have been interesting as an addition to regular combat, but when you try to limit it to being its own thing by making the only bases with underwater points, ENTIRELY UNDERWATER, you just end up with slower gimped combat. Why the hell don't island bases have sections that go down to the water, and have flooded areas? It's not like you didn't get to see what that might have been like, you flooded Indar in test and that was pretty neat.
  

Vehicles

• Vehicle play has been neglected. I'm not talking about nerfs or CAI, I'm talking about just making them a more integral part of the game. There are not enough vehicles for vehicle play and vehicle vs vehicle combat to stand out because vehicles largely lack purpose. When I get to a base to contest and I don't have a sundy, I ditch the vehicle because I can contribute more on my feet than I can in my vehicle. Unless the friendly sundies die, I don't really have much of an impetus to bring another vehicle. I also don't want to bring a vehicle from the neighboring base just to kill enemy vehicles that might be farming infantry because a) those enemy vehicles aren't really contributing to the cap, and b) my vehicle won't either. GIVE PEOPLE A REASON TO WANT TO PULL VEHICLES MORE OFTEN AND YOU WILL SEE MORE VEHICLES FIGHTING EACH OTHER INSTEAD OF JUST FARMING INFANTRY.
  
• As for what might motivate people to do that, here's an idea - take the existing CTF concept, and apply it to vehicles, but instead of all the finicky flag counts and resetting, just shift the base timer every time a flag is delivered. Place the flag and delivery points on the edges of the base where infantry can have some influence but are at a notable disadvantage to vehicles. This makes it so that vehicles can significantly supplement a base cap but aren't mandatory, and they have to move around instead of just sitting still. This can apply to air units as well at bases that have landing pads, and maybe we'd see more amateur pilots and have a healthier airgame.
  
• I also believe we can improve the vehicle logistics game by adding a new option to the defense slot of transports (valk, sundy, gal, ant?) which enables players within a certain radius of the vehicle to spawn directly into it, but with a longer timer (like 10 seconds longer than a parked bus). This does not make logistics specialist implant obsolete, as that can still work for non-transports, and also does not require sacrificing the defense slot. It also offers no benefit for squadplay, as squadmates can already spawn directly into squad transports. However, it should be a boon for solo players offering logistics or trying to catch a ride. Air transports hovering above bases to act as air spawns can also make for juicy targets for pilots, so there's another thing to encourage more vehicle and air play.
  
• Suppose I should go over vehicle balance briefly too, though that's less important than the above points IMO. We're going to focus one two key ideas here: no long-range imprecise AI, and more focus on armor vs armor.
  
  • For that first idea, the outright removal of HESH. It's been used as makeshift artillery for its entire existence, even when it was HE. Rocket pods, Dusters, and AI noseguns should have a significant increase in spread to drastically decrease their effectiveness at distance. Shorter range explosive weapons like Bulldog get a pass because their range makes them easier to retaliate against (assuming you have the means to do so), and non-explosive AI like Kobalts are fine.
  • For the second idea, an increase in mobility and weapon velocities across the board, as well as new main cannons to replace HESH because there's so few of those and they're still severely lacking in variety. With faster vehicles and more accurate weapons, we want to encourage people to be attacking on the move rather than hunkering down in place and slowly feeling out the right altitude for their shots. As for the MBT cannon replacements, here is a suggestion for each (not NSO you're fine) focused on ease of use over DPS:
    • NC gets a guided shell with the same damage profile as HEAT but the reload speed and velocity of AP. Shell is laser guided so it'll adjust towards the cursor, rather than camera-guided like the Phoenix rocket, which is kind of awkward to use and probably impossible to control at this velocity.
    • TR gets a 60mm autocannon with a 8 round mag and low spread/bloom per shot. Imagine a weaker, long-range version of the Viper intended for an accurate, sustained barrage of fire.
    • VS gets a proper laser repeater. 400 RPM or something stupid like that, piss for damage to offset the ROF, low COF because it's bloody lasers. This thing should be doing strafing runs on other tanks, or firing at aircraft and making a hell of a lightshow. Laser brrrrrrrrrt.

Infantry

• Infiltrator cloak should be a separate device you need to equip and activate to use. In that same slot is a new gadget, the nanite disruptor. Think the dildar, but instead of spotting enemies moving through, it slowly drains the shields and energy of enemies in its area, and also clears spots. For all the folks that don't abuse cloak, the cloak change won't be too bad. For the folks that decide they'd rather not cloak at all anymore, have a new and useful gadget.
  
• Heavies are mostly fine right now. The other classes have enough tools at their disposal now to offset the overshield's strength IMO. It really does just come down to getting good at clicking heads at this point.
  
• AMRs seem to be a point of contention, and I get people not being particularly happy about engineers getting BASRs, even if they aren't great at anti-infantry stats wise. To offset this, why not try a different approach - make them hipfire only ala MCG/Thumper, lower the HS mult to 1.5x, and raise the base damage so most of them (3 for DAGR since it's a quick boi) can kill infantry with 2 bodyshots but not 1 headshot. A rifle of that caliber would be hard as hell to shoulder and fire accurately anyway. Now it's a worse slug pump shotgun instead of a worse bolt-action.
  
• MAXes have already seen their share of nerfs, but I'd still like to see them be shifted more towards a support role over an offensive one. Remove all the AI options from the right arm and add a special grenade launcher in its stead that can fire the class-specific grenades of the Punisher SMG. Cure nades, repair nades, havoc nades, etc. It's a big hit to its infantry offensive capability but adds a LOT of utility already, and you can probably keep yourself alive a lot longer if you just spam repair nades at your feet lol.
  
• Revive grenades are too strong and spammy. I'd just limit the max amount you can carry to 2, even with grenade bandolier.
  

Monetization

• Let's face it, RPG/DBG is not good at monetizing this game. Yeah there's the bundles which whales and diehards will buy, but even those are becoming less attractive year after year. This is only a baseless assumption, but I'd guess that membership is what generates most of the revenue from this game. 10-15 bucks a month is a hefty subscription cost, and that's mostly just to skip queues. If the membership was for Planetside alone and not everything in DBG's roster, it'd be really damn hard to justify charging those prices.
  
• The Depot just doesn't get enough updates. It's stale. Now and then a fantastic modeller like d0ku or steve will pull through and give us some gorgeous cosmetics like the new armor sets or the sunderer armadillo skin (my beloved), but that's too few and far between.
  
• It feels like this game attempted to make its own version of a season/battle pass with the campaigns, which were interesting, but the implementation of the missions for them had major flaws and it was also too quick and easy to complete when other players weren't purposely making the missions impossible to do. If campaign progression was tied more to faction/community-wide milestones that could be reached through regular gameplay, like x bases captured or x resources gathered, it would be less of a pain in the ass and still be a special event that motivated people to play more. I think something like this could work well for this game, and to monetize it in a non-predatory way you could lock some cosmetic items in the campaign currency shop to season pass owners or members only.
  

The Form

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US: - $1500 - $2000 -
• Are you open to refurbs/used? - I'm skeptic about using refurbished unless it has RTX 3080 Ti or higher. -
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? - If I use a laptop as my sole driver (where I also use it for gaming), then battery life isn't too big of a deal for me since I'll be having it plugged up most of the time. In the situation that it's more for only college (no gaming on it) a 2-in-1 approach would be nice so I can also use it for note taking and digital art. Enough battery life to get me through my courses would be nice. -
• How important is weight and thinness to you? - It's not a big deal for me. My last laptop was an old Dell Latitude CP from the early 2000s that I used to carry around in a HUGE laptop bag. So, I'm used to some weight. -
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. - 17" or larger, since anything smaller feels too small for me, but I can settle for a 16" too. -
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. - I like to play MMORPGs (like FFXIV), JRPGs, mobile games on Bluestacks, and old emulated games. As for programs: Microsoft Office, Clip Studio Paint, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro and OBS Studio. -
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? - FFXIV (custom high settings) at 60+ FPS -
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? - A touch screen that's also good for writing notes and doing digital art. Reliable build quality is must since whatever laptop I get has to last me through college. -
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion. - I'm supposed to be starting up in college this fall and regardless on whatever path I choose I need a good laptop to get me through college. However, I'm stuck going back and forth on choosing a cost effective solution where I can continue enjoying PC gaming and not forgo it for the next 6 - 7 years. So, I've been trying to decide either to try getting a laptop that will "do it all" or divide everything up to a desktop for gaming and a 17" laptop for college. -

Introduction: Artificial intelligence (AI) is the most significant technological advancement of the 21st century. With the ability to learn and adapt, AI has enormous implications for various aspects of our lives, from healthcare and education to transportation and entertainment. AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we live, work, and interact with one another, making it one of the most exciting and anticipated technological developments of our time.
Presentation: 1. The Future of Work: AI has the ability to automate many of the jobs that are currently done by humans, leading to a significant shift in the workforce. This shift will not only change the nature of work but also increase productivity and efficiency. With AI taking over routine tasks and freeing up time for more creative work, individuals will have the opportunity to focus on tasks that require unique human skills, such as empathy, creativity, and critical thinking. Thus, AI will augment human capabilities, creating new opportunities and roles for individuals to explore.

1. Healthcare: AI will have a significant impact on healthcare, allowing for more personalized and accurate diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. By analyzing vast amounts of data, AI can identify patterns and predict illnesses before they occur. Additionally, AI can help physicians develop personalized treatment plans for their patients, leading to more effective and efficient care. AI-powered robots can also assist with surgeries, reducing the risk of medical errors and improving surgical outcomes. Furthermore, AI-powered wearables and other devices can monitor patients' health continuously, providing early detection and alerting medical professionals in case of emergencies.
   
2. Education: AI has the potential to transform the way we learn and teach. With AI-powered adaptive learning platforms, personalized learning can become a reality, allowing individuals to learn at their own pace and style. Additionally, AI can provide teachers with real-time data and insights about their students' learning, allowing them to adjust their teaching styles and strategies to meet the students' needs. AI can also provide personalized feedback to students, helping them identify areas of weakness and improvement. Furthermore, AI can help bridge the education gap in underprivileged areas by providing access to quality education resources.
   
3. Transportation: AI can revolutionize transportation by making it safer, more efficient, and sustainable. With AI-powered self-driving cars, the number of accidents caused by human error can significantly reduce. Additionally, AI can optimize traffic flow, reducing congestion and travel time. AI can also help reduce carbon emissions by optimizing routes and reducing fuel consumption. Moreover, AI can revolutionize the logistics industry by automating the transportation of goods, reducing delivery time and costs.
   

Conclusion: Artificial intelligence has the potential to change the future in unimaginable ways, from transforming the way we work and learn to revolutionizing healthcare and transportation. AI will augment human capabilities, creating new opportunities, and roles for individuals to explore. As AI technology continues to evolve, it will become an essential tool in shaping the future of our society.

I have always taken out zonai devices when autobuilding instead of just paying the cost of the zonaite, but I realized that may instead be costing me more considering I buy charges from the construct forges using zonaite.
So, when building something that uses exclusively zonai devices (such as the 3 piece wind bike), is it more efficient to:
Just pay the zonaite cost outright
or
Use zonaite to buy charges to buy parts from vending machines?

• Total budget : $400-$1000 USD
• Are you open to refurbs/used? Yes, refurbs are generally what I buy.
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? I want good battery life, but I also want good performance. Performance is always over battery life for me, but it is nice to have. I'd prefer not to have a 2-in-1.
• How important is weight and thinness to you? Not too important, but you can't go wrong with going thinner. I don't want it to be a brick though.
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A. I'd like a 15.6" screen or somewhere around that size. 14 inch is not a deal breaker but I'd like to be able to read more at one time (for programming and editing configs)
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. I'll be using this laptop for general schoolwork, CAD, programming (python, C, C#,), web design utilities, and some very light games (like terraria or Minecraft)
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? Running Minecraft at around 300fps on low settings should be fine.
• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? I very much like the touchpad on the EliteBook 845 G8, as that was my previous laptop. Reliable build quality is always nice too. Fingerprint reader would be really cool but that's just a gimmick to me and it wouldn't be necessary if it increases cost too much. It's very important to me that this laptop is user-upgradable and user-serviceable. A backlit keyboard would be cool too!

​

• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.
  • I really love the EliteBook 845 G8 (mine had 16GB DDR4 ram, 1TB SSD, and a Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U), but I'm switching because the battery life is not so good, and the screen is pretty small.
  • I do NOT want a laptop with a "gamer-y" look. I'm very minimalist when it comes to laptops and I don't want it to be too flashy.
  • I'd like a higher refresh rate than 60hz, but I know that is generally a pretty big battery killer so it's not 100% necessary.

Dumb question, but I'm considering a Protectli and of course PFSense but for a home network is it really worth the investment? I don't mean cost of the device as much as time investment and work at configuring the home network and firewall?
I use a VPN on my desktop now, and I'm pretty tame with my online activity, i.e., youtube/reddit, etc.
On one hand this sort of upgrade seems like overkill for a generic home setup, but on the other hand, I'd rather protect my network if someone does try to breach it for their purposes.
I can some advantages, since the Protectli will protect the entire network, where as my desktop's firewall and/or vpn is only safe guarding that single device.

UFC 289 : Watch Nunes vs. Aldana Fight Online
THE WORLD’S BEST pound-for-pound women’s UFC fighter is back in the ring this weekend as Amanda Nunes defends her bantamweight title against Irene Aldana in UFC 289. And to make things even more exciting, the event’s co-main sees former UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira up against Beneil Dariush.

Watch Nunes vs Aldana Live Stream

Watch Nunes vs Aldana Live Stream

Looking to stream UFC 289 live? Read on. Below is a complete guide on all the ways to watch Nunes vs. Aldana online, including a hack that lets you stream UFC 289 without ESPN+.
Quick Answer: You can watch UFC 289 online by purchasing the PPV livestream through ESPN+. Or, if you have a VPN, you can stream the event on BT Sport without paying the PPV fee.
How to Watch UFC 289: Nunes vs. Aldana Online The only way to watch UFC 289 online in the U.S. (without a VPN) is to purchase the event’s PPV livestream on ESPN+. If you already have an ESPN+ subscription, head here to purchase the PPV stream for $79.99.
If you don’t have an ESPN+ subscription, sign up here to purchase the UFC 289 PPV. ESPN+ subscriptions normally cost $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year if you pay annually, but you can save on the membership price by bundling the UFC 289 PPV with an annual ESPN+ subscription. This UFC 289 PPV + ESPN+ annual plan bundle costs just $124.98, saving you $55 compared to getting both separately.
Another way to get a discount on the ESPN+ subscription cost is to sign up for the Disney Bundle. This bundle deal gets you subscriptions to ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu — all for just $12.99 a month.
Watch UFC 289 With a VPN Without ESPN+ Want to watch UFC numbered events for cheaper? Consider getting a virtual private network (VPN) to watch BT Sport’s U.K. livestreams of UFC events.
BT Sport broadcasts most UFC events in the U.K., and you don’t need to buy a PPV to watch them. All you need is a subscription to BT Sport, which costs just £29.99 (about $38), and you’ll be able to livestream UFC 289.
BT Sport is normally geo-blocked in the U.S., but you can still access the streaming service with a VPN. These services virtually re-locate your streaming device, letting you access web content in any region. We recommend ExpressVPN, which is very secure and offers fast streaming of content from other regions (including the U.K.). It costs $12.95 a month and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
After you’ve signed up for ExpressVPN, set your location to the U.K., sign up for BT Sport, and livestream UFC 289 without ESPN+.
When is UFC 289? Date, Time, Location UFC 289 is happening today, Saturday, June 10 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The main card featuring Nunes vs. Aldana and Oliveira vs. Dariush is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Before the main card, we’ll get prelims at 8 p.m. ET and early prelims at 7 p.m. ET. Both the prelims and early prelims are available to watch on ESPN+ without a PPV purchase.
UFC 289: Nunes vs. Aldana Fight Card Main Card Amanda Nunes (C) vs. Irene Aldana — Women’s bantamweight Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush — Lightweight Mike Malott vs. Adam Fugitt — Welterweight Dan Ige vs. Nate Landwehr — Lightweight Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Eryk Anders — Middleweight
Prelims Matt Schnell vs. David Dvorak — Flyweight Khalil Rountree Jr. vs. Nate Daukaus — Light heavyweight Nassourdine Imavov vs. Chris Curtis — Middleweight Hakeem Dawodu vs. Lucas Almeida — Featherweight
Early Prelims Aiemann Zahabi vs. Aoriqileng — Bantamweight Kyle Nelson vs. Blake Bilder — Featherweight Diana Belbita vs. Maria Oliveira — Women’s strawweight Miranda Maverick vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius — Women’s flyweight

UFC 289 : Watch Nunes vs. Aldana Fight Online
THE WORLD’S BEST pound-for-pound women’s UFC fighter is back in the ring this weekend as Amanda Nunes defends her bantamweight title against Irene Aldana in UFC 289. And to make things even more exciting, the event’s co-main sees former UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira up against Beneil Dariush.

Watch Nunes vs Aldana Live Stream

Watch Nunes vs Aldana Live Stream

Looking to stream UFC 289 live? Read on. Below is a complete guide on all the ways to watch Nunes vs. Aldana online, including a hack that lets you stream UFC 289 without ESPN+.
Quick Answer: You can watch UFC 289 online by purchasing the PPV livestream through ESPN+. Or, if you have a VPN, you can stream the event on BT Sport without paying the PPV fee.
How to Watch UFC 289: Nunes vs. Aldana Online The only way to watch UFC 289 online in the U.S. (without a VPN) is to purchase the event’s PPV livestream on ESPN+. If you already have an ESPN+ subscription, head here to purchase the PPV stream for $79.99.
If you don’t have an ESPN+ subscription, sign up here to purchase the UFC 289 PPV. ESPN+ subscriptions normally cost $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year if you pay annually, but you can save on the membership price by bundling the UFC 289 PPV with an annual ESPN+ subscription. This UFC 289 PPV + ESPN+ annual plan bundle costs just $124.98, saving you $55 compared to getting both separately.
Another way to get a discount on the ESPN+ subscription cost is to sign up for the Disney Bundle. This bundle deal gets you subscriptions to ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu — all for just $12.99 a month.
Watch UFC 289 With a VPN Without ESPN+ Want to watch UFC numbered events for cheaper? Consider getting a virtual private network (VPN) to watch BT Sport’s U.K. livestreams of UFC events.
BT Sport broadcasts most UFC events in the U.K., and you don’t need to buy a PPV to watch them. All you need is a subscription to BT Sport, which costs just £29.99 (about $38), and you’ll be able to livestream UFC 289.
BT Sport is normally geo-blocked in the U.S., but you can still access the streaming service with a VPN. These services virtually re-locate your streaming device, letting you access web content in any region. We recommend ExpressVPN, which is very secure and offers fast streaming of content from other regions (including the U.K.). It costs $12.95 a month and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
After you’ve signed up for ExpressVPN, set your location to the U.K., sign up for BT Sport, and livestream UFC 289 without ESPN+.
When is UFC 289? Date, Time, Location UFC 289 is happening today, Saturday, June 10 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The main card featuring Nunes vs. Aldana and Oliveira vs. Dariush is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Before the main card, we’ll get prelims at 8 p.m. ET and early prelims at 7 p.m. ET. Both the prelims and early prelims are available to watch on ESPN+ without a PPV purchase.
UFC 289: Nunes vs. Aldana Fight Card Main Card Amanda Nunes (C) vs. Irene Aldana — Women’s bantamweight Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush — Lightweight Mike Malott vs. Adam Fugitt — Welterweight Dan Ige vs. Nate Landwehr — Lightweight Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Eryk Anders — Middleweight
Prelims Matt Schnell vs. David Dvorak — Flyweight Khalil Rountree Jr. vs. Nate Daukaus — Light heavyweight Nassourdine Imavov vs. Chris Curtis — Middleweight Hakeem Dawodu vs. Lucas Almeida — Featherweight
Early Prelims Aiemann Zahabi vs. Aoriqileng — Bantamweight Kyle Nelson vs. Blake Bilder — Featherweight Diana Belbita vs. Maria Oliveira — Women’s strawweight Miranda Maverick vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius — Women’s flyweight

UFC 289 : Watch Nunes vs. Aldana Fight Online
THE WORLD’S BEST pound-for-pound women’s UFC fighter is back in the ring this weekend as Amanda Nunes defends her bantamweight title against Irene Aldana in UFC 289. And to make things even more exciting, the event’s co-main sees former UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira up against Beneil Dariush.

Watch Nunes vs Aldana Live Stream

Watch Nunes vs Aldana Live Stream

Looking to stream UFC 289 live? Read on. Below is a complete guide on all the ways to watch Nunes vs. Aldana online, including a hack that lets you stream UFC 289 without ESPN+.
Quick Answer: You can watch UFC 289 online by purchasing the PPV livestream through ESPN+. Or, if you have a VPN, you can stream the event on BT Sport without paying the PPV fee.
How to Watch UFC 289: Nunes vs. Aldana Online The only way to watch UFC 289 online in the U.S. (without a VPN) is to purchase the event’s PPV livestream on ESPN+. If you already have an ESPN+ subscription, head here to purchase the PPV stream for $79.99.
If you don’t have an ESPN+ subscription, sign up here to purchase the UFC 289 PPV. ESPN+ subscriptions normally cost $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year if you pay annually, but you can save on the membership price by bundling the UFC 289 PPV with an annual ESPN+ subscription. This UFC 289 PPV + ESPN+ annual plan bundle costs just $124.98, saving you $55 compared to getting both separately.
Another way to get a discount on the ESPN+ subscription cost is to sign up for the Disney Bundle. This bundle deal gets you subscriptions to ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu — all for just $12.99 a month.
Watch UFC 289 With a VPN Without ESPN+ Want to watch UFC numbered events for cheaper? Consider getting a virtual private network (VPN) to watch BT Sport’s U.K. livestreams of UFC events.
BT Sport broadcasts most UFC events in the U.K., and you don’t need to buy a PPV to watch them. All you need is a subscription to BT Sport, which costs just £29.99 (about $38), and you’ll be able to livestream UFC 289.
BT Sport is normally geo-blocked in the U.S., but you can still access the streaming service with a VPN. These services virtually re-locate your streaming device, letting you access web content in any region. We recommend ExpressVPN, which is very secure and offers fast streaming of content from other regions (including the U.K.). It costs $12.95 a month and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
After you’ve signed up for ExpressVPN, set your location to the U.K., sign up for BT Sport, and livestream UFC 289 without ESPN+.
When is UFC 289? Date, Time, Location UFC 289 is happening today, Saturday, June 10 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The main card featuring Nunes vs. Aldana and Oliveira vs. Dariush is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Before the main card, we’ll get prelims at 8 p.m. ET and early prelims at 7 p.m. ET. Both the prelims and early prelims are available to watch on ESPN+ without a PPV purchase.
UFC 289: Nunes vs. Aldana Fight Card Main Card Amanda Nunes (C) vs. Irene Aldana — Women’s bantamweight Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush — Lightweight Mike Malott vs. Adam Fugitt — Welterweight Dan Ige vs. Nate Landwehr — Lightweight Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Eryk Anders — Middleweight
Prelims Matt Schnell vs. David Dvorak — Flyweight Khalil Rountree Jr. vs. Nate Daukaus — Light heavyweight Nassourdine Imavov vs. Chris Curtis — Middleweight Hakeem Dawodu vs. Lucas Almeida — Featherweight
Early Prelims Aiemann Zahabi vs. Aoriqileng — Bantamweight Kyle Nelson vs. Blake Bilder — Featherweight Diana Belbita vs. Maria Oliveira — Women’s strawweight Miranda Maverick vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius — Women’s flyweight

and i feel so alone. i’ve always said, what makes life easier is having things to look forward to. but i am alone. i have friends, family and a partner. but i am alone. i’m the one who tries to make plans, arrange something, see people and do things, with the excitement of WANTING to see people and do things. but it’s just me. i say i’ll pay, don’t worry about costs, can we just do something? can any of us please just do something. if i master the art of being left to my own devices i will stick to that and spiral. i don’t want to feel alone. or lonely. with so many great people in my life. i’ll write this post instead.

My name is qazz and I'm here to warn you of the eternal eaters. The eternal eaters are a species of creatures that are almost unstoppable, they seem to be untouchable, to most species and have traveled through multiple multiverse and have devoured everything their, they seem to reproduce by biting any creature/object and that creature will turn into them.
I am the only few left of my species, after we first learned about the eternal eaters we first thought that we could just kill them with are advanced weapons but, they just phased through. Are weapons quickly turned into them. We then attempted to use other creatures to fight them but, we only strengthen the eternal eater's numbers
Are species has the ability to absorb abilities from other creatures, infinite stamina, regeneration, and the ability to adapt to any situation.
My species then tried fighting them but every 1 eternal eater killed cost us 45 of my species.
But many of us tried to adapt to them, not allowing are home to be destroyed many of us adapted to be immune to the eternal eaters but they lost their freedom and where unable to move, talk, or eat.
A company from my species was able to create a sword that could instantly kill the eternal eaters in one touch but, they wouldn't allow any one to recreate the recipe. The sword required someone to meet a few requirements. One of those was a normal blood pressure, if they failed they would instantly die. John came to pick up the sword and instantly melted as he screamed help me. A person named Jennifer did the test and completed the first part successfully but the second part required them to not be overweight. Jennifer failed this part and started melting but she adapted to this and became heat resistant. Instead of dying from melting, her bodie's skin peeled off and her legs exploded. Jennifer regenerated but then the effects got worse and worse until she died.
People refused to do the tests anymore for billions of years. So I built a few teleportation devices but, too many people wanted to leave at once. So the devices exploded. The eternal eaters had eaten 90% of our universe. People committed suicide because of the high levels of stress felt knowing that we had approximately 5 days to live before the eternal eaters consumed everything. I created a suit allowing my to explore universes, multiverses, outerverses, and even metaverses.
I traveled to multiverse to multiverse trying to find anywhere they couldn't go or find me but, they kept coming back. I even tried outerverse to outerverse but they always found away.
I've warned all of these universes and they have all failed.
However your race is similar to mine and with my knowledge we may be able to stop them

So I have this list of different assets for a business to consider including in an inventory. It's in a couple different categories and would love it if anyone has ideas of other things to call out and include in this list. The goal is to use all of this to build the inventory for a risk analysis and also have it cover a bunch of other business operations. I'm not looking to call out CUI or anything FADFACMMC related. I want to identify data that 90% of small businesses have that may be sensitive...
Start with an export from any accounting software of purchases, subscriptions and if using a fixed asset manager or plugin, save that output for a start of the inventory.
Technology the business has: mobile devices, network, PCs, printers, shredders, IoT devices, diagnostic equipment (medical or other)
Software the business uses: local installed, Software as a Service like Quickbooks Online, Xero Accounting, Stripe/Square, M365, Google Enterprise, Wix, Social media logins, API keys, password managers
Data the business has and what format it is in: Payroll data in Quickbooks, employee documents, SSNs, W-2, W-4, I-9, incorporation docs, bills+account numbers and contacts/responsible parties, CRM customer lists, invoices, trade secrets, formulations, login info, PHI
Third Parties the business uses – Shared office space, cleaners, landlord of a leased office building, Accountant, Banks, Managed Service Providers, CC processor, gov logins such as IRS, state registrar, other state or city regulator website
Locations where business is conducted or business assets may be present: Cars, Office locations, home
Access inventory: physical key inventory, software login inventory and access level. Third party logins, gov websites, insurance company logins, this category does tie in with Third Parties
Personnel - Employees, Interns, Volunteers, anyone who has access to the components of company “inventory”
"Tools" of the trade - any other assets that should be on the books and tracked.
​
Here are the uses of the inventory: 1. Risk Management: The inventory is used to identify potential risks and vulnerabilities in your business. For example, outdated hardware or software can pose a security risk.

1. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery: The inventory can support business continuity and disaster recovery planning. If a disaster occurs, you'll know exactly what needs to be replaced or restored.
   
2. Insurance Valuation and Claims Processing: Having a complete inventory can help you ensure that your business is adequately insured.
   
3. Asset Tracking: In case of theft or employee fraud, an updated inventory can help track the assets and possibly assist in recovery.
   
4. Financial Reporting and Audit: Detailed inventory information can assist in financial reporting and audits. It can provide a clear picture of the company's assets, their value, and depreciation, which is essential for accurate financial statements.
   
5. Operational Efficiency: Understanding what resources you have and where they are can improve operational efficiency. It can help identify redundancies, streamline processes, and optimize resource usage.
   
6. Strategic Planning: An inventory can inform strategic planning by providing a snapshot of the current state of your business. It can help identify areas where investment is needed, guide decisions about technology adoption, and support capacity planning.
   
7. Employee Management: By tracking which employees have access to which resources, the inventory can help manage roles and responsibilities more effectively. It can also support risk management, onboarding and offboarding processes.
   
8. Vendor Management: If your inventory includes information about software and hardware vendors, it can support vendor management activities, such as contract renewal, negotiation, relationship management, and cost control.
   
9. Regulatory Compliance: While this is part of your original use case, it's worth emphasizing that an inventory can be crucial for demonstrating compliance with various regulations. It can help you prove that you're managing your assets responsibly and protecting sensitive data.
   
10. Mergers and Acquisitions: If your company is involved in a merger or acquisition, a detailed inventory can facilitate the due diligence process by providing clear information about the company's assets and liabilities.
    

​
Please share ideas on what to tack on to this list either in the inventory list or the uses list.

I lost my license last year and I have to Uber everywhere especially work. Don’t get me wrong I’m glad Uber exists, but it costs me $85 day to get back and forth. I make good money but I also have to pay child support which is outrageous. I am constantly in anxiety and stress, I try to work from home to save money but I have a new boss and I try to hide from everyone that I have no car. It’s so expensive and embarrassing. It’s not like the fees, classes and everything isn’t enough. I’m going to be completely broke soon. I have a year to go to get my hardship license and get off probation. Then I have to face buying a car (probably the worst shit box in the world) and then all the high insurance premiums and 2 years of interlock. I’ve contemplated suicide but the only thing keeping me here is my kids

Happy Saturday everyone!
Potential new rider here. My initial motivation for considering a motorcycle is purely financial, although I'm sure I'll also greatly enjoy it!
There's a lot of things going on in my life right now. I'm trying to move out of my family's house in order to get to a larger city for opportunities with a better company I wish to work for. I drive an older car that's paid off and currently with my mechanic getting the ignition switch and power steering pump replaced. It's in good shape but has 248,000 miles on it.
I desperately need to get in with a better company that invests in their employees and I don't want to miss work due to issues with transportation. I have some savings, but don't think another used car at $15-17 K is a good investment at this point. I'll just prepare for buying a 2-4 year old car at the moment when it's imminent. I have decent credit, but don't want to finance a car because I may need a potential landlord to run a hard credit inquiry soon. Hence, I'm in a position where I'm willing to pay $4-6K for a gently used motorcycle (probably sport touring to carry some hand tools and other things for work/play).
They have a great beginner riding course near me where the bikes are provided, so I'm not worried about learning. I think my main concern is how to store any bike I end up buying. I could end up renting a room or one bedroom with no garage and no storage. I've had to park my car on the street before and it's never been a problem, but what about with a motorcycle?
If you do so or were in a situation where you needed to park your bike on the street, what precautions would you take? There are only about three that I can think of as someone who's never ridden before:

1. Any sort of rear wheel lock (chain with padlock or steel bar)
2. Hidden GPS transmitter (I think Milwaukee makes a good one, I don't currently own any apple devices)
3. A simple elastic cover for elemental protection (perhaps with reflective fabric)

Is there anything you would add or do differently? As I mentioned, I'm new to all this and greatly appreciate any tips you may have.
Thanks and have a great weekend!

I'm curious if anyone else has done research on how much you actually earn on the CoinApp vs how much it costs to keep your phone powered and running the app.
Background: My Wife, who has done no research, wants me to stop leaving the two devices I am using plugged in because she thinks it adds too much to our power bill to keep them plugged in and trickle charging.
I have two devices one tablet and a cell phone, running the Free version of the coinapp 24/7. both are using Wifi and are not active on any cellular plan. They both run Audio Ads, but since I'm at work and the devices are in a room that nobody else goes into, they don't bother anyone. Each device earns roughly the equivalent of about $12-$15 per month. (much of that has to do with XYO value at the time of withdrawal and I quickly convert it to USD so it doesn't keep declining in value)
Granted, I'm not getting rich, never expected to. but I'm certain that my power bill hasn't gone up by more than a dollar just trickle charging a phone and a tablet.
if anyone else has looked into this and has more info it would be greatly appreciated.

FOR TOTK GAME
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Hey, I would like to use some mods for cheats because do not have much time to spend to farm the world.
So basically I need infinite arrows and maybe durability and maybe a zonai device cheats, will see in the futur. I am not far in the game I would like to speed up my playthrough because don't have much time to play.
​
so I got the 1.1.2 version of the game and cheats made by a guys on github I found a link.
​
But those cheats don't work, I know obviously how to install a mod, I did it but in game I don't have infinite arrow. :(
​
anyone can help on this? Arrow cost a lot and I don't have much rupee :'(
​
thank you

All I ever wanted was for my wife and I to live comfortably. But the longer we stayed together, the higher our bills increased. We’d already fought off debts from college, barely scraping by. Even after we paid them off, we were only able to afford a tiny apartment on the outskirts of New York City.
Sidewalks laid cracked everywhere while condemned buildings sat sadly against their crooked foundations. Crooked lampposts would hang only by electrical wires. Graffiti marked every street corner in bland art that existed without rhyme or reason. Homeless people could be found on every street corner, a constant reminder of what would happen if my wife and I failed to keep up with our payments.
However, I managed to make somewhat decent money as a plumber. But even then, it sometimes wasn’t enough to deal with loan sharks, the hefty utility bills, food prices, and gas money. I was willing to do anything to get us out.
And that is where I encountered gambling. I was willing to take the risks. I’d take any chance to obtain a reward, even just a small one. It started out with just a handful of poker games. Then I moved on to scratch tickets and slot machines. All I needed was enough to get by. Unfortunately, obtaining a payday from the casinos was impossible. I started growing desperate, which only led to more debt. The whole cycle sucked me down like Odysseus’ ship in Charybdis’ maw. And just like that, my relationship with my wife began to tear us apart.
My wife and I were once so close together. Before we married, there would be days where we’d work together at wood shops, creating 3D prints of various sci-fi characters and video games. Other times we’d study the components of circuits and use them to create elaborate lighting displays whenever Christmas arrived. Our wedding day was supposed to be the greatest day of our lives. Instead of relying on the help of others back like we did in college, we relied on ourselves.
But my actions tore all that apart. I didn’t know what else to do, either.
—
A few nights ago, I arrived at my shitty apartment, having completed a ten hour shift fixing the drains of several upper class folks. I rested my hand on the knob, expecting the worst from my wife. Sighing, I pushed the door. The moment I did, she was already in the front hall. Her eyes were scrunched and she was holding a bank statement, smacking it for emphasis.
“Care for an explanation?” She demanded.
I rubbed my temples, removing my scum covered overalls and plopping them right into the nearest laundry hamper. We locked eyes. Breaking eye contact with her would only ignite her anger further. She was holding another piece of evidence of my failures. My failure to strike it rich. All I could do was stand there sheepishly, tail tucked behind me, and wait to get ripped a new one. No words could come out of my mouth.
She marched up to me, holding it in my face. “Frank, you wasted three-thousand dollars at the casino AGAIN?!” my wife bellowed.
I set my tool box down and washed the pipe gunk from my hands, looking down just for a bit.
“Turn around and look me in the eyes.”
Resting a hand on my eyes, I glanced over at her petite frame. Then, I began to speak. “We can live comfortably if you just give-“
“Enough of the excuses! We nearly lost our apartment twice by you betting on slots, you wasted our heating money on roulette, and now this!”
I held up my hands reassuringly. “Look, just let me figure this out! I’ll think of some way to get the money!”
“You’d better. Otherwise we’re getting a divorce. Got it?”
Without another word, I put on a casual outfit, exiting for some fresh air. Shutting the door behind me, I gazed back at the unpolished apartment number on the frame. Wincing, I clenched a fist and descended the rickety stairs. Eventually, my boots hit the cracked pavement, and I headed off.
---
I had only made it a few blocks from my apartment, when I noticed shadows lurking in one of the alleyways. Picking up my stride, I try to evade the figures. They drew closer and closer. My stride changed into a sprint. Another alleyway comes into my sights. I make a break for it, hoping for an opportunity to escape. Only a dead end greets me. Before long, the figures cornered me. The light from a street lamp illuminated two shady faces. Loan sharks. Before I could react, the duo held me up by my throat.
“What the hell are you guys doing?!” I strained, feebly kicking back one of the thugs. He jammed a fist right under my rib cage. My lips pursed as I lost my breath. The other grabbed me by the chin, grinning like a maniac and revealing his tobacco rotted jaw. I gulped.
“Frank, calm down. Take it easy,” every word he said ground my inner ears. Brown saliva sprayed on my cheeks. “We just want to have a little talk…” I didn’t have the courage to speak up. All I could do was let them tell me everything.
“Your landlord is getting rather impatient with your payments. We just came to send a little message. He has some demands.” The other guy snarled.
I tugged on my collar. “What…demands?”
“The landlord wants you to cough up $18,000 for your next payment!”
My hands grew clammy. Were they out of their minds? I was a plumber, not a heart surgeon! I didn’t have that kind of money! Besides, the rent was only $500 a month.
“You have until the end of the month,” one of the goons croaked.
That was only two weeks! I couldn’t have made that kind of money with such constraints! I’d barely be able to afford food and electricity! Negotiating was out of the question. God knows what would have happened to me if I dared speak up.
“The landlord has given you chance after chance to pay up. But you’ve never followed through. He’s let it slide for three months. You haven’t paid shit in that time frame. Do you realize how much he has to pay for his own apartment? If you fail to pay at that time, there will be consequences…” He makes a capiche gesture.
I nodded. The moment I complied, they released me, disappearing into the smog.
—
I stood outside a graffiti covered subway station, pacing around, hands in my pockets. My fists constricted as I pounded a nearby wall. There’s no way I would have been able to make that kind of money! Craps were too unpredictable, arcade machines were always rigged, and roulette was too high in stakes. Seeing red, I screamed and kicked a wall as hard as I could. My foot throbbed and once I was done with my fit, I broke down sobbing. The sidewalk darkened with my tears. I pressed my head against it, clawing at it until my fingernails turned crimson.
Then, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Wiping the tears away, I glanced over my shoulder. A card was lying on the floor. Its borders were covered in green dollar symbols. The rest of the card was a silver color shiny enough to reflect my face in it. Written in gold letters were the following:
ACES HIGH CASINO
WIN ONE ROUND OF BLACKJACK
AND EARN FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS!
NO MONETARY WAGER NEEDED
TABLE 777
My eyes lit up. All I had to do was win one game of blackjack, and I’d be rich? Dimples formed on my cheeks and I pumped my fist. I nearly clicked my heels in joy, but decided against it. I’d already caused enough of a scene already, and I wanted to make sure nobody knew my secret. When I flipped it around, it had an address also written in golden letters.
---
Despite the address being in an unknown area, I still managed to pull it up on my phone’s map and arrived without any struggle. The casino itself was a pigsty, to say the least. Smokers polluted the air in the prison gray interior. Slot machines with broken lights clicked and whirred while cheap dice clattered against tables with peeling felt. Meanwhile, the concrete floor was covered in colonies of roaches while neglected beer bottles sat against the rungs of several tables. The only thing that was kept well was the bar and a room draped with navy blue curtains with golden sashes. Emblazoned above the doorway was the number 777.
This was the first time I had entered a casino smiling. For once, I thought that this was my lucky night.
When I pushed the curtains away, they revealed a room with ornate black wallpaper, an assortment of oak desks and other furniture. The walls were covered in fine Baroque paintings. On the floor was a single blue carpet covered in opulent tapestry. I followed the back wall to a single dealer table coated in green felt. Two seats were present with one patron taking the seat on the left. He was shaking with what I assumed was excitement.
Behind him was the dealer, a trim man with long blond hair and a top hat over his nose and eyes. He wore a dapper tuxedo free of blemishes that shimmered in the light of a single hanging glass lamp. His skin was pure and free of moles, glistening with slight amounts of glitter.
“Why, hello there…” The man spoke in a voice slicker than the gel in his hair. “Are you here to win big?” Unlike the loan sharks, his teeth were cleaner than a freshly washed plate.
“Yup. Deal me in.” I said, straightening my back, shuffling into the last seat. The other player had his jaw locked together. His eyes were drooping and bloodshot. Sweat pooled around his brow like glass beads. Just like him, I always felt nervous about losing, so their reaction was understandable.
“You know the rules of blackjack. I deal out cards. You can say ‘hit me’ if you want more cards. Get closest to twenty one without going over. Dealer only draws two cards. And you can also surrender your cards for half your bet. When you don’t want any more cards, say the word ‘stand.’” The dealer said, shuffling the cards through his hands and manipulating them like a sculptor with a ceramic pot.
I double blinked. Wager? “What do I bet with?”
The mysterious man just focused on passing out his cards. First, he brought out two cards for himself and dealt two more to each player. Instantly, he flipped over his cards. A jack and a king. Twenty.
I clutched the velvet backed cards, seeing what I was dealt.
A ten and a seven of hearts. I forced my face into a neutral smile. My stomach twisted. There was no way I could get twenty one that easily. “Surrender,” I said, pushing my cards to the dealer. All he did was reshuffle the cards and toss me two more. They didn’t even bother looking back up at me during the process.
The other player started clutching his stomach. My smile vanished. I carefully looked over the left guy’s cards. A seven and a two of clubs.
“Hit me…” the guy on the left choked out. An ace of spades. A total of ten. Sweat trickled down his head like a shower in April. His eyes welled up with tears while foam developed around his mouth. I raised a brow, wondering what his deal was.
I knew the stakes of gambling, but my sixth sense kept telling me something was just not right. No. That couldn’t be true. Even if there was some kind of string attached or fine print I didn’t read, I couldn’t risk giving up that money. Besides, this might have been my only chance to obtain such a vast award without much risk.
“Hit me…” The man wheezed. A five of hearts. His teeth chattered.
While I waited for my turn, I stood up and walked around the room, getting a closer look at all the ornate gadgets and such. My eyes focused on a painting on the leftmost wall. It resembled a man in rich military regalia. But something made my hair stand on end. Their upturned white mustache looked damp, and their face sagged like they were crying. Linear, stick-like shadows were cast on the sleeves. Edging forward, they came into focus.
Hands. I followed their forms outward, which extended into oily, dripping arms.
“Husssssssssh…” A faint noise echoed from somewhere in the room.
“What?” I mouthed, turning an ear to the source.
“Husssssssssh…” It came from the painting. I backed away, hands out at my sides. Was someone dragged in that painting?
“Where are you going? You forgot to pay up!” The dealer yelled back, hands slamming on the table and pulling out a sack of navy blue poker chips.
I double took. “I thought the card said there was no monetary wager needed?”
“There isn’t.”
Then, I looked at the ground. There was a second rug on the ground. The tapestry matched, but its patterns didn’t match with the other rug. It was off center from the rest of the decorations, like someone didn’t even bother setting it up properly. Taking a closer look, I could hear faint whispers coming from it, too. When I looked back up, the guy on the left was gone. I rushed over, checking his cards. A total of twenty five.
Swallowing saliva, I stood in confusion, wondering what to do next. I scraped my fingernails against my palms. I needed that money. If I didn’t get it, I’d lose my wife and my apartment. And what about the loan sharks? Only God knew what would happen to me if I didn’t pay up. What was I going to do? What would happen if I lost? Would I turn into another object just like the other guy? Or would I be in for a worse fate?
“That’s because there isn’t a MONETARY wager. I’m still taking half of what you owe.”
A sharp pain punched my left side. My left side felt heavier than before, like my veins were replaced with tungsten. I grabbed my fingers around my chest. The area around the pain almost felt solid like a tumor. Brushing around the area, I could make out a cylindrical mass. I tried to inspect it some more, but the pain overwhelmed me, and I crumpled to the ground.
I crouched down on all fours, trying to get back to my seat, but the pain froze me in place. Reaching out a hand, I called out for help. Nothing.
Slithering away, I pulled back the curtains to the entrance of the casino. I spat on the ground from the bludgeoning pain.
“Don’t feel out of luck. You can still surrender once more and you still have two chances left!” The dealer smiled, adjusting his hat. It was only a glimpse, but I caught a look at his upper face. His eyes were on his hat and his forehead was blank. The dealer looked like they were plucked straight out of an Alice in Wonderland book. What or who was this dealer?
“Think long and hard about this. I saw you arguing with your wife. And those ruffians nearly killed you.”
I clambered back to my seat. I still didn’t know what that dealer did to me. Something in me forced me to get back up and keep playing. More questions ate at me the longer I played. How did he know that information?
Then, I remembered feeling a tap back at Grand Central Station. And the card that brought me here. He couldn’t have been human. Was he some kind of demon? I didn’t bother asking. There wasn’t any way he would spill the beans about his nature.
After what seemed like hours, I managed to writhe back into my seat, slumping over the table like I’d just had the worst hangover.
“Ready to try again?” The charming man said, resting his chin on his interlocked hands.
Reluctantly, I gave him a thumbs up. He took back the cards and began manipulating the split deck once more. I analyzed every move he made. None of the cards were tricked. He wasn’t second dealing and didn’t have any aces up his sleeve. Never revealed anything under the table, either. The only thing that brought me reassurance was that he was honest. Still, keeping an eye out was critical.
The dealer revealed his cards. Two tens again. One of spades, one of hearts. His face was harder than diamond and glowed like one, too. Not a pleasing glow, but one that would hex anyone that dared gaze at it for too long.
I looked at my cards. An ace and a seven. Eighteen. Gripping my lower abdomen, I stayed crumpled in agony. The odds of getting a blackjack were slim and the stabbing pain skewed my thoughts.
“Surrender…” I wheezed. The words slipped out of my mouth like the dying breath of a wounded soldier. The dealer smiled, holding a pile of blue poker chips around him. He waved his hand over the mound and made an inaudible chant. Then, they vanished.
I held my hands over my face, bracing myself. Suddenly, the pain doubled, shifting to my right like a mudslide down a hill. Now I knew everything the previous player was going through.
I vomited out something hard and blue. A poker chip. Suddenly, my guts turned and another seven spilled out. My esophagus wound itself into knots more contorted than cobwebs. “I…forfeit!”
The man started to smile. “Without these?” With a thud, the hat faced dealer pulled out a jar filled with a kidney and a piece of liver. They still were oozing with blood that plumed and fit their containers. I remembered how the dealer said that there was no monetary wager. He never said there wasn’t a wager at all. My wager…was my organs.
“You want them back? Win them.” He set them back on the ground.
Now there was no choice. My fate was sealed if I tried to leave. I started to shed tears. If I didn’t get these organs back and fast, I was done for. Even if someone saw me passed out on the floor, finding donors for organs wasn’t guaranteed. And even then, I’d be put further in debt. Nothing would be solved. Then again, was trying to beat this guy even worth it? No. The reward was too great. Taking a few deep breaths, I sat back down. Reluctantly, I asked that he proceed.
The dealer drew out cards just like before. He took the cards and gave them a good shuffle. Plucking two cards out of the stack, he revealed them. A king and a nine. Another poker chip tumbled out my throat. I spat it out in a red and blue plastic heap. Not paying attention to the mess I made, he handed me two cards. A jack and a two. Twelve.
“Hit…me.” An ace. Aces could count as one or eleven depending on what other cards were drawn. I still had a fighting chance.
“Hit me.” A five.
His dead stare tore at my soul. I scratched against the felt, the wounds in my fingers reopening. From the corner of my eyes, I could see him frowning. “Are you going to play, or do you want all that money to go to waste?”
I gritted my teeth. “Shut up…Hit me…” Swallowing saliva, I watched the dealer play out my last card. A queen.
“You lose.” The dealer said coldly, grabbing a pile of poker chips and holding them close. He waved his hand over the mound and made another incantation. Then, they vanished once more. Everywhere at once, burning pain sears my skin, making me blackout.
---
When I wake up and feel my arms, they are covered in something hard, blue and plastic. My clothes were gone. I examined my extremities and my torso.
My skin was missing and replaced with poker chips. They were shaped to fit every part of my body. Cracks filled with blood gushed out with each slight movement I made. Horrified, I spilled my guts. More poker chips slid out my throat. Piles of skin laid clumped on the side of the table in hideous pink and blood red sheets.
“I think you know what’s at stake now. One try left. Better make it count. You want to end up in an object for an eternity?” He taunted.
The rigidity of my plastic coated skin made each movement expose more of the cracks, searing my muscles. I groaned as I raised myself up. Crimson liquid dampened the table. I pounded at the table. This was it. I either walked out with my money and saved my marriage and tied up all those knots. Or I lost and suffered a fate worse than death. Giving up was not an option. I gave the mysterious man a death glare, not even bothered by his resistance.
He plucks out two cards. A nine and a ten. This was my chance.
Then, my cards were revealed. A ten and a two. Fingers rattling, I took a deep breath and let calmness seep into me.
“Hit…Me…” I sputtered. Another two.
Huffing, I opened my mouth to speak again. The dealer just stared into me, tilting his head like a vulture waiting for roadkill. The poker chips rattled again, grinding against each other.
“Hit…” I paused for a moment, recollecting my thoughts. At a value of fourteen, I needed at least a six to beat the dealer. But an eight or higher would result in disaster. Gulping down another chaser of saliva, I spoke. “Hit…me.”
To my chagrin, a five slipped out of the hand. I was now tied. Staring at the pile of skin and my other organs, I closed my eyes and shook in horror. An ace or a two were the only cards I could draw in order to win. I looked down at my cards, sweat dripping on the table. With a quick glance, I gazed at the eyes on the man’s silk hat.
“Don’t keep me waiting.” The man demanded.
I’d begun hyperventilating. His stare grew more intense the longer I waited. His confident smile turned into a frown of irritation. Eyebrows and mouth twisted into a hideous snarl. He rattled his fingers against the dealing table. The cacophony made my ears go numb.
Then, I whispered my answer.
“Hit…me…”
The man darted up, smiling back in anticipation. “I’m sorry, what was that?”
I closed my eyes, expecting the worst.
“HIT ME!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.
Then, the last card was revealed:
A two.
I’d won!
My mouth dropped. The sheets of skin unfurled themselves and flattened over me. Two organ jars spilled over, their contents rising in a beam of white and torpedoing back into my body. Immediately, I yelped at the top of my lungs, skipping my heels and doing a jig. I regained my strength, instantly looking around for traces of my prize. For several minutes, I wasn’t able to uncover anything. Staring directly at the dealer’s face, I asked him to reveal my prize.
“I don’t have it with me.” He said, blankly.
Not listening, I scrutinized every inch of the room, looking behind his station, checking under the table, everything.
I searched everywhere for my prize, my happiness dissipating. With each step I took, my smile faded even further, twisting into a frown. My nose crinkled. “Where is the fifty million?” I demanded, overturning the table, ripping off the ornate paintings and yanking the tasseled rugs off the floor. “You promised me fifty million dollars if I beat you! Do you realize what’s gonna happen to me if I don’t get that money, you charlatan?!”
The strange man just stood there, not even acknowledging my pleas.
“YOU PROMISED ME MONEY! You’re a thief!” I roared, pointing an accusing finger at him. “I only did this for my wife, to save my marriage! I almost gave up my life trying to help my family out! How can you take that away from me?!”
The demon stuck his hands behind his back and shook his head. He rolled his eyes back in thought. Something was up with him. “You aren’t like the other gamblers.” He said.
“Other gamblers?” I said, stepping back.
“They all wanted the money for worthless things. A mansion with fountains and a view, hookers, a trip to Tahiti…” He paced around me. His face was rather relaxed and calm. Never once did he lose eye contact with me. “But you had so much determination to help your wife out that you would risk it all. I admire that. It took me a while to figure out that you were actually a kind hearted person.”
I saw red and tried to punch him. He grabbed my fist, shoving it back.
“Listen to me. I understand your rage. There never was a prize in the first place. It was nothing but a lure to capture those that wasted their lives away. But there is one thing that you don’t understand.”
I saw red and I thrusted my hands back. “You nearly killed me all for nothing?!”
“Yes, but that was before I saw you the way you really were. Listen to my words.”
Slowly, I relaxed my posture, but still remained firm. “Why should I listen to you?”
“I can help you out of your situation.” The man said.
My nostrils flared. “You owe me money you snake!”
“You never needed the money in the first place.”
Taken aback, I retreated. “What do you mean?” My arms relaxed once more.
“You are a plumber, aren’t you? I saw you come home from work, just barely catching a glimpse of your schedule. Forty hours a week for thirty-eight dollars an hour for five days a week. That’s $15200 a week for two weeks. You already have everything you need.”
“But you don’t understand. They need $18000!” I pleaded.
He wouldn’t budge. “Trying to earn this money via dumb risks and chances will not get you anywhere. Look at all the things that you’ve done wrong.”
Tears began to well up. “And I want to change that.” I wiped my eyes. “But what am I supposed to do now?”
“The only way you can earn that money is through grit and spit,” He said, walking around me. “You aren’t going to find solace through good luck alone. You have to work for it. And you already have the tools that some people don’t have. If you give up now, you might as well have lost. Think about it.” With those last words, he raised his hand and snapped it, disappearing without a trace. Slowly, I gathered my things and walked out of the casino, head hanging low.
---
The following day, I sat outside an old woman’s faucet, inspecting how to fix a leak. I wondered what the demon’s words meant to me. Before I stuck the wrench up to a U trap, I remembered my pay. If I worked the same amount of hours as before, I’d only make $15200. But if I pulled off some overtime and worked several extra hours, I might just be able to pay off my debts.
I started staying up much later than before. Not long after, my wife started to become suspicious. Eventually, she confronted me.
“Frank, you’ve been staying up late. Are you going back to the casinos again?” she asked, hands on her hips.
I closed my eyes. Instead of fear, calmness filled my veins and my blood stilled. “Not this time. I’ve been working overtime.”
Her face loosened up for just a moment before hardening back up. I held my hands up and motioned my palms downward. “Listen, I have been horrible lately. All my gambling did was drown us in deeper debt.”
Her expression began to soften up again, her frown vanishing.
“I want to change things. We used to work so well together, doing everything to help each other. Instead of fighting against each other, it’s time we made peace. And we bring us out of our debt, together.” I held out my hand for her to shake it. She kept her arm pulled back and folded like the pincer of a mantis. Inch by inch, she extended it and took it.
The following day, my wife convinced me to go to therapy to get out of my addiction, which I gladly obliged. Simultaneously, she decided to start up another job working as an electrician. Day by day passed and we pooled all our resources as one. Before our eyes, bills were paid and debt disappeared faster than eye floaters. Our financial status wasn’t the only thing that changed. Her once crusty mood lightened up and she began to smile more. She began to believe my words and began to respect the changes I made.
And then, we paid off our rent. We got a letter from our landlord, saying that we now were even. The moment that letter came in, we embraced each other. The only question now was, what were we going to do with this extra money?
Not too long ago, we ended up earning enough money to create another 3d project, this time of a Companion Cube. Day after day, we created more projects. Although we weren’t as happy as our days back in college, we still could make the best with what we had. In retrospect, the hat-faced man put up a good fight, but I managed to come out of a casino with more than I came in with. It wasn’t exactly money, but it wasn’t worthless, either.