I have been following reddit smash up but haven't posted until recently. I have seen some excellent suggestions and some of you might see those in this post. I wanted to see what the best 1v1 combos were so I started a self play tournament inspired by March smashness. A difference is that I allow repeated factions... What I mean for example that multiple robot pairings can enter to see which robot pairing does the best... This will create issues if repeats make it through to the end... perhaps I can determine a victor by which one has a better record playing against the same opponents or something. However I did this before and didn't run into that problem. So here is my data so far... I also tried to incorporate newly bought expansions later in the tourney after round one so it could get confusing...
Please let me know if there are any blatant OP combos I overlooked.
I realize my gameplay affects results as well... I ran some preliminary matches to determine who got in as well so that might explain some absences. I also didn't include most of munchkin, and special promo factions... This is double elimination...
Please feel free to comment on pairing suggestions, cool card combinations with these pairings, predictions for who might win, etc
Kaiju Inca
Kaiju dragons
Superhero zombies
Ditto deck (itty shifters)
Exploring zombies
Egyptian cats
Robot halflings
Robot horses
Alien star roamers
Dragon rockstars
Pirate voyagers
Itty werewolves
Grimm shifters
Critter robots
Robo Egyptians
Wizard Greeks
Itty Grimms
Cat dogs
Changerbot werewolves
Alien time travellers
Egyptian halflings
Zombie horses
Anansi Greeks
Inca Dragons
Alien zombies
Egyptian Rockstars
Robot shapeshifters
Dinosaur shapeshifters
Egyptian superheroes
Robot plants
Russian rockstars
Zombie critters
Luchagyptians
Innsmouth rockstars
Kaiju steampunk
Musketeer apes
Kaiju truckers
Ghost rockstars
Minions of anansi
Round 1:
Game 1: Kaiju Inca vs zombie critters Zombie critters win 15 to 7 against Kaiju inca… 6 solo points on Rhodes to steal it when they already had a two point lead…. Wow… Kaiju Inca lose the first game. Woodland cottage allowed them to thin the walkers out of the deck for virtual card draw…. Wow. Their burst power is crazy since they can spam coaches and champion… they didnt even use champ all game… Kaiju Inca could have played better but they lost the first game even with going first and didn't anticipate double ittypedias for burst and would have likely lost soon anyway given how the matchup kept going.. Kaiju Inca go to losers bracket… they are not broken… lol unless critter zombies win tourney… no child of sun hurt them… starting w mall crawl helped zombies
Game 2: Kaiju dragons vs Russian rockstars
Kaiju dragons win 15 to 9 against Russian rockstars… monarch came out a little past midgame… pulled 2 or three groupies… used toad on kaijookey but kaiju still took the base next turn for the win… was hoping for a rick n roll move to solo a base to start evening the gap but they were too far ahead… gold city base got kaiju ahead 6 to 1 at the start of the game… kaiju soloed it plus got 3 points from it and killed rockstars minions on it twice to deny farming… so they only farmed 1 point… Besides this, Russian rockstars pretty much kept pace and I think the card draw plan to get monarch is their best bet against this team… it's still a bad match up for them...
Game 3: zombie superheroes vs robo plants
Zombie superheroes win 16 to 12 against robot plants. If mind lady didn't block sprout they would have had alpha to break the base for a win but supers were ahead enough to just rush dragons lair for the win… they were ahead 14 to 12… game got closer than the score looks… wow. No alpha or Venus man trap all game… not the best draw for robo plants but they still have zombie supers competition… zombie supers also got mall crawl second turn… it was a good draw for them, not amazing but good… overgrowth wasn't played either, lol… no solo bases, surprising given both teams bursts… spores helped plants win two bases that they might not have… blocking sprout abilities really hindered plant robo synergy...
Game 4: ditto deck vs Egyptian superheroes
Ditto wins 17 to 6 against egyptian superheroes. Ditto solos the first base for four points using dopple transmogrify combo to bring out critter champ, coach, and two mimics for 19 power. It is 4-0 before super Egyptians have a turn… then they reload with itty city base… and do it again after a couple turns… to end the game, they used dopple to pullout champ and coach for a final solo base… it was a blow out… even though supers showed their teeth it just didn't compare… mind lady was not a problem because of copy cat… she has no effect (actually copy cat shouldn't negate mindladys effect untill the turn after because of mind lady's ability lasting till the start of their turn if used, not an ongoing ability… officially I used it wrong, I can replay the game, but I only did that once and it was so lopsided I don't see it making a difference… could do it again with itty city transmogrify and dopple first hand plus coach second hand and 19 breakpoint 4 point base plus ninja to simulate the similar scenario… supers get amazing in second draw and early and mid golden ages…
Game 5: zombie explorers vs dinosaur shapeshifters
Dinosaur shapeshifters win 16 to 9 against zombie explorers… zombie explorers drew in the wrong order and didn't get their good cards fast enough. They had to spend their movement cards keeping dino shifters at Bay who drew king rex early and had the cards that bring him back like really, copy cat + grave digger… explorers were able to Livingstone rex with a movement Idaho movement + Livingstone… cool move but was a desperation move since Dino's had 14 points already… hoping for awesome solo score… since they only had 4 points at that moment… they just were too slow, bad draw, need mall crawl earlier Idaho and guides… seems like apes this way… need certain cards to be dangerous and they are not guaranteed…. City of gold messed them up bad at the beginning… Dino's got up by 4 or 5 points off of that base… they would have had more time to set up their plan if it weren't for that base… city of gold is mvp
Game 6: Egyptian cats vs. Robot shapeshifters
Egyptian cats won 17 to 13 against robot shapeshifters… it was a good game, they really gave cats a challenge. The cheeseburger special swung a base so that they couldn't go for the tie… robots almost pulled off the double base w 2 fixers and alpha but they just couldn't get enough minions out to pull it off because the cats killed at least one per turn after fluffy finally came out at the last 15 percent of their deck… but they draw so well that it was mid game… maybe robots should have worked on doing nothing and exploding more… robots definitely had a chance… actually used nuke bot to take out pharaoh and a grumpers and have a chance at a 5 3 base...Rhodes helped them stay in the game… they got 7 to the cats 3 points… it took all they had though… and cats didn't let it be easy… afthey killed so much it took like four turns to break… fluffy made the difference in the game… invisible bicycle rocked too to get all the robo cards to a 1 split base away from blessing of Anubis. They tried to solo it but couldn't keep robots off.
Game 7: Robo halflings vs Egyptian rockstars
Robot halflings win 16 to 12 against Egyptian. Rockstars. Robots went first and had exactly enough to win the last base with rude awakening for a 5 point solo… they were actually down one point before the last play. However there would have been nothing Egyptorockers could do to win on their next turn anyway. Very good game. Nail biter… thought robots halflings might lose for a second there… slick move burying groupies to summon other groupies uncovering engineer who uncovers groupies then lost knowledge to uncover mummy to steal the second to last base… no monarch or pharaoh all game but they were still competitive and pulled one 4x groupie burst… burying helps them stockpile groupies in hand without hurting them… they are a very good combo… just no robo halflings… no alpha or shire Marshall all game either weird game… last call with nukebbot stole a base for a four point swing, both teams did very well without using any king minions… they are strong teams
Game 8: Robot horses vs Alien zombies
Zombie aliens win 15 to 11 against robo horses. They win even if I had played double score instead of getting nervous and not waiting for alpha to break two bases… they got terraforming in opening hand and got it back right after using it… zombie aliens may be broken. Didn't need crop circles really… robo horses went first.
Game 9: Alien star roamers vs Inca Dragons
Alien starroamers win 15 to 8 against Inca dragons. They farmed, won a base teraformed and stalled. They won. Inca dragons even soloed no moon but they were already behind 11 to 3 before that… they lost great wyrm on a probe on first turn and didn't get use out of any ruins and alien roamers started with both king minions...
Game 10: Dragon rockstars vs Anansi Greeks
Dragon Rockstars win 17 to 11 against anansi Greeks. Their game plan worked perfectly and the before a base scores +-1 was huge swinging several bases. Anansi stole a solo 4 point base but 3x ruins and 1x great wyrm messed them up plus they got monarch early and great card draw… the leopard competed for a base by itself which was impressive and anansi and Odysseus were out at the same time for a turn but they had to act quickly to get the solo and anansi was then discarded… I think anansi Greeks can do better. dragon rockstars had and almost perfect draw and base set up… also dangerous ground kept them off of Oracle at Delphi base… both factions hit near their ceiling it felt...
Game 11: Pirate voyagers vs zombie horses
Looks like this will be epic… voyagers started w first mate shark and sun tatoo and zombies started w starlyte and a ten z… horses turn, don't forget ten z or shark tat or kraken
Pirate voyagers win 18 to 9 against zombie horses. Game was closer than the score looks, it would have been 16 to 14 if mates went to different base at the end… sun tat on tiki worked ok… wayfinder not out till end used woodland cottage to stock up on first mates for the first base of the game and used them all game putting shark tats on two… I destroyed his 2 power minions to stall mall crawl was at the end instead of the beginning… mvp first mates and woodland cottage, pirates soloed ice castle and mushroom kingdom at the last play for 8 points… too fast for zombie horses, wow… competitor might need removal not just speed when they get a good draw… I didn't even use kraken to it's full potential because I forgot to use it to persist minions...
Game 12: itty werewolves vs Egyptian halflings
Egyptian halflings win 16 to 12 against werewolf itty critters. It was a good game and Ittys soloed a base and won a base the turn before the last base so they were catching up quick but halflings had just enough to win on that next turn… if it had kept going… still no catching up… burying helps halflings pull off their game plan to play from behind to minion chain… it's a very good combo… maybe almost as good as robo halflings...they have some advantages over robots… could be better in some circumstances… no rude awakening but ended w a hand that had like five minions anyway… they got excellent card draw from star portal base. No marking territory or double actiin card… played gotta getem all perfectly...
Game 13: Grimm shifters vs alien timetravellers
Grimm shifters win 17 to 16 against time travelling aliens. They used copy cat to farm 4 or 5 points from invaders that were left out… tt for got to use Dr when to spam an invader once which could have made a difference in the game… shifters farmed off of cave of shinies too for like 3 or 4 points… wow cool game.grimms went first, so tt aliens would have won if they went first… shifters keep lled big bad wold like 3x. Mimic w big wolf and gelf into copy cat for vp...
Game 14: critter robots vs changerbot werewolves
Changerbot werewolves win 15 to 13 against itty critter robots. Critter robots dominated until the final move.. rollout to move over both king minions and let the dogs out to clear 11 opposing power for the solo at central brain
Game 15: Robo Egyptians vs cat dogs
Robot Egyptians win 15 to 7 against cat dogs. It wasn't even close, cats didn't take control of any minions all game it was a weird draw, just about to bring out fluffy but game over…. Too fast
Game 16: wizard Greeks vs Itty Grimms
Itty grimms win 17 to 12. The game was closer than it looked but very solid win… wizards capitalized on rhodes ittys capitalized on factory… but ittys just kept taking base after base… it was too much for greeks… too fast
Game 17: luchagyptians vs. rockstar innsmouth…
Rockstar innsmouth win 16 to 13 after going first… there was a difficult decision about whether to stack a 3 2 base and if they stack it and take second there they solo the next base for the win… if they didn't stack it and try to overpower luchagyptians on a 5 3 base the luchagyptians win… crazy game, I'm sticking with the original decision to be fair and that lands them the win, very counter intuitive decision… but lucha had a ways to go if they wanted to solo the 5 3…
Game 18: ape musketeers vs. ghost rockstars
Cat dogs eliminated by luchagyptians see preliminary 2…
Greek anansi eliminated by rockstar innsmouth
Dragon Inca eliminated by musketeer apes
Zombie explorers eliminate kaiju truckers keeping their spot…
Superhero egyptians eliminate minions of anansi keeping their spot…
Ghost rockstars eliminate itty werewolves
Kaiju steampunk s eliminate mythic horse zombies…
Luchagyptians eliminate kaiju steampunk
Undefeated bracket
Round 2:
Game 1: zombie critters vs alien star roamers
Game 2: kaiju dragons vs pirate voyagers
Game 3: zombie superheros vs dragon rockstars
Game 4: ditto vs Egyptian halflings
Game 5: dinosaur shapeshifters vs changerbot werewolves
Game 6: Egyptian cats vs Grimm shifters
Game 7: Robot halflings vs itty grimms
Game 8: alien zombies vs robot egyptians
One loss bracket:
Game 1: Kaiju Inca vs
Game 2: Russian rockstars vs
Game 3: robo plants vs
Game 4: superhero Egyptians vs
Game 5: zombie explorers vs time travelling aliens
Game 6: robot shapeshifters vs
Game 7: Egyptian Rockstars vs critter robots
Game 8: Robot horses vs wizard Greeks

Because I’m interested in Caroline’s prior stated reasons for being on OnlyFans — she has never once mentioned paying down her debt although her contract breach is no state secret — I did something I hate doing. I listened to her talk for an extended period. What follows is a transcript of her interview with Cleo Abram, which can be viewed in full here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4La80HXlGfs
It was interesting enough to capture in Voice Typing and lightly clean up. Some errors probably remain. When it seems like Caroline’s not making any sense, though, the fault is generally not the software’s.
Ready? Okay!
CA:

How did you make the decision to start an OnlyFans?

CC:

Honestly, really intuitively. You know, you want to be a good online creator. Um, you need to be able to adapt and move quickly and build things fast and keep going and be really flexible and fluid in that way. And I saw it… I saw it was picking up speed and I just… I… intuitively felt like it would be a fun thing for me to do, because I started mine after quarantine had begun and I was horny as fuck.
And I didn’t have a boyfriend yet, and I also wanted to make money. [Editor’s note: not needed, wanted.] And it just… it just intuitively seemed like… something I should do. And I also think I was propelled by the fact that people thought I wouldn’t actually make one, both people who don’t know me online and people who know me in my real life.
And, I mean, [swallows] for a quintuple Sagittarius there are few things as delicious as doing something everyone thinks you won’t.

[Lots of blah blah elided. CC, when asked what a parasocial relationship is, states that it refers to relationships you have online. This is actually incorrect; it’s the relationship that mass-media personalities have with their audiences. It’s like how I feel Rachel Maddow is a friend of mine because I listen to her podcast every morning. I hear her voice in my home, and it’s a voice I enjoy, so my brain registers this as her being part of my social circle. Parasocial relationships are one-way by definition.]
CA:

Why do you think people subscribe to your OnlyFans specifically?

CC:

Mmm? Well, I think it has a lot to do with all the hours that I’ve spent building…. my brand that is Caroline Calloway. You know, I’m not advertising for my OnlyFans on like… you know, I’m not taking out ads anywhere. The only place where I promo my OnlyFans are my social channels. And the reason I’m able to convert those ads on my own channels into OnlyFans subscriptions, especially at a high price point, is because I think I really … [smacks lips, rolls eyes] built a relationship with my audience.
Obviously not all of my audience wants to have a sexual relationship with me? But I also… I feel like… it’s very empowering to make money from my body and from my looks within the very system that wants to diminish me until I’m only those things, until I’m only my body or only my looks.
Um… I think it’s nice to flip the system on its head. And, um, I think I’m pretty sexy in my own weird, totally bonkers, zany way. And I think like everything online, there’s a niche for everything.

[CA speaks for a while on how her work as a video-based personality is predicated on the privilege her appearance has granted her. Caroline puts on a furrowed-brown listening face and starts to interrupt her several times, but CA holds the floor. CA gets to the question, which is whether Caroline wants to form real relationships with those who paid just to look at her.]
CC:

Well, I think my relationship towards OnlyFans is changing a lot and is very unfinished. I think, you know, it started from a place of boredom, and horniness, and sort of um… fuck-you-ness, and “Don’t think I’ll do it? I fucking will”-ness, but, and I think from there it started, my attitude towards it was very performance art.
I mean I literally post, one of my posts was five paragraphs of Virginia Woolf’s novel of gender ambiguity and identity, Orlando. I took five paragraphs about the Great Frost of 1603 and just posted that and nothing else. And this… I also dressed up as Orlando, as one of my literary figures. Um, but this is like what I was posting and it was a really absurd sort of surrealist approach to it.
And then, recently, honestly, seeing how receptive people were towards that weirdness, honestly like developed a very real affection between me and my OnlyFans… community? And um, I actually started feeling like quite tender towards them. And that’s, that’s sort of where I am now.
But I also… it’s ever-evolving. I’m kind of like trying to negotiate like where do I go from here because… as I’m sure you navigate in your career on camera, it’s like, okay. So I have these genetic assets, whether or not I use them. I have them right now, I might as well use them. Like, you know. Even if I don’t use them it won’t… it’ll mean I wasn’t using something I could otherwise be using to help myself.
So you decide to capitalize on your image. Um, and, I think everyone needs to find, depending on everyone’s personality, and insecurities, I think it’s… everyone probably falls in a different place on this wide spectrum. It’s like, for me, I’m really okay doing, like topless stuff.
Just studying art history, the amount of fucking titties I’ve seen getting a degree from Cambridge? More than on the whole of Pornhub. I mean, like, this, there are more tits in the history of art than there are on Pornhub. Bet. Like, I’m throwing that out there. Um…
Watch this be the headline: Caroline Calloway, like, scams Vox Media, claiming there are more titties in the history of art than on Pornhub! But…
BUT! What I’m saying is that like I’m really, I’m really desensitized to the feeling of like, being topless in content that I make. I’m not sure I would let anyone but myself shoot me topless. [Editor’s note: CC has posted several topless pictures of herself taken by lovers.] And I definitely… I mean, I know I did just have my pussy…. CAT in my arms earlier before he decided that he didn’t like me and ran away from home with a little knapsack over his shoulder.
But um, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable… are you gonna bleep out “pussy”? Is it gonna be like…

[Stuff cut out, mostly giggling]
CA:

I do wonder about what you said. When we talk about cashing in on that appearance, right, we’re also talking about cashing in on whiteness, and on cisgenderedness, and on body type, and a lot of things that are intertwined in presenting ourselves to the world. And I know that you’ve gotten a lot of pushback on that, and people asking about that on social media a lot.
I’m asking: how do you navigate your place in OnlyFans? And how, when someone like you with a big audience comes onto OnlyFans, with a lot of that history that both of us carry.., I think that it does make people feel, and in some ways we are layering privilege on a platform that already exists. A platform that already existed, lots of people were building that platform. How do you navigate that?

CC:

I mean, it’s a lot. There’s no guidebook for how to navigate it, and I’m definitely making it up as I go along. I think part of it is for just being Caroline Calloway. And knowing that most people would describe me as like a controversial influencer, whatever I touch will just sort of turn to controversy.
Like some sort of fucked-up King Midas situation. I’m like the cancel culture King Midas, just like anything I touch is like, waaaah! But like, uh, no, that’s like also one of my superpowers. There’s like very few people who can get as few likes on an Instagram post. Like I do shitpost a lot. But, like, show me another person who’s getting 200 likes per photo and like making news with what they do.
Like I decide to do something it becomes a news story. It’s like calling my book Scammer, starting an OnlyFans, releasing my Natalie response. And that’s a huge asset to my brand as well. But it also…I don’t think I’ll ever be able to figure out how much of this is tailing because I am Caroline Calloway, and how much is… and I-I’m just like a lightning rod for these larger cultural issues, which are like important discussions to have.
But like I really don’t see Ashly Schwan, Tana Mongeau’s very not controversial, like blogger best friend. She’s blonde. She’s pretty. She’s like even more like a Playboy Bunny than I am! She has much bigger boobs. She’s got a lot of plastic surgery so she fits that ideal.
I think women should do whatever the fuck they want with their bodies. Who’s to say I won’t get plastic surgery someday? But like it’s just hard to… it’s hard to navigate um, criticism from people who have never met me and who I have never met?
And for all I know… I mean like I don’t know to what extent that they are just like coming into the conversation with a fundamental dislike of me and everything I do. And so I really just try to take, like, um, advice and criticism and feedback from you know, mentors, friends, um, people whose advice I respect and admire, and so, I think a lot of…
What I’m trying to say is a lot of it, I’m glad people are having these conversations, I’m certainly still learning, I don’t have the answers. Um. I wish we could do a lab experiment where someone with a different name who looked exactly like me started an OnlyFans and whether she would get the same degree of hate?
But at the end of the day I’m sort of glad these conversations are being had? Like I’m glad I’m committed to lifelong learning? I don’t fucking know, that’s weird quote. But do you know what I’m saying?

CA:

…I’ve read a very large amount of online commentary preparing for this interview. I think, to paraphrase a response I saw on Twitter — the argument basically was, for someone to come onto OnlyFans who could remove themselves from OnlyFans and be okay at any moment, that’s a sort of complicated thing. …
In our preinterview, you talked a bit about feeling financially pushed into OnlyFans. Could you tell me a little bit about that and how that happened for you?

CC:

Totally. I mean, the number one reason that I started OnlyFans, uh, as I said earlier in the interview, I started it during quarantine, I was horny, I was bored. And you know, a huge… [long pause] a huge factor of why I… ssstayed? Like really the main factor of why I’m still on it now, but like still a really large factor when I first joined, I was trying to be really creative about making money.
Because I, obviously, Natalie’s piece about me was the most-read thing on The Cut in 2019. I… had… a publication lined up to publish my response. Which was… I think, beautifully written, and just by the very nature of online media, is like worth a lot, like regardless whether or not you think I’m a good writer and you think my essays about this are beautiful, people wanted to read this.
And it was the thing that I had this spring that was going to make me the most money. And then Covid hit, and I just… and you know, it’s hard to remember how scary it was back in mid-March um, when we were literally like, Are we gonna run out of ventilators in New York? Are we literally just going to like run out of like hospital gear?
And so I put up the essay for free. Not for free. I put it on my site without paying myself. In fact, I sunk about, gosh, probably about ten grand into designing this website with a paywall, I built it from scratch. I cleaned out all of my fun emergency savings. And I built this website. I should say I paid a wonderful guy named Zoher to build this website, he lives in Canada, shout-out to Zoher. Really killed it.
Um, and, I swear to God if I get messages after this airs from Quibi users who are like, “It doesn’t cost ten thousand dollars to build a paywall website!” Zoher, I will come for you, because I really needed that ten grand.
But um, he was great, he designed the best website, put up a paywall, ten-dollar minimum donation, raised 50 grand for emergency Covid relief, getting doctors protective… personal protective equipment.
And so we raised 50 thousand dollars. I’m glad I gave it away. And it’s just so bizarre, how people think that they, that they know my finances, or they have the right to say that I have too much money, or that I shouldn’t be making more money, or how I should make my money, and you know, people also… If I posted receipts of how I donated money to sex workers, we would be having a conversation right now about the criticism about why I’m so performative and whether I’m just, you know, performing allyship with the sex-worker community.
Because I don’t post my receipts, it’s like, Do I deserve to make money from sex work? And like, Am I using my privilege? And it’s like yes, I am, and I need money, and like I don’t owe anyone explanations about this. And I think that everyone just always assumes the worst, no matter what I do.

CA:

Do you consider yourself a sex worker?

CC:

Yeah, I do? [pulls face, shrugs] I also consider myself a performance artist. I don’t think they’re mutually exclusive.

CA:

Do you consider making OnlyFans making porn?

CC:

No. I don’t consider it making porn because nothing I do is… um… [long pause] I guess I think of making porn as making content sexual enough in nature and long enough in length that someone could feasibly, like, pleasure themself.

[Editor’s note: so still images that don’t show genitalia are never pornographic?! How can you consider yourself a sex worker but not a pornographer? By what measure is this “sex work” if these images are not being used as masturbation aids?]

And all of my videos are eight seconds or less, all of my photos are… I think of it as much as taking self-portraits as I do, ah, selling topless photos, you know? And I think selling topless photos is sex work.
I guess I just think of pornography as, um, I really don’t know the definition. I guess I could be wrong.

CA:

You tweeted at one point that you were making over $200K from OnlyFans, annualized? How’s that working out?

CC:

Annualized. Um, yeah, if I keep doing it that will, I’m right on track for that! But I don’t know. I intuitively feel, like, I might change the way I use OnlyFans, in the same way that it’s very surreal and absurd, and recently has gone a little bit more tender?
I think I’ll probably change it up [long pause, slow nod] in the future.

CA:

It seems to me that OnlyFans is what’s been happening for a long time, with respect to sex work online. More and more webcam sites, more and more feeling of personalization, more and more of that parasocial relationship. Also, I would imagine — I’d have to look into the finances of this a little bit — more and more control over the finances for creators themselves.

CC:

I would feel so weird taking topless photos with like, literally anyone. [Editor’s note: Lies! Also, CW: topless Polaroid.] Even, even with my boyfriend. Like I, I really love that I have control over every single thing. Like I shoot when I wanna shoot, I do whatever I wanna do on it, I don’t do whatever I wanna do on it. Like, you know, I don’t do anything without my underwear off, I don’t do anything like… [draws a blank, shakes head, has apparently not seen enough porn to come up with examples]
Basically like, so like, where do you draw the line with your OnlyFans? For me, I can best explain it with the fact that my mom subscribes to my OnlyFans, and I won’t do anything on OnlyFans that she wouldn’t see if we were on vacation sharing a bed and breakfast room together. Like, changing in front of her. Like, I don’t know, being topless around the hotel room, like being on my phone.
Not that I really hang around being topless with my mom. I don’t want that to be the takeaway from this interview. But I’ll be topless around her for like a quick second. She would see nipple, my mom would see nipple, is what I’m trying to get across. My mom sees my nipples.

CA:
[Very wordy question that amounts to: isn’t OnlyFans different from Pornhub in that the relationship between viewer and subject more personal? If Cleo’s boyfriend only subscribes to one creator on OnlyFans, is that something to be worried about?]
CC:

You’re a little jealous! Joking. You obviously have a personal problem with jealousy that you need to address!

CA [laughing]:

You wouldn’t have an issue if your boyfriend was exclusively subscribing to one person?

[overlapping conversation]
CA:

It’s something about this personal relationship on OnlyFans that I think is quite powerful.

CC:

Here’s the thing: I actually, I fall on the side of, of, I fall on the side of… I think having a sexual relationship with yourself is really important. And I think honestly like OnlyFans has been a really beautiful part of that journey for me. Like it’s made me feel so much sexier.
Like, like now when I have my boyfriend, I’m like, You owe me $20,000. I will be Venmoing you for one million dollars. Uh heh huh! Like, you owe me big time! Like, even stuff when I’m like, I’ll make a joke about it and it’ll be like really sexy and lovely and like, “Do you know how much money people would pay to do what we’re doing right now?”
And like I love that, and that’s really empowering. But I think it… I think OnlyFans…

[small kerfuffle about her Notifications going off all the time]

I think it’s important to have a sexual relationship with yourself and I think masturbation is really healthy and an important part of self-confidence and self-knowledge and self-soothing and self-respect, all of those components of self-love, and my view on it is…
Like your boyfriend, say he only had one creator he really liked who he wanted to follow on OnlyFans. I’d say that’s totally… like, as, I think it’s weird if when he would start to message her and start to consume content that’s like, that’s no longer like, I mean the actual model is based on the parasocial bond.
But as soon as you take it from content that’s like, This is content I’m making to share publicly to, This is content I’m making for you, and I’m literally talking to you, I think that’s where it crosses the line. Because that’s a relationship. That’s no longer… I mean, he’s paying for it because of the parasocial foundation. But it’s now tipped over into a one-on-one relationship, and that’s no good.
But as long as he’s consuming stuff that’s made for public consumption, whether it’s on PornHub or OnlyFans, I say, like, paying to get more content from one creator he really likes is like very within having a healthy sexual relationship like with himself, you know. Cuz he’s just finding the content that helps him access that part of himself. It’s when it starts to become one-on-one with him and the creator that it becomes a problem.

CA:
[Thoughtful question]
CC:

Yes, totally. And I also, I also, I just thought of while you were saying that, I’m so sorry, I like zoned out a little bit because I got this idea like, You can’t forget to say this on camera. Um, but I… for every person who think that it’s fair or fucked up that I have the privilege to be able to do OnlyFans and then leave OnlyFans and go back to a normal life?

[Editor’s note: this response has nothing to do with the question she was asked. She was apparently fantasizing about owning her haters while someone else was talking.]

I… I think there’s another person who’s benefitting from the fact that by doing sex work from a place of privilege, I’m normalizing sex work. I think me joining, Tana Mongeau joining, even Belle Delphine, like, the more these things are mainstream the closer we culturally move to decriminalizing sex work, which I wholeheartedly believe in.
I mean, we saw the same thing happen with marijuana. The more it became like pop culture to smoke weed, the harder it is to see people behind bars for something that’s celebrated openly on the internet.

[Editor’s note: FYI, just smoking weed and feeling bad for those incarcerated on drug charges will not lead to their exoneration. This is not how unjust legislation is overturned.]

And I think the more we can move sex work in that direction, and the more that I can help that movement? I think that’s all for the best.
Sometimes when I finish sentences I feel like a soulless politician. Like I’ll really mean when I begin the sentence, and then I’ll be like “In conclusion, blah blah blah blah blah!” Like I just feel so dumb when I finish my paragraphs. Bleeeeah.

CA:

[Affirms some of what CC just said] But essentially it’s a gentrification argument. In what way does people with privilege coming into spaces make it easier or more difficult for people who have been there for a long time to get by?
This is what I saw in the chatter about what you make on OnlyFans, is that a lot of it was along the lines of, Oh, she came in with whiteness and a certain body type, and an audience. And thought to themselves, Wow, it would be really difficult for me, lacking those same privileges, to do the same.

CC:

Well, you know, I think that really speaks to the assumptions that people make about me. I mean, it’s the other edge of, you know, using my image as an asset and all of the assumptions and just underlying resentment that people hold towards me.
I mean like you could also say, and it would be just as true, that I came into OnlyFans, um, having just missed out on a $50,000 paycheck and having dipped into ten grand of my own money to raise $50,000 for charity.
And… I just gave away the thing I’d been working on all winter to facilitate that charitable donation that, I came in with just as empty a bank account as, I think, a lot of people on OnlyFans. Um, who people don’t, I don’t know, who don’t think that I…
I think that people just assume that everything’s easy for me, and that I’m very rich and that just people who have certain privileges, um, … I think people just make a lot of assumptions about me that are incorrect.

CA:

Do you think you would have created the same type of content if OnlyFans didn’t exist?

CC:

NEVER!

CA:

Interesting!

CC:

I mean I… If I can control when I shoot, what I shoot, how much I shoot, like what I post, complete creative control, I can post like three paragraphs from SparkNotes about the character of Daisy Buchanan being based on Zelda Fitzgerald. Um, if another place gave me that complete, absolute creative control? Then sure, I would use that site. But I wouldn’t do anything less.
If you go back to September, like, the week after my father committed suicide, I like posted a thirst trap in a bikini that people were very very very upset about. Um, because I was just really horny, honestly, after he died. I just really wanted like physical intimacy and like to be held, and loved, the warmth of that touch.
And people hated it! They really did not want to hear it. They really wanted me to be like a much more buttoned-up, grieving, sexless daughter.
And um, you know I’ve always felt really strongly about being lots of things at once, whether it’s you know, being…. strong and vulnerable. Being a smart, accomplished girl and I dunno, a girl who likes to party, who likes sex.
You know, being… someone… who… tries to set a good example and is also very open about their flaws, and full of them. But um I.. even the week before I created OnlyFans, I was posting all these topless photos of me and my kittens in bed, and I was just putting flower emojis over my nipples and like I…
[Long pause, shakes head] I don’t know… I post a lot of topless content. I feel very proud of my boobs. Like I feel like they’re really quite excellent and I… I… wouldn’t post them for no money. But I think like OnlyFans solved that.
I dunno. I dunno what I’m saying. I’m just… I’m gonna go back to making candles. I feel like you have all the content you need.

[INTERVIEW ENDS IMMEDIATELY! No goodbyes or anything!]

Making a career out of music is a dream for most music producers. It was for me for a very long time. But it seems so out of reach to most.
And not to mention that there is so much you ‘should’ be doing, and as a result, you’re not sure what to focus on or disregard.
To help, here are some of my favorite tips I’ve come up with over the years. Some of these are my own spin on common advice, but many might be controversial or new to you.
A full disclaimer - while I have had mild success at best as an actual produceartist, I have managed to make my living from music (this is something I'll cover later on).
I don’t pretend to be a wildly successful global phenomenon, but someone who used the principles below to my advantage.
So, on that note, let’s get into them.
1: Stop looking at music production and marketing as separate things. If you’re releasing, your music is the product.
2: Marketing and promotion are only ‘evil’ if you make them out to be. They don’t have to be spammy – make them fun activities that you can enjoy.
3: Despite your favorite marketing guru’s advice, you don’t have to do it all.
Splitting your attention between Spotify, Soundcloud, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok will result in burnout and poor results. Choose the bare minimum that aligns with your goals.
And on that…
4: Set goals, and do what is necessary to achieve them. Besides worthwhile opportunities, ignore anything else – they are likely distractions.
But on the flip side…
5: Sometimes deviations are necessary. Your goals, sound, and vision will change over time, and that’s okay. Especially if you’ve been producing for many years.
6: Loosely define your sound or genre (yes, even if you hate genres), and start by marketing to that niche. No, this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to publish that you’re a ‘melodic trap’ producer in your Spotify bio.
One mistake I made early on was trying to fit into too many niches, which resulted in my music not getting solid fans.
7: Invest money. For two producers with the same quality of music, the one who runs ads, pays for (legitimate) promotion and generally spends money on their project, will always get further.
8: Decide if you want money or exposure. There is always a trade-off (Spotify’s new model is an example of this). Neither is bad necessarily, but don’t be fooled into mere exposure if you want to make something resembling a salary.
9: You don’t have to rely on monetizing your music, but you can monetize around your music. Instead of music sales and shows, think merch, private lessons, Patreon, become a music journalist, or get creative. Once again, pick one and roll with it.
(I monetize around my music by making a living off working at EDMProd.)
10: Diversify your income streams. If you’re a traditional artist, you’ll likely have two: music sales and shows. Try and add to this where possible using the above ideas or others.
11: Please, please don’t quit your day job (yet). The rhetoric out there that you have to quit and go ‘all in’ is 1. a lie and 2. not reasonable for most people. It causes unnecessary stress and ruins creativity.
12: Sacrifices do have to be made if you want to make this a career, but make the right ones.
Yes, stop watching TV and Netflix, but don’t neglect friends, family, or health. It’s really, really not hard to see that even those famous artists who did neglect family and friends to reach a certain level of status, are often the saddest people out there. It doesn’t have to be like this.
13: The ‘hustle’ mentality is destructive. And it destroys musicians, producers, and many music industry workers. Working hard is a good thing, but it only makes sense if you actually focus on the right things.
There are so much promotional and marketing and career avenues you could go down, but it should always come back to two core activities: making music and releasing music.
14: Early on, try both self-releasing and label-releasing. I recommend some balance of both.
Self-releasing is more flexible and often more financially viable relative to the number of streams. Label-releasing often has further reach (on the right labels) and ends up being a greater source of overall income, but lower per-stream income.
These days I do about 80% label releases, 20% self-releases.
15: Get feedback from listeners and fans. Producers can point out technical problems, but fans highlight the level of overall enjoyment embedded in your music.
16: Whether you like it or not, quantity is important in the music industry these days. This should never come at the sacrifice of quality, but release often to keep top of mind.
Personally, this is why I release on a number of labels instead of all self-releases – I’m not relying on just my own abilities.
17: Even in this decade (COVID-aside), shows are still the primary income generators for artists. Decide if you’re comfortable with this, and if not, make alternative arrangements.
18: Don’t feel like your goal has to be to quit your job. If it is – great. If not, it’s totally fine to make a healthy supplementary income from music, without quitting your job. What I would recommend is finding a job that supports your music, both with time flexibility and necessary income.
19: Decide on your show format. It’s hot in 2020 and 2021 to want to pursue the idea of a ‘live show’ instead of just a DJ set, but you can still kill it just as a DJ (just stop being boring). See what works for you.
20: It helps to have a decent visual representation of your brand. Logos are fine, but get some basic press photos (your girlfriend/boyfriend with an iPhone is fine). People connect with faces more than they do logos (especially for an artist brand).
21: A note on publicity and promos: make sure it’s being sent to the right people before release, whether you’re doing it yourself or using a third-party service. Nothing screams wasted money more than sending your new EP to 300 trap producers when you’re a synthwave DJ.
22: Achieving virality is cool but can easily become a shiny object. Make sure it aligns with your goals. If you do want to pursue it, it can be simply engineered.
23: You know all that creative energy that you put into your music? Try using some of that in your marketing and promotion.
Plant anonymous QR codes over your city (not advocating vandalism lol), make a viral video about getting your tune heard by your favourite artist, do stupid stuff while dancing to your music (that’s what TikTok is, right?). You get the point.
24: There’s a difference between selling-out and making your music more consumable. If you’re a dubstep producer, it might mean doing a more melodic or vocal-driven track every now and then. It doesn’t mean starting to write pop music.
25: Define your audience, and accept its size. Your ambient album won’t have commercial success, but you may get superfans who will buy and purchase anything you put out. Pop-oriented music will always have the largest potential audience size, of course.
26: On social media (or any online platform) it’s all about the native content. Always assume people don’t want to leave. This is why nobody clicks links.
So if you want to promote your new single on Instagram, by all means, put a link in your bio, but make sure your music is present on the platform (even a basic screen recording video of Spotify works great here).
27: Short-term tactics are often not worth it – always think long term. Tactics like virality can work, but how many artists have we forgotten about that were memes? Too many.
28: Facebook Pages suck for everything except running ads (no, this doesn’t include boosting your posts). Your personal profile is a much better bet for connecting and sharing stuff with people. Create a separate profile if you don’t want to clog up your main one.
29: Instagram is where it’s at for artists in 2020 and 2021. It’s simple, visual, and used by a lot of music fans. Once again, you don’t have to focus on everything but make Instagram a high priority if you’re using social media.
30: A note on rebranding – I changed genres/styles a few times over my 11 years of music production experience. Sometimes I started new projects, sometimes I didn’t. If you want a fresh start from ground 0, make a new project. If you want to leverage your existing stats, rebrand yourself under the same name.
31: If you want to, incorporate related or interesting skills into your branding. If you’re a graphic designer, make sick branding and artwork. If you’re a DJ, make mixes and promote your favourite music. If you play instruments, do acoustic covers of your own music. And for the hundredth time – not all of them. Just pick one for now.
32: Work smarter, not harder. Send your music to the right people, not the most. Write short and concise emails. Use checklists for marketing and promotion to reduce mental load.
33: Ironically, sometimes opportunities that utilize your music production skills can be more of a burden than having an unrelated day job that is flexible.
Working 50 hours a week producing radio jingles might seem fun because you get to make music all the time, but in reality, you actually have no time to make what you want on the side.
Perhaps something like a part-time day job at the post office makes sense.
34: Getting a manager only make sense for two reasons – you either don’t know what you’re doing, or you don’t have the time to do everything. In my opinion, it’s better to be in the latter situation, and be your own manager at first.
It’s a lot of work, but prospective managers like to see an artist who can handle themselves well before hitting artists up. By the time you’re ready for management, it will be a mutually beneficial partnership, rather than a babying one where your manager has to sort all your shit out.
35: A common question around marketing and promotion is this: should I start promoting and marketing as soon as I start releasing? I’ve gone back and forth on this over the years, and my answer is this.
Since your music is probably the most important product you’ll put out as an artist, focusing on it is the best marketing decision you’ll make for the long term. I would ignore sending your music to anyone until your music is good enough to be marketed.
36: If you’re just starting out, perhaps use a throwaway project. Start uploading music to Soundcloud and self-releasing in order to get comfortable. Once you’ve got good music and marketing skills, turn to your ‘main’ music project and start from scratch there.
37: As much as I detest TikTok, if you think it could be useful for you career, use it. If not, ignore it. Personally, I avoid it for ethical reasons.
38: Black hat marketing is a branch of ethically questionable marketing tactics (Instagram bots, paying for plays, mass spamming your links etc.) In my opinion, avoid these at all costs.
Not because they don’t work (they do, sometimes very well) but the price paid is often not worth it. These marketing tactics often trade time for reputation or something far more costly – your conscience.
39: The music industry is extremely small. If you’re an asshole, everyone will know and never forget.
40: Most people are self-focussed on social media. Often it’s those who shine a light on others who stand out the most. Make sure it’s valuable though, and not just ass-kissing.
41: You can do a lot of things without other people these days. Use Canva for basic graphic design. Use Distrokid to self-release your music. Use Google Docs/Sheets (or my favorite, Notion) to stay organized. That being said, feel free to outsource specific activities where time and expertise are short.
42: Please, please stop making music videos. Unless you want to do one to say you made one, they are often not that great of a marketing tool, and only work if you’re already big.
43: The only thing you can do to guarantee failure is to quit completely. You might have major pivots in direction, or you might take a long time to get any sort of results. In the long-term, it doesn’t matter.
44: Stop doing the same things and expecting different results. If posting your track in a bunch of Discord servers didn’t work last time, ask why. Was it the timing? Was it the right servers? Is Discord worth posting it at all? Don’t just do the same thing again.
45: Genuine friendships and relationships will always help a lot more than email blasting people you either met once or never met. This is why networking is an invaluable skill for your music career.
46: Don’t reach out to every conceivable artist, playlist, label, or promotional contact before you’re known in your scene – let some of them discover you organically.
When people start discovering you, consider it a sign that you’re on the right path. Word of mouth marketing is the best form of marketing.
47: If you’ve heard bad things about someone from multiple, unrelated people, it’s best to avoid them. By their fruits, they shall be known.
48: Meet people in person where possible. Yes, it’s not feasible for everyone to do this. But one face-to-face meeting is worth at least 1000 emails or Facebook messages.
Personally, so much of my growth as an artist has come through meeting people in person.
49: If you want your music career to be successful, start working with vocalists early on so you can feature them in tracks. I’m still getting better at this, but these relationships will help you years down the track.
50: Be really, really bloody good at making music. Everything on this list won’t work if this isn’t the case. And when you think it’s good, it’s probably not.
Music quality is like a compressor with a high ratio, low threshold, and soft knee.
It has to pass a certain (very high) threshold to be accepted by potential fans (although the exact threshold isn’t ‘exact’ – a soft knee), but the higher it is above that threshold, the differences in pushing it don’t make a massive difference (otherwise Noisia would be the biggest music act in history).
Of course, for different genres, this will look different. But each one will have a similar barrier to entry.
Anyway, hope this helps some of you pursuing an artist career :)

I’m assuming their plan is to stay rather quiet, then hype up the XSX/PS5 releases this fall. I’m even betting there will be a cloud based digital Switch release. There will be ads on tv again and marketing will be full swing. There will be new content and free DLCs added to entice people to return. It may even have a slightly altered title, so that it seems like a new product. I’m guessing they’ll just act like the initial release never happened and this will essentially be a redo. There will also be reveals of the first expansion arriving early 2022 (which they’ll say will be free). Oh, and I’m betting there will be some promo for the Edgerunners anime around this timeframe, which will release 2022 around when the expansion will come out. This will all be part of the hype cycle this fall.
What do you all think? For me, this would be best case scenario at this point. But I’m not holding my breath haha.

Delete if not allowed!
I figured online books will be adding thanksgiving promos soon so it would be nice to keep everything in one place.
So far,
DraftKings: 33% boost on a 3 leg parlay, bet $20 live get $10 free, bet $25 get $50 it either Steelers or Ravens score.
Feel free to add more as they appear. Best of luck everyone. Enjoy some food and football!

First Previous
Four hours after pulling out of the Preston High School parking lot, Brodie’s Honda turned onto the driveway next to a massive, sixty foot globe in front of the offices for the Chatham County Republican Party.
They made two stops on the way to Savannah, first at an ATM just outside of Preston for the balance of Brodie’s money. Brodie tried to argue that the first $50 was payment to follow the kid to the bank and that he was due an extra $100 for the drive to Savannah. Brodie settled for the $100, not because the kid held his ground, but due to the insufficient funds error when he went back to the machine for another withdrawal. The kid instead promised that the job Brodie was being courted for would pay much more.
The second stop was at a truck stop before getting on the highway. After driving all night and working the show, all Brodie had eaten was a stale bag of popcorn left over from the concession stand. He pushed the trash from his previous food stocks onto the floorboard and loaded up the passenger seat of his car with dried beef sticks, assorted nuts, and two liter bottles of Mountain Dew.
He even sprung for a bottle of water for the kid, but kept the receipt.
When they pulled out of the truck stop, Brodie wondered what the kid had meant when he said, “if we get separated, just keep driving until you see the globe.” Now, as he slid across and exited the passenger door of his car into the shadow of the giant earth shaped ball, it made perfect sense.
The globe was a giant storage tank, a holdover from the gas company that owned the property back in the 1950s. Sometime later, the giant ball was painted up to look like the earth. It even had its own moon shaped mailbox out on the sidewalk.
Nowadays it was empty, a piece of local folk art. It had been slated for destruction to make way for new development only to be saved by the community. Still, no one wanted to pay to maintain it, and no one cared much about it except when it was doomed for demolition.
A better person could probably find a metaphor in all that, but Brodie wasn’t big on metaphors. Instead, he pressed his finger against his nostril and blew a snot rocket into the grass as he exited the passenger side of his car. He cleared the other nostril as the kid walked up, a look of disgust on his face from having seen Brodie clearing his sinuses.
“I called ahead,” the kid said, averting his eyes from the grass. “They’re upstairs waiting for you.”
Campaign signs filled the tiny green patch of grass in front of the office windows. Prominently among them were 'Doug Anderson for State Senate' signs featuring the candidate with a beaming smile fit for a toothpaste ad. The slogan ‘A Sure Bet on Savannah’s Future!’ was plastered on everything.
The kid fiddled with his keys, finding the correct one as he unlocked the glass doors leading to the office. He held it open, motioning for Brodie to enter. As Brodie stepped across the threshold, he was greeted by a poster sized photo of Ronald Reagan between two American flags in the lobby.
He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the glass frame of the Reagan poster, his sweaty t-shirt and camo shorts and greasy strands of black hair hanging down into his face juxtaposed over the blue suit and tie of the former President. If this was a job opportunity, he was feeling a little underdressed for the occasion.
“Just up the stairs to the conference room on the left,” he said, holding out his hand to Brodie. His handshake was eager, not too firm, a little sweaty. “It was a pleasure meeting you, sir.”
The kid locked the door behind him and headed back to his car.
Brodie held the handrail as he walked up the stairs, his knees aching with each step. They got stiff after long car rides, especially after working a match. He could still go in the ring, but the recovery between matches was hell. It was getting to the point where the painkillers couldn’t touch the dull aches that never seemed to fully go away.
Wrestling was hard on the body, and the body had a tendency of giving out before the mind realized it was time to hang it up. It was the only life he knew, so the thought of quitting never came up. Still, he wasn’t dumb; Brodie knew he couldn’t do this forever. He made adjustments to his moveset as he aged, working safer and taking fewer risks to extend his ability to work in the ring. Much of his aerial work from his younger days was gone from his arsenal, no more moonsaults or shooting star presses. He still had his Thunderstrike, but since he worked heel he rarely used it unless he was going over.
He found three people waiting for him inside the conference room. They sat at the far end of a mahogany conference table, huddled around a computer.
In the middle was the Anderson guy from the campaign signs out front, his skin unnaturally orange from spray tan. His blue suit jacket hung over the back of his chair and his tie dangled loose around his collar.
To his right was a beautiful younger woman in a blue pantsuit that gave off lawyer vibes. She had her long brown hair back in a chignon bun, somehow looking both casual and professional at the same time. Opposite her was a white haired older gentleman in a grey suit and a bolo tie. He looked like he could’ve been a Civil War general in a previous life. Or, judging by his age, this one.
Brodie knocked on the conference room door. The three of them looked up and smiled, almost in unison as they sprung into action. Anderson stood and smiled as Brodie entered, his unnaturally white teeth looking even more fluorescent against his spray tanned face.
“Mr. Collins!” Anderson said as he stood up from his wingback chair.
Anderson unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them up as he approached with his two handlers. The way he rolled up his sleeves and smiled, it all felt choreographed, a way of appearing more approachable and acceptable to someone of Brodie’s lower class.
Anderson gripped Brodie’s hand as he shook it, squeezing it to the point that Brodie’s fingertips turned red. Up close his veneered teeth looked polished ivory, and the collar of his undershirt was stained orange.
“Doug Anderson, future state senator from the great state of Georgia! How do you do sir?”
“Just Brodie, none of this Mr. Collins stuff,” Brodie said.
“We are thrilled that you could make it, I apologize for the short notice and the informal meeting this late, but we are in a bit of a crunch. Allow me to introduce my inner circle, the real power players that do all the work that makes me look good. First my communications director Aubrey Meadows.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Collins. Brodie, sir,” she said. Her handshake was rigid but inviting.
“And my campaign manager, Levi Washburne. If things go as planned, the three of you will be working closely together over the next couple of weeks.”
Brodie shook the older gentleman’s hand. His hand was soft, like holding a handful of cotton.
“An honor to meet you, Brodie,” he said, a slight southern lilt to his voice. “Loved your work with Outlaw Joe, thought you deserved a longer run with the titles.”
“Thanks,” Brodie said, both surprised and impressed by his knowledge. “What's this about? The kid mentioned a job but didn’t have any details.”
Levi put his hand on Brodie’s shoulder. “Have a seat, let us explain what’s going on and what we need you for.”
Brodie took a seat on the side of the conference table as Levi and Aubrey returned to their spots at the end. Only Anderson remained standing.
“Can I get you anything? Water, coffee, Coke, sweet tea?”
“Coffee’s good, thanks.”
“How about you too? Coffee?”
His two staff members nodded. This too felt choreographed, like his sleeve rolling earlier. Brodie was certain that somewhere in the building was a kid not much different from the one who retrieved him from Preston, waiting to do Anderson’s bidding at the press of an intercom button.
Aubrey clicked at the keys on the laptop as Levi pressed a button on the table to lower a projection screen. A few more keyboard clicks and Brodie was staring at her desktop on the conference room wall. A few mouse clicks later and she pulled up a presentation.
“The election for District 2 State Senator presents a unique challenge, Brodie. First, history has not been on our side. While much of Georgia has been going Republican, Savannah is still a blue stronghold of southern Democrats. This seat has been held by one man, Lester Jackson, since 1998. Odds of unseating him were so unfavorable that he’s run unopposed since 2010. Then, this happened.”
Levi nodded to Aubrey to advance the slideshow. The next slide was a newspaper headline from the Savannah Morning News: Lester Jackson announces retirement, will not seek re-election.
“With Jackson stepping down, the seat moved from Strong Democrat to Toss Up. We had to strike quick if we wanted a chance at winning, so we announced Doug’s candidacy the day the retirement announcement hit the paper. The Anderson family has been a pillar of the community and carries a lot of weight around here. With no opponent named, we took an early lead in the polls.”
Aubrey clicked to the next slide of polling data, likability factors and other political bullshit that Brodie couldn’t be bothered to understand. He was getting bored, yawning as he wondered where the fuck his coffee was.
Levi gave Aubrey a signal to keep it rolling.
“As you can see,” she began, “Doug is trending well in all groups that we expect to be: white males, suburban housewives, evangelical church goers, and of course gun owners. One area he’s lagging in is with blue collar workers, and it’s putting us in a bind.”
Another nod from Levi for Aubrey to advance the slide. It transitioned to a newspaper photo of a chubby, blonde-haired and round-faced man in an ill-fitting suit. He smiled as he waved to an unseen crowd of supporters. His sleeves were rolled up over his meaty forearms and his tie hung loosely around his unbuttoned collar.
Levi circled the man’s face with a laser pointer as he took over presenting. “Meet Rick Parker, the recently announced Democratic candidate for state senator. He’s a lawyer for a prestigious firm in downtown Savannah, which normally would put him at odds with blue collar workers. But to Parker’s advantage, his father worked as a millwright for the Port Wentworth paper mill, retiring with disability benefits. This gives him a connection to the working class that we do not have.”
The slide transitions to a stock photo of the mill, smoke and steam billowing up from a factory along the waterfront.
“He talks about his father’s hardships during his stump speeches. How he worked fifty, sixty hour weeks to put his son through college and law school. To his credit, Parker is an enigmatic speaker and it’s resonating well with the voters, specifically the ones we need to shift our way. But this stump speech that Aubrey’s about to pull up is the reason why we brought you in. Just watch, and tell us if you recognize anything.”
He nodded to Aubrey. She minimized the presentation and pulled up a Youtube video titled Hard Times.
In the video, Rick Parker stood behind a podium in front of a crowd of workers in hardhats and blue work uniforms. He wore a gray suit jacket and a tie that looked strained against his thick neck.
“I don't have to say about Doug Anderson. I know he grew up here in Savannah, and listening to him talk he claims to know what’s best for our city. But let’s be real, folks. Doug Anderson, he doesn’t know anything about hard times.”
The crowd whooped and cheered. Someone even dropped an ‘Amen.’ As he watched, Brodie grinned. He knew where this was going.
On the video, Parker continued his stump speech, pulling the mic free from the stand. The crowd cheered as he stepped from behind the podium, revealing his blue jeans below his jacket, shirt and tie ensemble.
He continued. “In fact, it’s people like Doug Anderson and his family that put hard times on the families of Savannah. Let me say this, Doug, you don't know what hard times are, daddy!”
The crowd roared with applause. As they cheered, Parker pulled out a pair of gold rimmed sunglasses from his pocket, which sent the crowd into an even bigger frenzy.
“Hard times are when the papermill workers are out of work and got four, five kids, and can't pay their bills, can't buy their food. Hard times are when the auto workers are out of work and they tell them 'Go home!'. And hard times are when a man has worked at a job thirty years — thirty years! — they give him a watch, kick him in the butt and say 'Hey, a computer took your place, daddy!' That's hard times!”
The crowd collectively lost their shit as Parker, now red faced and sweaty, paced the stage to thunderous cheers from the blue collar crowd. Watching in his seat, Brodie was right there with them, laughing and clapping along to the dismay of Levi and Aubrey.
Rick signaled for the crowd to quiet so he could finish. They hushed almost immediately. “But come November, the people of Savannah will show Doug Anderson exactly what hard times are when they vote Rick Parker as their next state senator!”
As the crowd roared, Levi motioned for Aubrey to cut the video. “Recognize that?”
“You kidding? Of course I do,” Brodie responded. “That’s Dusty Rhodes’ ‘Hard Times’ promo from 1985, it’s famous. Not exactly the same, he tweaked it to work for him. Kid cuts a damn good promo, I’ll give him that. Even looks a bit like young Dusty.”
“That video has over two million views already and got a huge signal boost when it was retweeted by Dusty’s son, pro wrestler Cody Rhodes,” Aubrey chimed in.
Brodie nodded. He had met Cody once at an independent show up in Memphis. Good kid, respectful. Nice, soft handshake. His Daddy taught him well.
“Insult to injury,” Aubrey continued, “Parker is rumored to be a guest on an upcoming episode of AEW Dynamite. Pro wrestling fans are the bluest of blue collar, so we need to turn this around if we expect to be competitive in November, let alone win.”
“So is this why you brought me here? To teach your guy how to give a wrestling promo to connect with the blue collar voters?”
Aubrey and Levi exchanged a look.
“Not exactly,” Levi replied. “We want you to wrestle him at the Chatham County Fair.”
Before Brodie could say anything the candidate returned trailed by an intern carrying a coffee serving tray.
“Coffee’s here!” he announced in a singsong voice. “Get it while it’s piping hot!”

I'm looking to get a portable vaporizer for golfing/fly-fishing/etc...and through my research it seems that the Argo is currently my best bet? I had kiddos and have fell out of the scene for the past 10+ years so it's been interesting seeing the tech innovation. I'm an incredible lightweight and will probably only take one/two puffs a couple times a week. I've still got a Silver Surfer I bought about 12 years ago and just fired it up for the 1st time in forever...how is it regarded these days?
I see Planet of the Vapes has the Argo available for $164.99 with free shipping, is that the best deal I'm going to find currently? I hate trying to track down promo codes so just wanted to confirm before ordering.
​
Thanks for any suggestions. Cheers!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipDvCSL-hKg&t=7s
*As Raw comes on the air...the new theme song of the returning SlowbroJJ fills the empty arena. JJ walks out in a full business suit with four interns running behind him as he takes his place on center stage. JJ extends his arms out as the four interns hold up four different titles. A replica of the World title, the former US title, the IC title and one of the tag team titles. JJ tilts his head back as expensive pyro goes off...for no one but himself. JJ slowly walks down the ramp and towards the ring as the interns rush in and once again hold up the titles for him as he poses. One of the ring side assistants rushes to his side and offers a microphone as JJ grins*
"I'm sure you have a lot of questions...but. Before we get to that I would like to bring out my last friend in LLR to share this moment with me. I want to take this all in with him"
*JJ tilts his head back once again as Monk's music fills the arena. Monk has a massive smile on his face and as he comes down to the ring and slides in? Him and JJ meet each other to hug. JJ pats his back a few times before wrapping his free arm around Monk's shoulders and beginning to speak*
"Ah...now this feels right. So...Now that I had this moment. I bet you are all wondering...Why? Why come back after such an incredible ending?"
"Well I had a few reasons. I didn't quite care for...my final moments. My final apology was supposed to be vague to the people I wronged in LLR...Sima and Steve mostly. I have done them terribly wrong many times in the past and I feel awful about that. I also promised to be around as a manager and I didn't keep that promise either."
*JJ looks to Monk and smiles*
"But...The real reason I'm back? Well. It's simple."
"What happened, Monk?"
*Monk stops and looks to JJ. A look of confusion crossing his face as JJ keeps that warm smile on his face*
"...I left LLR as the best in the world. The greatest of all time. I beat Vacant and I was told I left an incredible legacy. But what happened to the next generation of story tellers? The promo cutters? Hell the world champ doesn't like cutting promos because "it's too hard" and the IC belt was held by a bunch of jokes who I thought I wiped from the face of this earth...? You were here. I thought you and pruef could handle things. But you couldn't."
*Without warning JJ swings the microphone and hits Monk right in the head. Causing monk to fall to the ground as JJ begins to kick him in the head. Brutal stomp after stomp as Monk tries to cover himself all while JJ stares daggers down at him*
"I....left on top. I proved I was the best? And what's my legacy? P1 saying he wasn't around for "peak JJ" as if I wasn't the peak of LLR at all times?! The only mention of me for 9 months is the time I lost to Pruef, because you helped him, at Wrestlemania? I BUILT THIS PLACE!"
*JJ reaches down and grabs Monk by the hair and begins to swing the bottom of the microphone into Monk's skull over and over again. Eventually there is a sick cracking sound as blood begins to poor down Monk's face. JJ growls and drags Monk over to the corner of the ring and begins to brutally kick Monk in the face over and over again. A bloody mess in the corner as JJ takes a few steps back before running forward and driving his knee into Monk's face.*
"I DID EVERYTHING FOR LLR!" *He screams into the microphone*
"But all you care about is titles....So fine. I'm back. I'm here to take /everything/ and show you all why I was the best. I'm coming for every title. On each brand. I am going to collect every belt...and I am going to be king again."
*JJ reaches down to lift the bloody pulp that was once Monk up to the camera*
"I want you to look at him. He was my friend. My best friend in LLR. I did that to /my best friend/...so imagine what Ill do to the people that couldn't respect me?"

Ladbrokes are offering £50 in free bets with a £10 bet in the casino. Is this worth it? If so, how do i best maximise winnings?
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You’re driving the wrong car: Imagine pulling up to the Indie 500 in a 4-cylinder sedan. And you’re here to race! You want to get ahead. To win! To come in, perhaps, in the top ten. With that vehicle? Sorry, pops. No dice.
Want to get ahead in wealth creation? You’re going to need a different vehicle, a faster means of getting where you want to be. And for most middle-class or lower-income individuals, you simply don’t have the right means.
​
Here’s the problem: There are very few people who become millionaires (or more) gaining 5%-7% APR on their money each year, which is your typical stock market returns minus the cost of inflation. Yes, compound interest is a thing. Yes, if you work your entire life, save-and-save-and-save-some-more, you can possibly get there. The problem with this model, however, is that it assumes an 1) entire life of steady income, 2) no massive financial circumstances (loss of a job, paying for a kid’s college tuition, etc.), and 3) does not pursue additional income creation.
In short, it’s the typical, middle-class person with an IRA or 401k strategy. What’s worse is that the savings you do have is locked away and can only be accessed with a harsh withdrawal penalty. Now, it isn’t a bad financial path. It will get you to the destination. Just not quickly.
​
If you want out of the rat race, you simply need a faster means. It’s the difference between walking a mile, running a mile, or driving a mile. Walking a mile will get you where you are going. Running a mile will get you there about two to three times faster, and driving will get you there exponentially faster.
Your best bet in regard to tax savings, equity, and appreciation is, of course, real estate. There are many first-time homebuyer programs to help those just getting started. In regard to passive income, I recommend making your first home purchase a multi-family purchase (as banks will count the income from the property toward your total income when qualifying for the loan).
I, however, live in a HCOL area (Austin, TX). The real estate market is very competitive. Wholesalers and rehabbers are everywhere. I get at least one promo a week for people asking to buy my home. A friend of mine and RE agent recently sent out her monthly email, which stated our home inventory to purchase in 55% of what it was a year ago. That's a tough market.
I went the promissory note path because it will also get you there much, much faster. It’s not as fast or as lucrative as business creation can be, but it beats the typical, middle-class strategy every day of the week. It offers consistent, regular income at a fixed APR which can easily snowball into more and more income once you get a few notes in your possession.
WYNFF Part 1
WYNFF Part 2

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Just a quick note to everyone on Reddit. All of our NBA content on windailysports.com this week is free. Discord, articles, and live projections. Hop by and check us out.
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Happy Tuesday my NBA DFS friends – after a wild Monday slate with injuries at every turn and non-stop value that resulted in a superstar night led by a slate-breaking Luka Doncic 84 DK point outing – we are back with a much more manageable three-game slate here on Tuesday.
With Super Bowl 55 just a few days away, we are rolling out a SUPER promo to join the Win Daily Sports family as you can get a month pass of our All-Sports Gold Membership for 55% off!

NBA DFS Picks and Pivots: Slate Breakdown

I have to say – kudos to DraftKings tonight. We got the news yesterday that all of Kawhi Leoanrd, Paul George and Pat Beverley would sit and I was half expecting to open today’s slate and see all this obvious $3-$4K value in LA. However, DK went super aggressive with guys like Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard and Lou Williams who were all priced under $4K last game and they pushed them up to $6K+ price points tonight.
I absolutely love it. Seriously – a three-game slate with multiple Clippers chalk value would have been a snoozefest and it would have made every build nearly identical.
Now, you are actually going to have to think through your builds and make tough choices because the value – by and large – is not really even value.
The one spot this COULD change is in Atlanta with Trae Young and Clint Capela questionable to play. Rajon Rondo ($4.2K) drew the start on Saturday with Trae sidelined and racked up 23 DK points in 30 minutes and would become one of the best value plays on the slate.
With the Hawks on the front end of a B2B with the Brooklyn Nets coming to town tomorrow, I think it is fair to wonder if Trae/Capela take one more night to rest against the LAC B Squad.

Building Our Core:

Let’s just not over think this, shall we?
The Washington Wizards (+3.5)
Wager $10 on WAS📷To Beat HOU:$23.24Lose by less than 3.5:$19.17To Lose:$16.35 and Houston Rockets (-3.5)Wager $10 on HOU📷To Beat WAS:$16.35Win by 3.5:$19.17To Lose:$23.24 game is a DFS goldmine. A glistening beacon of fantasy goodness nestled in between the turd sandwich that is the Clippers bench versus a potential Hawks JV squad and the late-night “hammer” of Knicks-Jazz that will be played at a pace that would make the 1929 Princeton offense jealous.
The Wizards play at the fastest pace in the NBA this season with a corresponding 2nd worst team defense rating which makes them the ideal spot to target for and against in DFS builds. Over the last 5 games, the Wizards rank 1st in pace while the new-look Rockets rank 4th – setting this game up to be a track meet with a side of REVENGE!
John Wall versus Russell Westbrook. Yes please.
With the Wizards being super short-handed due to COVID protocols – starting any and all builds with Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook seems like the easiest path forward. The only “concern” would be that Westbrook is eased back in after playing just 25 minutes against the Spurs over the weekend.
With this game against his former team and the fact Westbrook had a day off, this feels like a spot where 30+ minutes is likely and unless we get some confirmation of a hard sub-30-minute cap – I am going to take the superstar raw points on a three-game slate.
What this also would do is take me off the fringe Wizards – if Westbrook is back playing normal minutes and commanding his usual usage – that means that the Jerome Robinson and Isaac Bonga’s of the world can get bent. Sure the minutes will be there but I am not going to play potential chalky Wizards forwards who will take their cue from PJ Tucker on the other side of this game and just chill in the corner for 40 minutes.
Speaking of Tucker – well more so speaking of his Rockets teammates – this looks like the perfect spot to stack up the Rockets trio of John Wall, Victor Oladipo and DeMarcus Cousins.
With Christian Wood doubtful, the price on Boogie at $6K is laughable. Seriously – good luck Robin Lopez and Alex Len.
This will be the first game that Wall/Oladipo share the backcourt together in Houston and if there was ever a time to take a shot on them, it’s this kind of fast-paced match-up against a league-worst defense. The pricing on both is fair enough where you can see profit potential assuming this game does what Vegas thinks it will. Once we get all the injury news, there is a likely path here with this game total is 20 points higher than either of the other two games.
Stack it up. Get Westbrook/Beal and run it back with Boogie/Wall/Dipo.
On 3 game slates, I want to target the raw point upside and this 5 man core, assuming no minutes limits, has that in spades.
Think about it – if Trae/Capela were to sit – the only other “stars” you have to worry about are Julius Randle, Donovan Mitchell, and maybe Rudy Gobert. So unless you are stacking that game – why not plant your flag with the Washington/Rockets stars in the best game environment of the slate?
Now – this core leaves you just under $3.3K for the last 3 spots in your build and the value really is not obvious – especially at super weak forward spots on DraftKings.
This is where you can mix and match some of the fringe bench value though to make it all work. As an example – Georges Niang ($3.2K) has averaged 16 DK points per game the last 6 games, putting him on pace to return 5X value at this price point.
Or you can flip to the Knicks side of that game – with Reggie Bullock already ruled out – it opens up a path to second team usage for players like Kevin Knox and Obi Toppin.
Both of these players have carved out roles on the Knicks second unit, with 15-18 minutes off the bench each last game against Portland in a similar spot with Bullock out. What you are really hoping for her however is to nail the game script – and on a three game slate, I think it is fine to try and play the blow out angle.
The Jazz are favored by 11 in this game and we have already seen this season where Knox (31 DK points against Charlotte) and Toppin ( 23 DK points against Boston) have hit 7-10x ceiling games in blow out scripts.
Even if the game stays close, these guys will get their minutes and at that point, you are hoping they hit their 5x and you “survive” but if the game script goes the right way – you are looking at two punts that could light up your DK lineup with 10x flames!

Picks and Pivots – The Wrap Up

This slate is super cut and dry to me – I am going to anchor to the Washington/Houston game and plant my flag in the best game environment with the superstar plays that can win me the slate.
If you liked what you read here today – come gives us a try – you can get your first month of all access DFS at Win Daily sports for just $13.50 which is 55% OFF the monthly price in honor of Super Bowl 55.
Enjoy this slate – let’s get in Discord today and chat it up while we dig through our cheat sheets and projections here at Win Daily to set up the start of this NBA DFS season with some big wins!
Make sure you follow me on Twitter at @2LockSports and be sure to sign up for an ALL ACCESS GOLD ACCOUNT account here at Win Daily Sports. Gain access to our Projection Models and jump into our Discord where we will have our experts talking plays across every sport and slate!

Hey All - it’s that time of year again to look at all of my bets (something I do each Christmas) and figure out “hmm why the fuck did I do that all year?”
Most sports betting places have your account on file and can provide your past year of history with Categories (Money Line, First TD Scorer, etc), Team, Dates, and Amounts. You can just email their customer service team and they’ll turn it around quite quickly.
Here are some issues I found in the DraftKings Data set after receiving: 1. Fix Parlays/Round Robins: DK will post a line-item PER part of the Parlay. If you bet 10$ on a 5 Leg Korean Baseball Parlay, it will show up as 50$ Wagered and 0$ gain, or possibly 50$ Wagered and 500$ gain when really it was just 10$ to win 100$. This will throw your numbers way off. 2. Normalize the Categories to the best of your ability or until you get absolutely sick and tired of watching your “Manchester City to Score Goals in Both Halves and Win” locks lose outright. 3. Pivot and Prosper with your data.
Some personal findings and 2021 betting resolutions:

1. STOP BETTING ON SOCCER (-25%)
2. STOP BETTING ON PLAYER RECEIVING YARDS (-80%)
3. Start betting more on Touchdown Scorer (+59%)
4. Start betting more on Total Points (Even for the year)
5. CONTINUE TO USE ALL PROMOS (+300$ DK, for instance KC +101 50$ Max Bet)
6. STOP BETTING ON NBA PLAYER POINTS (-50%)

NUMBER 5 IS IMPORTANT. Promos are free money. You can have 500-700 “free” dollars if you sign up for the major books and just play promos.
Happy Chrismahannakwanzaa to all my fellow Sportsbetters out there and have a wonderful 2021!