Framcesa Nardo’s eyes are alluring. Her booty, which she loves to show off, keep men on top of their game. It’s for these reasons, that we decided to nominate her for theGirl of the Week.
Francesca is true natural beauty, who loves to get dolled up and go out. She equally enjoys going to the beach and catching rays of sunshine all over her trim body and face. When not sampling the finest wines, keeps up on current fashion trends and visits interesting places.
It’s not only women who struggle to maintain their weight. Men also battle the bulge, but men and women store deposits of fatty tissue on their bodies differently. Women’s adipose tissue is stored on their breasts and the hips, thighs and bottom. All of that storage helps to give females the shape and curves attract men, like big boobs or a shapely booty. Ironically, many women feel conscious about their curves.
Men carry a lot of fat around their core section, and as they get older frequently a pronounced gut develops. Because many men like to drink alcohol as they age, and alcohol consumption can really pack on the calories, the fat belly that men grow is often called a “beer belly”. It’s easy to get one of the these tell-tale signs of manliness, and hard as hell to get rid of a beer gut.
Best way to get rid of a beer belly
The best way to lose a beer belly is obvious, but not always simple. Stop drinking beer. While drinking beer is a satisfying end to a hard day’s work, it can also wreck havoc on your waistline. For example, a single pint of Guinness Extra Stout has 176 calories. You would have jog at a medium pace for over 30 mins, just to burn off that one beer. If you drink 3-4 beers five nights a week, it would require equally intense workouts just to get back to baseline.
We’re not saying that you have to quit drinking beer completely. We are after all in control of our own lives and can choose to partake in any adult activity we choose. You may try substituting a light beer, or a shot of top-shelf whisky, in place of high-calorie brewed beverages. If your drinking buddies give you a hard time, or call you names for choosing a “sissy beer”, make sure you brush up on your bar fighting skills so you can show them whose boss.
Get up and get moving
Drinking beer after working a desk job, or any other job that keeps your butt in a seat, is a double whammy. Not only does your body burn a minimal amount of fat while your fat ass polishes a chair all day, then you overload on empty alcoholic calories before you sleep. While your wallet might be getting fat, your gut is going to get fat too.
If you can’t, or won’t, cut back on drinking beer then you will have to get some exercise in to help get rid of the beer gut. The good news is there are plenty of awesome ways to do this. Here’s a short list, and you probably have a few great ideas of your own.
Paintball – You used to love this sport, and you were good at it. Get the guns out of the garage and light up your enemies all over again.
Challenge Nature – Think your tough? How about planning a 40 mile round trip on your weekend off?
Run some stairs – If Rocky can do it, so can you. Find the longest staircase near you and burn your beer gut off.
Sex Machine
One of the worst aspects of a huge beer gut is a not being able to see your schlong. If you have to use a mirror in order to see your member of the board, it’s time to lose the beer belly. Not only will you feel better, you’ll have more energy in bed, more confidence, and your woman will notice a huge improvement. Bonus round: Your dick will also look bigger too!
Sex is great way to burn off extra energy. Some studies say that men can burn more than 100 calories per sex session. What a great way to lose some weight, have fun and get a good night’s sleep. There is a catch though guys: The key to burning the most calories during sex, is to do all the work. We understand that’s is super arousing to watch your girl go cowgirl-style onto of you, but when she’s the one getting the workout, she reaps the weight-loss benefits. It’s time to man-up and lay more pipe than plumber on a cocaine-fueled work binge.
Other ways to lose the beer belly
If you can’t quit drinking, exercise, and/or get laid a few extra times per week, there is still hope to shed the beer belly. All of the extra fat that is gathering on your core isn’t just from beer. Any surplus food that you eat and your body doesn’t can end up adding to your beer belly. That means, Super Bowl party foods or munchies when you go play video games at your buddies place.
Cutting back on fatty, high cholesterol foods, can really impact your beer belly. So instead of eating nachos and double pepperoni pizza a few nights per week, try a F’in salad. Whatever your comfort food, if you can limit your intake, you will be well on your way to reducing the size of your beer gut.
By Ray Vann: Jon Jones is entering into the octagon on Feb. 8 for his 11th defense of the UFC light heavyweight belt, but he’s stepping in against an undefeated Dominick Reyes, a fighter who is looking to break the myth around Bones Jones and secure that title spot for himself.
The books are all over Jones in this one, and it’s hard to go against someone who is arguably (or to some, unquestionably) the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, but there are some pretty tantalizing odds out there for a Reyes upset. Not quite in the “Holm over Rousey” realm, but it’ll be worth looking through this list of some of the best sites online to find odds and get the best value on a bet.
Heavy Favorite
Jones has a clear cut advantage over Reyes going into this fight in terms of reach, with a 7.5 inch difference over his competitor. In order to negate this striking differential, Reyes is going to have to get aggressive, and also make use of the same kind of takedown defense he used to stop Chris Weidman less than two minutes into the first round back at UFC 243 in October. Jones, it should be worth noting, is a much different beast than Weidman, and Reyes will be having a much more difficult time stopping the 6’4 champ.
And Reyes’ victory over Weidman did not seem to impress Jones at all.
“You knocked out Chris Weidman. He’s been knocked out so many times. Good job,” Jones said back in December. “I don’t have to knock out people. The only way you can possibly win this fight is to catch me with a left. We all know that. I could submit you, I could out-wrestle you, I can kickbox you to death. I’m going to get you. I’m going to get you, Dominick. You know it. You’re a one-trick pony. We saw your highlight reel. It was straight left, straight left, straight left.”
“He’s Just a Man”
What Reyes does bring to the table, however, is his extreme athleticism and the confidence to succeed. Reyes had previously played Division 1 football at Stony Brook University, and he has previously told reporters that the upcoming battle with Jones has been something he’s been thinking about for years.
I’ve worked my whole life to fight Jon, my whole fighting career. I started training to fight Jon. I’m getting better and better,” Reyes said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show. “I’m getting better and better. I’m ready to step in there with this man. He’s just a man. I feel like my destiny is to fight this man and take him out.”
And meeting Jones face-to-face has only seemed to heighten Reyes’ confidence even more. At a press conference last month, Reyes told reporters “In the faceoffs, that was the first time I ever met Jon in my life, or even (got) near him. We came face to face, and my heart rate didn’t raise at all. I felt at home. I felt like, ‘This is it. This is Jon Jones.’ The allure of Jon Jones is a lot bigger than he actually is.”
‘This guy is just a man with many insecurities.’ You can see it all over him,” Reyes added.
Whether or not Reyes’ confidence and athleticism can win out over the experience and skills of Jon Jones remains to be seen. Tune in to UFC 247 on Feb. 8 to find out!
Sonic and Mario at the Olympics games are blasphemous, unlike Sonic Mania. Nintendo and Sega ruled the 1980s and 1990s. Nintendo and Sega had their best first and other party titles on store shelves. Even more, customers spent without remorse on both companies’ software. In the final analysis, the best console won. Sonic Mania is the brainchild of Sega. Furthermore, credit goes to Christian Whitehead, Headconnon, and PagodaWest Games. Clearly, Sonic Mania brings the essence of Sega’s past rivalry to Nintendo Switch.
However, Sonic Mania is odd. For people who remember Sega’s consoles, think for a moment. Ultimately, Sonic Mania needs a six-button controller. Whether it is a Joycon, Nintendo Switch Pro Controller or Switch’s portable mode, this is a new game on different hardware. With that in mind, Sonic Mania plays… well, read below.
Sonic Tale
Without a doubt, Sonic Mania lives in the two-dimensional past. Sega’s game takes inspiration from multiple Sonic the Hedgehog titles. Additionally, it manages to combine the character’s history into a massive compilation. The high definition, retro, graphics at 60 frames per second familiarizes players.
Sonic2 by Sega
Sonic Mania allows you to play the fleet Sonic with Tails. In other modes, play as Sonic, the brutal Knuckles or the aerial Tails. Of course, take on Doctor Eggman. Moreover, prepare for a new set of maniacal bosses. Furthermore, Sonic Mania twists classic Sonic the Hedgehog levels and stages into a new game experience.
Sonic Movements
Sonic3 by Sega
Control Sonic, or any character, with the left analog stick or cross pad. Additionally, Sonic the Hedgehog jumps in the air with the B. A or Y buttons. Even more, tap the jump button to access each character’s special abilities.
Moreover, hold down the analog stick or cross pad with a jump button. This movement allows each character to rev up before they run. Additionally, use the same button combinations to access the tag team moves with two characters on-screen.
Speed Mode
Sonic Mania’s menu screen has multiple options. For example, Mania Mode allows you to play remade classic levels. Again, this is the single-player mode. Time Attack mode allows you to replay and improve on the time of previous levels.
Moreover, Competition Mode permits local multiplayer competition. For example, play as Tails, Sonic, or Knuckles, on separate or split screens. The game also has downloadable content for purchase.
Feel the Speed
Sonic4 by Sega
Sonic Mania works at a breakneck pace. For example, rush through each lengthy and continuous level. Special stages pop up in an instant. There are many corners to discover. Green Hill Zone, for example, is the equivalent of a two-dimensional sandbox type level, in my opinion.
Sonic Mania gets to rerun nostalgia. It manages to immerse today’s players. As an example, A boss level ends in homage to Doctor Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine. In short, this keeps players aware of nostalgia around every corner.
Nostalgic Touch
Sonic5 by Sega
The biggest issue, in my opinion, is the game’s reaction time. Sonic the Hedgehog is the Sega Genesis, in my opinion. It plays on a cathode ray television. The Switch is a high definition console, with hyper-responsive controls. This delivers sensitive reactions to the gameplay. On the Sega Genesis, Sonic the Hedgehog had a specific rhythm and cadence.
Sonic Mania plays wells, on Nintendo Switch, but requires precise movement. This can, at times, be overactive. For example, Sonic runs fast. Any shift, not in harmony with the controls, stops your momentum suddenly. This is a minor issue.
That Wistful Look
The look of this game is ambiguous, in my opinion. Moreover, Sonic Mania mimics what was on a Sega Genesis. In portable or television modes, the pixel- heavy appearance does not work. The call for nostalgia is apparent. A glossier look seems like it could work better for this game. This can work in tandem with a high definition control scheme.
Conclusion
Sonic Mania is a fascination. It took a while for me to get this game. Without question, it is the main Sonic title on the Nintendo Switch. Play this game and Luigi’s Mansion back-to-back. Try Super Mario Odyssey and this game. It fits in the Nintendo Switch library. Like any non-Nintendo game, it adds a dimension to the system. Contemplation and quick reaction must work together. Think and act quickly, or die.
Girl of the Week, Anamaria Dodan, is one hot and beautiful woman. Her bubbly and upbeat personality is apparent for everyone to witness. Being top-heavy was a curse for Dodan when she was younger, but she’s embraced her big boobs now. “I know guys try not to look,” says Dodan, but she admits she catches other women sneaking a peek just as much as men.
Dodan has harnessed her naturally good looks and curvy figure into a successful modeling career. Posting photos on Instagram was the spark she needed to attract the attention of larger outlets, and she’s capitalized on the momentum. Frequently, her modeling work keeps her busy squeezing into tight-fitting swim suits and around luscious bodies of water.
Death Party Playground is a power pop rock n roll band hailing from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The band has been working together since 2013 to forge their original and authentic brand of power pop. Separately, the members of the band all have some serious musical chops. While they have several smaller releases and a “best of” compilation on their Bandcamp, their LP Little Joy is what they consider their debut release. The album is made up of tracks that take influences from the past but still manage to feel fresh.
To be completely honest, I am wholly unfamiliar with power pop as a concept. I usually avoid pop music like the plague and haven’t listened to the radio since before the days of Napster. I’m not saying that I didn’t enjoy this album, I’m just saying that my frame of reference for Death Party Playground’s sound might be different than that of their usual audience. That being said, let’s talk about Little Joy.
The Overall Sound
It’s really hard to nail down an overall sound for this record. One track will be full of synths that remind me of something out of the eighties and another will have a cool fifties vibe. I can say that the production is clean as a whistle and the mixes on these tracks are pretty much perfect. In my experience, there is a fine line between “eclectic” and “all over the place”. The difference there is the skill with which all the disparate pieces are put together. Little Joy is definitely an eclectic collection of sounds.
I don’t think you can listen to this album and not feel it. Even if you’re not connecting with the lyrics on an emotional level, it’s easy to just vibe with Death Party Playground. Most of the songs have their own unique sound but they all contain the same infectious groove. If you’re not studying the lyrics, this would be a great album for a little music therapy at the end of a long day. A couple drinks and a this album will improve just about any mood.
The Real Unifying Concept
The one thing that ties this album together is the lyrical content. I said you could just vibe to this record if you weren’t studying the lyrics because doing so changes the whole experience. These lyrics seem very personal. Most of them deal with loss and moving on. To my ears, it sounds like an album mostly populated by breakup songs. Not in the usual whiny self-righteous way, though. The lyrics depict a man who has been hurt but doesn’t wish ill on his former partner. It’s a mature look at relationships and loss that seems to be rare in the grand scheme of things. Instead of an emotional journey to the depths of melancholy, you get the bared soul of a man just trying to move on from someone he thought was “the one”. I’m sure plenty of us have been there at least once.
In short, the songs on this album may be sonically eclectic but the soulful, honest, and relatable lyrics really tie everything together like a good rug.
Standout Tracks
While this whole LP is packed with poppy goodness, there are a couple tracks that really stand out to me.
Love and Fidelity
Death Party Playground know how to kick off an album, that’s for damned sure. This sounds like something that would have been on the top of the charts in the heyday of pop rock. The guitar work on this track is killer. It reaches out and grabs you from the first note. The song closes with a great keyboard solo followed by some woah-ohs. I honestly didn’t even know keyboard solos were a thing that could be cool Good on you, Death Party Playground, good on you.
Bright New
I love the way this track opens. It starts with a bass line, then the drums come in, followed by some understated keys. By the time the guitars and vocals dropped in, I was already hooked on this track. To my ears, this is one of the more rock-heavy songs on the album. The mellow instrumentals behind crooning vocals remind me a little bit of Bush. I liked Bush back in the day, so this is a nice little throwback for me.
I think my favorite part of this track is how goddamn melancholy it is. Seriously, “Bright New” is the saddest damned track on the album. The main bit of the chorus is, “You’ll have bright new days to come even after all we’ve said and done, but I’m never going to last alone”. That’s one heavy line. It’s one that I think anyone who has ever been through a big breakup would be able to relate to. Not only does this song have a great groove, it’ll also hit you in your feelings.
Final Thoughts
All in all, would I recommend this album? Definitely. I may not be super familiar with the genre where Death Party Playground is at home, but I do know quality tunes when I hear them. Whether you’re having a drink after a long day or having a good cry after having your heart stomped on by an ex, Little Joy is a solid soundtrack.
Hopefully you saw that the whole album is available to stream within this article and you’re already listening to it. If you want to check this one out on the go, you can find it on Soundcloud and Spotify. If you’re not big on streaming media, you can always buy a copy of the album. Either way, you’ll be sure to get some joy out of Little Joy.
The art of the Metroidvania game is a subtle tease. Too much platforming and the game will feel stagnant. Too much combat will turn it into a slog. Rubi the Wayward Mira manages to strike a harmonic chord in its demo that is sweet to the gamer soul. Now, with its Kickstarter already a smashing success, they’re looking beyond just completing the game, but making a truly special experience.
We had the opportunity to speak with Erik, the brains behind the operation for Rubi the Wayward Mira. And what did they have to say? See for yourself…
Begin Interview for Rubi: The Wayward Mira
So what is Rubi: The Wayward Mira?
‘Rubi: The Wayward Mira’ is a 2D Metroidvania fantasy platformer with settings and inspiration taken from particle physics and the Large Hadron Collider located at CERN.
Very exciting. It sounds like a blast. Who all is part of the project?
We have a core team, along with artists that we commission here and there. Our core team is composed of the following:
Myself – I started Rubi as a solo project without really an end goal in mind.
Geoff Meyer – He’s a composer who developed the OST behind the game.
Clement Sweenes – An artist I commissioned at first to update the graphics for the project. He since transitioned into a co-developer role, helping me in various aspects of the game.
Digging further, what has been the biggest learning experience from this Kickstarter?
This is actually the second Kickstarter for Rubi. The first one failed two years ago, which was a good opportunity for me to learn where we could do better. I think most learning comes from failure, which opened my eyes into the amount of polish that is needed to not only have a successful Kickstarter campaign, but also a successful game. Ideas need to be presented well, or else you’ll have a hard time finding a following.
Very true. Very true! So now that the Kickstarter has completed nearly all of the posted stretch goals already, and so many days to go, what’s next on the horizon?
Hmm… well, we have a couple more stretch goals planned that we plan to reveal mid-campaign as the dollar amounts become relevant. Most Kickstarter campaigns have a lull in the middle, so our thought was to help offset that with new announcements as we come closer to the next relevant goal. Our next goal will actually be one of two quest line options, and new backers can vote with their pledges which one they would prefer!
Now that’s awesome!
Woo! I’m glad you think so! I haven’t seen anything like this, so I honestly have no idea how well it will be received.
The demo itself was what sold me. The presentation is on point, character interactions were enjoyable, and the combat satisfied me. That being said… not everything was perfect. Some criticisms I saw included the game’s puzzles, hints being too subtle, and unclear hints from the map as to how to progress. What can we expect to see improved from the current version of the demo?
I’ve heard those criticisms as well. Every day or so I google the project to see if anyone posted a review or a playthrough on Youtube. It’s a little nerve wracking to put your project in the public space for everyone to see, but the candid feedback is so valuable. When I see multiple players struggle with similar hurdles, I think about how to smooth out the edges to keep the game fun. These are some examples of changes that should be released soon.
I’ve developed an ‘Options’ screen which includes a method for users to remap their controls.
‘Health’ points placed before major encounters. They function like the save crystals, but restore health when running over them.
More visual cues on some required breakable tiles
Moving the ‘Goal’ position to a more clear location… and some others I can’t think of off the top of my head.
The demo really encourages players to explore the area and backtrack after discovering clues. Cough Castlevania Cough What games most influenced development?
Metroid, Megaman, Ori and the Blind Forest, and Shantae are some of the bigger influencers that I can think of. Any game that does something fun that we can learn off of is fair game.
It’s funny you mention Shantae, who’s movement Rubi mirrors. Like Shantae, Rubi’s character really shines through in a short amount of time. What’s the biggest challenge for making an engaging character, be it protagonist, side character, or enemy?
Do you consider animating or writing their personality to be more difficult?
Hmmm…. there’s a lot that goes into making a character, and I don’t really know all the secrets…. or even if there is a secret recipe in doing so. For us, it was more of an iterative process. Rubi started out very generic. Then we sought to make her ‘disabled’ by removing her ability to use mana in a world where everyone could. Then we developed a reason why she was disabled (born during the Decay of Casimir). From there we were able to determine their motivations….. Rubi cares for her orphan family, whereas Mith is trying to save her planet at whatever cost. Each time we iterate on the characters, we discover a facet of them…. which hopefully makes them more relatable.
I think animating them is more difficult. Once you iterate on their designs enough, I find the characters start to write themselves a little.
That makes sense! I guess before we wrap things up, what are you most excited about the future of Rubi?
I’m most excited about developing games two and three! The endings to the first game “The Wayward Mira” I think will be very exciting to reveal, and if I’m lucky enough to continue to tell the saga, I think it would end up being a very cool story.
1917 is a World War I film that focuses on two British Lance Corporals who are tasked with crossing deep into enemy territory in order to deliver a message that will save 1,600 men from an ambush. The urgency of the mission is heightened by the fact that one of the men who will be saved is the brother of one of the young soldiers. The trailer tells you everything you need to know going into this film.
Simple but Gripping
1917 isn’t a film that is full of plot twists and surprises. It is a very straight forward film. However, this doesn’t mean that it isn’t a gripping and harrowing tale. You follow Lance Corporals Blake and Schofield as they traverse the hellscape between their trenches and the encampment of the forces they are trying to rescue. Their motivations are simple but the outcome is unsure.
What makes this film work so well on a narrative level is that before long you feel like you know the leads. It’s obvious that they are friends and, through their banter, you get to know them as people. These aren’t gritty, ultra badass war heroes chosen for a task because they are the best of an elite squad. These are average yet brave young men who are, like many others on the battlefield, just following orders. 1917 is as much a character study as it is a pulse-pounding war movie.
Subtle Differences
The fact that these young men are regular guys fits well into the overall tone of the film. Where most war movies are focused on how the Good Guys beat the Bad Guys and tend to glorify war, this one seems more realistic. There is no military worship on display here. I have heard several people say that this film is one of the most realistic depictions of war ever put to film. It isn’t just the bloated and rotting bodies laying on the field or half buried in piles of rubble that drive that home. One thing that I found interesting was that most of the cast is made up of young men. The officers are some of the only people who seem to be out of their twenties. This is an army made up of young men who just want to do their duty and go home.
The Cinematography
The story is great, the performances are stellar, but the cinematography is what really brings this film together. 1917 is edited to look like it is one continuous shot. In fact, most of the scenes were done in one shot. In a promotional interview, the cast and crew talk about how this film was shot more like a stage play than a regular movie. Much time, planning, and effort went into giving this film the look that it has. Let me tell you, it paid off.
Not only does it look like one long shot, it looks like you’re in the thick of the action. Whether they are walking across a field chatting about cherry orchards or in a cramped abandoned bunker, you feel every emotion. You experience it all in real time. This closeness to the action and attention to detail in the shooting makes 1917 one of the most anxiety-inducing films I’ve ever seen. If you’re a fan of cinema in general, you should experience this film. Even if you don’t like war films, you’ll be able to appreciate the craft. .
Final Thoughts
All in all, would I recommend 1917? Absolutely! This is probably one of the best films that I’ve seen in the last five years. It takes you through the emotional wringer: from laughter to tension to hearbreak and back again. I saw this film in a packed theater and the entire audience was dead silent. Even after the credits began to roll, no one said a word. We had all just had our souls raked across coals; no one wanted to break the silence that came with that feeling. Do yourself a favor and see this film as soon as possible.
Fresh off a loss to Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, Juan Archuleta (23-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) is coming into Bellator 238 looking to re-establish himself in the ring and show the world that he truly is the best fighter in the game right now.
Fighting Since Before He Could Walk
Archuleta told Slickster Magazine that his practice for MMA began before he could even walk. “I come from a wrestling family, so I’ve been wrestling all my life” the California-born brawler explained. “At three years old, I was competing against five and six years olds in wrestling competitions,” and his love of the fight seems to have stemmed from there.
Archuleta would continue to wrestle, but it was a series of conversations he had with his wife after graduating from college that really convinced him to pursue mixed martial arts as a career.
Archuleta says he’s passed on his wrestling tradition to his kids, who, at just 4 years old, were already engaging in their first matches. Photo from Juan Archuleta’s Twitter page
“I was working, and my wife was just like ‘you need to go out and compete.’ She kept telling me to fight and fight, and we had been together since high school, so she really wanted to go along with this journey with me. So I just said ‘alright, here we go.'” At his wife’s insistence, Archuleta began fighting professionally at the age of 27, and after a rocky start he was able to win his very first matchup.
“I got knocked down in the first 10 seconds,” Archuleta recalled. “I woke up after that and I was like ‘oh shit,’ because from that point on I knew this dude was trying to take my head off. And I loved it. And I ended up winning the fight. So from then on, it was just history in the making.”
His experience in that fight convinced him that he needed to seek out the best and most skilled fighters he could, and that brought him to Joe Stevenson and the team at Cobra Kai. Through Stevenson, Archuleta would come to know MMA icons like Uriah Faber, TJ Dillashaw, and Cub Swanson, who he continues to train with today.
Photo from Juan Archuleta’s Twitter page
Cub Swanson, as it turns out, would soon become one of Archuleta’s greatest inspirations both in and out of the ring. “He’s had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows,” Archuleta says, explaining that Cub’s perseverance through adversity has left a strong, lasting impression on him.
Bellator 228: The Fight Before The Fight
Many fight fans were likely wondering what exactly happened to Archuleta in his last fight that knocked him out of his element, and the fighter explained that it wasn’t due to anything in the cage, but instead it was a result of what he called “the fight before the fight.”
“We all got to the arena, myself, Cub, TJ, all my coaches, all my corner. We get there, I do my drug test, I weigh-in, and then in the hallways I started hearing some fighting going. So I step out there and I’m like, ‘what’s going on?’ and they’re like TJ [Dillashaw] can’t corner you and he can’t be in the locker room” Archuleta explained to Slickster Magazine.
This news, however, did not sit well with the 32-year-old veteran, who tried to explain that he had sent in the applications for his cornermen months in advance, and he hadn’t heard anything about them until that moment.
“Apparently, I should have asked for permission about having a suspended fighter in the corner, but I didn’t know that because New York had allowed TJ to corner me against Dudu Dantas. So I figured, if New York had allowed him to corner me, then it was going to be the same in California. So that was my and my team’s fault for not clearing that up. And then the commission had some part to blame – even though they said that they don’t – about doing it on fight night”
Photo from Juan Archuleta’s Twitter page
The rules, Archuleta says, stated that Dillashaw couldn’t participate in any USADA sanctioned events, but the team believed that this meant as an athlete, not as a cornerman. “The rules really need to be addressed,” Archuleta says. “There’s too much gray area. They need to make it black and white, and they can’t leave any gray area.”
The loss he experienced at Bellator 228, he says, was largely due to the fact that the backstage fracas took his mind off of the task at hand, and he says that this distraction cost him dearly.
“This fight could have been life-changing for me and my family. It would have been close to a $3M payday if I were to win the Grand Prix, but now I’m stuck at base pay again,” Archuleta told Slickster, vowing to return to his rightful place at the top of the Featherweight division.
“I Am The Best Fighter That I Could Possibly Be”
Coming into Bellator 238, Archuleta says that he is more than prepared to step into the ring and show the world that his loss to “Pitbull” in September hasn’t slowed him down a second.
“I didn’t lose that fight due to a lack of technique or a lack of anything. It was just a lack of focus and my mentality. This fight is pretty much the same gameplan that I should have had against Pitbull. I just carried it on to the next day,” Archuleta says. “I am the best fighter that I could possibly be coming into this fight, and I’m going to dictate and show that. Every one of my fans knew that that wasn’t me that night, and I’m going to demonstrate that come January 25th.”
The matchup against Henry Corrales (17-4 MMA, 5-4 BMMA) is going to be a tough one, and as Archuleta freely admits, Corrales has thus far bested every one of Archuleta’s teammates that he’s come across.
“Henry’s no slouch,” Archuleta says. “I’m excited to go up and challenge him and try to derail him out of the winning streak he has against our team.”
Should Archuleta come away with a victory on Saturday, he says that he is hoping to get more fights in the future. “This has been the slowest few years of Bellator that I’ve had in my career,” he says. “I’m a guy that likes to fight 5 or 6 times a year,” and the current lack of fights is not exactly what he was hoping for. With a win on Saturday, he seems hopeful that he might see more windows open up for him in the future, but of course, he needs to first overcome the obstacle in his path – Henry Corrales.
And Archuleta had some parting words for his fans as well: “To all my fans out there, I love and support them, and they’re gonna be in for a treat come January 25th!”
When Khonry Gracie steps into the octagon, he isn’t just bringing his legendary family name – he’s also bringing a lifetime of experience and dedication to the craft.
“I’ve been training in jiu-jitsu since I can walk,” Gracie told Slickster Magazine. Since he was a toddler, Gracie says that he’s been practicing martial arts with his father, Royce Gracie, but it wasn’t until he was in high school that he realized he truly wanted to follow in his family’s footsteps and pursue mixed martial arts as a career.
This decision would see the jiu jitsu expert begin transitioning to stand-up combat throughout his teen years, and by 19 he had fought – and won – his first amateur bout in Tenessee. From there he would be propelled into the world of Bellator, where at 20 he fought in his very first professional match. Going toe-to-toe with Devon Brock at Bellator 192 in California, Gracie lost by decision, but that loss only fuelled a fire to win.
The brawler went on to take down Ron Becker via unanimous decision at Bellator 209 and then trounced Oscar Vera with a first-round armbar at Bellator 225 last August. Gracie’s next match was set to see him square off against Hector Saldana in a preliminary welterweight bout at Bellator 238, but an undisclosed injury forced Gracie to withdraw from the fight.
Prior to the injury, however, Gracie seemed as confident as ever, and said that he was looking forward to showcasing his wrestling and muay thai abilities while also displaying his well-honed jiu-jitsu skills, skills which he says he’s built up after years of tutelage under his father Royce.
My boxing coach, @marvinsomodio and I hitting the speed bags after training today. 3 weeks to go, Memphis here I come! First of many. pic.twitter.com/ggXqMk8wqA
The ever-humble Gracie also mentioned that his inspiration doesn’t only come from his world-famous family members, but that he also looks up to several other current fighters as well.
“Honestly Douglas Lima, being the welterweight champion right now, is one of the guys I definitely look up to,” Gracie said. “He’s very smart, very technical, and he has a lot of power. I grew up watching him and admiring him. Good for him for all the success he’s had!”
“Picking his brain in person, asking about his previous fights would let me learn the most,” Gracie added, mentioning that while he and Lima had seen each other at shows and spoken in passing, the younger fighter would really savor the opportunity to sit down and learn more about what makes “The Phenom” tick.
Gracie was humble about his aspirations in Bellator as well, saying he doesn’t expect to be given a shot at the title any time soon – especially not because of his prestigious family name. “ I would rather work my way up the ladder,” he told Bellator, saying that he would like to increase his numbers before moving on to a belt.
And, speaking of names, we had to ask about how exactly Khonry ended up with such a unique name himself. As it turns out, it actually comes from the Portuguese word for honor – honra. The more you know!
Persian princess, Sarah Moradi, is the Slickster Girl of the Week. Moradi is making huge gains on social media and her followers are loyal fans. She really likes going to the beach and tanning. Listening to music and trying new foods are some of her favorite activities. She embraces her womanhood and knows that a lot guys stare, but she doesn’t mind as long as they don’t go all creeper.
What stands out to you about Sarah? Is it her eyes or her olive complexion? No matter what attracts you to a woman, you will still need the basic tools in the tool chest to win her attention and, hopefully, a lot more. If you can’t determine if a woman is flirting with you, you’ll be a serious disadvantage when it comes to dating.
Dead Age is a turn-based zombie apocalypse survival RPG developed by Silent Dreams and Is now available on the PS4. I grew up on games like Final Fantasy and ChronoTrigger and I am a pretty big fan of zombie movies and games. So, a turn-based RPG where killing zombies is the goal sounded right up my alley. I cleared some time and sat down with this title for awhile. This is what I learned.
Difficulty
Dead Age is hard as hell and can be infuriating. Just like the old days, this turn-based RPG gets difficult in a hurry. Were I not working on my New Year’s resolution of being calmer, I might have thrown a controller once or twice. See, the big difference between the games of old and Dead Age is that in this game, death is permanent. You can assign a survivor to the role of medic but there is no resurrection and no continues. If you die, you’re staring back at square one. Sure, it makes the game harder but it also adds some to the overall experience. You are supposed to be surviving, after all. Also, the permanent death really makes you take strategy more seriously.
Strategy is Key
After the game fills you in on how things work, the journey really begins. You pick up survivors to add to your team. Eventually, your team of survivors puts down roots and builds a settlement. You have to split your time, team, and resources between collecting more supplies and fortifying the base. You’ll be protecting yourself against zombies and other humans alike. Everyone wants a piece of your pie. Each character has his or her own skill points which level up over time. The important thing is to find the balance between defense, exploration, and completing quests.
Graphics
I’m not one of those people who had to have cutting edge graphics to enjoy a game. So, the graphics in Dead Age weren’t a deal breaker for me. They were, however, not great. The stills in the game look great as do the backgrounds. The character models used in the combat portion of the game leave something to be desired, though. They look more like something you would see on a really slick mobile game as opposed to a current console. They aren’t all that well animated, either. I get that this title is more focused around the strategy than anything but it does become visually boring after awhile.
An Endless Loop
One thing that I enjoy about old school turn-based RPGs is that there is a world to explore and combat is a random chance event. In Dead Age, there is no world to explore. The bulk of the game takes place between combat scenes and menus. There are random events that happen from time to time that help to break up the monotony, which is nice. Things like finding an abandoned car or coming upon some wild game give you a chance to obtain extra supplies. They also offer a chance to attract the attention of hordes of zombies. The encounters are random and their outcomes are based on skill level. In this respect, Dead Age reminds me of table top role playing games like D&D: if you pass the check you get loot, if not you get zombies.
Final Thoughts
All in all, Dead Age is a cool little time killer. If you’ve got the itch for a turn-based RPG on your console, this will definitely scratch it. I wouldn’t say that this is my new favorite game or anything, but it was fun for a few hours. It gets repetitive and there is a lot of grinding to be done, but at the end of the day it’s worth checking out. You can pick it up for $14.99 on the Playstation Store right now.
Written by Jonathan Lee, January 12, 2020, 10:00pm. Tweet to: @Writerscube
Dead End Job: Ghostbusting with a Cartoonish Charm
Rogue-lite games have been continually trending with the excitement that comes from adventuring whilst traversing between procedurally generated rooms that you have no idea what’s waiting for you. But while we’ve seen quite a few titles with more serious themes and scenarios, developing studio Ant Workshop Ltd and publisher Headup Games decided to bring some welcome levity to the rogue’ish genre in December 13, 2019, with Dead End Job.
While I like Hector Plasm, I took the option to change my name to something a little punnier…
What’s in the Story?
Dead End Job revolves around a ghost-catcher named Hector Plasm (though you can rename your character if you wish). The story picks up when Hector’s old mentor Beryl ends up dead and not-quite-loving it. His old mentor appears to him as a ghost and implores him to save her soul from being a ghost forever. But to do that, Hector has to earn an absurd amount of money… like a million dollars.
The story is written by IGF nominee Xalavier Nelson Jr. and bears the tones of an old Saturday Cartoon episode. So, being a fan of the wackier days of cartoons, I fell in love with it. From the visual style, the game reminds me of the days of Ren and Stimpy, AH! Real Monsters, and the rest of what made Nickelodeon so insanely amazing back in the late 90’s. But what really keeps you tuned in is not just that cartoon nostalgic feel—it’s the pretty solid gameplay.
There’s all kinds of items to collect and use. Some are useful, others just kinda do their own wonky thing. If you’re about collecting, you’ll want to grab everything you find and use it!
The Gameplay
The gameplay was very reminiscent of The Binding of Isaac because of how you move from room to room and attack enemies with projectiles. The action is all top-down, third-person as you maneuver Hector around obstacles and enemy attacks. With your trusty plasma gun and ghost-vacuum, you can weaken and capture the ghosts you fight in each room. For the most part, until you reach the final boss, this encapsulates the actual gameplay. But part of what keeps the action going and the game so enjoyable is the variety of enemies, areas, and pickups that you will encounter.
The world had given up on him. Now, he’s back for revenge.
Enemies and Items
As you go through the city’s various districts, you’ll run into different kinds of rooms and settings, and take on all kinds of ghostly menaces. Also worth noting was how each variety of foe you faced had their own quirky ways of attacking, adding further challenge as you progressed. In the Business District, a few times I ran into one special enemy called the Office Assisthaunt. If you were alive back in the days of early Microsoft Word: Yes, it’s the Office Assistant come back to haunt us all after being put to rest those years ago. But what was even funnier was how it would throw smack at you with different turns of the usual phrases that it would rote off while you were using Microsoft Word back in the day.
The various ghost-puns that go into the special enemies are all cheeky and fun, and it added to the general charm of this game. But this also goes for the dialogue between characters and the naming of items in the game.
The pickup items in the game are also varied and helpful (or a little mundane, depending on what you pick up). As you play, you’ll have to figure out what items hurt ghosts, what can heal you, or what just looks really cool and flashy. (Hint: Pick up and use every item when you get Help Wanted objectives involving item usage.)
Final Thoughts on Dead End Job
Dead End Job makes for a fun break from the more serious side of gaming. The nostalgic and pun-filled details drew quite a few chuckles from me throughout my time playing. While I’ve beaten the game, I’m going through it again since I want to unlock more of the concept art. The concept art gallery was a nice touch, and I say that because it doesn’t happen as often nowadays. If you’re a fan of rogue-like games, and you’re looking for something with a sense of humor and a love for 90’s cartoon nostalgia, you couldn’t find a better recent title. So, is it worth a buy? I’d give it a yes! Check it out on Steam here!
Love Games Published by Headup Games? Check These Other Awesome Titles Out!
Underwater tries to give hurried scientific reasoning to a large corporation, Tian Industries, drilling at the bottom of the ocean for valuable resources but the truth of the matter is it’s greed over quality. They’re drilling seven miles into the Mariana Trench and then wonder why things don’t go as planned. You can also try to ignore the similarities between the Coon/Mysterion trilogy from South Park season fourteen where BP drills a hole in the bottom of the ocean and ends up releasing Cthulhu. The entire film is a small group of survivors attempting to find refuge from collapsing equipment, earthquakes, and bizarre creatures that can only be found at the bottom of the ocean.
It’s undeniable that the sci-fi horror has its strengths. The score by Marco Beltrami (Ford v Ferrari, A Quiet Place) and Brandon Roberts (Logan, World War Z) is solid and adds an extra element of tension to an already hectic situation. The film showcases claustrophobia in a terrifying way. I’m a big guy and really small or incredibly tight spaces make me anxious, increase my heart rate, and make me short of breath. Certain scenes in Underwater accomplish this with ease as they crawl through rubble and rummage past the corpses of former friends and colleagues.
Nobody mention The Shape of Water to these guys, alright?
It says a lot about a film like this when you’re rooting for the monsters. The film jumps right to the action with only a moment to pause and watch Kristen Stewart brush her teeth without toothpaste. It’s similar to what 1917 accomplished with its one-take concept while two young men attempt to survive during World War I, but even 1917 had more of a setup than Underwater.
It’s easy to compare Underwater to other underwater based films such as The Abyss (you’re better than any Alien comparisons though), but the film’s use of tight spaces and bad writing is reminiscent of Sanctum while the monsters seem to be inspired by Cloverfield. Underwater is capable of establishing a strong atmosphere, which is a plus. It does for underwater horror what Life did for horror set in space while the drilling aspect of the film has you remembering the best parts of Pacific Rim.
The depths of the ocean, especially down below where light doesn’t reach, is filled with mind-boggling creatures that are bizarre in design. The monstrous creatures of Underwater are like flightless bats with a fleshy smoothness to their overall appearance that reminds you of the vampires from I Am Legend. There’s also a giant monster that is an obvious nod to Cthulhu, which is never a bad thing and an H.P. Lovecraft reference is always appreciated in a horror film.
Kristen. You’re not the real Slim Shady. You can’t even stand up.
The rest of the film is laughably bad. T.J. Miller is unbearable as he tries to be witty and clutches onto a stuffed rabbit the entire film, but his gruesome fate is one of the best moments of the film. The visuals are too dark and too murky to fully comprehend what’s occurring as these characters basically swim around in darkness. Like 1917, Underwater is so quick to rush into its action that you have no connection with these characters and really have no preference whatsoever over whether they die or not. The dialogue is laughably bad, especially for Kristen Stewart’s character.
Underwater feels like it’s trying to set up a future franchise, but it’s attempting to do it in a really odd way. None of the faces you recognize make it out alive and the only survivors are a couple played by mostly unknown actors. The ending hints at Tian Industries drilling in other parts of the world and unleashing chaos all over the globe, but where’s the money in that if there isn’t a bankable face to guide audiences to the theater?
Underwater is a lot like Godzilla: King of the Monsters in the sense that the human elements of the film are fueled by stupidity and leave you feeling lethargic, but the monster sequences are glorious and you wish there were more of them. Why can’t Hollywood give us monsters fighting each other or causing destruction for a full two hours instead of forcing an illogical human element down our throats the majority of the time instead? It is literally all monster movie fans want and what these types of movies are meant to cater to. Underwater is worth seeing if you’re a die-hard horror fan or a faithful monster movie maniac, but will likely leave the average moviegoer with an aneurysm due to how illogical and poorly written it is.
Underwater is now playing (and bombing) in theaters.
Meanwhile in Venezuela – Anyone watching the news in 2019 would have seen the upheaval in Venezuela’s social and political climate. What they may not have seen, is just how gorgeous some of their native women are.
Oni Yemaya, is one such smoking hot latina female, and happens to be the Slickster Girl of the Week. She has mocha skin, long jet-black hair, and figure that can stop men in their tracks. This 27 year beauty is a real heart breaker.
Like all latinas, Yemaya loves dancing, singing and spending time with her friends and family. Lucky for the readers of Slickster Magazine, she also likes going to the beach.
Yemana is proud of her body and finds wearing string bikinis empowering for her. When she heads to the sand, sun and surf, Yemana enjoys taking photos on her cell phone and posting them to her Instagram account.
