Good Morning All! One month ago, I submitted a post regarding Unifi Talk Here showing my personal review of the product as a whole after a couple days of testing. I would like to expand on that post showing to what I am seeing after about of a month of testing and using the products! Again as of before, these opinions and reviews are purely my own, and are used to perhaps provide some insight on this upcoming product! Unifi Talk is currently in Beta and is expected to have bugs that they are working out, and this should be kept in mind if you are looking to purchase the products for yourself. Here are the current versions I am running: UDM Pro: 1.8.6 Talk Controller: 1.9.1 Unifi Talk: 1.2.342 Starting off, I would like to thank the Ubiquiti team! They do seem to be working on a consistent basis on the products, and Talk has received a couple of major updates that have drastically improved the product each time. Protect:PROTECT WORKS NOW! The stream on the Protect App, has the live view accompanied by the timeline. There also is no timeout on the screen, so it will stay up whenever protect is running. Whenever you get a call though, it automatically switches to the Talk app, though the process of switching takes 2-3 seconds to do, while the phone is still ringing in the mean time. This still provides an ample opportunity to answer the call, but may be an inconvenience to some. I ran into a couple of annoying talk issues that I didn't notice before. Phone Call Quality: When answering a call there appears to be what I can best describe as an audio syncing delay for a few seconds. This is actually a massive issue for those using the phones for business use, and if a call representative answers the phone with a script. The person on the other end may only hear the latter half of the script, which offers very poor customer experience. I found that I ended up waiting a few seconds after answering the phone before I said "hello". I would suggest that the Unifi team looks into that issue as a major fault, especially this being a business product, expected to be used in offices and call centers. Another issue that everyone wanting to experiment with Talk should keep in mind is to make sure that the phone has enough bandwidth. It takes very little considering it is only voice, however if you are downloading a game from Steam for example without throttling (depending on your internet speed), whoever you are talking to will hear you breaking up on their end. Though this should be fixable though the UDM Network settings to give the phone priority, I would recommend that voice be given priority over most other traffic as a default setting. Moving on to the Talk Controller interface, I found that there was an issue that I constantly ran into when reviewing my calls. Call Log: You are able to create contacts on both the talk device and the controller which are synced instantly. Creating and mass importing contacts is incredibly easy to do, and they work well EXCEPT for the call log.... The call log on the controller only shows phone numbers, not the contacts. For example, if you had 555-555-1234 assigned to Bob as a contact, in the call log you would still only see the number 555-555-1234, not Bob's name. There is no way to associate the phone number with the contact in the call log. The log recognizes Talk users as contacts, and will use their names, but not regular contacts. This makes it extremely difficult if you make a lot of calls and need to see the last time you spoke with Bob, especially if you do not have his number memorized. You would have to go to Contacts, find Bob, copy his number, go back to the call log, and past the number in the search field. If the number is in your contacts, it needs to show the name of the contact, not their number. I think the information still needs to be shown once you open the entry for the call, but not on the main view. Another (perhaps bug) that I found with the call log was the consistency to how the numbers are presented. A part of the issue is user-based, but odd nonetheless. All incoming calls (us-based) would start with +1 555 555 1234, however the outgoing calls would be different. If the person was in your contacts that you called, it would show as the same (+1 555 555 1234), but if you called the number directly, it would appear how you dialed it, without the spaces. (5555551234). This is mainly a consistency issue, not necessarily a major bug. Talk Dashboard: On the main Talk dashboard, I found that the system status message would occasionally go from "System Performance is Great!" to "Needs Attention" with no rhyme or reason. The message usually goes away quickly or with a refresh, but if you are comparing to my Call Experience Log, its hasn't gotten below 99%. There has been no issue with the call experience when it tells me that it needs attention either. I believe that, at least the error I am getting, is a false negative. Voicemail: There is currently no way (that is obvious to me at least) to change the voicemail greeting. Currently the greeting you get is "The person at extension 0001 is not available. Record your message at the tone. Press any key, or stop talking to end the recording." You are able to access the voicemail in the call log as a call recording, however for some reason it shows as a different entry than the actual call. One entry will show as a missed call, and a new entry would show all the same information, but with a different icon. I admittedly haven't looked too deeply into it, but there does not still seem to be a way to customize. No Dark Mode: There is a personal preference that I would like to see implemented as well: Dark Mode. Currently dark mode only works in Settings on Talk, all the other tabs are light. Now for the good stuff that I want to praise them for, and a couple of questions I have received from the last posting. This is to be included over my last posting, so this post focuses more on new issues I found rather than features. Unifi Protect: The biggest improvement that I have seen is that Unifi Protect is now working on the phone. From the previous post, you had to log in and then it would be asking for a few Android-based permissions, just to end up not working at all. It would force you into the Android settings and would not let you move on. Now, its turn key, and functions in nearly the exact same way as it does on my Iphone. The resolution on the Unifi Touch Phone is significantly lower, but you are still definitely able to tell what is in the video stream. Although it does work, It goes off the same interface as a smart phone, so certain features such as Alerts do not work, but the main functionality is there! Whoop Whoop! Call Recording: The Call recording feature continues to impress me. Not only has it been amazing for going back and reviewing calls and reviewed information, they have sped up the experience dramatically. The longer the call, the longer it takes to load, but most load fast. The ability to download the call (.wav) for archiving/sharing/backup is also an amazing feature that has been very useful, especially to hear how you sound to the person on the other end of the call. SIP: I have gotten a lot of questions concerning SIP and everyone's own SIP information. Unfortunately I can't provide a whole lot of information on the process except for starting out the process. For my testing, I am using Unifi everything, so I have not set this up with an external provider. Here are the initial setup attention statements, and here are I can provide a bit of additional information however. I added the screenshot here for Advanced SIP settings. The resource link that they mention can be found here and leads you to Freeswtich.org. Exact phone number selection: HUGE. Midway through writing this, I found a new feature that allows you to select your specific phone number before purchasing! Under the numbers tab, when going to purchase new numbers you are able to search the number registry. You are able to select the country area code, then local area code. Based on that it will give you a drop down showing all available numbers! Huge update and thank you to Ubiquiti! Updating the Phone: I have received a question regarding to how the phone is updated. Its managed in nearly the same way as the Unifi Cameras. Using the devices tab inside of Talk, you can select your device -> Configure > Update. This is also the same way you can reboot the device if it is acting weird. Payments: If you go through Unifi for the phone number, I have went through a couple cycles now for paying them. You have 3000 minutes in the cycle that is included in the $9.99 subscription per number. They refill on the date that is shown on the dashboard. The payment breakdown they provide is here. Phone Numbers VS. Extensions: I've had a few questions regarding how Talk handles both phone numbers and extensions. There was one instance only I have not checked for, and that is what happens when you don't pay the bill. Theoretically since the setup has already been completed, you may still be able to call extensions from the phone, however you would not be able to call outside of the immediate network. You must have a phone number to get initially set up and into the dashboard. You may be able to bypass paying anything by using the free 24 hour trial. The way I view it is that extensions would work one of two ways; if Unifi is making all calls, to the extensions or not, go outside of the UDM pro, then they would fail when you don't pay the bill. However, if the UDM handles all internal calls, regardless of having a phone number or not, you should still be able to make internal calls. This is not something I am able to test at this time. It appears that as long as you have the SIP addresses or are willing to pay, you can have as many phone numbers as you'd like, and you would be able to "tie" them together using the switchboard. Each phone number is able to handle up to 10,000 extensions (x0000 - x9999) per phone number. Example: 2 phone numbers can handle a total of 20,000 total phones) More than enough for any organization. Each phone has to have its own unique extension, however you can create Talk groups, so you can tie in several extensions as a ring group if a certain selection is made. I also noticed from their Early Access site for Unifi Touch phones (currently available as of writing this), they have added a white and gold phone in addition to the standard black and silver. Next are the features that are not implemented, that I would like to see added in which I havn't already mentioned in this or my last post. Dark Mode, transcribe call recordings, ability to change voicemail, ability to use your own audio file for the switchboard options, more fields for contacts, such as multiple numbers (work, office, cell) for each contact and things such as addresses, anti-fingerprint screens. If you have any questions, or would like to see me look into something, please let me know! As always, have an amazing day!
EXTENSIVE write up on the murder of Mackenzie Cowell, 17-year-old high school student killed in Washington State. Was Christopher Scott Wilson convicted of her murder for the crime of being weird in a small town? And is the real murderer walking free? Part 2 of 2
Even though he was nearly 30 years old Chris Wilson always told people that he didn't know what he wanted to be when he grew up but he dreamed of being a guitarist in a band. He had a hard time holding down jobs and never worked in one place for very long. In his late twenties his mom bought a hair salon in Wenatchee and Chris decided to start attending the Academy of Hair Design in order to maybe follow in her footsteps. Throughout his life Chris had a number relationships what different women some serious, some casual. He had even been engaged a time or two. One woman he dated on-again-off-again was named Tessa Shuyleman (Source). We will get more to her later. Descriptions of Chris vary widely depending on who you ask, most people will tell you he liked being different. For years he dyed his hair black, occasionally wore eyeliner, chose to wear clothes that were “punk” or “goth”. Most people will also tell you that Chris Wilson was interested in things dark and macabre. He was obsessed with a show called Dexter which is about a serial killer. He was also interested in dark art and movies. He enjoyed talking about death, and serial killers and most of his time on the internet was spent on serial killer forums. Of course, Chris's friends always have stressed that he wasn't evil; he was just different and had unusual interests. Researching serial killers and liking shows like Dexter after all isn't really that unique. Wilson also sports a tattoo Hannibal Lecter on his forearm. He had been fired from at least one funeral home in Wenatchee due to “inappropriate” behavior that made his boss uncomfortable. Chris's former boss has never elaborated on this statement claiming it was not his place to talk about these things outside of court (source). However, another manager at the funeral home described Chris as an excellent employee (source). One woman who worked with Chris at Academy of Hair Design described him as “intimidating but not physically intimidating.” Other coworkers and neighbors remember Chris as artsy but was otherwise a typical guy (Source). At one point Chris Wilson lived in Ellensburg, Washington and worked at a Goodwill in town. According to some sources, one night his manager discovered him rifling through the dumpster at Goodwill in order to take home a mannequin with him. (Some reports say it was a paper statue.) He told his co-workers that this was for his art. He took the mannequin home, dismembered it and painted it like he murdered body, then shared pictures of this artwork online (Source). Friends of Chris said that he found the mannequin already painted. They claim that he called the police and then photographed the limbs for his art (source). It appears that a police report was made so Chris’s friends may have the more accurate account of this particular event. Wilson told another acquaintance that he strangled a woman to death with a belt in a hotel in Ellensburg (Source). Police said they have no evidence that a murder like this had ever occurred. One classmate interviewed reported that on Halloween The Academy of Hair Design was having a contest. Students were allowed to do a hair and makeup on a mannequin head however they liked, in a type of dress up competition. Wilson took a straight razor to his mannequin’s face and peeled the skin off, something that disturbed her deeply. Others though have said they didn't think it was that weird as it was for a Halloween game (Source). Wilson's love of Dexter, his tattoo, and the mannequin incident were not allowed to be brought up during trial the information was prejudicial rather than probative, but they are all important parts if the story. Chris Wilson's odd behavior aside, law enforcement began looking into Chris's movements on the days around Mackenzie’s disappearance. Security footage showed that Chris Wilson left the Academy of Hair Design within 72 seconds of Mackenzie leaving (Source). He was shown walking across the parking lot at approximately 3:02 p.m. It was also determined that Wilson left through a different door than Mackenzie, which would explain why no one seemed to remember him leaving right after her. In the video, he slinks near the alley rather than walking across the lot (Source). As far as I can remember the Academy of Hair Design was rather open inside, so I think other students would have been able to see Mackenzie from wherever they were in the school, meaning Chris could probably see that Mackenzie left the building. In February 2012, Chris lived in a studio in a building called the Burke Hill apartments. The tenement is across from the courthouse in a sketchy area of town, adjacent to a bail bonds business. The building is on Orondo Street only a few blocks from Academy of Hair Design. When Mackenzie car was last seen, it was actually headed towards Chris Wilson's apartment, which was the opposite direction from the Orondo boat launch. Verizon Wireless was asked if it was possible that Mackenzie's last text messages were sent from Chris Wilson's apartment rather than the Orondo boat launch. When they reviewed the data, they admitted that it was just as likely that Mackenzie was in the vicinity of the Burke Hill apartments, rather than the boat launch (Source). Chris never returned to the Academy of Hair Design that day after leaving at 3:02 p.m. His whereabouts for the rest of the day are unknown and he doesn't have an alibi. His mother claims that at one point he swung by her house to pick up a plate of cupcakes, but it doesn't appear that Chris stayed with her for any amount of time (Source). Chris’s phone went unanswered from 3:30-3:50 pm (source). What we do know is that Chris Wilson had a car, but that a little before 4 p.m. he called his friend asking to borrow this friend's car. His friend said that he could borrow the car until 5 p.m., Chris said he needed the car for a longer but his friend told him that wasn't an option. Chris may have borrowed the car and returned it at 5:15 p.m. Chris’s defense attorneys claim that Chris did not end up actually using the car, and say that video surveillance shows that the car never left its spot in the parking lot (Source). Unfortunately, I could find no other information on this discrepancy, but we do know that Chris did ask to borrow the car on the afternoon of February 9th. From 3:02 pm forward on February 9th, Wilson was in regular phone and text contact with his ex-girlfriend Tessa Shuyleman. Shuyleman and he talked 8 different times in between 3:30 and 6 pm. Shuyleman’s phone records revealed that she was also in contact with her current boyfriend who lived in Quincy, Washington only three miles from Crescent Bar. Tessa called her current boyfriend twice around 6 pm, and then also called him at 9 pm in a panicked state. She said “something really, really bad has happened” and then “please pray for me.” The man thought the request was odd as he described Tessa as “anti-religion.” He could not remember the exact day of this conversation but he believed it to be February 9th or 10th. Phone records showed that the time of the phone calls most likely happened on the 9th. Phone records demonstrated that this 9 pm call as well as another call Tessa made around 10 pm “may have originated in the Quincy area.” Another ex-boyfriend of Shuyleman reported that Tessa came to his home to pick up some things, sometime between Feb. 9th and 13th. He described her as agitated and fidgety. She stayed with him for about twenty minutes but left the residence without collecting any of her things (Source). Additionally, Chris matched the description of the man seen walking down Pitcher Canyon Road, although this description could fit a lot of men in the area. School records show that in the days following the discovery of Mackenzie’s body Wilson was rarely at school, leaving for no reason at all or simply not attending (Source). Chris Wilson was not on anyone's radar until the summer of 2010 when police began re-looking at leads and then finally received the letter from Theo Keyes. In August Wilson, along with other people who worked at the Academy of Hair Design, were interviewed by police. Later that month police got a warrant to DNA test students at the Academy thus obtaining Chris Wilson's DNA. Court documents say that Wilson gave his DNA willingly. Wilson's profile was sent to the crime lab. Wilson did not match the DNA in Mackenzie’s car, fingernail, or on the murder weapon, but his DNA was consistent with the one of the male profiles found on the duct tape at Crescent Bar. With this information police asked Wilson to come down to the station again to be interviewed. Law enforcement agents asked him if he had ever been to Crescent bar. Wilson denied this and was promptly placed under arrest for the murder of Mackenzie Cowell (Source). Detective John Kruse claimed that at this point, Chris looked at him blankly with no emotion on his face, and didn’t deny the accusation instead saying “I think I need a lawyer.” (Source). Soon Chris Wilson's strange behavior and hobbies we're common knowledge among the people of Wenatchee. Pictures showed that he went to Mackenzie's funeral (Source). Chris Wilson claimed he did not know Mackenzie and had never talked to her before, although he did admit that he knew who she was. Subsequent interviews with the people who worked at the Academy of Hair Design revealed this wasn't exactly true. Many people remember Mackenzie talking to Chris. One person even described a relationship or friendship developing between the two. One woman claimed that Chris Wilson had told her that he found the Mackenzie “hot” (source). Adversely, Chris's mother claims that Mackenzie and Chris we're not friends on Facebook or Myspace even though they both used those websites. She also claimed Chris and Mackenzie never talked on their cell phones (Source), which is far as I can tell is accurate. Chris's friends stated that while Chris talked about some people he worked with at Academy of Hair Design, they never remember him mentioning Mackenzie (Source). After his arrest police looked at Chris's cell phone records and his computer. They also located his car in Spokane, Washington which he had sold in April 2010 (Source). LE thoroughly searched the apartment he was living in which was the basement of Salon Couture, a building which his mother owned. Police ripped apart the apartment not realizing that this was not the apartment Chris was living in at the time of Mackenzie's disappearance and murder. They reported to the newspaper that luminol test showed blood in the stairwell. The blood was sent to the crime lab, which revealed that the blood did not belong to Mackenzie. One woman who worked at the salon recalled that when the salon was being painted a painter had cut his hand in the stairwell (Source). The blood was not connected to the case and police instead got a warrant to search the studio that Chris was living at in the Burke Hill apartments months earlier. Chris had vacated his apartment in June of 2010. On Chris's computer police found some strange photographs as well as two strange videos. The photograph, which is not publicly available, is allegedly of Tessa Shuyleman laying on the floor of Chris's apartment posing as if she is dead on top of a brownish stain. Tessa gave two different explanations of this photo. In one explanation Tessa said that she had passed out drunk in Chris's apartment where he snapped the photo (Source). Another time she said that Chris and asked her to lie on the ground and then he took a photo. Tessa also said that she had no memory of anything that happened from February 9th to 13th and that she was not involved in the disappearance of Mackenzie. The videos featuring both Tessa and Chris we're taken on June 26th and June 30th. They feature someone carrying around a camera and videotaping parts of the empty apartment. On the video from June 26th a brown reddish stain can be seen on the carpet. Right before the video ends, the videographer zooms directly in this stain, before going to the bathtub panning around the bathtub and then cutting off. In the June 30th film which is very similar, Chris and Tessa can be heard talking. Chris says “does it look clean in here?” and Tessa says, “clean for…? clean considering what's…. happening? Yes I think it's clean” and then zooms in again on the exact same part of the carpet but now the stain is barely visible (Source)(Source). Chris said he made the videos in order to show his landlord so that he could get his deposit back. He also said the stain on the carpet was from a party when someone had knocked over bong water. He said the stain smelled really bad so he cleaned it with Simply Green and got the stain out (Source). Some of Chris’s supporters say that the video shows nothing at all but others say the video is very damning, especially the remarks that Tessa makes. When police entered the apartment and sprayed the area with luminol, the stain lit up. The carpet and carpet pad were cut away and sent to the State Crime Lab. The piece of carpet was very small, only a few inches square (Source). The State Crime Lab was able to determine that the stain was blood that belonged to Mackenzie Cowell (Source). This piece of evidence was the nail in Chris Wilson's coffin. The DA charged Wilson with second-degree murder. The town of Wenatchee was shocked, bit by bit everyone's stories, memories, and recollections about Chris Wilson we're on the front page of the newspaper every day. Chris was arrested in October 2010 with his case would not go to trial until 2012. In early court documents Chris is represented by a public defender Keith Howard, who was once awarded one of the best lawyers in Washington State. Howard explained in court documents that the DNA found on the duct tape was not a complete profile and that the DNA sequence matched thousands of white men, perhaps even dozens of them in Washington State. He also pointed out the fact that Chris Wilson's DNA was not found on the murder weapon nor was there any evidence that Mackenzie had been in his car or that he had been in her car. After all the DNA from Mackenzie's car didn't match Chris Wilson either. Further, there was a second male DNA profile on the duct tape that was someone else entirely. Judge Bridges allocated $10,000 worth of public funds for the DNA to be retested at a private facility in Ohio before going to trial. Howard also discovered one of the DNA profiles found on the murder weapon belonged to a fingerprint analyst at the crime lab in Cheney. He also discovered that the second profile found on the knife could not rule out a deputy who arrived at the crime scene. Howard pointed out how sloppy this made investigators look and reminded the public that the DNA evidence was not as cut-and-dry as it seemed. For example, the profile on the duct tape was a y-str profile. It was not complete and could match one in 2700 males. This particular profile is most common among white men, and excludes all women. One in every 1,047 Caucasian men have this particular sequence, and it would be most common among Chris Wilson's relatives (Source). Chris Wilson however, had no male relatives living in the area as he was not a Wenatchee native. Chris’ biological father is unknown. His siblings do not share his y-str DNA as they have a different father than Chris. Early on in my research did the math, and this profile could have belonged to approximately 7-14 people in Wenatchee- more if you include the outlying areas. While is it is not 100% matchable to Chris Wilson, it is a pretty good indicator when coupled with other evidence. Everyone thought the case with the DNA evidence was a slam dunk, but then Chelan County district attorney did something that shocked everyone. He offered Chris Wilson a plea deal. 6 1/2 years for manslaughter if he would only plead guilty (Source). The move astonished the community. Chris Wilson rejected the deal saying he wanted to go to trial so that the truth could come out. Preliminary hearings were held with Chris Wilson's new attorney John Henry Browne, a very prestigious lawyer out of Seattle. Browne has defended some famous criminals such as Ted Bundy and the Colton Harris Moore- the Barefoot Bandit. Browne planned on calling Liz Reid to the stand and throwing suspicion at suspects like Cerros, Cuevas, Joaquin Villasano, and Joey Fisher. He argued that all of these men had motive which his client Chris Wilson did not have (Source). Browne also defended some people in 1995 during what was dubbed the Wenatchee Witch Hunt (Source). Many of us in the true crime community have heard of satanic panic. In the 1980s and 90s teachers, daycare workers, and others that worked with children were accused all across the country of participating in ritualistic abuse of children. There was a variety of very huge trials and scandals. One of the last major satanic panic scandals occurred in 1994 and 1995 and was dubbed the Wenatchee Witch Hunt. All in all, over 40 people were arrested for ritualistic child abuse in the Wenatchee Valley many of them daycare workers, preschool teachers, and Sunday school supervisors. Eventually, all of these trials ended in mistrial, overturned convictions, and acquittals. I This phenomenon is a perfect picture the issues that can arise when people let emotions cloud their judgment, coupled with bad psychological advice, and a misunderstanding of how to interview children. Early on some people were convicted and sadly convections fell along class lines, with wealthier accused typically hiring good lawyers and being acquitted while poor defendants with no options more likely to be convicted. Eventually the state acquitted all of these defendants but several people involved in the Witch Hunt were able to keep their jobs in the Wenatchee Police Department and the DA’s office, including the DA himself (Source). Because of this history John Henry Browne was planning on pushing for the idea that Mackenzie's blood had been planted and Chris Wilson's apartment. And he was planning on using the story of the Wenatchee Witch Hunt to show the jury that law enforcement in the area could not be trusted (Source). Browne’s strategy was a bold one. Many people had a hard time believing that police would collect blood from Mackenzie with the purpose of planting it in the apartment of someone who wasn't even on their radar when they collected the blood. This also assumes that police somehow knew that there was a stain in Chris Wilson's apartment that he would videotape and that they would be able to collect for evidence. Others have wondered why the police would try to frame someone with no criminal past and only vague connections to Mackenzie, when they could have easily framed someone like Buddha Cerros who had a very long criminal record. Police also were in possession of Buddha’s car, so planting evidence wouldn’t have been challenging. Browne has also pointed out the sloppiness of the investigation. Of the three male DNA profiles collected from knife at the scene, one, possibly two, of the three profiles on the knife were determined to have belonged to law enforcement. One belonged to a finger print analyst at the state crime lab near Spokane. Another sample was a partial profile could not exclude one deputy who responded to the crime scene. The third profile is still unknown. Law enforcement has said that while there are steps to avoid contamination, it actually happens often, which is why the DNA of all analysts and officers is kept on file. Police also admitted to moving Mackenzie’s body from the river onto the shore without waiting for a forensics unit. They expressed fear that the body would float away due to dam fluctuations if it was not moved. However, in this event some evidence may have been moved, lost, or damaged (source). Browne also spearheaded the idea that Chris might have been arrested for being weird in a small town. Like many people, Browne was also troubled by the apparent lack of motive that Chris had for killing Mackenzie. Right before trial a change of venue was requested by the defense. While that was being decided many pieces of evidence and information from Chris’ life were ruled inadmissible at trial (Source). Shawna Novak’s testimony along with some of Chris’s "weird" interests were to be supressed. As jury selection got underway, approximately 85% of potential jurors admitted that they already thought Chris Wilson was guilty. A similar number of jurors have followed the case and knew about suppressed evidence (Source). On the day before trial was set to begin, Chris Wilson entered a plea of guilty for Mackenzie's manslaughter and requested the DA's previous deal of six years. The DA countered with a 14-year sentence in exchange for a signed document that said Chris had caused the death of Mackenzie Cowell. Wilson took the plea looking miserable the whole time, and was sentenced to 14 years, with the possibility of getting out in 10 with good behavior. Browne explained to media outlets that sometimes defendants have to do what's best for them which is sometimes taking a plea deal even if they're innocent (Source). As soon as Chris Wilson was placed into prison he immediately tried to go back on his guilty plea and once again claimed he was innocent. Wilson seemed to think that if he did this he would get an immediate retrial or some sort of appeals process but this was not the case and today he is still sitting in Clallam Correctional Facility in Washington State (Source). When the media asked why DA Riesen would offer such a lenient sentence for Wilson, he said that the reasons were two-fold. First, he felt that the jury would want a motive for the crime and he felt he and his team could not provide one, except for that maybe Chris Wilson was interested in becoming a serial killer himself, which is a pretty far-fetched idea. The other issue was is that while Mackenzie's DNA was in Chris's apartment the DA said he had no proof that Chris was there when it happened or that he caused Mackenzie to bleed. This coupled with the fact that his DNA was not on the murder weapon made him feel like his case was not as strong as the people Wenatchee seemed to think it was (Source). There are still many unanswered questions about this case. Chris has maintained his innocence since the moment he was placed into prison. He says he regrets many things about his life especially his Hannibal Lecter tattoo which biased the public against him (Source). The biggest question many have is motive. According to all sources Chris and Mackenzie did not really know each other that well. There were no problems between them, they did not run in the same circles, they were not similar ages, were not in the same “grade” at the Academy, and they apparently did not talk to each other online or on the phone. Mackenzie was not sexually assaulted which doesn't necessarily rule out a sexual motive but it does make things a lot stranger. Further, there's still the question of the unknown DNA on the knife, on the victim’s fingernails, and in her car. These things seem the point to the fact that Chris Wilson must have had an accomplice. But who is he? I discovered one article which claimed that two inmates at the county jail were involved in the crime, although I could find no more detail on this matter (Source). Others including Chris's attorneys have pointed out that Cowell's jugular was cut (Source). Injuries like these produce massive amounts of blood. If Mackenzie was killed in Chris's apartment why was there only a very small patch of blood on his carpet? Some have speculated that Chris may have laid down plastic in his apartment like on the TV show Dexter in order to make his clean up easier. But this would mean that the crime was planned out in advance and it would produce additional evidence such as the bloody plastic sheets. There's also the question of how Chris got Mackenzie into his apartment in broad daylight. Did he invite her up? Mackenzie was an athlete who regularly worked out. At 5’8” she was only a few inches shorter than Chris, who would have had to get her body from his second-floor apartment to his car which was parked on the street, without anyone realizing that he was carrying a bleeding, full grown woman. This further implies that he must have had an accomplice. Police have always theorized that Schuyleman was his accomplice but Tessa was ruled out as being a contributor of any of the DNA in the case. Further, her car was searched but nothing was found. Because of this her charge of aiding and abetting a criminal was dropped. Tessa legally changed her first and last name and moved out of the area as soon as the sentencing concluded. She was never charged with any crime. In the years since this crime the 48 Hours episode and places like Web Sleuths and Reddit have allowed doubt to be thrown on Chris Wilson's conviction. Ever since John Henry Browne pioneered the idea that Wenatchee police are corrupt and planted Mackenzie's blood, people have questioned the validity of the other evidence in the case. I know I was a bit skeptical of police after hearing this but when I started doing my research, I realized the police might be able to plant physical evidence, but they cannot plant circumstantial evidence, and there was a good amount of circumstantial evidence that points to Wilson as the perpetrator. I am very perturbed by the lack of motive and by the four unknown male DNA profiles, one on Mackenzie's steering wheel, the duct tape, her fingernails, and the other on the murder weapon as it makes me feel like there's much more to the story and that murderers are potentially walking free. It was a surreal experience to have everyone in the area so convinced of Wilson’s guilt in 2012, only to have everyone start questioning their convictions after the 2014 CBS special revealed new or different information only a few years later. Wilson supporters online have even wondered if homophobia is to blame for Wilson's arrest. Chris Wilson was definitely different, his dyed hair and penchant for eyeliner apparently made some people assume that he was gay even though he describes himself as heterosexual. Also he was one of only 3 male students at the hair academy (source). Personally, I have always found this a bit of a stretch as Wilson's on-again-off-again girlfriend was arrested with him, but I will not rule it out as I am sure Wilson has been on the receiving end of some not-so-nice comments especially in a small town like Wenatchee. I don't mean to say that a homophobia does not happen, but I don't think it was Chris's dyed hair that made people view him suspiciously rather, it was his odd behavior and frankly disturbing interests. For this I would say that his weird behavior is more to blame than homophobia. A lot of men dye their hair, but few dismember and paint mannequins like murder victims. At the end of the day, homophobia was the least of Chris Wilson’s worries. Others have pointed to Liz Reed’s testimony and a question why Reid’s story was thrown out while Keyes’ story was believed. When asked why DA Gary Reisen trusted Keyes rather than Reid, Reisen said that Keyes’ story had merit. Not only did party goers back up his account of the choking incident, DNA confirmed Keyes’ suspicions about Wilson. Reid said that Liz’s story about Cuevas and Cerros is nothing but “blatant hearsay.” “Show me one thing that connects Cuevas to this crime,” says Risen, “One thing. There is nothing.” Many locals are still skeptical of Buddha Cerros and Sam Cuevas. I remember at one point Buddha was working at a grocery store or convenience store and people would always side-eye him. Buddha has always said he is not involved and Liz Reid is someone who likes to ruin other people's lives. Sadly, Sam Cuevas has passed away but it appears that he did not get into any more legal trouble after his first run-in with the law. Cerros has always denied involvement and says that he's not a violent person and that he is trying his best to live an honest life, but as of 2020 Buddha was in prison yet again for heroin charge. Other Things A few things I wanted to mention but could not find a place for are theories for motive as well as Wilson’s lack of denial. Amateur detectives have long wondered what Chris Wilson’s motive was for the crime. My mom for example, has always speculated that Chris offered to sell Mackenzie drugs or even alcohol, which prompted her to meet Chris. Obviously, Cowell thought this would be a quick encounter and for whatever reason the exchange went sour and ended with Mackenzie’s death. I can find no indication that either Chris or Mackenzie used drugs, but this would explain why Mackenzie went to meet Chris and why she possibly entered his apartment willingly. It also explains that while Chris and Mackenzie left at around the same time, but they were trying to look like they weren't leaving together. Another theory is that Chris met up with Mackenzie and made a sexual advance that she rebuffed, ending in murder. A third theory is that Mackenzie knew that Chris was doing something unsavory at work (such as selling drugs or stealing money) and she threatened to tell. This could have led to an altercation. An alternative theory is that Chris Wilson was a burgeoning serial killer who simply wanted to commit a murder. Finally, some have wondered if Chris Wilson worked with Cerros and Cuevas to kill Mackenzie although it doesn’t seem like there is any evidence the men knew each other together. I do not mean to accuse Mackenzie of being a drug user or imply any other negative behavior as there's really no evidence for any of these theories, but I did want to mention them in the name of being thorough. Another thing that deserves a mention in this piece is Chris Wilson’s lack of denial. Although Chris has maintained his innocence since landing in prison, audio and video interviews with him show something interesting. Whenever Chris is asked if he killed Mackenzie or hurt Mackenzie or was involved in Mackenzie's murder, he doesn't really deny it. Instead, he answers with a question such as, “where did you hear that?” or “who is saying that about me?” It is a little bit odd to me as it seems like he deflects questions does not answer them head-on. Like many things in this case this fact alone does not feel guilt or innocence, but it is part the story that I wanted to include. Timeline
Mackenzie left the Academy of Hair Design at 208 S. Wenatchee Avenue at 3 pm, asking a classmate if she had to sign out if she was only going to be gone 15 minutes. Mackenzie left the area on foot and walked to her car in a lot behind the salon. Classmates assumed that she was leaving to get coffee at her favorite stand, a place called Auto Mocha which was only a five-minute drive away.
3:01 pm surveillance video shows Mackenzie walking to her car, getting in, and driving away.
3:02 pm Chris Wilson seen on surveillance video exiting the salon and driving away within one minute of Mackenzie leaving. Chris left the salon out a different door so no one initially remembered him leaving right after her.
~3:02 pm security video shows Mackenzie’s car driving west on Kittitas St. towards Chris Wilson’s apartment
3:26 pm Mackenzie texts her boyfriend “hey”
3:02-3:33 Wilson texts Shuyleman 4 times
3:33-3:50 pm, Wilson does not answer his phone
3:42 pm Joaquin Villasano texts back “hey” This is the last activity on her phone.
~3:50 pm Chris Wilson calls his friend and asks to borrow his car at 4 pm, despite having his own car.
4-5:15 pm Chris borrows friend’s car (possibly)
4:04 - 4:08 pm Chris calls Shuyleman and is one the phone for 4 minutes
4:36 and 5:03 p.m. Chris calls Shuyleman 4 times- one minute each time
5:42 pm Mackenzie’s phone “pings” presumably when it is shut off.
~ 4:30-5:30 pm Mackenzie’s car is abandoned in Pitcher Canyon. A man walking away from the car who vaguely resembles Chris Wilson, seen by three locals walking down the road toward town
5:40 pm Reid Cowell calls Mackenzie- her phone goes straight to voicemail. He continues to call.
~6 pm Shuyleman calls her boyfriend who lives in Crescent Bar twice, it does not appear that he answered
8 pm a rancher calls police to report that a red sedan has been abandoned near his driveway since at least 7 pm
9:10 pm Shuyleman calls her boyfriend in a panicked state and says “something really bad has happened” and then “please pray for me.” The call may have come from the Quincy area.
A little before 10 pm a police officer is dispatched to assess the abandoned car, he runs the plate and calls the owner, Reid Cowell, who explains that his daughter is missing.
10 pm Reid Cowell and Mackenzie’s boyfriend Joaquin arrive at the scene. The car is empty but Mackenzie’s purse and her gym bag full of clothes are in the car. Only her phone and keys are missing. There are only one set of footprints in the snow; they lead away from the car towards the road.
Shuyleman and Wilson called and texted “several times” between 10:35 p.m. and 11:09 p.m.
February 13th 1 pm a body is found floating in the Columbia River. Two days later it is identified as Mackenzie Cowell
Playboy going public: Porn, Gambling, and Cannabis
NEW INFO 5 Results from share redemption are posted. Less than .2% redeemed. Very bullish as investors are showing extreme confidence in the future of PLBY. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/playboy-mountain-crest-acquisition-corp-120000721.html NEW INFO 4 Definitive Agreement to purchase 100% of Lovers brand stores announced 2/1. https://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/Playboy+%28MCAC%29+Confirms+Deal+to+Acquire+Lovers/17892359.html NEW INFO 3 I bought more on the dip today. 5081 total. Price rose AH to $12.38 (2.15%) NEW INFO 2 Here is the full webinar. https://icrinc.zoom.us/rec/play/9GWKdmOYumjWfZuufW3QXpe_FW_g--qeNbg6PnTjTMbnNTgLmCbWjeRFpQga1iPc-elpGap8dnDv8Zww.yD7DjUwuPmapeEdP?continueMode=true&tk=lEYc4F_FkKlgsmCIs6w0gtGHT2kbgVGbUju3cIRBSjk.DQIAAAAV8NK49xZWdldRM2xNSFNQcTBmcE00UzM3bXh3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA&uuid=WN_GKWqbHkeSyuWetJmLFkj4g&_x_zm_rtaid=kR45-uuqRE-L65AxLjpbQw.1611967079119.2c054e3d3f8d8e63339273d9175939ed&_x_zm_rhtaid=866 NEW INFO 1 Live merger webinar with PLBY and MCAC on Friday January 29, 2021 at 12:00 NOON EST link below https://mcacquisition.com/investor-relations/press-release-details/2021/Playboy-Enterprises-Inc.-and-Mountain-Crest-Acquisition-Corp-Participate-in-SPACInsider-ICR-Webinar-on-January-29th-at-12pm-ET/default.aspx Playboy going public: Porn, Gambling, and Cannabis !!!WARNING READING AHEAD!!! TL;DR at the end. It will take some time to sort through all the links and read/watch everything, but you should. In the next couple weeks, Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp is taking Playboy public. The existing ticker MCAC will become PLBY. Special purpose acquisition companies have taken private companies public in recent months with great success. I believe this will be no exception. Notably, Playboy is profitable and has skyrocketing revenue going into a transformational growth phase. Porn - First and foremost, let's talk about porn. I know what you guys are thinking. “Porno mags are dead. Why would I want to invest in something like that? I can get porn for free online.” Guess what? You are absolutely right. And that’s exactly why Playboy doesn’t do that anymore. That’s right, they eliminated their print division. And yet they somehow STILL make money from porn that people (see: boomers) pay for on their website through PlayboyTV, Playboy Plus, and iPlayboy. Here’s the thing: Playboy has international, multi-generational name recognition from porn. They have content available in 180 countries. It will be the only publicly traded adult entertainment (porn) company. But that is not where this company is going. It will help support them along the way. You can see every Playboy magazine through iPlayboy if you’re interested. NSFW links below: https://www.playboy.com/ https://www.playboytv.com/ https://www.playboyplus.com/ https://www.iplayboy.com/ Gambling - Some of you might recognize the Playboy brand from gambling trips to places like Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Cancun, London or Macau. They’ve been in the gambling biz for decades through their casinos, clubs, and licensed gaming products. They see the writing on the wall. COVID is accelerating the transition to digital, application based GAMBLING. That’s right. What we are doing on Robinhood with risky options is gambling, and the only reason regulators might give a shit anymore is because we are making too much money. There may be some restrictions put in place, but gambling from your phone on your couch is not going anywhere. More and more states are allowing things like Draftkings, poker, state ‘lottery” apps, hell - even political betting. Michigan and Virginia just ok’d gambling apps. They won’t be the last. This is all from your couch and any 18 year old with a cracked iphone can access it. Wouldn’t it be cool if Playboy was going to do something like that? They’re already working on it. As per CEO Ben Kohn who we will get to later, “...the company’s casino-style digital gaming products with Scientific Games and Microgaming continue to see significant global growth.” Honestly, I stopped researching Scientific Games' sports betting segment when I saw the word ‘omni-channel’. That told me all I needed to know about it’s success. “Our SG Sports™ platform is an enhanced, omni-channel solution for online, self-service and retail fixed odds sports betting – from soccer to tennis, basketball, football, baseball, hockey, motor sports, racing and more.” https://www.scientificgames.com/ https://www.microgaming.co.uk/ “This latter segment has become increasingly enticing for Playboy, and it said last week that it is considering new tie-ups that could include gaming operators like PointsBet and 888Holdings.” https://calvinayre.com/2020/10/05/business/playboys-gaming-ops-could-get-a-boost-from-spac-purchase/ As per their SEC filing: “Significant consumer engagement and spend with Playboy-branded gaming properties around the world, including with leading partners such as Microgaming, Scientific Games, and Caesar’s Entertainment, steers our investment in digital gaming, sports betting and other digital offerings to further support our commercial strategy to expand consumer spend with minimal marginal cost, and gain consumer data to inform go-to-market plans across categories.” https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tMDAA1 They are expanding into more areas of gaming/gambling, working with international players in the digital gaming/gambling arena, and a Playboy sportsbook is on the horizon. https://www.playboy.com/read/the-pleasure-of-playing-with-yourself-mobile-gaming-in-the-covid-era Cannabis - If you’ve ever read through a Playboy magazine, you know they’ve had a positive relationship with cannabis for many years. As of September 2020, Playboy has made a major shift into the cannabis space. Too good to be true you say? Check their website. Playboy currently sells a range of CBD products. This is a good sign. Federal hemp products, which these most likely are, can be mailed across state lines and most importantly for a company like Playboy, can operate through a traditional banking institution. CBD products are usually the first step towards the cannabis space for large companies. Playboy didn’t make these products themselves meaning they are working with a processor in the cannabis industry. Another good sign for future expansion. What else do they have for sale? Pipes, grinders, ashtrays, rolling trays, joint holders. Hmm. Ok. So it looks like they want to sell some shit. They probably don’t have an active interest in cannabis right? Think again: https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/09/24/playboy-gets-serious-about-cannabis-law-reform-advocacy-with-new-partnership-grants/?sh=62f044a65cea “Taking yet another step into the cannabis space, Playboy will be announcing later on Thursday (September, 2020) that it is launching a cannabis law reform and advocacy campaign in partnership with National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), Last Prisoner Project, Marijuana Policy Project, the Veterans Cannabis Project, and the Eaze Momentum Program.” “According to information procured exclusively, the three-pronged campaign will focus on calling for federal legalization. The program also includes the creation of a mentorship plan, through which the Playboy Foundation will support entrepreneurs from groups that are underrepresented in the industry.” Remember that CEO Kohn from earlier? He wrote this recently: https://medium.com/naked-open-letters-from-playboy/congress-must-pass-the-more-act-c867c35239ae Seems like he really wants weed to be legal? Hmm wonder why? The writing's on the wall my friends. Playboy wants into the cannabis industry, they are making steps towards this end, and we have favorable conditions for legislative progress. Don’t think branding your own cannabis line is profitable or worthwhile? Tell me why these 41 celebrity millionaires and billionaires are dummies. I’ll wait. https://www.celebstoner.com/news/celebstoner-news/2019/07/12/top-celebrity-cannabis-brands/ Confirmation: I hear you. “This all seems pretty speculative. It would be wildly profitable if they pull this shift off. But how do we really know?” Watch this whole video: https://finance.yahoo.com/video/playboy-ceo-telling-story-female-154907068.html Man - this interview just gets my juices flowing. And highlights one of my favorite reasons for this play. They have so many different business avenues from which a catalyst could appear. I think paying attention, holding shares, and options on these staggered announcements over the next year is the way I am going to go about it. "There's definitely been a shift to direct-to-consumer," he (Kohn) said. "About 50 percent of our revenue today is direct-to-consumer, and that will continue to grow going forward.” “Kohn touted Playboy's portfolio of both digital and consumer products, with casino-style gaming, in particular, serving a crucial role under the company's new business model. Playboy also has its sights on the emerging cannabis market, from CBD products to marijuana products geared toward sexual health and pleasure.” "If THC does become legal in the United States, we have developed certain strains to enhance your sex life that we will launch," Kohn said. https://cheddar.com/media/playboy-goes-public-health-gaming-lifestyle-focus Oh? The CEO actually said it? Ok then. “We have developed certain strains…” They’re already working with growers on strains and genetics? Ok. There are several legal cannabis markets for those products right now, international and stateside. I expect Playboy licensed hemp and THC pre-rolls by EOY. Something like this: https://www.etsy.com/listing/842996758/10-playboy-pre-roll-tubes-limited?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=pre+roll+playboy&ref=sr_gallery-1-2&organic_search_click=1 Maintaining cannabis operations can be costly and a regulatory headache. Playboy’s licensing strategy allows them to pick successful, established partners and sidestep traditional barriers to entry. You know what I like about these new markets? They’re expanding. Worldwide. And they are going to be a bigger deal than they already are with or without Playboy. Who thinks weed and gambling are going away? Too many people like that stuff. These are easy markets. And Playboy is early enough to carve out their spot in each. Fuck it, read this too: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimosman/2020/10/20/playboy-could-be-the-king-of-spacs-here-are-three-picks/?sh=2e13dcaa3e05 Numbers: You want numbers? I got numbers. As per the company’s most recent SEC filing: “For the year ended December 31, 2019, and the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s historical consolidated revenue was $78.1 million and $101.3 million, respectively, historical consolidated net income (loss) was $(23.6) million and $(4.8) million, respectively, and Adjusted EBITDA was $13.1 million and $21.8 million, respectively.” “In the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Licensing segment contributed $44.2 million in revenue and $31.1 million in net income.” “In the ninth months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Direct-to-Consumer segment contributed $40.2 million in revenue and net income of $0.1 million.” “In the nine months ended September 30, 2020, Playboy’s Digital Subscriptions and Content segment contributed $15.4 million in revenue and net income of $7.4 million.” They are profitable across all three of their current business segments. “Playboy’s return to the public markets presents a transformed, streamlined and high-growth business. The Company has over $400 million in cash flows contracted through 2029, sexual wellness products available for sale online and in over 10,000 major retail stores in the US, and a growing variety of clothing and branded lifestyle and digital gaming products.” https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tSHCF Growth: Playboy has massive growth in China and massive growth potential in India. “In China, where Playboy has spent more than 25 years building its business, our licensees have an enormous footprint of nearly 2,500 brick and mortar stores and 1,000 ecommerce stores selling high quality, Playboy-branded men’s casual wear, shoes/footwear, sleepwear, swimwear, formal suits, leather & non-leather goods, sweaters, active wear, and accessories. We have achieved significant growth in China licensing revenues over the past several years in partnership with strong licensees and high-quality manufacturers, and we are planning for increased growth through updates to our men’s fashion lines and expansion into adjacent categories in men’s skincare and grooming, sexual wellness, and women’s fashion, a category where recent launches have been well received.” The men’s market in China is about the same size as the entire population of the United States and European Union combined. Playboy is a leading brand in this market. They are expanding into the women’s market too. Did you know CBD toothpaste is huge in China? China loves CBD products and has hemp fields that dwarf those in the US. If Playboy expands their CBD line China it will be huge. Did you know the gambling money in Macau absolutely puts Las Vegas to shame? Technically, it's illegal on the mainland, but in reality, there is a lot of gambling going on in China. https://www.forbes.com/sites/javierhasse/2020/10/19/magic-johnson-and-uncle-buds-cbd-brand-enter-china-via-tmall-partnership/?sh=271776ca411e “In India, Playboy today has a presence through select apparel licensees and hospitality establishments. Consumer research suggests significant growth opportunities in the territory with Playboy’s brand and categories of focus.” “Playboy Enterprises has announced the expansion of its global consumer products business into India as part of a partnership with Jay Jay Iconic Brands, a leading fashion and lifestyle Company in India.” “The Indian market today is dominated by consumers under the age of 35, who represent more than 65 percent of the country’s total population and are driving India’s significant online shopping growth. The Playboy brand’s core values of playfulness and exploration resonate strongly with the expressed desires of today’s younger millennial consumers. For us, Playboy was the perfect fit.” “The Playboy international portfolio has been flourishing for more than 25 years in several South Asian markets such as China and Japan. In particular, it has strategically targeted the millennial and gen-Z audiences across categories such as apparel, footwear, home textiles, eyewear and watches.” https://www.licenseglobal.com/industry-news/playboy-expands-global-footprint-india It looks like they gave COVID the heisman in terms of net damage sustained: “Although Playboy has not suffered any material adverse consequences to date from the COVID-19 pandemic, the business has been impacted both negatively and positively. The remote working and stay-at-home orders resulted in the closure of the London Playboy Club and retail stores of Playboy’s licensees, decreasing licensing revenues in the second quarter, as well as causing supply chain disruption and less efficient product development thereby slowing the launch of new products. However, these negative impacts were offset by an increase in Yandy’s direct-to-consumer sales, which have benefited in part from overall increases in online retail sales so far during the pandemic.” Looks like the positives are long term (Yandy acquisition) and the negatives are temporary (stay-at-home orders). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921006093/tm213766-1_defa14a.htm This speaks to their ability to maintain a financially solvent company throughout the transition phase to the aforementioned areas. They’d say some fancy shit like “expanded business model to encompass four key revenue streams: Sexual Wellness, Style & Apparel, Gaming & Lifestyle, and Beauty & Grooming.” I hear “we’re just biding our time with these trinkets until those dollar dollar bill y’all markets are fully up and running.” But the truth is these existing revenue streams are profitable, scalable, and rapidly expanding Playboy’s e-commerce segment around the world. "Even in the face of COVID this year, we've been able to grow EBITDA over 100 percent and revenue over 68 percent, and I expect that to accelerate going into 2021," he said. “Playboy is accelerating its growth in company-owned and branded consumer products in attractive and expanding markets in which it has a proven history of brand affinity and consumer spend.” Also in the SEC filing, the Time Frame: “As we detailed in the definitive proxy statement, the SPAC stockholder meeting to vote on the transaction has been set for February 9th, and, subject to stockholder approval and satisfaction of the other closing conditions, we expect to complete the merger and begin trading on NASDAQ under ticker PLBY shortly thereafter,” concluded Kohn. The Players: Suhail “The Whale” Rizvi (HMFIC), Ben “The Bridge” Kohn (CEO), “lil” Suying Liu & “Big” Dong Liu (Young-gun China gang). I encourage you to look these folks up. The real OG here is Suhail Rizvi. He’s from India originally and Chairman of the Board for the new PLBY company. He was an early investor in Twitter, Square, Facebook and others. His firm, Rizvi Traverse, currently invests in Instacart, Pinterest, Snapchat, Playboy, and SpaceX. Maybe you’ve heard of them. “Rizvi, who owns a sprawling three-home compound in Greenwich, Connecticut, and a 1.65-acre estate in Palm Beach, Florida, near Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg, moved to Iowa Falls when he was five. His father was a professor of psychology at Iowa. Along with his older brother Ashraf, a hedge fund manager, Rizvi graduated from Wharton business school.” “Suhail Rizvi: the 47-year-old 'unsocial' social media baron: When Twitter goes public in the coming weeks (2013), one of the biggest winners will be a 47-year-old financier who guards his secrecy so zealously that he employs a person to take down his Wikipedia entry and scrub his photos from the internet. In IPO, Twitter seeks to be 'anti-FB'” “Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia looks like a big Twitter winner. So do the moneyed clients of Jamie Dimon. But as you’ve-got-to-be-joking wealth washed over Twitter on Thursday — a company that didn’t exist eight years ago was worth $31.7 billion after its first day on the stock market — the non-boldface name of the moment is Suhail R. Rizvi. Mr. Rizvi, 47, runs a private investment company that is the largest outside investor in Twitter with a 15.6 percent stake worth $3.8 billion at the end of trading on Thursday (November, 2013). Using a web of connections in the tech industry and in finance, as well as a hearty dose of good timing, he brought many prominent names in at the ground floor, including the Saudi prince and some of JPMorgan’s wealthiest clients.” https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/technology/at-twitter-working-behind-the-scenes-toward-a-billion-dollar-payday.html Y’all like that Arab money? How about a dude that can call up Saudi Princes and convince them to spend? Funniest shit about I read about him: “Rizvi was able to buy only $100 million in Facebook shortly before its IPO, thus limiting his returns, according to people with knowledge of the matter.” Poor guy :( He should be fine with the 16 million PLBY shares he's going to have though :) Shuhail also has experience in the entertainment industry. He’s invested in companies like SESAC, ICM, and Summit Entertainment. He’s got Hollywood connections to blast this stuff post-merger. And he’s at least partially responsible for that whole Twilight thing. I’m team Edward btw. I really like what Suhail has done so far. He’s lurked in the shadows while Kohn is consolidating the company, trimming the fat, making Playboy profitable, and aiming the ship at modern growing markets. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-ipo-rizvi-insight/insight-little-known-hollywood-investor-poised-to-score-with-twitter-ipo-idUSBRE9920VW20131003 Ben “The Bridge” Kohn is an interesting guy. He’s the connection between Rizvi Traverse and Playboy. He’s both CEO of Playboy and was previously Managing Partner at Rizvi Traverse. Ben seems to be the voice of the Playboy-Rizvi partnership, which makes sense with Suhail’s privacy concerns. Kohn said this: “Today is a very big day for all of us at Playboy and for all our partners globally. I stepped into the CEO role at Playboy in 2017 because I saw the biggest opportunity of my career. Playboy is a brand and platform that could not be replicated today. It has massive global reach, with more than $3B of global consumer spend and products sold in over 180 countries. Our mission – to create a culture where all people can pursue pleasure – is rooted in our 67-year history and creates a clear focus for our business and role we play in people’s lives, providing them with the products, services and experiences that create a lifestyle of pleasure. We are taking this step into the public markets because the committed capital will enable us to accelerate our product development and go-to-market strategies and to more rapidly build our direct to consumer capabilities,” said Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy. “Playboy today is a highly profitable commerce business with a total addressable market projected in the trillions of dollars,” Mr. Kohn continued, “We are actively selling into the Sexual Wellness consumer category, projected to be approximately $400 billion in size by 2024, where our recently launched intimacy products have rolled out to more than 10,000 stores at major US retailers in the United States. Combined with our owned & operated ecommerce Sexual Wellness initiatives, the category will contribute more than 40% of our revenue this year. In our Apparel and Beauty categories, our collaborations with high-end fashion brands including Missguided and PacSun are projected to achieve over $50M in retail sales across the US and UK this year, our leading men’s apparel lines in China expanded to nearly 2500 brick and mortar stores and almost 1000 digital stores, and our new men’s and women’s fragrance line recently launched in Europe. In Gaming, our casino-style digital gaming products with Scientific Games and Microgaming continue to see significant global growth. Our product strategy is informed by years of consumer data as we actively expand from a purely licensing model into owning and operating key high-growth product lines focused on driving profitability and consumer lifetime value. We are thrilled about the future of Playboy. Our foundation has been set to drive further growth and margin, and with the committed capital from this transaction and our more than $180M in NOLs, we will take advantage of the opportunity in front of us, building to our goal of $100M of adjusted EBITDA in 2025.” https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201001005404/en/Playboy-to-Become-a-Public-Company Also, according to their Form 4s, “Big” Dong Liu and “lil” Suying Liu just loaded up with shares last week. These guys are brothers and seem like the Chinese market connection. They are only 32 & 35 years old. I don’t even know what that means, but it's provocative. https://www.secform4.com/insider-trading/1832415.htm https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mountain-crest-acquisition-corp-ii-002600994.html Y’all like that China money? “Mr. Liu has been the Chief Financial Officer of Dongguan Zhishang Photoelectric Technology Co., Ltd., a regional designer, manufacturer and distributor of LED lights serving commercial customers throughout Southern China since November 2016, at which time he led a syndicate of investments into the firm. Mr. Liu has since overseen the financials of Dongguan Zhishang as well as provided strategic guidance to its board of directors, advising on operational efficiency and cash flow performance. From March 2010 to October 2016, Mr. Liu was the Head of Finance at Feidiao Electrical Group Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese manufacturer of electrical outlets headquartered in Shanghai and with businesses in the greater China region as well as Europe.” Dr. Suying Liu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp., commented, “Playboy is a unique and compelling investment opportunity, with one of the world’s largest and most recognized brands, its proven consumer affinity and spend, and its enormous future growth potential in its four product segments and new and existing geographic regions. I am thrilled to be partnering with Ben and his exceptional team to bring his vision to fruition.” https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201001005404/en/Playboy-to-Become-a-Public-Company These guys are good. They have a proven track record of success across multiple industries. Connections and money run deep with all of these guys. I don’t think they’re in the game to lose. I was going to write a couple more paragraphs about why you should have a look at this but really the best thing you can do is read this SEC filing from a couple days ago. It explains the situation in far better detail. Specifically, look to page 137 and read through their strategy. Also, look at their ownership percentages and compensation plans including the stock options and their prices. The financials look great, revenue is up 90% Q3, and it looks like a bright future. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1803914/000110465921005986/tm2034213-12_defm14a.htm#tSHCF I’m hesitant to attach this because his position seems short term, but I’m going to with a warning because he does hit on some good points (two are below his link) and he’s got a sizable position in this thing (500k+ on margin, I think). I don’t know this guy but he did look at the same publicly available info and make roughly the same prediction, albeit without the in depth gambling or cannabis mention. You can also search reddit for ‘MCAC’ and very few relevant results come up and none of them even come close to really looking at this thing. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gOvAd6lebs452hFlWWbxVjQ3VMsjGBkbJeXRwDwIJfM/edit?usp=sharing “Also, before you people start making claims that Playboy is a “boomer” company, STOP RIGHT THERE. This is not a good argument. Simply put. The only thing that matters is Playboy’s name recognition, not their archaic business model which doesn’t even exist anymore as they have completely repurposed their business.” “Imagine not buying $MCAC at a 400M valuation lol. Streetwear department is worth 1B alone imo.” Considering the ridiculous Chinese growth as a lifestyle brand, he’s not wrong. Current Cultural Significance and Meme Value: A year ago I wouldn’t have included this section but the events from the last several weeks (even going back to tsla) have proven that a company’s ability to meme and/or gain social network popularity can have an effect. Tik-tok, Snapchat, Twitch, Reddit, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter. They all have Playboy stuff on them. Kids in middle and highschool know what Playboy is but will likely never see or touch one of the magazines in person. They’ll have a Playboy hoodie though. Crazy huh? A lot like GME, PLBY would hugely benefit from meme-value stock interest to drive engagement towards their new business model while also building strategic coffers. This interest may not directly and/or significantly move the stock price but can generate significant interest from larger players who will. Bull Case: The year is 2025. Playboy is now the world leader pleasure brand. They began by offering Playboy licensed gaming products, including gambling products, direct to consumers through existing names. By 2022, demand has skyrocketed and Playboy has designed and released their own gambling platforms. In 2025, they are also a leading cannabis brand in the United States and Canada with proprietary strains and products geared towards sexual wellness. Cannabis was legalized in the US in 2023 when President Biden got glaucoma but had success with cannabis treatment. He personally pushes for cannabis legalization as he steps out of office after his first term. Playboy has also grown their brand in China and India to multi-billion per year markets. The stock goes up from 11ish to 100ish and everyone makes big gains buying somewhere along the way. Bear Case: The United States does a complete 180 on marijuana and gambling. President Biden overdoses on marijuana in the Lincoln bedroom when his FDs go tits up and he loses a ton of money in his sports book app after the Fighting Blue Hens narrowly lose the National Championship to Bama. Playboy is unable to expand their cannabis and gambling brands but still does well with their worldwide lifestyle brand. They gain and lose some interest in China and India but the markets are too large to ignore them completely. The stock goes up from 11ish to 13ish and everyone makes 15-20% gains. TL;DR: Successful technology/e-commerce investment firm took over Playboy to turn it into a porn, online gambling/gaming, sports book, cannabis company, worldwide lifestyle brand that promotes sexual wellness, vetern access, women-ownership, minority-ownership, and “pleasure for all”. Does a successful online team reinventing an antiquated physical copy giant sound familiar? No options yet, shares only for now. $11.38 per share at time of writing. My guess? $20 by the end of February. $50 by EOY. This is not financial advice. I am not qualified to give financial advice. I’m just sayin’ I would personally use a Playboy sports book app while smoking a Playboy strain specific joint and it would be cool if they did that. Do your own research. You’d probably want to start here: WARNING - POTENTIALLY NSFW - SEXY MODELS AHEAD - no actual nudity though https://s26.q4cdn.com/895475556/files/doc_presentations/Playboy-Craig-Hallum-Conference-Investor-Presentation-11_17_20-compressed.pdf Or here: https://www.mcacquisition.com/investor-relations/default.aspx Jimmy Chill: “Get into any SPAC at $10 or $11 and you are going to make money.” STL;DR: Buy MCAC. MCAC > PLBY couple weeks. Rocketship. Moon. Position: 5000 shares. I will buy short, medium, and long-dated calls once available.
Artist:Yung Lean Album:Starz ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Listen: Youtube Spotify Apple Music ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Background “If someone’s inspired by me, I want them to be inspired to, you know, look into themselves and make music. Make art, and find out about themselves.” Jonatan Leandoer Håstad has always been surrounded by mystery. Starting the year he was born in 1996, when an astrologist had a premonition that Leandoer would become successful in music, his public life has been a mix of highs and lows so extreme that it reflects the internet-centric era that he grew up in. At 17, he and his longtime collaborators Yung Gud and Yung Sherman had already helped pioneer modern rap with the release of the Lavender EP in 2013. The music video for “Ginseng Strip 2002”, one of three songs on the project, has amassed over 30 million views since its release in March of 2013, and tightly associated the image of Yung Lean with bright, vaporwave-esque aesthetics and Arizona Iced Tea. Titled “Sad Boys Entertainment (SBE)”, Lean, Gud, and Sherm followed the Lavender EP with Lean’s debut album Unknown Death 2002 and legendary single “Kyoto” that same year, with Unknown Memory coming in 2014. At this point, though Lean was consistently developing his current sound, many felt that a lack of growth had stagnated Lean’s career. However, fast forward two years to 2015, where an extended visit to the US to work on music spiraled into a drug-fueled craze that highlighted the internal battle that an 18-year old Leandoer had been facing. “Lean found himself slipping into characters that were hard to shake. He started dressing like a nurse, in hospital scrubs. He began to carry a knife. Most nights the drugs kept him up, so he’d sit out on a balcony, writing a book in his iPhone called Heaven that retold childhood nightmares about people turning into rats — the animal sign of his Chinese Zodiac.” The visit eventually resulted with Lean in the hospital after a mental breakdown led him to destroy the condo he had been staying in, and ended in the tragic death of close friend Barron Alexander Machat. This Miami trip served as the catalyst and developing grounds for his 2016 album Warlord, which replaced the bright instrumentation of previous albums with darker synths and almost punk-like vocal performances from Lean across the record. For more on the trip to the US, and the creation of Warlord in general, readthisarticle published by the Fader in 2016. While long, it’s one of the craziest stories I’ve ever read and the article itself is so well-written that no summary could do it justice. It was also around this time that Leandoer found even more room for experimentation in side projects. Under the title Död Mark, Leandoer released a ten track Swedish-Punk album in 2016 titled Drabbad av sjukdom. If Warlord was a middle ground between Lean’s older style and a more distorted sound, Drabbad av sjukdom was a complete push in that direction, losing the drawn out rapped delivery that Lean was known for in exchange for abrasive punk vocals. In the time since his debut at the beginning of the 2010’s, Yung Lean has had a profound musical evolution comparable to that of contemporaries Mac Miller or Tyler, the Creator. All three artists became popular for their exaggerated personas and often over-the-top lyrics, but transitioned into an oftentimes softer and more melodic style, while keeping intact the uniqueness that gave them a platform to start. Lean’s 2017 album Stranger is a perfect example of this, focusing primarily on his time in a psych ward and the vivid hallucinations he experienced. The album polishes the cloud rap Lean has always made to its peak, with producers Gud and Sherman joined by Drain Gang member whitearmor crafting ethereal melodies as Lean reflects on his time in isolation using beautiful imagery that, while straying away from his lyrical style up to that point, fit his sound in a way that made Stranger one of the greatest listens of that year. Earlier in 2017, another side project from Leandoer emerged. Under the name jonatanleandoer96, Psychopath Ballads was released months before Stranger, and gave fans a chance to see how Lean could hold his own when he was only singing, rather than rapping or yelling, which would eventually manifest itself on Stranger. However, the production was heavily focused on live instruments such as piano or acoustic guitar accented by synths, an extreme departure from any of Lean’s previous works. Songs such as “Never Again” and “Hotel in Minsk” show off his prowess in this style as well, and he adapted his accent and style of delivery for rapping perfectly into singing. Following these two releases, Yung Lean dropped a variety of singles showcasing a more trap-focused Lean, and collaborations with artists such as Drain Gang Legendary Member Thaiboy Digital and DMV rapper Lil Dude. This led to the Poison Ivy EP in late 2018. The project was reminiscent of Stranger, but whitearmor’s production led to more experimental cuts such as “French Hotel”, a dance-inspired track that has become one of my personal favorites in the time since it dropped. After this, the album Nectar was released under jonatanleandoer96, a 9-track expansion on the sound of Psychopath Ballads. Yung Lean continued dropping singles in 2019 (including a two-track EP Total Eclipse), featuring a production style similar to that of his friends in the Drain Gang collective. This change in sound was due to the two tracks on Total Eclipse being produced by whitearmor and RipSquad respectively, with Whitearmor being a member of Drain Gang and RipSquad working closely with Lean’s close friend Bladee. Early in 2020, Lean rented out a studio in Portugal; joined by Sherman and whitearmor among other close affiliates. After recording about 40 songs there, Lean and whitearmor went back to Sweden and set up a studio on top of an old abandoned girls ballet school in order to record additional sounds. Lean described the experience in a magazine interview: “...me and whitearmor went on to the west of Sweden to record additional sounds. We set our studio on top of an abandoned old girls ballet school that was pretty much haunted. If we listen back to the recordings, we can hear certain sounds and voices that most definitely didn't come from us. It is amazing. This album will be my best work yet, I just know it.” Lean’s close work with whitearmor, his experimental side projects, the haunting background surrounding the creation of the album, and his legendary legacy as a founding father of a genre he hadn’t found the mainstream commercial success in that his peers had all contributed to the sound and feeling of his 2020 project, Starz. Preceded by three singles and a wholly new aesthetic for Lean, Starz dropped on May 15, 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Review Starz is one of Lean’s longest albums, only behind the deluxe edition of Warlord by a few tracks and clocking in at 16 tracks and 44 minutes. Combining Lean’s drastic improvement in singing with distorted but dreamy production from whitearmor (the project’s sole producer), Starz feels like the culmination of everything that Leandoer has set out to do in music. This includes his discography as Yung Lean, as well as his projects as jonatanleandoer96 and Dod Mark. The album opens with what I believe is easily Lean’s most harrowing track, and starts with a 10 second clip of sound I can only assume to be taken from the haunted ballet academy where Lean and whitearmor recorded. “My Agenda” is perfectly named, with distorted melodies surrounding Lean as he delves into a stream of consciousness combining intense and horrifying imagery with real-life flexes about him and the company he keeps. As the drums drop out of the song, the bridge sees Lean transition from a rough vocal mix to a small bridge where his singing is on full display, eventually fading into background vocals to support Lean’s rapping. The track is dynamic, highlighting whitearmor’s status as one of the best producers in the game as he effortlessly weaves together sound after sound until the picture is fully realized: listeners have been introduced to the world of the album, and it's nothing like one fans have heard before. The follow-up track “Yayo” is a small bit of controversy on the album, with a verse from Playboi Carti not cleared by his label appearing only on physical copies of the album. Carti’s unreleased verse isn’t BAD (in comparison to his other features this year), but I’ll talk about the version without him as that’s the one available on streaming services. Lean shows his mastery of melodies over one of the beautiful instrumentals I’ve heard this year, with everything from his uplifting lyrics to his softer delivery making this feel like the start to a dream after the sonically nightmarish opening of “My Agenda”. Being given some of the genre’s greatest production and still taking the spotlight is nothing new to Lean, but the way he does this on “Yayo” creates one of my favorite songs on this record and still feels like a breath of fresh air on every subsequent listen. “Boylife in EU” was the first single for this album, and feels distinct from anything that Lean has done before. The song starts with Lean slowly singing over a single minimal synth, eventually adding light drums towards the second half of the verse as he calls to an unknown muse for affection and understanding. Suddenly, at the end of the verse, the entire song goes silent for a second. It feels like the top of a roller coaster ride, a moment in time before the drop throws you into one of the greatest musical moments Lean has ever pulled off. His singing on the hook is paired with an absolutely stunning wall of sound, and the song’s juxtaposition between soft verses and a hectic chorus exemplifies a defining trait of this album: the contrast of noise and silence, of roughness and polish, of horror-inspired imagery and romanticized lyrics that fit as well in songs as they would in poems. Up next is “Violence”, the second single for the album and a decidedly staggering change in sound that once again highlights the contrasting nature of Starz. Lean is at his most braggadocious on this fast-paced banger, with flexes ranging from material wealth to his influence on music. “Outta My Head” and “Dance in the Dark” are more lowkey cuts in comparison to the first four tracks, but don’t lose the momentum they created. “Outta My Head” is a fun, catchy and upbeat glimpse into Lean’s outlook on life in a relationship, while “Dance in the Dark” details his and his partner’s binge while keeping with the writing style that he’s perfected on this record. The next track, “Acid at 7/11” is seemingly named after an experience Lean had in which he witnessed a man split his head open at a 7/11 while on acid. While he described the experience as “traumatic” the song contrasts this, instead focusing on an enjoyable day out with his friends. Friends such as Ecco2k and the rest of Drain Gang (including whitearmor) are referenced, as well as Lean including a nod to his 2016 collaboration with A$AP Ferg, “Crystal City”. Lean’s use of acid, highlighted heavily in this track, is written as a recreational habit rather than a dependency or an addiction, contributing to the feel-good mood of the song. The album’s title track “Starz” is one of the greatest, most fully realized songs in Lean’s discography. It’s everything that defines this album at the highest possible standard, the slow burning first half melting into a chorus sung first by Lean himself, then by hypnagogic pop legend Ariel Pink(making the only official feature on the album). While this may seem like a sparing use of such a prolific artist, it’s executed gracefully and leads into a loud, glitchy outro that drives home the overarching motif of sonic contrast that makes the album so captivating. This track sharing its name with the album makes sense, it's the perfect summation of the sounds and styles that went into the project on all sides. “Hellraiser” sounds in many ways like it could have been on Stranger in a different dimension, with both the production and rapping on the track harkening back to that era of Lean’s music. Cocky lyrics with seemingly little cohesion are backed by fluid vocal effects and a beat that Lean fits on perfectly to create a fun, albeit simple banger that works in the flow of the album to kick off the second half after the climax of “Starz”. “Butterfly Paralyzed” is the next track, and features Lean sweetly reflecting on feeling love for the first time in his adolescence. Like many songs on the album, it features a simple hook over a distorted break which serves to contrast from the softer, prettier verse sections. However, the instrumental sets itself apart with the inclusion of a guitar in the second verse, making the song reminiscent of Leandoer’s work as jonatanleandoer96. The following track “Dogboy” is another sweeter cut, showcasing what might be Lean’s weirdest vocal performance on the record. The pseudo-falsetto delivery that Lean uses on the hook paired with a bouncy synth melody makes it the most wholly upbeat song on the album. It’s weird to see a song like this on the same album as tracks like “Violence” or “Hellraiser” in hindsight, but the album flows together so well that it’s hard to tell while listening. The melody that introduces “Iceheart” almost sounds like a slowed down, darker version of “Dogboy”’s lighter instrumental lead, making it a smooth transition back into the relatively darker sonic space that Starz occupies. Lean uses flows pretty typical of a modern trap song, but they take a completely different shape when paired with the distorted adlibs and expansive beat characteristic of the album. Lean’s take on the beat, including a beautiful sung bridge towards the middle of the song, remind me of some of the cuts off of Poison Ivy, but the beat shows an evolved whitearmor that distinguishes the song from any of Lean’s previous work. Next up is “Pikachu”, the third single released for Starz. The instant I heard this song for the first time in the music video for “Violence”, I knew that it’d be one of my favorites off of the album. What I didn’t know, however, was just how amazing the full song would end up being. “Pikachu” uses its runtime of just over two minutes to seamlessly blend together the best parts of Lean’s older music (namely the beat, whose melody sounds reminiscent of songs like “Ginseng Strip 2002”) with the iconic songwriting style that Lean has developed throughout his career. His monotone delivery on the track sounds like a pocket he would’ve used on this song if he had been given the beat in 2013, but this only highlights how much his voice has matured for the better since then. The instrumental is beautiful, the lyrics are heartwarming and nostalgic without sacrificing Lean’s charm and humor, and the melodies on the track mesh with the beat perfectly. If “Pikachu” was the culmination of Lean’s career up to this point, “Low” is the culmination of everything Starz was trying to be. This track contains some of his best songwriting, with the first verse talking about the challenges that Lean has faced. Addiction, not knowing who to trust, his influence going unspoken, and how much he’s lost are all mentioned, which may at first seem like a confusing way to start a song with the bright production that “Low” has. However, as the second half of the verse begins, Lean balances the lows in his life with the optimism ever-present on Starz. He ends the verse by seemingly referencing the death of Barron Alexander Machat in 2015 as the instrumental drops into one of Lean’s greatest hooks. The pairing of a repetitive “Low life, low life” and Lean’s unique background vocalizing effortlessly combine catchy with emotionally impactful. The second verse is shorter than the first and includes more imagery, another staple of the songwriting on this album. Overall, the song feels like a trip into the hopeful side of the mind of someone who has been through enough struggle in his life to justifiably lose hope several times over, but who continues to dream about a brighter future. The penultimate track on Starz is a complete shift in tone, so far in the opposite direction of “Low” that it feels like two sides of the same coin and highlights the motif of contrast that carries throughout the project. On “Sunset Sunrise”, Lean no longer finds repose in his optimism on this track, and his hushed delivery gives his dark lyrics even more meaning against the haunting synths that lead and accent the track. The lyrics sweetly yearning for his partner present earlier in the album are gone, and the void that it leaves is filled with regret and apathy towards life, love, and any other subject that Lean wanders to on the song. “Put Me in a Spell” is the final track on Starz, and may seem at first like a confusing way to end such an eclectic album. The instrumental harkens back to “Agony” the dismal second-to-last song on Stranger. The sparse lyrics on the song talk about Lean wanting to do better for his partner, and about how he feels undeserving of love due to his outbursts of cruelty. As he sings, the themes of the song come into full view. “Put Me in a Spell” is an acknowledgement that there is a long road of growth ahead for the rapper, but it also acts as a vow of dedication to work as hard as he can for the one who “puts him in a spell”. Lean’s leading vocal contributions disappear about halfway through the track, and whitearmor interjects with some of the most beautiful synth work to come from a producer already considered as one of the greatest of his generation. The song, and consequently the album, ends with the same piano that has persisted throughout the track, and Lean pleading for his partner to “put it on him”. What he means by this is up to interpretation, but it is seemingly in reference to him wanting his partner to put pressure on him to change, which they are referenced earlier in the song as doing. The song fades out, and Starz ends on a more solemn, yet just as beautiful note as the rest of the album. Starz is a coming of age album with Lean as the main character, someone who was faced with international stardom just as most people his age were transitioning into normal adulthood. This stardom cut two ways, just as this album bounces between Lean’s brightest songs and his darkest. The album overall, though, is upbeat, focusing on Lean looking back at his past mistakes and learning from them as he continues to grow into the person-and artist-that he has strived to be since he began making music over a decade ago. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Favorite Songs
Pikachu
Low
Violence
Starz
My Agenda
Favorite Lyrics “Palm trees, Cadillacs, Ziploc bags She told me take the trash and come over here I said if I die here tonite (I die) I just want you to look over me”
“Got your eyes and your smile, but I don't feel like you See the buildings, they fallin', it's all for her Pledge allegiance to myself, know what to do Pledge allegiance to what we started, it's all I do”
PIkachu
“Hell in me Never lose myself, I lost, lost many things Keep working yourself 'fore you do anything My dreams are in hell, and i won't sell you them Yeah, I lost a friend but we will meet again”
Low
Questions
What did you think of this album?
How does this project compare with Stranger, Lean’s last full-length LP?
How would you describe the overall mood of this album?
Do you think that “Yayo” works better with or without Playboi Carti’s feature?
Musically, where do you think Lean will go from here?
I am going to tell you right off the bat that I am going to say some pretty crazy things. Half of America probably believes in the paranormal but still might feel skeptical about stories they are told.. While I did believe in the supernatural/paranormal, I never had an experience that I thought was even possibly paranormal....until recently. I never imagined I would ever experience anything like this. It’s not easy for me to share this. While this kind of thing is very rare, it is as real as you are reading this right now. I have some footage that is unlike anything else I have seen, you will see the link for them in my story. I will show that they are straight off a Nest-cam feed, so that at least rules out CGI. I didn’t wanna share my story unless I could get some type of evidence. The things that you will see are obviously not normal. I feel like with footage of this, you can’t question my sanity. You can still question my integrity if you decide. I have to share this because it’s one of those things if I don’t do, I will always be thinking about it. In June of 2017 I moved in with a grandparent who couldn’t really live alone but didn’t want to go in a nursing home. This gave me the opportunity to get back on my feet and start my life over after living the wrong way for so many years. This was a home that I spent some of my childhood living in so it had a familiar comfortable feeling. The very room I settled into was a room that I would later feel real happiness and eventually complete terror. It’s amazing how much life can swing up and down, even in just one day. Over the next few years of my new life I had ups and downs like anyone else. 2020 was a crazy year for everyone, when COVID-19 broke out and businesses were shutting down, I would wake up in the morning and think “Is this really real?”....but I definitely didn’t see this one coming. I can’t say exactly when but sometime in late 2019 or early 2020 I had some strange occurrences happen. As strange as they were, they never brought fear. The main one is I would be laying in bed getting ready to fall asleep, I was looking at my phone and my bed was lightly pushed, like it was given one very very light kick. I definitely felt it and couldn’t figure out where it came from, my best guess was it must have been from the oil burner kicking on. The oil burner is on the floor below me and about 18ft away, this did not make sense but it was the only answer I could come up with. The amount of force used was enough for me to notice but not too much to get seriously startled. I actually mentioned it to a few people after it happened a few times i said something along the lines of “I think I may have a ghost in my house”. I said this nonchalantly, I was more joking than I was serious. It happened maybe 5 or 6 times over the course of roughly a year. I was never frightened or lost sleep over this, but I did always remember it. Another weird thing was there were quite a few nights I would look at the blanket on my bed at night and the wrinkles on the blanket looked like they were moving, just like ripples in the bay. It was very subtle. Not even visible on video, but I definitely noticed it and I have great vision and I thought maybe it was the light reflecting off the blanket. I didn’t feel alarmed whatsoever. Looking back, I know whatever eventually made itself known was for some reason spending a lot of time on my bed. Some people believe that when we sleep we are closer to the other side, like in between worlds. This is probably why sleep is called the cousin of death. The downstairs of the home is lived in by another person and this person is always in bed and quiet by about 10pm. I think about three times spaced apart, I heard two people having a conversation. It didn’t sound like the person who lived downstairs and it didn’t sound like it was coming from a TV. I couldn’t make out where exactly it was coming from and when I asked the person living downstairs the next day, he told me he did not have anyone over and was asleep. I made it a point that I wasn’t complaining, I was just trying to figure out where the voices were coming from. That was a little unsettling. While I was hearing this I was sure someone was in the house. I’m convinced that this was also related to what I will soon tell you about. Looking back, all these little events were warnings like before a volcano erupts, but I wasn’t able to see what was about to take place. I don’t think these things happening over the course of 9 months to a year would make most people that worried. I wasn’t at all. This is the part where things get crazy. Everyone has those days in their life that separate time, we look at our lives as “Before this happened, and after this happened”. 11/16/20 is one of those days for me, the day before my birthday. The month prior to November 16th I did not have any of the strange occurrences I mentioned take place, they were very few and far between. On 11/15 I had a new mattress delivered, ironically it was a “Casper” brand mattress and I even bought an $85 foam pillow to go with my new mattress. I bought these because my old mattress was worn, not because of any of the things I mentioned before. These was a gift to myself. On 11/15 I slept on my new mattress....and this night was the last night of undisturbed sleep I have had since. On 11/16, I went to bed and while laying in my bed thinking to myself, I remember feeling something come up from the foot of the bed and I could feel the very slightest bit of pressure being put on the blanket and work it’s way up from my feet to right before my head. It hovered for 30 seconds or so. I remember at that moment feeling scared, shocked and confused trying to figure out whether my gut reaction was right. My gut reaction felt a presence hover over me and a persons instant reaction is usually correct. Am I being visited by someone? I was too scared to move or react, I remember only a single tear rolled down my eye. I was stunned. (Why does the same eye always drop the first tear when crying?, anyone else notice that?). The next day I talked about the incident and this was to intense to brush off. At that point I don’t think I was 100% convinced that my gut reaction was right, but I was pretty sure. I spoke to my mom and she did not have anything negative to say, she thought maybe it was someone visiting me. I myself didn’t think it could be something malevolent. I have never experienced anything like this before. The next night I went to bed and within a minute of getting into bed and turning off the lights I felt the bed shake gently, very gently. I would say that the force used was similar to a 4 year old boy pushing at the frame or base of the bed. Before this night, past incidents were just a single nudge, this however was something/someone making themselves known. This lasted for 30 seconds or so and then stopped. I was stunned and eventually I fell asleep and the next day all I could think about was what was happening and why. The next 3 or 4 nights this continuously happened and some nights were worse than others. It lasted 30 seconds or maybe a few minutes. A few times I got up out of bed after it started, and it suddenly stopped. I didn’t feel pure fear but I felt very uneasy. I spent a lot of time trying to find something online about someone having a similar experience. I wanna mention that if you search “bed shaking phenomenon” on YouTube, a video will come up from a YouTuber called “Paranormal Kativity”....Yes it’s Kativity. Never mind what is said in the video, the point I wanna make is that there are over 500 comments of people who must have had their bed strangely shake for no obvious reason and they were concerned enough about it to search it on the internet in hopes of finding an answer. I doubt that all 500+ people are crazy. BI believe that there is some sort of supernatural reason that causes this...There was another YouTube channel of a guy who recorded his bed slightly shaking...It was not enough to be seen on film, but it was obvious these videos were posted by a guy who was shook up and trying to find answers, people did comment and describe some strange things they experienced also. I actually messaged him to try and talk to him but I don’t think he even opened the message. So while this is going on I am consumed by trying to figure it out, but what could I really do, I still had to sleep at night. This continued and by the weekend like the 21st or so the light shaking of the bed continued, one time it shook and my body swayed the tiniest bit from the force. I remember thinking “WTF IS HAPPENING?!?”. Now besides the shaking, at times I felt that something was bubbling up from with in the mattress, like in the way that water boils, at times it felt like it was almost breathing. Looking back I think something was slowly gaining strength or form. I’m sure you are trying to imagine a mental picture of what this was like, it was not severe like in the Exorcist, not even close, but it was enough for me to notice. One thing to remember is I bought a new mattress, so some of my family wondered, “is he freaking out over a new mattress?” I know that some people can bring haunted objects into their home, but I don’t think it had anything to do with a new mattress, there were definitely strange events before the mattress was delivered. The first night I slept on it (15th), everything was normal. I think it had something to do with my birthday. What that is?'... IDK. Anyways after 5 nights of my bed moving at night and me searching the internet for some kind of info, I messaged a paranormal group and explained what was happening and a response was given that said “perhaps it is someone trying to get your attention somehow and it doesn’t sound like anything negative so maybe either acknowledge it or just ignore it”...Up until that point I still didn’t try to speak to whatever was there...It is probably pretty hard for anyone to figure out what is going on based off the few things I spoke of. I kept repeatedly messaging this group and they stopped responding at one point. I’m not the type of person to be imposing, but you can imagine my state of mind at this point. After almost a week of this, I started to get hesitant to get in bed at night. The fear was definitely there by now. I did call out to it and say “who is there?”...but I wasn’t expecting a response and I didn’t get one. Then at one point, probably 2 days or so before Thanksgiving, while in my living room. I feel a vibration in the air right by me. I can’t compare this feeling to anything else I have ever felt...It was just the feeling of a magnetic type of pressure. I just knew that this vibrations feeling I felt beside me, it was related to whatever was shaking my bed. Well at this point I am obsessed with trying to figure out what is going on, and I am hesitant to get in bed. Thanksgiving Eve I pulled my phone out and started recording my room. There I was on Thanksgiving Eve like a crazy person recording my room and moving the camera slowly around despite the fact that nothing blatant is happening. Then while sitting in a chair in my room I suddenly swung the camera to face behind me because I felt a presence behind me. I turn around and see nothing ....I know I felt it. Here is the video that I took that night.
In the video there is a sound like the chair is tapped or something, I did not hear that while recording.... It played in my mind over and over with zero explanation. I went to bed and the same shaking continued. Thanksgiving morning I wake up and go about my day, I go to my moms house and I return home. I am sitting in my living room on the couch and I am researching anything I can that is paranormal and stumble across another video where people are describing a similar experience to mine. This was the night that who I was as a person changed forever. Later on I am back in my room and I am once again hesitating to get in bed and I start viewing the recordings I made the night before. I know I felt a presence behind me but I didn’t see anything when I viewed the footage that night. I was scared to get in bed and determined to find an answer. I had the video where I spin the camera behind me because I felt a presence... and then I view the clip that I recorded just one minute after. I hear whispering, I play it back and I hear a person whispering....See if you are able to make out what is being said, about half of the people who listen are able to make out the words being said. You need to use headphones and be in absolute quiet. I will tell shortly in case you are not able to make it out.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XtIOepvXp3U I never felt so terrified and joyed at the same time...Now I could not doubt that something with intelligence that is not flesh and blood was in my room and making itself known. The presence I felt behind me was very real and it spoke to me but I could only hear the voice when I listened to the clip. The past week I was researching paranormal stuff and read about EVP’s. “electronic voice phenomenon” I didn’t know they could be picked up with an iPhone and special equipment was not needed. Whoever said that knew I was looking around for some kind of presence or whomever, and he was saying basically “Turn around” I know you are looking for me. I texted my Mom at 11:59PM and insisted she listen to the clip right now and I wanted to sleep over her house. She did not want me to come over at midnight and make a scene. I insisted, but she told me to go to bed and that we would talk in the morning. I think we spoke on the phone briefly after she saw I texted her but we just had the same conversation we had through text over the phone. So I sat down again in my room and once I sat down I quickly felt a STRONG presence begin to build behind me. I immediately jumped up scared and said to myself “NO FUC**** WAY, NO FUC***WAY” ... There was no chance of me falling asleep at this point. I thought to go on Facebook live because I wanted to tell the world that ghosts were real and I had one in my room this very moment. I don’t have a big social circle at all and I don’t even really interact on Facebook, but I wanted to tell anyone who would listen. I decided against it. That night I never felt my mind race faster. I couldn’t even process what was happening. It really just can’t be put into words. I looked back at text messages for a reference point to type this story. I saw that night my mom said “I think this is an evil spirit”. She was right, I didn’t think it was a friendly one but I didn’t think things were about to get anywhere near as bad as they did. I got in bed and and pulled the blankets over me and now I don’t just feel the bed shaking. I felt what was like someone or something moving on the bed right around my feet...I jumped out of bed in shock, turned on the lights and thought “WTF!!!....OH SH* ! FU** THAT!!” The bed is not just shaking, now, something/someone is moving on it...I felt shocked, there is no way this is really happening, I heard this voice on tape so I know I’m not going crazy. It was just an unimaginable fear that you cannot stop thinking about. “What is this thing? Who is it?” “Why is it here?”...That moment/memory is one that is burned into my mind. It was almost 4AM, and I had to be up for work at 7AM....I needed to get to sleep...I got back in bed and asked this spirit to please leave me alone. I said “I don’t care if you wanna hangout here but please leave me alone and let me sleep”. This was NOT the right thing to say as this only feeds into it, like I am inviting it by conversing with it. At this point I still didn’t realize what I was dealing with was evil and about to torment me, I thought it was someone just trying to get a message across....I woke nthe next morning and sent the recording of a voice to members of my family and said “please listen ASAP” about half of them were able to make out what was being said without me telling them....I felt relieved that I had proof of whatever was occurring. I got ready for work feeling exhausted yet my mind was still racing. While at work I sat down and realized that something was pushing my chair lightly, it was not enough to push me out of my chair, nowhere near, but I definitely felt it.... I realized that whatever was in my room was now following me wherever I went. I got in my car to go home and I was having my seat pushed from behind me. I realized at this point this was not a friendly spirit, it was an evil one. It could clearly see that I am scared, yet it continues to do the same thing. I got home feeling exhausted and physically hungry but I couldn’t even eat due to the stress. I am home at 6pm and was desperate to sleep. I was terrified to go to sleep in my room with the lights off, so I laid on the couch in the living room my grandparent there with the lights on while he watched TV. Whatever was following me now was touching my feet as I tried to sleep. It just felt like one finger slowly moving back and forth on my foot, barely much pressure at all, but I felt it. It was at that very moment I realized I was screwed. About 5 or 10 minutes later my mom came to my home feeling concerned. She saw a pale, terrified and stressed person. I forgot what I wanted to tell her but I whispered something to her because I did not want this spirit to hear what I was saying. My mom being my mom just repeated very loudly what I had just whispered. (I can laugh now looking back on it) She believed me at this point and yelled for whatever was here to get out and leave me alone...I did not have faith that this would work but there wasn’t much else to do but pray for this thing to leave me alone...There was no way I was falling asleep anytime soon (once again) so I eventually went to get something quick to eat because I had to at this point. I don’t think I even ate lunch that day....Whatever this was it knew it was tormenting me. I went to bed later on, I turned off the lights and within one minute, I felt 2 small dog like animals jump on the bed and would walk all around me, and at times come right up to my face. I remember feeling what felt like a wet nose touch me. Even though I was never once hurt by them. I would wrap my legs up in the blanket tightly, if I didn’t they would make a digging motion just like a regular dog would, and they would try to get under the blanket just to crawl around underneath it. These particular ones couldn’t move right through the blanket. While the dog like animals were doing that, someone would still shake the bed lightly. I have heard of homes being haunted, but my family was the original owner and never experienced anything paranormal. I was the only one who was experiencing this. I have never in my life heard of animal like creatures harassing people. “Are they trying to take my soul?” “Are they going to try and possess me?”...This was the first of many scary nights to come and the worst had not happened yet. I woke up that Saturday morning of Thanksgiving weekend and while this was all happening, besides fear I just felt absolute shock. “How could this be happening?” “Why is this happening?” I felt so scared and I felt so alone, no one that I knew could offer me any advice nor had they been through anything similar. So Saturday morning I went to work for a half day and put on my game face to hide what was happening. I could barely focus at work but I pushed through. That day I told my boss at my job what was happening. I felt comfortable telling him the whole story because he’s a down to earth person and I knew he would listen to me. I thought I might be on the verge of a nervous breakdown and I didn’t want him to think something else was wrong. I felt like I didn’t know what was gonna happen and thought I might need to be hospitalized at some point. As people get older we see more tragedy, maybe we lose a family member or we see someone go through cancer or maybe we ourselves get stricken with illness. At the very least we see someone else go through it and we sympathize. We see these unfortunate scenarios and we wonder what it would be like for us. It is probably difficult for you to sympathize for me because it just seems impossible to happen. Nothing can prepare a person for something like this, the only thing that can is a previous paranormal experience.
Well, anyways back to my crazy story. So i am at work on Saturday. I keep this little box on a shelf at my job that only I know about, I keep pens and a set of keys that I use. I am the only one who knows where it is. At the end of work on Saturday I went to put a pen and a set of keys in there and the box was not where I always keep it. I noticed that in its place was a light USPS padded envelope with my name on it. I remembered that I through it in the garbage at my home. This envelope was definitely thrown out at my home, I would not bring it in my car or job for any reason. I saw that the box that is usually in that spot was moved on the opposite shelf. Something moved this item and did it to show me it’s power that it can physically move things. This just sent me into a further panic. I left work and on my way home, I parked my car in a shopping center and called another paranormal group that I was messaging back and forth. I called this woman and told her what was happening. At this point I was talking in that right on the verge of crying voice. I asked her if this spirit could physically hurt me, like basically how much physical strength might it have. She said “at times some do have some strength” some spirits really do have strength but it was impossible for her to tell what exactly I was dealing with based off a conversation. She told me to be strong and that whatever this is will feed of my fear,. She sent me the St. Michael prayer and told me that a more experienced investigator would call me back in the next few days to speak about my situation. So there I was feeling terrified, frightened and my only hope was a woman I had never met would contact me and be able to somehow help me. I was banking on her to bring me back to a normal life. I went to a deli to get an egg sandwich, I regularly go there once a week. I am pretty good at putting on a mask to hide my emotions, but by now I feel like I am about to lose my mind. I walked in the deli, and the same young girl that is always working was there as usual. When I walked in we both looked at each other, the moment we did, I saw the look on her face instantly change. She thought to herself “I don’t know what it is but I just got a bad feeling, something is VERY wrong with him”....She was the only stranger who seemed to pick up on this. I wonder if she realized by the look on my face that I knew that she knew. Since she picked up on one thing she probably picked up on that also. After that I went to a jewelry store to purchase a crucifix. When you’re being harassed by something supernatural, if you were not religious before, you will become religious really quickly...at least I did. I don’t know if my belief was 100% sincere, but I channeled whatever faith I had. So there on the busiest shopping day of the year where most people are getting hyped for Christmas, I was buying a crucifix in hopes that this thing would ward off this evil spirit, just like the way it does to a vampire in a movie. I returned home and at this point I am still exhausted from the lack of sleep I was getting at night. I laid down on my bed in my room with some natural sunlight and closed my eyes to try and rest. Within about five seconds of closing my eyes, footsteps of what seemed to be four-legged something walked alongside my body and got to my chest and stepped right over me. I jumped up and I screamed at the top of my lungs “GET THE F*** OUT OF HERE” “LEAVE ME ALONE! ”. I screamed as loud as I possibly could for 30 seconds. This probably made my tormenter happy because he saw how upset I was. Once again I was not falling asleep anytime soon. I went to a friends house I have known for 20 years and I was in touch with him about all that was happening. This person did have their own experience or two, and they believed me because when you know someone for 20 years, you know them well. I explained to him and his girlfriend that something was following me and would walk around me right on my bed. It didn’t matter if I was trying sleep at night or if I even closed my eyes at this point. I then sat between him and his girlfriend and wanted to see if what was bothering would still come right by me while I was sitting in between two people, it did not. We tried to make sense of what was going on but couldn’t. I had their small dog sit on my lap while they backed away. I sat there petting it and like any dog it was happy with me doing this. Within a few minutes this spirit came right up against me with that same pressure and the dog jumped out of my lap and yelped like it had just been electrocuted. The dog was never hurt, it just felt the pressure of this thing which would make a dog or any person jump. When the two of them saw that, there was no doubt in their mind about something paranormal was happening with me. I soon left because I couldn’t really sit still and I went back home. I sat down on the couch and continued on with what was one of the worst days of my life. There was another day in my life that felt just as bad, but in reality it was nowhere near as bad, I was just a young child who didn’t know what was right and wrong in life and that was my immature reaction to that other bad day. That’s another story for another day. Whatever this was, it was now shaking the couch I was sitting on back home. It did not have the strength to flip the couch, but I felt it shaking. It would never do anything to expose itself while around poeple. However my grandpa couldn’t catch on to much and it was like they knew that. I thought to myself “How much stronger is this going to get?”. By this point if I closed my eyes while sitting on my couch I would see a flashing bright light with my eyes closed and whatever this was would walk on the couch right beside me, it actually always tried to move directly towards me. Even thought at this point it didn’t touch me, it’s not an easy thing to ignore. Another way to harass me was that it would scratch the carpet all around my feet, it would never actually touch them but that by itself was scary enough. Once it realized that I wasn’t reacting to this, it began to scratch on the couch right between my legs, it would scratch the sofa right by the last place a guy wants to be maliciously grabbed. So this being had intelligence and knew exactly what would freak a person out. Once that happened I just felt shock and thought, how will I ever explain this to another person, this is absolutely crazy!!! I was messaging back and forth with the woman I spoke with earlier today, she gave me the benefit of the doubt that I was not suffering from mental illness and she told me that I could get past this nightmare. I was told to pray and be strong and soon I would have another person call me back to help me. I was helpless, I couldn’t go to a hospital and tell them about the spirits harassing me. Otherwise I would be in a psych ward and whatever this is would be harassing me in the psych ward. Why a person and dog spirit were bothering me I don’t know, if you google hellhound there is a belief in a black dog that is a malevolent entity. My grandpa still had his wits despite his age. The past year and half maybe, there was a weekly or bi weekly occurrence where he would be on the couch dozing off, then he would jolt awake and tell me that he just saw a person in front of him. He was always adamant that he just saw someone, they were usually people he didn’t know. A few times he saw people he once knew who had passed away. A few times he was sure he felt someone had touched him. I figured he was old and getting senile, but there were no other aspects in his life where he appeared to be losing it. This happened not often but like I said maybe bi weekly on average. Well maybe a few months before this whole thing started, I googled “old people start to see people who aren’t there”. Some people believe they are getting closer to the other side and they are starting to see deceased people. Similar how some people believe kids are fresh from the other side and they can see ghosts/spirits. The reason I bring it up is because the week before this started, he told me one night he saw a black dog with a long nose just outside my room in the middle one night. I asked him if he was dreaming, he didn’t think he was. There was not one instance other than that where he saw any type of animal....I know that what he saw was related to what was going on with me....No doubt in my mind. So Saturday night I go to bed and it’s the same thing again. I would turn off the lights and lay down and it would immediately begin. I would literally feel the weight of them on the mattress, I would reach out to try and touch them and they wouldn’t they be there, the. they would just come from a different angle. They could move under the blanket and when I lifted the blanket they wouldn’t be there. Then they just came at me from a different angle. You are probably asking yourself “ Why not just leave a light on” ...the thing is if I left a light on they would still harass me. The freakiest thing is that they would come from behind me or right from the side of me, really just wherever I was NOT looking. I would close my eyes and I would feel them moving towards me. When I would open my eyes they would not be there...imagine that for a moment, it is a crazy scary thing to deal with. I woke up that next day which was a Sunday and I could feel the weight of one on my bed. It was probably there all night. It was Sunday morning and the initial horror and fear of the past 2 days had peaked. I still had no clue what was happening and what all this meant, but I was determined to still continue with my life. Whatever this was it wasn’t hurting me physically, and I wasn’t going to mentally give up. I made a decision to go about my life whether or not these things were bothering me. I had hope that this nightmare could one day be a piece of my past. My close friend offered to go to church with me and I said “No”...I am sure that some of you probably are thinking to yourself “That is the first place I would go! “ I made a decision that I was going to go food shopping do my laundry and a few other errands that I did not do for the past few days because I was barely able to function. I was determined to not let whatever this was control my entire life. I took care of a few errands and went to my moms for dinner while whatever was following me was there gently pushing my chair at the dinner table and I couldn’t prove it was happening to them but it was. It was just enough so I could feel it but not for others to notice. As night time comes around I am still waiting on this woman who has experience dealing with things like this to call me back and maybe offer some insight. I just had to get through this hard time so that my life could one day be normal again. I went to bed Sunday night and again the same thing continues. So Monday starts a new work day and I went to work and noticed that whatever was following me would make my thin necklace move on my neck. It was like the necklace was being flicked from behind, I did not feel anyone touch my skin, but I felt the necklace constantly move. Now this did not cause and pain at all it was just psychologically stressful, it was this things way of saying, “I am going to follow and torment you allllll day”.....So towards the end of the day on Monday, I was the only one left in one part of the building. I experienced something that would only happen one other time, this was one of the scariest parts of this experience. I legitimately was worried that this thing would try to possess me. I would of NEVER before worried about something like that and I bet you haven’t either. Well after the past weekend NOTHING sounded impossible. I felt this spirit sort of like fly into me, this was different then putting pressure against my body. I felt this spirit fly right at my me and I got the most intense butterflies, and at the same time I got this panicked feeling like something bad was about to happen. I felt mentally frozen like I lost my power to think and decide anything. The whole thing lasted maybe 15 seconds and that ended. Looking back I truly believe that something was trying to take me over. I drove home from work that day while this thing pushed my car seat from behind me and again I am just anxiously waiting for this woman to call me back so I can maybe resume a normal life again. Once I get back home the harassment changed and started in a new way. This particular method only lasted one day. I eventually sat down and the spirit would get right behind my back and I felt this pressure coming off it. This is something that is very hard to describe, it was air pressure. It felt NOT like a wind type of pressure, it felt like a 500 pound tiger condensed into 1 square foot and was poised to pounce on me. I was sitting on my couch with my back NOT pressed up against the back of the couch. This thing was right behind me giving off this pressure, so I moved to sit all the way back and it just moved on the top of the back of the couch. I couldn’t escape it. Whichever way I would turn it would move exactly as I would. It once again caused my whole body to feel butterflies and tense, even if you know this thing is not going to jump, just feeling that physical sensation causes a natural reaction in the body to be scared and tense. There is no other physical situation that compares to it. Finally, I hear my phone ring and see it’s this woman who can maybe help me. I answered my phone and this woman was very understanding and uplifting, just speaking to her made me feel better. She asked me standard questions for this kind of thing. “Did I play with a Ouija board ever or dabble in any sort of magic? or “Do I know anyone who practices any such thing” I told her I used a Ouija board a few times in 1996/1997, other than that I did nothing else similar. I told her that I made frequent trips to a cemetery to bring a grandparent to visit family’s graves. She said that cemetery’s are very active places for spirits and something could have followed me home. I explained to her that I did use drugs every day at one point but that’s been over with for years now. I was told that something could have been with me since when I played with a Ouija board those few times, perhaps since I was no longer destroying my life, maybe something that was influencing me was now trying to destroy me directly through harassment. I was told it could also be someone putting a hex or a curse on me, or maybe it was an old curse that was placed somewhere and I just walked through the wrong place at the wrong time. I also had a near death experience and sometimes that can maybe open up a level of consciousness that gave me new abilities. I became drug and alcohol free in 2016 after many years of addiction, and after like 19 months clean I relapsed and overdosed. I remember right before I was revived, I was flying fast through somewhere totally dark. As I’m flying fast through this darkness, there is like some type of explosion (NOT like a fire) happening right behind me. It was literally right behind me the entire time. While this is happening I can’t see anyone, but I hear friendly voices who are trying to help me escape whatever is happening right behind me. This lasted maybe a minute and I regained consciousness. Now I don’t know if I was really about to cross over to the other side, or if my mind gained consciousness before my body did, and that was how I interpreted the chaotic scene of the doctors trying to revive me. I just want to mention as much as I was terrified there was always a little bit of me that was maybe 2% fascinated 98% terrified by this whole thing. Ok so back to the conversation I was having, this woman told me at some point she could do an investigation and maybe make this thing go away. Also I wanna mention as soon as I got on the phone with her she told me to turn off every noise around me so that she may be able to hear any voices of spirits in the background, she did hear a few but couldn’t figure out much based off that. I think that just helped her to figure out whether I was really experiencing paranormal activity or if I was just crazy. This was all help provided free of charge so this person had no reason to lie to me. We were on the phone for about an hour and once I hung up the phone with her I remember she told me this might go away on its own without their intervention....When she said that I thought, “Hey if that’s possible, I am going to believe that and run with it”. I didn’t feel this presence for about 3 minutes when we ended the call, but it soon came back around. I eventually went to bed and the harassment seemed more intense now.” Whenever it came by my face I would always worry, will it posses me and have me hurt my family?” I prayed and used whatever faith I had to ask god for help and I did not want to feed this thing with fear. It seemed to make sense that it fed off fear, because at first the harassment was only in bed at night, then I felt the vibrations in the air a little bit, then it went to 24/7 after about a week. It seemed like it had to build itself up. I was determined to no longer be afraid and I hoped this thing would go away on its own. Over the next three days the fear did die down a little bit and it seemed as this this thing was getting weaker. It wasn’t pushing that hard on the back of my chair as it had before. It also wasn’t really flicking my necklace. By Thursday night, there was nothing that was walking on my bed, it was just back to only shaking a little bit. I felt this positivity like I could handle whatever life throws at me and just relief because I thought maybe it was almost over and done with...Things got ALOT worse before they got better, the crazy thing is they are still going on. Throughout my life one thing I have learned is that I am stronger then I think I am. I think that is true for most people, the ones who say nothing phases them are usually the first to fold. It’s like that saying in kindergarten with the poster of the kitten hanging onto the bar. “You have no idea how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have” ....I had to cut my Story short due to a character limit on Reddit but things got a lot worse before they got better, activity still goes on I am just used to it at this point. This activity only affects me, no one else in the house. I didn’t wanna share this but I feel like I had to....Maybe I can get some answers.....These clips below were taken with a Nest-cam. I have no animals or rodents in my house of any kind. I have seen nothing like this anywhere else. I know my room looks plain like a room of a mental hospital. One of my co workers pointed that out. I was sleeping with a hat because this spirit was touching my hair.
First time apple buyer. Iphone SE 2020 vs Iphone 11
Hello all. After almost 10 years in android and my current phone is broken by a drop I thought to try an iphone here afterwards. Since I am not much familiar with iphone echo system any practical advice to choose between iphone SE 2020 and iphone 11 would be much appreciated. Below are my requirements.
I dont play games on phone ever. Like never ever. So gaming performance is not a factor for me
Mostly I use apps like twitter, reddit, browsing internet, youtube, 9gag and etc almost 90% of the time i use the phone.
I download movies, tv and watch here and there
If i go out i dont use my phone much except to hail uber, maps, internet browsing and all those sort of stuffs. Also in this pandemic i am not going much out.
I take pics much and videos not that much. I sometimes dont tranfer my pic/vid to backup for very long time. Last time I backed up media was 1.5 hears ago.
My phone should be working for AT LEAST 3.5years without struggle and software updates should be relevent and updated. Sadly i dont get this in android. At tops it's 2 years for me. So this is one of the major deciding factors for me to change to iphone. Longevity MUST be present(given i dont break it physically)
Tons and tons of customization from android and I barely changed anything at all. Heck my ring tone is same since 2014. I want stability. The less options available the better i choose.
Privacy is also one of the TOP MOST requirements
I am totally done with google play services and google and it's crap in general. Youtube yet to be replaced.
Phone has to give me juice as long as it can. Battery life is also a concern for me. it's okay for me to change the batter after 3years. But util then it has to have good average screen on time. I know SE 2020 has smaller battery but maybe it will fit for my requirements. That's why i included in the choice.
*Last but not least, price vs value I narrowed it down to two models specifically which are SE 2020 and 11 (both 128gb variant). The price difference is huge and i couldn't choose properly which one best suits my need. Any advice will be appreciated. Should I go with SE 2 or spend much more money and buy iphone 11. Thank you all.
Manhattan NYC is very expensive. Although I make a fairly substantially large income from varying businesses, I am still VERY very frugal. It is a game to me. I can't help it, I enjoy it. Here's what I do, you are welcome to take my tips or even give me suggestions. I'm not counting in any business expenses. RENT- This one I cannot avoid. I was "convinced and hoodwinked" by my previous girlfriend into getting a really nice apartment, only to break up a few months later and be stuck with this fat ass rent. I refuse to move out because I love this place so much. Solution? I eventually got a new girlfriend, we split the rent and a lot of the home expenses. Coffee - Although I love coffee so much, I really just need the caffeine content. I'll either buy my own coffee grounds from amazon, or I'll take a caffeine/theanine capsule occasionally. If I really need the energy and productivity I'll take 100mg (a half) of Modafinil prescribed by my doctor for free. OCCASIONALLY, I'll get a $1 iced coffee from taco bell, they're the only ones that seem to have it this cheap haha. You wont EVER catch me at starbucks or Dunkin, F that what am I rich! haha. My bank Capital one usually has a coffee shop inside, where if you use your capital one debit card you get 50% off. I'll usually flash them my capital one debit for the 50% off, but use my chase sapphire reserve for the 3x points on it, double win. Clothes - I love clothes as a guy. However I cannot get myself to spend on clothes because I already have clothes. They need to be really torn and tattered or holy for me to replace them. I'm embarrassed to say this, but I'll find great clothes of brands I like on ebay or poshmark, second hand. RARELY will I buy new or in person. I HATE paying retail for anything. My parents always insist on gifting me something for bday or xmas, I'll always suggest shoes and underwear. The other day I walked by a Levis store, my GF makes fun of me for always having a hole in the crotches of my pants, I don't know why but this happens to all my pants; anyway checked out some sales, they had 70% off PLUS an extra 20% off for signing up to their rewards card. Too good of a deal at 90% off, I bought some new good quality jeans and pants thatll last me for years. Alcohol - I've been abstaining from alcohol here and there. Dry January has been extremely productive to me that it makes me never want to go back. I truly don't really miss it. Living in Manhattan, I live near hoboken NJ where there's a beer distributor. Once a month, Id buy a few 30 packs just to keep stocked at home at cheap prices. When I used to throw "parties", I used to buy cheap liquor and pour them into expensive bottles. I began doing this when I realized so many ungrateful people would come to my place, and drink my stuff dry. Well now ya get the cheap stuff ya freeloaders. Going Out - Prepandemic. I LOVED going out. In manhattan, you have the best of the best in terms of bars clubs and restaurants. Expensive though. Solution? Be friends with bartenders and club promoters and club owners and managers. Pre-covid, Id hang out at this bar called Hidden Lane. My best friend was the head bartender, and my friends worked there as well. Id drink for free all night and so would whoever my date was, Id just tip the staff. Then, I'd go out to one of the clubs with my promoter friends. For those that don't understand this "promoter" term: Nightlife Clubs will literally pay a fat salary to these promoters to bring out beautiful girls and keep them at the "table" and the club would provide free bottles of vodka, tequila, beers, champagne, and even food sometimes. My promoter buddies would text me "hey man come out and help me tonight, so many girls at my table I can't entertain alone". As a single guy, this would be a no brainer, drink for free all night w/ my friends AND get to be around beautiful single women. Being in the city, Id citibike (bike share) to the club or bar, and uber or lyft back. Food - I don't believe in going cheap when it comes to groceries because the food you eat is your HEALTH. With that said, Trader Joes is insanely cheap. There are only a few things I'll buy organic and buy lean meats, but everything else is for the most part cheap. I'll spend $50 a week, $100 a week for the 2 of us. CAR - The beauty of living SMACK dab in the middle of Manhattan is not needing a car. I wont even take the subway. I literally citibike everywhere, my annual $160 a year membership is free because I participate in a program called Bike Angels, by inadvertently rebalancing bike stations, Id earn perks rewards and free membership. At the start of the pandemic, I bought myself a 15 year old little mini cooper so I can go on road trips and trips to the beach since things were closed. I paid $2200 for the car, another $1700 on maintenance and preventative maintenance, and $30 a month on insurance, and very little on gas since it's a 4-banger, I hardly use it, but Its there when I need a car as we love to escape the city. Weed - I like to be very productive and weed doesn't allow that for me. However I occasionally hit my bowl or weed pen, just once or twice before a movie on a friday night. A gram will last me literally MONTHS. Credit cards- My favorite topic! Credit cards can be a double edged sword. Use them wrecklessly and the 16-24% interest will murder you. Use them correctly, and they are your best friends. I use the chase 'trifecta'- Chase biz ink preferred for wifi bills, cell phone bill, shipping, social media ads and get back 3x points per $1. Chase Sapphire Reserve (the main card)- for 3x on food , dining, transportation, drinks, parking, tolls, etc. I also get 10x on lyft, 15% off lyft, $60 a year on doordash, airport lounge access, and a bunch of other features, $300 travel credit a year, etc . It's a $450 a year card, but after crunching numbers not only does it come out to free, but the benefits greatly outweigh the costs. Chase Freedom unlimited- on everything else not mentioned above at 1.5x per $1. Chase Biz ink unlimited - on everything else business related. Chase allows me to combine all these points together and if I use them through Sapphire Reserve's portal, they are worth 50% more! If you are even slicker you can transfer them to airline transfer partners and find even cheaper flights and better deals. This has allowed me to never have paid for a flight for me or my girlfriend in years, in probably like 6-7 years. VERY IMPORTANT- I keep it on autopay, ALWAYS pay your balances off in full. NEVER ever pay interest. i always say id rather lose a finger than ever pay interest. I have autopay on a safety measure, I actually pay the balances off once a week usually on fridays and mondays , so I can watch my weekend damage, but also to keep my balance always at zero to keep any balance from being reported to credit bureau's. This keeps my credit score at 800+ which in turn allows me to get very cheap lending for business purposes. TAXES - Another important topic. Without going into too much detail. I'm able to create LLCs and SCorps for my businesses and holdings, allowing myself to pretty much expense a good portion of my expenses. I even file as a loss in some cases for some businesses, according to my accountant's strategy. When I "trade up" properties , I avoid paying Capital Gains taxes by deffering into the new investment property , I also max out my IRA for a free tax savings. Taxes are a place where people spend the majority of their income. I have friends that make 300k a year, but really they make 150k a year due to their restrictions to play with tax loopholes as wage earners. Taxes suck. Buy ONLY TO REPLACE- This is a little out of place after taxes but I am human and prone to sin and purchases, but I've taught myself to buy things ONLY to replace the current one I have. I want the new iphone (biz expense), ONLY if I trade in my current one. I want the new mac mini m1, again only if I sell my current one on ebay or marketplace, I want the new v11 vacuum but only if i sell my current v8, etc you get the point. This way the trade in value of the "older model item" goes towards paying of the new model item. I also get to live very minimal and own only what I need and no clutter. Monthly Streaming Apps- Netflix is now $18 a month! F that, we use my girlfriends fathers account. HBOMax and Hulu I group share buy and pay $3 a month. Amazon Prime is the only one I buy annually at retail, I actually do use prime shopping and video though. Youtube is my most prized app. I learn so much from youtube that I need and deserve the ad-free premium. I refuse to pay $15 a month for youtube, so I'll use my sisters college email for a college discount of 50% off. I don't ever listen to music, but we use my girlfriends spotify app on all our echo devices. Unrelated tip- your internet provider charges you for renting you your routemodem. It's usually $15-20 a month! Buy a compatible used routemodem on ebay for like $20, BAM $240 annual savings. LIQUIDS- by this I mean shampoo, conditioner ,hand soap, body wash, dish soap, all purpose cleaner, windex, etc. I buy all these by the gallon on amazon. If you do the math it comes out to pennies per FL OZ. I keep them in nice dispensers instead of buying and replacing one time use store bought dispensers. Same for TP and paper towels. I buy in bulk- I try to get TP down to 33 cents a roll, and PT down to 82 cents a roll. It's possible to live frugally and still enjoy life. I think one of the most important things is what you do with your free time. You can either sit around and waste time playing video games or whatever your vice is or you can teach yourself new skills constantly that can be useful and worth money in the real world. Money left over from savings goes into stock portfolio, ROTH IRA, index funds, investment properties, or reinvest in my businesses. Skills pay the Bills!
/ 20 Best Offline iphone (iOS) Games to Play Without Internet (2020) I may earn a small commission if you buy through the links in this website without any extra cost to you. My Recommendations however are not biased in any way. These are the best offline iPhone games available in 2020. Fun games you can play on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch even without an internet connection. Whether you’re traveling, on a subway ... Baldur’s Gate was a landmark RPG, developed by BioWare in 1998 for Windows and Mac. Upon its release, the game was hailed as single-handedly reviving the market for role-playing games on PC, and now, you can finally play it on your iPhone or iPad in a brand new Enhanced Edition.This new touch-friendly version of Baldur’s Gate helps to improve managing real-time combat, with added gestures ... Best Games Without WiFi: Games are a sure shot means of getting rid of boredom. However, a good deal of games these days need continuous internet connectivity. Such games can burn a hole in your pocket. Having to consume data for moving up to the next level or unlock a power-up can be a concern for most of us gamers. That is precisely why we have set out to come up with a list of best games ... Candy Crush Saga is one of the best “No WiFi Games” that you can play without WiFi. No matter whether you are looking for free games to play without WiFi on Android or iPhone and iPad, Candy Crush Saga will perfectly suit your needs especially when you are not connected to the internet. But thanks to the rise of multiplayer games, most games require an internet connection, which is not ideal if you are on a limited data plan or are in an area with shoddy connection. For that reason, we have curated the 12 best offline games for iPhone and iPad to ensure your gaming drive never comes to a halt. Best Offline Games for iPhone to Play Without WiFi. There are times when you don’t have access to WiFi and you don’t have an active internet connection as well. Games that do not require an internet connection or mobile data are of great help in such times. The iPhone has arguably the best games of any mobile platform. Come check out our picks of the best iPhone and iOS games, with selections from many genres. So let’s not waste any second and instead let’s check out below the 20 best iPhone and iPad games you can play offline / without Internet, in no particular order. Walking Dead: The Game . The original Walking Dead Game created by Telltale has been out for a while now and fortunately a bunch of sequels followed. An adventure game like no other, challenging you to make quick, difficult ... At this time everyone wants to become an iPhone app developer, and when the number of developer increase, so, does the number of games also increase. Which makes the small challenge for people to choose the best free online iOS games to download. We make a list of ten free offline iPhone games in 2020 that can you pay without data or wifi.
TOP 10 BEST Offline iPhone Games Of 2017 (NO Internet/Wifi ...
Top best Andorid / iphone games you can play without internet/offline.Subscribe to my channel for more contents!!!Facebook:- https://www.facebook.com/Gamin... Business Inquiries - [email protected] show more for links1. GTA: Liberty City Stories https://goo.gl/J2xAcn2. Idle Miner Tycoonhttp://... These are the 10 Best Free iPhone / iPad apps that you should use in 2019. All the apps in the video are used for more than a week and hence they made it to ... Top 20 Best iOS Games to get started with 2019. All the games have amazing gameplay and hence we feel these are Must Play games for your iPhones and iPads. T... Business Inquiries - [email protected] can't find a better device for mobile gaming than the iPhone or iPad, which is why In this video I ... Ranking of the best free-to-play iOS mobile games that you can play even without an internet connection; the top-rated free offline iPhone, iPad & iPod games... What's up, guys? We come back with another video. In this time, 10 Best Offline Android & iOS Games That Require No WiFi! and most of the games on this list ... 💖💖💖💖💖Following are the games name & links:-1)A Strangers Place:-Android- https://play.google.com/store/apps/de... iOS- https://apps.apple.com/app/a-st... What is up good people? We come back with another video. In this time, Top 15 Best Offline Games For Android & iOS 2020 and most of the games on this list ar... Register now at whatoplay.com: https://bit.ly/2yZFomFhttps://whatoplay.com/ios/free/ - Complete list of all free-to-play iOS games.Our updated ranking of the...
