Since The Weeknd is performing at the Super Bowl Halftime show, I thought it’d be nice to post a little guide to his discography for anyone interested in looking to do a deep dive into his work. I would’ve posted this the day of the event, but I assume that some people would probably like to go through it over the weekend.
This shares a direct overview of his released material, talking about his career and the background of the music, the videos, the meanings and all. I’ve written this from a pop perspective, keeping in mind that his history might be fairly new for general pop fans.
I also go into the storyline of the red suit character, if your interested in catching up on that narrative before the Halftime show (which will continue the story), I’ve listed the chronological order below followed by an explanation of that narrative.
I wanna be clear that the interpretations/theories are not conclusive. Abel rarely shares the metaphors or meanings behind his music. This is based on widely based on fan discussion/mutual interpretation. Fans can feel free to expand on anything in the comments.
It is important to know about Abel's backstory to get a certain perspective of where he’s coming from, especially when discussing the songs that deal with substance abuse. These recent articles cover his early years really well and share an up-to-date point of view of his success.
Variety 2020
Billboard 2021 - Also a good source for getting to know his team.
So, an essential TL;DR is this: Abel Tesfaye came from a broken home, he was born to Ethiopian immigrant parents who split up when Tesfaye was less than seven. He then lived with his mother and grandmother, only rarely seeing his father but having a nice impression of him. His drug addiction started as soon as he was a high schooler, he turned to shoplifting to pay for this need of various substances. Soon he dropped out of high school, leaving his home the same weekend, which would later inspire his stage name, The Weeknd. The name is reference/homage to the weekend his life changed.
Quick side note, I didn’t think this post would nearly reach the character limit. So I’ve cut out excess detail and lists of producers (with the exception of After Hours since we’re in that era).
Table of contents

1. XO.
2. House of Balloons.
3. Thursday.
4. Echoes of Silence.
5. Trilogy.
6. Kiss Land.
7. King of the Fall.
8. Beauty Behind The Madness.
9. Starboy.
10. My Dear Melancholy.
11. After Hours.

XO.

XO is the record label that The Weeknd and co. created in order to publish the first mixtape (House of Balloons) and the ones that would follow afterwards. XO has a lot of meanings that have to do with what went into the music and what still goes into it. XO is what the fans call themselves, popularly with the phrase XO Till We OD (shortened to XOTWOD); another way of saying “we’re ride or die for The Weeknd and his team.”
While some argue that it could mean anything since there isn’t clear meaning to it, fans continue to associate the abbreviation with ecstasy (X) and oxycontin (O). That definition stems from XOTWOD, fans assume it’s true because of the team’s history of drug usage. While others take it as it’s classical definition “hugs and kisses” because of the consistent lyrical nature of The Weeknd’s songs.
Overtime the definition of XO is simply known as: the fans, the crew, and the label. The Weeknd is more than just one person, he comes with XO. For the sake of clarity in this writeup, I’m going to refer to his crew as XO and the fans as “the fans.”
XO still serves as a record label, the current roster is The Weeknd, Belly, Nav, and Black Atlass. It remains The Weeknd’s record label and was his first label before becoming a subsidiary of Republic Records.
Throughout his career, The Weeknd has worked with Illangelo, a Canadian producer who’s work the fans adore. Carlo “Illangelo” Montagnese was one of main the producers on The Weeknd’s Trilogy, he’s credited on each track. The fan base claims his work to be some of the most notable artistry in The Weeknd’s discography. Their work together continued with Beauty Behind The Madness, Illangelo worked on seven tracks for that album. He then returned for After Hours working on another seven tracks.
DaHeala, another Canadian producer, is another significant factor in The Weeknd’s music. Jason “DaHeala” Quenneville worked as lead producer on Kiss Land. He returned to work on six tracks for The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind The Madness, including the hit Earned It. DaHeala returned as a writer for six of the songs on Starboy. Then DaHeala worked on nine After Hours tracks, and worked as the only producewriter alongside The Weeknd for bonus tracks Missed You and Final Lullaby.

House of Balloons.

Didn't wanna make this NSFW, so here's the super clean edited cover

This is a happy house. We’re happy here. (House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls)

One of the most iconic title tracks of all time. House of Balloons is about a lifestyle of drugs, sex, and partying; all in effort to drown out self-doubt. It comes from a place of wanting to make it big while doing what you can to survive, all while pretending everything’s alright. The mixtape describes various sorts of women, how they’ve had impacted the life of someone who’s already down on his luck.
Fans often refer to House of Balloons as The Weeknd’s best work. The mixtape was the first introduction the world got of XO, and it was one hell of a way to make an impression. It’s personal for the fans and Abel because it’s the only piece of work known to be based on his life. At the end of the day he’s a songwriter, with many of his albums he creates scenarios and world that he likes to explore through the music. But House of Balloons is known to be based entirely on his life. It remains The Weeknd’s most critically acclaimed work.
House of Balloons was crafted through the influences of Hip-Hip/Indie-Rock with the main focus on R&B. Through the genius of Ilangelo, the record was—and is—mesmerizing capturing the essence of a lifestyle that The Weeknd described as “anti-everything.”
House of Balloons assisted The Weeknd in gaining the attention of Republic Records, which would then host The Weeknd’s own label XO. Though hesitant at first, XO decided to partner with Republic after the co-founding brothers Monte and Avery Lipman kept coming back to Toronto solely for The Weeknd.
House of Balloons received three videos, The Knowing, Wicked Games and Twenty Eight. The Knowing was the very first video The Weeknd made, so of course it’d be something other-worldly; it essentially reflects the song itself but in a sci-fi setting. Twenty Eight represents Abel’s life after fame but also his remorse of letting captivating women into his life.
Fun fact— House of Balloons is an actual place in Toronto, it was where him and his crew lived after he dropped out of high school. They’d host parties, call girls, do drugs, and to make it less depressing they’d fill it with balloons.

Thursday.

Valerie on the cover

Welcome to the other side. (Life of the Party)

Thursday consists of the same themes as HoB; sex and drugs. But there’s a twist, he’s in a semi-relationship with this girl Valerie. She’s the only one on his mind, even though they meet only one day of the week, any guesses on what day that could be? Through The Weeknd’s phenomenal voice and the insane production, we’re also presented with this story of a toxic relationship where Valerie used to have the upper hand but she no longer does when she falls for The Weeknd.
While Thursday isn’t entirely about the relationship of The Weeknd and Valerie, it consists of reflections to Abel’s life after the release of House of Balloons. The song Rolling Stone notably has a double meaning, in which Abel asks his fans if they’ll stick with him when he gets mainstream appeal and decides to change his sound.
The track Valerie wasn’t on the original release of Thursday, it added when Trilogy was released. Ending the mixtape with Heaven or Las Vegas meant that The Weeknd’s actions with and without Valerie were a result of his fatherless childhood, making him push anyone away. That meaning behind Thursday doesn’t change when Valerie is added to the track list, it just means that both want the toxic relationship back.
The Zone (feat. Drake) was the first feature The Weeknd had on any of his work, the video for it was released in November of 2012. Rolling Stone had also received a video in October of 2012. Both were directed by The Weeknd and reflect the two different aspects of Thursday. The Zone has Valerie living it up in the House of Balloons. And Rolling Stone has The Weeknd doing a photoshoot for Trilogy, reflective of the song itself.
Fun Fact— the female voice heard in Lonely Star is The Weeknd’s, he pitched his voice to make it sound like a woman’s.

Echoes of Silence.

Diana on the cover

Laisse tomber les filles. Un jour c'est toi qu'on laissera. [Leave the girls alone. One day it’ll be you they will leave.] (Montreal)

Out of a dark introductory into the early life of The Weeknd, Echoes of Silence is the darkest work of his Trilogy. Let’s be honest the story here isn’t entirely ethical at times but makes for one hell of a mixtape.
Similar to Thursday, Echoes of Silence follows a storyline. After accumulating success, The Weeknd gains the attention of various women. There was this one woman (D.D.) who he liked but she initially rejected him (Montreal). The woman came back to him for his fame status and evidently fell in love with him (Outside), but now that he’s got the upper hand he treats him like a groupie (XO/The Host) and lets... bad things happen to her; she’s gotta pass a test before she can get with him. This test is either drugs or his crew (Initiation). He ultimately tells this woman that he’s not exactly longterm-relationship material, perhaps because her love is temporary (Same Old Song), because he’s Next. With the end of Echoes of Silence (originally ending on the title track) the listener is left to wonder why The Weeknd left her if he’d simply want her to stay.
As a side note— Initiation should not be condoned. It remains true that The Weeknd is a songwriter and the progression of time has changed perspectives. But a song that makes such suggestions as Initiation should not be ethically/morally claimed or celebrated.
The mixtape follows The Weeknd’s lifestyle after he’s gained all this success, he’s still the same person but now he’s gotten everything he wanted. Some tracks such as The Fall continue to emphasize his journey into stardom and his acceptance of fame being temporary. With the added Till Dawn (Here Comes The Sun), The Weeknd acknowledges the changes in his life, realizing that the old lifestyle is no longer there for him or his past lovers.
Echoes of Silence is known as an underrated gem of The Weeknd’s discography, it’s well received by fans and critically acclaimed but often brushed under the rug in discussion of his work. A lot of fans and casual listeners play the mixtapes through Trilogy rather than their respective albums. This often leads to people not playing EoS either at all or only the first few tracks, this is predominantly due to the nature of the compilation being nearly three hours long.
Fun fact— D.D. is a cover of Michael Jackson’s iconic Dirty Diana. Fans have named the woman in Echoes of Silence Diana because of this track. Various theories argue that the mixtape itself is based on the Dirty Diana itself with exaggerations of the truth, or whether or not it’s a story The Weeknd crafted based on the song.

Trilogy.

Rolling Stone video doubled as a shoot

You don’t know what’s in store. (High For This.)

Trilogy is a compilation of The Weeknd’s mixtapes, House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. These three mixtapes were released 3-4 months apart from one another for free digital download in 2011, they gained quite a lot of attention from various industry executives.
Prior to the release of Trilogy, The Weeknd featured on Drake’s Take Care with Crew Love. The song was Abel’s first exposure to a Rap crowd/Rap fans, more people began listening to his music after the release of Take Care. The Weeknd then featured on Wiz Khalifa’s Remember You, which served as the second single off Wiz Khalifa’s O.N.I.F.C. Following those two releases, The Weeknd released Wicked Games as the first single off Trilogy.
Trilogy was formed after The Weeknd came under Republic Records’ management. The compilation album reached a debut/peak position of 4 on the Billboard 200 while reaching number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It’s a well received album with the highlight said to be House of Balloons, which arguably went on to influence various sorts of R&B music of the 2010s.
Videos for Trilogy

Kiss Land.

Iconic

I went from starin' at the same four walls for 21 years. To seein' the whole world in just 12 months. (Kiss Land)

Kiss Land is based on The Weeknd’s tour life. Visiting unfamiliar places gave Abel horror movie vibes. A guy who used to own the city (Toronto) he lived in is now a small fish in the ocean of the entire world. The Weeknd’s first studio album was a great introduction into the sound he would soon get well acquainted with.
While continuing the R&B sound with the essence of Dark Wave, the album explores emptiness and regret throughout the lyrics—or what pop fans could categorize as dark pop—. The Japanese aesthetic used for various videos and the single covers/booklet reflects the themes of feeling overwhelmed by such a loud world that there’s no point in being if you don’t belong.
The album explores the real-world and the women in it as well as regrets regarding past actions, namely letting go of women who could’ve been the one in Adaptation. The Weeknd attempts to find that satisfaction in other women and past lovers, but accidentally falls for a sex worker in Belong To The World. With Wanderlust he accepts and expresses that love in the modern world isn’t entirely possible. While continuing to tour the world he enjoys these new experiences with XO (Live For feat. Drake), as well as the new women in his life (Kiss Land). And when he’s back home, he accepts the loss of the relationship he cherished.
Kiss Land debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. It was fairly acclaimed but gained a massive cult following. There were four videos for made for the album, the title track, Belong To the World, Live For (feat. Drake), and Pretty. Those four songs received interesting visuals that kept up with their respective themes while Belong To the World/Kiss Land got visuals that matched the aesthetic of the album. To this day fans ask Abel for a part two to the horror-movie-inspired album after he said it’s the only album he would have a sequel for.
Videos for Kiss Land
Fun Fact— The video for Kiss Land on YouTube is an extremely edited version of the actual video shot for the song. The directors cut further explores the erotic-horror themes if the album.

King of the Fall.

King of the Fall 2020 cover (even though I talk about three other songs here)

Driving by the streets we used to walk through like a triumph. (King of the Fall)

These next few song were released between the Kiss Land and Beauty Behind the Madness era. Some fans would classify them as part of the Beauty Behind the Madness era—I’d say the same tbh—but they stand apart on the basis of success and acclaim. It’s a transition between The Weeknd being an underrated R&B musician to being a mainstream artist with massive recognition and appreciation.
The first of these four songs is King of the Fall. A fan favourite and a standout in The Weeknd’s discography. This is one of The Weeknd’s few Rap tracks, it gained a lot of attention within the Rap sphere. It was the way in which XO would announce that they’ve made it, little did they know that this was just the start.
Prior to the release of Beauty Behind the Madness (BBTM), The Weeknd gained mainstream attention. The Weeknd’s exposure to mainstream music was uphill, it wasn’t overnight. The first taste of BBTM came from Often, a song that reflected the themes of sex that Abel was known for. The track was released more than a year before BBTM’s release and had made it onto the trackless unlike King of the Fall. Slowly but surely The Weeknd gained exposure, his main sources of exposure were through a collaboration and a soundtrack.
Most pop fans heard about The Weeknd through his hit collaboration with Ariana Grande, Love Me Harder. The collab was made through Republic when The Weeknd said he wanted more than what he had gotten through Kiss Land. Ariana and Abel had formed a real bond cough The Hills cough, their bond assisted the song in becoming a memorable hit for both artists. Love Me Harder was a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Later that year, The Weeknd was featured on the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack with Earned It, as well as Where You Belong. Earned It became a massive hit peaking at 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and receiving an Oscar nomination for The Weeknd; a massive milestone for XO. Earned It kept up with Abel’s signature lyrics but the production differed heavily from the sort of R&B he was known for.
Videos from that era

Beauty Behind the Madness.

I can hear this image

I'm that ***** with the hair singin' 'bout poppin' pills, fuckin' bitches, livin' life so trill. (Tell Your Friends)

Following the success of Love Me Harder and Earned It, the Beauty Behind the Madness era began with The Hills. This was The Weeknd’s first number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Along with the video, The Hills became an addictive classic. The production and lyrics mirror a mature version of the sound that was originally found on Trilogy. It was truly in keeping with The Weeknd’s character, the only difference was his haircut.
Next came Can’t Feel My Face, a Max Martin production that differed greatly from anything The Weeknd put out in the past. In past songs, Abel had expressed his fear of losing his following if he went mainstream simultaneously asking his fans if they’d stay. He repeats that sentiment in the Can’t Feel My Face video. The sound has changed, the lyrics stay the same but now he’s a pop-star. The song became a hit as it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. With this massive bop previous fans still stayed, The Weeknd becoming a pop singer didn’t at all alter his image or sound; he mastered it.
In The Night and Acquainted were released as singles on the same day, the were the only singles to come after the release of Beauty Behind The Madness. The former received a music video treatment that followed the theme of the song itself while also starring Abel’s girlfriend at the time, Bella Hadid. Acquainted was robbed of a video even though Abel had shown off the fact that a video was in development; the song kept in the tone of The Weeknd’s work prior to BBTM.
Beauty Behind the Madness captures a Hollywood-based reality that The Weeknd came to understand: the dark aspects of your life will continue to follow you wherever you are. Real Life, Losers (feat. Labrinth), Tell Your Friends, Dark Times (feat. Ed Sheeran), and Prisoner (feat. Lana Del Rey) all capture a nihilistic view of a dream achieved.
Most of the videos of Beauty Behind The Madness have a mysterious white man. He’s featured in The Hills, Can’t Feel My Face, and Tell Your Friends. That man represents the devil. Throughout his journey in those videos, (The Hills) Abel runs into the devil after his car crash, (Can’t Feel My Face) he’s at the club then lights him on fire. The significance behind the fire could be selling his soul to the devil, BBTM is about Hollywood and a popular Hollywood myth is that celebrities sell their souls to the devil in exchange for fame. So in the Can’t Feel My Face video, Abel changes his sound to Pop (from R&B) thus leaving his signature sound in order to become famous, everyone starts enjoying his music once he’s sold his soul.
Then we see The Weeknd burying himself in Tell Your Friends, perhaps leaving the old Abel behind after the deal with the devil. However, instead of thanking the devil, Abel takes his revenge and shoots him. But wait, there’s more! The album trailer for BBTM features the devil burning a billboard with The Weeknd’s face on it, revealing Beauty Behind The Madness. HOWEVER, the final cut for the video features the devil being arrested while The Weeknd watches. This is a more realistic form of karma that the devil gets.
Videos for BBTM

Starboy.

Filled with bops

If I could, I'd trade it all, trade it for a halo. And she said that she'll pray for me, I said, "It's too late for me.” (Ordinary Life)

After the massive success of Beauty Behind the Madness, there was a lot of hype around what The Weeknd would do next; evidently he decided to explore Pop. The fandom he had gained wasn’t entirely based in the Pop sphere, his fans consisted of general Rap fans, but Starboy attracted the Pop audience.
Initially, most of his older fans couldn’t get behind Starboy, it differed greatly from the previous sound. It was crazy to think that the guy who made Trilogy managed to make such a Pop-centric album. But this was Abel expressing his versatility.
Since this is where most pop fans found out about Abel’s work and became fans I won’t talk too much about the singles, rather more about the album itself. His work with Daft Punk cemented this album in an efficient mix between Pop and R&B, where Beauty Behind the Madness was more R&B with Pop, Starboy was considered Pop with R&B.
Beyond the genres, Starboy explores two evident themes. One being his life with fame and recognition. The next being his love life in Hollywood, this aspect of the album came from his relationship with Bella Hadid which ended after the release of the album.
The cross became the symbol for that era and appeared in the album’s photoshoot as well as the videos. There was never any conclusive word on the use of the cross but there are various theories about it, something to note is that Abel was raised Christian, it could perhaps be a reflection of his past.
The cross he uses to destroy his accolades (Starboy video) is assisting him rather than something that’s holding him back. Abel’s upbringing was rough but now he’s celebrating it rather than feeling bad for himself. The cross continues to come up in the Party Monster video, this time it’s in the party house he’s making his way through. Then it shows up in the video for Reminder, this time in the form of his merch, the people wearing it are perhaps representative of his fans. Then we see it in the False Alarm video, both Abel and the girl are wearing it; the notable thing being that Abel holds his cross up before dying. Then in the brilliant video for Secrets, after giving up on the girl he’s with he leaves the building to find a giant cross. And finally in the I Feel It Coming video, The Weeknd sports a shiny cross necklace, and Daft Punk find it years and years after Abel froze.
The videos tell us that the cross is an evident piece of his story. This could mean that his past will always be with him, no matter what sort of fame he’s experiencing he’ll always be who he once was.
Also, I’m gonna take this moment to once again the genius that is the Secrets (both the song and the video). Yes it’s my favourite song/video off of Starboy but it’s so underrated.
Videos for Starboy, Secrets video bottom right
Fun Fact— Most demos of the tracks on Starboy weren’t as pop as they became, they started off R&B but became pop after production.

My Dear Melancholy.

Note the comma

They said our love is just a game, I don't care what they say. But I'ma drink the pain away, I'll be back to my old ways. (Privilege)

Oof (but in a good way, this whole thing is a bop). For this one I’m gonna talk extensively about The Weeknd’s relationships, which personally feels really invasive but it’s but it’s essential when talking about these sad boy anthems. Beyond that I’d just like to state that though they are part of the narrative both Bella Hadid and Selena Gomez deserve respect/privacy.
So when it comes to Pop music fans I think it’s safe to say that we all know a lot about this one. My Dear Melancholy (MDM) came after the very public relationship of The Weeknd and Selena Gomez. However it’s not just about Selena, some songs reflect his relationship with Bella Hadid (whom he got back with a month after MDM’s release).
My Dear Melancholy consists with The Weeknd’s exploration/mastery of merging Pop and R&B together. The EP was praised by fans for its lyrics and production, many went on to theorize that it was his most personal project since House of Balloons. The EP was the shortest album to reach number one on the Billboard 200.
My Dear Melancholy and fan conspiracies; name a better duo. The first theory being that the EP is entirely about Selena Gomez which wasn’t too much of a mystery since the lyric “I almost cut a piece of myself for your life” exists. Not only did MDM come after Abel’s relationship with Selena Gomez but also after his relationship with Bella Hadid. As far as fans were aware those two relationships were the most important relationships Abel had ever been in.
In theory, the songs about Bella and Selena can be categorized. Call Out My Name, Try Me, and Privilege are likely about Selena. Wasted Times, and Hurt You are likely about Bella. Leaving I Was Never There to act as an introspective look into The Weeknd’s life, basically making him hop back on his vices for comfort.
Another popular theory was that My Dear Melancholy was the first of another trilogy. This rumour was widely believed due to the comma at the end of the title on the album cover. But the fans soon gained a real reason to believe this theory, since the CEO of XO (the record label), Sal had liked an Instagram post that featured the cover and alleged date. Since Trilogy is a fan favourite this conspiracy spread like wild fire, so much so that fake titles and covers were made. The name of this trilogy would be: (1)My Dear Melancholy, (2)We’re Alone Together, (3)Abel.
Only one song served as a single for the EP. Call Out My Name was released nearly two months prior to the actual release of the album, it debuted/peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The mysterious video captures The Weeknd in various atmospheric places that reflect the tone of the EP, a haunting yet unexplained reality that the listener is to reflect on.
From the cover, to the music, to the video, to lyrics, My Dear Melancholy is an introspective reflection of heartbreak.
Call out my name video

After Hours.

Talented, Brilliant, Incredible, etc.

My darkest hours. (After Hours)

After Hours comes after success but references two lows in The Weeknd’s life. The album welcomes darkness and leads the listener towards a dead-end. The Weeknd’s past two albums (Beauty Behind The Madness and Starboy) ended on hopeful notes, they left the listener with a sense of hope but all hope his lost with After Hours.
Fans compare After Hours to House of Balloons—a rare occurrence considering House of Balloons’ acclaim—arguing that both albums are on the same level. Debate continues on whether or not both albums are on the same caliber. The belief that After Hours stems from reality does a lot to help its side of the argument.
The era began with Mercedes-Benz commercial that featured Blinding Lights, that was our first taste of the everlasting bop. Heartless was premiered on an episode of Memento Mori hours before its release on the 27 of November (2019), Blinding Lights was released two days later. Both videos were as brain melting as promised and the served as the tip of the iceberg.
After Hours was released nine days after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, there was a massive risk in releasing an album that would not have a lot of promotion after it’s release (other than magazine coverage). There was no telling whether or not people would pay attention to the album during the height of the fear surrounding the pandemic, but it was a massive success. After Hours debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with singles Heartless and Blinding Lights topping the Billboard Hot 100.
The album is layered with haunting productions that remains predominantly R&B but dives deep into Pop with some of the tracks. Max Martin produced the massive hit Blinding Lights as well as In Your Eyes, Save Your Tears, Hardest to Love, and Scared to Live which samples Elton John’s Your Song. Other notable producers include Metro Boomin who worked on the hit Heartless as well as Escape from LA, Faith, and Until I Bleed Out. With Kevin Parker on the interlude Repeat After Me.
Beyond the production are the narrative driven lyrics. In theory the album references two significant events in Abel’s life, his second breakup with Bella Hadid and his arrest in Las Vegas. The latter was due to his misbehaviour; in January 2015 he punched a cop in Vegas, lmao. Which means that After Hours is a recollection of The Weeknd’s first few years in LA. He merges the concept of his breakup with the idea of being an upcoming star, feeling free in the city of lights all while diving deep into the meaninglessness of those lights.
While After Hours starts with loneliness and a second chance it leads up to Abel returning to his vices of lust. In Alone Again his loneliness caught up to him and he’s asking for a second chance. He acknowledges his mistakes and situation in Too Late/Hardest to Love, in Scared to Live his ex then returns to him for a second time. He remembers his past ways in Snowchild and the way in which it lead to better days, but where do you go after such highs? In Escape From LA he faces the superficial reality of Hollywood, glad that he got that he got back with his ex, while continuing to question if it’s worth it. But he fucks up the second chance when she pulls up to the studio.
Who is she? Much like the other mysteries surrounding The Weeknd’s music, we may never know. Is it all more of The Weeknd’s songwriting ability or is it driven by reality? Fans found a merge between the two to be more accurate, After Hours is about heartbreak and a return to the vices that held The Weeknd back.
Heartless is when The Weeknd is once again back to his ways, he may have been in a serious relationship but after throwing that away he spirals back to the way he once was. It’s sad but it’s one hell of a song. Speaking of brilliant songs, Faith is when Abel admits that he’s back on his vices, he states that he needs his ex back with him till the end; he’s back to self-loathing.
So when he says he’s blinded by the lights, there’s two meanings to it. The Faith outro tells us that he’s in a car with flashing lights, a cop car (as confirmed by Abel) to be exact. Then Blinding Lights tells us that while he’s watching the bright lights of Vegas pass him by he calls out for the girl that he regrets losing. That is the peak of the After Hours narrative. He’s behaving badly over the loss of the girl he loved and is now at the worst position trying to find her and gain her trust for a third time.
Following Blinding Lights is In Your Eyes, this is where The Weeknd vows not to judge her; he can see right through her but will never do anything to make her upset. Does this mean their back together? Not exactly. Save Your Tears details a sort of moving-on that The Weeknd isn’t ready for but tries to help her move on, blind to his own inability to move on. Does it work? Not really. Repeat After Me (Interlude) shows that he’s still trying to convince himself that he’s unfazed by the loss of a meaningful relationship.
Then you hear a true masterpiece. The title track is a spiral into true regret and an apology for his actions, he admits that his ex girlfriend is the only reason he lives. In a dark lonely city she’s the only one keeping him sane. But his pleas fail, Until I Bleed Out is when The Weeknd no longer wants her in his life so much so that he wants to erase his memory of anything related to her. The bonus tracks then echo the final sentiment.
It’s one sad ass album, ain’t it. But here’s where the Red Suit Character comes in.
Shoutout to the makeup department
The album isn’t the only narrative to follow with After Hours. The videos for the album follow their own sort of narrative. The story follows an unnamed guy that goes by “red suit character” according to The Weeknd.
There’s a lot of confusion and endless theories surrounding this character’s story, after The Weeknd confirmed that it’s about a decent into Hollywood culture it makes more sense… kind of. I’m gonna discuss the storyline without talking about the movies that have influenced it, this way the focus remains on the character.
The order of these videos is Heartless / Blinding Lights / Blinding Lights (Live on Kimmel)* / After Hours short film / In Your Eyes / Until I Bleed Out / Snowchild / Too Late / Live at AMAs* / Save Your Tears
*Though all live performances could count as part of the narrative, these one relate directly with the videos that follow.
He’s is first seen in Vegas with Metro Boomin (Heartless), intoxicated on various substances. He dives deeper into his high until he licks a frog, after that he faces the true effects of this high. He’s frightened by the result and runs far away from Vegas. (Blinding Lights) He’s then found in LA, where he’s dancing in the street, hypnotized by the singer, beat up by guards, and races past all those bright lights in his Benz. Ultimately realizing the shallowness of the Los Angeles fantasy.
(Blinding Lights Live on Kimmel) We then find him performing Blinding Lights live, while he attempts to find more reason in within the madness city; he couldn’t find it on the streets so he goes to the stage. (After Hours short film) Even then there’s no meaning to anything in the city, he mindlessly wanders into the depth of the subway where he’s dragged by the reality of it all and ends up possessed. (In Your Eyes) After being possessed he chases the woman whose boyfriend he just murdered, she runs into a club falls deeper into the After Hours fantasy, in a successful attempt to defend herself she beheads the red suit character and dances all over LA with his head, iconic behaviour.
(Until I Bleed Out) Then in an ethereal dreamscape, red suit character finds himself in a House of Balloons. He’s trying to escape, but the people there keep pulling him in; he’s getting higher while observing Glass Table Girls. He spirals into the antarctic, the other side of the world. From Heatless to this point in his story, his vices lead him back to the lowest point in Abel’s life. Is it Hell, Heaven or Las Vegas? (Snowchild) He relives his career up until the point where his story began. Considering he’s dead, his life basically flashed before his eyes.
(Too Late) LA girls find the red suit character’s head and live their best life. They wanna have sex with him so they find the best boy parts by calling up a stripper who could be the body. The stitch the head up with the body and do what they want. But now he’s brought back to life. (Live at AMAs) He’s had work done… He went in to get his nose fixed and the doctor said “you sure that’s all you want?” The red suit character’s face is healing while he tries to celebrate his life on top of a bridge.
(Save Your Tears) Surrounded by a masked cult he debut’s his new face. Do they like it? Are they impressed? Not instantly, their masks translate no expression so how’s he to know? Is any of this worth it? Nope red suit character continues to die inside. He finds a maskless girl in the crowd, she’s lively unlike the rest; but even then, nothing on the inside nothing on the outside. He wants death again, somehow a second chance with this city is still pointless. He tries to kill himself via the girl and himself but it’s all a facade; theatrics.
His story continues but that’s all we know so far.
The videos make a lot of film references. This post by explain these references very well, as well as past album references here (part one) and here (part two).
After Hours is inspired by a lot of movies, since Abel is in fact a cinephile. The main movies that inspired the aesthetic and storytelling are believed to be Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Casino (1995), Joker (2019), Uncut Gems (2020), and After Hours (1985). The album tells two sad narratives but remains one of The Weeknd’s best works yet. He’s expanded his videography and enhanced the interest of people who casually enjoy his music and of course his fans.
But the era isn’t over, by the time this is posted his Super Bowl Halftime show is yet to happen. And it’ll continue the red suit character’s story.
Videos for After Hours (so far)
Fun Fact—The Heartless video features a reference to Thursday. When he’s trying to run from Vegas, a sign behind him flashes “Heartless / Heaven or Las Vegas.” This could be a reference to Abel running from his past, after all Heartless is about him returning to his vices.

END.

Thank you for reading this, again, I didn’t realize it would end up being this long. But I hope this this served as a nice refresher for any fans who wanted to revisit Abel’s work before the Super Bowl.
And I really hope that anyone interested in getting into his music finds this helpful. Once again, the theories/interpretations mentioned aren’t conclusive, they’re widely based on fan discussion/mutual interpretation.
Due to the character limit I couldn’t add too links to the albums, so here are some artist links.
Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | The Weeknd’s Shop | Tidal | Genius

Hammerhead is Vinny Guadagnino! Let's discuss how the clue packages related to him.

• First clue package:
  • Laugh = his Jersey Shore castmate Ronnie Magro laughed in the Jersey Shore opening credits.
  • Burger = he guest-starred in an episode of the MTV series The Hard Times of RJ Berger.
  • Alphabet soup with 'TALK' in it = he had a talk show, The Show with Vinny, where he interviewed celebrities while his mom treated them to a home-cooked Italian meal.
  • Cup of 'JOE' = he appeared as Joe Conte in 2012 film Jersey Shore Shark Attack / his middle name is Joseph.
  • Butter going into coffee (bulletproof coffee) = he was nicknamed the 'Keto Guido' when he took on the Keto diet.
  • "I became famous too quickly." = he rose to fame as a starting member of the cast of Jersey Shore, which became a pop culture phenomenon.
  • "I had departed from who I was, and shifted into who I thought everyone wanted me to be." = he has publicly talked about this, including when he left the Jersey Shore house in season 5 due to his anxiety and depression.
  • Shark attacking the woman = he appeared as Joe Conte in 2012 film Jersey Shore Shark Attack.
  • Painting = he enjoys painting in his free time.
  • "I pumped the brakes...." = Jersey Shore popularized the 'fist pump' dance move.
  • "...staying hungry for learning, for love...." = after Jersey Shore, he took classes for acting and stand-up / he and Jersey Shore castmate Pauly D have their own dating game show on MTV called Double Shot at Love.
• Second clue package:
  • "I really wanted to show I could be the life of the party, but people already know that side of me...." = he rose to fame as a starting member of the cast of Jersey Shore, which followed the lives of the young adults as they worked and, more famously, partied at clubs every night.
  • "...I had one shot...." = he and Jersey Shore castmate Pauly D have their own dating game show on MTV called Double Shot at Love
  • Eye chart = he had a clothing brand called I Have a Vision.
  • Stand up = he took classes and briefly tried his hand at stand-up comedy.
  • "I gave up my dream of being lawyer." = he was a political science major and was studying or the LSAT before he was cast on Jersey Shore.
  • "I was depressed; like I was locked in a cage." = he left the Jersey Shore house in season 5 due to his anxiety and depression.
  • Navigating the Shores of Life book = he rose to fame as a starting member of the cast of Jersey Shore.
  • Jersey with 1 on it = he rose to fame as a starting member of the cast of Jersey Shore / his birthday is November 11th (11/11).
  • "Fear is no longer a factor...." = his Jersey Shore castmates appeared on a 2018 episode of Celebrity Fear Factor.
  • Wedding cake with two grooms on it = he and Jersey Shore castmate Pauly D have their own dating game show on MTV called Double Shot at Love / he and Pauly D had a 'bro-mitment ceremony' on an episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.
  • "...in my situation." = his Jersey Shore castmate Mike Sorrentino was nicknamed "The Situation."
• Third clue package:
  • Heart symbol with hands = he and Jersey Shore castmate Pauly D have their own dating game show on MTV called Double Shot at Love.
  • Las Vegas = in 2019 he had a month-long residency performing as guest host in Chippendales at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
  • Staten Island/New Jersey circled on a map = he was born and raised in Staten Island, New York / he rose to fame as a starting member of the cast of Jersey Shore.
  • Super clue Hammertone suntan oil; SPF 24/7 = Jersey Shore popularized the term "GTL" (Gym, tan, laundry), and the cast famously had fake-tans.
• Dance clues:
  • First dance:
    • Beachball = he rose to fame as a starting member of the cast of Jersey Shore.
    • Chippendales moves / stripper pole = in 2019 he had a month-long residency performing as guest host in Chippendales at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
    • Fist pumping = Jersey Shore popularized the 'fist pump' dance "move."
  • Second dance:
    • Giving rose away = he and Jersey Shore castmate Pauly D have their own dating game show on MTV called Double Shot at Love.
    • TikTok dance moves = he shares TikTok challenges with his 2.1 million followers.
    • Chippendales moves = in 2019 he had a month-long residency performing as guest host in Chippendales at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
• "Word Up" clues:
  • "Dramatic" = Jersey Shore was known for its drama
  • "Heart-breaker" = he and Jersey Shore castmate Pauly D have their own dating game show on MTV called Double Shot at Love.
• Special clues:
  • Instagram advent calendar clue "I bought someone I love a car for Christmas and it Jingle Bell ROCKed!" = for Christmas 2019, he gifted his mom a brand new Jeep.
  • Costume:
    • Jersey = he rose to fame as a starting member of the cast of Jersey Shore.
    • Gold and silver teeth = his Jersey Shore castmate Pauly D has a song called "Silver and Gold."
    • Scorpio tattoo on right bicep = he is a Scorpio / he has a Scorpio tattoo.
• Rapid fire questions:
  • Brian: "Are you known for having a sense of humor?"
    • "I think so."
  • Whitney: "Do you have stage fright?"
    • "No."
  • Ken: "Are you strictly a solo act?"
    • "Nope." = he rose to fame as a starting member of the cast of Jersey Shore.
  • Paula: "Have you ever had a relationship in the public eye?"
    • "Yes." = he and Jersey Shore castmate Pauly D have their own dating game show on MTV called Double Shot at Love.
• Final questions:
  • Brian: "Are you a fan of working out?"
    • "Yes, for sure." = Jersey Shore popularized the term "GTL" (Gym, tan, laundry.
  • Ashley: "Are you taller than Ken?"
    • "Yes." = according to Google, he is 5'7", while Ken is 5'5".
  • Whitney: "Have you ever done stand-up comedy?"
    • "A little." = he took classes and briefly tried his hand at stand-up comedy.
  • Ken: "Have you ever been to New Jersey?"
    • "Yes." = he rose to fame as a starting member of the cast of Jersey Shore.
  • Paula: "Are you a lover of social media?"
    • "Yes." = he has nearly three million followers on Twitter, nearly four million on Instagram, and over two million followers on TikTok.

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Overview

• Name of Run: it lurks behind every corner
• Metaplot: fear the dark
• Run Link: (2) [fear the dark[ it lurks behind every corner <2020-12-23> : NeonAnarchy (reddit.com)
• Date: 2020-12-23
• Time: 2359
• Duration: 4.5 Hours
• Threat: Prime.
• Scheduling: Scheduled (24)
• GM: u/coy-coyote (c0z1)
• Runners: u/crowverr (Jihi), u/jlunio (havoc), u/rex-dracones (Wraith), u/anubonk (Bubblegum), u/aztechnologypr (Slicer), u/n4shwise (Aurora)
• Johnson: Alma Laestriael, Tir Tairngire citizen, Telestrian Manufacturing Johnson
• Relevant NPCs: Randall White, security mage, Tur Pam casino, Las Vegas; 7 Diamonds (toxic spirit of earth of Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste disposal site)
• Location: Area 52, Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Site
• Opposition: Blood alchera, manastorms, PCC Bobcat SpecForce Div#12, PuebSec spiders
• Casualties: none caused by players
• Collateral: Jihi; Mild Psychological Addiction [Schadenfreude, Inflicting Pain on Others]
• Synopsis: Runners are contracted by Telestrian Securities to locate a Merlyn that's gone missing from their scheduled shifts as casino security. Runners bite off more than they can chew when they stumble into the PCC's dirty secret...
• Run Rewards: 100,000 Nuyen -OR- 150,000 Nuyen gear credit: Weapons, Armor, Foci, Lifestyle expenses (up to 24F Availability, Telestrian Manufacturing branded) [25 RVP] 25 Karma [25 RVP], 2 Knowledge Skills [F]
• Choice of Quality(s) up to 25 RVP value, at chargen cost, Free [25 RVP]: Alibi [4], Analytical Mind [5], Astral Chameleon [10], Biocompatability (Bio or Cyberware) [5], Barrens Rat [5], Battle Hardened [2], Blandness [8], Brilliant Heuristics [5], Catlike [7], Common Sense [3], Cynic [6], Daredevil [6], Drug Tolerant [6], Focused Concentration [4 per, max 6], Guts [10], Honest Face [5], Instinctive Hack [2], Juryrigger [10], natural Athlete [7], ninja vanish [5], Perceptive [1 or 2 ranks, 5], Quick Config [5], Shoot First - Don't Ask [2], Magic Resistance [6], Social Chameleon [7], Profiler [3], Observant [5], Outdoorsman [3], Perfect Time [5], Solid Rep: 405 Hellhounds[2], Toughness [9], Spirit Whisperer [8], Tough as Nails [5, S or P], Astral Chameleon [10], First Impressions [11], Uncanny Healer [12], Spirit Champion [12], Resistance to Pathogens, Toxins [4, 4, or 8], Radiation Sponge [5], Rad-Tolerant [3], Natural Immunity (Natural or Synthetic) [4 or 10], Natural Hardening [10], Master Debator [10], Empathic Listener [10]
• SPECIAL: Take Surge (III), Blood Alchera Exposure (replaces 25 RVP for qualities)

Background
This run is a continuation of the 'Gambits in the Sand' storyline, covering the PCC's inheritance of the USA government's travesties and ecological terrors in the vast deserts of Nevada province.
Meet
Runners meet at the Emerald Gryphon Bar & Lounge in Tarislar, Puyallup.
Run
Runners take the Johnson's sub-orbital shuttle ride to Vegas after agreeing to the contract, arriving at roughly three AM. During the flight they advance legwork between Tamanous made men, hire a driver through networking, and search out additional details on Mr. White's life.
Their Tamanous mortician points them to the bodies of two treasure-hunting scavengers recovered by PuebSec in the desert, who have mana burned organs consistent with their subject mage. Using their driver, they break into his apartment, under lockdown by PuebSec, and carefully avoiding the alarms discover the mage is having odd visions and building replicas of Yucca Mountain inside his dishevelled apartment. Hijacking the cameras, they see him leave the apartment in the company of a free spirit, but are unable to identify that spirit.
Wraith sends out a drone, verifying that despite the blood alchera storm holding over the deserts of the Access Controlled Areas of the NV desert, there did appear to be footprints or a track outside the entry to the facility that lined up with the timing of their perp.
The team rents an off-road dune buggy from their driver contact, and begins moving out towards the site, getting caught up in the mana storm as their weapons get sludged and the vehicle takes a couple direct combat spells to the frame, in addition to surviving a land mine hit. The vehicle survives, however, and they make it to the compound as Slicer begins countermanding the surveillance emplacements in the facility.
Entering the property in their enviro-sealed EE suits and clothing, the team sneaks past the cameras emplacements with Slicer's assistance, narrowly avoiding a secondary alarm system set by the PCC Bobcats Special Forces for training purposes. They make it to the basement, only to discover the mage already dead, apparently prostrate in worship to an odd-looking earth spirit trapped in the lowest levels of the nuclear waste storage site.
Bubblegum grabs the corpse with some magic hands, alerting 7 Diamonds to other folks who have come to worship at the gateway. 7 Diamonds confuses Bubblegum in attempt to get him to stay; the rest of the team drags Bubblegum out after snagging a genetic sample from the mage and slamming the doors shut on the final waste and depleted fuel chamber.
They get struck by another combat spell on their way out, but avoid the landmines this time as the vehicle skirts the desert, headed badck into Las Vegas proper. The team forwards intel to the Johnson, along ith the notice that she probably needs to detonate his cranial bomb before his body alerts the PCC to some military-trespassing complaints.
Aftermath
7 Diamonds stirs in his toxic pit, attempting to send messages to the Spirit of Hoover Dam, ready to exact its vengeance against all of the Las Vegas metroplex.
Expenses
Vehicle rentals, vehicle repair deposits, R2 favor (made man, Slicer), desert/radiation survival gears.

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The 23rd season of the Big Brother: House of Temptation series is here!
This season on BBHOT, 16 brand-new and unique strangers entered the game looking to either win the money, make a name for themselves, or get some publicity. Using the BB21 template, this season was full of twists and turns that rocked the player's games. What will go down in the BBHOT books, find out now!
Also, I apologize to all the supporters of this series. I have been very busy with school and a lot of assignments and other things, so my free time is much more limited. I hope you understand and I'll pick up the pace moving forward if I can! My apologies and thank you for making this series so great!
View the season down below and give your thoughts!
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View the season here - SEASON 23 LINK
View this seasons voting chart - S23 VOTING CHART
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THE CAST:
Michael Hale, 37, Secondary Teacher - u/Nahuelfire39

• Despite being 37 years old, Michael is constantly controlled by his parents because of their overprotection of him since childhood and they think they are doing "the best" for him, which includes his personal life, his job, even his marriage was arranged! Because of this, Michael is often cowardly about his decisions and how others might receive them. He now thinks that only force is understandable and that a person should be judged by his ability and not his gender. This does not prevent Michael from being kind and genuine towards other people and trying to at least make friends. In another part of his life, he is fine, living decently with his husband and siblings.

Alexa Station, 20, YouTuber - u/IAmWolfNinja

• A 3 AM YouTuber who arrived late to the trend, Alexa has a tendency to flex her belongings when no one really cares. She was recently involved in a scandal where she faked her boyfriend's death, causing endless amounts of controversy. Her sub count is dropping significantly every day, so she joined to help gain her popularity (relevancy) back. Being on BBHOT could help her to do so, and win some money as well.

Michael Krumptone, 47, Band Director - u/swoldow

• Michael had dreams of being a musician since he was a kid, and had the drive to learn his craft to the best of his ability.... however, the 80s weren't really the most popular time period for french horn players, so he could never get that big break he always thought he'd have, despite getting a music degree. As a result, he grew old and bitter, resenting modern genres of music like rock and rap, as they are what took his career away from him. He does marching band at a few high schools and basically treats it like it's prison camp due to how bitter he is, and he eventually grew to love his job; torturing kids like him into giving up on their dreams. However, he still hates his life, as he recently had to pick up another school to teach to pay for his ungrateful wife's Netflix, so he needs money somehow.

Sonia McDevitt, 18, Bartender - u/ParisGoldC

• Sonia enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, and tinkering with her 1972 Cutlass Supreme. She enjoys boxing, sweating, and being with her close friends. Sonia describes herself as self-reliant, bitchy, and big-hearted. She indicates that, although she seems guarded, she is in fact a lover and nurturer underneath the surface. In her spare time, she enjoys singing in her band. She believes her extensive world travel, endurance, ability to somewhat read people, and understanding of the human condition will be skills that will help her on Big Brother.

Mara D'Antonio, 34, Life Coach - u/ParisGoldC

• Even though she may come across as sweet and kind-hearted – and she is – she has a spirit of steel. A mere month after the trauma of losing her twins, she completed a marathon. Mara pours her heart into NGOs to make a difference and says she entered Big Brother: HoT not only to win, "but also to step into the shoes of those who have absolutely nothing; no bed, no food, no warmth, no shelter".

Malcolm "Mac" Everett, 27, Basketball Coach - u/SilverOwl24

• Mac grew up in the Bronx and learned how to not only have thick skin but also how to have some street smarts too. He was a basketball star in High school and was recognized in College as a great player for Basketball too. Now, he teaches others how to play the sport he loves. He's ready to show Big Brother how he does it and to make the black community proud.

Jessa Blanchard, 29, Beauty Salon Owner - u/SilverOwl24

• Jessa has been underestimated most of her life. Growing up she was overweight and had low self-esteem. However, once her grandmother inspired her that no matter how you start, it's never too late to start over and make a new change for yourself. Since then, she lost weight, made everlasting friendships, and even opened up her own hair studio/salon. She's going into BB, expecting to be underestimated, but is looking forward to pulling the rug out from under them.

Douglas Chance, 29, ER Nurse - u/TDSwaggyBoy

• Ever since he was born, Douglas' family taught him how to be a ''gentleman''. Be the kind of person that people are proud to call their friend. Always help others when they need your help, always be there for people. He decided to become a nurse, wanting to help in the medical field as he always had a knack for it. Douglas has dedicated his life to helping others and hopes to come on BB and use this platform in order to shine a light on big and important matters. He doesn't necessarily care about winning, but he'll give it his all. Douglas has overcome a lot of challenges in his life, and he's ready to face this one head-on.

Karl Pearson, 42, Gardener - u/TDSwaggyBoy

• Karl has always loved the outdoors. He's a very outdoorsy kind of guy, loving adventures of all kind. As a kid, Karl was always a bit of an oddball and an off-beat. Despite it, however, he always managed to surround himself with a good, close group of friends. Karl is an only child, and his mom sadly passed away a short while after he was born. Ever since a young age, he had to work in order to help his dad with paying their bills and taking care of their house, which made him quite responsible, surprisingly. Due to his love for adventures, Karl ended up signing up for Big Brother and was accepted as he was seen as an interesting character. How well will he fare?

Georgia "Gigi" Seedrow, 21, Unemployed - u/AngolanDesert

• There’s always that one girl in high school who was the most popular but was also the most mean. This was Gigi in high school. Her parents are millionaires and made sure that she was set for life. Her only worry is what shoes to pick out the next day. She wanted to play Big Brother because she loves to manipulate people. Maybe her insecurities will be shown this season.

Belinda "Bertha" Matthews, 43, Lunch Lady - u/AngolanDesert

• Bertha has grown up being made fun of for her looks, which is something she can’t control. This has hardened her and turned her into the strong woman she is today. Now, she serves middle schoolers during lunchtime. She wants to make a name for herself, and this is her chance to do so. She’ll do anything to get this money.

Brett Herman, 28, Professional Poker Player - u/Twig7665

• Brett was born into wealth in a mansion in Texas. He lived through most of his childhood in that wealth until his father was caught up in a huge scandal that left him without money, so at age 17, Brett ran away to Las Vegas where he could begin a new life. He started playing poker in the streets, and when he was old enough to gamble, he went to a casino and stunned his opponents by winning the first time he played for money. Soon, people began to realize his talent, and he played in his first professional poker game at the age of 22. Once again, he won, and he became one of the most successful professional poker players in history. This fame caused him to grow arrogant and become a huge jerk, even to his manager. Now rich again, he isn't playing the game for money, he's playing the game to try something new and to gain another title.

Giovanni "Dr. Moreno" Moreno, 52, Doctor - u/Twig7665

• Giovanni, better known by his moniker Dr. Moreno, was the son of an Italian immigrant, and he had a mostly normal childhood until his mother fell ill when he was nine. She died not long afterward, and the young Giovanni did not want to watch people die when he could help them, so he spent as much time as he could preparing to be a doctor in his teens, and when he was in his early 20s, he graduated from medical school and became a doctor, a role which he has held for almost thirty years now. He now has a family of his own, with a wife, three sons, and a grandchild. He is playing Big Brother for them.

Leonardo Khan, 34, History Teacher - u/Malpa15

• Leo is a very smart person as he is a teacher but his real strength lies in his outgoing personality. He plans to create a majority alliance and stab them all in the back. This mix of skills is definitely a great thing for this game. The question is will he be able to pull off this strategy?

Sonja Bush, 22, Gymnast - u/Malpa15

• Sonja comes from a poor family and her life goal is to get rich. She devoted her childhood and teenage years to train like a gymnast. She got better and better over the years and is now very competitive. She plans to dominate the challenges and get to the end with sheer force in BBHOT.

Justin Tyung, 26, Bartender - u/asiansurvivorfan

• A French-born Vietnamese child, Justine was brought up by a tiger mother and a father that she barely talked to nor cared for. Her mother would always try to push into the route of her choosing, Justine being a free spirit, hated her mother’s ideal future for her so she decided to run away at the age of 16. For the rest of her teen years, she moved from different locations and joined a “gang” where she managed to get money by doing many different things. She then decided to reinvent her image by going full goth and getting tattoos and piercings, something her mother would never approve of. She eventually got a job as a bartender and there she met a coworker with a very similar story to her. They instantly connected and became really close. She doesn’t keep in contact with any of her family members except for her brother from time to time and is completely fine with that.

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OVERVIEW AND THOUGHTS OF THE GAME AND HOUSEGUESTS (Obvious spoilers!)
Opening: 16 brand-new houseguests enter the house of temptation for our 23rd season! This season is not like others, there are an extreme amount of twists ready to shake up this game! The banishment and opening eviction are the first.
Camp Director Twist: Evicted: Justine | In this brand-new twist, Douglas, Dr. Moreno, and Michael plead to be the camp director. By a close vote, this power goes to Michael! He chooses to banish Michael H., Justine, Mac, and Sonja. Michael H, then Mac, then Sonja reenter the house. Justine is the first evictee of the season. This is so sad! She may get the chance to come back in! ;)
Week 1: Evicted: Mac | After the opening eviction, Michael H. is the new HOH after being banished! He targets Brett and Mac in his nominations, but Brett pulls out the first veto! This forces Michael to put someone up, and he nominates Gigi. The house votes out Mac, but Justine returns and the camp comeback twist is in play! Michael K. has been dominating with power, and now has the nightmare power. He's definitely a big threat.
Week 2: Evicted: Douglas | Wow! This was a great and intriguing week. Leo becomes the new HOH! He nominates the 2 players in the medical field, Dr. Moreno and Douglas. Dr. Moreno's veto pick Gigi wins, and he is saved! This causes Leo to make a big move by backdooring Brett. This is where the strategy comes into play. Brett makes a 6-person alliance and secures 4 out of their 5 votes to stay. He also gets Bertha's vote, which sends Douglas out and keeps Brett in for a blindside. This was a huge move and this could really change the season! I'm super sad Douglas left so soon though.
Week 3: Evicted: Bertha | Michael is the new HOH, and puts up Alexa and Sonja. When players are picked, Brett activates his power. However, the same 3 houseguests are picked again! This is so funny and the odds of it happening are so low. This is definitely a memorable moment! Sonja saves herself by winning the veto! Michael K puts up Bertha, leaving the final 2 duo on the block. The house almost unanimously decides that Bertha should be evicted. After being eliminated on day 1, Justine returns to the game like nothing happened! I can't wait to see how she plays.
Week 4: Evicted: Leo | Alexa wins the HOH! Her HOH was not the best, as she had to nominate 5 people. She first tries to put up Sonja and Michael K, but Michael activates his power, forcing her to then nominate Gigi and Leo. Gigi picks Sonja to play, and Sonja wins the POV. Alexa puts up Brett. In a tie, she evicts Leo. This was not the best move, because the alliance now has the potential to take the full majority. Good move on Michael's part, he's been a big threat in this pre-jury phase.
Week 5: Evicted: Michael K | Sonja is able to clutch all of the power for the week! This allows her to be able to take a big threat, Michael, out. She puts Alexa up as a pawn and is able to lock the nominations and unanimously send him home. Michael K really had a big impact on the first part of the game. This leaves room for some people to step up and do the same.
Week 6: Evicted: Justine | Sonia wins the HOH, and misses on a move. She nominates the duo of Gigi and Dr. Moreno, and Gigi saves herself. This allows Sonia to potentially nominate someone big, but she nominates Justine and she goes home obviously. This season has such great potential and the fact that an alliance is running it right now annoys me. And now Justine, someone who wasn't a big threat at all, is the first in the jury.
Week 7: Evicted: Michael H. | Another outsider heads to the jury this week, as Brett becomes the new HOH. In the field trip twist, Karl stays safe while Gigi goes on the block. There was no way she would've gone home anyway, and Sonja ends up saving her. This leaves Michael to be the next evicted player. I hope there can be a power shift next week to switch up the season.
Week 8: Evicted: Sonia | Gigi takes all the power for the week, and gets Sonia evicted. This was a predictable week, as Sonia is probably the biggest threat out of the outsiders left. Gigi and Sonja are doing great with comps, but I'd like to see some new things happen. Hopefully, Jessa can win herself a comp since her power wasn't used.
Week 9: Evicted: Jessa | She was one of my favorites going into the season, so I'm really bummed she didn't pull through as an underdog. Brett wins HOH in another predictable scenario. Jessa wins the prankster and puts up her other outsider, Alexa. This is a terrible move. She could've at least tried to put someone in the alliance up. Brett, Gigi, and Sonja are steamrolling through the game right now.
Week 10: Evicted: Brett | Karl wins his first comp with the HOH, and goes after Brett instead of trying to get Alexa out. Sonja wins yet another veto and locks the nominations. The vote ties and Karl gets Brett out. This is definitely a big move for his game and sets himself up nicely for the double eviction.
Week 10 Double Eviction: Evicted: Dr. Moreno | Dr. Moreno is next out the door after Gigi wins the HOH. I was expecting another person in the alliance to go, but the fact that Gigi got Moreno out after being so close to him the whole game was crazy! Sonja wins the veto (again) and Dr. Moreno is blindsided in a 2-1 vote. Sonja has now won 7 vetoes, which is the record for this series! She's not one of my favorites on the cast, but these comp wins are crazy and I have to give her credit! Sonja and Gigi have won every POV this season except for one.
Week 11: Evicted: Mara | This really surprised me! I thought Mara and Karl were a tight duo. I think he really wanted Sonja to leave, but she won her 8th POV and got to the final 4. I'm sad that Mara is out because of her backstory, but all of the final 4 have worked hard to be there. Competitions will probably decide who gets to the end and wins.
Week 12: Evicted: Alexa | Sonja wins her 10th competition, and keeps her closest ally safe. Gigi then wins the veto, and make a fake alliance with Alexa before evicting her. I feel like that was unnecessary, but that's just who Gigi is. I like Karl the most out of this final 3, but Sonja really deserves to win. Alexa was a really cool personality to have on this season and I'm surprised she made it so far.
Final 3: Evicted: Karl | This is no surprise. I knew this final HOH was going to Sonja, and Karl having a fight with her just sealed his fate even more. Sonja also forms a random alliance with Karl before evicting him, which is really not necessary. They just love to manipulate. Sonjia 100% deserves to win this season. She has the most competitions wins out of any houseguest in BBHOT history, even though the game is not all about comps.
Finale:
Runner-Up: Sonja | I swear this happens every time someone should win over the other. The jury was very bitter and she only received 3 votes. Sonja won almost every veto this season along with Gigi, and I really think she should have won. Gigi did make more moves, though. Her comp win record will take a lot to be beaten! I wasn't expecting that to happen this season!
Winner: Gigi | Gigi was one of my least favorite on the cast. Seeing everyone's backstories compared to her's made me not like her as much and that she didn't deserve to win. She did play this game well, and she really used her manipulation skills to the best. Her and Sonja were one of the strongest duos to play and even though it may have been boring, watching them dominate the season was very cool as well.
Fan Favorite: Mara | Yay! She didn't have a big impact on the game, but her backstory was very wholesome and she really deserves this!
Possible for an all-star or returnee season: Sonja, Karl, Mara, Brett, Jessa, Justine, Alexa
Notable Stats!
Most Wins: Sonja, 11 wins (#1 record)
Most Times Nominated: Alexa, 6 nominations
Most Votes Against: Brett, 13 votes
Times Veto Was Used: 7 times
Final Thoughts: I really loved this cast! I was super excited to see them all play and was hoping someone deserving would win the money. The move that Brett made to save himself during Week 2 was amazing, but that alliance kind of ruined the season. I wanted to see power shifts and big moves, but it was repetitive. There were still some great moments though, like Brett using his power and getting the same 3 players, and Sonja breaking the comps record. It wasn't a bad season, but it could've gone better! I hope to see some of these players back under better scenarios.
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PAST SEASONS:
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7: All-Stars
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10: Newbies vs. Veterans
Season 11
Season 12: Couples
Season 13
Season 14
Season 15: Coaches
Season 16
Season 17
Season 18: Generations
Season 19
Season 20: Strength vs. Skill
Season 21: All-Stars 2
Season 22
Season 23
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Season 24 is coming! This will be an all-newbie season! Season 25 will not be all newbies ;)
Leave thoughts and suggestions down below!
~Brought to you by u/PJCGames~

Overview

• Name of Run: A Day At The Faire
• Metaplot: Krimewave
• Run Link: (2) [Krimewave] A Day at the Faire <2020-12-21> : NeonAnarchy (reddit.com)
• Date: 2020-12-21
• Time: 1700
• Duration: 3.5
• Threat: Semi-prime
• Scheduling: Scheduled (24)
• GM: u/coy-coyote
• Runners: u/ir0nguard (Ace), u/kagera66b (Kestrel), u/zekegravestone (cowboy), u/freaky_d1c3 (Knocks), u/evilroadrunner38 (Tide), u/uncorrelatedaudacity (Raven) u/kaiserwahelm (Lockon)
• Johnson: Alma Laestriael, Tir Tairngire Citizen, Johnson
• Relevant NPCs: Tur Pam casino security, Sol Bestmenn, Attorney
• Location: Las Vegas, PCC
• Opposition: Casino Security Elite
• Casualties: 0
• Collateral: Fleet Limousine, Tur Pam Casino, Las Vegas
• Synopsis: Runners are hired to steal a prototype stun lance from the chief of security of the Tur Pam resort complex.
• Run Rewards: 48,000 Nuyen -or- 72,000 Nuyen Gear Credit: Weapons & Ammunition, Vehicles & Mods & Drones, (krime-Branded) [12 RVP] 8 Karma [8 RVP], 2 Knowledge Karma [F]
• Choice of Quality(s) up to 10 RVP value, at chargen cost, Free [10 RVP]: Alibi [4], Analytical Mind [5], Astral Chameleon [10], Biocompatability (Bio or Cyberware) [5], Barrens Rat [5], Battle Hardened [2], Blandness [8], Brilliant Heuristics [5], Catlike [7], Common Sense [3], Cynic [6], Daredevil [6], Drug Tolerant [6], Focused Concentration [4 per, max 2], Guts [10], Honest Face [5], Instinctive Hack [2], Juryrigger [10], natural Athlete [7], ninja vanish [5], Perceptive [1 or 2 ranks, 5], Quick Config [5], Shoot First - Don't Ask [2], Magic Resistance [6], Social Chameleon [7], Profiler [3], Observant [5], Outdoorsman [3], Perfect Time [5], Toughness [9], Spirit Whisperer [8], Tough as Nails [5, S or P], Practice-Practice-Practice [2]
• SPECIAL: Free contact; Sol Bestmenn - Fixer / P: Attorney [C5/L1] Sol is a Las Vegas, PCC-based personal injury and criminal defense attorney - a sleazy, middle-aged human man, Sol makes a living the best way he knows how - hustling the courtroom like a disco drug dealer.

Background
This run explores Krime Industry's Warranty-Violation Recall Service, where Krime steals back its own weaponry when people deign to outfit it with special modification or prototype materials.
Meet
Runners meet at the Emerald Grpyhon, an ancients bar in Tarislar.
Run
Runners check into the hotel in Vegas and do some cursory legwork evaluation the security operations around the Tur Pam and the ren faire. Eventually they settle on a social con, faking a slip & fall-style accident with the security guard using the prototype lance, hiring a lawyer to back up Cowboy's injury complaint and then ambushing the limousine in transit to an evidence lock-up to steal the krime lance. The team hires a sleazy Vegas lawyer, sets up their ambush locations, and gets ready to seize the lance, which, by Vegas luck alone, happens only to be guarded by a valet and the company lawyer.
Aftermath
Krime acquires another prototype for its stun lance model!
Expenses
Favors x3; legal fees.

Pre Market Brief for Wednesday August 19th 2020

You can subscribe to the daily 4:00 AM Pre Market Brief on The Twitter Link Here . Alerts in the tweets will direct you to the daily 4:00 AM Pre Market Brief in this sub.
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Stock Futures:

• Pre-Market Trading
• Stock futures open flat after S&P 500's record close
• Asia Pacific stocks mixed; Japan’s exports in July slide on-year
• European markets set to open slightly higher after record highs on Wall Street

Tuesday 08/18/2020 News and Markets Recap:

• Your Pre Market Brief for 08/18/2020
• Market Recap

Wednesday August 19th 2020 Economic Calendar (All times are Eastern)

• 07:00 AM MBA 30-Year Mortgage Rate 14/AUG
• 07:00 AM MBA Mortgage Applications 14/AUG
• 10:30 AM EIA Crude Oil Stocks Change 14/AUG
• 10:30 AM EIA Gasoline Stocks Change 14/AUG
• 10:30 AM EIA Distillate Stocks Change 14/AUG
• 10:30 AM EIA Cushing Crude Oil Stocks Change 14/AUG
• 10:30 AM EIA Refinery Crude Runs Change 14/AUG
• 10:30 AM EIA Heating Oil Stocks Change 14/AUG
• 10:30 AM EIA Distillate Fuel Production Change 14/AUG
• 10:30 AM EIA Gasoline Production Change 14/AUG
• 10:30 AM EIA Crude Oil Imports Change 14/AUG
• 01:00 PM 20-Year Bond Auction
• 02:00 PM FOMC Minutes

News Heading into Wednesday August 19th 2020
NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT YOLO THE VARIOUS TICKERS WITHOUT DOING RESEARCH. THE TIME STAMPS ON THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES MAY BE LATER THAN OTHERS ON THE WEB. THE CREATOR OF THIS THREAD COMPILED THE FOLLOWING IN A QUICK MANNER AND DOES NOT ATTEST TO THE VERACITY OF THE INFORMATION BELOW. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR VETTING YOUR OWN SOURCES AND DOING YOUR OWN DD.

• GNCA Genocea -1.8% as holders file to offer 21.39M shares
• VRNA Verona Pharma Initiates Multiple Dose Part of Phase 2 Clinical Trial with pMDI Formulation of Ensifentrine in COPD (Overnight News).
• AXDX Accelerate Diagnostics up 13% on FDA emergency use nod for COVID-19 test (Overnight News).
• CYDY CytoDyn requests “Fast Track Approval” in U.K for COVID-19 trial (Overnight News).
• CNTG CENTOGENE Opens Walk-In COVID-19 Testing Facility at Hamburg Airport (Overnight News).
• HUD Dufry to buy rest of Hudson in $311 million deal (Overnight News).
• BTG B2Gold Continues to Operate Unimpeded at its Fekola Mine in Mali (Overnight News).
• REGN Regeneron teams with Roche to triple supply of its COVID-19 drug (Overnight News).
• MTP Midatech Pharma Announces Exercise of Warrants and Issue of Equity (Overnight News).
• ON ON Semiconductor Announces Upsize and Pricing of Private Offering of $700 Million of 3.875% Senior Notes (Overnight News).
• RXT Rackspace Technology Announces Results of Global Cloud Budget Survey, Uncovers the Hidden Complexities of IT Spend Management (Overnight News).
• GS Booking app Omio raises $100 million in travel recovery bet (Overnight News).
• CHGG Chegg Prices Offering of $900.0 Million of 0% Convertible Senior Notes Due 2026 (Overnight News).
• FUTU Futu Announces Pricing of Offering of 9,500,000 American Depositary Shares (Overnight News).
• BCOV Streamed Video Content Dominates Media and Entertainment Consumption According to the Brightcove Q2 2020 Global Video Index (Overnight News).
• ORCL Trump Expresses Support for Oracle to Buy TikTok (Overnight News).
• BX Takeda preparing to sell Japan consumer health unit to Blackstone: Kyodo (Overnight News).
• NOVA GAF Energy and Sunnova Launch Strategic Partnership to Expand Roof-Integrated Solar Options for Homeowners (Overnight News).
• EQNR Equinor’s share saving plan allocates shares (Overnight News).
• AAPL Apple Revamps Music Radio Service With A Rebranded Beats 1, And Two New Stations (Overnight News).
• World’s largest shipping firm says demand will ‘significantly decline’ this year(Overnight News).
• NI NiSource Inc. Announces Pricing and Preliminary Results of its Any and All Tender Offer
• WU Western Union Now Available at CARD Bank (Overnight News).
• INBX Form S-1MEF (registration adding securities to prior form s-1 registration [rule 462(b)]) filed with the SEC
• GILD Gilead comes up empty with U.S. application for filgotinib for rheumatoid arthritis
• MIDD The Middleby Prices Upsized Offering of $650 Million Convertible Senior Notes Due 2025
• U.S., China to expand airline flights between them to eight per week. (UAL, DAL, CEA, ZNH)
• JUUL MO Juul E-Cigarette Getting FDA Review to Stay on the U.S. Market
• HRMY Form S-1MEF (registration adding securities to prior form s-1 registration [rule 462(b)]) filed with the SEC
• CDNS Cadence's John Wall to Present at KeyBanc Future of Technology Series
• EHTH EHealth chief bullish on future, increases stake to 703K shares
• ZNGA Zynga Becomes Largest Mobile Game Maker by Market Share
• CNDT Conduent +3.2% as it names Icahn's Gary to board for settlement
• RMAX RE/MAX 2020 Broker Owner Conference Features Memorable Speakers, Valuable Lessons and the Launch of New Tools, Training and Technology for its Global Network of Entrepreneurs
• CNNE Cannae Holdings Announces Investment in Foley Trasimene Acquisition Corp. II’s Recently Priced $1.3 Billion Initial Public Offering
• BFT Foley Trasimene Acquisition Corp. II Announces Pricing of Upsized $1.3 Billion Initial Public Offering
• RIO Rio Tinto cuts 2020 refined copper outlook on smelter restart delay in Utah mine
• AR Antero Resources Announces Pricing of $250 Million Offering of Convertible Senior Notes
• III Asia Pacific Sourcing Slumps in Q2 on Pandemic Concerns
• QHRC Quest Resource Holding to Present Virtually and Host 1x1 Investor Meetings at the 11th Annual Midwest Ideas Investor Conference on August 26th & 27th
• REV C Citi Resigns Role on Brigade CLO Deal Amid Escalating Loan Feud
• REV C Citigroup wins freeze on funds mistakenly sent to Revlon creditors
• RDFN Late-Summer Housing Market is Unseasonably Hot, Prices Up 10% and Pending Sales Up 13%
• RPAI Retail Properties Of America Prices $400.0 Million Offering Of Senior Unsecured Notes
• SRNE Sorrento Therapeutics -10.4% after CFO's ouster
• STAR iStar Pricing $400 Million of Senior Unsecured Notes
• CWT California Water Service Group Honored as Silver Stevie® Award Winner for COVID-19 Employer Response
• JNPR Archdiocese of Brisbane Selects Juniper Networks to Provide AI-Driven Wi-Fi Solutions Across Its Operations
• ROP Roper Technologies Prices Public Offering Of $300 Million Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2022, $700 Million Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2025, $700 Million Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2027 And $1 Billion Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2031
• TTEK Tetra Tech Wins $29.7 Million USAID Renewable Energy Contract
• SPKE Spark Energy Announces Class A Common Stock Share Buyback Program
• DMYD dMY Technology Group II Announces Closing of Underwriters’ Over-Allotment Option in Connection with its Initial Public Offering
• GVA Granite Inliner receives C$12M sewer maintenance project in Canada
• BPYU Brookfield Property REIT Inc. Announces Final Results of Tender Offer
• KKR KKR prices $750M senior notes
• GSIT GSI Technology to Participate in the LD 500 Virtual Conference on September 3, 2020
• ADI Analog Devices Appoints Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher to Board of Directors
• DNB Dun and Bradstreet adds Jackson to expanded board
• STNG Scorpio Tankers Announces Purchase of Common Shares by Scorpio Services Holding
• MDC Richmond American Debuts New Models at Popular Folsom Masterplan
• HAL Halliburton wins contact to bring cloud-based tech to Thailand offshore rigs
• FLUX Flux Power Announces Closing of $12.4 Million Underwritten Public Offering Including Full Exercise of Over-Allotment Option
• FISV Fiserv Announces Pricing of Secondary Offering of Common Stock by New Omaha Holdings
• EBC Eastern Bank Announces Commencement of Stock Offering
• RRR Station Casinos offers "Cashless Gaming" with "PlayOn" at Las Vegas Properties
• ICMB Investcorp Credit Management BDC Schedules Earnings Release of Fourth Quarter Ended June 30, 2020
• GLDD US Department of Defense awards new contracts to GLDD
• SWN Southwestern Energy prices senior notes offering
• ORCC Mindbody, Software Maker for Gyms, Slapped With Higher Loan Cost
• CALB California Bank of Commerce Adds Veteran Bankers to Growing Team
• AMZN Amazon pushes sellers to meet two-day delivery guarantees so more people can get Prime-eligible products
• SSP Triton Digital Releases Webcast Metrics Rankings for the Top Digital Audio Properties for June 2020
• MJCO Majesco Taps into the Minds of ’s Most Influential Industry Leaders Shaping the Future of Insurance
• RRC Range Announces Pricing of Upsized $300 Million Offering of Additional 9.250% Senior Notes Due 2026 and Amends Terms of Tender Offers
• IRTC iRhythm Technologies launches equity offering
• ALBO Albireo Reports Topline Results from Phase 2 Trial of Elobixibat in NAFLD/NASH
• CXO Concho Resources Publishes Inaugural 2020 Sustainability Report
• PSN Parsons completes requirements for operations at SWPF
• LE Lands' End works out deal for more financial breathing room
• SABR Sabre falls after $250M convertible, common stock offerings
• HDS HD Supply Holdings Announces Fiscal 2020 Second-Quarter Earnings Release Date and Conference Call
• HHC The Howard Hughes® Announces Closing Of An Offering Of $750,000,000 Senior Notes Due 2028
• GASS STEALTHGAS Announces the Date for the Release of the Second Quarter and Six Months 2020 Financial and Operating Results, Conference Call and Webcast
• AFG American Financial Group Increases Annual Common Stock Dividend by 11%; Fifteenth Consecutive Year of Dividend Increases
• RXT Onica Introduces Contact Center Intelligence Solution Built on Amazon Web Services
• MRCY Mercury Systems awarded patent for cyberattack protection technology
• PRTS Announces Closing of Public Offering of Common Stock and Full Exercise of the Underwriters' Over-Allotment Option
• PLV Permianville Royalty Trust Announces Monthly Operational Update
• WM Waste Management Announces Cash Dividend
• EYEN Eyenovia under pressure on planned equity offering
• JKHY Jack Henry and Associates falls 6% after earnings report, downside EPS forecast
• MASI New Studies Investigate the Accuracy of Noninvasive, Continuous Hemoglobin Monitoring with Masimo SpHb® on Neonates

Note: Seeking A url's and Reddit do not get along.
Upcoming Earnings:

• Earnings Calendar
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COVID-19 Stats and News:

• COVID-19 Stats
• Latest Map and Case Count
• Universities begin U-turns as campus life brings outbreaks
• Coronavirus gut check: How small businesses are surviving
• Treasury yields hold steady as investors monitor stimulus deal

Macro Considerations:

• Economic Indicators
• Economic Indicator Forecasts
• Tracking America’s Recovery

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• SEC Form 10-K (Annual Performance)
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• SEC Form 8-K (Information of Shareholder Interest)
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Other

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It is up to you to judge the accuracy and veracity of these headlines before trading.

I hope someone can answer some of these questions:
I decided to finally upgrade my old United MileagePlus Awards card ($60 annual) that I had for over 15 years, to United Explorer after they recently offered me to upgrade and get 5K miles for just making one purchase before the end of this year.
For the free checked bag offer, I know that you have to purchase the airfare directly from United to get the benefit, and even award travel can include the free bag if the taxes/fees is paid on the card, but how about basic economy? If I buy a basic economy ticket direct from United using the card, does the checked bag offer come with it?
Lastly, has anyone used the "Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection" program for United cardholders from Chase? Anyone had good or bad experiences? I was looking at Las Vegas casino resorts and while it's a slightly higher nightly cost than direct from hotel's AAA or casino loyalty card member rate (about an extra $40 a night), the free daily breakfast and $100 dining credit per stay is very enticing. It means I can hotel hop every day, get $100 in food money at each property; but if I stayed two or more nights at same property, it's just $100 for entire stint.

Recap – Despite a huge gain on Friday, the SPY continued the bullish trend and ended up 1%. The Momentum plays on Friday were BHC and HPE. They finished at +6.55% and 4.37% respectively. If you played these in the after-hours market Friday you should have made out pretty well. Unfortunately, my limit orders were never filled. The Classic UOA picks of SABR and APA collectively did okay. SABR was quite a bit higher in the morning at 11.50 but proceeded to drop for the rest of the day ending at -1%. If you had a reasonable take profit that should have hit. The second pick, APA, ended up 9.77%.
Site update – Economic Calendar has been updated to be more useful. This week I am going to focus heavily on the resources area so be sure to check it out. Eventually it will be a database with the most useful sites both free and paid that could help you to make the best decisions possible. There is also an email subscribe button now (it has yet to be tested).
Here’s the Option Activity Summary for today –
June 8th, 2020 Option Activity Fast Facts (Stocks >$6)
Highest Multiple over Daily Avg (with ADV >5k) – IVR with 11x it’s ADV of 20,489. 202k calls traded and 31k puts.
Ticker with most contracts Traded – GE with 591k contracts traded and 2x it’s ADV of 285k. 462k calls traded and 128k puts.
Largest Put to Call Ratio (w/ Option volume over 10k) – IEF with P/C ratio of 70 and 159 calls and 11k puts.
Largest Call to Put Ratio (w/ Option volume over 10k) – SONO with 33 C/P ratio. 37k calls and 1.1k puts.
1. Ticker : FTCH
Spot Price : $15.58 +1.55, +11.05%
Company Summary (from Yahoo Finance): Farfetch Limited, through its subsidiary, Farfetch.com Limited, provides an online marketplace for luxury goods in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in three segments: Digital Platform, Brand Platform, and In-Store. The company operates Farfetch.com, an online marketplace, as well as Farfetch app for retailers and brands. It also offers web design, build, development, and retail distribution solutions for retailers and brands. In addition, the company operates two Browns retail stores in London; one Stadium Goods retail store in New York; and two New Guards Off-White stores in Las Vegas and New York. Further, it operates approximately 50 New Guards franchised retail stores. Farfetch Limited was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
Special Considerations : None
Next Earnings date: 08/06/2020
Option Information :
Today’s Option Volume : 28,438 Average Daily Volume : 3,433 Multiple over ADV:8
Total Calls : 27,462 Total Puts : 976 C/P Ratio : 28
Calls at ask % : 45 Calls at bid % : 24
Puts at ask % : 11 Puts at bid % : 52
Notable strikes : JUN 19 ’20 $16 strike with 18.7k volume today. Previous OI of 575.
My Impression : FTCH is presenting at the Deutsche Bank dbAccess 17th Global Consumer Conference 2020 June 11th, 2019.It had a large spike today, but has been as high as $16.59. The Calls at ask % looks pretty bullish to me. This is similar to FLEX, BHC, and HPE. This is mostlikely buying the rumor and selling the news. Looks solid to me, I bought shares AHs.
2. Ticker : EVRI
Spot Price : $7.88, +.90, (+12.86%)
Company Summary (from Yahoo Finance): Everi Holdings Inc. provides technology solutions for the casino gaming industry in the United States, Europe, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, and Asia. The company operates in two segments, Games and FinTech. It offers gaming products, such as classic mechanical reel games, video reel games, core HDX, Empire MPX and the Texan HDX, wide area progressive games, and slot tournament systems; and sells player terminals, licenses, back office systems, and other related equipment. The company also provides Cash access services; Casino Cash Plus 3-in-1 ATM, a cash-dispensing machine that enables ATM cash withdrawals, POS debit card cash access transactions, and credit card cash access transactions; check verification and warranty services; CashClub that provides gaming establishments with a single dashboard interface to streamline credit and debit card cash access transaction processing and check warranty transactions; fully integrated kiosks that provide multiple functions to the casino floor; and other integrated kiosk solutions. In addition, it offers Everi Compliance, a suite of compliance software to assist with anti-money laundering regulations; Central Credit, a gaming patron credit bureau service; non-ATM terminals that perform authorizations for credit card cash access and POS debit card transactions; database services; and an online payment processing solution for gaming operators in states that offer intra-state, and Internet-based gaming and lottery activities. The company was formerly known as Global Cash Access Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Everi Holdings Inc. in August 2015. Everi Holdings Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Special Considerations : Earnings 06/02/2020
Next Earnings date: 08/4/2020
Option Information :
Today’s Option Volume : Average Daily Volume : 2,537 Multiple over ADV : 9
Total Calls : 22,837 Total Puts : 293 C/P Ratio : 77
Calls at ask % : 48% Calls at bid % : 24%
Puts at ask % : 11% Puts at bid % : 16%
Notable strikes : JUN 19 ’20 10C with 12.9k vlm and 4.94 OI. 3.28k VLM at the 12.5C same expiry.
My Impression : Calls at ask % looks very bullish. 9x ADV. With the run up of PENN and DKNG I am amazed this fell through the cracks. It’s 52 wk high was $15. I don’t see any news on briefing to warrant the sharp increase.
CLASSIC UNUSUAL OPTIONS ACTIVITY –
Summary : Friday’s picks HPE and BHC ended up pretty well today. Keep in mind, both of these stocks have conferences coming up. BHC has the Goldman Sachs 41st Annual Virtual Global Healthcare Conference June 10th and HPE has the conference tomorrow. Keep this in mind if you held through today. Buying the rumor and selling the news is usually a safe bet.
Regarding the momentum stocks, EVRI and FTCH look solid to me. With the recent run up of gambling stocks EVRI seems all around solid for a shorter-term hold. I bought both EVRI and FTCH in after hours. As for the Classic UOA stocks, I’m not playing either of these but will likely do a call spread on TSLA tomorrow.
Thanks for reading.
DISCLAIMER – These are my observations that I have made at the end of each day and trades that I am considering placing or watching. I am not responsible for your financial losses if you follow any of these trades. As always, do your own due diligence.
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