The Adventures of MDawg (in progress)

Mdawg and his fiancée, Coach Belly, strolled hand-in-hand beneath the glittering canopy of the Strip. The air, thick with the scent of perfume, cigar smoke, and money, felt like home to Mdawg. For years, he had lived a fantasy life in this city, a legend spun from whispered tales of high-stakes gambling and impossible wins on the Vegas Casino Talk forums. He had reported winning streaks, casino comped suites, and VIP treatment that painted him as a gambling savant.
But tonight, the illusion felt thin. He had bought a diamond ring, a symbol of a real life he wasn't sure he deserved. Coach Belly was a grounding force in his chaotic existence—smart, kind, and his greatest supporter. She loved him for who he was, or at least, who she thought he was.
They settled onto a bench overlooking the Bellagio fountains. The water danced to a symphony, and the lights of the city pulsed around them. "This is it, isn't it?" she said, her voice soft. "Our future."
Mdawg's stomach tightened. He had to tell her. He couldn't build a future on a lie. "Belly," he began, "there's something I need to confess."
He started with the forum—the posts, the persona. "For years, I made up the wins," he admitted, the words spilling out in a rush. "I created this character, this Mdawg who couldn't lose. The money, the comps, the VIP status... it was all a lie". He wasn't a shark; he was a fish, chasing losses, and digging himself deeper into debt.
Coach Belly listened, her expression unreadable. Mdawg confessed to posting fake stories, stealing narratives from other gamblers, and exaggerating every session. He wasn't a winner; he was a fraud.
When he finished, the fountains fell silent. The air felt heavy. "And the ring?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. "Did you win that?"
Mdawg shook his head, his vision blurring. "I took a cash advance on a credit card," he confessed.
Belly stood up and walked away, the finality of her movements more deafening than the silence. Mdawg sat alone, the glittering city lights mocking him. The legend of Mdawg, the gambler who had it all, had crumbled. The cost of his dark secret was more than money; it was the woman he loved and the future they had planned together.

On the balcony of their high-rise condo, Mdawg gazed out at the shimmering, artificial lights of the Vegas Strip. The glow, once a siren's call, now felt like a spotlight pinning him in place. Next to him, Coach Belly's hand rested on his arm, her presence a steady, comforting weight. Their wedding was just weeks away, and a quiet unease had settled between them, a shadow cast by the truth Mdawg was no longer strong enough to keep hidden.
"Something's bothering you, Dawg," she said, her voice soft. "It has been for a while."
He looked at her, his stomach twisting. Coach Belly was his rock, the one person who saw past the bravado and the endless stream of gambling talk he posted online. She loved him despite the inconsistencies and the wild stories.
"I have a confession," he began, the words tasting like ash. "Remember the winning streaks? The big scores I posted on the forum, the trips, the comps...?"
"I know you weren't winning all of that, babe," she interrupted gently. "I've always known."
Her calm understanding unhinged him more than anger would have. He had expected a confrontation, a fight, anything to delay the inevitable. But she was already there, waiting.
"It's more than that," he choked out, the whole edifice of his carefully constructed life beginning to crumble. "I wasn't just exaggerating, Belly. I was losing. Not just a little bit, but a lot. I've been losing for years".
He explained how the online reports of his victories were a lie, a carefully managed fiction to convince not only the forum members but himself that he wasn't a desperate addict. He needed the story of his success to justify the long absences, the extravagant lifestyle he couldn't afford, and his unwavering dedication to the casino grind.
"The comps... the suites... they weren't because I was a big winner," he admitted, his voice barely a whisper. "They were for a losing player. A whale they knew would keep coming back to lose more. I took you to dinner at the best restaurants, but it was just so I could hit the tables after".
The silence stretched between them, heavier than any weight he had ever felt. The city lights below seemed to mock him, a million tiny reminders of the fantasy he had built.
"I’m a fraud, Belly," he said, finally looking her in the eyes. "Everything you think you know about my gambling life is a lie. I'm deep in debt, and I can't keep pretending anymore."
Tears welled in her eyes, but not of anger, but sorrow. "I always loved you for who you were beneath all the poker and the forum posts," she said, her voice thick. "I just wish you had trusted me with this sooner."
He felt a different kind of gambling emotion then, not the thrill of a big win or the crushing low of a loss, but the terrifying uncertainty of a true unknown. He had placed his final bet, laying all his cards on the table.
"What happens now?" he asked, a lifetime of insecurity in his voice.
She took his face in her hands, her thumbs brushing away his tears. "Now," she said, "we tell the truth. Together."
The lights of the city still glittered below, but for the first time in years, Mdawg wasn't focused on the gamble. He was looking at his future, and it was terrifyingly, beautifully real.

Dan the Dandruff Man cares about his status with VitalVegas, hence he wrote a lot about him, which I skimmed.

And YouCan't (well, TheyWon't, but what's the diff) cares a great deal about how The Great MDawg and CoachBelly view him, which is why he wrote even more, none of which I read, but shore looks like quite a sheet of text!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MDawg

There's no such thing as bad press.

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P.S. A.Wolf did not receive a copy of a CTR. He was mistaken, which is why he is unable to, "Show me the CTR!"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MisterV

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MDawg

There are two reason to use a watch winder.

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Yes, and one good reason NOT to.

I used to use watch winders for my Swiss automatic watches but then I stopped.

When I sent one off for cleaning / servicing by an authorized shop they suggested that I not use a WW unless I wore the watch regularly, which I stopped doing once I retired.

The reason is simple: it adds extra hours / use to the watch, causing it to incur faster wear and need servicing sooner.

Now when I wear one I set the time, put it on, turn / jiggle the wrist a few times til it starts running and voila...

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I agree with this. Did your watch winder move slowly? I have this cheap thing like a swinging oil Derrick. It swings like a pendulum.

There is definitely extra wear and tear. I'm
Not sure oil "dries out" due to mechanisms not moving as per mdawg but I've heard the same theory on cars.

Can You Leave an Automatic Watch Unwound?

Yes, an automatic watch may be left unwound for short periods without causing any major harm. However, if left idle for too long, it may lead to:

Dried Lubricants: The oils inside the movement may thicken or dry out when the gears remain stationary for extended periods. This may cause unnecessary wear and friction, leading to potential damage over time.

Loss of Accuracy: While your watch won't lose precision immediately, prolonged inactivity may impact its ability to maintain accurate time when rewound.

Increased Servicing Needs: Leaving a watch idle for months or years without winding it could lead to costly repairs or more frequent servicing due to the deterioration of internal components.

In short, while leaving your watch unwound for a few days or weeks is fine, regular winding or wearing is necessary to keep it in optimal condition.


This sort of thing isn't so much an issue with someone who has a few watches and wears them regularly, but when one has dozens as I do, even a rotation doesn't always result in making certain that each one is run for at least a short time regularly.

As far as vehiculars right now my wife keeps getting on me to either sell at least a couple of my classic cars or drive them. It's amazing how long may pass without driving a garaged extra car especially when one travels a lot. One of my classics I spent just over six figures restoring over the course of a couple years or so, and I drove that car only once this year, a few miles.

Another one I think it's too late, it has to be towed out of the garage direct to a shop, it sat idle for too many years. And it's not the battery either, I use a quick disconnect on the batteries of all my classics. I think on that one the rear wheels are going to have to be placed on something to slide it out, because I can't even get the automatic transmission into neutral.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MDawg

Meantime AccountInQuestion is answering his own questions. You seem fixated on public venues (mentioned...bars?). What about family events? Private dinner parties? That is what I am talking about.

You are thinking too much about what a high end watch "means." Maybe because no one you know wears one so you assume that if someone started wearing a $50K watch it would be for some reason. In my peer group we just wear them, we aren't trying to impress anyone. It is merely representative of having achieved a certain level of success so now we treat ourselves to some nice things. No different from driving a certain car versus another car, or choosing to live in a certain neighborhood, or house, versus another.

Now I am pretty overboard on the watch thing and have more than anyone else in my family, but there are others in my family who own a number of expensive watches too. It just becomes a sort of obsessive hobby at some point. One person collects time pieces, another who knows what.


Anyway, it is rather cool that you would prefer a F.P. Journe to a Rolex, that indicates that you're not just buying into the usual. HOWEVER, you cannot compare a brand that just started in 1999, with something like Breguet (1775). Napoleon Bonaparte had a Breguet. So did Winston Churchill.

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My family events are not anything I dress up for unless you mean going out with the girl. I'm not sure how you get that I am "fixated". Getting dressed up and caring about my appearance usually means I'm going out in public, yes.

It is merely representative ... which means you wear them to represent. But you come to that conclusion with some silly word meant to elevate yourself.

FP Journes makes 800 watches a year. Rolex makes 100s of thousands. I am a man who appreciates fine mechanical things.

For a guy who professes to be so into watches it is very odd you have all these Rolexes and 1 AP. You are quick to inform everyone the value of them too - as if that is the important part.

FP Journes are known for contemporary innovation. Rolexes are kinda the opposite. I could afford a new rolex easily but I don't want one really.

I'm not buying a watch to think I'm napoleon. I'm buying it for looks or the technical impressiveness of the complications. Rolex is neither.

The new watch I would buy would be a ressence. Those dials with the oil that has the right optics .. I can't remember the right physics term - makes those dials in their own world. The first time you see one you scratch your head asking wtf am I looking at. And it does that without being gaudy.

And just like FP Journes, you're not going to find a passable knock-off in existence. Contrast that to Rolex where I can likely source 10 fakes of any popular Rolex model..... why buy a real
One? Buy a fake and what you save - buy a cooler watch with.

I'd bet money you couldn't tell a real Rolex from a super clone. You have to be specializing in Rolexes to be able to spot a super clone with the naked eye.

Sorry about goofed up messages - haven't rolled out of bed and I'm on the phone.

Do you actually read most of what you see or just blip through it, A.Wolf style?

Just yesterday the FPJourne factory website itself posted a half dozen fakes (wall clocks, not wrist watches, but still) and warned people against them. The watches have only been around since 1999, so maybe not as many fakes but they are out there.

https://www.copywatchstyle.com/FP-Jo...-Blue_121.html

Also, this, funny but not related to the counterfeits:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Watches/com...pjourne_do_at/

You obviously didn't watch the Rolex video I posted either. None of these fakes is any good to anyone in the know, but they do exist. And as far as precious metal watch fakes, they look abysmal, not even close to genuine.