Body found in gastonia nc today

To start our community I would like to share my recent short story Apostasia.
Any and all feedback is welcome and appreciated!
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read my writing.
​
Apostasia
My father’s shadowy figure filled the arched doorway as candles flickered in the hall behind him.
“Son” he calls out. His voice bouncing off the vaulted ceilings.
“Yes father” I call back
“Today is your day, you will go out alone. I need you to take the truck to the Harvesters cabin, where I showed you last time.” He stepped forward and his face was cast in a golden glow. He reached his hand out toward me and I began to rise to my feet and approach him.
“What will I do there?” I ask. He shakes his head as if nodding off a nagging fly and lowers his hand.
“You will be receiving something that you must protect with your life my son. You will leave tonight at sundown.” he tells me. “I know you are scared to be alone but remember I am always with you son, up here” He taps his finger to his temple.
At sundown I put on my black coat and my father hands me the key to the truck. He says “Be safe now son. We need you back for Nyx ceremonies so make haste.” With that I start the car and rumble down the gravel drive towards the stone gate.
The Harvesters cabin is just past the treeline, a small dilapidated wooden shack entangled with vines and shrubs. A single cardboard package sits in front of it. This must be what I'm here for. I grabbed the box and ran back to the car. I left quickly, Ansty with excitement about the success of my first solo mission.
Red and blue lights flick on behind me and light up the dark county road. I’ve been trained for this. I squeak the truck to a halt and pull to the side of the road. I feel my heart pound as the man approaches. I stick one hand out the window and keep the other planted firmly on the steering wheel.
“How ya doing tonight son?” he asked me in a deep, arrogant voice.
“I'm not your son and I don’t talk to your kind” I said calmly. I shouldn’t be here. I need to get back with the supplies soon before father starts to worry. After all, this is my first time away from the Ikos unaccompanied. He might think I've gone rogue and tried to betray him.
“Where's your windshield.... and windows? Can I see your license and registration" he said. I don’t know what he means so I don’t say anything. Father told me the Kleptos can't hurt me if I don’t say anything. I turn and glance at him for the first time and his eyes drill into me. Cold, dull and lifeless he glares at me. I can feel his evil intentions trying to pull words from my mouth. Besides everyone knows windows provide evil easy access to your mind. He opens the door and grabs my arm and pulls me behind the truck.
“This truck ain’t yours, is it?... Plate’s registered to a blue minivan, we’ve spotted you a few times, but you always seem to disappear into thin air.” He clicks cold metal cuffs around my wrists. I try to rip away from him but he’s too big. They've got me. I close my eyes tight and interlace my fingers how father showed me. I ask why he is letting this happen, why he would let the Kleptos take me. I feel his hand on my shoulder; Don’t worry son, this is all part of my plan. He has warned me about the challenges that may present themselves outside. But father told me nobody should touch me outside of the Ikos. Even still his voice echoes through my head and calms my panic. I bow my head; ever thankful he is here for me.
“If ya’ won't talk I'm gonna have to take you in” he yanks me backwards towards his car. Don’t let them take me. After trapping me in the back seat, behind darkened glass he began to drive, further than I had been before. Father traveled the land before me and found nothing but despair beyond our valley. He built the compound to keep us safe from the Exousia. They dominated the outside world and preyed on people to power their system, and now they have me. The Kleptos are tasked with collecting freelancers like us, father calls us Diaspora, and bringing us to work into their system. We’ve lost many this way over the years. The scripture of Lazarus describes this type of abduction, he was able to make it back to the commune after spending nearly a year in the hands of the Exousia. But all that time spent outside corrupted him. He came back to the commune in a crazed frenzy, screaming and fighting. The overseers were forced to lock him up in the Ikos. For 44 days and 44 nights Lazarus screamed and shouted as the overseer tried to rid him of his contaminates. At the end of the trial, he emerged from the Ikos as a tiny newborn, awarded a second chance to honor our father.
I tried my best to resist the temptation to look out the window, but I desperately need to make out my surroundings. Nothing looks familiar, everything is covered in marks of their systems. Father said they use cables to string together different parts of the outside and keep them under control. A dim yellow glow grows in the distance. Before I knew it tall buildings towered on either side of the road. I had never seen such buildings before. All those windows, one per soul. The control cables swooped up and down along the sides of the road, like a clothesline bouncing in the wind. They stretched as far in each direction as I could see. I could almost hear the static pulse inside the Klepto’s head as he bobbed it up and down with the bumps in the road.
When we arrived at the terminal it was worse than I ever could have imagined. Large glass windows span the front wall of the building, and inside the windows continue. Two, three, sometimes up to 4 layers of windows eating away at these misguided Kleptos. I try to keep my eyes locked to the floor, but even there I can catch reflections of those windows. I'm dragged into a dim room with a metal table in the middle and the man forces me down into the chair. The wall In Front of me holds a giant mirror, I stare into my own eyes, bright with life, then back at the Klepto, dull and dreary. Another one enters and the pair begin babbling questions at me. I tune them out so as to not let their words dig too deep. My eyes and ears perk up when the lesser of the two says the word Diaspora.
“Something of a religious group, but they’ve been suspected of some misbehavior in the past, specifically one member, Phillip Franco. I hear he’s like their Jesus or something”. He chuckled to his partner. What are they talking about? I've been around long enough to know there's no Phillip in the Ikos. I blanked for a second before recalling the story of Jesus. He was one of Father’s Father’s earliest followers who betrayed him for a chance to sit among the Exousia, but he was in fact deceived about the nature of his offer and the Klepto that struck up the deal took Jesus instead.
“So, who is this Phillip Franco to you?” Klepto asked me. “Come on now don’t play dumb, we saw where you was comin from.” I interlace my fingers, wrists shackled to the table in front of me and close my eyes tight. My father came to me attentively and placed his hands in mine. This is your time son, Speak he tells me. All my life I've been told speaking to a Klepto can only worsen things but here I sit, in the room with two and father tells me to speak. I begin to form a story in my head, anything that will get them off my back. As soon as my lip's part to spill the lie he rumbles from deep within me again. Tell them the truth. You are part of me, You hold my power.
“There’s no Phillip Franco where I come from.” I say.
“Where might that be?” the Klepto asks smugly. His beady eyes were bulging with artificial endorphins. He knows what's coming.
“I come from the holy place. My father watches over all of the Diaspora and I am his only child, born of light” I open my eyes and lock them with their reflections in the mirror. I can't let them get to me. “We live and work in harmony with each other while your Exousia varnishes and defiles the outside.” One of the Kleptos steps back and wipes a bead of sweat off his forehead.
“How long have you lived on that complex son?”
“Since the beginning. And I already told you once who my father is. Stop calling me son.” I snapped at him. With that, the sweaty Klepto scurried out of the room and the lesser one stepped forward.
“We’re gonna need to collect a sample of your blood buddy. We need to figure out who you are.”
“I am son of the Father” I say once again. He looks down at his folder then back up at me.
“This Father character you speak of is rumored to be our Phillip Franco, and he doesn't have any children.” The other Klepto bursts through the door and slams his hands down on the table in front of me. He grabs my arm and pushes his body hard against mine, so I'm pinned in place. He jabs me in the arm with a needle before I realize what’s going on. He swiftly caps the bloody syringe and scampers back out of the room just as hastily as he arrived, door slamming and latching behind him.
“Do you know anything about the package we found in the truck?” He asked.
“Those are spirit stones; we must eat two each morning to protect us from the evils your Exousia expels into the world. I can account to this firsthand, I can feel the evils leave my body as the spirit of light fills me each day. “
“I don’t think you understand, those are illegal narcotics” he said. I'm not sure what he means by this but I know the spirit stones are important. Father must eat them constantly as he bears most of the evil of this world so others may live in relative peace. As his son I have been taking more and more, taking on more evil, erasing it with light. The sweaty Klepto bursts through the door once again, paper in hand. “you're gonna want to see this” he says to his partner.
“Oh my god its him!” exclaims the other as he reads the file and sheds a tear. Both Kleptos look straight at me for what feels like an hour until the sweaty one eventually speaks. “We're not sure how to tell you this but, Uh, Phillip Franco and his girlfriend at the time, Julia Robin kidnapped you from your parents as a very young baby. Your real name is Orion Peterson.”
In that moment something shifted. My brain became loud and cluttered. I closed my eyes and clenched my hands, calling out desperately for Father’s Guidance, but I couldn’t find him anywhere. As if he had just vanished. What’s happening Father? I opened my eyes to see the sweaty Klepto sitting right across from me, his blue eyes sparkling even under the dim light. He stretched his hands across the table and unlocked the handcuffs. I took his hand and looked into his eyes as his cheeks and hair filled with color. His hands felt like worn leather, rough and cracked.
“Do you want to meet your real father?” He asks. I know who my real father is. Who could he possibly be talking about? I nod reluctantly and he turns smoothly and walks towards the door. As we walk back through the labyrinth of windows, I keep my head down.
We walked for a couple minutes through this concrete jungle. The smooth paved ground beneath us was cracked, imperfect. We stepped to a looming tower and the doors split open in front of us as if they knew we were coming. A grand red lobby with shiny marble floors spilled out Infront of me. They lead me to a small, golden door along the back wall. Again, it opened as if it could hear us coming. We stepped into a small room with numbered buttons on the wall. The door closed and I felt my stomach drop. A second later the wall behind me opened, revealing a long, marble hallway with a pair of large wooden doors at the end. I took a deep breath as the Klepto’s sweaty hand pulled against the ornate iron handle.
A crimson arc cuts through the air and fills the hallway as the doors swing apart. I keep my eyes down, afraid of what might be producing this light. There's a man sitting at a desk in the middle of the room, he stands up and walks over. He puts his hand on my shoulder and I flinch slightly. He quickly pulls his hand back.
“Sorry. I can't imagine how confused you must be right now.” he says. “I want to show you something.” He leads me over to the window and points. I look up and can't believe what I'm seeing. I must be 500 feet in the air, at the top of the building. These towers extend into the distance, then stop suddenly where a swirling vortex begins. “It's called the ocean” he says. I look up at him and smile as the crimson sun tucks itself into the hazy horizon.

I usually don’t complain or hate on anyone in the medical field, even if they just happen to be a secretary. I know every role is important and they’re still part of our care team. Today, though…
Just a little context; I have non diabetic Gastroparesis and ileus, basically, my stomach and intestines are paralyzed. I have been on several different medications, Prucalopride, Ondansetron, daily GoLytely, Constella… Even tried gout medication, Colchicine, and while it didn’t reduce pain or made my digestion any better, my stomach wouldn’t be as swollen as it could be. This July I’m going in for surgery, total abdominal colectomy, for the exception of my rectum.
Lately, my nausea, vomiting, pain, it all has progressively worsen this past year. Keeping solid food and even liquids are becoming harder to keep down. I have several days I will not eat or drink from the fear of pain and throwing it back up. Even when I try, it feels as I can’t properly swallow and I’m choking, I feel as it is stuck halfway down my chest and stomach. There are days that the pain is so bad I can’t get out of bed, if I try to walk, I won’t be able to stand up straight. I have no energy, and most nights I stay awake from the pain, nausea and vomiting and might get a couple hours of sleep. I can no longer work, and I had to quit my study. I have had seizures and was explained to me that they’re basically happening because my body is basically crashing.
The receptionist was confused, and spent an hour on the phone trying to explain as she kept saying she didn’t understand why I wanted an appointment. She kept on saying that there is nothing he can do for me if all these medications have not helped. She could not understand what I wanted. She could not understand why I need to talk to him at all. She kept saying how confused she was, and that she will talk to the doctor herself and may call back.
Again…. I know that the roll of a secretary plays into a patient’s care. Honestly, no disrespect towards her… But who are you to tell me all of this. You are reading from a note in my file. You don’t know my past issues, didn’t let me explain my situation at the moment. Dismissed me completely. I don’t need or want some woman who gets my doctor’s coffee giving me medical advice, I need to talk to my actual doctor. Why are you depriving me of my right to discuss my treatment to my doctor. I just wanted to cry by the end of that call…

so i’m 24 weeks pregnant today, i have a sizable baby bump now. i’m not super insecure about the bump mainly because i have HG and struggled to eat and was throwing up everything until 18 weeks, so i know the big bump means full baby.
but anyway, i’ve always been really insecure with my own butt. i’ve never liked it, hated any and all swimsuits because of it, and didn’t and still don’t think bikini cut or full coverage look good on me. i just prefer it not to be perceived at all. i’ve been with my partner for 8 months now and he’s aware of my insecurity, and he knows that’s my only body insecurity. i love everything else on my body except for my butt.
fast forward to tonight, i ask my partner if i can use his android tablet to download and play a game i can’t access on my ipad. he’s fine with it and gets it out to charge it/turn it on since he never uses it. while he’s doing this he for some reason feels to the need to tell me that the screensaver on the tablet, is a girls butt. he quickly follows by saying it’s tattooed and just a picture he found on facebook and it’s been that since before he met me and he hadn’t been on the tablet our entire relationship (which is true, it’s been dead and in a suitcase under our bed)
he himself is covered in tattoos, and use to do them even. he’s into art just like i am. but i really have no clue why he felt the need to announce the wallpaper to me. he could have just quickly changed it to something else. at this point i’m now standing at the counter with him because of my morbid curiosity and just needing to see what it looked like to hurt my own feelings.
then it goes downhill. i could easily get over the screensaver. he set it long before he knew me, it is a butt with tattoos and he likes tattoos, and i know he doesn’t ever use the tablet so it’s not like he was staring at it our entire relationship. but again for reasons unknown, he says something along the lines of “it’s just some random ass with tattoos on it. i mean i like it, but”
since i was standing next to him he was kinda holding onto me and my hands and after he said that i kinda froze because WHY would he think that’s a good thing to say? even if my one and only insecurity wasn’t my butt, i don’t see how that was appropriate. i pulled away from him and went back to my bed. when i was laying back down he tried to lighten the situation i guess because he said “are you texting your therapist now” jokingly. it’s been half an hour now and i’m still tearing up and trying not to cry because i feel like i’m overreacting but it just bothered me. this screenshot looked nothing like me. just some tight little tanned tattoo ass which is NOT what i have and i guess hearing him just casually announce he likes it knowing it’s the opposite of my own in every way got to me.
if you’ve read this whole thing, thank you. i’m mainly venting it out and i know i can’t actually turn this into an argument with him but i’ve felt so secure our entire relationship and he’s never made me feel less or indicate that he doesn’t like my body, he does the opposite, but hearing him say that out a little crack in my security that he actually does find my body perfect.
i hate these pregnancy hormones, all i want to do is just sob now.

Making this post cause of heartbreak. I was totally blindsided by the breakup. We dated for 8 months.
Getting a lot of judgement from my friend about not being over my ex and don't have much support. I don't have my family in my life and because I'm Afghani I can't really vent to people from my culture as they don't date and do arranged marriages. I left my family a long time ago as they were abusive growing up and I didn't want to have an arranged marriage.
So my ex knows I have abandonment issues and have cptsd and I've told him many times during arguments that it's triggering for me when he leaves. He's avoidant and I noticed his family argues this way. I just kind of got over it and learned to give him space.
We transitioned to a long distance relationship. I'm in canada and he's going away to japan for six months to do martial arts, train and get his mind right.
Before he left we weren't safe, I took a plan b and we talked about kids in the future. The plan was for me to come up in 3 months and visit him in japan. So he is on a flight to get there and it's a three day flight. I mentioned my period was late and was worried. He told me to let him know and encouraged me to tell him. I told him I wasn't going to tell him as one I wanted to make he sure got settled in japan and didn't want to freak him out till I knew for sure.
As he gets there he starts telling me how he likes it there and starts telling me that he's thinking he's going to train longer and maybe be away for another year. He wasn't even there a week and he's deciding to tell me he doesn't maybe want to date and he kept telling me for months he wanted to be celibate for his.time in japan and become a monk. Then he said he would probably date people maybe later on and started telling me how cute people in japan are a d he knows I am having trouble adjusting to this ldr thing he encouraged me to sign up for.
I told him before he left I didn't think I could do it and I got a flight attendant job and he ruined it for me and I got that job to make the relationship work and he realized that. He thought we were going to breakup if I got that job because he was a pilot in the past and new what flight attendants were like. This made me so mad.
So he gets there and I'm going through a pregnancy scare and I'm not sure and he starts freaking out and realizing a kid may not allow him to travel further and then he starts freaking out about killing a baby when I suggested abortion. So I said ok let's keep it and figure this out and then he started shaking and he got angry accused me of and telling me.how to get child support. Then told.me to abort the baby or he would leave me. I was shocked.
I asked him if I raised it on my own would he even want to be in its life and he said no. I just stared at him and he looked so sure I was going to say I'll go with it.
I told him this wasn't about him and it wasn't his body and he hung his head on the video call and called himself a coward. I asked him why and he told me education, he doesn't have anything to provide, the world is a terrible.place and etc.. he looked scared he was worried he pass on bipolar. I was speechless and hung up and tried to not let it get to me.
I'm not an angry person. Something came over me and I got so angry when I realized he used my trauma of my abandonment issue to pick killing a child over him and I got really triggered. I remembered all the times he did it and realized he manipulated me during arguments to win. I instantly called him a coward back and he looked like I stabbed him.in the heart and his eyes were wide. He told me he had to go and looked really hurt. I instantly regretted it and felt like I shouldn't have said that when he was vulnerable and told me how he felt.
How could I not? He used my trigger against me. In my head I realized he was going to abandon me anyways and doesn't love me.
I'm so shocked I'm reeling. I sent him messages telling him he was free to go and he broke us up and our relationship isn't the same. He did immediately apologize before I snapped. I know he can keep apologizing but it still won't erase what he did.
I'm really hurt and my friends are judging me for not being over him and I let myself go and this person was not supportive when I tried getting that job and I'm out here supporting all the dreams.
He usually blocks me and I'm surprised he didn't block me and I sent him message saying it's my choice and he gave me permission to do whatever I wanted and denied ever telling me.to get an abortion on top of that he told me not to message me and he doesn't want to date anymore. Im.so hurt. I went through a month and still not talking to him and finally found out its negative blood test but I know.im not in the clear till my next period.
He made this about him and he broke my trust and he's mad at me. He's catholic. I told him I'm the one who has to live with the decision not him. He said he'd marry me or whatever or abandon his future for me and I'm so pissed he lied about how long he'd think he'd be gone for. He is mad I saw his true colors and is tryinf to gaslight me and blame shift me. In our eight month relationship the longest I've gone is a week without talking to him after a breakup.
I looked at his ig and he's following a trans escort in japan. On top of that a girl whose a programmer and travels and is Korean. I told him fondly of how I want to be in tech and was picking up coding and how I loved Korean people and wanted to go visit Korea Korea I went and saw him. I did NC and saw he was following these girls and he usually doesn't follow people or go on ig and our last breakup he knew I looked and got jealous. I feel like he's trying to get a reaction out of me because I know he would go on snapchat or just get a escort instead of dating apps or going to a bar.
Yeah I realize he isn't a practicing catholic just one that goes and repents and confesses.
I feel stupid and I'm heartbroken and he isn't even trying to see if I'm okay. He's angry I called him a coward. He went on this trip to learn how to fight and become a "man". To top it off he found out three years ago his dad is not his dad and his mother hooked up with a guy and she never saw him again.
I think he realized his mom lied to him because the mother is polish catholic and biological dad is Pakistan Muslim. There is a religious clash and he is probably triggered and realizing his mom wasn't honest and left out the dad probably did not want him and told her to abort it. Thus replaying history.
He's such a asshole. Idk how to recover from this.

DB for 6 years. We had an open relationship at times, notably 7 years ago (that went bad.. I believed I had fallen in love but looking back it was just good sex hormones. Still, it almost broke our relationship, I worked very hard to fix things). We mended things but he became obsessed with gaming, and other technology stuff, on top of smoking weed nonstop (he did since his teens) and hoarding. I tried to get us close, but he would rather sleep in front of the tv. I suggested therapy, counseling, everything. Then we tried again, at his suggestion, but I noticed he now treated it like a quid pro quo. He wouldn't have sex with me otherwise, but I would have to ask permission to have sex with someone else, and if I did, I would have to "pay him back" doing things I am not comfortable with, which he claims is the only form of sex that interests him. So I stoped being interested in ANY sex. It felt like selling my body and my soul. I haven't been with anyone in years, but he still won't initiate sex, won't sleep in my bed, has no interest in spending time with me at all. He is verbally abusive, and even his mom and brothers agree. Fast forward to today, when two things happened. One, my really good platonic male friend hit on me. It sucked. I feared the day that would happen one day because he is a great friend, and I didn't want to lose him. It really hurt me to be honest and now I'm very uncomfortable because we play in the same orchestra. Plus, he knows I'm married. Then, the guy I used to hook up with waaaaaay back, texted me out of the blue to see if I wanted to get a drink. I told both things to my husband, one to kind of laugh and be like "WTF" and I could say "of course I said no". The other, because I wanted his input to see how I could handle my coworkefriend situation. Instead he acted like he wasn't even listening. Didn't lift his eyes from his phone and said "do I look like I care? I have things to do". Seriously.

I can’t post screenshots on this sub….so I’ll post the messages of our conversation on discord M=me P=person
P- Who are you M- Hello, I read your introduction and found your area of research very interesting. My goal is to collect friends that share similar mindsets P- Ok P- So you're a what are you exactly and what can you do or hoping to do M- I am energy light and dark, and I’m hoping to fulfill the role of the anti-Christ it seems this is the path the universe has offered, until then I’m solely focused on improving the consistency and accuracy in manifesting. If I can because the strongest manifestor in the world in this life I can take my crown at any time M- Along the way anything that could be of use to my manifestation I will learn and share equivalent knowledge in exchange and have done so thus far P- K P- Lmao I don't know how to respond to this M- Haha ask and you shall receive my friend XD that was very specific, I just messaged you today to see what your abilities are and what your trying to learn to see if we can help each other P- I probably won't be able to help you P- For our paths are not alligned M- Hmm I thought I sensed we where compatible M- Is your path predominantly serve good or evil? M- And if it’s good where do we stop aligning? M- I’ve had to assume your path based on what little I’ve seen you post but if you tell me exactly who you are and what your hoping to do it might make more sense P- I was never good M- And do you plan to be? P- No P- But I won't destroy the world M- It’s destroying it self no one can claim it but someone should guide it so what is created after everything is destroyed is something our future generations can continue advancing P- Yeah ig so M- And if you are not good this is one of the few paths you can follow without much limit while serving Gods purpose and prophecy M- It’s only those which actions have no clear motive that don’t seem to align with me P- I honestly want nothing to do with god P- Or a god for that matter M- Me to, there’s just one thing I want from him M- You can’t have nothing to do with god in that context because you are your own God M- If you don’t believe me go ahead and try not listening to your self haha P- I'm a Telepath kinda hard not to P- Probably shouldn't have said that M- Lol, so if you listen to your self’s absolute will, then you are your own god M- Accepting other gods when you realize that there are things that have absolute will over you and those are gods in the most basic sense

Hey guys, I posted a few weeks ago regarding my Ryobi RM 480ex riding mower. I've owned the mower for approx 10 months and it was really great the first season. I use it for mowing and also recreation with my kids.
The mower has been in cold storage for a few months over winter and plugged in the entire time. It is in an uninsulated detached garage. Tempes sometimes reach in the teens during winter. We had a handful of warm days in late February and early March that prompted me to take it out for a spin with my two little girls who love to ride on it and i noticed the battery was dying SUPER fast. like, 4-5x faster than normal.
I contacted Ryobi support who had me do some voltage tests and place the batteries under load. With 3 minutes of blade running time, the battery gauge dropped 3-4 bars. (I used to be able to cut my entire .5 acre yard and lose maybe 4 bars), however, the voltage remained stable. Ryobi support offered a shop to come pick the mower up and investigate which i gladly accepted.
I spoke to the shop today who reports that they found nothing wrong with the mower and that the battery drain appears "normal." They state they worked with Ryobi Tech support and put it under load (did not specify what this means exactly) and the mower only lost 1 battery gauge block. The shop tech states his "best guess" is that the mower just needed "some extra charge" (whatever that means). I asked him to clarify this and stated the mower was plugged in the entire winter and he states "we just plugged it in normally and it worked fine". He went on to say that he thinks that its jus tbecause the mower was in cold storage and now that the temperatures on average are a little warmer, it wil lwork fine.
I honestly just feel like its a bullshit bogus answer though, and, quite frankily, am not confident in their diagnosis. I spoke again to Ryobi customer support about my concern and they offered little to no insight other than that they would call the shop themselves.
Do you guys have any sinight or advice for me in this stage? I am terrified the mower will be returned in its diminished state and I will be forced to, out of pocket, replace the batteries after only 10 months of use.

All powerful new technologies create both benefits and risks: cars, planes, drugs, radiation. AI is on a trajectory to become one of the most powerful technologies we possess; in some scenarios, it becomes by far the most powerful. It therefore will create both extraordinary benefits and extraordinary risks.
What are the risks? Here are several lenses for thinking about AI risks, each putting AI in a different reference class.

As software

AI is software. All software has bugs. Therefore AI will have bugs.
The more complex software is, and the more poorly we understand it, the more likely it is to have bugs. AI is so complex that it cannot be designed, but only “trained”, which means we understand it very poorly. Therefore it is guaranteed to have bugs.
You can find some bugs with testing, but not all. Some bugs can only be found in production. Therefore, AI will have bugs that will only be found in production.
We should think about AI as complicated, buggy, code, especially to the extent that it is controlling important systems (vehicles, factories, power plants).

As a complex system

The behavior of a complex system is highly non-linear, and it is difficult (in practice impossible) to fully understand.
This is especially true of the system’s failure modes. A complex system, such as the financial system, can seem stable but then collapse quickly and with little warning.
We should expect that AI systems will be similarly hard to predict and could easily have similar failure modes.

As an agent with unaligned interests

Today’s most advanced AIs—chatbots and image generators—are not autonomous agents with goal-directed behavior. But such systems will inevitably be created and deployed.
Anytime you have an agent acting on your behalf, you have a principal–agent problem: the agent is ultimately pursuing their goals, and it can be hard to align those goals with your own.
For instance, the agent may tell you that it is representing your interests while in truth optimizing for something else, like a demagogue who claims to represent the people while actually seeking power and riches.
Or the agent can obey the letter of its goals while violating the spirit, by optimizing for its reward metrics instead of the wider aims those metrics are supposed to advance. An example would be an employee who aims for promotion, or a large bonus, at the expense of the best interests of the company. Referring back to the first lens, AI as software: computers always do exactly what you tell them, but that isn’t always exactly what you want.
Related: any time you have a system of independent agents pursuing their own interests, you need some rules for how they behave to prevent ruinous competition. But some agents will break the rules, and no matter how much you train them, some will learn “follow these rules” and others will simply learn “don’t get caught.”
People already do all of these things: lie, cheat, steal, seek power, game the system. In order to counteract them, we have a variety of social mechanisms: laws and enforcement, reputation and social stigma, checks and balances, limitations on power. At minimum, we shouldn’t give AI any more power or freedom, with any less scrutiny, than we would give a human.

As a separate, advanced culture or species

In the most catastrophic hypothesized AI risk scenarios, the AI acts like a far more advanced culture, or a far more intelligent species.
In the “advanced culture” analogy, AI is like the expansionary Western empires that quickly dominated all other cultures, even relatively advanced China. (This analogy has also been used to hypothesize what would happen on first contact with an advanced alien species.) The best scenario here is that we assimilate into the advanced culture and gain its benefits; the worst is that we are enslaved or wiped out.
In the “intelligent species“ analogy, the AI is like humans arriving on the evolutionary scene and quickly dominating Earth. The best scenario here is that we are kept like pets, with a better quality of life than we could achieve for ourselves, even if we aren’t in control anymore; the worst is that we are exploited like livestock, exterminated like pests, or simply accidentally driven extinct through neglect.
These scenarios are an extreme version of the principal-agent problem, in which the agent is far more powerful than the principal.
How much you are worried about existential risk from AI probably depends on how much you regard these scenarios as “far-fetched” vs. “obviously how things will play out.”
***
I don’t yet have solutions for any of these, but I find these different lenses useful both to appreciate the problem and take it seriously, and to start learning from the past in order to find answers.
I think these lenses could also be useful to help find cruxes in debates. People who disagree about AI risk might disagree about which of these lenses they find plausible or helpful.
Original post: https://rootsofprogress.org/four-lenses-on-ai-risks

throwaway for reasons.
last week I asked my partner of 8 years what she thought about maybe planning a getaway coming up soon. our last vacation was last July, and I could go for a small vacation.
she turns me down saying that we should probably move first, and she's right. our living situation could be better. so I dropped it and that was the end of it, I thought.
today she messages me saying that she's heading to socal for a long weekend for a tattoo appointment with an artist she follows.
after bringing up the previous conversation about the vacation I wanted to go on, I was pretty much shut down saying 'its not like I planned this long weekend without you. I saw they had a last minute appointment and found reasonably priced tickets so I went for it'.
am I out of line in feeling really down about being turned down for a vacation together, only for her to turn around and plan a long weekend alone? not even asking if I wanted to come or not. just a 'hey I'm doing this, I'll be back monday'
I want to think it's not a huge deal, but also I feel like shit over it. idk I guess I'm just looking for someone to say 'hey you're overthinking this, cut it out' or no this is a red flag I should be worried about.

Did Cody ever announce the winners for the Super73 bikes giveaway? I’m not very active on Instagram but was curious to know if winners were announced. It seemed like a really dope

Today's episode was She Talks to Angel. Angel started causing havoc around the sanctuary as Fluttershy didn't make time for him, and they decided to see Zecora to help fix their relationship. However, what Zecora gave them wasn't what they were expecting. Zecora gave them a potion that would make them switch bodies, forcing them to spend a day in the life of the other (similar to when Starlight helped Celestia and Luna). Fluttershy realized how hard it was being a bunny and Angel realized how hard it was to run the sanctuary. After a long journey, Fluttershy in Angel's body was completely spent upon getting back to the sanctuary, and Angel in Fluttershy's body convinced the animals to help him help Fluttershy. After this incident, the two were able to work out their problems and they are now closer than ever.
First off, Angel is a manipulative little nugget, but he's so good at it. Even though all of the animals hated him, especially after how he treated them while "attempting" to run the sanctuary, he was able to identify their common interest, being to help Fluttershy, allowing him to convince them to help him. I believe that Angel has grown a little bit due to this experience and I believe that he will use his skills to help better the sanctuary in the future, much like how Diamond Tiara uses her skills to help others now.
Second, I get that life as a bunny is difficult, but even though Fluttershy didn't have experience as a bunny, she still should have had Angel's muscle memory and stamina, meaning she should have been able to get around as easy as Angel makes it out to be. Granted, she doesn't have a clue on the little nuances of being a bunny that Angel does, so from a mental standpoint, it would be harder for Fluttershy, but I don't fully understand why she gets so worn out after barely making it to the forest.
Finally, even though it seemed crazy, I believe that what Zecora did was one of the only ways to help Fluttershy and Angel, as their disagreement came from neither of them realizing how hard life was like for the other, and switching bodies for a day helped them to see why the other thinks the way they do. This mutual understanding not only helped them to fix their problem, but also helped strengthen their bond in a way that would not have been possible otherwise.
Overall, this episode was good and showed that sometimes, disagreements come simply from not understanding the other person's feelings, and by understanding the reasons behind why they feel how they do, you can work towards a solution together, bringing you closer than ever before.

I had gone to a well know nudist spa twice before now and it seemed a chilled place. The third time I went (weds 29th March) I could not believe what happened to me. I go in and it’s a quiet day, one guy just coming out of the changing room and then I see another guy in the jacuzzi. I go to shower, then make my way into the steam room. Three guys in there and there’s a lot of steam. I’m certain two guys start wanking, another I had scene previously leans over to look at my cock. I thought he checked me out in previous visits and thought he was gay but I’m not homophobic so thought nothing of it until today when they were touching themselves. So I decide to move steam rooms. The other steam room is empty so I chill in there. A black woman comes in, she takes her top off. Two of the three guys come into the steam room I’m now i after the lady. A new guy walks in closely followed by one of the most attractive women I’ve ever scene! Dark hair, dark eyes, gorgeous skin but covered up by the complementary towel at this point. She is with the new guy and sit next to him and puts her legs across his lap. The last guy from the previous steam room walks in and the atmosphere is odd to me. The attention is on the women right now, I felt a bit tense and I thought to myself the women must feel tense for sure! One by one the guys start to leav, leaving myself, the black lady and the couple in the steam room. At this point I will admit I kept getting semi erections because of the couples kissing and her looks. They leave and I’m left alone with the black lady. I tell her that I left the other steam room and that the guys followed me and how it seemed off, she just smiles politely at me. I get up and in true British nature say “right” I’m going to cool off. I get a water, a quick shower before trying to enter the first steam room as it appears the guys had left. I can’t open the steam room door, then it magically opens. The guy from the couple was holding closed, but let me in. I wander in and surprised to see the gorgeous woman is sucking his cock and two guys are watching. One of which is the guy that gave me gay vibes. I sit on the other side of the room in amazement at what I am seeing. Before I know it she stands up revealing an amazing body and walks over and sit next to me at the command of the guy she was with. The gay vibes guy then starts blowing the guy from the couple. I’m sat still with my hands by my side, legs open with the gorgeous woman. She then lowers her head and proceeds to start sucking my soft cock. I couldnt believe this was happening, I mean gorgeous women just don’t do that! But here is the thing, I didn’t know if I wanted it to happen. I didn’t say no or try to stop her, I didn’t get hard but I was turned on. But also I didn’t consent. Within 2 mins of her sucking my softish cock, I cum, which I didn’t know I could do. She stands up and looks at me and says did you enjoy that? I said yes (I’m just a rabbit trapped in headlights at this point) and that I wasn’t expecting that! I’ve have cum on me, so I stand up and say that I need to clean myself off. I shower and it felt like I practically ran out of there. Whilst it felt like a porn scene and a fantasy, I’m not sure how I feel about it! I didn’t try to stop her, I didn’t say no, nor did I say yes though. I never even touched her I was still and didn’t move an inch. I have such mixed feelings about it, I’m like but I didn’t stop her, it’s a blur and I didn’t even consent. But also, I wish I got rock hard, I’d love to do it again and I’d wish I’d seen her suck off the other guy in the room. Was it sexual assault?

I'm so grateful for safe spaces like this and declutter. It helps so much to know that I'm not alone in what often seems like a Sisyphean struggle against stuff, and to be among people who understand that progress isn't linear.
Throughout the decluttering/death purge, I've been emptying banker's boxes and emptying drawers in the filing cabinet to make room for The Paper That Must Be Kept, whether long term or short term. I've been relocating supplies such as the nearly-full boxes of tabbed file folders and hanging files that were mislaid and putting them all in one place. This was all in preparation for Getting the Paper Under Control.
For the past couple of weeks in particular, I've been getting ready to Get the Paper Under Control by going through The Mail and doing 5 to 10 minute micro-purges. By "The Mail," I mean the 2 main stashes of mail that have accumulated in my favorite places to stash "Mail that I Actually Need to Open and Read." I'm typically pretty good about immediately discarding the obvious junk mail, but I get so many pre-screened offers from my bank, credit union, ISP, and health insurer that a fair amount of junk mail seeps in because it's so often indistinguishable from actual business correspondence until it's opened and read. Oftentimes I just don't have the bandwidth to deal with it beyond sorting it. If there was a way to opt out of it, I would--if I wanted to make those extra decisions and deal with a shit ton of paper mail, I wouldn't have signed up for paperless statements whenever I had the option.
The micro-purges are pretty effective in culling out that deeper level of junk mail from the Mail That Actually Needs to be Kept (and ideally cross referenced against things like receipts and explanations of benefits, etc.), so today the day had come. Today was the day to start Getting the Paper Under Control.
I've been at it for several hours so far and Jesus God what a project. No wonder I put it off and put it off. I'm making progress, though.
I've been through 3 stashes of mail and medical receipts. I have at least 3 more mail stashes to go through. The biggest "big news," is: I found the "missing" federal income tax return that I've been looking for, for a year. Other "big news" includes: A) letting go of paid storage and utility bills, and B) finding all of the documents necessary to file my 2021 and 2022 income tax returns.
The things I *do* need to keep have been opened and put in tabbed files. The things I *do not* need to keep but which had a complete account number and my full name & address have been shredded. Everything else has been put into recycling.
I'm taking a break to regain my focus (posting here helps me do that) and look up the operating hours for the local IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance clinic and get sticky notes so I can temporarily label the tabbed files in order to better organize them, now that the "preliminary sort" has been done.
I've done what I came to do, so now it's time to get back to it!

For context, I am currently 15, in love with video games, and very involved with drama club. My sister is 14, sporty, and really into make-up. We really got along when we younger, and as we grew up got into different hobbies. This led to us meeting new friends and having different experiences.
Fast forward into today , and my sister is kind of selfish. She refuses to ever wanna hangout when we aren't doing what she wants to do. If I have something she wants, she will throw a fit and hit anything to try and frighten. Sometimes that thing ends up being my leg. If we are watching tv, it has to be what she wants to watch. If we are watching tv, it has to be what she wants to watch. She treats me like a servant; telling me to grab her water bottle, phone, snack, etc. If I ever bring this up to my parents, they tell us both to "Be NICE to each other or we will punish you both and you will find those phones thrown in the trash." Yet, they tell me crap like "Your sister just finished practice, are you really gonna make her get up and grab her phone when her feet are sore?"
Then last summer, my sister got Snapchat and TikTok without my parents permission. My parents were very strict and didn't like the idea of us talking to strangers online. As you can tell, they are less strict about that now. Anyways, my sister told me and wanted me to keep it a secret. Little did she know I would use this against her. Anytime she wanted me to grab her something or give her something, I would threaten to tell our Mom and Dad about TikTok and Snapchat. That quickly made her shut up ad stop complaining.
​
Unfortunately, earlier this year our parents searched her phone and found the apps. I was so happy she would finally be caught and given a fair punishment. She was not allowed to have her phone for a week, and my parents let me have Snapchat since I had nothing suspicious on my phone. Then afterwards, She started treating me the same as she did before she got Snapchat and TikTok. Right Now I'm stuck and don't know what to do. So please tell me if I am the jerk.

I'm 26 yo f, I've dealt with am incredible amount of health issues in my life as has my family. Multiple diagnosis of fibromalgia and degenerative disc disease.
We've had no genetic testing. I haven't been in a position where I've been able to find good Dr's, or keep my insurance, or get to the Dr's when I needed to. But my health is declining.
My knees, shoulders, and jaw often dislocate or displace. I experience Raynauds Phenomenon.
I was missing my frenulum as child. My mother was born with Pyloric Stenosis.
My mother has been experiencing prolapse as well as urinary incontinence. She's 42.
My brother had a hernia when he was younger and has severe joint issues, he has since he was like 13. He's 21 now
We are all in pain, exhausted, worn out, and just generally breaking down. I feel like I've found enough information to confirm this, but the specific subtype apparently can't be tested through genetic testing?
My grandmother died during covid, she was only in her 50s and a spitfire of a women. But her body was breaking down her whole life, so was her sisters.
I know this is a lifelong diagnosis that doesn't look to have any specific treatments. But being someone who's dealt with chronic pain from a young age and had it discounted everytime- it was be a good dr visit to find out that there is a cause, we aren't crazy. Because them maybe we could actually get help for the things that are wrong. And really I listed only a few that are relevant, but I can answer questions if needed.
My question is- does this sound like a realistic diagnosis? If not, what could?
I don't know where to start with this, and I've been written off so much I am scared I will be again. I wanna feel like I'm going in the right direction when I begin this journey.

I’m seeing this take rising on Tiktok today. Basically the thought here is that an avengers civil war-esque war will happen with the Inner Circle. The idea of uniting all the courts to fight an external war only to turn around and fight one other internally.
I’ve seen a video that said it would start with Rhys and Mor. Something about the truth of what happened 500 years ago coming to light and Mor being furious with Rhys over it. Some people think it’ll be between Nesta and Rhys or maybe it’s Elain and Rhys. Just something that would cause initial conflict. I’ve seen someone say that a Illyrian and CoN rebellion will happen. Rhys will try to give in to their demands because he cannot afford to lose them. Only for the female Illyrians and CoN females to start a revolution because no body listens and they’ve finally had enough. Some of the IC would want to end this conflict quickly but some would resonate with it and want actually changes.
I’m sure there’s a million other reasons a civil war could occur between the IC. My question is what could the reason and how do you think each person would side.
Side note: not saying this will happen, just wishful thinking. indulge me. I think avengers civil war was a really good movie. I like that the conflict initially there started because of a new law and everyone picked sides. “She’s a weapon of mass destruction!” outburst didnt help either. But even then, it wasn’t until they locked everyone up after the airport fight that shit started looking bad. “He’s my friend.” “So was I.” gjsbgsgjsjbnkls. I want a conflict like this. The reason they initially choose to take sides might not the issue that actually breaks them.
Thoughts acotar? What’s your line up

We're counting down our top 10 list of the 10 disturbing serial killers who will haunt your thoughts today on True Crime. We'll be looking at the most well-known serial killers on this list, whose horrifying tales will keep you up all night. Who is the most dreadful serial killer you are aware of? Post a comment with their name.
#10. Robert Hansen
Robert Hansen participated in hunting as a teenager to get away from his difficult home situation. But as he aged, his prey changed from animals to people. He would kidnap women, frequently sex workers, attack them, and then fly or drive them into the bush.
He would hunt them down like prey and play with their lives. Hansen, who the media dubbed "The Butcher Baker," was found to have killed at least 17 women and abused at least 17 others. Cindy Paulson, a young sex worker, was supposed to be on the list in 1983.
However, she was able to flee as he was tracking his plane, which allowed the police to apprehend him. He was given a 461-year sentence, and after serving 31 years, he passed away in custody.
#9. Israel Keyes
Unknown killers are the most dreadful to both the public and the police. How about one who was also trained by the American Army to make matters worse? Israel Keyes' case was one such instance. Keyes had set up death kits across the nation, giving him access to tools wherever he chose to attack someone.
The FBI was able to track his bank account activity after he killed Samantha Koenig, and made an arrest as a result of the ransom demand. Israel Keyes, 34, was detained by police in Texas, 4,000 miles away.
But as soon as he was in custody, authorities learned that Keyes had killed other people. Keyes committed suicide in 2012, just before going on trial, and he took with him information that could have helped solve additional cases.
# 8. John Wayne Gacy
People often have a fear of clowns, and the case of John Wayne Gacy didn't do anything to ease those fears. Gacy often went to parties and events as a clown, but behind the scenes, he was a serial killer who killed boys and men.
In 1978, Gacy would tell his lawyers what he had done because he thought the police were on to him. The police had everything they needed to search his house, where they would find several bodies in the crawl space.
He was accused of killing 33 young men and would spend 14 years on death row before being put to death with a lethal injection.
#7. Marcel Petiot
In the 1940s, when Germany controlled France, a doctor named Marcel Petiot preyed on people who were trying to escape persecution. He later said he was working for the resistance, even though there was no proof. Under the name Dr. Eugene, Petiot set up a fake escape route. He gave those who were running a fake vaccine that had cyanide in it, then stole their things and got rid of their bodies. Petiot was put to death in 1946 after 23 bones were found. He may have killed about 60 people all together.
#6. Jeffrey Dahmer
Jeffrey Dahmer started a horrible murdering spree in his late teens. The majority of his later crimes entailed terrible actions to the body, and all of his victims were men or boys. Tracy Edwards was invited back to Dahmer's apartment in 1991 with the promise of drink and cash for pictures.
Edwards, though, recognized something wasn't right and made it away. He signaled for police, who went to Dahmer's residence and found some disturbing evidence that led to Dahmer's arrest. He was given a life sentence after being found guilty of 15 murders. He was, however, fatally attacked by fellow prisoner Christopher Scarver in 1994.
#5. David Parker Ray
Sometimes murderers go the additional, dreadful mile with their scheme. A trailer that David Parker Ray designated as his "toy box" was modified. The trailer was equipped with his violent tools and soundproofed. With the help of accomplices, including his girlfriend Cynthia Hendy, he would kidnap women, abuse them for weeks in the trailer, and likely terminate their lives.
After three days, a woman in 1999 was able to escape the toy box with the assistance of a neighbor. As soon as possible, the police detained Ray and Hendy. Ray received a 224-year prison term as part of a plea agreement, while Hendy, who testified against her former partner, received a 36-year sentence.
Ray killed at least 60 women, according to some estimates, while the exact number is unknown. He alleged to have kidnapped 40 ladies from all around the United States. He was never charged and he never will be because no bodies were ever discovered. Ray passed away after a heart attack in prison in 2002.
#4. Fred and Rosemary West
Serial killers can sometimes be found in couples. Although Rose's first victim was allegedly Fred's stepdaughter, Fred had committed murders before meeting Rosemary. After that, the two continued on the rampage, killing nine additional individuals along with West's first wife Catherine Costello and their daughter Heather West.
Numerous of the dead were interred on their lands. The cops discovered proof of the violence after looking into assault allegations against the pair. Despite being formally accused of 12 murders, more are thought to have occurred. West committed suicide in 1995, just before his trial, and Rosemary received a life sentence.
#3. Albert Fish
Nearly a century ago, the "Gray Man" and even the "Boogeyman" were among the names given to a murderer who was on the loose in New York. It's really not that far off. Albert Fish was a sick person who preyed on kids. Even though we aren't able to specifically name the atrocities committed against children, they are terrible.
Even more disturbingly, the insane Fish sent a letter outlining his actions to the mother of one of his victims. Fish was apprehended in 1934 after ten years of his deeds when witnesses claimed to have seen him with kidnapped children.
Fish would acknowledge the killings while also asserting that he had more than 100 victims. He was given the death penalty at his trial the following year, and it was carried out in 1936.
#2. Harold Shipman
Doctors are supposed to be trustworthy individuals. This makes the Harold Shipman case all the more terrifying. He was an English general practitioner who exclusively treated patients for the purpose of taking their lives. One of his patients passed away unexpectedly in 1998, and Shipman received a sizable inheritance thanks to a will that the patient's family was unaware of.
When the police looked into the doctor, they discovered forged documents. Further investigation revealed that several of his patients appeared to have died from diamorphine overdoses. Shipman was accused of killing 15 patients, many of them elderly women, in 1999.
There may have been as many as 250 victims after he was given a life sentence in prison. He was discovered at 6:20 in the morning having committed suicide in his prison cell.
#1. Pedro Lopez
What could possibly be worse than a serial killer? How about a known person who authorities are now unable to find? Pedro Lopez, who was born in Colombia and went by the moniker "Monster of the Andes," committed numerous murders in South America.
It seemed improbable that one individual could have committed so much violence. If Lopez were telling the truth, he would be one of history's most active serial killers. Lopez was detained in Ecuador in 1980 after attempting to kidnap someone. He was shortly accused of 110 homicides. Lopez allegedly said that he may have had more than 300 victims.
Before it was removed out of bad taste, the Guinness World Records had him listed as the most prolific serial killer in 2006. Unfortunately, Lopez was deemed sane and released for good behavior in 1998. But as of 2002, his whereabouts are a mystery after he was connected to another homicide.

Established in 2010, WM Doll is a leading manufacturer of high-quality, realistic love dolls. With a focus on innovation, craftsmanship, and attention to detail, WM Doll has become a trusted name in the love doll industry. Their mission is to provide customers with an intimate and personalized experience, catering to a wide range of preferences and desires. In this article, we will explore the unique features and offerings of WM Doll that make it a top choice for those seeking a premium love doll companion.
Material and Manufacturing Quality: WM Doll uses only the finest materials, such as TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) and silicone, to create their love dolls. These materials not only provide a realistic feel but are also durable, hypoallergenic, and easy to maintain. Each love doll is crafted using advanced molding techniques, ensuring that every detail is meticulously rendered for the utmost realism.
Customization Options: One of the standout features of WM Doll is the extensive range of customization options available. Customers can choose from a variety of body types, facial features, hair colors, and eye colors to create a love doll that matches their unique preferences. Additionally, buyers can customize the doll's makeup, nails, and even choose from various options for the genital area.
Innovative Design: WM Doll is known for its innovative designs, which not only contribute to the lifelike appearance of the dolls but also enhance the overall intimate experience. Features such as movable joints, heated bodies, and realistic skin textures are just a few examples of the advanced design elements incorporated into their love dolls.
Wide Range of Models: WM Doll offers a diverse selection of models, ensuring that every customer can find a love doll that suits their specific desires. From petite to curvy, Asian to Caucasian, and everything in between, WM Doll's extensive catalog caters to a wide variety of tastes and preferences.
Quality Control and Discretion: WM Doll is committed to upholding the highest standards of quality control, ensuring that every love doll produced meets strict guidelines and specifications. Additionally, WM Doll understands the importance of discretion when it comes to purchasing a love doll. All orders are packaged and shipped discreetly, with no indication of the contents on the packaging.
Customer Support: WM Doll prides itself on providing exceptional customer support. Their team of dedicated professionals is available to assist customers with any questions or concerns they may have throughout the buying process, as well as to provide guidance on proper care and maintenance.
In Conclusion: WM Doll is a premium love doll brand that offers an unparalleled intimate experience. With their commitment to quality, innovation, and customization, WM Doll has earned a reputation as a trusted name in the love doll industry. Whether you are new to the world of love dolls or a seasoned enthusiast, WM Doll provides a diverse range of models and options to cater to your unique desires. Experience the difference a WM Doll can make in your life today.

Hello. I am looking for a new player or two to join a pre-existing game. I am using a homebrew setting that borrows heavily from the Android setting with added fantasy elements.
My GM style lends itself to action set pieces more than interpersonal drama. I like to create stories and characters with motivation, but the game will veer towards violence and danger often.
Character death is not the goal, but it is a possibility. Poor decision making along with very bad luck can lead to a character death. This should be a big moment if it happens, and players should be aware of it as a possibility.
The game will use the X-card and I will give you a form for off limit topics. However, this game is definitely R-rated and graphic violence and fantasy racism are both topics that will probably come up in order to set atmosphere. I am not aiming for grimdark, but sometimes the story might go in a dark direction. If the Song of Ice and Fire novels are too dark, then this game might not be for you. Sexual content is a possibility, but any sex will be “fade to black.”
LGBTQ friendly, 21+ only, people of all races/cultures welcome. If you can't play nice with people of all varieties, then we don't need you.
The game will be played over discord every Tuesday night at 10pm GMT-8 (West coast US). Roll20 might be used a bit for rough battle maps.
~~~
In the 1950s and 60s, humanity began its journey out of the bosom of mother earth. In 1966, the Soviet Luna 9 took the first pictures from the moons surface. The technology, while crude, provided information that would not be confirmed until the more sophisticated US Surveyor landed. There was life on the Moon.
On July 20th, 1969, humans first landed on their home world's satellite. They spotted a few curious alien creatures, who quickly ran away. Mankind was not alone in the universe, and the astronauts collected some samples from the moon. The aliens, the Parsok, were large six limbed furry creatures who were excellent at tunneling. While the surface of the moon is arid and lifeless, there is an elaborate cave system with a diverse ecosystem of bioluminescent flora to go along with many types of fauna. The Parsok were the dominant and most intelligent species on the world, but they were no more intelligent than apes. While a fascinating discovery, Luna would ultimately prove to be largely irrelevant in the Solar system.
In the early 21st century, humans reached Venus and Mars. While Luna was exciting and filled humanity with hope, these planets were sobering. The atmosphere of Venus was thick enough that it was almost like water, and required "swimming." Unlike water, almost nothing floats and therefore required constant exertion to stay above the depths at which the atmospheric pressure would crush even the most resilient of drones and crafts. Not only that, but there were pictures released of serpent-like creatures swimming the poisonous gases hundreds of kilometers long. Some even had limbs, ranging from two to hundreds. These creatures were the stuff of nightmares.
Mars was little better. A planet devoid of macroscopic life, there was evidence that aliens had once called the planet home. Fossils were found and well as fossil fuels.
When humanity reached Jupiter in the late 21st century, everything changed. Of the 80 moons orbiting the gas giant, over 40 contained life. 29 of these were habitable for humans. Over thirty sapient species of aliens were found on these worlds, with levels of societal advancement ranging from the stone age to nearly on par with humans.
Discovering true competition in the universe, the human governments coalesced. The United States of America and Europe (USAE) formed, with a government consisting primarily of a Congress with delegates from States from all over the Earth. The President, elected by the Congress, is the primary leader of the military as well as the most powerful person when it comes to foreign affairs. Each State is in charge of governance within their own borders. Meanwhile, the Pan-Asian Union was formed, encompassing nearly all of mainland Asia (including the middle east). Nations who remained independent quickly fell into political irrelevance as they were unable to compete with these two juggernauts.
Also discovered in the Jupiter Cluster was sorcery. Many aliens were quite practiced with sorcery, especially the elves. Humans apparently crushed the knowledge of sorcery in the medieval ages, but the knowledge that they had was rudimentary. The elves, while nowhere near as numerous as humans and with laughable technology, became a superpower in the system within a few decades of meeting humanity. They traded magical knowledge for technical knowledge, and while they prefer to stay home they have assembled a fleet.
In the late 23rd century, the aliens of the Jupiter Cluster and humans have formed the Sol Union. The SU is a body similar to the 20th century United Nations. The Humans (represented by both the USAE and PAU), Elves, Hederans (Florans), Vespoids (Bugs), Saurians, and Avions make up the seven seats of the main council, representing the species with the most powerful economies and militaries of the solar system.
Meanwhile, the Saturn cluster is the next frontier. Jupiter has some sort of poorly understood magical property that brings enough heat to its satellites to support most life. Saturn's moons either do not have breathable atmospheres or are brutally cold and hostile. However, some terraforming efforts have made habitable pockets on the planets. Saturn's moons are the turf of those who wish to get away from it all, those seeking to make their fortune, those running from the law, and corporate interests. Saturn is a cluster of untapped wealth for those brave and lucky enough to grab it.

Hey! QQ - I’m trying to lose some weight but have found it a little difficult to have the motivation to carry on. Currently got a few weeks of workouts everyday booked in (already done some days consistently) but I didn’t eat well today and usually I would fall off the bandwagon but I’m going to the class tomorrow instead of cancelling it.
Just wanted some advice from those who have stuck with working out consistently, and not fallen off track.
Is this the way to lose weight? Or are bad days like this really detrimental to progress? And, how long did it take of consistently working out (I’m doing cardio) to see results?

Hello everyone! New to the community, but hopefully here to stay. I have been looking at buying a used Jeep and finally found one, but know little to nothing about aftermarket modifications.
The Jeep I am currently looking at is a modded 2017 Jeep Sahara Unlimited JK with 93,000 miles on it. I have been doing as much research into the specific model and have found that the 2017 Wrangler JK seems to overall be a solid vehicle with the majority of poor reviews coming from complaints about in cabin noise and overall comfort of the ride (which doesn't particularly bother me).
I am here in hopes that a few Jeep gurus in this community can guide me a bit better in this buying process, and have posted the aftermarket specs of the vehicle below.
The dealer has the vehicle listed at $30,000 and I test drove the vehicle yesterday without any noticeable issues, although I did not take the vehicle over 70mph (which I fully intend to on the freeway prior to purchasing, as the Jeep is lifted and I would like to make sure death wobble is not an issue). I am also curious as to what other potential issues I should be wary of when buying a vehicle like this...
Daily driving a Jeep has always been a lifelong dream of mine, and I am finally at a point in my life where I can afford one. So I ask you, /Jeeps, is this the right one, or am I potentially getting in way over my head.
Thank you so much in advance for any help/advice!
​
Suspension:JKS 3.5” LiftFox 2.0 ShocksRock Jock AntiRock SwaybarsRock Jock lower control arms with Johnny Joints
Steering:JKS Track BarMetalcloak HD Tie RodMetalcloak HD Drag Link
Bumpers:ARB Front StubbyEAG Rear with Tire Carrier
Fender:EAG Flat fenders (steel) with EAG steel wheel well liners. I also put dense foam inserts on the backside of the fender flares to keep them from rubbing the paint off the body
ElectronicsWarn Winch with synthetic line and cover for the winch (can’t remember if it’s the 8,000lb or 10,000lb but it works well).7” LED off-road lights on bumper4” LED light pods on A-PillarVoswitch 8 switch panel. I had all lights and an ARB compressor hooked up to it and it ran great. The button all the way to the left is pressure sensitive. Hold your finger against it and it will brighten/dim the lights
Hike IT-XS Throttle Controller. You can program a code into this to completely disable the throttle. Someone could break in and even start the vehicle, but it won’t go anywhere. I have the manual for this
Exhaust is a Flowmaster Super 10
Wheels are 18x10 Axe Off-road with -40 offset (so no need for a wheels spacer)Tires are 35x12.5.
Mounts on the dash are Bullet Point. The clip to the left is obviously for your phone. The mount to the right of that is for mounting a Go Pro for your off-road shenanigans