Jesus is about a high profile assassin who plans to fake his own death, laying low from all the Mafia's hitmen and the FBI that are after him. He plans to live his life by using the money he got from the drug smuggling he stole from the mafia gangs, which was one of the reasons that he got chased. Somehow, his plan fails and he couldn't get those drugs his old timed friend hid for him as it someho ... Read Jesus - Chapter 36 - MangaPuma. Read more at https://mangapuma.com/jesus/chapter-36

This is a really simple post but I still think I need some help here to make sure I don't screw this up. Also I'm on mobile so you know the warning about formatting.
For simplicity we'll call my best friend Allie (not real name). Allie is someone I met online and we've known each other for 3 years now. We text everyday and bond over watching shows and playing video games. We met on a server and hit it off pretty quickly. I've had feelings for at least a year, but I didn't wanna say anything so I didn't ruin anything. We've gotten to the point where we're planning to live together after college and we're finally gonna meet this summer. We know and also hang out with each other's irl friends through games and calls as well.
One of these now shared friends is Patrick(23F) (also not real name). Allie left our call for a bit to go clean, and Patrick asked me if I liked Allie. I was rather surprised since it was out of the blue, but I told him I did. He seemed very excited and told me he could tell because of how we act with each other. He explained to me that he didn't know if Allie liked me or not, but that she talked about me non stop. I asked him to find out for me and he said he would. The next day he texted me, saying she felt the same but Patrick didn't tell her of my feelings. He explained she felt like this for awhile but was scared to ask because she didn't wanna ruin anything between us. I was very excited and now I'm trying ro figure out how to go about this.
I've had my fair share of relationships, but I haven't actually ever been the one to ask someone out. So I don't know how to go about this. I was thinking about waiting for when she gets here to do it so it was special, but I don't wanna overwhelm her or weird her out. Do I do something formal or do it casual? Should I get her a gift or is that too over the top?
She's my everything and I just want her to be happy, and there's so many things I could say about her. She takes my breath away anytime I see a picture/video of her, and everytime we talk I feel so giddy hearing her voice
I also wanna find a way to soothe her fears. Even if we did get together and broke up later she would always be my best friend. I want her to know how highly I think of her and adore her. I've never felt like this before for someone. I just want her to be happy and comfortable when I do this, while also making it special. If anyone can give me advice or ideas I'd love to hear it.
TLDR; I found out my online best friend of two years likes me, though she doesn't know I know. She's visiting me this summer. How should I ask her out? Should I ask her out now or when she gets here? How do I make this nice without it being too much?

I applied to a top 10 grad school for life science last year and was rejected. I tried to reach out to two professors in a specific department of that school because it is what I’m interested in studying, but neither responded to me (my emails were tailored to each professor for what’s worth mentioning). The thing is I don’t want to go to grad school just to go to grad school if that makes sense. At this point I know exactly what field I would like to pursue and I have multiple research project ideas I’d like to explore (of course I’d be open to pursue a project that is of interest to my PI too).
I graduated from undergrad back in 2012. I worked in an academic lab at a top institution for five years after graduating and then I moved into industry (I had to move states due to a life event). I have one year in between there where I pursued a passion project and found a company that was acquired very quickly (didn’t mention this in my application though because it was healthcare-related and not life science or research-related). I have extensive lab experience, in addition to multiple scientific publications in high impact journals (no first author papers though), presentations at national and international conferences (both oral and poster), and great recommendation letters. I am a female in my early 30s now and I’m confused as to why I was rejected. It’s been suggested to me that I may be too old for a top10 school (Harvard, Yale, MIT, etc) Is this true? If not, what can I do to improve my chances of getting in next year? Thanks!

it seems like everyone i meet every friend i try to make they hate me or don't like or mean to me or think they can solve my problems one of my recent "friends" thought he could solve all my problems but he was just full of himself he thought everything was so easy and simple like things can just work out but they can't especially in my abusive situation (WHICH I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER!) i just wish i could have a kind friend in my life who understands.
dealing with my mentally abusive mother isn't easy people don't believe me they only believe her or as usual tell me to move out or get a job or whatever but like i tell everyone it isn't that simple just because i'm 22 does NOT mean i have freedom age does not matter to her or to anyone in my family and i have trouble making friends because i'm different i'm on the spectrum and i have really bizarre interests and i''m very old fashioned
right now, i just want to cry and scream but i can't if anyone cares can i please just talk to someone anyone i don't care how old you are or whatever just someone to talk to tonight i'm in the US please someone caring and won't judge me i get that enough in my own home.

Hey guys! This is just something I've observed and have been noticing lately. Is it just me or is it really hard to make friends as a masc lesbian? It's like you're not one of the bros and you're not one of the girlies. You kinda float in the middle. I feel like girls are way more forgiving in that they befriend gay men more easily than men befriending masc lesbians. I'm not saying life is easy for gay men but they seem to be able to find female friends and get social support more easily. Idk maybe it's just my experience. What do u guys think?

Info: 16F 163cm 53kgs. Tl;dr at the end.
Medication: 200mg Zoloft 200mg Seroquel nightly. Zofran, Phenergan, and Ativan take as needed. I also take a multivitamin daily.
Last September, I had to take a ride in an ambulance and the EMT told me my blood pressure was low. Fast forward to the past month or two and I've had to go to the doctor every week for vital checks, and every time my blood pressure has been low. It ranges from 105/70 at the very highest to 80/50 at the lowest. Usually I'm at 90/60. Is this cause for concern? One thing my doctor noted is that my pulse jumps 23 bpm when I stand up. I also get dizzy, feel like my head is buzzing, and my hearing becomes deafened for a minute or so after standing. I've never fainted though. What does this mean? I had blood work done a couple weeks ago and almost everything was in the normal range. I'm not anemic or anything, and I have no vitamin deficiencies. The only things out of the ordinary were: my magnesium levels were a little high, my prothrombin time was 15 seconds, and my albumin was a bit high. Could my medicine be causing this?
Tl;dr: I always have mildly low blood pressure. Is this concerning? What might be the cause? Thanks

Philosopher Stone College 1660
18-year-old Gondul stood in front of the giant building. She was a mere 20 feet from it, but the sight of it took her breath away. Philosopher Stone College is the place everyone and their mother was talking about. Everyone except Newton's mother The green grass was lightly touching the crystal clear water on the pond just below the small bridge. "This place is beautiful, Ikey," Gondul said as he turned around, facing Newton. Isaac had hit a growth spurt; the once shy 10 year old was now a 6 ft 5 young adult. "Ikey ? You still call me that. "Isaac chuckled slightly, cupping his hands to get a small amount of water from the steam. "Yeah, I've been calling you that for the longest time. Why stop now?" Gondul shrugged. The older man didn't reply, instead splashing cold spring water onto his face. He shook his head, allowing the brown curls to bounce off. "Come on now, I wanna explore the area before we start class," Gondul gave him a book.
Isaac moved the book away instead of staring at the sky, the light blue pastel color mixed with the flash of a rainbow. His once deep brown eyes turned the same color as the sky reflecting the multicolored light. Suddenly, flowers of different colors popped up from the ground, both of them. "Uh..Ikey," Gondul shook him, "You are in a trance-like state again." Isaac shook his head, his eyes turning brown again. "I'm sorry. Did you say something?" "Your magic," Gondul said, picking up the beautiful flowers he had created and putting them in her purse. "Right ..." Isaac awkwardly rubbed his hair. "You should probably control yourself a little better next time," Gondul pointed out. "Yeah, sorry," Isaac felt back. "It's not your fault, but I really don't want them to find out." Gondul rubbed her chin. "Maybe there is a way for you to repress it?" "Just long enough until school ends and we are alone?" "Magic isn't something you can just repress, darling. It's complicated," Isaac stated, turning a green apple into a red one. "Hhhmmmm," Gondul took the apple, taking a bite out of it, "I think I have an idea..."
"Hmm," Isaac stood up. "You can always dress up as a jester and pretend you are working on a play in case anybody asks any questions," Gondul pointed out. "A Jester?" Pretending ? Play ? " Isaac turned his head sideways. "Yes, people do it all the time, kind of like acting; maybe you can set up a stage play and write a play," she tried explaining it to him, showing as much enthusiasm as possible. "Uh, no," Isaac rejected the idea.
Gondul noticed the disappointment on his face. "You see, there's a few reasons: #1, I really don't wanna make a fool of myself by being dressed up as a complete idiot," Isaac raised a finger. "Yeah, that's a good point." Gondul realized that. "Magic #2 isn't something to joke about or pretend to do, especially since it's a very complex skill that has a grey area if my magic looks too convincing, well, we are busted," Isaac told her. "Okay, but how strong is your magic?" I'm sure you are good enough to fake it, or I could do the jester role, as Gondul debated. Isaac gave a heavy sigh. "There is no talking it out with you, is there?" Gondul patted him on the shoulder, giving him a smile. "If we play our cards right, we could earn money too!" I mean, instead of doing chores all day, we could study magic while pretending to be humans." "True ..." Isaac collected a few branches he snapped from the tree, making them into a pile.
"What are you doing?" Gondul helped him with the branches. "I plan on collecting a few things for my studies, such as branches, tree bark, and whatever I can find." Isaac dipped a tree branch inside the stream until a bright color emerged. Once he pulled the stream out, it turned into a wooden bowl. Newton filled it with water, staring at his own reflection. "Do you need any help on this?" Gondul asked. "No, this is something I need to do on my own. I can't see you getting hurt," Isaac muttered. "Can you repeat that last part, please?" Gondul gave him her book back. "I said go on; I'll catch up later," he lied. "Okay, Ikey," Gondul waved at him before taking a few steps. "Wait, Gondul," Isaac reached out to her, "Need something?" Gondul answered.
"I... do you think I'd make a good magician... like Galileo or my father?" he swallowed. "No," Gondul disagreed harshly, much to Newton's dismay. "I'm sorry for asking," Isaac groaned in defeat. "I know you would make a better one than any other one combined," her face grinned. "Gondul..." Isaac whispered, his back resting on the tree. "Good luck," Gondul ran across the bridge, jumping across the gate past a few other students. The University of Philosopher's Stone is a rather large place near the gated entrance. It's the type of place where it's easy to get lost. "Sorry, I'm so sorry," she said as she bumped into a few students wandering around the university like a lost child. "Hey, watch it!" a rude man yelled at her. "I'm sorry, it's just so crowded here," Gondul apologized. The brick walls have carvings layered around the walls of the university. Each carving has a specific symbol of stars or some form of astrology. There are hundreds of them, all lined up in two opposite columns. Gondul opened one of the doors, letting herself inside. "Holy moly..." sapphire blue eyes opened.
Inside Philosopher Stone University is what you would expect from such a prestigious, luxurious school. The floors were made out of marble-like rock with different decorations. Dozens of statues of various Greek gods stood by. Gondul felt intense pressure coming from the bone. Cold sweat dropped on the floor along with the excessive shivering. Was it nervousness? Fear? Excitement?the constant thoughts rattled Gondul's brain. "No ..." Gondul shook her head, sitting on the rails of the long stairs to slide off.
flash back
"Why are we going to Philosopher's Stone University?" Gondul asked, watching Isaac pack up his bags. "Grandma told me that Philosopher Stone was the first magic school to open up before it converted to a normal university after it became illegal." The school still opened, but they basically swept their past under the rug, Isaac explained. "Right... that's probably a myth though, right?" Gondul asked him. "Probably, but if there is just 1 person who can teach me what my father couldn't, then I'm willing to risk it even if it means death," Isaac mentioned. Gondul paused upon hearing that. Just kidding! Isaac gave a fake chuckle. "You have the worst sense of humor ever," Gondul pouted. The horse galloped across the open terrain. Gondul laid his head on Isaac's shoulder. "I'm going to miss Grandma Margary's blueberry pie." "Yeah, blueberries are my favorite, especially the way the crust sets on top of the bread," Isaac agreed.
Flash back ends
"There must be proof of some sort of magic." Gondul debated looking through the many doors with bizarre symbols. Being near Isaac for years had made her accustomed to feeling different types of energy. Being in a crowd of students, it was hard to tell which magical fields belonged to whom. It didn't help with the random birds flying around due to the number of open windows. "Hey shoo shoo!" Gondul moved away from the huge raven bouncing off random students. "Someone should really get rid of the bird infestation," someone complained. The raven flew away out of the window, leaving only its black feathers.
In another room was a huge area where the roof was made out of glass. A young man around the same age as Isaac and Gondul climbed on the fragile wood structure like monkey bars. His blond hair had a huge curl on top of it, along with expensive, elegant clothing compared to everyone else's. Once he got bored, he quickly fell off 12 feet, landing on his shoes.
"Thomas Alva Edison! "Didn't I tell you to stop playing around and get to class!?" A man yelled at him. The lamp in front of him completely obscured his face, leaving nothing but a lock of red hair. "Lighten up, pop!" Edison grabbed a Cream Filbert, taking a bite. "Pops?" The man's arm twitched. "I'M ONLY 13 YEARS OLDER THAN YOU." "Relax Isaac, I'm just playing with you," Edison said as he opened the door. "See you later, tutor."
Once the door closed, a raven teleported inside with a burst of red energy. The gem on top of its forehead is glowing. He flew towards the man named "Isaac," once again obscuring his face. "Oh, really?... no way," Isaac understood him. "I'll check it out," he snapped, turning the lights off.

I’ve been a multistan of kpop since around 2018. I started dating my boyfriend in 2021 and he had a rough idea that I liked it. However I didn’t really show how much I liked it until early 2022 and I wanted to share it with him. I found out he actually liked a few kpop songs and I thought “oh this is great I can teach him more”, but thanks to some incidents I hardly ever talk about it with him anymore except for asking him to listen to certain songs.
He gets all pouty whenever I would talk about idols or whenever I would post something with kind words during certain idols’ birthdays. I’ve tried to tell him gently as possible that he sounds insecure, but then he immediately said that he wasn’t insecure. Yet it practically screams insecurity when he asked me “if Jimin ever asked to be his girlfriend, you would say yes.” Then when I would tell him “no because I already have you and that would never happen anyways.” Jimin is my ult bias and while I absolutely adore him, I wouldn’t leave my boyfriend and Jimin wouldn’t want me to if it theoretically happened.
He also doesn’t understand how I know so much about so many idols yet I’m forgetful about everything else. When I talked to it about my therapist, she said that she doesn’t see the issue because kpop is an uncommon interest. I would remember that over other things easily. I know all these things about idols because of how easy it is to learn about them just through videos and social media. There’s also photocard collecting among many other things involved in kpop. He acts like I’m obsessed and he said he doesn’t get why I’m obsessed about people who don’t even know I exist. I’m not even half as obsessed as some fans are and I don’t even have a huge collection of stuff. Either way, I can’t talk about it with him like I thought I could. I am 22 and he’s 24 btw.

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I graduated from high school 2 years ago and while I got into universities, I opted not to go and decided to work for my family instead. Now, I am looking to go back as soon as I can, which is preferably this fall. However, the admissions for US schools are basically done and people are starting to get results so I am looking for options globally. I have already looked at some universities in Asia and am currently applying. The thing is, I'm not even sure how I start looking for more options. If anyone has any recourses that could help me I would greatly appreciate it. I have a 1400 SAT with 3.5 gpa and money is not an issue.

TLDR: NADOLOL>>>>>PROPRANOLOL don't give up on treating your POTS! it has given me great increase in quality of life!!
I'm not walking crouched over and in pain anymore. I don't get short of breath turning over in bed. I can make breakfast without (literally) blacking out. I feel like a brand new person.. I was drinking a gallon a day, compression socks, plus increased salt. doesn't have shit on the relief Nadolol has brought me (although I still maintain this regime per my dr!)
I just want to recommend nadolol if you're currently unmedicated for POTS.. actually i wanna scream from the mountaintops about it.. i am probably going to cry when i see my doctor again bc of the relief this has brought me. (I guess above it all, really I should recommend finding a doctor who is confident in treating you. My primary physician did her best, but wasn't versed enough.. Cardiologist gaslit me and told me to calm down.. last straw, saw an electrophysiologist and finally he helped treat me)
I was so scared of that beta-blocker sedation I experienced on propranolol but seemingly my energy envelope has increased GREATLY, like 4x the amount genuinely, since taking this. I don't think I realized how additionally fatiguing my POTS was and I attributed malaise 100% to ME. but I think it was making it way worse.
we are all different. Prop may work for you, nadolol might not. I adjusted to it in 1-2 weeks.. and I was able to take a TRIP TO THE FREAKING BEACH for the first time in two years and WALK!!!!!!!!! NO CHEST PAIN! no rapid heartbeat!!!!!!!! no blackouts!! I WALKED THROUGH SAND every day .. and I didn't even crash afterwards!
IT IS WORTH EXPERIMENTING with medications to treat your POTS. I KNOW it is exhausting and it's easy to put off. i know how hard dr apps are with ME. that's why I post here and not the POTS sub. it's so different for us and i get that. the hoops u have to go through with quadrupole checking heart health before they will treat you too, IT IS A LOT. it took 2 months of appointments and heart monitors and heart ultrasounds before they treated me. and i wanted to just give up because it is strenuous. but I wish I had treated this so much sooner, and I wish I had not stuck it out on prop for so long. it has blessed me with such an increased quality of life. I cannot encourage you enough to seek pots treatment even if the first one you tried did not work well for you. I wish I had not given up treatment for a year. keep trying and keep experimenting. it just might be worth it

I’ve done and said things that have hurt the people around me snd made me lose friends. I was always under this illusion that if I had good intentions and tried to be kind I wouldn’t hurt people but recently I’ve lost two friend because I’ve said/done things. I never really truly knew that the way I treated myself would reflect and negatively impact others. I’m trying to get into therapy but it’s a long wait at my high-school and it’s really hard to try to take care of myself and the people around me which I’ve miserably failed at, and even harder to do this alone. I really don’t want to be alone but I’m scared to hurt people. I’m debating cutting off my friends because I don’t trust myself. I don’t know how to cope or what to do.

We had several City Council meetings in March, including the start of our budget work sessions. Below is a summary of noteworthy actions:

1. We approved funding for a non-sworn social work supervisor and three additional social worker positions for the Raleigh Police Department ACORNS team. The ACORNS (Addressing Crises through Outreach, Referrals, Networking, and Service) team has been tasked to connect with individuals in crisis and provide them with the resources. The team utilizes a “care and safety first, enforcement last” approach.
   
2. We approved a rezoning request for the Char-Grill site downtown. The owners of Char-Grill sold the land for development and were in support of the rezoning request. The sale was intended to provide for the long-term financial stability of the company and their family. Char-Grill will remain on site, in operation throughout the permitting and planning phases of the new development, and when construction is finished, Char-Grill will be the first tenant in the new building. The rezoning also provided for the relocation of a historical house located on the property.
   
3. We had a work session discussion about the future of fare free transit in Raleigh, and other transit strategies. Raleigh buses have been far free since March 2020. Presently, the loss of fare revenue is being supplemented by COVID-related funds, but those funds will extinguish within the next year. During the work session, we learned that there are many benefits associated with fare free transit, including reducing barriers to transit use and increased ridership, decreasing disputes over fare collection, and enhanced operational efficiencies of the buses. We also learned about some challenges associated with fare free transit, specifically a high number of non-destination riders seeking shelter on the buses.
   

For me, the biggest take away from the staff presentation was learning that 82% of our transit users make less than $35k per year. Accessibility and equity is the biggest benefit of transit remaining fare free. Over the next few months, I look forward to working with my colleagues on City Council and staff on a plan for moving forward that, I hope, will keep our buses fare free, while also addressing any funding gaps, increasing service, and addressing some rider and transit operator safety issues. Stay tuned for more information on this issue.

1. We received an update on our zoning changes to allow different types of housing in more places. In 2021 and 2022, the City Council took some big strides to eliminate exclusionary zoning laws and to allow ADUs (accessory dwelling units) citywide, and to allow construction of -plexes, tiny homes, and townhouses in more places in the city. These changes are in line with national trends, including guidance from the Democratic President, Joe Biden. In fact, the Biden administration is awarding grants to cities and towns who make these changes. However, like any change, there have been some members of the community who are upset or confused, so staff initiated a series of informative meeting which took place across the city (and virtually) the past several months. You can review the entire report and presentation here.

My big takeaways were, nearly everyone in the city agrees housing affordability is a major issue, if not the major issue, we just don't all agree on how to fix it. And most of the residents who provided feedback are older, white homeowners; 80% of respondents were over the age of 45, while 60% of our city is under the age of 45; 80% of the respondents were homeowners, while 48% of the residents in our city are non-homeowners.
We need to be hearing from more voices and lived experiences on these issues. Most of the people we hear from already have theirs; these decisions impact those trying to settle down, own a home, or find somewhere to live. It's about the future of Raleigh. Please join the conversation.

1. We received an update on Bus Rapid Transit. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is essentially "light rail on wheels." The buses are specialized, connected vehicles which run in mostly dedicated lanes, with enhanced, elevated stations, and signal priority. In 2016, voters approved the Wake County Transit Plan which calls for construction of 4 BRT routes, radiating from downtown Raleigh. The New Bern Avenue (east) route is scheduled to begin construction this year. The Southern route to Garner just received a supportive rating from the federal government and is recommended for funding in the president's FY24 budget. The Western route to downtown Cary is in the early planning stages, and will have stops at Dix Park, NC State, Fenton, and the WakeMed Soccer Park. The Northern route will run to either midtown or Triangle Town Center, or both; that route is still being studied and construction is scheduled for completion last.

Our next City Council meetings are Tuesday, April 4, 2023 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dreamville Music Festival is this weekend, and there will be several free, associated events downtown. It'll be a great weekend and get out and have some fun. I hope to see you around. https://dreamvillefest.com/home/
[email protected]

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

To make this simple, I’m going to tell this story chronologically…
Once upon a time, there was a girl (we’ll call her B) that I participated in a high school extra curricular with. B was such a bratty, cliquey teenager that I was once in the bathroom stall when was talking sh*t about me. (It was stuff like “omg no one likes her and she’s not good at this sport. Why doesn’t she just QUIT already?!”). And YES, just like the movies.. I walked out, made eye contact in the mirror as I washed my hands and left. I was never mean, ugly, or rude. (This was roughly 2008).
B and I went to same college and had some crossover with acquaintances who would say things like “oh yeah, B said she knew you in HS! She said you were freak.”
8 years ago (2015) - she becomes friends with a coworker (we’ll call him T) 3 years ago (2020) - guess who becomes friends with T too? MEEEEE! 1.5 years ago (2021) - after roughly 7 years of friendship, she confesses her feelings for T, which he skirts around but she gets the hint and tells him she wants to remain friends. When she learns that T and I are very close friends she (again) tells him I’m “weird” and “batsht crazy” (bear in mind that I haven’t spoken to this girl since 2008). 1 year ago (2022) - T and I are now dating. (Karma’s a btch, huh?) While B also starts dating someone else herself.
Recently, they went on a trip together to a mutual friend’s wedding (B kinda invited herself) and T said that B was clingy and even seemed upset when he refused to share a bed with her in the suite that a few people were sharing. She also recently invited T to a concert and said “bring a friend.. maybe not your gf tho.” Then she reconsidered and said he could bring me. (We never went).
T keeps insisting that B has “grown up” since HS and that she feels awful about how she was cruel to me in the bathroom. I don’t think it seems like she’s changed at all though. I think she just wants to keep T in her life. He also insists that she’s happy in her new relationship with an older man that she’s sunk her claws into.
He wants us to go to dinner and put all of this behind us. I’m fine with them being friends.. but am I being an AH for refusing to go to dinner with this girl? I feel I seem like I’m holding on to HS drama, but I’m not so sure this ugly person has changed her stripes. Yes, I could rub my relationship in her face, but why bother? T doesn’t want her. I just don’t care to deal with her drama.

Hello,
i don't know if anyone can help, searched around the web a bit and i've mostly seen attempts at this with no resolution.
I was handed an old Windows 8 Tablet (Thinkpad 8), first thing i did was installing Ubuntu and after some driver struggle managed to get myself a pretty nice device.
Since it comes with only MicroUSB port but working in Host mode, i was wondering it it can be turned into a usb gadget like the Raspberry Zero can.
The reason for this is that my Pi Zero died and i was using it as g_audio device for my main PC, since its currently impossible to get my hands on another Pi currently, i was thinking of enabling the g_audio on this tablet and do the same, but despite modprobe throws no errors, the device never appears.
Is something like this possible? I highly doubt, but would i be able to achieve this effect with a rooted android instead?
Thank you all

I am a recent college graduate with a biology degree. All my life I was pushed towards the health field by my Ghanaian parents and never had the chance to figure what I wanted to do. Now I have no relevant work experience and my degree is basically useless without further education. I got into NYU’s accelerated nursing program but the bill was too much for me to pay. Been trying to do other things but I am not qualified for anything. Currently working retail and I am miserable. I’ve been thinking about suicide for a long while now. I feel like I have no value in life and that nothing I do is working for me. Lost all my passions along the way of trying to please my parents. It’s funny because they claim that they didn’t push me or steer me away from what I wanted to do since high school which was interior design. But I blame myself for not having the backbone to just go against them and follow my dreams. With that being said I’m trying to bring myself back to a sound state of mind. Because researching suicide methods, purchasing instruments to go through with these things is something I’m trying to get away from. Also tried the therapy thing… didn’t work.

It's so hard for me to make friends right now and now everyone at my school just thinks I'm weird and now I basically cant make any friends. I seriously just wish I could restart it all and act differently. I'm about to head to high school so maybe I have a chance to get friends this time because I don't know how I'd make friends after school because I'm already really bad socially so I feel like high school is my last chance to make a good impression or I'm just gonna be lonely for the rest of my time here

Rockstar Games, the studio behind the hugely successful Grand Theft Auto franchise, has confirmed that the highly anticipated GTA 6 will have a revolutionary new storyline and characters. According to insiders, the game will take place in a new location and feature a fresh cast of characters, all with their own unique backstories and motivations.
Rumors are circulating that the game will take place in a fictional city based on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with a focus on the criminal underworld and the struggles of everyday people caught up in it. The game is said to tackle themes of corruption, poverty, and social inequality, with players able to choose their own path through the narrative.
While details about the storyline and characters are being kept tightly under wraps, fans are already speculating about who might be involved. Some are hoping to see the return of fan-favorite characters like Trevor, Michael, and Franklin from GTA V, while others are looking forward to meeting brand new characters with their own unique personalities and abilities.
Regardless of what direction Rockstar takes with the story and characters in GTA 6, fans can expect the same level of high-quality gameplay and immersive open-world environments that the series is known for. The game is expected to be released on next-generation consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, as well as PC.
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GTA 6 is one of the most highly anticipated games in recent memory, and fans are eagerly awaiting any news about the game's development. One of the most exciting rumors surrounding GTA 6 is the promise of an immersive online multiplayer experience.
According to various reports, GTA 6 will feature a multiplayer mode that is even more expansive and immersive than the one found in GTA 5. This could include new and improved mechanics, such as more advanced character customization options and a wider variety of missions and activities to undertake.
There have also been rumors that GTA 6's multiplayer mode will feature a more dynamic and interactive world, with players able to affect the game's environment and each other in more significant ways. This could mean that players will be able to create their own factions and take control of different areas of the map, with battles for territory and resources playing out in real-time.
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Hi everyone! Hope you are doing well. Back when i was 15 (im 21 now) i went to an endocrinologist and had some blood tests/ovarian ultrasound done since i had very excessive black thick hair EVERYWHERE im talking like would thread my face and it was fully grown 2 days later. The only concerning blood tests at that time were: - high free testosterone 6.4 (range is 0.5–3.9) - Iron 155 (range 50-120)
and they diagnosed me with Hirsutism put me on birth control patch and spironolactone to help with pms and the excessive hair growth. They ruled out PCOS bc i did not meet criteria (i have regular periods and they didn’t find anything in ultrasound)
Flash forward 5 ish years now ive been off spiro for 8 months and stopped birth control for a month decided to go back to the endocrinologist and get a new baseline. Everything except the following tests were flagged: - total testosterone 49 (range is 2-45) - ALT 68 (range is 6-29)
Im getting more testing done on liver functions because AST was normal (28). My endo wants me to do a 17-hydroxyprogesteron test idk what that is. I think she’s reevaluating me for PCOS but is it possible to have it with regular periods? Im so confused and miserable off birth control. Is it worth getting another ovarian ultrasound? I appreciate the help!