Hello there!
I tried my best to stay out of the dating game the past few years (with mixed results), but now I really want to start putting myself back out there. And dating apps, though I do alright, just stress me out to no end. So I’m here on Reddit!
Right now, my life is pretty great honestly. I’m a young professional (an engineer at an automotive company), have a couple of groups of pretty great friends, and too many hobbies to know what to do with. But, I don’t have anyone to share my life with. Someone to tell everything to, to stay up until 5am talking about the meaning of life with. Someone to do cute couple things with, like getting lost in a new city or in the sky when we’re stargazing at night. Someone to give all of my attention to. Local or long-distance is fine, but if we get serious eventually I’ll want to meet up and close the distance.
Here’s a little more about me: * Physically, I’m 5’11, a dad-bod build (that I’m working on), brown hair and blue-green eyes. * My spirit animal is a middle aged father of two (dad friend energy and dad jokes galore). * Music is quite literally my life (playing and listening). I’m a diagnosed concert addict, and a very poorly closeted emo kid at heart. * My biggest hobby is collecting hobbies, from the normal to the bizarre, so I can talk your ear off about anything. * I’m a nerd in just about every sense of the word (but I’m a cool one, don’t worry). * I’m a self-identified hopeless romantic, fiercely loyal, and 100% straight cheese. * I love to learn, so I will absolutely sit and listen to you rant about your passions.
There’s plenty more to me too, but I’ve gotta leave something for our conversations. Tell me about your day, what’s been on your mind, a little about yourself, or even ask me questions or try to convince me that pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza (but it totally does, you animals). Let’s see where the conversation takes us. Between juggling my career, sleep, and not getting enough sleep, I’ve got plenty of other hobbies and interests so I’m sure we can find something to talk about! Voice chats are a major plus, and a great way to really get to know each other.
I’ll be happy to exchange photos in private. I’ve got a Discord, Snapchat, and a couple other things too, if you’d rather talk on there.
Talk to you soon!

About couple months ago, I had seen this good looking Muslim brother in a group photo on IG. I was thankful that the friend who posted that picture had tagged rest of the group. I was able to view his profile and didn’t find anything that screamed out red glad. I had requested to a follow and DM him a hello. From there, we had followed each other and been messaging. I had reached out to him a month ago to go out and he had agreed. Last week, he had invited him to this nice restaurant called KOST which is located on top of a hotel with great view of the city. The food wasn’t that great and small proportions. While we were eating, he had blurred out he is currently married and he hopes I can be his second wife. I was shell shocked. I couldn’t believe he was married cause he never wore ring, zero photos of his wife, kids, or anything that would point towards him married. Whenever I needed him, he was always there. I had asked when he got married and he had told me he has been married for 6 years. His wife and himself are in rough patch currently due to infertility issues. He had informed me that he does not want to leave his wife as to not abandon her cause she doesn’t have anyone here to support her. He said he can support both of us and he can provide what I wanted as he has his own businesses for good income. The only thing he asked was that to have myself checked for my fertility as he wants to have children and doesn’t want us want to be shocked later. I was so offended first to be deceived cause I did ask him if he is married or ever been close to marrying someone. Second, for him to question if I am able to have a child or not. I haven’t talked to him since last week and he messaged me saying he will wait to hear my decision. Did I reacted too fast by ignoring him or should I try to see where this can take me?

If you message me, please tell me about yourself and include a/some photo(s) of yourself right away. Putting it in the very first sentence hoping people will actually read it? 😅.
Not your typical redditor I guess as I don’t consider myself to be a ‘nerdy gamer’ or watch anime 😅. I’ve posted on here a few times before about being in a new city and a bad breakup and needing a distraction. I’ve connected with some interesting people and even though I’m not in touch with most of them anymore, I did learn a lot about men and myself from those interactions. So, I’m here to try again but this time I’m looking for a meaningful connection that’ll last, hopefully.
Interested in talking to Americans/Canadians (around NYC/Toronto would probably make the most sense, I can explain why if we hit it off, but I guess anywhere on the east coast of the US is fine). It’s an accent thing, (the standard accents, what you hear on tv I guess), I’m into all races/ethnicities. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in NY/NJ and I’ll be moving to North America for work within the next year as well, if everything goes according to plan (won’t be giving up my Danish citizenship and could go back anytime. I love Denmark. A lot of people ask about this so thought I’d explain).
I’m a happy and positive person in general (with a bit of sass/sarcasm once you get to know me, but it’s all in good fun and I can definitely take it as well). I do get mad/annoyed/sad at times but it usually doesn’t last long. Honestly though, I hope you do too, cause it’s human. The important thing is to be able to talk about it. If you’re not a good communicator and if you can’t handle emotions, let’s not communicate at all.
I’m into socializing with my friends (it doesn’t matter what we do really, I’ll have fun as long as the company is good), going to the gym/being active, cooking, watching tv, occasionally gaming on my PS and a bunch of other stuff.
I’m educated and have a successful career, but I definitely enjoy my free time and I’d probably vibe with people that are similar. I’m super independent - right until I see spider or need to open jars :p. Not religious and not into drugs of any kind.
If you wanna know more, and if you’re a decent human being, I guess I’ll catch you in my DMs/chat and feel free to ask!
If you do contact me, please include a photo of yourself and tell me a bit about yourself. I did the same, right? If you don’t, I won’t be responding.
Alright, so here’s proof that I am me: https://ibb.co/m03P4kn
And here’s another photo of me: https://ibb.co/hMQDLXx
And here’s another one: https://ibb.co/0GyV3qr
It may not seem like it, but I smile a lot and it’s super easy to make me laugh, I promise!
Born and raised in Denmark, but ethnically I’m… a secret for now ;). My skin color ranges between olive - tan/brown. I’m 5’3 but into taller guys (6’0-6’2).
Like I said, into all races/ethnicities but I do have a preference to at least a bit of melanin. Prefer men around my age (maybe 31-35?). Not into youngeolder men, married/engaged/cheating men, polyamorous people… yeah I could keep adding to the list but I hope you get the idea. Oh, and no drugs.

If you message me, please tell me about yourself and include a/some photo(s) of yourself right away. Putting it in the very first sentence hoping people will actually read it? 😅.
Not your typical redditor I guess as I don’t consider myself to be a ‘nerdy gamer’ or watch anime 😅. I’ve posted on here a few times before about being in a new city and a bad breakup and needing a distraction. I’ve connected with some interesting people and even though I’m not in touch with most of them anymore, I did learn a lot about men and myself from those interactions. So, I’m here to try again but this time I’m looking for a meaningful connection that’ll last, hopefully.
Interested in talking to Americans/Canadians (around NYC/Toronto would probably make the most sense, I can explain why if we hit it off, but I guess anywhere on the east coast of the US is fine). It’s an accent thing, (the standard accents, what you hear on tv I guess), I’m into all races/ethnicities. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in NY/NJ and I’ll be moving to North America for work within the next year as well, if everything goes according to plan (won’t be giving up my Danish citizenship and could go back anytime. I love Denmark. A lot of people ask about this so thought I’d explain).
I’m a happy and positive person in general (with a bit of sass/sarcasm once you get to know me, but it’s all in good fun and I can definitely take it as well). I do get mad/annoyed/sad at times but it usually doesn’t last long. Honestly though, I hope you do too, cause it’s human. The important thing is to be able to talk about it. If you’re not a good communicator and if you can’t handle emotions, let’s not communicate at all.
I’m into socializing with my friends (it doesn’t matter what we do really, I’ll have fun as long as the company is good), going to the gym/being active, cooking, watching tv, occasionally gaming on my PS and a bunch of other stuff.
I’m educated and have a successful career, but I definitely enjoy my free time and I’d probably vibe with people that are similar. I’m super independent - right until I see spider or need to open jars :p. Not religious and not into drugs of any kind.
If you wanna know more, and if you’re a decent human being, I guess I’ll catch you in my DMs/chat and feel free to ask!
If you do contact me, please include a photo of yourself and tell me a bit about yourself. I did the same, right? If you don’t, I won’t be responding.
Alright, so here’s proof that I am me: https://ibb.co/m03P4kn
And here’s another photo of me: https://ibb.co/hMQDLXx
And here’s another one: https://ibb.co/0GyV3qr
It may not seem like it, but I smile a lot and it’s super easy to make me laugh, I promise!
Born and raised in Denmark, but ethnically I’m… a secret for now ;). My skin color ranges between olive - tan/brown. I’m 5’3 but into taller guys (6’0-6’2).
Like I said, into all races/ethnicities but I do have a preference to at least a bit of melanin. Prefer men around my age (maybe 31-35?). Not into youngeolder men, married/engaged/cheating men, polyamorous people… yeah I could keep adding to the list but I hope you get the idea. Oh, and no drugs.

Hey everyone, I am currently in need of assistance to further promote my business on Facebook marketplace. I'm a craftsman creating unique Pokémon Wall Decor! I usually sell these crafts on my own personal FB marketplace but want to reach out to other North American cities markets.
I am seeking individuals who could help me post my product on their marketplace and literally just copy and paste a message to tell them to message me on my Instagram.
Your role would primarily include:

1. Posting about my product with a photo, description, and price that I will provide.
2. Monitoring the post and directing any interested parties to DM me on Instagram

I am flexible with the payment structure. I can do a payment for every person that messages you regarding the product or a flat-rate payment for posting and monitoring the product for a set period of days.
If you are interested or have any questions please let me know!

Hi! I was in the process of making an app where people can post photos of the gas prices for a specific gas station that they were recently at so other users in the same city can see them to ultimately determine which gas station will be cheaper. I was wondering what some features that could be added which might sway you into using the app and if you will even use it at all. Thanks.

We are looking for teahcers who can work from this Summe Fall. Start Teaching Job with SALARY 2.7 million won at our institute. Starting salary is higher than other schools. Salary: 2.7 + Housing + Benefits
You can get to Seoul very easily by public transportation. The bus station and subway for Seoul are within 5 min walking distance from your apartment . There are a lot of direct buses to main Korea cities including Seoul. We are looking for teacher who can start working from this Spring/Summer.
Position Benefits -We provide Housing (furnished, clean, single apartment ) -flight ticket -Health Insurance -Severance Pay -additional bonuses - Summer, Winter vacations Position details
You will teach 3~8 students for each class. Each class is for 40 min class. You will work usually from 1:30 to 9:30 p.m. (including 1hr break )
Requirements
-Fun and Energetic Personality -Be a citizen from one of the 7 English-speaking countries (USA, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, or New Zealand) - Bachelor's degree or above Necessary documents for employment in Korea: federal / national-level background check and degree - Both APOSTILLED (Embassy Stamp for Canada)
For initial application, Send your resume and your photo to [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

As much as I would like to explain all the details and things that ever happened, It could be too long for anyone to read and care about, I'll try to mention every important detail. I'll explain myself the best I can, I'm looking for advice.
TL;DR I met my first girlfriend ever, had an almost perfect relationship for 7 months. I ruined everything by not drawing a limit with a female friend I had and falling for my carnal desires. I want to show her I am not the mistake I made. How should I try to rebuild this relationship?
I [24yo] met my first girlfriend ever [25 yo] (let's call her V) almost 9 months ago. Everything happened really spontaneously, wet met during our last year of practice at the hospital. She was one month away until V finished her internship, I just started mine in that moment. During those weeks, having barely time to get to know each other, we fell in love and it was amazing. Since the very beginning there was another girl in the same hospital, I didn't notice her until I met her around the same time I met my gf. I noticed my girlfriend and this woman met each other a couple of months ago, they were not friends, limited themselves to be civil and work together, didn't seem they liked each other. She started to get closer to me and we even became close friends, I just thought at that time that my girlfriend was being a little inmature and a little bit toxic the moment he told me to stay away from that woman, at that time I couldn't understand why.
Then, my gf finished her internship. I have the most beatiful memories with my girlfriend, being together during some night shifts, drinking coffee together and sharing small but beatiful moments, our love felt honest, wholesome, plentiful, peaceful and special. I remember going to visit her the time she was hospitalized, she guided me through all the stuff I had to do at the hospital, we were really comitted with each other. She has more experience than me, have had past relationships and she almost married at a time before me. During these months we had many incidents involving that woman in one or another way, we were surrounded by a very toxic enviroment at that hospital, one day my girlfriend called me crying during one of my 36 hours shifts, she was really sad, had been crying, she told me she couldn't deal with what was happening. I was shocked and didn't understand what was going on.
We agreed on seeing each other when the shift ended and my girlfriend, after two weeks, wanted to break up because some unknown phone number started to text her obnoxious things about me, obviously false at that time. They told her that there was proof of me cheating on her. Then she showed me, some horrible people sent her a noticeably false screenshot of my conversation with this other woman I talked about, calling her beauty, my love and stuff like that. I was really mad, since on my very first relationship, someone else was trying to ruin it and I had absolutely no idea of what was going on, I had no control of the situation. I explained to her, my gf even looked for her brother to show him the picture, he even said to her it was false and very noticeable to see the flaws. After a long talk, she was very sad, and we hug each other and we taken care of our relationship together, telling each other no one would make us part ways, that our love was real and it was. We had many incidents like that. At first I had no fault of what was going on, I felt really confident with my own actions and words, I was honest, tried to protect my girlfriend from the ones who were trying to harm us anonymously.
I really loved my girlfriend, I sincerely felt I could give my life for her, we had a beautiful relationship, shared many beautiful moments, intimacy was really wholesome too, it was almost perfect. After months, this woman who was still in the hospital became a really close friend of mine, I gave my trust to her, I even told her the problems my girlfriend and I had, about us being harrassed anonymously, she even told me she would help me find out.
I lived a lot of first time experiences with V, we weren't perfect but we were committed to each other, things were serious between us. I lived many first time experiences with V, I felt deeply loved and she was really happy with me, as she used to tell me: " I feel free to be myself when I'm next to you", "You are a great man, I am scared to feel so much for you, so fast, but I feel I really love you", our communication was great, but after what happened, I remember all of those words with pain and sorrow, I feel like absolute garbage.
After months of this amazing relationship, after being harrassed online a couple of times again, my girlfriend felt really unconfident and sad, our communication was not great and she was really distant, she confronted me and wanted to breakup when someone sent her a picture of this other girl and me and the picture was real, but it was really easy to get wrong ideas from it. In the picture it seemed like I was touching her face with my hand in a romantic way when the thing that really happened was that a gave her a whiplash with her own face mask, because we were playing like a couple of stupid kids. Months after that incident around february and march I was assigned to the same shift with this other girl because some other guy b*tched about the doctor in charge being too rude and they switched shifts with me being affected, I couldn't switch again. We spent even more time since we worked together, I noticed she started to place her legs on my lap when I was working on the pc and things like that, she started to feel very confident in a physical way when she was around me, this girl has a boyfriend and a 3 year old relationship with him, so I didn't really suspect anything, I saw the situation as "that's what close friends do", in the past I had maybe one or two female friends but really didn't had experience with these kind of non verbal expressions, I used to be the quiet kid, too quiet. I saw no problem with that since it didn't bother me, but I did thought from time to time my gf would be upset is she saw this other girl doing these things. I admit, during those months I started having intrusive thoughts that made me fall at the end. At that time, my girlfriend was very distant, in retrospective I've been an asshole, because the only thing my girl ever asked me to do for her I didn't do it, when it was so simple to tell that other person to stay away from me, at first I thought it was an inmature thing to cut my friendship with that woman just because my girlfriend didn't like her, I guess she noticed, she saw things I couldn't see for myself. If I just did what I should have to. It was my fault, I didn't prioritize my girl and the only things she's ever asked me to do for her, for the sake of "being mature".
During those last two months I started having intrusive thoughts and feeling distant from my girlfriend as she was really hurt when she saw that picture, we had a real bad argument one night, I told her that I wasn't doing anything I shouldn't do and that this picture I mentioned earlier was taken out of context, which it honestly was. I was honest with V. Because of that last argument between us she said she needed time to heal and to forgive me. A couple of weeks later, I convinced her to see each other, we cried, we hug each other, we promise each other to be always honest and loyal, and we stay as a couple, but she was distant. I felt really angry and helpless, because someone else was ruining my relationship from outside. My girl was really distant, and to be honest, I must mention this, since the very first moment I started my sexual life with V, since I lost my virginity with her, I didn't know sex was such a deal for me. Before I thought It was overrated, but I felt sad I wasn't having that kind of quality time with her, I discovered I missed a lot having making love with her. Since we started, due to our responsibilities and free time we could see each other maybe two or three times a week but we used to hang out, we made love maybe once per month and rarely twice, and it always has been like that.
I enjoyed every intimacy moment I could share with her, I didn't know sex was that amazing and mind blowing, not because the pleasure but the sentimental bond we strengthen every time and the fulfillment I felt by giving pleasure to her and she let me know she really enjoyed those moments because of how I expressed my feelings for her too. Imagine the quiet kid in class, who's never had a girlfriend in school and had barely interaction with any girl before, after he was in his last months of university, after 6 years (In my country that's the amount to time med career lasts), feeling that amount of attention, that bond with a girl who really likes you. For us it was not just a physical interaction but a moment to share our deepest thoughts without feeling anxious or scared, we used to tell each other how much we loved each other while making it, she used to tell me how old fashioned she thought I was, because all the things I used to tell her, she used to love when I told her every time we made love that If we are doing it is because we really love each other, and every word I said I really meant, I truly believed that.
I lost myself, I don't know who I am anymore, I betrayed her in march, after sharing many night shifts with that other woman. At that time, before the betrayal, I felt confused, I started feeling anxious, angry because my girlfriend didn't trust me like before and it wasn't my fault, I thought maybe she will cheat on me first, maybe she has something to hide because the interest that she has lost in our relationship. I felt I was receiving something I didn't deserve because of the actions other anonymous people around us.
I started developing intrusive thoughts for that other girl. One thing lead to another, it all started with a conversation, then we started talking about things we shouldn't be talking about, shared details about our sexual experiences. I thought of having sex with her, at that moment I was angry my gf was distant because of her trust issues with me, and me being inocent. (Don't misunderstand please, I will not.try to ezcuse myself here, i did what i did and it is my fault now). We shared too much time together during our shifts since we required teamwork between us. Attraction between us was really noticeable since she confessed she used to have feelings for me, but told me it was months ago, she started to be very touchy, and we were flirting basically, even we both knew we had relationships. I stopped thinking in a coherent way, I behaved like human trash, I desired sex so much after not having sex with my girlfriend after two months. One night, 4 a.m. maybe, this girl was watching some clothes on her phone, shows me and tell me if she would look nice and showed me the picture of a red off-shoulder neckline shirt. I made a joke, which I shouldn't have made since it was innapropiate. I told her, "there are a couple of things you are missing to put on that shirt" , which she replied, "would you like to judge for yourself?", she then proceeded to offer me to touch her chest, opening the neck of her blouse. I didn't think about my girlfriend at that moment. I was just drowned in adrenaline at that moment, thinking about the pleasure, the shape of her body and I touched her, she proceed to lay down and let me touch her almost completely, it happened twice, didn't to further than that.
After that, we had an argument with this other girl, but then we agreed on seeing each other outside the hospital, obviously to have sex. The day comes, my girlfriend wanted to hang out with me that same day, I was down to it because I felt she made me guilty for nothing for a long time, what a bs thought I had. We went to eat something with the other girl, then we were talking about getting some drinks, then to go play some videogames, we were blatantly avoiding the situation we planned for that night. I asked her, "why are we doing this?, I thought our plans had other intentions" and she looked at me, then told me: "You have a girlfriend, I have a boyfriend". I inmediately stepped my shoes on the ground when I saw those eyes of guilt., I started feeling guilty, I started feeling horrible. I almost had an episode of anxiety, real anxiety in that very moment. I experienced one real anxiety attack in my life and this almost became the second. All I could see on my mind was the beautiful eyes of my V in my mind and her voice telling me the thing she always used to tell me: "Please, just don't fail me", "is the only thing I would ever ask you to do". My whole world fell down, my heart still feels too heavy. We sat on a bench that evening. The other woman and I started talking about the things that happened between us, tried to tell me not to feel to guilty since it was mutual, it was her fault too, she told me she didn't want to harm me in that way, or me to make a mistake and harm my girlfriend in that way. She told me, "all men are the same, believe me but I understand this happened, you are a man", she told me that I was a good person, and it was a good sign that I was trying to stop all this madness before something else happens. She proceeded to calm me down because I was crying, all the thoughts I stood for, all the honesty, all those situations when my girlfriend doubted me became real. Then we told each other to keep this as a secret, she recommended, she begged me to to never tell my girlfriend about what happened, because she is unique and I will lose her if she ever find out, those were the words of this girl. Then we part ways. I never kissed her and never had sex with her.
After those days I just couldn't be the same with my girlfriend, who started to approach more, to heal from her doubts of me and to be closer to me again and I just ruined everything. I was broken inside, now I'm devastated. After march I was supposed to travel to another state, in a rural area, to keep going with my practices. My girlfriend gave me an amazing birthday before I traveled, my birthday was at the end of march. we hung out, ate something, kissed a lot, she gave me a surprise, gifted me a cute teddy bear, with a box of chocolates she baked, all of that inside a personalized box covered with printed photos of us together. Days later it was the last time I saw her in person, we stayed at a hotel, went out to dance and take a few drinks, I got sick because I'm not used to drink alcohol. We got back, got romantic, made love and in the middle of the moment I ran to the bathroom to throw up everything. She took care of me, we tried to have sex in the morning, said she wanted to make me go happy before I go and not see her for the next three months, proceed to give me a bj and handjob. We promised to travel together when I finish my internship and come back to the city. All of that happened maybe a week or two after my betrayal.
Since that even making love with my girlfriend wasn't the same, I used to focus on her, my deepest pleasure was not physical but to see her so vulnerable, so free around me, naked and happy. Her smile meant everything to me, it was her smile, her pleasure made me happy. I used to write her beautiful things, corny things but she loved them, always used to tell me I was like a wholesome old man, like an old poet, those kind who doesn't exist anymore. She used to believe I was different, she trust me.She did a lot of things for me, my self steem was taken care of, with love. She highten up my low self steem in every aspect I can imagine, she helped me heal from all those demons I had inside. She made me feel like a god fot her. I feel sorry for V, and I can't forgive myself for all the damage and pain I caused her, I'm broken inside.
With every day that passed I couldn't take that situation out of my mind. Every time she called me to see how I was doing abroad, I felt guilty, I felt wrong for even having sex that last time after the betrayal happened, I felt dirty, like mud around my beloved V. I just couldn't keep up with those beautiful things, stopped telling her how I felt, how much I loved her because I was feeling more and more guilty. I was alone, drowning with my own guilt and shame. One night she hung out with a couple of friends, drank a bit, she called me at 2 a.m. and told me: "I know I drank maybe a bit too much but listen to me because everything I'm about to say I really mean it. I really love you, I love you with all my soul, I want a life with you together, let's go far away together, let's support each other, we should study together, we could live together and build a life together" she told me to promise her to never fail her, never betray her, that she would always be with me even If I choose another professional life she would support me, she would love me with all of her soul, heart, body and mind.
If I was shattered, now I was completely broken. She then proceed to tell me, "Please, promise we will build a life together, just don't fail me and I will be there for you no matter what", then asked me, "have you accomplished what I asked you?, "when was the last time you talked to that girl?"
I was completely broken inside, broke in tears and couldn't hold myself together. V got angry when I first told her the last time I talked to the other girl was at the end of March, when she made me promise to cut all communications with her days before, she made me promise while we were making love. I did stop talking to the other woman but not completely, I excused myself by telling her I still talked with her but just when work intended to. My girl was dissapointed, hung the phone and didn't answer the phone after.
I broke in tears, Couldn't help myself but leaving a 3 hour audio message on her inbox explaining everything I did behind her back, explained with every single detail. I was so honest that after she listened to the audio she called the other girl and thank her for thinking about her and stop everything before it was too late, maybe I made myself too guilty when I explained everything to V, I didn't tell her all the times the other girl sat on my lap, put my hands on her hips and moved as if we were having sex, I didn't told her how she put my hands inside her bra when I was falling asleep and made me touch her intentionally, I received the blame for both of us I guess. Then V proceeded to write in my message inbox:
"You are dead for me"
Time after that, days. Her sister, which I talked to her a few times and she helped me once to speak to V when she was angry with me before. Her sister sent me a message, I tried to explain her, I cried during those days as I never did in my life, I wanted to kill myself, all the things I left in the past came back to me, I wanted to stab myself and I couldn't, I guess I always been to coward to kill myself. I wasn't eating nor sleeping, for the first time in my life I felt as if I killed someone. She said V almost sent me a couple of audio messages telling me she still loved me, but at the end she erased them. She had been crying since, her sister told me maybe she might give you an opportunity but speak to her.
Then I started to talk with V again, but it is obviously not the same, we talk as if we were barely acquantainces. I just asked her to see her just one more time to say goodbye in a proper manner, she didn't want to but she agreed, then she called me almost every weekend during one month and a half, insulting me and telling me how I could do that to her, she told me how could I be so blind to notice the person harrasing us was that girl and how could I be so stupid to make every suspicion she ever had true with my betrayal.
It has been really difficult for me, I think she is stronger than me. since I'm far from her, from my family too and the distance just made the situation worse, I wasted myself in tears and sorrow, I never felt so much pain until now in my life. One day, after we started talking again, she wrote: "I never stopped loving you, I really love you", she even gave me an opportunity, I was happy. Two days after she said she couldn't, she wanted to but she is too damaged. From that day she still calls me from time to time, telling me she won't give me another opportunity, telling me how she went out with x or Y guy and wants revenge but she just can't do anything because she still thinks about me, also tells me how she met a guy who seems to have more details and take about her but that she doesn't care about him. I think is humilliating hearing all those things she tells me about x or y who are trying to pretend her, Then she says she doesn't care about me anymore and that I am a nobody. When I call her she doesn't tend to answer, reads my messages after one or two days. I don't understand why she is doing this. If she hates me so much, why not leaving me outside of her life?
I made one of the worst mistakes in my life, I feel regret, anger, I feel like an instrument of pain, I hate myself for falling for this bulls**t. I know V suffered because of me more than one time, because of me not being a man and do what had to be done. I learned my lesson, I would never be such human trash again. All the suffering I caused, the lesson I learned, I lost my V, I feel broken, I never been so sad in my life. In 4 days I will go back to my city for three days, we agreed on seeing each other. I know the mistake I made is not part of me anymore, I will take time but those decisions I made, I know I can be better, I will be a better man from now on, I should have listened to her, I shouldn't have stepped on V's heart, on her feelings for me. I want an opportunity, I don't know if my heart is making me see something that is not there but maybe she could give me a chance? At least I accomplished, somehow, the promise to be sincere with her, always, no matter the cost.
I feel like absolute garbage, wish I could have taken my life like a coward.

Kristi Suzanne Krebs was born on December 29, 1970 and lived in Fort Bragg, California with her parents. Kristi graduated from high school in 1989 and went straight to work at a local Round Table Pizza full time. Little else seems to be known about Kristi's early years.
Kristi was usually an upbeat person that worked very hard, and this extended to her workplace. However, it soon became clear that Kristi had begun to develop a very unhealthy obsession with a male coworker who was married. Unsolved Mysteries referred to this as an "unhealthy obsession." On April 30, 1990 (three years prior to her going missing), Kristi's coworkers described her as "unnaturally euphoric," and was fantasizing about a wedding and having kids (presumably with the married male coworker, but this is unclear). After work, Kristi drove around town aimlessly and eventually ended up in a forested area. Kristi's car ended up being stuck in the mud. Kristi kept gunning the engine to get the car unstuck, which caused the engine to overheat, which in turn caused the car to catch on fire. Kristi obviously became panicked, causing her to have a trauma educed mental breakdown.
The morning after this event, railroad workers found Kristi wandering around, dazed and disoriented. One of these railroad workers recognized Kristi and called her parents. Kristi's came to pick her up, initially wanting to take Kristi home, but while in the car, Kristi kept chanting, patting herself and just "acting weird." So they took Kristi to the hospital, where according to a Medium article, "she spent the next four weeks recovering in a private mental facility, though it would take several months before her memory completely returned." But after this initial hospital stay, Kristi was in and out of the hospital where doctors would diagnose her with a trauma educed psychotic break. At one point in her treatment, an occupational therapist recommended that Kristi start off her recovery by only going back to work part time, about twenty hours a week.
At first this arrangement seemed to be going well, but then Kristi began working "more and more," even taking on a second job at a local Burger King. Due to the two jobs, sometimes Kristi was working up to 12 hours a day. Kristi's parents also noted that she didn't seem to be sleeping very much and was going to the gym a lot. And again, Kristi began seeming very happy with her life. Kristi's father would state that these things made him wonder if Kristi's mental health was going downhill again.
Despite this new hectic pace, Kristi seemed okay, so her parents didn't want to worry. At one point, one of Kristi's managers asked her why she was so happy, and she responded "it's not what you think." Kristi did not explain further and went back to work. At around 10pm on August 9, 1993, Kristi left work in "high spirits," and told her coworkers that she'd be heading home. However, Kristi did not end up going home and began driving around.
The next time that Kristi was seen was by a park ranger at McKerricher State Park, just north of Fort Bragg, at around 10:30pm. He spotted Kristi's red Toyota Tercel parked in the lot, so he went to go speak to the driver--which was Kristi. The ranger asked Kristi if she was okay and that the state park's lot closed a half hour before, so she needed to leave. Kristi told the ranger that she was relaxing after work and if she could stay. The ranger replied that she could not stay, and Kristi said she'd leave. This ranger would later tell police that the interaction was friendly and that Kristi seemed okay.
After this encounter, Kristi drove south through Fort Bragg, headed towards the small town of Mendocino. Kristi ended up in Mendocino Woods State Park, where she continued to drive a remote dirt road near a creek bed. And like three years before, her car became stuck and she began revving the engine to make the car start again, which again caused the car to catch fire. A car jack would later be found near her car, which lead authorities to believe that she attempted to jack up the tires to get the car going (admittedly I don't drive, so I don't know if I explained that correctly). When this didn't work, it apparently made Kristi angry, and she began bashing the car hood with a rock. She then took out her wallet, shredded the pictures inside and ripped out the car stereo.
Kristi had been wearing jeans and her work shirt when she left her job, but both of these items were found in the backseat of the car. It is believed that Kristi took them off because they'd gotten wet in her attempts to free the car. Kristi kept gym clothes in her car, so it is believed that she changed into those. When Kristi didn't come home, her parents reported her missing and a full scale search was launched. The Mendocino County Sheriff's Department searched the area surrounding Kristi's car and even an air rescue squad helped in the effort. The search of the park went on for a week, but nothing was found.
Kristi's family and authorities believe that she may be out there somewhere, with memory loss. There have been sightings of Kristi after she vanished, one of the first sightings was by a woman who claimed to have seen a woman resembling Kristi attempting to hitchhike. There were also sightings from Texas to Salt Lake City, Utah. However, there are two sightings that the police believe are the most legitimate. One occurred in March 1994 in Humboldt County (north of Fort Bragg), a woman who's daughter was a classmate of Kristi's claimed to have seen Kristi along Highway 101. When the woman called out to "Kristi," she turned and walked back into the woods.
The other sighting happened in June 1994. An off duty highway worker named Mike Case picked up a female hitchhiker in Visalia California, 300 miles south of where Kristi vanished. According to Mike, this woman "didn't seem to have it all there," and was in "a world of her own," and at first thought she may be on some kind of drugs. But as he began talking with her, Mike noticed tow slash marks on her wrist. When Mike asked about it, the woman responded that she'd had a breakdown and a boyfriend that "wasn't very nice." Mike and this woman were in the car together for about 90 minutes where the woman spoke about a boyfriend that seemed fake, having relatives in San Jose and liking the ocean. These things seemed true to Kristi's parents. Mike dropped Kristi off in Hanford, California and didn't think anymore about the encounter until he saw Kristi's picture in a trucking magazine. Mike contacted Kristi's parents, who sent more photos of Kristi and it was the woman Mike said he saw.
There has been one more sighting of Kristi, also by a woman named Alicia who picked up a hitchhiker in August 1993, two days after Kristi vanished. The woman who picked up this hitchhiker woman told authorities she picked up the woman near Salt Lake City, Utah. Alicia said the woman identified herself as "Kris," and Alicia only picked her up because she was standing at a dangerous spot on the side of the road. When "Kris," got into Alicia's car, she said "you're looking at the happiest girl in the world!" Apparently this was something Kristi said on a regular basis. Kris also began telling Alicia that she'd fallen in love with a trucker and she was meeting him in Amarillo Texas so they could get married. And when Alicia dropped off this woman off at a McDonald's in Park City, Kris said "Burger King is better."
There have been no other confirmed (or unconfirmed) sightings of Kristi Krebs. When Kristi vanished, she was 22 years old, 5'2 and around 140 pounds. She has brown hair and blue eyes and her thumbs curve inward. Kristi had been suffering from emotional distress with symptoms like amnesia before she vanished.
Unsolved Mysteries episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l0JCuG_UVY&t=1177s
https://medium.com/@jennbaxter_69070/the-bizarre-disappearance-of-kristi-krebs-ea93de24cd23
https://www.advocate-news.com/2019/05/09/where-is-kristi-krebs/
https://charleyproject.org/case/kristi-suzanne-krebs
https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/808dfca.html
https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/1268
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/fort-bragg-parents-use-technology-to-look-for-missing-daughte
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Kristi_Krebs
https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=53441147&itype=cmsid
https://www.advocate-news.com/2016/04/21/missing-but-not-forgotten/

Hi all!
I was invited by SO's Aunt to go to their Grandma's bridal shower. She's getting remarried and I'm honestly very happy for her! They've been sweet to me, especially the aunt from the last dinner party.
On the day of the bridal shower, my SO asked if he could come along and drive down with me so I could drop him off at his cousin's to hang out. It's been a minute since it was just the two guys together. We drove into town 2 hours away and I dropped him off. Our plan was when the bridal shower was over, I pick him up from his cousin's house and we go back home that same night. After dropping him off, I arrived at the bridal shower. I was happily greeted by everyone- and given a wave and a "Hi" by JNMIL. Things seemed to go peacefully.
We started opening gifts and JNMIL was at the front sitting next to her mother, SO's grandma. Once Grandma received my present, JNMIL started to open the flood gates. Talking about how she missed SO so badly, how big of a man he is (he is 6'4). His Aunt replied "aww.." in the silence because no one really knew what to say.
She started going on about how feeling her body next to him was like touching his belly button because she is so short. She looked at me and said "you're tall, so you probably don't get the same feeling" Everyone started staring at me. I didn't know what to say, it was so awkwardly dead silent.
Oddly, she wanted to take a picture of the two of us to send to her man. I thought to myself "She finally has a guy to latch onto other than SO!! Yay!!" Nope lol. She said "her man" as I watched her send the photo to my SO on imessage. She tapped on my shoulder and waved her hand to the food on the table. Told me to go make "her man" a plate to bring home. She did not fail to repeat this, multiple times. I'm doing my best to keep the peace and not just walk out, for SO's Grandma.
This is where it got out of hand. I was on my way out and saying goodbye to his Aunt. I thought I was in the clear and I let it slip that I'm picking up SO at Cousin X's place. You could hear a pin drop and JNMIL ran to me. She almost was at the point of yelling: "SO's THERE??? HE IS THERE?? OMG" Her savior was in town!!! (from my old post) lol
I knew I fucked up and I immediately texted SO. There was still at least 15 people at this bridal shower when I was getting ready to walk out of the door. I guess it was practically over once I said this. I said goodbye again and was on my way to pick him up.
His city is still unfamilar to me and I didn't know the best routes. I just took what GPS said to do. I stopped by the gas station for a few snacks (besides the plate I made) for SO and filled the tank for our drive home.
I arrive at his cousin's and notice 3+ cars there, including JNMIL and his Grandma. How his family beat me there, I will never know. They had a party still at their house when I left. They were packed into Cousin X's place, sitting on the couch with SO. It didn't seem like his cousin was prepared for more than just SO to be there at all. Cousin was sitting at his dining table on his phone. SO didn't want to have a huge get-together, he only wanted to be with his cousin that day. He especially did not want people uninvited to another person's home.
Apparently, SO said that JNMIL and family knocked and his cousin felt obligated to let them in. I didn't stay longer than 5 minutes to pick SO up. It felt like I was ripping SO away from her arms. It was already late, I wanted to drive home, and I felt 200x more exhausted (and confused? i guess they told everyone to go home?. We exited and JNMIL left almost immediately after. SO texted his cousin at the car to apologize, but still so embarrassed about it. Whatever.. rant over!

There is a drain outlet which sometimes releases a lot of water into this weedy patch between a raised bed and the sidewalk. We were told that this may have caused a sinkhole under the sidewalk a few years ago. The city did some work here recently and left us with that coarse gravel. How can we make this space look nicer and also deal with the water from this drain? I've been considering putting some pavers in between the drain and sidewalk to allow more of the water to run over the sidewalk rather than under it but wonder if there's a better way? Edit: added photo bc I didn't see the one I thought was going to display above my comment.
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Pavers in the 54\" section?

Part 2 of 2: All constructive criticism is welcome and the more specific, the better.

Bringing a pitchfork to an android fight

This leaves the ruled with the sole strategic deterrent of their collective potential for violence. The deterrent is twofold:

1. Their potential as agents of coercive violence on the part of intra-class competitors
2. Their collective power as a ‘mob’ or mass movement that if necessary can overwhelm through numbers (a la Bastille)

In societies, where the institutions of legitimacy are hereditary, intra-class rivalries are more likely given the largely unconditional and irrevocable nature of legitimacy conferred by birth. No effective mechanism can remove class membership without challenging the legitimacy of the institution conferring membership.
Privileges and special treatment are often accorded to members of the same class in external societies with matching institutions of legitimacy. These privileges can even hold in wartime where either special treatment during capture or prohibitions against shedding ‘royal’ or ‘noble’ blood set class members apart from the ruled populace of either society.
This irrevocability of status limits the ability of a class to neutralize rogue members. Even if rejected by other class members, rogue members are often able to still garner support internally and externally based on their claim to legitimacy as in the case of James Francis Edward Stuart.
This inherent instability results in the courting of the ruled by competing members of the ruling elite as agents of violence. It can be as gross as the direct financing of the Clodian and Milonian gangs by Caesar and his opponents or the actual bidding war for the Roman Imperial purple by Didius Julianus. Or it can be as professional as purchasing the services of condottieri during the Italian city-state conflicts. The commonality is gathering enough of the ruled to bludgeon other members of the ruling elite into submission.
The 20th century saw the beginning of the end for hereditary institutions of legitimacy. The Chinese and Russian Communist revolutions as well as the ascent of Nazism in Germany represented the rise to power of ideologies that were fatally antagonistic to the aristocracy) and royalty. The post World II breakup of the British Empire - especially in India - saw the removal of more hereditary rulers as former colonies coalesced into independent modern nation-states. Even the former imperial leader saw radical institutional shakeups. The Labour Party’s victory in the 1945 elections started Great Britain’s transition from hereditary legitimacy as well culminating in the House of Lords Act 1999 and its following updates. In less than 100 years, a substantial portion of humanity transitioned their institutions of legitimacy and the basis of ruling elite power.

The end of elite intra-class conflict

Modernity has seen the irrevocable legitimacy of birth and descent replaced with the conditional legitimacy of intellectual compliance with the ruling elite’s philosophy or ideology. This phenomenon is most easily discerned in the Soviet Union, Communist China and other formecurrent Communist countries.
Elites were subject to constant surveillance and purged for even small infractions of ideological deviation. Surveillance was pervasive - so pervasive that in East Germany it was estimated that there was one Stasi (secret police) informer for every 6.5 citizens. Once identified as deviants, purged members were de-legitimized prior to removal in tightly controlled trials where ‘extracted’ confessions were presented as damning evidence of ideological nonconformity. This ‘delegitimization’ was so effective that popular uprisings on behalf of purged members were/are virtually nonexistent. With no legitimate claim or access to energy in the system, the purged members are rendered powerless to raise groups of the ruled to save them.
In Western Europe and the vast majority of the Anglosphere, credentialism is the preferred institution of legitimacy and can be revoked unlike inherited nobility or spiritual superiority. Credentialism (nominal meritocracy coupled with ideological compliance) forms a framework of class control slightly less punitive, yet every bit as pervasive as the Communist regimes.
In a credentials-based system, the institutions that bestow credentials - such as elite universities - represent a significant chokepoint of control over ruling elite members.
Attendance has its privileges. In the United States, Ivy League and Ivy League plus graduates are overrepresented in the upper echelons of US government, business and non-profit institutions. Currently 8 out of 9 US Supreme Court justices are graduates of just two law schools: Yale and Harvard Law. 4 out 5 of the last US Presidents graduated from Ivy League schools.
However, despite representation as a ‘meritocracy’, admission to and attendance at these institutions are not contingent solely on merit. The most obvious exceptions being legacy preferences and affirmative action. Legacy preferences and affirmative action are non-merit criteria for admission that enables ruling elites to play gatekeeper and prefer members of their class or preferred candidates for addition to the class.
Less obvious though is the implied ideological conformity to become a member of these credential granting institutions. During the 1950s and 1960s, the whiff of Communist sympathies could blacklist an individual from these institutions. In present times, differing views on gender, race, immigration or even ‘lack of personality’ can bar an individual from admission, cause rescission of admission or expulsion from these credential granting institutions. Earned credentials can be revoked for academic disagreement if it buts against the class consensus as is the case in California where disagreement with the ‘consensus’ over COVID now allows medical license revocation.
Technology makes possible the ubiquitous yet decentralized class policing to maintain conformity in the West. Stray comments from years in the past during literal childhood are now grounds for exclusion or ‘cancellation’. Social media and cancel culture allows class coordination in real-time with everything captured on phones and immediately shared on Twitter, Tiktok, Instagram to generate instant class outrage and cancellation - all without recourse to a government institution. There’s no longer a need to ‘eliminate’ someone when a bot can post inciting content that results in the loss of credentials, employment and social status for the problematic individual.
Whether the punitive Communist system or the slightly less punitive yet every bit as controlling Western system, the revocable nature of legitimacy in both systems enables modern elites to resolve intraclass disputes without having to resort to mass violence. Expulsion from the institutions of legitimacy is possible without death and can be instantaneous since unlike birth-descent legitimacy which only ends upon death, removal of a credential or Party membership doesn’t require the individual to be found, seized and killed. A few keystrokes and boom! - virtual death.
This ease and swiftness of delegitimization means class dissidents are less likely to be able to garner and maintain enough popular support necessary to violently contest for supremacy.
While beneficial to the ruling class, this removes participation in the informal violence of intraclass conflict within the ruling elite as a path of advancement or accommodation for the ruled. The ruled are no longer needed to maintain the intra-class balance.

We need pitchforks. Lots of pitchforks.

The ruled populace’s sole remaining leverage is to act as members of the formal security institutions of the society such as the armed forces or law enforcement.
The structure of the armed forces mimics the same control structure as other social institutions with the officers corps overpopulated with members of the ruling elites and the bulk of recruits from the other strata of society.
In the US, the bulk of the enlisted recruits - 80% - 90% of the total - are from households under $100k annual income. With an average income of slightly over $50,000, these recruits’ household incomes are significantly below the top 10% annual income average of $173,000 .
Doing the bulk of the fighting and dying has meant that the ruled populace has enough strategic value to the ruling elite as violent counterbalances to external elites that accommodations in energy distribution and class membership are a grudging but recurring feature of political history.
There’s a roughly direct relationship between conflict severity and the level of accommodation. The violent global paroxysms of the 20th century (WWI, WW2, the Korean War) saw the advent of socialized medicine), the GI Bill and other concessions throughout Western Europe and the Anglosphere. The Cold War saw the further growth of the welfare state in the societies of the West as well the advent of a series of development/aid programs directed towards the developing world. The ruling elites of the West and the Communist bloc competed with accommodations to shore up their popular support domestically and globally in case of another world conflict that might be nuclear and apocalyptic in nature.
The Vietnam War represented the beginning of the end of this type of popular accommodation in the United States. The usual inequities of socioeconomic status vs combat exposure were hyper-magnified as college and health related exemptions allowed many scions and aspiring members of the ruling elite to avoid the conflict altogether.
This left the armed forces composed of draftees - disproportionately from the lower socioeconomic classes - commanded by the few volunteer members of the ruling elite. The results were disastrous. Social justice protests, McNamara’s Morons, ‘fragging’ and other disciplinary and performance issues - caused by the imbalanced force structure - proved such a toxic stew that the US moved to an all-volunteer force in 1973.
The move to a professional army removed the need for broad-based popular consent to ensure force cohesion during conflict (or so the theory went). And with the decreased need for broad-based support, the US ruling elites began to contract the post-World War accommodations and welfare-state.
First to suffer was veteran treatment as the soldiers exposed to Agent Orange were denied compensation and care for the myriad health problems resulting from their exposure. The 1980s saw the beginning of the end for The Great Society welfare state and culminated with the ‘end of welfare as we know it’ being signed into law by President Bill Clinton in the 1990s. Offshoring began in the 1980s and accelerated with NAFTA and China’s accession to the WTO. This coupled with the Reagan-Bush-Trump tax cuts further eviscerated the middle class which typically provides the bulk of armed forces recruits.
Initial impacts on operational readiness appeared during the first Gulf War, Afghanistan and the second Gulf War but were ameliorated by extended and repetitive use of reserve forces. However, recruiting has plummeted across the board and the soldiers that fought the last three American conflicts are aging out of service eligibility. In 2022 and 2023, it is projected that all branches except the Space Force will have failed to meet recruitment goals.
The likelihood that new recruitment techniques will improve the situation are grim as the Army estimates that only 23% of the 17-to-24 year olds in the US would even qualify as recruits. The other 77% are unable to pass the basic armed forces entrance exam or are too overweight/obese to meet minimum fitness requirements.
A shrinking pool of recruits has not impaired the ruling elites’ willingness to engage in armed conflict to achieve their geopolitical goals. Currently, the United States and its NATO allies are engaged in a proxy war in Ukraine against Russia. The United States, Taiwan, Australia, South Korea, Japan and the Philippines stand on the verge of conflict over Taiwan and access to the South China Sea.
All of the actors in these brewing or ongoing conflicts are experiencing some degree of demographic decline with severe population declines projected for Russia, Ukraine, China, South Korea, Japan and much of Europe. The United States is projected to be buoyed by immigration however the native birth rate has already plummeted below replacement levels.
This leaves the ruling elites with the confounding situation where the current economic and political institutions they control have ennervated the ruled populace to the point it impairs their ability to project power externally. Rebuilding the middle class that provides the bulk of recruits would necessitate major structural changes that would greatly lessen their class’ control and at least a generation of time for enough children to be born to erase the recruitment deficit.
Reversing 40-years of rigged economic and political policy alone would represent a Herculean task. But couple this with natural class resistance to any loss of control egged on by the psychopathy of the class leaders, the necessary changes are improbable to the point of impossible.
With no change and conflicts on the immediate horizon, the ruling elites have one solution left to them to replace the dispossessed recruitment pools of the middle class - artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons.

Move over humans. It’s time for something scarier.

A.I. powered weapons offer a number of advantages over human combatants. Not only does A.I. already demonstrate tactical superiority against human opponents in simulation, but its unique nature is particularly appealing to the ruling elites.
Without conscience or kinship ties or moral safeguards, the A.I. soldiers will pursue any objective regardless of the dubious nature of the orders. History would have been markedly different if A.I. soldiers had been present in the Soviet Union during the hardline coup against Gorbachev or available to the Arab rulers during the Arab Spring. Implementing Asimov’s Laws of Robotics would be foolhardy in a combat android but even if implemented, the noted problems of AI control could result in unintended casualties.
Additionally, as non-humans, casualties no longer equal declining morale in the armed forces and society as a whole. The Vietnam War demonstrated the impact of seeing body bags of soldiers returned home. During the Afghanistan, Gulf and Iraq wars, this type of footage was banned (until 2009) to stop the type of social unrest that occurred during the Vietnam War when the public was faced with the direct cost of conflict. It is doubtful that humans will see injured or killed A.I. soldiers in the same empathetic light as they do human casualties. Risky missions start to have acceptable loss levels and this change enables more aggression on the part of ruling elites.
But the greatest advantage of the new A.I. soldier is that there is absolutely no need for accommodation by the ruling elites to the ruled populace to maintain their base of power. A newer, remorseless and completely obedient purveyor of violence is now available to the ruling elite. It makes no demands beyond bare functioning and feels no emotional remorse for immoral acts.
These A.I. soldiers that are capable of maintaining the developed world’s strategic parity to the global masses’ numbers can be also used internally to quell any possible dissent or mass movement. A.I. generally offers unlimited potential for surveillance and internal class discipline but coupled with advances in robotics, it will offer an ethics-free physical enforcer to combat protests like Sri Lanka, Canada, the Netherlands and the United States. There are no repercussions available for the A.I. soldier since they have no personhood or control so even the spotty administration of ICC justice isn’t a deterrent. Already law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles, New York and other jurisdictions are deploying robotic dogs - which is eerily reminiscent of the usage of attack dogs by oppressors through history. An A.I. soldier that was used for similar purposes would have no fear of punishment or injury or fear at all unlike the officer or even the dog in past situations.
Attempts to control this new technology and A.I. soldiers are manifesting in calls for A.I. regulation and licensing by the ruling elites of the US and Western Europe. The potential for positive change through a human-A.I. partnership is tremendous and widespread availability has the potential to provide the ruled populace with substantial technical and economic advancements without the overhead of the ruling elite. Citing the danger of extinction by A.I. while simultaneously continuing development of the technology highlights how disingenuous the call for regulation is by the ruling elites. In reality this is a call to restrict any dangers presented to their institutional control of education, finance and healthcare as well as their monopoly of violence within society.
The future is grim for the ruled populaces of humanity. At a time that technology could power the solutions to climate change, economic collapse and space exploration, the technology is being evolved and restricted to prop up the ruling class’ domination. And with no bargaining chips left - whether as producers or gangs or soldiers - the real extinction crisis may not be for humanity as a whole but for the ruled.

Appendix: A Classical Case of Control

Pre-Marian reforms

In the pre-Marian reform Roman Republic, strict divisions were made between patricians )and plebeians with severe restrictions on political and religious participation placed on the plebeian class. Military service was strictly limited to property owners to ensure that the landowning class maintained a monopoly on violence. A credo of tribal superiority ranking Roman -> Latin -> Italian -> non-peninsulars was embodied legally in tiered political membership of Citizen -> Latin Rights holder -> Foreigner. Membership was zealously policed by officials called censors who were initially exclusively patrician.
The patricians of Rome were successful in maintaining their monopoly of power until a series of secessio plebis (Latin: withdrawal of the commoners or secession of the plebs) or general strikes by the plebeian class forced the patricians to cede some power, privileges and land to the plebeian class. Faced with complete economic standstill, a series of accommodations were made to maintain the viability of the power structure itself.
This cession of power was largely illusory though. While technical class distinctions were removed, the old patrician class and the wealthiest of the plebeian class merged through co-option and intermarriage to form a new nobility that enforced their new collective will through property qualifications restricting political participation.
This new nobility fought any further accommodations to middle and lower classes such as the Gracchan, Marian and Livian reforms. The brothers Gracchi and Livius Drusus) were killed and Marius died in the middle of a civil war with Sulla and his noble adherents.
Conquest and the resulting ubiquity of slavery destroyed any further economic leverage the lower classes had. With literally millions of slaves now cheaply available, laborers, craftspeople, shopkeepers and domestic employees were dispossessed of their livelihoods as slaves replaced them in their jobs. Small landholders were driven off their farms and into the urban stews as the treasure of conquest inflated the price of real estate astronomically.

Post-Marian reforms

The Marian reforms left one avenue for the lower classes - the military. As the rich and powerful (Marius v Sulla, Pompey v Caesar, Augustus v Antony) fought each other for supremacy within their own class, the poor were courted with numerous concessions and bonuses to serve as soldiers for the powerful.
While always at the whim of the commander (barring assassination) who was always a member of the ruling class, military necessity served as a check on the ruler's ambitions. Armies need soldiers and another ambitious member of the same class could always bribe or recruit soldiers with better terms to topple the current leader. A degree of class balance was a necessity to preserve the power structure.
For those who couldn’t or wouldn’t join the army, panem et circenses (bread and circuses) dulled the need for rebellion. Gladiator games, free food distributions and occasional money distributions maintained a docile subsistence-based population that remained fairly quiescent until the late Western Empire despite depredations by the landed elite and nobility.
The system despite all its inequities suffered along for multiple centuries until external pressures and the depredations of the nobility overwhelmed the economic and military capacity of the Empire and resulted in its fall in 476 CE. But it’s important to note that the system wasn’t overthrown from within but overwhelmed from the outside.

Long story short this girl 22F was someone I 23M was talking to for a few months. I was introduced to her through my best friends GF. She was super interested in me right off the gate. We lived in different cities at the time and we were both full-time college students so we only had 3 dates. The last time I saw her was NYE. We kept talking for like a month after NYE which consisted of her enthusiastically setting dates, but canceling on me last minute. I called her out on this and she gave me the whole "I really like you and hanging out with you but I'm not ready for a relationship". I told her I wasn't ready for one either (At the time I really wasn't, and I've never been in a relationship). I told her I wanted to keep seeing her casually and she agreed. Things seemed good. However, only two weeks later she flaked on me once again saying "I'm so excited to come see you but can we reschedule?" I wasn't able to and wanted to keep our plans. She just left me on read. I shot my last shot on valentines a week later (she told me it was her fav holiday and never had a valentine), but she just left that on read too. Shortly after I unfollowed her everywhere to try and forget about it.
The past 4 months have been confusing to say the least. I went completely silent on socials for a while after she ghosted me. One day I randomly posted an IG story, to which she was the first person to see it and liked it. Then a pattern started developing. Anytime I would post something she would be there right away. Sometimes liking sometimes not. This went on for a bit, but now she's just a silent watcher. I think she realized that her liking my posts isn't gonna make me reach out, so now she just watches. Every IG story shes there within the hour. TikTok videos she's there. I checked Spotify recently to see she still has our old playlists saved and on her profile. She's popped up in my profile views a few times. Just yesterday I posted some photos on Instagram, which I know she saw because she saw my story but didn't like my post. Again I don't follow her anymore so I pretty much never see her content besides the few times I've looked her up in the past few months.
Since graduating in may, I moved to the big city that she lives in. I live with my best friend, and I talk to his GF that set us up pretty regularly. I haven't spoken a word to her about the situation. There have been a few times where she drops casual hints towards my ghoster in conversation. IE she randomly mentioned how she was gonna try to move in with her but she found another place. She also asked me if I'm seeing anyone new. It's so weird because it's just a huge elephant in the room.
So today I'm running errands and as I'm at a stop sign, I see a familiar car on the far side. Sure enough, it's her. It was very brief, and I doubt she even saw me. It was so surreal seeing a person that I used to talk to every day, who just vanished into thin air and became a username in the social media world that's haunted me for months. I really don't know how to feel. On one hand it felt really good to see her in person, for just a brief moment. On the other hand it feels really strange to see someone just going through the motions of their life, who always makes their presence known online but wont even send you a simple text.
I'm just really confused right now at how to feel and handle this. I also live on the main street in the city with all the big bars that I know she frequents, so it's almost guaranteed ill run into her in person one day, and I don't know how I'd react.