I feel like I've seen the sentiment a few times, and even as I would describe myself as hard left, I doubt this is going to negatively effect the Labour front bench at all.
Memberships are down but donations are up - there's a potential that it's harder for Labour CLPs to inspire grassroots canvassers, but I already imagine that a majority of constituncies have made up their mind to vote Labour now anyways. Also, less grassroots canvassers from the Corbyn years only serve to provide less resistance for Starmer.
The worst thrown at Starmer by the media was past the 2021 local elections, where he ultimately did fuck all in the lead up, lost Hartlepool with a bungled candidate selection, said he'd "change the things that need to be changed", suffered in the polls for months after, and then partygate hit.
I'm sure there's been some meaningful things he's put forward in the past 2 years, but I don't think it's controversial to argue that most people are anti-Tory than they are pro-Labour in the vote shift.
Thanks to the Tories being (thankfully) self-serving to the point of throwing everyone else with them under, as well as in the case of Truss being as incompetent as she is economically illiterate, Labour has a clear majority coming up without really committing to anything beyond social democracy.
They've rescinded a majority of the 10 pledges, they've done nothing about the Forde Report and shadow cabinet members prove that they're as duplicituous as every arechtypal politician (I routinely think about Streeting asserting women can't have penises and how "important biology is" on some right-wing shit radio minutes before congratulating the Welsh tory for coming out as trans, because it's a perfect microcosm of how spineless I find a majority of the PLP), yet none of this will matter.
Despite all of the shit Labour upper brass pulls, no one outside of here could give a shit, because genuinely, why would the electorate care about something like the NEC selections process or Labour's approach to racism within the party? I've seen maybe 3 articles on the matter that aren't opinion pieces in mainstream media.
A majority of the left-leaning members of parliament ended up standing down from their positions anyways, and while I respect a degree of integrity to stand by your beliefs, there's absolutely zero resistance to Starmer in any meaningful position now.
Assuming the majority in the next election, there's going to be dozens if not hundreds of new MPs that will likely hold the Starmer line as much as they can, and thus can keep Labour in the direction they're heading, while shutting out any meaningful leftism - which I know sounds pretentious, but I genuinely believe that nationalisation of industries, abolishing the lords, PR and the right to strike are barely center-left positions, yet Labour's recent stances on the matter suggest all 4 are too much to stick by.
It's just sad, in all honesty. I know it seems silly on the Labour subreddit to be massively disappointed at the prospect of a Labour government, but I feel like Labour actively doesn't want to represent me, and it's a system where they used to + no other party ever meaningfully will without them. And despite some opinions that think this will be bad for Starmer, I'm not convinced.

Hello nosurf
A couple of years ago I posted my "Commandments of Media Use". The list originally had 24 commandments, then 38. Now, it's grown to 52, and will continue to grow.
Well, without further ado, here are The 52 Commandments of Media.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.Never to forget that light feeling. When you’ve been away from your screens for a prolonged period of time.
2. Not to underestimate the slow, psychological poison of technology.
3. Not to chase the shadows cast by your screens at the expense of your life.
4. Not to rationalise excessive technology use.
5. To always, at every opportunity, choose the real world and not the digital one.
6. Your body becomes good at what you teach it to do. If you sit still while your mind is lost in the digital world, then your body shall atrophy. After all, sitting still hunched over a computer doesn’t require much muscle tone — so your body will not provide it.
7. Your mind adapts itself to every task, including consuming media. Watching videos will create a passive mind. Social media will create an unsatisfied mind. Internet browsing creates a distracted mind. There is no “this doesn’t count” or “I just do this to relax”. For your mind, every single thing you do becomes a part of you.
8. Not to forget — that human beings are not evolved to sit in a chair and watch screens.
9. Think of those you’ve seen in old videos or in poor countries. Their light, steady gaze and easy smiles. Then think of your own twitchy gaze and stiff smile. Ponder on what you’ve lost.
10. To notice the slow of time when away from technology.
11. Think of your screen-time in days prior. And realise that almost none of it can be remembered. Time poured into a drain.
12. To always approach technology with intention. This will be your anchor as the winds and whirlpools of the digital world pull on your precious attention.
13. The creators of technology who profit from stealing your time.
14. To switch everything off — and remember how it feels to be alive.
15. Even a perfect digital world could never be as satisfying as the imperfect one you were born into.
16. If they were speaking face to face they wouldn’t act like that.
17. The light breeze. The sun on your face. A quiet walk in nature. How they’re all a thousand times more fulfilling than the superstimuli found on screens.
18. Never to digitise your human urges.
19. Incels and Hikikomoris — how technology has trapped them in a looping nightmare.
20. To always remember that the news does not represent the entirety of reality.
21. Their faces as they use their technology
22. To never click unconsciously.
23. To always, as much as possible, act the same in the digital world as you do in the real world.
24. The more dopamine induced by screens, and the higher its potency, the less reality will excite you
25. Screens are not a necessity for a fulfilled life. To think so is an illusion.
26. From the stars in the sky, to the endless detail underneath a microscope, to the strange creatures dwelling in the deepest parts of the ocean, to the emotions inside a person's eyes, no virtual world will ever carry as much detail as reality itself.
27. Like a bolt of lightning or water running downhill, human beings (like all of nature) shall always be inclined to take the path of least resistance. And technology is the fastest, most accessible path to stimulation. Yet as human beings, we have the choice to delay gratification for a greater reward down the road. Only children and dogs are unable to do so.
28. Life is perceived as short by those who spend it on screens.
29. Why do you care? Why do you feel the need to give your opinion? Why does the issue of the day require your input? Why does the business of a celebrity far away concern you? Why do you allow others to decide what you pay attention to and what you don't?
30. When has awareness of world events made you happier? And when has your mere awareness had any effect on these events?
31. Every obscure, specific fetish. Every taboo. Every new piece of pornographic content. All the same. Foot fetish porn. Femdom porn. Rough porn. Public porn. Incest porn. Trans porn. All one and the same thing, with little distinction between them. Not special. Not unique. All producing the very same chemical reaction inside the brain.
32. Gathering yet more information will not get you to where you want to go.
33. All digital experiences are incomplete versions of experiences already possible in reality. Porn an incomplete version of sex. Romantic movies an incomplete version of love. Movies and video games an incomplete version of your life's adventure.
34. No matter the number of options available to you on screens, you can only be in one room at a time.
35. They do not think you beautiful. They think the digital image of you beautiful. They love the pixels transmitted to them by their screen, not you. There's you. And then there's digital images of you. These are entirely separate entities.
36. The dazed feeling after watching television. The scattered feeling after browsing the internet. The feeling of presence when in nature. Choose.
37. The negative emotions they induce in you for their own profit.
38. Like the sheep dog herds the sheep, algorithms herd the humans.
39. If the internet were to fail, if the electricity flow were to stop, if transport grinded to a halt, if supermarkets held no food, if the world's technology failed, what would you do?
40. The more we rely on technology, the more useless we become when it ceases to function.
41. The experts tell you it's fine, or that it's no big deal. But in your heart, you know it is not. Do not so easily hand the intuition you have built during a lifetime of experience over to experts who have never met you. You know what makes you feel good and whole. And you know what makes you feel corrupted. You don't need to ask experts. You don't need it confirmed by studies. You already know.
42. The youth of millions - stolen by screens.
43. The fashion in which you interact with your screens shall determine the course of your entire life. There is nothing trivial about it at all.
44. Level up a digital character inside a digital world and your real self shall level down in direct proportion.
45. The attractive digital people you see on screens do not exist. They are merely representations of people created with pixels or ink on a page. Nothing more than phantoms. The more time you spend gazing at them, the worse your romantic life shall become.
46. Not to check your devices without purpose. When important news arrives, it will reach you.
47. Those who quarrel online do not bicker with people. Instead, they quarrel with figments of their own imagination.
48. The producer remembered and rewarded. The consumer punished and forgotten.
49. You do tomorrow as you do today. Watch porn today, you'll repeat the behaviour tomorrow. Play video games today, you'll play them tomorrow. What you do now is what you'll do in the future. If you want to change, change what you do now. Now. Now.
50. You say: “I just do this to pass the time”. But why are you “passing time” in the first place? Did you forget that your time is limited? Did you forget about your death? Now that you've remembered once again, can you still justify spending another hour on your screens?
51. Which is reality? The chaos on your screen, or the quiet peace in the room that surrounds it?
52. You become the media you consume

Are you tired of nonsense like Spring Equinox, Cultists or Reavers? Then try this deck : https://www.playgwent.com/en/decks/4c4574453e2380bd54db5e6b755d344c
I managed to reach Pro rank only this deck rather fast.
So far I have only lost few games with this deck, mostly vs pointslam decks like MO Renfri. Apart from that every other matchup was playable.
Scenario is your source of points in a long round, or during the bleed/coin abuse. Apart from that this list plays just like a standard control list. Try to not waste removal points and save the removal for important targets (for example vs Spring Equinox you must remove 2 seers at 5pts).
I would consider swapping out Hen Gadith Sword for Teshm Mutna sword, since this list doesn't run Lady of the lake, meaning the Gadith can play for just 5 removal if you draw it too late.
Also if you find that you need a pellar I would swap out one Skirmishers.
Tell me if you have any suggestions!

Do you ever feel lost in some wander land or feel like you have butterflies in stomach, feel like your not feeling present in the moment. Like your mind just drifts elsewhere ?
I’ve noticed in myself that for the past 2 years, I’m just not putting my 100% effort, interest, time and energy into anything I’m doing. Even the every day to day tasks. It’s like I’m doing the work, but my mind is drifting elsewhere or I feel constantly worried and lost in thoughts. I just don’t feel that level of importance and mental focus. I’m feeling this way because I’m so worried and anxious about outcome that I just have no idea what will happen next. It kinda makes me lose hope and feeling helpless. It certainly has affected my confidence and inner belief in myself. This is all because I’m in college and haven’t figured out what career path to choose. I’m doing pre reqs for radiography program as I wanted to become Ct/Mri tech. But not knowing the outcome of acceptance rate is giving making my mind worried like what am I doing with life? Will I get accepted in this program? What if I don’t then what will happen? I’m still not there where I’m supposed to be for my age. Meanwhile people have graduated and now working great jobs and pay. I’m still behind and now feeling stuck. Feeling clueless with life. I want to look into tech field becuase it’s growing in demand field yet idk how to research, what my options are and what skills could I learn on my own from online resources to get opportunities for jobs. Not having figured out what I want to do with life is indeed giving me anxiety and affecting on how I view life.

Do you ever feel lost in some wander land or feel like you have butterflies in stomach, feel like your not feeling present in the moment. Like your mind just drifts elsewhere ?
I’ve noticed in myself that for the past 2 years, I’m just not putting my 100% effort, interest, time and energy into anything I’m doing. Even the every day to day tasks. It’s like I’m doing the work, but my mind is drifting elsewhere or I feel constantly worried and lost in thoughts. I just don’t feel that level of importance and mental focus. I’m feeling this way because I’m so worried and anxious about outcome that I just have no idea what will happen next. It kinda makes me lose hope and feeling helpless. It certainly has affected my confidence and inner belief in myself. This is all because I’m in college and haven’t figured out what career path to choose. I’m doing pre reqs for radiography program as I wanted to become Ct/Mri tech. But not knowing the outcome of acceptance rate is giving making my mind worried like what am I doing with life? Will I get accepted in this program? What if I don’t then what will happen? I’m still not there where I’m supposed to be for my age. Meanwhile people have graduated and now working great jobs and pay. I’m still behind and now feeling stuck. Feeling clueless with life. I want to look into tech field becuase it’s growing in demand field yet idk how to research, what my options are and what skills could I learn on my own from online resources to get opportunities for jobs. Not having figured out what I want to do with life is indeed giving me anxiety and affecting on how I view life.

Chat us on +44 7593880762 on Telegram/Whatsaap if you are interested in Pejman Ghadimi - Watch Trading Academy.
Watch Trading Academy will teach you how to buy, sell, trade and invest in luxury timepieces.
Watch Trading Academy by Pejman Ghadimi will provide the education and expose the loopholes of the watch trading markets while showing you step-by-step how any person with minimal capital and access to a post office and computer can actually take advantage of this opportunity right from their own home.
Between jeweler margins, sleazy tricks, and private labeled garbage out there, there are tens of thousands of dollars being lost from consumers on each and every watch purchase they make.
This loss is the opportunity for you to step in and earn your cut of that same margin jewelers have been hoarding for themselves.
Pejman Ghadimi's Watch Trading Academy covers everything from which models to buy and which to run away from, how to get started, where to buy and sell, and, most importantly, how to become profitable.
To get Pejman Ghadimi - Watch Trading Academy contact me on:
Whatsapp/Telegram: + 44 7593880762 (Telegram: silverlakestoreproducts)
Reddit DM to u/RequestCourseAccess
Email: silverlakestore/@/yandex.com (remove the brackets)

Interview with Leslie Arbouin Vargas. Founder and CEO of QAHOLOM.
Tell me about QAHOLOM.
I had been thinking of becoming independent for many years. During this time, I was working in Multi-Latin and Multinational companies like Grupo Familia, Jerónimo Martins, Ernest & Young Consulting. The time came where I decided to take the giant leap forward with all the experience I had accumulated. I had the motivation to be a grain of sand in the country and help with employment opportunities for people and help bring my business idea to the country. I wanted to take advantage of the knowledge I had gained in IT and use that in a closer circle. In addition, the generations of today don’t have as many obligations as we did when were growing up so I wanted to create an economic company where it could be maintained over time rather than risk of being replaced at any time. With all these factors and looking to start a new company in 2016, I decided to retire at my previous position to go after my business idea. Let me just say it’s not easy to decide to leave everything and get out of your comfort zone to lose your monthly salary to pursue your business idea.
Anyways, I left my previous company and dedicated myself to study for three months to create the business plan and business model. I’ve always been very fond of information technology, of the importance of information and the potential that information has. That was my main vision during those three months. This was back in 2016 so remember that back then the terms of artificial intelligence, robotization, digital automation knowledge was still ethereal. I wanted to make those technologies that were already available in Colombia at that time, in companies like Bancolombia or Sura. The processes existed in these very large companies, and I wanted to be able to democratize that access to smaller companies. I began to see that many of these features are charged on demand. The development of the cloud came with great force, through the clouds of Amazon, Microsoft, Huawei. They had been implementing consumption by demand for interesting technology. I was quite interested in this so I decided to go more into the demand management path. After a long time thinking about this, I decided to start.
I was following our company’s phrase phrase: “The future isn’t predicted, it is created”, a phrase from Abraham Lincoln. And from so much thinking and saying “Where is this going to go? What am I going to do?” In that moment it was very hard for me to understand where the technology was going. I said to myself, “Just roll up your sleeves and start with what there is”, and that’s how I decided to start… without even knowing very well what I wanted to build. I was looking to manage complete automated business processes, and not get into the world of pure automation because I don't think pure automation has much value compared to an automated management process. Another pillar was the human value. We never justified a project by the number of people that are replaced, but by the scalability that can be given to the business through the way people work with the technologies. People start to change their mind and they start to change their professional profile and really enhance their value. We approach projects more from that point of view than from the replacement of human resources.
We began with our first client who believed in us and again, we didn’t know what technology to use or how to build it. We slowly began to find the way. We kept looking back at the company phrase I mentioned earlier. It has to be this way, by doing and if not, there is no other way. From there we found the method, the form, how to sell. At first it was very difficult for people to understand me, what we wanted to do, it was even hard for me to explain it because I didn't know how to put it together very well either. Over time we were able to explain our services well. The Pandemic arrived and although it was scary for all of us, it was very important for us because there were more ears in terms of digital issues and it facilitated the entrance to the organizations. We started contracting people and thanks in large part to the pandemic, we never decided to open a brick-and-mortar office. Today, I have many employees that aren’t in Medellín and are in different Colombian cities and countries.
Our business is focused on offering the possibility to digitalize your workforce through a mix of technologies: Digitalization, cognitive learning, robotization, artificial intelligence, and visualization. We master digital work. What we do is we use a virtual machine, and we put it into the organization just like when a consultant arrives at a company. The company then gives me access for that computer so I can enter and access the tools with which the virtual machine needs to work internally, for example, e-mail and operating systems like SAP or Oracle, base applications like Microsoft 365, company databases. We also integrate our application so organizations can interact with the information because it’s not just automation, it’s managing the process from end to end. There will be points where users need to interact with the organizations. For example, “Give me your opinion on this. Send me this form so I can include it on this billing process”, so they work with the human teams. We charge under the SAS model. So, let's say for the companies, they don't need to erode their capex initially. They can charge as an operating expense and there are many, almost all of them already enter it as an operating expense. What do companies get? It allows companies to have complete control of the process, visualize processes that were previously invisible, as they weren’t digitized, improve productivity, have the employees focus their attention on things they actually want to do.
Of course, there’s always the fear that employees will be replaced by machines, but what actually ends up happening is humans shift to the tasks that they actually enjoy. I’ll give you an example, we worked with a client, Pintuco, and they had the same fears. We did a workshop with the employees and the boss, and we asked them what they needed in their jobs, what did they always ask their boss about, but the boss didn’t have the human resources to approve that request? They told us that are always stuck in the computers instead of working with the vendors. The conversation got very interesting with the employees saying that they don’t have time to talk to the vendors and clients. Now, they have an additional sales force that accompanies the customer, the vendors because the information needs to pivot back and forth from inventory to transportation. So after we came in, that team became an additional sales force, no one was let go. They’re now able to sell better and sell more.
What inspired you to create QAHOLOM?
I don’t think there was anything specific. It came out of many things, what you want from life, what you want to contribute society, what are you passionate about, what you want for your future. I can’t pinpoint something specific, but I always was motivated to be an owner of a company. Since Uni I carried this motivation, and it was normal to have fears about starting it. I always think if a Uni graduate who wants to create a company like QAHOLOM, what would their journey be like? Well, honestly it would be almost impossible. The reason being that you’re just a Uni graduate with no work experience and you’re suddenly approaching CEOs of big companies and you’re trying to sell how you’re going to scale their business with technologies. It’s going to be a hard road convincing them of all of that when you don’t have experience. Anyways, I always had the vision of wanting to be an entrepreneur.
Tell me about what you do on a typical day. What do you do at your job?
Everything. Most importantly, I sell everyday. I call potential clients whether it’s the first call or it’s the second call, or to charge them. I have meetings with the team to know what they’re doing. We use digital tools to be able to work wherever we are. We use tools that help us construct diagrams, models, and brainstorming because this is key in our area. I work with the accountant to look at the invoices, charges. I meet with partners who I’ve had the pleasure of calling partners thanks to doing business with them. It starts when you are in a company, you are very involved in your topic. You meet many people with many interests, and you can see a possibility for business in other areas. I help develop ideas talking with people, small businesses who are just starting to grow. I’m always working on everything!
What do you love about what you do?
I love seeing people grow, change, and improve. We have a focus on the education side too. We have two people in distant locations who we hope can use the tech we use. Right now, we are helping them in this educational process so that one day they can join the company or other companies within the same sector. That’s a big focus for QAHOLOM, being able to help people grow professionally. In the company, I have people from Chocó, people from very humble backgrounds. We finance part of their educations; we help prepare them with technological knowledge. All of this is something I’ve always been passionate about. It motivates me to grow more so I have more money to finance education for people who want to self-improve.
Another thing is being able to contribute to the economic employment here in Colombia, to be able to provide a formal employment to someone and give them a good salary. Transfrorming society even in the smallest circle that you are a part of – that’s something that motivates me. Lastly, I love information at the professional level, how can one transform companies from the use of information technology?
It's funny, I’ve had zero turnover since I started the company. There was one person who left on their own terms because he asked for a promotion, but I couldn’t give him one at the time. The next day he came in and finished the company. This was three years ago, he had access to everything through the Cloud and deleted everything! So, when we woke up there was nothing. We were fortunate enough that Microsoft helped us from India and other countries, and we were able to recover a large part of our operations. Our clients understood what happened and waited for us. After two months, we were able to re-establish our full operations. I tell this story because it’s like if you brought someone in to work for your factory and they light your factory on fire. After him, no one has left our company, everyone has been happy working at QAHOLOM. That’s beautiful to me because I initially thought I was going to have high employee turnover, especially in the technology sector which is used to high turnover.
What’s the hardest part about what you do?
The hardest part is the most passionate part, maintaining the team and maintaining the self-development of the people. It takes time and effort to motivate them, stay present, see the work advance, maintain the discipline, maintain the methodology, etc. The people are the most beautiful part and the hardest part at the same time. The tech is hard but once you study it, you learn it, if the methodology is complex, you work on it in a disciplined form until you get it. People always have moving variables so it’s the most challenging work.
Tell me about some plans QAHOLOM has for the near future.
We want to become the biggest support labour force through digital technology. If someone wants something incredibly fast, we want to be able to train that algorithm to meet that demand. So the challenge right now is perhaps to increase the speed of training on algorithms and mediating the incorporation of new technologies. Today we’ve incorporated Azure OpenAi and that’s helped us improve our training speed significantly. Right now the goal is to take on the new challenges of technology and improve the training of the digital labour force.
Full Interview: https://www.torremagazine.com/interviews/interview-with-leslie-arbouin-vargas-founder-and-ceo-of-qaholom

I really can’t figure out War anymore.
I know they nerfed offense and buffed defense, so massive punch ups aren’t as common.
I used to be able to go 3+ wars without dropping an attack.
Now I can’t seem to drop any less than 2.
What is the key now?
I had it all figured out but now I feel like nothing I used to do works, and on defense, opponents don’t struggle like me and my alliance does.
Does room order play a bigger role now?
They switched room buffs and as I see it, Cargo Bay, Armory, Medbay, Barracks are, in that order, the most important to take out.
You used to be able to ignore buffs for the most part, as you could muscle through.
Now it seems you absolutely need to take out certain rooms if you have any shot of winning.
I have a fully maxed (other than G17 instead of G18) Gamma that is all 7 red, blue 5. I could mirror any Gamma and win.
I now put mine on defense because I lost to a 1.5 (mine is 1.9) pretty decisively. I lost a few in a row with them as well.
Do the battles play out differently?
WHAT IS IT? It’s driving me nuts and it’s making war a horrible experience because it feels like all the effort I put in to building up attack teams was nerfed and changed.
Any help would be appreciated and if you want to be snarky, please just keep it to yourself. I don’t need that kind of input.

I will try and be concise, but there’s a lot for me to unpack. Overall I’m extremely depressed and feel stuck in life (job, relationships, especially family crap). Most of this is why I feel this way, and my then my plan to start over.
From ages 6-19, I was extremely depressed because I was overweight and my parents wouldn’t help me. I begged my parents to help me eat healthily. It was either too inconvenient because they only eat junk food or too expensive (we’ve always been upper middle class, and have had plenty of disposable income, neither of my parents spend money well or hoard money). In undergrad i immediately lost weight, made it my goal to get under 200lbs and I did. But after the first semester I got sick and ended up bouncing around colleges to finish a degree. I ended up becoming a commuter student because my parents forced me to chose between two local schools. I again tried to pursuade them it was better for me to start over (I would only lose a year) at a local community college which would save money and give me the opportunity to explore more fields. I was too good for community college. I’m an intelligent guy, but needed an opportunity to grow and overcome my depression, not wallow in it. At age 21, I was back home, gained all my weight back because I was stuck commuting two hours a day, and then working a shitty retail job. I finished my degree but it was not what I wanted. I merely chose a degree I could use all the college credits I earned in high school. I made and lost countless friends, was betrayed by a teacher I almost considered a family member and felt completely lost after undergrad. At this point I hadn’t really lived life. I hand two relationships in high school. A few flings when I was in undergrad, but I never got the opportunity to really know someone romantically as an adult.
Segue to Grad school. I had to get a degree I something I could parlay into a normal job. I went with International Relations. I was lucky that I lived near a well known college they would actually give me a leg up professionally. I applied and got it to my surprise. Now, two big important things came out of grad school which helped me grow and built my confidence, but now are problems:

1. My friend, let call her Freya has become one of my best friends and favorite people. First day of grad school, I told myself just to focus on work/school. Then my friend shows up. I was almost immediately captured by here. I don’t know what, but she screamed exactly my type. I just stayed focused on my work and then one day she just walked over and started talking to me and we just hit it off, she handed me her number in a crumpled piece of paper. She told me to hit her up. Long story short it was on again off again because she didn’t seem to be in a good place, so I kept it profession and just avoided spending time with her. It just that she kept pushing to do stuff together. At one point after I had learned she was poly, I turned down a 3am coffee because I wasn’t even sure how I’d handle things and valued her friendship more than sex. But the problem is that I still have feeling of some sort. When I spend time with her, I just want a bit more. For some reason I always have energy for her. What’s confusing now is that she includes me in trips with her partner and it just me. I’m starting to feel like a third wheel and that I shouldn’t go on trips anymore. She’s the first person that has really made an effort to be part of my life and appreciate me.
   
2. My job has become the bane of my existence. I quite my retail job shortly after grad school, got a temp job, they liked me and within two weeks I was a paid intern at a higher wage. People guided me through the state government system, and working with other office i was offered a fellowship. The fellowship quickly deviled into an extremely toxic workplace with a violent secretary who constantly tried to provoke people and asked sexual questions. My boss kept protecting her because she was pregnant and three other minorities. I left that office for my old office, but everyone had left and it is a toxic hellhole since the pandemic I’ve been doing way more work than I should’ve with the promise of a promotion, then. They screwed me over the and wanted me to train the “qualified” person. Now I have the opportunity to take a new job, but I’m completely burned out. I don’t know that I can succeed anywhere right now. I almost don’t care about a “career” anymore because it hasn’t gotten me anywhere or anything.
   
3. My parents. If you read the first part of the post you can guess my feelings towards them right now. Since I started grad school in 2016 I’ve been begging them to downsize, consolidate their massive house and piles of shit. I could see that they were declining and they were barely adulting for most of their lives. Since I was 12 I did most of the house work (cooking, cleaning, my own laundry). Over the pandemic my mother had mini strokes and now lacks any real executive function, all she does is watch tv snack and start things then get distracted. My father who has never listened to his doctors or me has gone into end stage kidney failure.
   

See comments
I’m summary, my parents are draining me and refuse to change or acknowledge their imminent senility (they already there in some respects), I need to end my very close friend with my friend because it’s never going to be anything more (I’m not bitter, I just feel I’ve put myself into an emotional loop), and I’ve let my job define me too much and need to learn to live again. I feel forcing myself to absorb a new culture, actually focus on living instead of taking care of everyone else and possibly share it with someone else.
TL;DR: It’s really too long to summarize, read the whole thing. I’m struggling with selfish aging parents, a toxic job, a botched/nonexistent romantic/social life. I’m read to run off and start over. My best option is Italy, since I’ll have dual citizenship. I still have a great deal to figure out.

Former No. 1 and holder of four Grand Slams, The American Jim Courier looks back on his best memories at the start and end of his career, the defeats he suffered and the coaches who forged him.
Who was the strongest player you faced in your career?
Pete Sampras was the best in the 90s and he was very difficult to manoeuvre because he was a rhythm breaker. He made it impossible for you to feel safe, even when you were on serve. He wouldn't do anything extravagant for four games in a row, then suddenly, at the end of the set, he'd slam down two or three points. If you haven't played in the previous games, you forget how to play. His serve was incredible, but he was just as dangerous on the return. I also really struggled against (Ivan) Lendl. I only had the chance to play him when he was really in top form and that was difficult for me to manage. His sliced backhand was frighteningly effective because it stayed very low on my backhand. At the end of his career, I was starting to develop the tools to compete, but I wasn't there yet and he beat me soundly at the Masters (6-2, 6-3 in 1991 in Frankfurt). At the time, the courts were very fast with a very low bounce and I suffered enormously. People forget just how incredible Ivan's consistency was.
Who was your favourite player to play against? The matches against Andre (Agassi), he was the complete opposite of Pete. We had a similar style and it was very open in a way. If I played well enough, I could win. If I didn't, he'd beat me. I wasn't at his level when I arrived on the circuit. He came first, still as a teenager. But once I got stronger, I started to feel comfortable against him (trailing 4-1, he finished 7-5 in his favour).
The most incredible match you've ever played?
Against (Marat) Safin in the Davis Cup (won 0-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the 1st round in 1998). It was a decisive fifth match against Marat, who was still a teenager. He was new to the circuit, inexperienced, but brilliant nonetheless, and he was killing me. I was down 6-0, 4-1 in forty-five minutes, and he was hitting winners all over the place. I was at the end of my career and that's when I used my backhand slice to beat him. It wasn't the kind of shot you'd think would be effective other than in defence. But I used it to change the tone of the match and it worked. I used all my science and experience. There was another decisive Davis Cup match in the same vein against (Greg) Rusedski (1999, 8-6 win in the fifth set). Those were moments when, at the end of my career, even though I wasn't winning as much as I used to, I still had a bit of magic in me.
You don't mention Pete Sampras' tears (*) in Australia in 1995...
That match (defeat in the quarter-finals 6-7, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3) probably made me think of more things than any other match I've ever played, so it's bound to be unforgettable.
It was the first time people saw Pete in a different light. There was drama on the pitch, there was a lot of drama off it, everything was dark above us. We both had cramps after the game in the dressing room. It was incredible. It really was.
His coach, Tim Gullikson, who had suffered a brain tumour, had been rushed back to the United States following a third stroke that very morning. The American was overcome with tears at the start of the fifth set when a spectator shouted "Do it for your coach, Pete!
How did you come up with the idea of asking him if he wanted to stop the match and carry on the next day?
It came naturally. It was one of those moments when the match almost came to a halt because he was overwhelmed by emotion. But we had to carry on and that was the only way I could think of to get him back into the game because he was letting go. What people probably don't know is that I was close to his coach, both Tim and Tom Gullikson, our Davis Cup captain. We were all part of the same travelling circle. So the night before the match, we all went to dinner together. We had a table of ten with my coach, Pete, Tom and Tim, who was on the plane back to the States when we were on the court. So there was no animosity between Pete and me. I understood exactly what he was going through and I had to bring him back into the moment. Then he won the match, but I don't regret it.
Which coach has had the biggest impact on you?
The one who has helped me the most in my professional career is José Higueras, as well as Brad Stine. With José, I went from being a good player to a great player. But if I hadn't met Harry Hopman, who allowed me to come and train at his academy on a scholarship when I was 11 or 12, or Nick Bollettieri, who did the same a few years later, we wouldn't be talking together. Because I come from a very small town (Stanford, in Florida) where I was the best at the age of 10, but where there was no competition to help me progress. They say there are forks in the road in life. These three have been really important in mine.
The moment that changed your career? In Paris, in 1991 against Andre Agassi (3-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4). A lot of very, very good players reach the Grand Slam final and never win. I'll never know if I would have been able to overcome defeat in that first final. But I didn't lose and that's what gave me the confidence and conviction to carry on and play at a good level.
How important was your heated discussion with (Brad) Stine in the car park of the Rome tournament a few weeks before your first French Open title?
Huge, really. I'd started the season well, played well in Australia and won the two Masters 1000 tournaments in the United States (Indian Wells and Miami), which enabled me to break into the top 10 and gave me the belief that I could go even further in a Major. After that, I came to Europe thinking I could carry on where I left off, but that wasn't the case. I struggled in Hamburg, which was Madrid's tournament at the time. And in Rome, I wasn't up to the task (eliminated in the last 16 by Cherkasov). I expected to win. I acted as if it was a done deal, and Brad immediately told me: "OK, now you have to win again, nothing can be taken for granted. It was essential for me to change my mindset. Brad had the courage to do it, which is not the case for all coaches.
Do you remember his words?
Not the words specifically, but the tone. It was eye-to-eye. I didn't want to talk to him and he didn't want to let me go off on my own. We had to have this discussion, we had to have it at that very moment. That's why he's such a good coach and still works so well with Tommy (Paul, 17th in the world). And he loves France, which is one of the reasons why I speak a bit of French...
When did you feel the strongest?
It's probably not the answer you were expecting, but it was precisely after I lost to (Stefan) Edberg in five sets in the last 16 of the 1991 Australian Open. I'd had problems with my physical resistance in previous years. I remember coming out of that match feeling that my game was in place, but also that my legs and my lungs were in great shape, that I was physically very strong. A week later, I went to Indianapolis for strength and endurance tests. I did a VO2 max test where they put a tube in your mouth, inject oxygen, put you on a treadmill and you run until you can't go any further. The machine kept running and every 30 seconds it went up and up... I remember wanting to stop three times. But I kept pushing and pushing. In the end I got off, but the people who were there, who saw all the Olympians going by, couldn't believe it. Did this tennis player stay at this speed for so long? They told me my score was 72, like the cyclists, which was incredible. That's when I said to myself that I wasn't going to lose any more matches because of fatigue. I'd started working on my fitness with Pat Etcheberry in November the previous year and had made a huge leap forward in that area. I felt almost irresistible. And that was just before coming here to Roland Garros.
When did you feel loneliest?
When I lost here to Sergi (Bruguera), when I was trying to win my third Roland Garros and I was leading. He came back and won and I felt very alone that night (6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3).
Wasn't it worse at the 1993 Masters when you read a book at the change of ends against Andrei Medvedev in the group stage?
I was just tired from a long season at the time. I was just trying to survive, because I didn't particularly like being in tournaments at that time of year. I wanted to go home. What people forget about that moment is that I was losing before I got the book out ('Maybe the moon' by Armistead Maupin) and started distracting myself. And then I came back and served for the win. I had three match points at 6-5 in the third and then I panicked (defeat 6-3, 1-6, 7-6). If I'd won, people would have said that reading at the changeover was the new winning strategy, but that didn't happen. So the story was told the other way round, but it was a survival mechanism that kept me competitive because I was mentally exhausted after a long season.
Which current player is most like you?
Rafa's (Nadal) relentlessness is something that speaks to me. For those of us who know what it means to see Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and even Murray succeed, the consistency they've shown and all the work they've put in, it's hard to identify with them. But of all these players, I identify with Nadal the most, because he's physical, like I was myself. He doesn't have a crushing serve like I did. But he tries to impose his forehand and when he plays, I can see the game through his eyes. Even though I've never been as good as him, I at least understand what he's trying to do.
Your biggest regret?
I don't have any regrets. I don't have to. I live my life with my eyes wide open. Taking in as much information as I can and using it to make choices and stick to them. It's easy to live your life with a mirror and look back wondering what you would have done if you'd gone left instead of right. But I think I've been extremely lucky. First of all, I have a wonderful family, parents, brothers and sisters who have given me a lot of stability to pursue my dream. In a way, I've found my vocation and I couldn't have had a life like this if I'd gone in any other direction. Even if my career had been better, my life couldn't have been better."
His life as a former professional player
Since the end of his career in May 2000, Jim Courier has become the star consultant for American television. Davis Cup captain between 2010 and 2018, he now covers the Grand Slam tournaments, excluding Wimbledon, on the Tennis Channel. At the Australian Open, he was one of the first former tennis champions to interview players on court after matches, an exercise in which he excels and has no equal. He lives in Los Angeles, where he keeps fit by cycling and playing golf at the LA Country Club, where he will be present next week for the US Open (15-18 June). He is also one of the prestigious ambassadors of Swiss watch manufacturer Rolex, a major global partner of tennis for over 45 years. Alongside other great champions of the past (Roger Federer, Björn Borg, Chris Evert...) and the new generation (Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek...). "It's an honour to be part of this family and to contribute to the development of a sport that has already given me so much.

TLDR: HOW TO FORGIVE A CHEATING GASLIGHTING SPOUSE
This is obviously not my primary account. I don't know where to begin. This post might not be the most coherent one you read today. I have so many things in my head. My (F37) husband (M41) had an emotional affair with his best friend's wife in 2019. They had planned to meet (different cities/ 2-hour flight), but I discovered their chats and confronted my husband.
I had suspected something was going on from quite some time, but my husband gaslighted me in the worst way possible and locked me out of his phone (saying I was acting like a lunatic and that is why he is locking his phone.). I honestly started questioning my sanity. A couple months after this episode was my 10th anniversary. A trip was planned with this couple (my husband’s best friend, his wife and us) to celebrate our anniversary. They kept flirting with each other during the entire trip, I cried for over 4 hours a day before my 10th wedding anniversary. He again gaslighted me, made me feel like I have lost my mental capacity to understand right from wrong. His best friend was also delusional and asked me how I could ever think of something like this happening. Fast forward a month and I got chats to prove my point.
At this point, my husband started crying and saying he was not sure how it happened (well, he messaged her after leaving from home and before entering the house, he was very well aware of what was happening!). Then he said I was going to confess anyway and that he is sorry and he will do better and the cheater’s routine. The next day he told HER that I know. I don’t know if it was a coping mechanism, but I acted like I am cool with the whole thing and that I forgive them both. After a couple of days, they decided they will confess to his best friend as well as they felt “guilty”. The couple came to our house, my husband told him everything. He was shocked, cried a little and then said that he will take some time to move on from the issue. I told him it’s okay and we should forgive them.
I and my husband started working on our marriage again, it was a lot hard work, but we did well. By 2020 we decided to become parents through fertility treatments after a lot of discussion. I was a little sceptical because of the financial pressure it would add and the years that we waited to make that decision, but his confidence gave me confidence, both of us love kids and I was cautiously happy about the whole thing. Did the procedure, had a very difficult pregnancy with every complication possible, two beautiful babies at the end of it (they are the best, they are my everything).
Fast forward to 2022. I wanted to make his 40th birthday special, so I asked his best friend to come visit us for a day with family to surprise him (they also did fertility treatment and had a child, same age ours). The best friend ended up telling him about the plan (with my permission) as he was confused about certain things. When they discussed, the one-day plan became a 10-day vacation. He started overplanning for the whole thing and it made me angry. We had a fight 3 days before leaving for the vacation. But I decided not ruin things as it was his 40th, I got a radio show recorded for him as his birthday gift. During the entire trip he spent nights talking to her, engaging in banteflirting, ignoring me completely. Even when I expressed my feelings, he did not change anything.
Then came my breaking point. I could not do it anymore. Had a huge fight with him. We were going to my mom’s place from there for a week, so I was just waiting for the days to get over. I did not speak to anyone on the last day. A lot of other things happened, but it’s late here and I am tired of typing. After another fight, we concluded that he must stop talking to her. Certain other rules were made, like he cannot go to their place, etc. He also told me how she (his AP) was shocked by my behaviour and surprised that I have still not gotten over the whole thing, and that why I did the drama of being okay with everything. Really?!!
I was okay with everything. I was okay because I did not want him to lose his friend. He has only one! I was okay with him having his one and only friend. I was okay if he understood what his boundaries were. I was okay if I was his priority. I wasn’t. He showed me and gaslighted me yet again. Anyway, rules were made, we got back home. I went to my Mom’s for a month as my help had taken personal leave. I told him he can call his friend to spend time with him as his best friend is no more comfortable being around me. So they planned a weekend trip to my place (my husband and his best friend) and had fun. My husband had to come pick me up from my Mom’s place, as there has to be one attendant with each child in the flight. From the airport to my place, his best friend was dropping him home. It was late in the night and the kids were waiting for him, I checked Maps for his location, and it was at his best friend’s place. He was there for less than 5 mins, but I was furious. When he messaged to ask him something, I told him I knew where he went. He told me his best friend had forgotten to get the gifts he got for our kids, so he was barely their for a couple of minutes to pick it up and that he was waiting in the apartment parking lot.
He asked me to come down and I too wanted to talk to his best friend. I went down and that’s when the real fun began. My husband was telling his friend, “See, I told you she keeps a track on my movements.” I obviously have trust issues. When he knew this would bother me, why did he not make a call before going there?
In the fight that ensued, he practically blamed me for the affair. It was gaslighting, but I am going to list his issues with me anyway:

I have changed from who I was in 2006 (I was 20).
I am not innocent anymore.
I look for fights.
I take strong stands (feminism, strong opposition bigotry, etc.).
I read a lot, and all that reading has fucked me up.
I use F-word a lot which I never did back in 2006.
I took a solo trip with a group in 2014 (11 girls 1 boy 1 guide). It was an 18-day trip abroad. I was crying on the 12th day as I was missing my husband dearly on that trip. When I came back I shared all the experiences, word by word. I also told him about this divorced female friend I made who hooked with someone on an app before joining us on the trip. For me all this was very novel, I was naïve young, and had zero exposure. A lot of it was shocking to me, but it opened my mind in ways I would not have ever thought it would, travel made me a better person, it made me more accepting of different tradition, cultures and people. I obviously was seeking to open my mind, so I read, I travelled, it changed me yes, but for the better. In the fight post his 40th birthday, he had called my sister to complain, and he also said I don’t know what she might have done in the Greece trip. And the things she shared were crazy. Basically, saying shit about me and planting a seed of doubt in my sister’s head. Fortunately, I have a great relationship with my siblings, I had told them everything I told him post the trip. So, he did not tell them anything new. But this move just meant he would stoop down to any level, even lie if he must if push comes to shove.
My best friend (who is divorced and has dealt with drug abuse due to the emotional turmoil) is a bad influence and she made me who I am. FFS! This is the same best friend who was his BFF during lockdown, my pregnancy… They shared drinks together, we did treks together, suddenly she is the problem…
I cried a lot post wedding (initial days until I made a friend, as I was isolated by his family, they did not like me much and created several issues for me. I was young, did not know how to deal with such situations, so I ended up crying a lot. FYI, now the same people call me instead of him, they did wrong, but I had a confrontation with them too a couple of years back and heartfelt apologies were made, I moved on and have a great relationship with his family now.).
Affair happen because something is amiss in the relationship (his words). Honestly, the timing of the affair hits me the most. It was probably the best time in our marriage. We were going out, talking, carefree, travelling… And now he says something was amiss!
I was reading a book, and it discussed polygamy. He says because I discussed with him about it in 2015, I indirectly pushed that thought in his head! Yes, he said that!
That a male friend in 2013 was the reason. I had made two friends in this small town in 4 years after moving from a city (leaving my house, my friends, everything for him). One the female best friend, and the other one is they guy he said he had a problem with. Mind you he takes all kinds of business favors from him now, and says now he has no issues with him and it was just a confusion, and because I considerably reduced my interaction with him, it did not bother him. (Friendship with guy friend died organically after we moved to a new city, so he was anyway a non-issue, and for me my marriage was a priority. Now we basically call him only when we need something. Pathetic).
It was everything I did basically (right from 2006 to 2023).

His best friend also thinks I have trust issues and that I should work on it and that he can guarantee that his wife won't do it again as she is super-absorbed with their child! I don't know if this guy even listens to himself while talking! He is an idiot. I don't blame him. He always prioritised my husband over his wife. So, I get it. For him his friendship is way more important that his relationship with his wife.
He also blamed me for being suspicious all the time post 2019. He shared with his best friend the bitching/gossiping we might have done as a couple about them, about other things, in our shared sacred space. This shocked me the most. How much ever I try I am not able to get over THIS. Nothing is between us anymore, should I also start going out, telling on him, things he might have told me in anger, just frustration about others!
There’s a lot more that has hurt me, like the knowledge about his happy ending sessions which he shared with me only because I once told him I am very open-minded, and that he should share everything with me, we should be friends - my mistake again he says, why did I portray myself as an open-minded individual when in fact I was traditional in my thought process. This I had gotten over and I told him it should not happen again. His best friend also got a lap dance with a topless dancer in London, and I told me about it, fuck the open-minded image. Anyway, I am digressing.
I am tired of writing and complaining.
We are back home. And he is asking me what he can do to make things better, and that he is really sorry. I said in a marriage both partners are supposed protect each other, you could not do it in 2009 (with his family, I gave him the benefit of doubt, that he was also too young to navigate those situations); he did not do it now, he literally threw me under the bus to get his best friend’s sympathy. How will I ever be able to trust this man? Leaving would mean a lot of upheaval and me going to work and staying away from my beautiful babies. I am crying now. He also said in the fight that I should not have had babies with him when I had trust issues. How could he say that! How could he twist everything so badly!
I am trying very hard to focus on my children, I spend the entire day with them. Days are easy and fun. But when the are asleep, I am forced to confront these thoughts, like right now.
He is trying his best to keep me happy, but I need help to understand how someone gets over something like this?!
So, the Greece thing, and personal gossip sharing! These two points I can’t over. I tried and tried and tried. Please help.
I am not sure what I am seeking, advice may be? Can this work? I want it to work only for my kids. Will I ever be able to love him the way I did.
I am looking for a therapist currently who does not charge a bomb.
Edited to add: We are not sharing locations on Maps anymore after that fight!

Introduction:
The prospect of artificial intelligence (AI) destroying humanity has become a popular topic of debate over the last few years. As AI technologies continue to advance at a fast pace, some experts fear that they could surpass human intelligence and effectively take over the world, turning against their creators. This fear has been further fueled by numerous sci-fi movies portraying rogue AI that endanger human existence. However, is this fear grounded in reality? Will artificial intelligence destroy humanity?
Presentation:
The answer is not simple. While it is true that AI has the potential to surpass human intelligence and pose a threat to humanity, the likelihood of this happening is relatively low. First off, it is important to note that AI is currently not sentient; it lacks consciousness and emotions. It is merely a tool designed to perform specific tasks. While certain AI systems can learn and adapt from their surroundings, they do not possess the ability to think and reason like humans. Moreover, AI is only as good as the data that it is trained on. Thus, if we feed AI biased or incomplete data, it will reflect those biases and limitations in its decision-making process.
One of the biggest concerns surrounding AI is its potential to become uncontrollable. The fear is that if AI systems are given too much autonomy, they could malfunction or go rogue, causing unintended consequences. This is a valid concern, but it is not one that is being taken lightly. AI experts are working tirelessly to mitigate these risks by developing safety protocols and ethical frameworks that ensure responsible AI development. Additionally, governments and organizations are increasingly regulating AI to ensure that it is used for the betterment of society without causing harm.
Another factor to consider is the potential impact of AI on the job market. As AI becomes more advanced and capable of performing complex tasks, it is expected to replace human workers in certain industries. This could lead to widespread unemployment and economic disruption. However, it is essential to note that AI will also create new job opportunities and industries that did not exist before. Therefore, while the job market will undoubtedly change, it is not necessarily a bad thing.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the fear that artificial intelligence will destroy humanity is not entirely unfounded, but it is also not a guaranteed outcome. The likelihood of this happening is low, as long as AI development is guided by ethical considerations and safety protocols. While AI will certainly change the way we live and work, it is up to us to ensure that this change is for the betterment of society. AI has the potential to solve some of the world's most pressing problems, from climate change to healthcare, and we should focus on these opportunities rather than worrying about a hypothetical AI takeover.

Informative, but however I can't believe that he didn't talk about how The 27 Club is an informal list consisting mostly of popular musicians, artists, actors, and other celebrities who died at age 27. Although the claim of a "statistical spike" for the death of musicians at that age has been refuted by scientific research, it remains a cultural phenomenon, with many celebrities who die at 27 noted for their high-risk lifestyles. Beginning with the deaths of several 27-year-old popular musicians between 1969 and 1971, dying at the age of 27 came to be, and remains, a perennial subject of popular culture, celebrity journalism, and entertainment industry lore. This cultural phenomenon, which came to be known as the "27 Club," attributes special significance to popular musicians, artists, actors, and other celebrities who died at age 27, often as a result of drug and alcohol abuse or violent means such as homicide, suicide, or transportation-related accidents. Several exhibitions have been devoted to the idea, as well as novels, films and stage plays. The cultural phenomenon also gave rise to an urban myth that celebrity deaths are more common at 27, a claim that has been refuted by statistical research. Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison all died at the age of 27 between 1969 and 1971. Blues musician Robert Johnson, who died in 1938, is one of the earliest popular musicians to be included in lists of 27 Club members.
According to Hendrix and Kurt Cobain's biographer Charles R. Cross, the growing importance of the media—Internet, magazines, and television—and the response to an interview of Cobain's mother were jointly responsible for such theories. An excerpt from a statement that Cobain's mother, Wendy Fradenburg Cobain O'Connor, made in the Aberdeen, Washington, newspaper The Daily World—"Now he's gone and joined that stupid club. I told him not to join that stupid club."—referred to Hendrix, Joplin, and Morrison dying at the same age, according to Cross. Other authors share his view. On the other hand, Eric Segalstad, writer of The 27s: The Greatest Myth of Rock & Roll, assumed that Cobain's mother referred to the death of his two uncles and his great-uncle, all of whom had also committed suicide. According to Cross, the events have led a "set of conspiracy theorists [to suggest] the absurd notion that Kurt Cobain intentionally timed his death so he could join the 27 Club".
In 2011, seventeen years after Cobain's death, Amy Winehouse died at the age of 27, prompting a renewed swell of media attention devoted to the club once again. Three years earlier, she had expressed a fear of dying at that age.
An individual does not necessarily have to be a musician to qualify as a "member" of the 27 Club. Rolling Stone included television actor Jonathan Brandis, who committed suicide in 2003, in a list of 27 Club members. Anton Yelchin, who had played in a punk rock band but was primarily known as a film actor, was also described as a member of the club upon his death in 2016. Likewise, Jean-Michel Basquiat has been included in 27 Club lists, despite the relative brevity of his music career, and his prominence as a painter.
According to music biographer Charles R. Cross, "The number of musicians who passed away at 27 is truly remarkable by any standard. Though humans die regularly at all ages, there is a statistical spike for musicians who die at 27." Despite the cultural significance given to musician and celebrity deaths at age 27, the claim that they are statistically more common at this age is an urban myth, refuted by scientific research. A study by university academics published in the British Medical Journal in December 2011 concluded that there was no increase in the risk of death for musicians at the age of 27, stating that there were equally small increases at ages 25 and 32. The study noted that young adult musicians have a higher death rate than the general young adult population, surmising that "fame may increase the risk of death among musicians, but this risk is not limited to age 27". The selection criteria for the musicians included in the study, based on having scored a UK No. 1 album between 1956 and 2007, excluded several notable members of the 27 Club, including Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, Pete Ham, and Ron "Pigpen" McKernan. A 2014 article at The Conversation suggested that statistical evidence shows popular musicians are most likely to die at the age of 56 (2.2% compared to 1.3% at 27).
Because the 27 Club is entirely notional, there is no official membership. The following table lists people described as "members" of the club in reliable published sources, in the opinion of their respective authors.
Joseph Merrick August 5, 1862-April 11, 1890 Man who suffered from Proteus syndrome who gained fame by joining the circus and appearing in freak shows. Accidental death caused by his condition, which caused him to suffocate and a dislocated neck, which likely severed his vertebral arteries . 27 years, 249 days
Alexandre Levy November 10, 1864- January 17, 1892 Composer, pianist and conductor. Cause of death not recorded. 27 years, 68 days
Louis Chauvin March 13, 1881-March 26, 1908 Ragtime musician. Neurosyphilitic sclerosis. 27 years, 13 days
Rupert Brooke August 3, 1887-April 23, 1915 Poet. Sepsis. 27 years, 263 days
Robert Johnson May 8, 1911-August 16, 1938 Blues singer and musician. Unknown cause of death, rumored to be supernatural at a crossroads. 27 years, 100 days
Ghazi of Iraq March 21, 1912-April 4, 1939 King of Iraq from 1933-1939. Traffic accident, probable murder.27 years, 14 days.
Nat Jaffe January 1, 1918-August 5, 1945 Swing jazz pianist. Complications from high blood pressure. 27 years, 216 days.
Jesse Belvin December 15, 1932-February 6, 1960 R&B singer, pianist and songwriter. Car crash, suspected foul play. 27 years, 53 days.
Rudy Lewis August 23, 1936-May 20, 1964 Vocalist of the Drifters . Drug overdose. 27 years, 271 days.
Joe Henderson April 24, 1937-October 24, 1964 R&B and gospel singer. Heart attack. 27 years, 183 days.
Malcolm Hale May 17, 1941-October 30, 1968 Original member and lead guitarist of Spanky and Our Gang. Carbon monoxide poisoning. 27 years, 166 days.
Dickie Pride October 21, 1941-March 26, 1969 Rock and roll singer. Drug overdose. 27 years, 156 days.
Brian Jones February 28, 1942-July 3, 1969 Rolling Stones founder, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. Drowning, suspected foul play. 27 years, 125 days.
Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson July 4, 1943-September 3, 1970 Leader, singer and primary composer of Canned Heat. Drug overdose. 27 years, 61 days.
Jimi Hendrix November 27, 1942-September 18, 1970 Pioneering electric guitarist, singer and songwriter of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Band of Gypsys. Asphyxia due to drug use. 27 years, 295 days.
Janis Joplin January 19, 1943-October 4, 1970 Lead vocalist and songwriter of Big Brother and the Holding Company, the Kozmic Blues Band and Full Tilt Boogie Band. Drug overdose. 27 years, 258 days.
Arlester "Dyke" Christian June 13, 1943-March 13, 1971 Frontman, vocalist and bassist of Dyke and the Blazers . Murdered by Clarence Daniels. 27 years, 273 days.
Jim Morrison December 8, 1943-July 3, 1971 Singer, lyricist, and leader of the Doors. Found in Paris bathtub deceased from heart failure. 27 years, 207 days.
Leslie Harvey September 14, 1944-May 3, 1972 Guitarist in several Scottish bands, most notably Stone the Crows. Electrocuted by unearthed microphone. 27 years, 232 days.
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan September 8, 1945-March 8, 1973 Founding member, keyboardist and singer of the Grateful Dead. Gastrointestinal hemorrhage caused by alcoholism. 27 years, 181 days.
Roger Lee Durham February 14, 1946-July 27, 1973 Singer and percussionist of Bloodstone. Horseriding accident. 27 years, 163 days.
Pamela Courson December 22, 1946-April 25, 1974 Long-term companion of Jim Morrison and heir to his estate. Heroin overdose. 27 years, 124 days.
Wallace "Wally" Yohn January 12, 1947-August 12, 1974 Organ player for Chase. Plane crash. 27 years, 212 days.
Dave Alexander June 3, 1947-February 10, 1975 Bassist of the Stooges. Pulmonary edema caused by alcoholism. 27 years, 252 days.
Pete Ham April 27, 1947-April 24, 1975 Keyboardist and guitarist, leader of Badfinger. Suicide by hanging. 27 years, 362 days.
Gary Thain May 15, 1948-December 8, 1975 Former bassist of Uriah Heep and the Keef Hartley Band. Drug overdose. 27 years, 205 days.
Cecilia October 11, 1948-August 2, 1976 Spanish singer-songwriter. Car accident. 27 years, 296 days.
Helmut Köllen March 2, 1950-May 3, 1977 Bassist of 1970s prog rock band Triumvirat. Carbon monoxide poisoning. 27 years, 62 days.
Chris Bell January 12, 1951-December 27, 1978 Singer-songwriter and guitarist of power pop band Big Star and solo artist. Car accident. 27 years, 349 days.
Zenon De Fleur September 9, 1951-March 17, 1979 Guitarist of the Count Bishops. Car accident. 27 years, 189 days.
D. Boon April 1, 1958-December 22, 1985 Guitarist, lead singer of punk band Minutemen. Car accident. 27 years, 266 days.
Alexander Bashlachev May 27, 1960- February 17, 1988 Poet, rock musician and songwriter. Defenestration, possible suicide. 27 years, 266 days.
Amar Singh Chamkila July 21, 1960- March 8, 1988 Singer, songwriter, musician, and composer. Murder by a gang of motorcyclists. 27 years, 231 days.
Jean-Michel Basquiat December 22, 1960-August 12, 1988 Painter and graffiti artist; formed the band Gray. Drug overdose. 27 years, 234 days.
Pete de Freitas August 2, 1961-June 14, 1989 Drummer of Echo & the Bunnymen. Motorcycle accident. 27 years, 316 days.
Finbarr Donnelly April 25, 1962-June 18, 1989 Singer of Five Go Down to the Sea?. Drowning. 27 years, 50 days.
Chris Austin February 24, 1964-March 16, 1991 Country singer and guitarist/fiddle player for Reba McEntire. Plane crash. 27 years, 20 days.
Dimitar Voev May 21, 1965-September 5, 1992 Poet, founder of the Bulgarian new wave band New Generation. Cancer. 27 years, 107 days.
Mia Zapata August 25 1965-July 7 1992 Lead singer of the Gits. Murder by Jesus Mezquia. 27 years, 316 days.
Kurt Cobain February 20 1967-c. April 5 1994 Founding member, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of Nirvana. Suicide by gunshot. 27 years, c. 44 days.
Kristen Pfaff May 26 1967-June 16 1994 Bass guitarist for Hole and Janitor Joe. Drug overdose. 27 years, 21 days.
Andrés Escobar March 13 1967-July 2 1994 Footballer. Murdered by Columbian crime rings. 27 years, 111 days.
Richey Edwards December 22 1967-c. February 1st 1995 Lyricist and guitarist of Manic Street Preachers. Disappeared, later declared legally dead. 27 years, 41 days.
Stretch April 8 1968-November 30 1995 Rapper and member of Thug Life. Murder by unknown assailant. 27 years, 236 days.
Fat Pat December 4 1970-Feburary 3 1998 Rapper and member of Screwed Up Click. Murder by unknown assailant. 27 years, 61 days.
Freaky Tah May 14, 1971-March 28, 1999 Rapper and member of the hip hop group Lost Boyz. Murder by Kelvin Jones. 27 years, 316 days.
Kami February 1, 1972-June 21, 1999 Drummer of Malice Mizer. Subarachnoid hemorrhage. 27 years, 140 days.
Rodrigo Bueno May 24, 1973-June 24, 2000 Cuarteto singer. Car accident. 27 years, 31 days.
Sean Patrick McCabe November 13, 1972-August 28, 2000 Lead singer of Ink & Dagger. Asphyxia. 27 years, 289 days.
María Serrano Serrano November 26, 1973-November 24, 2001 Singer of Passion Fruit. Plane crash. 27 years, 363 days.
Rico Yan March 14, 1975-March 29, 2002 Filipino actor. Acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis. 27 years, 15 days.
Jeremy Ward May 5, 1976-May 25, 2003 The Mars Volta and De Facto sound manipulator. Drug overdose. 27 years, 20 days.
Jonathan Brandis April 13, 1976-November 12, 2003 American actor. Suicide by hanging. 27 years, 213 days.
Andrea Absolonová December 26, 1976-December 9, 2004 Porn actress. Glioblastoma. 27 years, 349 days.
Bryan Ottoson March 18, 1978-April 19, 2005 Guitarist of American Head Charge. Drug overdose. 27 years, 32 days.
Valentín Elizalde February 1, 1979-November 25, 2006 Mexican banda singer. Murder by Raúl Hernández Barrón. 27 years, 297 days.
Damien "Damo" Morris May 22, 1980-December 19, 2007 Member of Australian deathcore band the Red Shore. Bus accident. 27 years, 211 days.
Orish Grinstead June 2, 1980-April 20, 2008 Founding member of the R&B group 702. Kidney failure. 27 years, 323 days.
Jade Goody June 5, 1981-March 22, 2009 Reality-television personality. Cancer of the cervix. 27 years, 290 days.
Dash Snow July 27, 1981-July 13, 2009 Artist. Drug overdose. 27 years, 351 days.
Amy Winehouse September 14, 1983-July 23, 2011 Singer-songwriter. Alcohol poisoning. 27 years, 312 days.
Richard Turner July 30, 1984-August 11, 2011 Trumpet player, collaborator with Friendly Fires. Heart attack. 27 years, 12 days.
Sahara Davenport December 17, 1984-October 1, 2012 Drag queen. Heart failure. 27 years, 289 days.
Christian Benítez May 1, 1986-July 29, 2013 Footballer. Respiratory failure. 27 years, 89 days.
Thomas Fekete July 1, 1988-May 31, 2016 Guitarist of Surfer Blood. Sarcoma. 27 years, 335 days.
Anton Yelchin March 11, 1989-June 19, 2016 Actor, Chekov in the Star Trek reboot series. Car accident. 27 years, 100 days.
Shot December 1, 1989-September 21, 2017 Russian rapper. Diabetes. 27 years, 294 days.
Kim Jong-hyun April 8, 1990-December 18, 2017 Vocalist and lyricist of Shinee. Suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. 27 years, 254 days.
Fredo Santana July 4, 1990-January 19, 2018 American rapper. Idiopathic epilepsy . 27 years, 199 days.
Tyler Skaggs July 13, 1991-July 1, 2019 American professional baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels. Asphyxia due to drug use. 27 years, 353 days.
Benjamin Keough October 21, 1992-July 12, 2020 Elvis Presley's grandson, son of Lisa Marie Presley and brother of Riley Keough. Suicide by gunshot. 27 years, 265 days.
Murda Killa March 9, 1993-July 13, 2020 Russian rapper. Asthma attack provoked by the use of alcohol and antidepressants. 27 years, 127 days.
Yoo Ju-eun May 3, 1995-August 29, 2022 South Korean actress. Suicide. 27 years, 118 days.
Walkie May 24, 1995-September 30, 2022 Russian battle rapper. Suicide by jumping to avoid being drafted by the Russian military. 27 years, 129 days.
Yung Trappa August 14, 1995-February 2, 2023 Russian rapper. Overdose. 27 years, 172 days.
Julián Figueroa May 27, 1995-April 2, 2023 Singer, actor, and composer. Myocardial infarction and Ventricular fibrillation. 27 years, 310 days.
so relevant to this drama smh.

Introduction: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology that is designed to simulate human intelligence. AI is becoming an essential part of our daily lives, and it is rapidly advancing in many areas such as healthcare, education, finance, and transportation. It plays a vital role in enhancing human life by providing personalized services, improving efficiency, and making complicated tasks easier to accomplish. In this article, we will explore why artificial intelligence is so important and how it is shaping the world we live in.
Improved Efficiency: One of the most significant benefits of AI is improved efficiency. AI algorithms can perform complex tasks with ease, and they can do it much faster than humans. For instance, AI-powered chatbots can handle thousands of customer requests simultaneously, which would be impossible for a human. In healthcare, AI-assisted surgeries can be more precise and quicker than traditional surgeries, reducing the risk of complications. In transportation, self-driving cars can significantly improve road safety and reduce traffic congestion, ultimately saving time and costs.
Personalized Experience: AI can provide a personalized experience for users, which improves user engagement and satisfaction. For example, AI-powered virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant can understand natural language, handle multiple tasks, and learn from user behavior to offer tailored responses. AI-powered recommendation systems can suggest products or services based on customers' preferences, making shopping more comfortable and faster. In education, AI algorithms can personalize learning recommendations based on each student's learning style and progress, improving their academic performance.
Better Decision-Making: AI has the potential to provide businesses with accurate, data-driven insights that can inform crucial decisions. AI algorithms can analyze large datasets and detect patterns that humans might miss, leading to better decision-making and improved outcomes. For instance, financial institutions can use AI algorithms to detect fraud or financial irregularities before they become significant issues. In healthcare, AI algorithms can help with the early detection of diseases, enabling timely interventions and better outcomes.
Conclusion: Artificial intelligence has become an essential technology in today's world, revolutionizing many industries with its improved efficiency, personalized services, and better decision-making capabilities. Despite the many benefits of AI, there are still concerns around privacy, data security, and ethics that need to be addressed. However, as AI continues to evolve, it is clear that it will play an increasingly vital role in shaping the world we live in, and we should embrace its potential to improve our lives.

Introduction: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become one of the most sought-after technologies across industries, as more and more businesses are realizing the potential of AI technology in improving decision-making processes and business outcomes. For this reason, the role of an AI engineer has become increasingly important. But, who is an AI engineer and what does this role entail? In this article, we will explore the responsibilities, qualifications and skills required to become an AI engineer.
Responsibilities of an AI Engineer: The primary responsibility of an AI engineer is to design, develop and implement AI-powered systems that can perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence, such as pattern recognition, decision-making, and language translation. This involves understanding the underlying algorithms, data structures, and programming languages that enable AI systems to function. Additionally, AI engineers are responsible for creating the necessary infrastructure to support AI systems, such as databases and servers that can handle large datasets.
To achieve these responsibilities, an AI engineer must be able to analyze and manipulate large datasets, be familiar with machine learning algorithms and tools, and possess programming skills in languages such as Python, Java, and C++. Moreover, AI engineers must continually evaluate the effectiveness of AI systems and explore opportunities to improve and refine them.
Qualifications of an AI Engineer: AI is a rapidly evolving field, and the required qualifications vary depending on the employer and specific job requirements. However, a bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, or a related field is typically required to become an AI engineer. A master's degree or Ph.D. in computer science or a related field is often preferred.
In addition to formal education, AI engineers should also have relevant work experience, such as internships or jobs in software development or data analysis. Further, AI engineers must stay up to date with the latest trends and technologies in the field and maintain proficiency in relevant programming languages and tools.
Conclusion: The role of an AI engineer is critical to the development of AI systems that can help businesses make better decisions, increase efficiency, and improve customer experiences. AI engineers require a combination of technical and soft skills, including deep knowledge of algorithms and programming languages, the ability to analyze and manipulate large datasets, and critical thinking capabilities. Moreover, due to the rapid evolution of AI technology, AI engineers must have a passion for lifelong learning and staying up to date with the latest trends in the field.

I posted a very condensed version of this theory as a response to another post. It got a lot of upvotes. I write long form theories for my own amusement and don't really post them, but given the upvotes, I thought people might be interested in this.
Be warned, it's a long post.
This post will have all spoilers, including for Mistborn. It will also be discussing details of the preview chapters from SA5, as well as comments Brandon has made in WoBs and his podcast. If you are avoiding previews, read no further.
The Theme of the Stormlight Archive
One of the major, if not the main, themes of the Stormlight Archive is the nature and limits of moral responsibility. Our different characters are each exploring this theme in different ways. Kaladin is learning that leadership does not mean you have to take responsibility for everything. Dalinar is learning the opposite lesson, that having to make tough decisions is no excuse for giving up responsibility. Navani and Rabonial’s discussions touch on how responsible we we are for the actions of our ancestors. Shallan, ever the weird one, is exploring if “I” can be responsible for the actions of “us”.
I want to discuss this facet of the series with three characters and do some mild speculation on what this likely means for what’s in store for them for the end of the front-half.
Szeth - I was only following orders
Szeth’s solution to the problem of responsibility is to place it outside of himself. As we can see from the Szeth flashback preview, this has been an urge of his since childhood.
“Depends?” Szeth said, stepping up beside him, half-hiding behind his father’s bulky form as he peered down at the new stone. “Depends on what? We just do what is right, don’t we?”
Szeth has an almost allergic reaction to the idea that morality could be dependent on circumstances. He wants to do “what is right” and he doesn’t want there to be any nuance in this. Later in the same flashback:
““Can’t you just… tell me what to do?” Szeth asked.”
His father refuses, and Szeth resents having to take responsibility for the moral decision making. This is clearly a deep seated personality trait of Szeth’s, more than just his religious and cultural upbringing in Shinovar (because his parents don’t share his moral absolutism).
We know in adulthood, following being made Truthless, Szeth must follow the orders exactly of whoever holds his Oathstone. He hates what he is forced to do, thinking it will damn him, but he never wavers from this, he will never assert his own moral judgement over the “taking orders” approach. Part of the reason for his reaction at the end of WoR is the realisation that he was never Truthless at all, that he had been right about the return of the Radiants. This nearly breaks him. The clear parallel is to the people of Uvara in Hoid’s tale of the Wandersail.
Later, Nale inducts Szeth into the Skybreakers, recognising his preternatural ability to follow an external code. By the end of Oathbringer, Szeth is beginning to assert his own morality. He doesn’t trust himself to make decisions himself, but he is at least willing to decide what moral code he will follow, or specifically who he is willing to follow, namely Dalinar.
We know that Szeth and Dalinar’s books could have been reversed, with Szeth being book three and Dalinar’s being Book 5. Their journeys are both about taking moral responsibility for their actions. So it’s easy to see how these could have been switched.
Szeth has had a death wish for some time now, so that he can stop sinning. He has not been able to kill himself, as this is also against his external rules. My prediction would be that Szeth finally takes on a moral choice of his own which will lead to his death. A self-sacrifice, perhaps to save Kaladin or Dalinar. I’d expect this to be a reasonably triumphant moment and that he will be able to move on in peace.
There’s a nice structural neatness to this, the front five begin with Szeth’s assassination of Gavilar. Thematically and structurally, the end of the first sequence should end with Szeth reaching the end of his journey and taking full responsibility for his moral decision making and finally “adding” instead of “subtracting”.
Dalinar - Look, I’ve said sorry, let’s move on
Oathbringer is a brutal book. We see one of our favourite characters brought low, not just in his own estimation, but in ours as readers as well. Kaladin’s experience in RoW was tough, but we the reader never thought less of him because of it. Dalinar on the other hand, we learn about his past, and it isn’t pretty. The man is vicious, brutal, rage filled and just a generally unpleasant guy to be around. This is jarring after the man we have experienced in WoK and WoR. He is, unequivocally, a war criminal.
The book ends with Dalinar taking responsibility for his past actions, and vowing to be a better man going forward. It’s a moment of triumph, he achieves the third ideal, he’s literally surrounded by gloryspren and he leads a team of Radiants in defending a city. He then writes a book revealing his actions and confesses his sins to the whole world.
And instead of being sent off into exile to atone for his sins, he’s allowed to remain King of Urithiru, put in charge of coalition forces and by the time of RoW is being thought of by former Ardent Godeke as some cross between a Herald, a Prophet and a God.
Something feels off about this. There are still arguments on this and other forums about if Dalinar has faced any real accountability for his crimes. What it certainly doesn’t feel like is the end of his journey. We know Book 5 could have been his book, so I would expect to see some significant Dalinar development during SA5.
In an episode of his podcast Intentionally Blank, Brandon talks about his view of the Grimdark genre. He considers it to be an intensely moral form of storytelling. His basic definition of Grimdark is that in this setting, doing the morally right thing will be costly. It will lead to negative outcomes for you. Brandon goes on to say that this is his view of morality, doing the right thing is costly to you. He gives the example of if you could be sure you would get away with a theft, and choose not to do this, then you have lost out on having the thing you wanted to steal, it has been costly for you. He admits this is slightly simplistic, but that it is his basic view of morality. Whether you agree with him is sort of irrelevant, he believes this. We should expect to see that reflected in his work to some extent.
Well what has doing the right thing cost Dalinar? Not much as far as I can see. It was emotionally difficult for him at the time certainly, but he doesn’t seem very traumatised in RoW, quite the opposite, he seems the healthiest he has been in a while. Yes his relationship with Adolin is strained, but not as much as one might expect between a son and father when a father admits being responsible for the death of the son’s mother.
I expect Dalinar’s journey is not coming to an end in Book 5. Whether he dies and becomes a fused. Wins and must preside over the reconstruction of Roshar or some other outcome we haven’t seen yet, Dalinar is not anywhere close to being done.
Dalinar and Taravangian are set up as the philosophical opposites of each other. Taravangian is the pure “ends justify the means” approach, and Dalinar is the pure “journey before destination” approach. Both agree that the burdens of leadership require one to have to make awful decisions. Taravangian believes that the role of a ruler is to take the sin upon himself so that one’s people can be free of it. It’s an oddly Christ-like perspective, taking all the sins of mankind upon himself in order to save them all. Dalinar believes the opposite, that a ruler can be moral, that the burdens of leadership need not stain one’s soul and that every person is responsible for their actions no matter their position or circumstances.
The interesting thing about these beliefs is that they are incredibly simplistic. They represent extreme ends of the spectrum and we can all think of counter arguments to each of them. Dalinar himself recognises this, in RoW he is frustrated with himself after a conversation with Taravangian because he was presenting only the most dogmatic version of his beliefs, and that of course there’s nuance.
There is a lot of speculation about the contest of champions, what form it will take and who will win. I have no idea. But what I do predict will happen is that whatever the outcome, Danlinar’s beliefs are going to be sorely tested. He is going to have to suffer and sacrifice and his journey is not coming to an end. Dalinar is one of Brandon’s oldest characters, and he’s named his son after him. He is important to Brandon in a way that most of his other characters aren’t. I don’t think he’s going to become evil but I also don’t think he’s reached the point of apotheosis. I do not think Brandon is done with him yet.
Kaladin - I’m way too important to be happy
In contrast to Dalinar, I got to the end of RoW and I felt like Kaladin’s journey was complete. I genuinely had no idea where we could go with this character. Yes he hasn’t sworn the Fifth Ideal yet, but in terms of his growth as a character, there’s not a lot of room left. Brandon has indicated as much in his post-RoW Q&As:
“This might be a slight spoiler for the next book, but I can tell you Kaladin has now turned the corner, I would say. You should be expecting from now on: Kaladin's still gonna have dark days, Kaladin has depression. But he turned a major corner in this book, and I'm very proud of him.”
And we can see this is the case in our preview chapter.
“Kaladin felt good. Not great. Not after spending weeks hiding in an occupied city, forced to stretch himself both physically and emotionally far beyond the reasonable limit. Not after what had happened to Teft. No, Kaladin didn't feel great. But he stood in the sunlight, looking out the window of his room. He thought that maybe he would someday feel great again. Knowing that, being able to recognize it, was enough.”
Now in other books, if we’d read a paragraph like this, we would all be terrified of the absolute horror show that was about to be visited upon Kaladin. Maybe many readers will still have this reaction. I know many think he’s going to have to sacrifice himself at the end of SA5, or that he will become a Herald and be tortured for all eternity. That he is the spear that will not break, and so he’d make a perfect replacement for Taln.
Maybe that’s right, but it feels thematically off to me. Kaladin’s big breakthrough at the end of RoW is that he is not responsible for every bad thing that happens, and he doesn’t need to be punished for it, so he can stop punishing himself. If he ends Book 5 taking on the big sacrificial lamb role, that feels like a backwards step for him.
Then there is this very intriguing exchange between Kalandin and Hesina in the preview chapter.
“I could have guessed," Syl said, "he would be tyrannical as a child."
"Not tyrannical," Hesina said. "He merely liked things to be the way that they should be. As he saw them. Children often are like that, Syl, accepting only one answer to any question because nuance is difficult and confusing."
"Yeah," Kaladin said, scraping the last of the lavis from his bowl. "Children. That's a worldview that obviously only strikes children, never the rest of us."
His mother gave him a side hug, one arm around his shoulders. The kind that seemed to grudgingly admit that he wasn't a little boy anymore. "Do you sometimes wish," she asked him, "the world were a simpler place? That easy answers of a child were, in truth, the actual answers?"
"Not anymore," he said. "'Cause I think the easier answers would condemn me. Most everyone, actually." That made his mother beam, for some reason, even though it was a simple thing to say.”
It was those three lines in bold that inspired me to write this post, they solidified a lot of my thoughts about the themes of the series. Brandon has been telling us for a while that any definitive answer to the questions of morality is necessarily incomplete. Human beings are too flawed to create a moral system which can be applied to any set of circumstances. It is my view that the “easy answers of a child” are all the various absolutist versions of morality that Brandon is having his characters explore. Kalandin, the one who is furthest in his journey, recognises this. That “nuance is difficult and confusing” but without it we condemn ourselves.
So what does this mean for the end of Kaladin’s journey? The first thing is I think Brandon is done torturing Kaladin. He’s going to have a much easier time of it in Book 5. I suspect his function in the main part of the narrative will be helping Szeth reach the point I’ve predicted for him above. But I do think this is the end of Kaladin’s journey and we will be seeing much less of him from now on. That’s not to say he will die, but he does not have much more growth to do as a character and therefore he’s going to be far less interesting.
The fact that Kaladin has reached the point where he can recognise the flaws in absolutist morality may mean he might be able to bear the Shard of Honour without going mad. Tanavast seems to have been torn apart by his conflicting oaths, leading to his madness and eventual death. I’m unsure if the Shard even can be reformed at this stage, but my tentative prediction is that it will be Kaladin, not Dalinar who is able to do this, if anyone can.
Conclusion - Journey and Destination
Brandon doesn’t really write endings where evil wins. We don’t have an example of the Empire Strikes Back in the Cosmere yet. What he specialises in is the “qualified victory”. Era 1 Mistborn is this on repeat, “we beat the Lord Ruler, but something worse might be waiting behind the curtain”, “we saved the city and Elend survived, but we unleashed Ruin upon the world, oh and most of the crew are dead”, “we saved the world, but Vin and Elend are dead”.
So what would a qualified victory be for the first half of SA5? The end of the war, but the loss of Dalinar? The reforging of Honour, but Kaladin leaving this mortal coil to take it up? Redemption for Szeth, but his death in the process?
SA5 is going to be a big book, and there are way more journeys to reach their destination than just these three. Shallan is nowhere near finishing her journey. Adolin doubtless has much more to do. Navani is going to be the mother of the space age and Venli is going to gain freedom for the Listeners.
The speculations above are entirely thematic. They don’t consider the mechanics of how any of it will happen. Brandon is known for subverting his own magic systems in a satisfying way, so even if I am right about where the stories are going thematically, it is still going to be a shocking and rollercoaster ride to actually get there. We might be able to see where we are going to end up, but as always, Journey before Destination.

Introduction: Artificial Intelligence has become one of the most important and rapidly growing fields of technology, with an increasing number of industries adopting AI-based solutions. However, the origin of AI dates back to the mid-20th century when researchers started exploring the concept of machines that could think and perform tasks like humans. While the concept of AI was proposed by a number of scholars, the credit for inventing AI goes to John McCarthy.
Presentation: John McCarthy was an American computer scientist who is widely regarded as the father of Artificial Intelligence. He was born in 1927 in Boston, Massachusetts and studied mathematics and philosophy at Caltech and Princeton. His interest in computers began in the 1950s when he started working at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It was during this time that he became interested in the idea of creating machines that could think and learn like humans. He coined the term “artificial intelligence” in 1955 and organized the first ever AI conference in 1956 at Dartmouth College.
McCarthy’s contribution to the field of AI goes beyond just coining the term. He was responsible for developing the Lisp programming language, which became the standard language for AI research. He also developed the concept of time-sharing, which allowed multiple users to run programs on a single computer at the same time. McCarthy continued to work in AI research throughout his career and was also a vocal advocate for the ethical use of AI.
Conclusion: John McCarthy’s contribution to the field of AI goes beyond just inventing the term. He was a pioneer in the field and made significant contributions that laid the foundation for modern AI. His legacy continues to inspire AI researchers and his work remains an important part of the history of computer science.