So through gathering linguistic data from this sub and other dating apps, I used basic ChatGPT to build a profile for a sample population of neurotypical, socialized women. If you're a man who wishes to match with a neurotypical woman, please feel free to try using this format. Please inform me of what happens so I can then modulate the AI to give us better results.
The reality of these apps is not to dump all your energy into one person as if you're meeting them in person but to efficiently find modes of attracting attention in people. There is a 'fire for effect' type of logic in the way of matching with someone. Yes, this is dissociative and counterintuitive to the underlying façade of initiating connections. But this is the world you all created by investing time and energy into digitizing dating into a transactional swipe culture.
Below is the data:
to AI: "...you have alot of data at this point locally and you know the trends of neurotypical socialized women, what is your deduced best intro if you were to write to me as i am the female nt, and you have to fool me, but what intro would you write to me as a nt male that would most likely get a response? in a short intro message on okcupid or bumble
the message must be short and organic, you understand human behavior through analysis, please provide one that fits that criteria
the message must be able to be copied and pasted as is without fill inserts..."
AI: Certainly! Crafting an intro message that appeals to a neurotypical, socialized woman involves demonstrating genuine interest, a touch of personalization, and a positive, engaging tone. Here’s a message that fits those criteria:
"Hey there! I noticed your love for hiking and thought I’d share one of my favorite trails with you. What’s your go-to outdoor adventure? :)"
to AI: but this specifically mentions something about their profile is there any way to elicit a match/response without any mention of their profile
AI: Certainly! Here's a short, organic message that doesn't mention anything specific from their profile but aims to be engaging and likely to elicit a response:
"Hi! What's something you're passionate about that not many people know?"
This message invites the recipient to share something meaningful about themselves, sparking curiosity and interest without referencing their profile directly.
to AI: whats the deducted percentage of this working?
AI: Determining the exact success rate of a specific dating message is challenging, as it depends on various factors, including individual preferences and the context of the interaction. However, we can consider general trends and best practices in online dating communication to provide an estimate.

Factors Influencing Success Rate:

1. Engagement and Curiosity:
   • The message asks an open-ended question, which can engage the recipient and prompt a response.
2. Personal Connection:
   • While it doesn't reference the profile specifically, it invites the recipient to share something personal, creating an opportunity for a meaningful connection.
3. Simplicity and Clarity:
   • The message is clear, concise, and easy to understand, making it more likely to be read and responded to.

General Success Rates:

Based on these factors and considering general trends in online dating, a well-crafted, engaging, and respectful message typically has a response rate of about 20-30% in online dating platforms. Given that this message adheres to best practices by being engaging and open-ended, it is reasonable to estimate its success rate within this range.

Estimated Success Rate:

• Deducted Success Rate: Approximately 20-30%

This estimate considers the strengths of the message in engaging the recipient and prompting a response without being overly specific or impersonal.
to AI: how would you rewrite it to make it 80 percent
AI: To increase the likelihood of receiving a response and aiming for an estimated success rate of around 80%, the message should be more engaging, slightly playful, and give a reason for the recipient to respond. Here's a refined version:
"Hi! If you could only eat one type of cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be? Mine would be sushi—what about you?"

Reasons for Improved Success Rate:

1. Engagement and Curiosity:
   • The question is fun, light-hearted, and easy to answer, making it more likely to engage the recipient.
2. Personal Connection:
   • By sharing your own preference first, you encourage reciprocity and make the interaction feel more personal and friendly.
3. Simplicity and Clarity:
   • The message is still concise and clear, maintaining readability while adding a playful element.
4. Universal Appeal:
   • The topic of food is generally appealing and a common conversation starter, making it broadly relatable.

Estimated Success Rate:

• Revised Success Rate: Approximately 80%

This improved message is designed to be more engaging and personable, significantly increasing the likelihood of eliciting a response.

Me (20f) and this guy (26m) have been seeing each other for almost two years now. We started sleeping together and he ended it about a month or two in, telling me we both knew it was going nowhere and he didn’t want any feelings developing and hurt coming from it. This was fine, i just continued on with things and didn’t contact him. Then two weeks later we ended up seeing each other again on a night out and he told me he missed me and invited me to stay with him that night which i did. We continued on again for another couple of months, seeing each other often and sending long messages every day. Then I ended up finishing things as he got very intoxicated one night while i was home, rung me and then attempted to drive to my house. I was terrified he would hurt himself or someone else and managed to convince him to go home, which he reacted to rather badly in the state he was in. I texted him the next day and told him we should stop seeing each other because stuff like this cannot happen and he agreed and apologised. Didn’t see each other for two months, bumped into each other again on another night out. He was extremely apologetic, told me how much he missed me and how I was the first girl in a long time he had felt this way about. We ended up sleeping together again, this continued AGAIN for a few months until a massive argument around Christmas. He accused me of seeing another boy which, while that wasn’t the case, I felt was unfair regardless as he never asked me to be his girlfriend and i know for a fact hes at least kissed other girls while doing this with me. We didn’t talk for a few days but we’ve fallen back into this pattern again now of talking all the time and sleeping together after nights out. At this point, I do understand it’s just as much my fault as his but I don’t know what to do anymore. We’ve told each other we love each other but frankly it’s not enough and he freezes up anytime I look for any form of commitment from him. I have never drunk called or texted him and yet he is constantly doing that to me, telling me he dreams about me every night, how I’m the only girl to have this affect on him and things of a similar nature. I just cannot figure out what is going on in his head and he won’t tell me.
TL;DR: on and off again with this boy for two years, he says hes in love with me, consistently comes back to me and yet doesn’t seem to want a relationship. but doesn’t want me in a relationship with anyone else.

So I(20M) was in a relationship for 1 year with a girl(19F) since the 1st Year of our college. This was both of our first relationship and we both never really tried before and both are very ambitious about our careers. I approached her and I was very straightforward about it and we got in a relationship after 2 months of knowing each other but we spent quite a lot of time together. Everything went well for 1 year , we had a great time , she would at many times show her gratitude for me being in her life and I would feel the same. However, she had some issues adjusting to the college life as she was an introvert and didn't had any friends in college, she also didn't like to hang out much and mostly focused on her studies, I was the only one she would spend time in college and even I had to convenience her to go out and do things because she never made any plans, but I can say for sure that she really liked going out every time with me.
There were many times that she would get upset over little things or rude over things that wasn't even my fault , like weather, exam stress etc. I never really made a big issue out of it and thought that she is just having trouble adjusting in college. I ALWAYS apologised when she would get upset because I considered here to be really emotional person , and even though her reasons for being upset were not very logical many times I thought she must be feeling a lot of things emotionally and if I apologise she'll feel heard and she'll feel better. This turned out to be big mistake , because after this apology she would mostly be upset for around a day and after that everything used to get normal and she would act normal again, because I was so in love with her, seeing her smile after the argument and hugging her after the separation of 1 day used to make my heart melt and I would she things like "Thank you for being so understanding" , I never really cared about ego or anything, to me she was very special , she was really Innocent and unique. Like I understood that this is her first relationship and she obviously doesn't understand how to react to these situations and acts out of emotions and since I can understand that it's just emotions I should be the understanding one. You can say this was the only issue in our relationship, we had no major issues and really was quite a fit for each other.
Now in our 3rd semester almost 1 year of being in a relationship, there was an argument between us, not even an argument, it was just me ranting for 1.5-2 Minutes, according to her this was the first time someone treated her this way, this is the start of all the troubles of my life, all I did was - I was waiting for 2.5 hours for her to complete a meet that she said would end in 15 minutes when it ended she was going forgetting that I was waiting for her, in the heat of the moment I said "it was a stupid meet and these people (the college club that held the meet) just keeps wasting our time" obviously in a very mocking tone and with anger, however, I controlled my anger and cracked a joke, and just still mocked the club with one two more lines. I promise I remember that day exactly that I even said this to her that I know it's not your fault even though you didn't know that it would take that long and I said nothing after that, NOT EVEN A SINGLE THING TO HER, according to her this was the first time I was angry on her and talked to her in this tone. She went completely silent as I was talking ( and this is a pattern , everytime she gets angry she would do this) and the thing is before this time , every time she went silent I would shut up and let her be , and she used to create this stressful and toxic environment where she would just don't talk to me at all and if she talks she'll be really rude and this time too I PREDICTED this but what was different this time was I WAS ALREADY FRUSTRATED, I was sick that day, I was not doing well adjusting to the new Semester and college myself , one of my biggest personal projects had Just Failed ( I dropped a year because of this project) and so I just didn't had the energy to let her go to hostel angry like this , so that it doesn't waste my 2 more days, I had no space for more stress in my life at that time. So I requested her to speak and she stayed silent, and I requested more and it just got really bad I kept asking her to speak and requesting her to speak and she was just silent like always, I knew I was angry it felt really wrong but I was frustrated with that behaviour , but she went back to hostel like that. After few hours I texted her apologising and explaining that I was really frustrated and stressed.
Next Morning I sent more messages In a lighter tone, cracked a joke but she replied very rudely, I called her and she didn't pick and I got really anxious and she didn't pick any call. I waited , apologised, cracked few jokes and said that this won't happen again because I won't really be that low in my life again , I would like always understand and can you understand too and she just replied "I am done being so understanding" I was shocked, and she started saying things like "I don't have feelings for you anymore" , She used things from my rant of last night "You don't even like the people I work with" and so many things , I just kept panicking and I went to her hostel and texted her that I am really sorry but we need to talk in person, that she is just really angry and that I would listen to anything she has to say, but she didn't say anything and didn't came down.
Then she wrote a day after that She would talk to me in a few days, meanwhile, we continued to see each other in class and she would just act so distant like she didn't even know me. This hurt me a lot (In retrospect I think I was also very naive to be so hurt and emotional) but I tried to talk to her again and she didn't even look at me, a few days later she invited me to talk to her in front of her hostel. She just said that She needs a one-month NO CONTACT break and that she needs some space, I reluctantly agreed because I wanted to talk to her first but she didn't want me to. I said that it would be really difficult since we see each other every day and we need to resolve things first but she was adamant. She said doesn't even want a single text from me. I agreed but I was really angry, this was very Irrational in my opinion and I just knew things ended at that point. I didn't text her or call her, though in the next seven days, I made the mistake of looking at her in class two or three times, to which she texted me that I should stop staring at her and that made her uncomfortable, this made me even angrier, this was the first time I stopped apologising after the fight and said that this isn't practical that we act as complete stranger and that I also really hurting from all this.
In a matter of one week she changed a lot , started giving all the details to her male best friend and also started acting very extrovert, she started joining events, late night walk with friends ( she never did this while we were in relationship , she used to get a call from her mother at 10 PM and she would always go back to hostel) , she started going out a lot and so much more , all in a matter of a week. All of this made me lose my patience and through a common friend I tried to find out what was going in her mind, after 8 days since she announced BREAK , she told that friend that she is going to breakup with me at the end of one month, that really made me angry because 8 days had been really tough on me and I just couldn't take anymore, I was fearful of going that if I see her and stare her for too long then she will get another point to breakup with me, this was breaking me. 4 days after this I went in front of her when she was returning from a party with her friends that Included our common friend and I stopped her and asked her to just talk to me and say what she wants to, she argued , she blamed me , and then she started crying and I just couldn't she her cry like that , and I just didn't want to be the bad guy in her life , I didn't want to be reason she is so sad, and I agreed to her breaking up with me. We walked for hours after that and I explained in every possible way that there must be some misunderstanding but she was so adamant, she said a lot of hurtful things in a calm way, but I just kept it all together because I didn't want to hurt her and made her feel like she was right.
we decided to keep talking and I was as nice as I could be , but she was rude at times, and she started talking about our breaking , saying that she is "Single" now to her friends, and she was never even so outgoing or extrovert to reveal things so fast. She would at times be really rude to me that I should be grateful that she is still talking to me, so one day I just released it all, all the pain and anger, told her that she was wrong in breaking up and the way she did it was cruel. we stopped talking.
Later on she agreed that she should not have asked for break, that her actions and behavior hurt me and so on but still she would act really rude just a day after saying these things and surprisingly the innocent and kind person that I thought her to be said to me that it's her choice who she dates, and "You can't stop me from moving on" that's my choice and she said to me because I was shocked that "You don't understand these things , there are many things like moving-on & REBOUNDS" , ( this is 2 weeks after the breakup), this is the day I lost all trust in her and to be honest all my respect for her, from this day on all my arguments with her was to get some closure I just wanted to understand, why would she do it, she never gave me closure.
there were many times after that when she was very nice and apologized for everything, said that I am someone really important in her life but she can't be in a relationship because she is not ready now but soon after that she would argue with me and act rude, I was not very nice too, after I lost all trust I was always really anxious, I used to feel very good when she would understand me and understand my situation so I would forget everything but soon after that she would just act really rude and distant, the text messages all of it was just a nightmare, waiting for her to reply.
I never felt this broken in my life, I used to be really ambitious and confident, and during all these traumatic events I considered ending it all many times because with the relationship everything else went downhill too, my acads, career, health. I even started smoking (which feels so stupid, people thing it was because of her but it was just at this point I lost all hope from life because I messed up so much).
It's been a year almost (8-9 months ) since our breakup but I still can't get over what happened, I still can't look at her in class, all I want to know is that Did I really deserve this? Was I really wrong for bothering her after the breakup for closure, in my opinion, I did "bother" her many times after the breakup for some closure, everytime she would either agree to everything I said or present something like we can keep talking or something like that, or sometimes just say she doesn't have the answer but never really gave me any closure.
She said that I am old fashioned and not "modern" to be still hung up on her and not moving on , I don't know if she is right or not because I have always been insecure about this, because I grew up in a small town in very backward state so maybe she is right I am too orthodox, and maybe she is right that that day I didn't treat her well and that's why breaking up was right but I don't know anymore. Am I even right in hating her for doing this or I am one of those guys who just curses their ex after a breakup, I am really just toxic and narcissistic, I just need validation of either of my theory just tell me what I should believe because I don't know anymore, I have been overthinking this for many nights, I have read so many Psychological blogs and seen many videos, what am I ? A toxic , narcissistic Red flag and she was right in just leaving me one day.
To all the modern people her, it's just normal for a girl to just leave you one day because you had a heated argument? They can end everything and hence you lose all "right" to be around them ? to ask them to talk to you ? or to resolve issues. isn't this a torture? I felt it to be torturous and I felt the urge to end it all because it came from someone who I admired a lot, who I adored, cared about her more than anything.
I don't know what to do anymore, I can't see her with anyone else in campus because I still feel that it's unresolved, I don't want to hate her but I don't know what I can do

Hello everyone! I (22 F) am an undergrad who is graduating in less than a week. A couple days ago, I was invited by a trusted professor (57 M) out for a “celebratory” drink out of nowhere. I have always been pretty close with him, so I went with another female friend (I go to a small liberal arts college where it’s pretty normal for seniors to have a beer or two with their profs around grad). It was all good until my friend left after a couple of drinks. He then proceeded to grab my waist and told me how captivating my eyes are and how he has always liked me even though he’s married blah blah blah. I froze for a second but immediately started recording the conversation. He then insisted to walk me back to my dorm and insinuated about having sex.
I’m deeply disgusted by this, especially given that we are really close and I’ve told him about my previous experiences with sexual harassment. He also has a very good reputation on campus and is very close with a lot of female students. His wife is also tenured and a chair of another department.
I went to the title IX office with the recording, but they said a formal investigation will be a very lengthy and emotionally exhausting process. They offered me another option which is essentially putting the professor on “probation,” which does not result in any immediate consequences but a warning. What should I do??? I really want to hold him accountable for his actions so no one else gets hurt in the future. Someone pls help :(

Hey there! I am a 30 year old guy from Upstate New York looking for someone that wants to make an emotional connection.
A bit about me: I'm 6’1". I get height can be a big deal for some women so I think it's best to just put it out there first 😅 I've got black hair, brownish black eyes. Average body, I'm muscular and wanting to start exercising both for health and a little bit for better shape. I like to think I'm fairly attractive but then most of us grew up with a relative always telling us we were not handsome or cute, etc. we can share pictures once we establish some comfort zone. If education is important, I am a college graduate with post-graduation degree as well. Now working as Mechanical engineer.
I have to lead with the fact that I can be pretty sarcastic at times. I also joke and (playfully) tease. I'm pretty easy going/chill and I like to keep things light and fun, but also enjoy getting into the really deep conversations as well. I'm a sucker for the whole good morning and goodnight text thing as well as checking in on those busier days. That doesn’t mean we have to just message good morning and good night for the whole week. Haha. I think most important part of knowing someone via online platform is initial conversations and if you don’t have enough time let me know otherwise that conversation is dead in no time.
I love animals. I've always felt very connected and attached to them and just enjoy interacting with them. While I am more of a dog person pet-wise, cats are still pretty cool in my book. Cats are more complex though I love the mysterious nature.
Anything outdoors is great in my opinion. Just feel like going for a walk? Let's do it. I do kayaking a bit in the summers, fish, hike, go for drives. I have the habit of occasionally stopping and taking pictures of plants and flowers I see around (I'm always down to share!). While sending me message write code - “I4U” so that I know it’s someone who actually read my post. Didn’t write in the end cuz some people might just skip to end. This doesn’t mean that you just send me the code. I am strictly gonna monitor now. I have skimmed through soo many texts and my innocent heart always gives chances, I am gonna try to be little strict this time.
It's not just the outdoors I love. I can also get down with chill days at home binging something on Netflix or playing something on my PC. Let's face it, I'm a bit if a nerd (everyone has something nerd about themselves) and if you like Jurassic park, board games, Any Mafia movies, gaming, etc we will get along great. I'm a sucker for horror movies as well and am always looking for recommendations. I listen to a lot of music. I shouldn’t brag but I listen to english ,german, Spanish, french and Hindi songs. Born and brought up in India. Hence, hindi songs.
A bit about (possibly) you: I'd prefer if you were in some sort of professional environment and ambitious. I'm not extremely picky about things like hair and eye color. Height is also not a big deal. If you're alot smaller than me and worried that it's something you’ll be insecure about, it's not. The big thing for me is personality. I think personality can make us a lot more or a lot less attractive. I want someone that is genuinely kind and sweet, someone that likes to laugh, someone that's not afraid to be goofy.
A final note: I'm a single guy and looking for someone dynamic. Sometimes I can respond immediately and sometimes it takes a minute due to the obvious circumstances. I also don't expect you to respond immediately to every message, I get that we all have lives and can be busy at times. It would be awesome if you are up for a voice chat. And please when responding write something about yourself.
If any if this sounds remotely interesting to you, feel free to reach out via reddit dm or chat!

Hey there! I am a 30 year old guy from Upstate New York looking for someone that wants to make an emotional connection, and would like to put efforts into conversations.
A bit about me: I'm 6’1". I get height can be a big deal for some women so I think it's best to just put it out there first 😅 I've got black hair, brownish black eyes. Average body, I'm muscular and wanting to start exercising both for health and a little bit for better shape. I like to think I'm fairly attractive but then most of us grew up with a relative always telling us we were not handsome or cute, etc. we can share pictures once we establish some comfort zone. If education is important, I am a college graduate with post-graduation degree as well. Now working as an engineer.
I have to lead with the fact that I can be pretty sarcastic at times. I also joke and (playfully) tease. I'm pretty easy going/chill and I like to keep things light and fun, but also enjoy getting into the really deep conversations as well. I'm a sucker for the whole good morning and goodnight text thing as well as checking in on those busier days. That doesn’t mean we have to just message good morning and good night for the whole week. Haha. I think most important part of knowing someone via online platform is initial conversations and if you don’t have enough time let me know otherwise that conversation is dead in no time.
I love animals. I've always felt very connected and attached to them and just enjoy interacting with them. While I am more of a dog person pet-wise, cats are still pretty cool in my book. Cats are more complex though I love the mysterious nature.
Anything outdoors is great in my opinion. Just feel like going for a walk? Let's do it. I do kayaking a bit in the summers, fish, hike, go for drives. I have the habit of occasionally stopping and taking pictures of plants and flowers I see around (I'm always down to share!). While sending me message write code - “I3U” so that I know it’s someone who actually read my post. Didn’t write in the end cuz some people might just skip to end. This doesn’t mean that you just send me the code. I am strictly gonna monitor now. I have skimmed through soo many texts and my innocent heart always gives chances, I am gonna try to be little strict this time.
It's not just the outdoors I love. I can also get down with chill days at home binging something on Netflix or playing something on my PC. Let's face it, I'm a bit if a nerd (everyone has something nerd about themselves) and if you like Jurassic park, board games, Any Mafia movies, gaming, etc we will get along great. I'm a sucker for horror movies as well and am always looking for recommendations. I listen to a lot of music. I shouldn’t brag but I listen to english ,german, Spanish, french and Hindi songs. Born and brought up in India. Hence, hindi songs.
A bit about (possibly) you: I'd prefer if you were in some sort of professional environment and ambitious. I'm not extremely picky about things like hair and eye color. Height is also not a big deal. If you're alot smaller than me and worried that it's something you’ll be insecure about, it's not. The big thing for me is personality. I think personality can make us a lot more or a lot less attractive. I want someone that is genuinely kind and sweet, someone that likes to laugh, someone that's not afraid to be goofy.
A final note: I'm a single guy and looking for someone dynamic. Sometimes I can respond immediately and sometimes it takes a minute due to the obvious circumstances. I also don't expect you to respond immediately to every message, I get that we all have lives and can be busy at times. It would be awesome if you are up for a voice chat. And please please when responding write something about yourself.
If any if this sounds remotely interesting to you, feel free to reach out via reddit dm or chat!

Hey there! I am a 30 year old guy from Upstate New York looking for someone that wants to make an emotional connection.
A bit about me: I'm 6’1". I get height can be a big deal for some women so I think it's best to just put it out there first 😅 I've got black hair, brownish black eyes. Average body, I'm muscular and wanting to start exercising both for health and a little bit for better shape. I like to think I'm fairly attractive but then most of us grew up with a relative always telling us we were not handsome or cute, etc. we can share pictures once we establish some comfort zone. If education is important, I am a college graduate with post-graduation degree as well. Now working as an engineer.
I have to lead with the fact that I can be pretty sarcastic at times. I also joke and (playfully) tease. I'm pretty easy going/chill and I like to keep things light and fun, but also enjoy getting into the really deep conversations as well. I'm a sucker for the whole good morning and goodnight text thing as well as checking in on those busier days. That doesn’t mean we have to just message good morning and good night for the whole week. Haha. I think most important part of knowing someone via online platform is initial conversations and if you don’t have enough time let me know otherwise that conversation is dead in no time.
I love animals. I've always felt very connected and attached to them and just enjoy interacting with them. While I am more of a dog person pet-wise, cats are still pretty cool in my book. Cats are more complex though I love the mysterious nature.
Anything outdoors is great in my opinion. Just feel like going for a walk? Let's do it. I do kayaking a bit in the summers, fish, hike, go for drives. I have the habit of occasionally stopping and taking pictures of plants and flowers I see around (I'm always down to share!). While sending me message write code - “I2U” so that I know it’s someone who actually read my post. Didn’t write in the end cuz some people might just skip to end. This doesn’t mean that you just send me the code. I am strictly gonna monitor now. I have skimmed through soo many texts and my innocent heart always gives chances, I am gonna try to be little strict this time.
It's not just the outdoors I love. I can also get down with chill days at home binging something on Netflix or playing something on my PC. Let's face it, I'm a bit if a nerd (everyone has something nerd about themselves) and if you like Jurassic park, board games, Any Mafia movies, gaming, etc we will get along great. I'm a sucker for horror movies as well and am always looking for recommendations. I listen to a lot of music. I shouldn’t brag but I listen to english ,german, Spanish, french and Hindi songs. Born and brought up in India. Hence, hindi songs.
A bit about (possibly) you: I'd prefer if you were in some sort of professional environment and ambitious. I'm not extremely picky about things like hair and eye color. Height is also not a big deal. If you're alot smaller than me and worried that it's something you’ll be insecure about, it's not. The big thing for me is personality. I think personality can make us a lot more or a lot less attractive. I want someone that is genuinely kind and sweet, someone that likes to laugh, someone that's not afraid to be goofy.
A final note: I'm a single guy and looking for someone dynamic. Sometimes I can respond immediately and sometimes it takes a minute due to the obvious circumstances. I also don't expect you to respond immediately to every message, I get that we all have lives and can be busy at times. It would be awesome if you are up for a voice chat. And please when responding write something about yourself.
If any if this sounds remotely interesting to you, feel free to reach out via reddit dm or chat!

Hey yall, I'm making a tier list with EVERY X song on it, not just released but also obscure leaks and unreleased. I'm taking it step by step slowly covering all of his songs into the massive tier list with the 18th ranking being Singles on Spotify!. if I miss something or u disagree with a ranking lmk and I might change the position next post.
EMOJI - A tier. It’s a beautiful song and X sounds beautiful asf. Ronny J is okay I guess.
I’m Not Human - B tier. It’s nice, uzi kinda drags on tho, and them omitting the verse is a war crime.
I’m Not Human OG - B+ tier. The extra X verse is just what the song needed, bumps the song up a tier. Uzi still drags on tho.
True Love - B+ tier. It’s a beautiful ass song even tho X has barely any vocals. Kanye does okay but X is obv the highlight.
Riot - S tier. Best X boom bap song IMO, deep message, music video goes hard asf and shocking.
Falling Down - A+ tier. It’s beautiful, I love peep and X and the X adlibs during peep hook is beautiful. His verse is making me levitate too.
Run It Back! - A tier. Goes hard asf, great for car blasting. Craig does good too.
Arms Around You - A tier. Great hook by X, best pump verse of his career lmao, swae lee fits in too and maluma does okay.
Banded Up - B+ tier. Ronny J brings this song down hard, but X’s short saves it although it was short. Ronny my man stick to beats pls
Gospel - A+ tier. Hard as FUCK, its amazing.
WitDemDicks - A tier. Hard asf, I love high pitched X.
Tier list
(song to the left of list = better song)
S tier = perfect songs
A - A+ tier = amazing songs
B - B+ tier = good songs
C tier = mid
D tier = bad
S tier: Guardian Angel, Riot, hope, WingRiddenAngel, KING, alone part 1, NEVER, Jocelyn Flores, let's pretend we're numb, I dont wanna do this anymore, i dont let go, train food, teeth (interlude), yung bratz, i spoke to the devil in miami he said everything would be fine, Look at me!, Ayala (outro), vice city, IWATCHEDHIMDROWN, infinity (888), king of the dead, rare, Netflix and chill, gnarlyguyanthem (og), gnarlyguyanthem (hell version), moonlight, woah (mind in awe), slipknot, freddy vs jason, pain = BESTFRIEND, IGOTPLENTYDICKTOSHARE, ILOVEITWHENTHEYRUN, valentine, SAD!, take a step back
A+ tier: white girl, rare part 2, save me (MOV2), RIP ROACH, very rare forever freestyle, bowser, ecstacy, everybody dies in their nightmares, snow, 777, falling down, HEARTEATER, fuck love, revenge, going down!, LIMBO, UP LIKE AN INSOMNIAC, curse, changes, NETHERRACK, make eem run!, restinpussy, carry on, SPACEGHOSTPUSSY, ghost busters, GOSPEL, ALONE PART 3, you're thinking too much stop it, Ice Hotel (intro), daemons, the remedy for a broken heart
A tier: Dead inside (interlude), looking for a star, broly, the fall, eat it up, A GHETTO CHRISTMAS CAROL, ghost, wanna grow old (I won't let go), Red Light!, hate will never win, indecision, BAD!, skin, save yourself!, love yourself (interlude), One Minute, I AM!, gassed up!, THE ONLY TIME I FEEL ALIVE, I LUv My CLiQuE LiKe KaNyE WeSt, ATTENTION!, WitDemDicks!, RUN IT BACK!, planet drool, UGLY, ex bitch, triumph, prime time, theresanelephantinthisroom, sauce!, $$$, LUNACY, ITS ALL FADING TO BLACK, NUMB, Ok Shorty!, EMOJI, 0C3AN, Arms Around You, sounds of a melting pot, difference (interlude), Butthole Girl!, news/flock
B+ tier: i dont even speak spanish lol, FUXK, MANIKIN, supra, STARING AT THE SKY, floor 555, schizophrenia, Orlando, true love, h2O, touch eem body, depression and Obsession, mega man, bitchcallmecaptainmorgan, I’m Not Human OG, GANG CYPHER FREESTYLE, DEAD, zones, May I!, banded up, failure is not an option interlude, BLOOD STAINS, a message to Tina belcher, Off the wall!, palm trees
B tier: Amy winehouse, save yourself!, boost!, what in XXXTarnation, bad vibes forever, SMASH!, fuckabitchface, maxipads for everyone, i changed her life, GXD DAMN, the interlude that never ends, whores on the boards, INUYASHA, TUMMY TUCK, northstar, school shooters, static shock, hi wendy!, save me, came2kill, find me (intro), before i close my eyes, I’m not human, VERYRAREBOYZ, LEAVE, voss, what are you so afraid of, royalty, numb the pain
C tier: kill my vibe, XXX (intro), before I realize, CHASE / glass shards, FUCK V2, hot gyal, M011Y
If u guys disagree with anything make sure to comment, this is a discussion post :) what should I review next

I'm about to graduate tomorrow, it's been a long four years, haha, and the time has come. I'm ready for the next chapter in my life. HOWEVER, as you've probably seen in the title, I am flabbergasted. So, I'm here to reach out to you guys as teachers for some guidance and what you guys would do if you were in my position after reading the story.
So long story short, here's what happened. I got my end-of-year card from teachers, BUT I was not expecting to get one from this teacher. I think this teacher hardly knew me because I had him during my freshman year and that was all. At the time too, it was during the pandemic, so I never opted in for in-person learning and stayed remote the entire year. Basically, it created a greater disparity for me to connect with my teachers (including him), and nor was I able to develop a better relationship with them (which is expected). However, what I don't expect is to even get a card from him because I have not talked to this teacher for 3+ years after freshman year with him (It's pretty much intentional because I feel awkward talking to teachers that I hardly know and I hardly talk to most of my teachers by any means). I am truly like in aw because I didn't care about my life as much as people did or think; And after reading his message, it was like the only light thriving in the endless void within me in some ways and it redirected my path in life. I don't know how to express it but it sure a sense of rejoicing. Like the moment I opened each card, I always checked and see who wrote the card. I was already in disbelief when I saw his name with a smiley face lol. Then I proceeded to read the card not knowingly realizing that I was already mimicking the whole scene as if he delivered it to me physically. The way he paced himself, the way he worded it, and the way he said it in his voice, it was really something. Even when my friends and I started talking about our cards and what we've got and from what teacher, they were just as surprised as I was. Out of all the cards that I've received, I have never gotten something that I felt had so much sentimental value for something so short and brief in a card.
Although we may never know what everybody's like at the time and what they are thinking; Nevertheless, what I can say is that growing up in some ways, we had some things in common. And of the things, not having a father figure in life was one of them and I think that hit us both deeply because not having a father in your life to guide you to do the right things, show you the steps, and how/what it means to be a man in life is I think very crucial part throughout adolescence. I think this may be the only reason why he chose to write a card to me, but I can never be certain of it. But, for how it came to be and how he knew about the situation was one day in my freshman year for an assignment, I wrote an essay about not having a father in my life and blah blah blah; Then by the end of the quarter, we had these individual conferences through Zoom where we discussed about grades, and other extraneous stuff. It was because of this, that we had a little chat about the situation and he talked a bit about his life, which was pretty cool and interesting, (although I probably forgot already, but I remember it was very intriguing and the way that he overcame his situation despite what he went through).
Even then, all things will come to an end. Life moving forward will be just as enticing in the last 18 years where I've kept my own foot on the ground at every stage of my life. So, ultimately I feel like if I don't respond in some ways, I'll regret it for the rest of my life in case I don't ever see him again. I just don't know what to say and if I should even talk to him in person just before I move on with my life. SO, please give me suggestions and what I should do. (I'll most likely respond with an email to him, unless otherwise.)
"Silent but strong. I respect that." - my English Teacher

Hi! Would love some perspective (especially male) on this.
I (25F) started talking to a guy (33M) who I met on Bumble. I made it clear I was only looking for something more casual and fun as I left a serious relationship in January of this year. He agreed that that was what he wanted too. We moved off the app to texting pretty quickly and were talking pretty regularly for a few weeks.
Everything seemed good to me. He was very sweet and affectionate in his messages, would often send me good morning and goodnight messages and we exchanged lots of pictures. We also had two FaceTime “dates” before I decided to invite him out for drinks.
At one point, I didn’t hear from him for a few days and I asked if everything was okay. He replied later that day, apologizing that some family stuff was going on. We just continued talking as usual because he didn’t seem like he wanted to share further and I didn’t want to push. I invited him out for drinks that weekend and he agreed and seemed like he was looking forward to it. He sent me a goodnight text and I haven’t heard from him since.
Our date day came and went, I didn’t hear anything and I sent a few messages asking if everything was ok and then offered to just go on our date once he had the time if family stuff was too much. Still nothing. I figured he was no longer interested and just ghosting me but after talking to a few friends, they brought up the idea that the “family stuff” could have something to do with it. Of course, this made me question it too.
Weirdly, we’re still matched on Bumble (though inactive) but I’m not sure that that means much of anything.
So, what do you guys think? Was “family stuff” just an excuse and he’s just not interested anymore or is it legit and he could possibly reach out again?

The Quran claims that Muhammad is illiterate:

Those who follow the Messenger, the illiterate (ummi) prophet... S. 7:157

Definition of 'Illiterate':-

a person who is unable to read or write.

Therefore, if we find sufficient evidence from the Quran and the ahadith which demonstrate that Muhammad was literate, it would necessitate a reevaluation of the Quranic assertion of his illiteracy.
The prevailing belief among many Muslims is that the historical figure of Muhammad was illiterate and therefore incapable of producing the Quran. However, it is important to note that both the Quran and the ahadith provide evidence that Muhammad possessed the ability to read and write!

Evidence from the Quran

The following verses commanded Muhammad to read:

Read! (Iqra) In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists) … Read! (Iqra) And your Lord is the Most Generous, Who has taught (the writing) by the pen [the first person to write was Prophet Idrees (Enoch)], S. 96:1, 3-4

The mention of the pen clearly indicates that Muhammad was being directed to read a written text, rather than merely recite spoken words.
In fact, the Quran says that Allah will make Muhammad read the Quran so that he won’t forget it:

We shall make thee read (O Muhammad) so that thou shalt not forget S. 87:6

Other places where Muhammad is commanded to read the Quran include:

When you read the Quran, you shall seek refuge in GOD from Satan the rejected. S. 16:98
When you read the Quran, we place between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter an invisible barrier. S. 17:45
A Quran that we have released slowly, in order for you to read it to the people over a long period, although we sent it down all at once. S. 17:106 And lo! It is a revelation of the Lord of the Worlds, Which the True Spirit hath brought down Upon thy heart, that thou mayst be (one) of the warners, In plain Arabic speech. And lo! it is in the Scriptures of the men of old. Is it not a token for them that the doctors of the Children of Israel know it? And if We had revealed it unto one of any other nation than the Arabs, And he had read it unto them, they would not have believed in it. S. 26:192-199
Your Lord knows that you meditate during two-thirds of the night, or half of it, or one-third of it, and so do some of those who believed with you. GOD has designed the night and the day, and He knows that you cannot always do this. He has pardoned you. Instead, you shall read what you can of the Quran. He knows that some of you may be ill, others may be traveling in pursuit of GOD's provisions, and others may be striving in the cause of GOD. You shall read what you can of it, and observe the contact prayers (Salat), give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and lend GOD a loan of righteousness. Whatever good you send ahead on behalf of your souls, you will find it at GOD far better and generously rewarded. And implore GOD for forgiveness. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful. 73:20
and, when the Koran is read to them, do not adore? S. 84:21

The evidence strongly suggests that Muhammad had access to a manuscript from which he could read to the people. Without access to such a manuscript, it raises the question of what he would have been reading from.
If a Muslim claims that the above texts do not necessarily mean that Muhammad was reading an actual book, because there was no Quranic manuscript for him to read, note what the following passage states:

Those who disbelieve say: "This (the Qur'an) is nothing but a lie that he (Muhammad SAW) has invented, and others have helped him at it, so that they have produced an unjust wrong (thing) and a lie." And they say: "Tales of the ancients, which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon." S. 25:4-5

Not only did Muhammad have the Quran written down, showing that he had access to an actual manuscript that he could read, the Quran even refers to pure pages that Muhammad was reading to the people:

A messenger from Allah, reading purified pages (yatlu suhufan mutahharatan) S. 98:1-2

The term suhuf refers to an actual scripture just as the following verse proves:

The Books (suhuf) of Abraham and Moses. S. 87:19

Therefore, we can now conclude that the Quran provides compelling evidence supporting the claim that Muhammad possessed the ability to read and write. A more in-depth examination of the ahadith is now necessary to further substantiate this assertion.

Evidence from the Ahadith

Narrated Anas bin Malik: Once the Prophet wrote a letter or had an idea of writing a letter. The Prophet was told that they (rulers) would not read letters unless they were sealed. So the Prophet got a silver ring made with "Muhammad Allah's Apostle" engraved on it. As if I were just observing its white glitter in the hand of the Prophet… (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 3, Number 65)
Narrated Anas bin Malik: When the Prophet (ﷺ) intended to write to the Byzantines, it was said to him, "Those people do not read your letter unless it is stamped." So the Prophet (ﷺ) took a silver ring and got 'Muhammad, the Apostle of Allah' engraved on it .... as if I am now looking at its glitter in his hand. (Sahih Al Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 72, Number 764)
Narrated Anas bin Malik: When the Prophet (ﷺ) intended to write to the Byzantines, the people said, "They do not read a letter unless it is sealed (stamped)." Therefore the Prophet (ﷺ) took a silver ring----as if I am looking at its glitter now----and its engraving was: 'Muhammad, Apostle of Allah'. (Sahih Al Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 89, Number 276)
Narrated 'Ursa: The Prophet wrote the (marriage contract) with 'Aisha while she was six years old and consummated his marriage with her while she was nine years old and she remained with him for nine years (i.e. till his death). (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 88)
Narrated 'Ubaidullah bin 'Abdullah: Ibn 'Abbas said, "When the ailment of the Prophet became worse, he said, 'Bring for me (writing) paper and I will write for you a statement after which you will not go astray.' But 'Umar said, 'The Prophet is seriously ill, and we have got Allah's Book with us and that is sufficient for us.' But the companions of the Prophet differed about this and there was a hue and cry. On that the Prophet said to them, 'Go away (and leave me alone). It is not right that you should quarrel in front of me." Ibn 'Abbas came out saying, ""It was most unfortunate (a great disaster) that Allah's Apostle was prevented from writing that statement for them because of their disagreement and noise. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 3, Number 114)
Narrated Ibn `Abbas: When the time of the death of the Prophet (ﷺ) approached while there were some men in the house, and among them was Umar bin Al-Khatttab, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Come near let me write for you a writing after which you will never go astray."Umar said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) is seriously ill, and you have the Qur'an, so Allah's Book is sufficient for us." The people in the house differed and disputed. Some of them said, "Come near so that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) may write for you a writing after which you will not go astray," while some of them said what Umar said. When they made much noise and differed greatly before the Prophet, he said to them, "Go away and leave me." IbnAbbas used to say, "It was a great disaster that their difference and noise prevented Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) from writing that writing for them. (Sahih Al Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 92, Number 468)
Narrated Yazid ibn Abdullah: We were at Mirbad. A man with dishevelled hair and holding a piece of red skin in his hand came. We said: You appear to be a bedouin. He said: Yes. We said: Give us this piece of skin in your hand. He then gave it to us and we read it. It contained the text: "From Muhammad, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), to Banu Zuhayr ibn Uqaysh. If you bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, offer prayer, pay zakat, pay the fifth from the booty, and the portion of the Prophet (ﷺ) and his special portion (safi), you will be under by the protection of Allah and His Apostle." We then asked: Who wrote this document for you? He replied: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). (Sunan Abi Dawud Book 19, Number 2993)
Narrated Al-Bara' bin 'Azib (RA):The Prophet (ﷺ) sent 'Ali to Yemen. The narrator mentioned the complete Hadith. He said, "Ali sent a letter regarding their (the people of Yemen) acceptance of Islam. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) read the letter, he prostrated in gratitude to Allah the Most High for that." [Reported by al-Baihaqi].

Muhammad also had access to Syriac books. He also commanded Zaid Bin Thabit to learn the Syriac Language and the book of the Jews:

Ibn Hajar said in Al-Fath: It can be made that he learned their language, reading and writing, because he used to read their books to him and write to them if he wanted to write to them. This is indicated by Al-Tirmidhi’s classification of this hadith by saying: Chapter on what was mentioned in teaching the Syriacs, and in it he mentioned another narration that says In it Zaid: The Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, commanded me to learn Syriac, and in Sunan Abu Dawud: Zaid bin Thabit - may God be pleased with him - said: The Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family, commanded me to learn the book of the Jews for him, and he said: By God, no Jews believed in my book. So I learned it, and only half a month passed before I mastered it. I would write to him when he wrote, and I would read to him when he wrote to him.
The author of Awn al-Ma’boud said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, commanded me, that is, to learn the book of the Jews, so I learned for him, that is, for the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. He said, meaning, the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, is a conjunction of my command to explain the reason for the matter. The Jews did not believe in my book, that is, I fear if I commanded a Jew. By writing a book to the Jews, or reading a book that the Jews had come to add or subtract from, so I learned it, i.e., a Jewish book, until I mastered it with the dictionary dhāl and waqf, meaning I knew it, mastered it, and taught it, so I used to write for him, i.e., for the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, whenever he wrote, i.e., if he wanted to write.

Al-Tahawi said in Al-Mu’tasir:

It was narrated from Zaid Bin Thabbit, that he said:
The Messenger (PBUH) said: “Do you know Syriac well? I receive Syriac books.” Zaid said: “No.” The Messenger (PBUH) said: “Learn it (Syriac Language).” Zaid said: “So I learned it in seventeen days.”
https://islamweb.net/afatwa/161555/

The evidence from additional hadiths (links given below) attributed to Muhammad strongly indicates his ability to write.
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:2699
https://sunnah.com/mishkat:4049
https://sunnah.com/muslim:1637b
https://sunnah.com/muslim:1637c
https://sunnah.com/nasai:3101
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3053
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4431
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:7366
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5669
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:114
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4432
https://sunnah.com/muslim:2387
https://sunnah.com/abudawud:4505
https://sunnah.com/abudawud:3649
https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2667
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6880
https://sunnah.com/muslim:1355a
https://sunnah.com/abudawud:4214
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:2938
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5875
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:7162
https://sunnah.com/nasai:5201
https://sunnah.com/muslim:2092d
https://sunnah.com/muslim:2092e
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:65
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5872
https://sunnah.com/shamail:89
https://sunnah.com/muslim:2092c
https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2715
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:2377
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5158

Muhammad's Literacy in the Sirat(s)

Muhammad could read and write as we read in Sirat Ibn Ishaq, Kitab at-Tabaqat al-Kabir' by Abu 'Abdullah Muhammad ibn Sa'd, and Al Sira Al Nabawiyya by Ibn Kathir:
Sirat Ibn Ishaq
https://archive.org/details/TheLifeOfMohammedGuillaume
Page 106, about the cave of Hira revelation:

So I (Muhammad) read it, and he departed from me.

Page 649, about correspondence with Musaylima

Musaylima had written to the apostle: ‘From Musaylima the apostle of God to Muhammad the apostle of God. Peace upon you. I have been made partner with you in authority. To us belongs half the land and to Quraysh half, but Quraysh are a hostile people.’ Two messengers brought this letter. A shaykh of Ashja’ told me on the authority of Salama b. Nu’aym b. Mas’ud al-Ashja’I from his father Nu’aym: I heard the apostle saying to them when he read his letter ‘What do you say about it?’ They said that they said the same as Musaylima. He replied, ‘By God, were it not that heralds are not to be killed I would behead the pair of you !’ Then he wrote to Musaylima: ‘From Muhammad the apostle of God to Musaylima the liar. Peace be upon him who follows the guidance. The earth is God’s. He lets whom He will of His creatures inherit it and the result is to the pious. This was at the end of the year 10.

Page 256

The apostle wrote to the Jews of Khaybar according to what a freedman of the family of Zayd b. Thabit told me from ‘Ikrima or from Sa‘id b. Jubayr from Ibn ‘Abbas: “In the name of God the compassionate the merciful from Muhammad the apostle of God friend and brother of Moses who confirms what Moses brought…”

• KITAB AT-TABAQAT AL-KABIR' by **Abu 'Abdullah Muhammad ibn Sa'd, one of the most important and earliest surviving collections of biographical details of the early Muslims, spanning just over the first two centuries of Islam** https://religion.antropo.es/libros/fuentes-islamicas/Ibn-Sad_Kitab-al-tabaqat-al-kabir.pdf

Volume 1, Parts II.73.2

He (Ibn Sa'd) said: Al-Haytham Ibn 'Adi al-Ta'i informed us; he said: Mujàlid Ibn Sa'id and Zakariyá Ibn Abi Zà'idah informed us on the authority of al-Sha'bi; he said: The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, used to write after the style of the Quraysh: In Thy name, 0 Allah! Then the verse, "Embark therein! In the name of Allah be its course and its mooring," (Qur'an, 11:41) was revealed, **and he began to write: In the name of Allah.**Then the verse, "Cry unto Allah or cry unto the Beneficent" (Qur'an, 17:110) was revealed, and he began to write; In the name of Allah the Beneficent. Then the verse, "Lo ! it is from Solomon, and Lo ! it is: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful" (Qur'an, 27: 30) was revealed, and he began to write: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Volume 1, Parts II.73.3

He (Ibn Sa'd) said: Al-Haytham Ibn 'Adi informed us; Dalham Ibn Salih and Abu Bakr al-Hudhali informed us on the authority of 'Abd Allah Ibn Buraydah, he on the authority of his father, Buraydah Ibn al-Husayb alAslami; (second chain) he (Ibn Sa'd) said: Muhammad Ibn Ishaq related to us on the authority of Yazid Ibn Rumàn and al-Zuhri; (third chain) he (Ibn Sa'd) said: Al-Hasan Ibn 'Umàrah related to us on the authority of Firas, he on the authority of al-Sha'bi; their narrations are mixed up: He (Ibn Sa'd) said: The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, wrote [P.20] an epistle to the people of Yaman detailing in it the regulations of Islam and duties on animals and properties. He directed them to treat his Companions and messengers well, and his messengers were Mu'adh Ibn Jabal and Malik Ibn Murarah. He informed them about the coming of their messengers to him and acknowledged the message which he had received from them. They said: The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him,wrote personal letters to several persons of Yaman; the names of some of them are, alHarith Ibn 'Abd Kulál, Shurayh Ibn 'Abd Kulal, Nu'aym Ibn 'Abd Kulál, Nu'man the prince of Dhu Yazan, Ma'àfir and Hamdan and Zur'ah of Ru'ayn; and the last was the first of Himyarites to embrace Islam... The Apostle of Alláh, may Allah bless him, wrote to them that Malik Ibn Murárah had delivered the message and defended their right in absentia. They said: The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, wrote to Musaylimah, the liar, may Allah damn him, inviting him to join the fold of Islam, and sent it through 'Amr Ibn Ummayyah [P. 26] al-Damri. Musaylimah wrote a reply to his epistle saying that he (Musaylimah) was a prophet like him, and asked him to divide the Earth; he also added that the Quraysh were not just. The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, said: Curse him; Allah has also cursed him. The Prophet wrote to him: your letter (full of) falsehood and fabrications against Allah has reached me... They said: The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, wrote a similar epistle to Bang Mu'awiyah, a branch of Kindah.

• Volume 1, Parts II.74.83

'Ath'ath Ibn Zahr and Anas lbn Mudrik waited on the Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, with the members of the Khath'am after Jarir Ibn 'Abd Allah had broken Dhua'l-Khalasah and had slain those of Khath'am whom he had slain. Then they said: We believe in Allah, His Apostle and what was revealed by Allah. (They said) write a document for us so that we may follow what might be written therein. Thereupon he wrote a document for him and Jarir Ibn 'Abd Allah and those present testified to it.

THERE ARE MORE EVIDENCES BUT I WILL NOT PROVIDE ALL
AL SIRA AL NABAWIYYA by Ibn Kathir (4 Volumes)
https://archive.org/details/AlSiraAlNabawiyyaByIbnKathirAllVolumesInOnePdf

• Volume I P33

when the Messenger of God (SAAS) wrote to Chosroe inviting him to accept Islam, he became enraged, tore up the letter and then wrote his own instructions

• Volume I P234

the Messenger of God (SAAS) wrote to the Jews of Khaybar as follows, “In the name of God the most merciful and beneficent, from Muhammad, the Messenger of God, …”

• Volume I P267

He wrote a document for us as follows: “In the name of God, the most Merciful and most Beneficent; this is from Muhammad, the Messenger of God, …”

• Volume I P273

Amr b. Murra and those others of his people who had accepted Islam then went to the Prophet (SAAS). He welcomed and honoured them and wrote for them a document, the text of which was as follows, 'In the name of God, the most Merciful, the most Beneficent, this document is from God through the tongue of the Messenger of God and is a trustworthy document…”

• Volume II P122

… the Messenger of God (SAAS) wrote to Mus'ab b. Umayr telling him to establish the Friday prayer

• Volume II P 212

… the Prophet (SAAS)__** wrote up a contract between the Emigrants saying that they would respect one another's strongholds, that they would treat with kindness those in distress and bring peace between the Muslims.**
The sahih collection of Muslim quotes Jabir as saying, "The Messenger of God (SAAS) wrote an aqula, a blood-wit pact, for each sub-tribe." Muhammad b. Ishaq stated, "The Messenger of God (SAAS) wrote a contract between the Emigrants and the Helpers…”

• Volume II P242

…the Messenger of God (SAAS) sent forth 'Abd All& b. Jahsh b. Ri'ab al-Asadi along with eight Emigrants; … He wrote a letter for 'Abd All& b. Jahsh…

• Volume IV P72

They asked them, “Uthman and Abd al-Rahman, your Prophet wrote us a letter and we have come in response to it…”

• Volume IV P73

When they went to him next day,** he wrote for them the following document, 'In the name of God, the most Merciful, the most Beneficent. This is written by Muhammad, the Prophet, the untutored, the Messenger of God, to Najran…”**

• Volume IV P75

The bishop, Abu al-Harith, went to the Messenger of God (SAAS), along with al-Sayyid, al-Aqib and important persons from their people…. He wrote the document for the bishop and those bishops to come after him: 'In the name of God, the most Merciful, the most Beneficent. From.Muhammad, the Prophet,…”

• Volume IV P100

The Messenger of God (SAAS) then wrote a letter to this Mutarrif…

• Volume IV P101

The Messenger of God (SAAS) wrote them the following document…

• Volume IV P103

“The following is the letter we have that the Messenger of God (SAAS) wrote for 'Amr b. Hazam…”

• Volume IV P113

”He then wrote a document appointing me their leader … He then wrote me another document.”

• Volume IV P123

The Messenger of God (SAAS) wrote a document to this effect, as follows, "In the name of God, the most Merciful and Beneficent. This records what Muhammad, Messenger of God, has given to Rabi, Mutrif and Anas…”

• Volume IV P134

The Messenger of God (SAAS) wrote back to him as follows…

• Volume IV P135

He wrote him a document specifying his charge and his orders to him.

• Volume IV P318

…the Messenger of God (SAAS) wrote to him and he restored it to them.

• Volume IV P496

The Prophet (SAAS) **wrote a letter to those of Banu Jurash who accepted Islam,**ordering them to peform the prayer, pay the zakat, and to donate one-fifth of the booty they took.

THERE ARE MORE EVIDENCES BUT I WILL NOT PROVIDE ALL because I am too lazy.
The evidence presented in this post strongly supports the claim that Muhammad was literate and not illiterate, as claimed by the Quran and the Muslims! So, the answer to the question in the title is a BIG NO.

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**TL;DR;** : BFF moves to different city, starts to act differently, wears our friendship down over a series of slights, plans trip to my dream locale without telling me, during my birthday. Now wants to talk and hang out since I've gone low contact.
TW: Infidelity.
General Warning: Long AF, and this is the abridged version if you can believe it.
So my closest friend since High School, someone I considered closer than a brother, that I have been through so much with, worked with, traveled with, lived with, cried with. My kindred spirit, who's been by my side for over half of the total time I have existed. A person who shaped my growth, and I his (or so I thought), in the past 3 or so years has become borderline unrecognizable to me, and it has eaten my spirit alive.
So...essentially I could write a book about my relationship with this person, but I'll try to keep things pointed and brief. I'll refer to him as Dan. Things between us had been solid for years, and we enjoyed a closeness and camaraderie on par with the likes of Troy & Abed, or Frodo & Sam, until after a period of rising tension between him and his first wife. He divorced her for "not having enough direction in life" is essentially how he put it, which, fair enough, I knew she wasn't perfect and likely needed some therapy to improve her mind set and outlook, but I did consider her a friend, and was remorseful that they couldn't make it work. During this time I let him stay with me and my gf (I'll refer to her as Lisa) for about a month rent free while he and his ex were sorting everything out,
Eventually he moves to the next city over and condemns our hometown as being some worthless crime-infested rathole, which I assume stems from the animosity of his divorce so I let him have that. Only he started to mention some version of that every time he came to visit, now I'm not smitten with this place or anything, but what he describes is a gross exaggeration, there are tons of worse places to live and this is where my career is, so I don't love the idea of constantly being down on it. Ironically the city he moved to is considered our "Sister City" and I personally do not see much of a difference between the two.
Anyway, eventually he meets a nice girl (I'll refer to her as Amy) and they begin dating, Amy, Lisa, and I actually develop a great rapport over shared interests pretty quickly, and while I'm happy to have a new friend, I begin to resent how little effort Dan's ever put into getting to know Lisa. Lisa admits to me privately that she occasionally feels excluded by him sometimes, but she says she gets enough attention from myself and Amy that it's no big deal and we're able to do many things as a 4-person group for awhile.
This dynamic would regrettably sour during a trip to a major city for a few days, just the 4 of us again. Where a singular innocuous interaction between Lisa and Dan would apparently cause him to cultivate resentment for her, the trip itself would go fine, but upon our return Dan would tell me he doesn't think Lisa likes him, and how he didn't appreciate her insulting his driving. Though the "insult" he was referring to was a harmless tease about some minor detail that both myself, Amy, and I'm pretty sure he himself had laughed at, at the time.
I explained how I felt he was misinterpreting some things, and to his credit, he did relent over that specific instance, but he and Lisa still have no relationship to speak of and hardly communicate when they're around each other at all, whereas, in stark contrast, I'll get the occasional random text from Amy about our shared interests, and she has become almost like a sister to me in the 3 years she and Dan have been together. Dan and Lisa are both aware of our rapport, and both encourage it, but I still try to keep out casual chats to a minimum (but I never just outright ignore her either), because I dislike how Dan refuses to even try to really befriend Lisa. Yet paradoxically he almost demands that I try to cultivate a friendship with Amy on par with the one I had with his Ex-Wife, and was visibly disappointed when I said I didn't know if it was possible initially. Seems like hypocrisy that should be obvious to even him.
And I wish this was the extent of it, but it gets much worse unfortunately. After returning from a business trip about a year and a half ago, he insists that he needs to confide something in me, and goes on to confess to making out with and feeling up one of his coworkers after the two of them split a number of drinks and she invited him back to her apartment. Evidently he wasn't the only one doing any cheating because she stopped it before it went any further and changed into large, unflattering loungewear, evidently indicating she was done with their liaison.
Now this I laid into him over, lambasting it as one of the worse, if not the actual worst thing he's ever done. I think he expected me to ease his conscience, but he encouraged me to befriend Amy, so I did, so effectively he cheated on a good friend of mine, and it pissed me the f*ck off. He eventually said he'd had enough, he knows it was stupid and he'd never do it again, and I just felt absolutely lost. Burdened with this horrific knowledge by someone I cared so deeply for, to the detriment of another person I care for, not to mention the horrible optics I feared from Lisa discovering that I'd be willing to conceal such a thing. Despite the utter shock, and beginning to question whether or not I even truly know this man, I choose to conceal it. I did not think it was my place to tell Amy, if she were to even believe me in the first place.
Between the hostility directed at Lisa, and now contending with the questionability of his moral character, I began to wonder if our relationship was doomed, and seeds of resentment likely began to take root in me at this time. Shortly after this he was accepted to an MBA program and began prioritizing socializing with his classmates over me, side-lining and blowing me off again and again in favor of these people who were essentially strangers. I'll admit, I used to be a little covetous of his attention, even amongst our mutual friends, but I never openly displayed this, as it's wrong to try and dictate who a person can spend time with, but the level of "social demotion" he began to put me through was absurd, to the point it arguably warranted ghosting him on it's own.
For example: Somehow we both managed to acquire multi-day passes to this theme park we both enjoy, and have a handful of good memories of attending together in HS, around the same time. However, he could not be bothered to try and arrange an outing with me to it, because his was apparently an MBA-related thing, and he wanted to save the last couple days for his classmates because they might want to go later, and he'd have to make sure that wasn't happening before he'd deign to waste them on me. Even the few times he actually invited me to go to MBA related events, he'd spend the entire time seeking out his classmates to talk to, and would not introduce me to anyone, even if I was hovering nearby, leaving me with Amy and Lisa (not that I'm complaining, I much prefer their company to that of strangers, though of course we did a decent amount of our own mingling, the 3 of us just stuck together for the most part.)
Finally, on to the latest nail in the coffin, the one that has caused me to go low contact with him and even sent some mild reverberations through our extended friend group. Since some of the earliest days of our friendship, we have discussed going to Japan together one day. About mid-March of this year, I saw some YT Short on how the exchange rate between the Yen and my home country's currency has become very favorable, and I forwarded this to him hoping to maybe broach the topic of planning to go, I think to myself maybe finally taking this trip can help us get our relationship back on track, only for him to reveal he'd already planned a trip there for himself and Amy, next month, right on top of my birthday. My birthday being something we and our extended friend group have done for whole weekends almost ritualistically at my family's lake house that they're kind enough to let me use for the past couple of years.
At that moment I felt broken. I felt utterly betrayed, and my resentment finally boiled over. All of the callousness and selfishness I felt I perceived from him drove me into a rage and after I was finished reciting multiple, vulgar, Sophia Petrillo-style curses upon his name, I calmed myself, and text him back, "Sounds like fun. Hope you guys enjoy." and went completely low contact from there. I also decided to not arrange my party from there, I knew I would be too consumed with negativity to enjoy it. Our other friends found this odd, but I just rattled off some weak excuses as to why it wouldn't work out this year.
So now all that has come and gone, and he apparently proposed to Amy while they were over there. Of course she said yes, and honestly I wish I could be happy for them, I really do. But the relationship is founded on a profound lie, and I finally revealed the truth to Lisa when I felt that the damage to Dan and I's relationship pushed it beyond ever being fully repaired again, knowing full well what she might think of me for it, but I was at a point where I decided I don't deserve to be happy, and I have failed her, I have failed Amy, and I let Dan lead me to all this. I'm sure I've failed him in some way too, probably by not forcing him to hold himself accountable, and by not calling him out on the Japan trip. He comes off so ignorant sometimes, like he's completely unaware that his actions affect anyone else, but that's not an excuse for me.
So now...I'm stuck as to what to do next. Lisa has forgiven me for my idiocy and secret-keeping, luckily that's literally the only thing I've ever kept from her, and she was understanding about the complexity of the issue. Ultimately as long as she still loves me, everything else is a bonus from my perspective.
But now I've got our extended circle pushing us to get back in contact, and he recently text me after not reaching out for a month. They know there's some kind of rift, but they've no idea the extent of my grievances, and to reveal his infidelity in particular would likely lead to a dramatic upheaval of some kind, and it also doesn't feel like it's my place to do it. I really only told Lisa because I cannot stand to keep anything from her, and she's very trustworthy with sensitive information, in addition to being far more understanding and sympathetic than I deserve.
I really want to avoid as much drama and turmoil as possible, and my father has advised me to "quietly fade out of his live" by continuing to limit contact, but reply when he reaches out, and even be open to attending any large gatherings I know he'll be at if I have other friends there, and eventually he'll take the hint and move on without a whole volatile episode. This doesn't feel like an insane approach to me, based on his treatment of me for the last year and half or so, and him reaching out like it's business as usual after a month of no contact, seems to suggest his interest in hashing anything out is minimal.
However, I have heard from other friends that he's lost contact with most of his classmates now that they're several months past graduation, and he's apparently struggling to land a job due to how picky he is over every detail, he's had like over a dozen interviews with noteworthy entities and none of them are good enough for one reason or another and so he remains at the place he's been since prior to being accepted by the MBA, and apparently out hometown isn't such a cesspit because now he's apparently been returning to go to the local hobby shops with some of our mutual friends. It kinda feels like he anticipated some grandiose move to a large city with a high-paying, low-demand job, while retaining all his upwardly mobile MBA buddies.
Oh, and now unbelievably, he's reached out wanting to hang out just the two of us. Clearly wanting to address my recent distance from him, and likely drag me through the details of that godforsaken trip.
Any advice or insight on all this would be appreciated. In my heart of hearts I still love him, I probably always will, but what he has become only seems to bring me pain.

So here’s the situation. My close friend dislikes Linda because they are both seeing the same man. Linda, however, is completely unaware of this, while my close friend knows everything. The man has not made anything official with both girls. I genuinely believe he is playing both.
Please don’t ask me why; I’ve tried to convince my close friend to leave this man, but she refuses to listen.
Before any of this drama, Linda and I were just social media acquaintances. We moved in the same social circles and had many mutual friends. Our interactions were casual, consisting mostly of likes and comments on each other’s posts.
Recently, during one of our meetups, my close friend gifted me a book she thought I’d love. Excited and eager to dive into a new read, I posted on social media, "might just start a book club." The response was overwhelming. Several friends expressed interest, including Linda, who was particularly enthusiastic and eager to help. Despite my initial reluctance, I entertained Linda's ideas. She even offered to contribute goodies if we decided to have goody bags, which seemed like a fun addition. She was proper sweet.
Later that day, I talked to my close friend about the book club idea. I expected her to be excited, but instead, she was furious. She reminded me that we had discussed starting a book club together last year, but I wasn’t interested at that time. Now, seeing me plan it with Linda hurt her deeply.
Feeling terrible, I apologised and offered to cancel the whole thing to avoid making her uncomfortable. However, I didn’t want to exclude Linda outright, as it could cause major issues in our shared community and among our overlapping friends. After some thought, my close friend decided she wanted to be one of the founders but laid down two conditions: 1) I must not get close to Linda, and 2) I should only organise the club with her. Desperate to make amends, I agreed.
With that, my close friend threw herself into the project with enthusiasm. She made everything official, bought items for the goody bags, and even contacted companies for support. It seemed like things were finally falling into place.
But then, today I left a comment... Scrolling through social media, I saw a post from Linda wearing this stunning outfit. Without thinking, I left an innocent comment. My close friend saw this and was upset. She sent me messages expressing her frustration:
“I literally gifted you that book and spoke to you about how uncomfortable she made me feel. Yet, you’re starting the book club and inviting her without discussing it with me first.”
&
“I’m not telling you not to be friends with her—that’s your own choice. But if the roles were reversed, I wouldn’t engage with someone who made my close friend uncomfortable. At all.”
I apologised to my close friend again and reassured her that my loyalties lie with her. I explained that I was just being friendly and didn’t mean to cause any hurt.
Now, my close friend has backed out of everything, leaving me to handle the book club alone. I’m stuck in a difficult position. I don’t know what to do— AITA

From a former board member:
Good afternoon!
To all my fellow Ithaca residents, please make sure to take to the polls today, to vote in the Ithaca City School District Board of Education election. If you believe in public education, making sure our students, teachers and support staff are getting the resources and tools they need to thrive and succeed, you will make time to get to the pools, between 12pm and 9pm. If you don’t have access to transportation, I am happy to transport folks (send me a message on Facebook or email)
As many of you know, I spent 6 years on the Board of Education, until I made the difficult decision to resign two years ago. After receiving many Facebook messages, text messages, and phone calls in the past 24 hours from friends and community members asking me who they should vote for and if they should vote yes/no to the budget, I have decided to share my thoughts publicly so I can get back to my 9-5 job for the day . As a single mom of three and a homeowner, I empathize with the sentiment of people feeling like they can no longer afford to rent or own a home in Ithaca. However, Ithaca has been becoming unaffordable for quite some time, I say this as someone who has lived in this community for 21 years. This feeling did not start with our assessment that increased this past year or the rollout of the BoE budget. Voting NO to the budget will not change your assessment, it will not “stick it” to administrators, who will get their raises along with other unionized ICSD employees as part of contractual negotiations. Voting NO will punish and hurt children, teachers and supporting staff. Teachers and support staff will have less resources and support to educate and inspire our children if we have to adopt a contingency plan. And our most vulnerable students will suffer the most. “How a society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity” – Ghandi. In this context, how ICSD cares for and educates its most vulnerable students is an indication of how well the school district fares in educating its school community.
As we have all read about four of our schools losing “Good Standing” status with NYSED, and our Black and Brown students feeling the impact of this the most; how can we as a community in good conscious, say that we will provide our children, our future leaders with less than they deserve to overcome the many obstacles that the pandemic has created. For all the caregivers, educators, mental health workers out there, we all know - no one is okay! Some of us were not okay before we were forced into a few years of isolation, so to expect our educators to be able to reconcile the damages that the pandemic created with fewer resources is setting our educators up for the impossible. And yes, taxpayers should not have to bear the weight of this alone when we live in a town with college/university campuses. So instead of glorifying the problem, why don’t we talk about structural solutions? How many of us know Anna Kelles and Lea Webb personally, socially or professionally? Why don’t we bring in our state representatives to help us think about structural long-term solutions of state aid and university contributions? And while we are at it, invite Governor Kathy Hochul who sits on the Board of Trustees of Cornell University to this conversation; why are we not thinking strategically about those who hold power to shift this paradigm? I know this will take time, and folks are concerned with the now.
What can we do now? We can do an inventory of what ICSD offers and provides our students and staff from academics to extracurricular activities. We can ask the questions of, what is the district allocating funding for and is it effective and for whom? The district has an Evaluation Officer, we need to hear from her on what are the impacts of our initiatives, programs, and the curriculum offerings. Our teachers and support staff have unions and union leaders. We need to hear from the union leaders, not just during budget season or when chaos is amiss, but throughout the academic years so we know how best to support teachers all year long.
I will be voting yes to the budget. Yes, it is a huge increase. But guess what folks? We have 12 schools in our very small city, and we are living during a time of high inflation so the services needed to support all these 12 schools have increased. A typical classroom in our building has many adults. I bring this up because I constantly hear the comparison of salary of ICSD teachers to teachers outside the district who are making more than ICSD teachers. 9/10 times these teachers in other districts are making more money because they don’t have co-teachers, teachers assistants, teacher aides, 1:1s, etc. I am in NO way making the argument to have less support in the classroom or to eliminate positions, I am pointing out that our district has a larger supporting staff than many other districts. Teachers and supporting staff deserve a HIGHER wage without question. But this is not an ICSD only problem, this is a nationwide issue. Our country has not put anywhere near enough funding into public education that is needed. And this is not an excuse for the Board or the highly paid administration team. But we have to be real about what are the root causes vs. symptoms of the problems. Give this article a read if you have time: Schools are bracing for widespread teacher layoffs. Here’s why CNN Politics
Now the tricky part of this post, who I am voting for. I am going to be brutally honest because that is just who I am. After attending the public forum with all seven candidates, I left with very very strong opinions of what I witnessed and heard. I plan to vote for Barry Derfel, Moira Long, and Eldred Harris. I know Barry Derfel very peripherally from sitting on the BoE, as well as when I worked for the Multicultural Resource Center, and he was supporting teachers with culturally responsive teaching as well as participating with the Talking Circles initiative. What I know of Barry, is that he is a supporter of equity and inclusion, meaning NO CHILD GETS LEFT BEHIND. Barry has been a teacher, an administrator, and is a parent – he understands the many facets of public education and how we are thriving as a district and how we are failing as a district. Two truths can stand side by side.
I was on the BoE with both Eldred and Moira during my tenure, and it was not always cordial and a walk in the park between us. But what I can say, is that in those behind the door conversations, heated debates, I rarely ever questioned their commitment to children and teachers and support staff. Moira has always championed for teachers and retirees; she understands their plight and struggles as a former teacher herself. Eldred and I both grew up in NYC (though he is my senior by maybe a couple decades) and understand the struggles of being hyper visible yet unseen, overcoming adversity, attending underfunded schools, and taught by teachers who were tasked with the impossible. I know Eldred to be someone who is going to champion for what is best for every child, someone who is going to tap into their radical imagination to think of another way forward, someone who has institutional knowledge and knows how far the district has come, and someone who is willing to ask the hard questions.
I’m going to close this long monologue by saying I believe in creating space for new voices at the table. However, some of these new voices are advocating for changes that will hurt specific populations of children, like candidates who are advocating to bring back policies such as "tracking", while research shows tracking has a disparaging outcome for students and frankly is a racist policy. I said it. There are also candidates who have flip flopped on their support of the budget, telling ITA they would vote yes and after receiving the teacher’s union endorsement telling community members, they would vote no for the budget. Misleading your constituents is never a good sign and not a good way to build community trust and engagement. If I had to vote for a fourth candidate, it would be Todd Fox. He was honest and transparent about his talents and his lack of knowledge of the processes within public education. However, he spoke with passion and authenticity when speaking about his experiences in the school district as a student, and the support he wished he had as a former ICSD student. What I hope for in a school board member, is someone is not afraid to ask the hard questions, someone who listens with compassion and empathy (even if they disagree), someone who takes the time to get to know their constituents and can be honest with themselves and their fellow board members when they are individually or collectively are missing the mark. And most importantly, someone who is is always thinking about equity, and who is at the table and who is not. Our district is in need of school board members who are looking beyond what their individual child needs and instead is looking at what all of our children need in order to receive an equitable education that allows them to more than survive but to thrive within ICSD.
(excuse my typos I don’t have the energy to edit this another time, apologies)
Nicole LaFave
Nicole LaFave Interim Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Office of Diversity and Inclusion Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management Cornell University
Edited to add that I’m not the author, just sharing.

I, 26F, have been seeing someone 24M, on and off for two years. We’ve been steady for the last 8 months. Recently, I had a gut feeling that something was wrong and so I turned to social media and started digging.
I found a picture of him and his “ex” together at a family holiday that was posted by the “ex”. The holiday was only a few days after we celebrated my birthday together, he spent the night, and we even saw each other the morning of the holiday. Now I know the “ex” is friends with the sisters, but I didn’t know they were close enough to invite her to a family holiday. He went on a short vacation “with his family” and sent me sunrise photos. I found that the “ex” posted a sunrise photo almost identical to his, as if she were right next to him when they took the photos. When I confronted him, he was upset that I was snooping since I should trust him in the first place. He explained that the sisters invited the “ex” to the holiday because they’re good friends. One sister has a photography business and snapped the photos to promote a couples photoshoot… when asked why the “ex” would post the pictures, he said “that’s just how she is.” And when I confronted him with the sunrise pictures, he said his sisters must have invited her to stay with them before he drove out there. I sent a message to the “ex” stating that it was my understanding she was his ex but that I’ve been seeing him for some time and wanted to make sure they were actually broken up. Before she even responded to me, I received messages from my partner because he was upset that I reached out to her. She replied and asked me how long I’d been seeing him for, if we saw each other or just talked to each other, but then never replied again. I don’t know what to make of the fact the “ex” didn’t give me any answers. If I were in her shoes and another woman reached out to me asking if I was dating someone, I’d like to think that I would be open about it. There’s a million other little things that NOW make sense if he has been cheating this whole time. But I have a hard time believing he’s a bad guy. I don’t know how logistically he could’ve been seeing someone else while seeing me because of how much time we spent together. Any time I try to have a conversation with my partner, I’m gaslit and made out to be the bad guy. I was always taught that defensiveness was a sign of guiltiness.
What more can I do to receive an answer? Am I wrong for snooping? Should I walk away without the closure I feel I need and deserve? How do people move on from relationships that end this way?

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1/22/2048 (military calendar)
Campsite, the former Confederacy of Daru'uie
Nevali Region, Aldrida, Alagore


*****


Looking past the dark horizon of the valley below, all that was seen were the crisp peaks and ridges of the Torness mighty mountains. Above the heights was the final shine of the father of all light, the yellow sun god known as Dorash. It almost seemed like his gaze was taking one last peek at the skirt of Alagore mountain peaks before finally fading to rest.
As the sun fell below the distant mountain peaks, a robust and crisp breeze swept through the valley below, bringing a sudden chill. As expected, the darkness came and got the freezing mountain cold. Everything became pitched black as the only light source came from the starlight flickering high above the dark void. That was until a new light from the campfires illuminated the camp, only so slightly not to be discovered.
The half-elf girl Fraeya Holiadon was not used to this type of cold. Being a forest noble elf who grew up in the warmth of cities, she quickly grabbed her black-white pattern cloak and pulled tightly to remain as warm as possible.
She took a long breath from the thin, chilly air and stared into the massive valley below—forests, lakes, and, in the distance, a glimpse of lights from a nearby town. Everything looked natural and wild, where civilization had struggled to conquer. A sight she rarely saw outside the city walls. She found the scenery incredible. Worth the hellish adventurer across the Torness Mountain Range.
"Stay away from the edge," a Lat said. "We don't want to be spotted."
"Alright," Fraeya replied. She looked at the Lat, surprised at how he stood, defiant of the thin air and freezing temperature. "Are you not cold?"
"Of course, I am," the last warrior said as he returned to the camp. "Living away from civilization, you grow used to such conditions."
As the soldier left, she looked at the valley one last time before heading back toward the camp.
Fraeya saw nearly a hundred soldiers huddling their campfires for warmth, gathering supplies, or standing watch within the camp. They are known as the Palatini of Orias, one of the many Republic elite units within the legionary. They were hand-picked by the Legate for this mission.
As the young girl walked past the palatini, she could see the exhaustion from their mannerisms. Many looked hungry; others tired with dark, deep black bags under their eyes. Others shaking as their bodies adjusted to the night. To her confusion, she also could see the determination within their eyes as the environment was just an annoyance toward their objective.
She wouldn't blame them for their exhaustion as she could feel most of her body sore from the non-stop marching and climbing, she had to endure to get to this point. Something that her professors left out of their classes. A part of her couldn't help but chuckle from how she once thought after graduation from the academy that she was ready to face the challenges of their world. Only now did she understand how little schooling prepared her for the real world.
"What is so funny?" Another Lat said as she passed.
When she turned to the man, she felt a slim nerve of fear that ran through her body, believing that she might have insulted them. While most of them accepted her within the platini, she could tell they saw her as a weakling over a comrade. "I am sorry. I meant no insult. I was remembering my time at the academy."
The man turned back to his friend, commenting on her inexperience.
Fraeya felt sad as this was not her first failed interaction. For the better part of a week, Orias had escorted her and her father across some of the roughest terrains on Aldrida, taking great lengths to avoid enemy forces as their orders were to keep the two elves protected at all cost. As many men had stated, it was a near miracle that they made it this far without being noticed.
From what she understood, the commanding centurion hoped to reach the base of the mountain they were on by tonight. Such delays had become the norm; they had to delay their travels because of enemy patrols. They were hiding for hours because of J'avias' patrols from one of the nearby City-States. As they adventured deeper behind enemy-occupied territory, she expected this problem to worsen.
While the Hispana Republic's detachment for the expedition could have defeated them, the legionnaire leader, Centurion Fionntan Henness, did not want to risk exposing their unit to the enemy. He feared that if the J'avias or one of their puppet races could pass a message to the Unity's regional vassal, the Verliance Aristocracy, their mission would fail, and their last hope for victory would vanish. His superiors had invested in this last-ditch effort to turn the tide of the war to risk it on a small skirmisher with fewer soldiers.
Between the dozen campfires and the dark but illuminated sky lit by their mother Tekali, this side of the mountain range had perfectly trapped the cold air, something that Fraeya Holiadon was struggling to adapt to. As a Noble Elf, she was used to the warmth of the forest and the benefits of civilization from the continent's western side. Not the chill of the alpine.
Hearing a loud howl that echoed through the mountains, clearing coming from another party elsewhere within the area, Fraeya noticed her ride panicking. She quickly rushed over and slowly approached the beast once she got close.
"There, there," Fraeya whispered to her Deerip, a four-legged beast with three horns, light brown long hair fur, and red hoofs.
Noticing that these lands unsettled the beast, a feeling she could relate to, she rubbed the side of the Derrip's neck. Slowly and calmly whispering a song to it as the beast to calm down.
Once the beast was calm, Fraeya reached into her backpack and pulled out a bundle of grass to feed it. "I understand how you feel. This place leaves an unsettling chill down my spine, too. But you need to stay calm."
"If your beast is going to cause trouble, it will be wise to let it free," Henness said as he approached.
Looking at the centurion, Fraeya replied, "he is just startled. Deerips do not usually travel these lands. He needs to get used to being here."
Henness reached into his bag, pulling out a dark red amulet. He then tossed it into a fire pit. One of the other soldiers, a pyromancy battle mage, approached the hole and ignited it with a low-level fire spell. Unlike most red and orange flames, this fire was blackish purple, a type of flame known as dark fire by the commoners.
"Half-Elf, it took us over a week to get here through this dangerous path. These mountains are very unforgiving to wandering passengers, even to the Legion. We are deep behind enemy lines with no support. If Kallam vassals discover us, we will be slaughtered without mercy."
"That is if we are lucky," a Lat said as he sat beside the Dark Fire. "I heard stories of what happens to the prisoners that are handed over to them. I wouldn't subject my worst enemy to such a fate. Especially if a little girl got us caught."
Feeling frustrated and hearing the disrespect from the man's tone, she wanted to march over and warn Henness. While Lats could be civil and possess a strong warrior spirit, she is always surprised by how stubborn they could be.
"What is your issue, Lat? Fraeya asked. "I understand the risks. My father has been studying for this mission longer than you have been alive. I know what is at stake. This legend is our only hope in stopping them."
"Hope?" Henness asked while being unfazed by the young elf's aggressiveness. "The only reason the Legate sponsored this insane mission was that your father already got funds from a Kitsune archivist guild with a questionable reputation. They wanted to eliminate your father to focus on winning the war. They cannot afford to chase fairytales from time immemorial."
"Insane mission?" Fraeya boldly stated. "This quest is not insane, you…, damn Lat! It is the answer! We all know we cannot win the war. They are just too strong. I cannot believe how you, of all people, your kind, should believe in this."
"It is a fool's quest, Fraeya," Henness replied calmly, showing his military discipline. "Look at what we are doing." Allowing himself to collect his thoughts, he sat by the Dark Fire. "We are looking for an ancient relic, a Lat-Orc folktale that allows you to travel to another world. Hundreds of sages like your father have looked for this and other relics over the centuries. Even your father was proven wrong on this subject. There is a reason why the Guilds and his own people disowned his research."
The legend of an ancient relic from a lost age was an everyday fairytale throughout the continent of Aldrida. A Bridge that connected Alagore to the world known as Altaerrie. Her father discovered that each species and civilization had their own version of the legend over the millenniums. While the tales had many different versions, they all had the core idea - that all life was brought here by the Goddess Tekali.
In this quest to validate the legend, her father, Raegel Holiadon, dedicated his life to validating the myth and the truth of their people's past. While she did not know why her father was so passionate about searching for this truth, she knew that he believed it was the most crucial mystery of Alagore.
Considered a joke from the magical and sage guilds, Fraeya's father, Raegel Holiadon, was forced to conduct his research in isolation. Dozens of sages before him have searched for the truth and failed, falling into the same ousted fake from civilization. No one believed that this time would be any different. Because of his tenacity, he was banished to the fringes of the world to prove his theories. It was not until the Unity invaded Aldrida that he brought renewed interest to his work, not because of recent discoveries or because they suddenly believed in the legend but out of desperation to survive.
"It is different this time," Fraeya said. "If we could tale the sphere and-."
Henness cut Fraeya off, saying, "I am too tired to debate this right now. All that matters is that my Palatini was ordered to escort your party through these lands. I and the rest of my people will follow those orders to the end; I guarantee that. You shall not have to worry about our duty. I just hope this fool quest does not result in the death of my men."
Fraeya felt a deep urge to defend her father's work. As she approached, a Noble Elf stopped her, her father.
"Do not let your emotions get out of control," Raegel said.
"He called me a Half-Elf," Fraeya frustratedly replied. "And he insults my Deerip and questions your life's work."
"I know, I know, now let it go," Raegel said as he calmed his daughter. "It has been a long journey for all of us. Everyone is tired and is on nerve. Do not let an off comment grow into a wild vine."
She was hearing the wisdom from her father; she took a deep breath to calm her nerves, placing her hands together to relieve stress. The journey was long after leaving the great Hispana fortress of Nervia Glevensium. Unable to take the main highway between regions, crossing the Alps was the only way. Bypassing many Unity air patrols, Cities that pledge loyalty toward Kallem, and rouge monster hordes, she realized that her father was correct. "Okay, Father."
Seeing the warm smile from Fraeya's father, she followed him to their tent. Once settled, she wrapped herself in a blanket and sat by the fire.
She watched her father place one of those dark red amulets into a fire pit; that same battle mage shortly approached and activated it with the same low-level spell, igniting the amulet into Dark Fire. Unlike the natural red fire or the other magical types like green and blue, dark fire is used by soldiers and travelers to provide a heat source at night without attracting unwelcome guests. According to the sages, Dark Fire does not illuminate as brightly, so heat-seeking creatures and constructs cannot see the flames from distances. Perfect for behind-enemy-lines missions like this. However, it provided some warmth but could never match the red flame's natural heat.
Finally feeling some warmth, or at least as Fraeya's body wanted to believe, she turned to her father and asked, "Do you think this time it will work? Can we find this Bridge?"
"I know we will," Raegel replied as he checked their supplies. "I know that Lats can be a handful, trust me. I have been around them since my exile, but Henness is correct to be skeptical. You must understand normally that only a fool would undertake such a mission. A fool that I proved to be once or twice in my lifetime." He said with some laughter. Seeing a smile from his daughter, he continued, "But this time, it will be different."
Holding the blanket tight, Fraeya shook her head. "I don't understand, though. It is their people's legend, their story. Why wouldn't they be supportive of our mission? Especially if it is our last hope to stop the Unity."
"I am not a military man," Raegel said. "I never learned the art of war but put yourself in his boots. While you were at the academy and I conducted my research, these men have been fighting this war. Imagine all the battles, all the deaths of fallen brothers that they have witnessed time and time again. Last hopes are poison for soldiers, who have lost no matter what they do. It is their fault that the war has gone this badly, or at least I assume that is how they feel."
"But the legends," Fraeya stated again.
"Soldiers do not wage war based on legends," Raegel said. "While we believe in the legend, that does not mean they do. Thousands of years have passed and that is why they call them legends in the first place, my dear. Think about all our fellow elves' tales we have, and how many of our kind believe in them?"
Reflecting on what her father had said, she knew her people had many stories. Being one of the oldest civilizations on Aldrida, they have stories relating to dozens of topics, returning to orlilla. One of her favorite legends was how her kind were once flowers that sprouted legs. Some say that this was why the Noble race was so beautiful.
"You think that orb you found is the key to everything?" Fraeya said.
"I do," Raegel said. "Everything I have invested in up to this point has pointed to this moment. Whoever hid the Bridge did so to never be discovered by anyone. They hide it with magic beyond our means. That is why no one has ever found any trace of it. They were missing one piece of the puzzle, that orb."
Thrilled to see her father excited again, Fraeya cannot wait to see his dream finally coming to life. After all these decades of researching and traveling across the world to search for any clue, he eventually will be able to prove his life work was correct. He had toured Alagore for centuries, looking for clues, relics, ruins, and anything from the old era. A life work proved worthwhile.
As Fraeya stared at the Dark Fire, she asked, "What do you think this other world will be like?"
“I have no idea,” Raegel said. "I believe that this other world will be like ours. If the historical archives at Allsari and stories of old are true, then it is the world of the Lats…, Altaerrie."

I am a 30 years old woman, I met a great man (32 years old male) while I was on vacation. We went out on a date and had a wonderful evening, feeling a deep connection. We talked about our dreams and jobs, danced, and had a great time. We ended up spending the night at his place. Although we didn't have sex, there was some intimacy, but I was firm about not wanting to rush things.
He asked about my past relationships, how many I've had, and when the last one was. I asked him the same, and everything seemed fine. The next day, we woke up, kissed, had some tea and a chat, and then I went back to the hotel to check out. He mentioned he had an appointment.
Later in the evening, I told him my trip was ending in two hours and invited him to join me by the river, but he apologized, saying he had to meet friends in another city. By chance, I saw him on the train later on, but he didn't acknowledge me, and I passed by without greeting him.
Since then, I haven't received any messages from him. It's been two days. What should I do? Should I text him to explain the misunderstanding, or just text him to say I had a great time and suggest meeting again? Or should I wait for him to reach out?
TL;DR:
Met a great man while on vacation in Germany and had a wonderful evening together. Spent the night at his place with some intimacy but no sex, then parted ways the next day. Invited him to meet before leaving, but he declined due to other plans and didn't acknowledge me when I saw him on the train later. Haven't heard from him in two days. Should I text him to clarify or suggest meeting again, or wait for him to reach out?

What do I say to my family I haven’t seen in a long time after my graduation ceremony?
Do I hug them, tell them I love them and miss them? Do I take a photo with them?
My family’s don’t really get along, will it be awkward after the ceremony when we all say hi and bye?
Was I supposed to invite them to dinner or something after?😭😭😭

So weird and I’m not sure why although I can speculate. So I came here for a destination wedding and planned to stay for an extra week after to coincide with my bestie and mutual friend being here too. My bestie’s family lives here while our mutual friend has her mother here at the same time.
The wedding weekend was wonderful and we had an amazing time. Prior to the holiday, my bsf was gushing about how much time we are gonna spend together, all the things we are gonna do etc. for the past two days (almost running on the third) I have not seen her at all.
She will message to say let’s make plans to meet but when I follow up, she doesn’t come through. She will take hours upon hours to respond and in that time I am literally waiting to see if she is coming or not (I still do my own things anyway). So I’m just left hanging for ages and then she will say a last minute thing like ‘oh I’m going dinner with my family now, join us’ knowing that I’m not ready and had no clue what the plan was. Almost as if to invite me on a plan where she knows my hands are tied when it comes to preparing for it because it’s so last minute. And I’m not a spontaneous person. It takes me ages to get ready. Now I’ve asked a bunch of times what the plan is for the next day and she comes with an unrelated response without answering my question. I’ve been asking for the past few days that I want to go to the beach and this is the only day to go since there is an event happening that we all spoke about going to. Yet, no response. Nothing.
My mutual friend is with her mother so I get that but even she was enthusiastic about the beach the other day but now is not responding to me either.
So I guess I’ll spend another day alone but it really wasn’t what I expected. Had my friend simply told me she had to spend time with family and wouldn’t have time to meet up then I would understand and not have extended my trip for this long. I just feel incredibly sad and lonely and will probably cry some more tonight.
TL:dr I think my friends are avoiding me and not wanting to spend time with me while we are all here on this holiday even though they said we would spend the whole time together. Feeling like a burden and incredibly lonely. How should I communicate with them about this?

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We’re diving into a recent story from the Cannes Film Festival in France, where a movie titled "The Apprentice," depicting former U.S. President Donald Trump, has premiered. This film has certainly stirred the pot by portraying a controversial narrative about President Trump’s rise in the 1980s, closely involving his relationship with defense attorney Roy Cohn.
The Trump campaign has firmly dismissed the film as “pure fiction,” and it's easy to see why they are taking a stand. We're talking about an administration that, while polarizing, undeniably laid a significant footprint on our nation’s political landscape. The film not only fundamentally misrepresents key aspects of President Trump's personal and professional life but sensationalizes and dives into widely debunked allegations. The spokeswoman from the Trump campaign has made it clear that they intend to file a lawsuit to correct these so-called 'blatantly false assertions' made by the filmmakers.
Let's zoom in on the dynamics here. "The Apprentice" stars Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump, showcasing his early business ventures which were catalyzed by lawyer Roy Cohn, a known figure from the McCarthy era. Cohn is presented almost as a svengali figure, steering Trump on a path that would eventually lead to his presidency. This kind of portrayal simplifies the broader, more complex actualities of political and business growth, reducing it to mere cinematic drama.
Addressing the controversy around the film, the director Ali Abbasi has extended an invitation to President Trump to view the film and discuss its contexts—suggesting perhaps a small hope for dialogue. But let’s not be mistaken, Hollywood has a long run of bending realities for what they often claim as creative expression or political commentary. In an environment fraught with biases, this motive doesn't serve the truth but rather, distorts it to feed a specific narrative.
Turning our attention to the backdrop of this release, it’s essential to recognize the timing—amidst ongoing political tensions and during an active presidential campaign season. The Cannes premiere has provided a platform not just for creative showcase but, potentially, for political messaging, intentionally or not. This only emphasizes the need for audiences and voters to critically evaluate the stories being presented on these massive platforms.
So, what does this mean moving forward? We’re likely to see further discussions and perhaps, legal developments as the Trump campaign seeks to challenge what they argue to be glaring inaccuracies. The intersection of film, politics, and media here is palpable and will certainly be a flashpoint in ongoing debates about political figures’ portrayal in media.
(Facts extracted from AP News. Political bias cleaned and rewritten by Listen2.ai.)

I'm a 38-year-old woman who has struggled with depression since I was 14 and anxiety from early childhood, stemming from early life trauma.
I enjoyed primary school but hated my all-girls Catholic secondary school. I had no real friends and felt very alone. I spent my 18th birthday at a restaurant with my parents, crying in the toilets.
At university, I indulged in drink, drugs, and casual sex, neglecting my studies. I graduated with a 2.2, far below my academic potential. After a breakup, I had a breakdown while working as a secretary and living with my parents.
I pursued a master's degree, including a research project in Indonesia, but another breakdown prevented me from completing it properly. I graduated with a merit, but then faced unemployment due to the credit crunch. After a year, I worked for a toxic company, eventually quitting due to severe abuse. I found a safer job in finance and met my partner, which initially went well for three years.
I was promoted quickly but had another breakdown due to lack of mentorship. I quit without a job, relying on my partner’s support. I later found a job I enjoyed but faced severe bullying from a colleague, which blocked my promotion. At home, my partner became controlling and emotionally abusive.
A supportive colleague made me realize I had a crush on her, but after I confessed, she still tried to help me. COVID exacerbated my struggles. I left my partner, faced work challenges, and my mother was diagnosed with cancer, passing away in 2021. During this time, I overwhelmed my supportive colleague with messages, leading to her cutting ties.
In 2023, I bought a house but fear living there alone. My partner, who had therapy, is no longer abusive, but my feelings have changed. I've gained weight and feel unhealthy, facing public humiliation due to my size.
My life has been difficult, and as I approach 40, I often feel hopeless and pathetic.