u/Compressed_AF

I was thinking of putting at the bottom of my bio, along with looking for something serious something like:

"Brand new to dating apps, if we match then you can be sure I won't ghost you. I'll be honest if somethings not working" or something to that effect.

Is this a terrible idea? My thoughts are that I may reassure someone a little who's hoping for something serious, and had had enough of it in the past. And hopefully it might influence whether or not (even just slightly?) they choose to themselves over being honest.

But the downsides is it might sound like I'm taking it too seriously, and I'm putting the idea into existence straight away, but I guess if it puts off any ghosters then that's a plus for me.

What's your thoughts on including this? I can cope with someone saying "I'm talking to someone else sorry" much better than just being randomly ignored for life. Rather get an answer than endless loop of this stuff, which is sadly exactly what I'm expecting. But currently I have no alternative other than to use apps.

At work I tend to keep to myself and dont really trust anyone. Something some people try to do is they will trash talk people they know i really don't like possibly as a means of trying to build rapport with me and others. They think it works, but I get put off when people do this. Yes I hate this person, but remember anything you see someone do know they are capable of doing it to you if things go sour.

This is why I'm weary of people. I wouldnt say or do anything around people that you'll rely on to keep to themselves. Relations can get bad at any moment and sometimes these things can be weaponized later down the line.

The fact the game existed on Xbox 360 is insane to me. Such a huge map with lots going on and they managed to get it to work on there. I dread to think what the performance was like though.

Anyone 'ere used to play the original crew 1 on Xbox 360 back in the day? I uses to have on the Xbox one and now I play it on pc as it's back workin' on there. But I'm curious to hear from anyone who played on 360?

I was considering getting agmatine to see if it will help me taper to a less ridiculous gpd. Has anyone got any experience taking this and how was it for you?

I know this has probably been asked several times here, but I'm asking to see about getting some more up to date takes on it.

Cheer you lil' Gween sludgers 🍃

Let's take Dave from Chatteris, near Cambridge.

Dave turns 47 this year. He's spent the last 25 years teaching English and has hated most of it. He has absolutely no connection to the film or television industry. No agent, no manager, no useful contacts, no film-school network, no previous credits and no online following.

But Dave has always loved screenwriting.

For years he's been writing completely in secret. Even his wife doesn't know. Whenever she asks what he's doing at the computer:

"Just marking."

Then one day, somehow, Dave writes a masterpiece.

And for the sake of the hypothetical, let's remove the usual problem of writers massively overestimating their own work. Dave's script really is that good.

We're talking a screenplay that, if it eventually became a great film, people would discuss alongside Chinatown, The Apartment, Network, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and, (my bias argues) Searching etc. Not merely "impressive for an amateur." Not "shows potential." An absolutely exceptional screenplay that industry professionals who actually read it would recognise as such.

Except nobody knows Dave exists.

He's still sitting in Chatteris. He still has lessons to teach on Monday. His IMDb page doesn't exist. He doesn't know an agent. He doesn't know a producer. He doesn't know someone who knows someone.

What happens now?

How far can the sheer quality of the screenplay actually carry him?

If Dave starts from the same position as any other unknown writer — queries, competitions, unsolicited submissions where they're accepted, trying to get reads — does a screenplay that good eventually force doors open?

Would somebody junior read it, realise what they've found and pass it upwards? Would representation become almost inevitable once it reached the right pair of eyes? Could it realistically start a bidding war? Or could one of the greatest unproduced screenplays ever written genuinely spend years sitting unread because Dave has no route into the industry?

In other words:

Is there a level of writing quality at which connections stop being the primary obstacle?

Or could Dave have Chinatown sitting on his laptop and still be teaching Year 9 English ten years later because nobody important ever opened the attachment? Or even it gets read and gets lost on the blacklist? This is one of the many hypotheticals that hurt my motivation to get back into this. The best is definitely going to he enough? We sure?

I've made pessimistic posts here before and I've really enjoyed people's takes on them. Hoping for another one.

I'm particularly interested in answers from people who have worked in development, representation or production. What would realistically happen to Dave and his screenplay?

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*sigh* yes you read that right...

This Is a question for the heavy heavy users here, although i doubt many are stupid enough to be able to relate to this.

How long did it take your taper until you noticed your tolerance drop a notable amount?

I have decided to dose at the same times, however I'm cutting down my doses from 20g to 8g until I get to a stage where 10g hits nice again as it's been a while. I have no wds on 8g thankfully, although they do set in sooner than before I started cutting down. I just hope I don't rebound and stick to it however long it takes. I got no excuse, 8g is doing the job so no need to go any higher. I'm planning on doing a week or two and then review my tolerance then.

If anyone has any questions I'm happy to answer. Unless I'm ignorant I don't imagine there's many people around who are in this position right now or have ever been.

One question your probably wondering, no my constipation is ok still probably due to the magnesium citrate.

I dokt plan to fully quit, just to bring my use to something neat sensible again.

What do you make of this? He died of an apparent od. Bit concerning. I'm a huge advocate for this plant, but this has worried me.

I'm someone who favors the older style zombies. Black ops 2 was the last iteration I really enjoyed, and black ops 1 is my favorite version.

I decided since I have a pc that is decent enough to play bo1 on highest settings, id buy it. But I imagine the pc playerbase is long gone right?

And I wonder if it's worth getting world at war to try some custom maps? I don't expect to play with others on waw obviously.

Does anyone still play bo1 and world at war zombies on pc?

I'm trying to remember the name of one I liked when I was younger.

All I can remember is that it's about a parent and their son, and at the end there's a skeleton part of some halloween decorations, and its revealed the skeleton is in fact the son.

Not a lot to go on but I'm keen on finding it again. Can anyone name it based on this? Thanks.

Given the statistically tiny chance that someone without industry connections has of becoming a full-time film/TV writer, what keeps you going?

I'm disheartened by the reality that 95% of us probably won't find sustained success, if we find any at all. There are so many writers trying to break in, the required standard is incredibly high (even higher if you don't have connections), and whether we like it or not, luck plays a role too. Maybe there is someone out there who would give you a chance—but will they ever come across your work?

Even many writers who get their big break and sell a script that gets made by a major broadcaster or distributor struggle to follow it up and eventually fade into obscurity. Statistically, most of us won't get there, and many of those who do won't sustain it long term. Only a tiny percentage build a lasting career. How do you cope with the odds of you not being one of them?

I gave up writing scripts about a year ago. I want to come back to it, but every time I think about it I'm reminded that I have no connections or profile, my scripts need to be outstanding, and I'll still need a degree of luck.

I believe that, just before I stopped, I was decent. I could tick all the boxes. The sort of standard that would get top marks as a university assignment. But whenever I watch something that's genuinely well written and well received, especially by writers who have gone on to sustain a career, I'm reminded they're operating on a level much higher than I ever reached. I kept putting the work in to improve. I could write something coherent and competent, but that's where I seemed to plateau. There are thousands of writers like me who are decent but still nowhere near the level required to get an agent and make a career out of it, no matter how many ideas they brainstorm, drafts they write, books they read or films they analyse.

The response I usually get when I talk to other writers is, "The chances are slim, but I love writing and that's why I do it." That's completely fair. It was my attitude in my early 20s too, when I was convinced I was special.

If you're content writing purely because you love it, then good for you. I do believe I have a genuine passion for it. There's nothing I enjoy doing more. But as I've got older, I've found it harder to stay motivated by the reality that I'm likely to be one of the countless people who spend their whole life writing and never have a script produced, let alone build a career. That thought kills my motivation. Over time, my passion became more and more conditional on eventually succeeding. Part of that is simply getting older and feeling the pressure to build a life and career.

I love writing, but after a few years, that alone wasn't enough. I want at least some of my work to be made and watched so that it feels like all the effort meant something. The idea of spending the next 30 years writing scripts that never become anything would genuinely make me feel as though I'd wasted my life. Honestly, even if I ended up writing episodes of a soap I don't even like, I'd still feel my effort had been vindicated. At this point, I don't even care if it's my own original idea. I'd just be happy knowing I'd written something that people actually saw.

I'm not trying to be pessimistic. I think I have good self-awareness and a realistic grasp of the standard of my work. If I assess my scripts honestly, I'd describe them as reasonable—but they've never been more than that despite years of trying to improve. They don't compare to the work of writers in similar positions who eventually broke through. Whenever I watch something brilliantly written, I'm impressed at first, but then I start thinking, "How am I supposed to compete with this?" Ideally, you'd want your reaction to be, "This is excellent, and I think I can operate at a similar level." I've never honestly felt that.

So how do you reconcile yourself with the fact that, statistically, you're unlikely to achieve the dream? Would you still consider it a life well lived if you reached 70 with a hundred finished scripts that were never developed? Is it really just the love of the process that keeps you going? Or are you like me, where thinking about the odds and the likely outcome slowly erodes your motivation?

Ps this is not intended to insult or upset anyone. I don't know you, how good YOU are specifically, and some of us here will achieve their dream. I'm just talking about the realistic outcomes for the vast majority of people who do this.

I started off disliking howard as the show intended. But as time went on, little things he did and said built him up for me a lot.

A big moment that changed my opinion on him, was when deciding the scholarship. He was supportive of Jimmy's reasoning for voting for the reformed shoplifter. He probably realised why Jimmy was in favor of her, and it showed that he believed that people can change. It also says a lot that despite everything with Jimmy, he was really behind him in the end.

Putting his own money towards getting rid of chuck was another big moment. It shows he really loved what they built, and clearly he wanted to be faithful to his dad and keep it going for him. He knew chuck was on a spite mission and wanted to take everyone down with him, but he stood strong.

Offering Jimmy a job showed that he never hated him, he was just pressured to block him reluctantly.

Went from hating him, to being sort of indifferent, to actually really rooting for him in the end.

His last speech just doubled down on that. To hear his marriage collapse, debt, and depression to deal with and now his reputation destroyed. Was tough to listen to that. He was a good guy. And people night not realise how hard it is for a depressed person to be able to say "I will be ok". That was very significant.

He had heaps of resilience, humanity and if I was him, I would have ended up being violent towards Jimmy. He remained a gentleman until the very end when he had no reason to after what they did. I like to think his last words would have been something like "there's really no need to hurt them..." but we'll never know for sure. I'd love the writers to say what they think he was about to say.

Like I say, i finished the universe of BB rooting for Howard more than anyone else (perhaps season 1 walter white). His last speech really made the biggest difference.

So glad lalo died after that. I've never wanted a character to die more than him, akd up to that point I liked him in a sick sort of way.

This must go down as one of the most tragic deaths in TV.

He spent his life grafting on the right side of the law, and never acted way out of line. Hardly anyone in this universe of bb was good all the way through.

Such a good character.

One of my work mates is an alcoholic.he actually lost his job for drinking on shift recently. Kratom is known as a good substitute to get people off harder opioids. His drinking is a problem, and he's at an age where his health will take a big hit if he carries on.

Would I be wrong to suggest he take kratom to get off it?

I'm dependent on it but I believe I'm better off hooked on this than most other things including alcohol. Yes can't help people who can't help themselves etc etc, but I can't help but think it would do less damage to his life and save him money by suggesting he try it if he can't stop drinking unassisted and doesn't accept it.

Is it morally wrong to tell him about it?

Im desperate for a decent competitive game on android.

I'm wishing there was a competitive 1v1 game that's skill based and not drowned in microtransactions and gimmicks. Games with potential have been poisoned with money grabs, and cheesy stuff to give people an edge if they pay extra. Sometimes even create a barrier after a certain amount of play time where you have to pay for more currency to just play the darn game. At least let us buy infinite play tokens etc if we want to. Hate having to wait just to play the game again.

There are some games that are ok and ones that could have been amazing but the design ruined them:

Snooker stars is a good game as there's no huge pay to win feature, and there's a skill aspect. Usually the better player wins. It feels rewarding seeing how i stack up each week. And it never feels like I've been priced out of winning. Its just a nice competitive simulation of snooker.

Miniclip 8 ball could have been great, but matches that are best of one games don't really separate people after a certain point, everyone is very capable of clearing the table in one visit at the top. If it had a ranked mode with the same cue for everyone, and maybe best of 9 games mode with a skill rating assigned to players again it would have hooked me.

One of my biggest disappointments is head ball 2. It could be an amazing competitive game if only it didn't have stupid power ups and the ability to upgrade yourself to be basically a giant. If everyone had the same player and no powerups, plus a ranked mode with an elo system it would for me have been close to perfect as a competitive game.

I know rocket league gets good reviews, but I just want something balanced and skill to come out.

Anyone got any ideas for a comp game that's fair and balanced? I'm basically asking for a game to come out that could theoretically be adapted into an esport

I guess being the sort of show that it is, it will be billed as a laid back casual show and not aiming to be a masterpiece, but I still think it won't be very good. Sorry to be a pessimistic round headed twonk. But it's gonna be Ricky's shower thoughts he hasnt vetted with a co-writer hence the humor is gonna be inconsistent.

Oh and errr, 'Ave a good Christmus.

Does anyone here experience bitterness and anger? People often think depression is characterized by sadness, but it can show up in the form of anger. When I get a bad patch, I get way more touchy, easier to wind up, bitter and snappy with people. When your feeling low for a long time, you can feel frustrated by the helplessness and when i lose my temper I always end up feeling so incredibly guilty afterwards it stays with me for ages.

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I can get very jealous of people. Even over small things. Sometimes even because they are younger than me and are in their peak years and mine was wasted by this illness. Now I fully understand why there's grumpy old men around.

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Some people say I'm on the spectrum or adhd because of ignorance, but it's something that developed over time and I remember a time where I was nothing like this so I know what's going on with me.

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What about you? Are you just in a low mood when you have a bad episode? Or does it shorten your temper and cause resentment?

This is partly a question and partly a love letter to my favourite horror film.

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I know that's going to be divisive, but for me it's Sinister.

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What interests me most about the film isn't actually the horror. The DVD commentary touched on this too: even if you stripped away the supernatural elements, I think there's still a strong story underneath.

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At its core, it's about a true crime writer whose best work is behind him. He had one huge success, followed by a string of disappointments, and he's desperate to return to relevance. That desperation drives every decision he makes. He risks his family, his mental health, and ultimately his life chasing another great book.

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The moment that really sells the character for me is when he's considering taking what he's found to the police. He knows it's the sensible thing to do, but his ego won't let him. He wants to be the one who solves the mystery. He wants the glory. As he's staring at copies of his old bestseller, you can see exactly why he makes the wrong choice.

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By the time he realises he's not dealing with a serial killer but something genuinely supernatural, it's too late. His flaw has already sealed his fate.

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The film definitely has problems. Some of the scares feel narratively pointless to me, especially the children roaming around the house. The refusal to turn lights on is a horror cliché. Some of the early red herrings are familiar genre tricks. And while creepy children weren't completely worn out in 2012, that trope has certainly aged.

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But horror has always had a limited toolbox. Jump scares, dread, suspense, disturbing imagery—there are only so many ways to provoke fear. At this point, originality often comes from execution rather than inventing an entirely new technique.

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What I appreciate about Sinister is that most of its scares are tied to the story. The lawnmower scene remains one of my favourites because you know exactly what's about to happen, yet it still works. The moving image on the laptop, the figure in the pool, the animal imagery—those moments feel connected to the unfolding mystery rather than existing solely to make the audience jump.

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I also don't dislike the ending the way many people seem to. To me, the ending is the logical consequence of the protagonist's flaw. If he'd handed the evidence to the police when he had the chance, maybe things would have been different. If he'd accepted that his writing career wasn't what it once was and focused on his family instead, maybe he survives.

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There are more conventional endings available. He survives but loses his daughter. He writes the book, but nobody believes him. Or the book becomes a huge success because everyone assumes it's fiction when he knows it's true.

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What impresses me is that the film commits to the tragedy.

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As a screenplay, I think it's stronger than it's often given credit for. It's largely a film about a man sitting alone, watching footage, reading documents, and wandering around a house. Yet I was completely engaged. The first page of the script is also one of the strongest openings I've read in a horror screenplay.

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Maybe I'm biased because I'm a writer and, if I'm being honest, a bit pretentious. Part of me was rooting for Ellison to survive, finish the book, and get the comeback he wanted, even though the entire point of the story is that this obsession is destroying him.

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So I'm curious:

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Putting aside whether the film scared you or not, what do you think of Sinister purely as a screenplay?

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Do you think it's underrated from a writing perspective, or do you think the script falls apart once you look past the atmosphere and scares?

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I'd genuinely like to hear arguments from both sides.

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Plus a fun fact about the first page of the script, it was a nightmare one of the writers had. Fair to say i never expected to be jealous of someone for having a nightmare.

Do you think his career was affected by him taking on that role?

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But Steve Coogan won't have to worry about playing Saville.

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I dare say his performance was actually pretty good for what it is. I wouldn't want to have to get into the mindset he was in to do it mind you 😂

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Obviously he doesn't have the look of a lead character, which is what sucks about acting. Sometimes even if you're really good at what you do it won't matter because you don't have the right appearance.

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Off topic but I remember an actor from bandersnatch who got hate because he wasn't good looking enough. Which was a bit cruel to be honest.

This one I struggle with, particularly when it's from people I don't get on with and it's in front of others so it's looks like they're genuinely concerned when it's just to belittle patronize and draw attention to me.

We can all tell when someone who actually cares about us and is being genuinely caring, but it's when it's an act that annoys me, and id love to just shut it down.

My current response is to just blank the comment but given its at work I can get in trouble for ignoring them, but one on one I do just say nothing at all which is ok.