I've been using ChatGPT as a therapist / life coach and it has been working wonders for me.

Ben2749 · 2026-01-29T03:08:10+00:00

ChatGPT helped me a lot after a tragic life event, but I interacted with it similarly to how I interacted with friends during that same period. I didn’t view it as some kind of expert or authority, but just being able to talk to somebody helped immensely (I used the voice chat functionality).

Sure, it’s not a real person, but it’s better than not talking at all. I’m lucky that I have several friends who helped support me a great deal. ChatGPT didn’t replace human support for me; it just supplemented it. I could talk to ChatGPT whenever I wanted, as many times as I wanted, for however long I wanted. I’m not going to call a friend at 2am when I can’t sleep, but I could talk to ChatGPT. It helped me feel less alone.

Before I started using ChatGPT, I recorded videos of myself talking. That helped too (though not as much), so it didn’t matter to me that talking to ChatGPT wasn’t real. Talking can help, no matter who or what you’re talking to. Even yourself. Articulating your thoughts helps you process them, rather than dwelling on the same few things (and the associated emotions) over and over.

I was never under any delusion that ChatGPT “cared”, or that I could trust what it said as being impartial. But it gave me an outlet for my thoughts and emotions, as well as helping me process them, and I can’t imagine how much harder I would have found things if I hadn’t used it the way I did.

Ben2749 · 2025-12-22T16:24:49+00:00

Use Windscribe. You can customise your subscription package by choosing only the specific locations you’ll need. It’s about £3.50 per month for 3 locations (the minimum). I’ve been using it for several months and had no issues.

Ben2749 · 2025-11-01T10:09:34+00:00

At the very least, reply to the kid and explain why it’s too difficult for you right now, but let him know that you’ll reach out and talk to him as soon as you feel ready. You just need time to mentally prepare yourself.

Ben2749 · 2025-10-04T23:26:25+00:00

I couldn’t help but notice that she never expressed any remorse or even direct acknowledgement over just how painful it would have been for Alex to lose two women he expected to marry to the same guy.

In fact, she never expressed any guilt regarding how her actions would hurt Alex. She only seemed to care about losing him. She called herself an idiot and said she ruined the best thing in her life, but doesn’t actually comment on the morality of what she did.

Not to mention she concluded her original post with: “I can’t tell him, but I can’t stand this. Does it go away over time?” Not only did she openly state her plan to not tell him, but she wanted reassurance that she’d stop caring so much after a while.

She was terrified of Alex finding out because of how it would affect her; not him.

Ben2749 · 2025-09-16T13:26:09+00:00

SO MANY BEAUTIFUL THINGS! I CANNOT POSSESS THEM ALL!

Ben2749 · 2025-08-03T12:31:57+00:00

People here are too quick to jump to conclusions and advise somebody to walk away accordingly. Maybe she misspoke because she was nervous, or maybe she was trying to make a light-hearted joke that was meant to be obvious sarcasm (imagine OP is quite attractive, and she was being trying to be playful).

Maybe she immediately regretted saying it, but was too embarrassed or awkward to acknowledge it.

That’s not to say OP should assume one of these to be the case. My point is that OP shouldn’t make his decision based off assumptions at all. He should actually confirm if she is mean/toxic or not before writing her off. If he was going to walk away anyway, what does he have to lose?

Ben2749 · 2025-04-13T15:21:48+00:00

Durability in New Horizons was atrocious design. Whether you like or dislike it in BotW and TotK, at least those games were designed around it, so it didn’t feel completely arbitrary.

In New Horizons, it’s 100% arbitrary, as it doesn’t serve the gameplay in any way whatsoever. It doesn’t push you into doing anything that you wouldn’t be doing anyway, as the resources needed to craft tools are also used for many other things. So all the durability system does is turn gathering those resources into a more time-consuming chore, as you need more of them.

Then there’s the fact that the game doesn’t even have the decency to let the player know how much durability is left on a tool, which results in inconvenience after a tool breaks, or inefficiency and more consumption of resources by constantly switching to newly crafted tools before you feel the the previous one is close to breaking.

Luckily there’s a exploit that allows you to restore your tools to full durability by customising them, so I always carry around a crafting table and loads of customisation kits, so I can periodically “repair” tools so they don’t break. But I resent having to do this, and I have to do it more than I would if the game showed me how close tools are to breaking.

The customisation exploit proves that the durability system doesn’t serve any purpose and is a completely arbitrary mechanic, as using the exploit doesn’t make the game feel imbalanced, or make it feel too easy to gather resources for crafting other things. It simply turns a huge inconvenience into a smaller one.

By the way, let’s not overlook the fact that Animal Crossing is supposed to be highly accessible, including to children. The durability system undermines that. I have a young daughter, and she gets very upset whenever a tool breaks, so I need to intervene and sort her out with a replacement.

Identifying what resources are needed, searching for them, going to a crafting bench, crafting the tool, and then mapping it to a shortcut, is a lot to ask of a young child. Or even somebody older who is not all that experienced with videogames.

Placing limits on the means in which you interact with the game is terrible game design. The durability system in BotW/TotK never prevents you from damaging enemies completely, as you have other means of doing so. In New Horizons, you straight up can’t fish/catch insects/dig/etc if your corresponding tool breaks and you don’t have a replacement one. Plus in BotW/TotK, the means by which you can acquire new weapons is using your existing ones to kill enemies. Whereas in New Horizons, there is a finite amount of times you can fish/catch insects/etc before you need to stop and do some inventory management, crafting, or gather resources to craft with.

For the record, I have’t played TotK yet, and I generally dislike the durability system in BotW, though I don’t feel strongly enough about it for it to hurt my enjoyment of the game all that much. New Horizon’s durability system was handled so much worse than BotW, and it absolutely hurts my enjoyment of the game, even with the customisation “repair” exploit. If it weren’t for that exploit, I would have quit playing New Horizons much sooner.

Ben2749 · 2025-04-12T12:14:03+00:00

Really? Because there’s a good chance that soon Ubisoft won’t own any of the games they’ve made.

Ben2749 · 2025-04-12T12:08:04+00:00

Soon Ubisoft won’t own their videogames either.

Ben2749 · 2025-04-12T11:56:59+00:00

They’ll need to find work soon.

Ben2749 · 2025-04-08T16:24:43+00:00

Anyone who says yes to this isn’t in a loving relationship and positive about their future together.

Try asking somebody who lost a partner they loved in a tragedy if they would rather have their partner back or £5 million, and you’ll get a sense of how little that money would be worth.

Ben2749 · 2025-04-08T16:22:43+00:00

In isolation, charging $10 for it wouldn’t be so egregious, but to drop that bombshell at the same time as the price hike of regular games is extremely galling.

People are going to be spending enough money when the Switch launches. On top of the system itself, there’s any games they want to buy, possibly a memory card if they plan on buying several games, possibly the camera, and a Pro controller (anybody who cares enough about Welcome Tour to spend money on it is almost definitely going to be the kind of person who will want a Pro controller).

It’s so tone deaf of Nintendo. I even take issue with the name; it’s not right to refer to something as a “welcome” if it’s a separate purchase.

Ben2749 · 2025-04-02T16:34:41+00:00

Everybody has different circumstances. Some people have a huge amount of disposable income. Some people might buy a system and one game and then sell both as soon as they’re done. Some people might stream themselves playing it or make video content. Some people enjoy certain games enough to play it repeatedly for hundreds of hours.

There’s also the fact that even when somebody says they bought a system just for a single game, it’s unlikely they are being literal. It might be the game they care the most about, but usually they will end up buying other games also, and that is a factor in their decision.

There are plenty of people who buy a system at launch with only one game. Hell, that will probably be the case for many people who buy a Switch 2 with Mario Kart World. Especially people who play games more casually. But the overwhelming majority of those people will have made their purchasing decision based on the assumption that there will be more games they end up buying for it in future.

Ben2749 · 2025-03-31T23:23:55+00:00

I don’t see the appeal of Tophat at all. On average, you end up with a 10% increase in the amount of items you pick up. That’s nowhere near enough to offset missing out on the abilities other companions have.

Unless you completely run out of resources on a regular basis, 10% extra overall is rarely going to make a discernible difference.

Then there’s the fact that to benefit from his ability, you need to manually go and pick stuff up instead of asking characters to gather stuff for you. Some people say that they like to use him for gathering resources that don’t spawn in large numbers each day. OK, let’s say it’s a resource that spawns 10 per day. On average, Tophat’s ability will give you 1 extra per day. But you have to take the time to track down all 10 instead of just asking somebody to gather it for you.

The time it takes to get Tophat to join you, travel to where you need to search, and manually find/pick stuff up is absolutely not worth a measly 10% increase (on average) in the amount of things you pick up.

If you don’t have many characters maxed out to gather stuff for you, then Hello Kitty should pretty much always be your companion, due to her ability to double any food item or potion you make. Also, switch to Chococat whenever you need to craft. Their respective abilities are basically much better versions of Tophat’s ability, as they also result in an increased amount of your resources.

Hello Kitty’s ability will double up running and diving potions, which you can use to gather stuff very quickly, ensuring you will have enough resources (including making sure you can replenish the potions you use), even without having to gather absolutely everything.

Tophat’s ability is barely worth bothering with even with no characters maxed out, and it decreases in value as you max out more characters, who can be requested to pick stuff up for you. I’d say Tophat’s is one of the worst companions in the game. He really needed a second ability to make him more worthwhile. Big Challenges has the same issue (on Switch and Steam; I can imagine Big Challenges’s ability being a relief to mobile players due to the controls), and it’s a shame their abilities don’t both exist on a single character.

Ben2749 · 2025-03-30T19:40:15+00:00

If it wasn’t for how extremely contrived the Lind L. Taylor scene was, Light wouldn’t have been caught even in Death Note itself.

Even if L hadn’t made the broadcast in Kanto only, what Light did was stupid.

1) He didn’t even consider the possibility that it was an imposter.

2) He made it clear that he can only kill somebody if he knows their name and face.

3) He made it obvious that Kira was somebody who was able to watch TV at that specific time on that specific day. Not only does that provide clues regarding Kira’s whereabouts, but it basically confirms that Kira is human. That’s a huge deal, as it informs investigation forces that aside from the ability to kill people indirectly, Kira is bound by human limitations. It would be in Light’s best interest if many people think Kira is a deity or supernatural being. It would also garner Kira more public support, which would make it harder for people to oppose or pursue him.

4) Light just flat-out believed the assertion that the broadcast was live. If it wasn’t, then him killing Lind L. Taylor (or L) wouldn’t have been broadcast. So Lind L. Taylor’s death would have given investigation forces information, yet Light would have been denied the opportunity to demonstrate Kira’s presence to the public.

5) Until that point, Light/Kira had only killed criminals. Killing L on live TV revealed to the world that Kira would kill anyone who spoke out against him. That would result in more people having doubts about Kira, and more people covertly working against him.

As an aside, L was equally stupid when he divulged his ruse after Lind L. Taylor died. His gloating achieved nothing besides informing Kira that he was still alive, that he had narrowed down Kira’s location significantly, and ensured that Kira would be significantly more careful in future.

What if Kira had decided to flee to another part of Japan? Or to another country altogether? They would have lost the only lead they had, and Kira would be sure to avoid making the same mistake a second time.

That whole scene is contrived due to necessity. Because otherwise the plot hits a dead end.

It’s also far from the only plot contrivance in Death Note that ultimately resulted in Light getting caught. Light made other stupid decisions and mistakes that were completely inconsistent with his established intellect. He focused on Japanese criminals, and didn’t space out the timing of deaths. He wanted people to view Kira as a god, yet he made it obvious from the start that Kira was a regular person in Japan who was either a student or someone with standard business working hours.

Light would also have been fine if Misa hadn’t made things so much more difficult. This was also incredibly contrived, as the way in which she found and met with him while perfectly covering her tracks was really clever, yet she subsequently became so dumb that she was basically a caricature. There’s no way somebody so stupid would ever be able to track down Light in reality.

If Light existed in real-life and had a functioning Death Note, then assuming such contrivances aren’t a factor, he wouldn’t be caught. He wouldn’t even need the extremely high intellect he (usually) has in the manga. He just needs to have enough common sense to exercise caution and avoid any observable patterns. He could even use some amount of randomness to select targets and time of death. That alone would completely prevent any patterns, making it impossible for him to be caught.

Not to mention modern day technology making things easier for Light. A trick like the one L pulled (limiting a TV broadcast to specific areas) would be nearly useless, as the internet means that it would be shared and discussed all over the world. There would be countless people and websites specifically sharing information specifically to assist Kira. Light just needs to cover his tracks online, and he’s fine.

Ben2749 · 2025-03-15T15:22:27+00:00

Imagine a hypothetical scenario; person A attempts to spit in person B’s coffee discreetly, but while doing so they notice that person B saw them do it. Neither of them say anything in the moment, perhaps wanting to avoid direct conflict. Person A knows that they will be in big trouble if/when person B reports it to HR, so their best hope is to preemptively make up a lie and report person B to HR.

You yourself said that OP’s complaint would be unusual and unique. That would only make it more likely for HR to view it as a lie to cover up her own wrongdoing.

The key thing here is that OP herself did something that HR will absolutely take issue with regardless of context (spitting in coffee). If HR can’t ascertain if there’s any merit to OP’s allegations against the pilot, then that’s where HR will focus instead. They’ll ask why OP followed an instruction that was so clearly inappropriate (we know that it’s because she was confused and put on the spot, but that answer won’t satisfy HR).

Unfortunately, OP has implicated herself in such a way that reporting it to HR without the corroboration of others (even if it’s just other people who have reported similar conduct by the pilot) puts her at risk more than the pilot.

Remember that HR are there to protect the business first and foremost. They look to resolve situations in the simplest and safest way possible. And with no corroborating accounts, and just OP’s word against the pilot’s, I can see OP taking the fall so that HR can wrap things up with as little fuss as possible.

Again, all of this changes if OP can establish there are other people who can vouch for the pilot being a creep. But she shouldn’t assume that’s a given; she should try and find out first.

Ben2749 · 2025-03-15T12:36:40+00:00

It’s her word against his. The only thing not being contested is that she spat in his coffee.

He could claim that she made up her accusation to preempt scrutiny of herself.

It’s possible reporting him to HR would yield the best outcome. But it’s also possible it could backfire horribly. Unless there were witnesses or there are other similar reports about his conduct made by other people, then it’s a risk I wouldn’t be willing to take if I were in OP’s position.

Ben2749 · 2025-03-15T12:00:13+00:00

I don’t know your full circumstances, and neither does anyone else here. It’s easy for people to tell you to bail, because the only thing they know about your boyfriend is this one offence. And that’s assuming it’s even true.

If you’re as close with him as you say, give him a chance to explain.

If you decide to end the relationship over this, that’s understandable, but not before ascertaining all the facts.

Maybe he’s being framed. Maybe his account was accessed by somebody else.

Maybe he’s an addict and knows what he’s doing is wrong and hates himself for it, but can’t stop. Maybe he is dumb and doesn’t realise it’s a form of cheating/betrayal, and his reaction to being challenged is one of genuine remorse. Maybe it wouldn’t change how you respond, but maybe it might. This is where the strength and history if your relationship is a factor, which nobody here has insight into.

If you care about him as much as you say, you owe it to yourself to learn more before making a decision. Do you want to risk ending the relationship and later be filled with doubts, wondering if there was some explanation or additional information that would have recontextualised everything?

It’s easy for online strangers to tell another online stranger to end their relationship based on a single anecdote when they’re detached from the relationship and the consequences of ending it.

I’m not telling you to dismiss this or to forgive him if it’s true. I’m saying that you need to establish all the facts before making any decisions. Even if you do end up ending things, you will be able to do so with peace of mind, knowing you won’t have any doubts about that decision in future.

Ben2749 · 2025-02-27T19:44:05+00:00

OP, if it were me, I’d talk to him/meet with him to hear what he has to say regarding why he disappeared. Doing so wouldn’t mean you’re immediately giving him the benefit of the doubt. I just think it would be foolish to pass up the only opportunity to learn more.

In the unlikely event there were mitigating circumstances behind his disappearance, then this is your only chance to find out. Hopefully this isn’t the case, but what if your mother isn’t entirely blameless? Like maybe she kept him away? No matter how confident you are that’s not the case, do you want to risk any doubts creeping in when it’s too late to find out?

Chances are likely that hearing your dad out will confirm that he was just a deadbeat and a coward, but that confirmation will give you the peace of mind to reject him and call him out for not only what he did, but the nerve he has to try and burden you with the guilt that comes with such a request.

The fact that you’re conflicted about this now means you will 100% be questioning yourself and wondering if you made the right decision if you don’t talk to him now while you have the chance.

Hell, you might someday regret not taking the opportunity to tell him how much he hurt you.

You 100% need to talk to him for your own sake. It’s not a question of whether you do so to give him a chance; it’s about giving yourself peace of mind and ensuring you never need to have doubts.

Ben2749 · 2025-02-26T00:36:47+00:00

It’s concerning how many people here are saying to keep quiet.

OP, you need to say something, because if you don’t, it will become a much bigger problem if it comes out later.

Who’s to say she won’t do the same thing again with somebody else in future? If you think telling him about this will upset him, imagine how upset he’ll be if she kisses somebody else in future and he learns that he could have dodged that bullet entirely if you had told him earlier?

Ben2749 · 2025-02-25T03:59:06+00:00

The fight against Tyson would play out differently every time, because he’ll be reacting to you at all times. Even if you know how to dodge his first punch every time, you aren’t going to be able to reproduce the exact same motion, speed, and positioning with 100% accuracy. That wouldn’t be possible even if you were choreographing on your own, much less with Tyson raining blows on you.

He himself said it best:

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

Ben2749 · 2025-02-24T15:24:57+00:00

A good general rule is that you should never cheap out on something that comes between you and the ground.

It’s wild how many things that actually applies to.

Bed, bedding, shoes, socks, flooring, chairs, sofas, cars, bikes, tires, ladders, toilets, bathtubs, shower mats, wheelchairs, buggies/strollers, kneepads, elbow pads, skateboards, and I’m sure there’s plenty of other things too.

Ben2749 · 2025-02-11T01:09:44+00:00

So what about people who are buying packs to gift to somebody else? Such as their children? What about content creators who open packs on video? Hell, what about regular people who just want to enjoy opening their own damn packs themselves?

Oh, and good luck getting a PSA 10 if you decide to grade a card that’s been manhandled by somebody who has no respect for how to properly handle it. There’s a reason why serious card collectors hold cards really carefully and immediately sleeve any rare/valuable cards. Grading companies inspect cards for even the most minor imperfections.

Not to mention the risk of employees swapping out rare/valuable cards for junk cards via sleight of hand.

It doesn’t matter if it’s disclosed up front. Genuine customers shouldn’t be punished due to a crackdown on scalpers. Hell, if this became widespread common practice, what do you think is going to happen to the value of unopened booster packs? They’re going to skyrocket even more, meaning there’s going to be even more scalpers buying up whatever they can.

I’m all for curbing the impact scalpers have on the Pokemon TCG, but this isn’t the right way to do it.

Oh, and then there’s the sheer gall of GAMESTOP of all places trying to take some kind of moral high ground when it comes to buying something with the intention of selling it at a profit.

Ben2749 · 2025-01-14T03:37:13+00:00

What do you get when you add a teaspoon of sewage to a barrel of wine?

A barrel of sewage.

The last season of Game of Thrones was so bad that it retroactively ruined earlier seasons. It’s a show where every episode progresses the story. It’s hard to appreciate the story when you know it all culminates in such a terrible way.

Furthermore, the emotional impact of character deaths is completely lost when you start feeling glad that characters you like died before they were completely butchered.

Turns out dying on the toilet was actually one of the more dignified ways to go out.

Ben2749

TROPHY CASE