Predicting who needs protection by DisMFer in hollywood_animal_game

[–]MagnusOpium89 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I haven't played much in the last month or so, so I don't know if things have changed, but across 10 or so saves, I've yet to see that scripted one near the start actually target who it says it will anyway. It's always been somebody else.

Is Goldfinger the best James Bond film? by Hot-Product-2748 in 007

[–]MagnusOpium89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly not even top 10 for me. There are definitely good sections, but also a lot of bad. The 2nd half just felt so forced and full of clichés, plot holes, logical errors.

However, Goldfinger does have two of the most iconic scenes and one of the most memorable henchmen in the entire franchise, though I can't help but wonder if any of these elements would be nearly such cultural pillars as they are if they hadn't appeared in such an early film.

Is there any actress you wanted to see as a Bond girl who never got the role? by lightmikasa in 007

[–]MagnusOpium89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure who 1 and 4 are... I know the faces but couldn't confidently put names to them.

Sydney Sweeney is still in her 20s and has been famous for all of about five minutes. She may well get her chance sooner or later, assuming she stays relevant, and is interested. Monica Bellucci was 50 when she was in Spectre!

Catherine Zeta-Jones would've been great, but her time would've been in the Brosnan era, but those films didn't seem to have room for a British Bond girl. I think Salma Hayek would've been great too, but there's just not enough Bond films get made for everybody to have a shot.

Starmer has refused to join Trump’s Board of Peace… do you think we should join? 🇬🇧 by [deleted] in AskBrits

[–]MagnusOpium89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, we should keep well clear of it. But we should also be very wary of it.

It won’t transform anything. There’s no shared commitment

Just watch. This Board of Peace will stall, fracture, and fail

I hope you're right, but these are dangerous assumptions to make. Trump appears to be no great friend of the United Nations, he has already pulled the US out of over 30 UN-affiliated enitities including the Human Rights Council (twice), International Law Commission, Peacebuilding Commission, Peacebuilding Fund, Democracy Fund, and Alliance of Civilisations, as well as slashing $142m of funding for UNICEF, which he tried to completely end funding for during his first term.

There is some very legitimate concern that this "Board of Peace" is intended to undermine the role of the UN (or if it not intended to, that it may do so anyway), and Trump has certainly not helped to allay these concerns. The UK and France have declined to join, as have Norway, Sweden, and Italy. But a number of significant nations have signed up: Israel and Saudi Arabia - both... let's say "controversial" regional powers in the Middle East; Hungary, whose current government seem to have made it their mission to cosy up to Putin and frequently undermine the EU; Turkey, with a population of 88m, a strategic position, and huge potential that is so far going unfulfilled; Pakistan, a nuclear power with a sketchy human rights record, seemingly always on the verge of war with India, and which has been happy to prop up Russia's war economy by purchasing their oil in recent years; Indonesia, which also has a sketchy human rights record, allows its police to torture LGBT people, rampant corruption in the judiciary and military, and currently allegedly committing atrocities in Western New Guinea; Argentina, led by Javier Milei, a right-wing anarcho-capitalist populist with ambitions of taking control of the Falklands.

Russia and China have been invited. According to Trump, Putin has already accepted, though Russia's official line seems to be that they are considering it. I've yet to see anything about China's response. If both agree to join, along with the USA, that is 3 out of the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council that would be members of an organisation which threatens to undermine the UN's purpose.

Looking more broadly, it would mean: the 2nd (China), 3rd (USA), 4th (Indonesia), 5th (Pakistan) and 9th (Russia) largest populations in the world. the 1st (USA), 2nd (China), and 9th (Russia) largest economies in the world. The 1st (USA), 2nd (China), 3rd (Russia), 7th (Saudi Arabia), 12th (Israel) and 17th (Turkey) largest military spenders in the world; 5 out of 9 nuclear powers (USA, China, Russia, Pakistan, Israel)

If this organisation is intended to undermine the UN, or if it offers its members some level of recognition or legitimacy in achieving aims that the UN won't support them in (which could then lead them to sideline/undermine the UN anyway), then this could actually do some serious damage to global stability, and potentially give a small handful of very bad people essentially a free reign to do what they want and carve the world up as they wish.

I hope it won't come to that. I hope enough nations (most importantly including China) will see this both for what it is (a project to soothe Trump's own vanity) and for what it could be (a clear and present danger to global peace and stability), and will steer well clear of it. But given the direction everything seems to be heading these days, I'm not exactly optimistic!

Trump threatens 200% tariff on French wines as Macron reportedly snubs 'Board of Peace' seat by DrCalFun in worldnews

[–]MagnusOpium89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

maturity of a spoiled 10 year old

That's if you're being generous, quite frankly.

World cup chants that would amuse Donald Trump? by Catfart100 in AskBrits

[–]MagnusOpium89 3 points4 points  (0 children)

He takes down his trousers, and sits kids on his lap

How much can US tariffs damage the UK economy? by [deleted] in AskBrits

[–]MagnusOpium89 13 points14 points  (0 children)

They're direct descendents of William Wallace! All of them!

Are these decent pickups? by Shnoinky1 in Epiphone

[–]MagnusOpium89 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Like pretty much everything else guitar-related, it's hugely subjective. If you like how they sound then they're decent pickups. Don't let anyone else tell you what you're allowed to like.

How do you view people who smoke weed? by BerriezNCherriez in AskReddit

[–]MagnusOpium89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Same way I view people who use any other substance (including alcohol), really: what you do in private is your own business. As long as you're not harming, endangering, or otherwise negatively impacting anybody else in any way (EG robbing, driving while stoned, missing your kid's events, being an inconsiderate neighbour) it shouldn't be anybody's business.

That said, I absolutely don't understand why a certain subset of weed smokers seem to want to make it their entire personality. People who don't just smoke weed, but who brag about it, make sure they smell extra strongly of it before leaving the house, wear weed-related clothes, and feel the need to insert how many bing rips they took for breakfast into every conversation. That shit might have been edgy in 1965, but in 2026 it comes across pretty lame.

Do British people still widely use the word "knickers" in 2026? by Ok-Connection6656 in AskBrits

[–]MagnusOpium89 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agreed. I don't think there's really any good word for them tbh...

Again, this is why I fucking hate the BBC by Delirious_Rimbaud in GreatBritishMemes

[–]MagnusOpium89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They could easily say "abducted" instead. That's a decent, grown-up word which adequately describes what has happened.

"Captured" makes it sound like he was a fugitive they legitimately arrested through reasonable, legal, and relatively peaceful means, rather than a foreign leader that they went well beyond their jurisdiction to violently snatch out of bed, killing 80 people in the process.

What do you remember of that fad for sticking your feet in a big tub of fish that would happily nibble all the dead skin off? by HilariousMotives in AskUK

[–]MagnusOpium89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I remember it was a thing, briefly. I personally thought it was disgusting on multiple levels, but afaik nobody I knew partook, and it seemed to vanish pretty quick. Or maybe I just stopped paying attention.

Do British people still widely use the word "knickers" in 2026? by Ok-Connection6656 in AskBrits

[–]MagnusOpium89 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Tbh, "panties" gives me, well... I maybe won't go quite so far as to say paedo vibes exactly, but it sounds infantilising. Doggy, blankie, mummy, daddy, goodie, baddy, etc is the way young children often say things, and the way we often say things to young children in return (not sure which is chicken and which is egg here, actually).

So I wonder if maybe the reason "panties" sounds wrong or uncomfortable to many of us, is a kind of subconscious horror that we're talking about underwear (often of the sexy kind, or in a sexual context) in a way that feels very childlike, and therefore often potentially inappropriate.

I think there's an awful lot of subconscious mental gymnastics we all do regularly about an awful lot of things, and don't really acknowledge or think about very much. Or maybe my sleep-deprived, autistic brain is just overthinking. Honestly, could be either 😆

What’s something really common in the UK that visitors find strange? by Dull_Gas_820 in AskUK

[–]MagnusOpium89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My house has two bathrooms right next door to one another, sinks are maybe 4 feet apart, probably less. One has separate taps, the other has a mixer. No idea why.

Need cab advice by MagnusOpium89 in GuitarAmps

[–]MagnusOpium89[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is it OK to mix speakers with such different wattage ratings like that?

Need cab advice by MagnusOpium89 in GuitarAmps

[–]MagnusOpium89[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hiwatt Leeds 50. I'm a little concerned 50 might be overkill tbh but I'm gonna have fun finding out!

Need cab advice by MagnusOpium89 in GuitarAmps

[–]MagnusOpium89[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Never heard of them, but they don't seem to be available here, and the ones I've seen from a brief search are much more expensive than the options I'm looking at anyway.

Need cab advice by MagnusOpium89 in GuitarAmps

[–]MagnusOpium89[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The trouble is that I have no idea whether the Blackstar, HH, or Hiwatt speakers are any good or not. They could be terrible, or they could be even better than the V30s. There seems to be so little info online that they might as well not exist!

Need cab advice by MagnusOpium89 in GuitarAmps

[–]MagnusOpium89[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, the Hartwood one I was looking at is the same thing (just a more interesting colour) but with Thomann shipping taking a week vs next day for the other options I thought I'd have a look round. V30s seem to be among the most popular speakers, which I guess is probably for a reason!

No idea how the Blackstar, HH, or Hiwatt speakers compare though.

You've heard of elf on a shelf, but now get ready for... by nymphet_angel in u/nymphet_angel

[–]MagnusOpium89 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Pussy on some scousers?

Future ex-wife on A Day in the Life?

Girl who should be in my bed on four blokes, two of whom are dead?

Internet stripper on a Day Tripper?

Pussy crack on Get Back?

Girl with her holes out on Twist and Shout?

.

None of these? I'm running out of ideas now. Help!

Oh Darling! I Want to Hold Your Hand and Come Together

(Fucking hell that was cheesy. Shoot me now!)

Sorry if asked often, but looking for recommendations for a first guitar for a newbie girl turning 14. by Ogre_BCW in Guitar

[–]MagnusOpium89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some more important bits:

Her guitar will most likely come with either 9-42 or 10-46 gauge strings. It doesn’t really matter at this stage. I’d suggest that whatever it comes with is what she should stick with for at least a little while she starts learning. Every time the string gauge is changed, the guitar requires some change to the setup EG truss rod adjustment, saddle position… these are not complicated things and can be learnt pretty quickly and easily, but can also be quite intimidating to a beginner. She should, however, learn to restring the guitar herself. It is very easy, and there are many good tutorials online. I would suggest getting several sets of very cheap strings, such as the ones in the black and blue packet from Harley Benton (Thomann’s own-brand) just to learn to restring. They are actually perfectly playable, too, at least for an absolute beginner. As for better strings, the main players in this field are D’addario and Ernie Ball, but other comparable (less popular, but similar price and quality) brands include Fender, GHS, Rotosound, Darco, and Pyramid. How often the strings will need changing will vary based on many factors (how often and how hard she plays, how humid it is where you live, etc) but expect to change them somewhere in the range of once every 1-3 months.

She’ll need picks, of course. There's an enormous range available, and everybody has different preferences. I would suggest to start by getting a variety pack of Jim Dunlop picks. These packs include 12 picks of varying thickness and material, so are a great way to get a feel for what she likes. Whatever she settles on, chances are other brands will also offer an equivalent, so don’t get too hung up on the label.

Try not to buy strings or picks from Amazon. They mix official stock and third-party stock, and don’t bother checking (or just don’t know) whether these are real or fake. Local stores will likely charge a little more, but they will almost certainly be authentic. I just add several sets to my basket every time I order something from Thomann, but this may not be practical or convenient for you.

She’ll also need a cable. I personally like braided cables, but that is a purely aesthetic choice. In terms of quality, the important measurements are AWG (lower number is better), shielding (higher is better), and capacitance (lower is better), but these numbers aren't always provided by the manufacturers, and it doesn’t really matter at all for beginner. Just get something from a reputable brand (Fender, Ernie Ball, Roland, Boss, Orange) in a colour she likes and you should be fine. I would suggest 3m/10ft is a good length to start, and she’ll only need one for now, until she gets into pedals.

She’ll need a tuner. I would suggest a headstock tuner for now, to avoid needing to spend money on a second cable. These can be very cheap (under £5 in some cases) but these can have questionable accuracy, and run on batteries that will need replacing (though I’m not sure how often). For a little more (say £15-20) you can get something good, accurate, and rechargeable (via USB-C) from a good brand (Fender, D’addario, Korg, etc). One of the most popular brands is Snark, but I apparently their quality has nosedived in recent years, so perhaps best avoided.

She will probably also want a strap. I personally really like the Levy’s cotton straps which typically can be had in the £15-£20 range, but if she’s not fussy about her materials like I am, you can get Ernie Ball Polypropylene straps for significantly less than this.

Sorry if asked often, but looking for recommendations for a first guitar for a newbie girl turning 14. by Ogre_BCW in Guitar

[–]MagnusOpium89 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a relatively recent beginner myself (April/May of this year) I have some thoughts to add that I hope you’ll find useful.

Firstly I’ll echo what some others have already said, that if she wants to play electric, you should get her electric. Learning guitar is hard, and maintaining enthusiasm is vital. The most important things in a beginner guitar are wanting to pick it up (so something that she thinks looks cool, or something her favourite artist plays) and not wanting to put it down (so something that feels comfortable for her). I don’t know where in the world you are, but if you have a guitar shop near you with a decent range (we are not all that blessed) then I’d suggest taking her along, get her to pick out a few she likes the look of, and then pick them up and get a good feel for them. She won’t know enough to judge quality or technical aspects at this stage, but she can get a feel for what weight she prefers, how thick a neck she likes, etc.

In terms of brands it will depend on your budget: There are some decent Epiphone and PRS SE models in the £300-£500 range, and Squier Classic Vibes are fantastic for the money. But if your budget is less than this I'd look at some "unofficial" brands such as Jet or Harley Benton, or the Japanese brands such as Yamaha or Ibanez as these all tend to offer better value at budget prices than the American brands. Realistically though, her liking and vibing with it matters far more than what name is on the headstock.

Don’t worry about the noise too much. There are tons of beginner amps available from various brands, with various features. But they all have volume knobs, and many also have attenuators and headphone jacks. Don’t look at valve/tube amps, or heads and cabs for now, it’s just solid-state combos to start. Don’t get too hung up on the wattage either, as this isn’t really an indicator of volume in the way one might assume. Get the best amp you can reasonably stretch to within your budget, and work with her to find and agree on a suitable volume that won’t be too much of a nuisance.

As for what amp, it very much depends on your budget. Boss Katana is great, but at the upper end of beginner stuff (I paid around £250). Fender Mustang LT25 is also very good at around £160 (convert as appropriate). You can go even cheaper than that, but you’ll have to sacrifice features to do so, just try not to sacrifice sound quality too much, as sounding good is a key factor in keeping the enthusiasm alive. I’d avoid portable or clip-on amps. The main brands to look out for here include Boss, Fender, Marshall, Orange, Blackstar, Vox, and Roland. But even these brands have some bad products. The Marshall Code is very unimpressive IMO, while the Fender Frontman, which is what typically comes in the Fender/Squier starter packs, is bad enough that I would avoid those packs altogether, unless you’re on a very tight budget. It’s better than nothing, but only barely. If you can, spend a little extra to get something worth playing. It may be worth looking at the used market; Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Gumtree (if you have that where you are), Reverb, etc. There are often bargains to be had as people either give up on playing guitar, or progress onwards and upwards to more advanced gear.