ECHO... Echo... echo...

[Chucky]

I don't even know if anyone will see this but thought I'd post something to, I dunno, maybe see if there's anyone still floating around... and what better way to do that than with a super unoriginal, "what's going on lately with you?" type of post...


So as for me... I forget the exact date it happened, but sometime in late April my brain went into neutral and I seemed to have blacked out at work. I was in a group virtual meeting (I work remotely) with most of the employees from our small company that afternoon but I don't even recall 95% of what happened in those meetings, or if I even managed to finish those meetings. When I queried others an hour or so later, they said I did finish the meeting but I seemed quite blank at times. Like someone would ask me something and I may not have responded... something like that. Anyhoo, I ended up calling my boss also just to say that I think I blacked out. And once again, I remember very little of the conversation I had with him too but I think I do remember throwing some hysterical fit, like I was out of my mind... and then I couldn't stop crying. There wasn't necessarily anything to cry about... I just couldn't stop as I had no idea what was going on.

I think my wife snatched the phone out of my hands while I was talking to my boss and said she would call an ambulance for me. To which they came, did a few preliminary checks and then carted my ass off to the hospital for further testing. I had blood tests and a brain scan... nothing necessarily came about it. The doctors at the hospital and my GP both individually grilled me with questions about stress - so I guess that's their best educated guess as to what caused it. I have been referred to get an EEG done but I decided to not pursue further unless it happens again. So that was fun.

So not long after that, I did end up taking two weeks off work. I wanted to use that time to catch up on the backlog of editing I need to do for FE YouTube channel but I could never get my head in the right mood to get anything done. I just sat on my ass, and did pretty much fuck-all during those two weeks off. Though I did manage to kickstart my weight loss again, which will hopefully have some sort of mental benefit as I had been pretty depressed lately from regaining basically all of the 27kg (60lbs) I had lost back in 2020. Since 9th May, I have lost around 5kg (11lbs) and showing no signs of slowing down with that.

Anyhoo, I am happy to say that I have finally started editing again. I've challenged myself to edit one movie discussion per day, which is roughly about 1hr of work. So hopefully I can keep it up and clear that backlog within the next few months.


So, uh.... what's going on lately with you? 

[Jigsaw]

Sounds wild. At least if you need it, you have healthcare available, so at least there's that. 

Seriously, be who you are and be what you be.

[Super Slash Bro]

Hey, guys! It’s been like 9 years since I was last here, forgot my password. Randomly thought about FE after browsing r/horror for a few days and started to miss some of y’all. Most people I knew are T really here anymore but maybe in time idk. By the way, I used to go by Seed here.

It sucks ass that that all happened to you Chuck, I’m just glad it wasn’t anything serious and you’re shredding off some kg’s while taking a step back. Stress is a fucking asshole.

Me? I’ve been working from home since the pandemic also. Really awesome job but a shady ass company. My whole campaign got let go a few days ago. They informed us ahead of time but I haven’t been able to secure another job yet. I live alone and have a brand new car payment so I gotta make it rain somehow and fast. Got my wisdom teeth pulled today, shoulda done that a long time ago but better late than never!

Damn I think I joined this site when I was 14, I’m 31 now. That was over half my life ago. I’m almost as old as De was when I first joined. 😂

[Jigsaw]

I know how you feel. When I first joined, I was an idiot kid who spent half his time in the trashcan, or whatever that section was called. It's amazing just how many memories I have of this forum and the people here (which is one of the reasons I try to stick around and do what I can).

Glad to see you pop in though, Seed (if you don't terribly mind me using your old screen-name). It is nice to hear that others do occasionally think back on FE - gives me a nostalgic feeling.

Hope that you're able to find a job and/or money lying on the ground. Life has been somewhat trying for me recently also - my mother will likely be dead in the next month-and-a-half, and I just left my job - so I certainly hope that things pick up for you.

[Shadow]

So did you ever narrow down what the issue may be, Chuke?

Damn I think I joined this site when I was 14, I’m 31 now. That was over half my life ago. I’m almost as old as De was when I first joined. 😂

Jeez, I'm right there with you.

I'm doing the same old, same old- same old job, tons more hours. Kind of the opposite of you guys. Too few people capable of doing what we do effectively and efficiently, so the extra work just gets piled on to the few of us that are around... and even more work on the way, too. It's nice for the bank account but absolutely terrible for the social life. And that doesn't even take into account that the next semester of school hasn't even started up yet.

Seems to be chronic ongoing issue with me... workaholic I guess. If I'm not keeping myself busy I go stir-crazy. Shouldn't really let that be an excuse to get out and socialize... but I'm not necessarily the most social guy in the first place. Compound that with if I don't have direct plans with my friends or some kind of "mission" in mind, I tend to not bother going out at all. Doesn't help that most of the chicks nowadays seem to be nut-jobbier than usual...

I'd really like to interact more around here but it seems like every time I check in nothing gets posted... so over time it simply starts to slip my mind all over again.

[Chucky]

So did you ever narrow down what the issue may be, Chuke?

Nope.

I'm doing the same old, same old- same old job, tons more hours. Kind of the opposite of you guys. Too few people capable of doing what we do effectively and efficiently, so the extra work just gets piled on to the few of us that are around... and even more work on the way, too. It's nice for the bank account but absolutely terrible for the social life. And that doesn't even take into account that the next semester of school hasn't even started up yet.

Seems to be chronic ongoing issue with me... workaholic I guess. If I'm not keeping myself busy I go stir-crazy. Shouldn't really let that be an excuse to get out and socialize... but I'm not necessarily the most social guy in the first place. Compound that with if I don't have direct plans with my friends or some kind of "mission" in mind, I tend to not bother going out at all. Doesn't help that most of the chicks nowadays seem to be nut-jobbier than usual...

Yes, bitches be crazy these days. I'm glad I got married young because I can't imagine trying to date or socialise with new people given the current social climate. I can't even go on YouTube anymore without being bombarded with hardcore feminist and/or MGTOW content. It's like everyone hates everyone now.

I'd really like to interact more around here but it seems like every time I check in nothing gets posted... so over time it simply starts to slip my mind all over again.

That shit's gonna change real soon. I am working on a new site, and yes, actually spending hours everyday on it. With the help of Jiggy, I'm bringing this site back to, hopefully, some of its former glory.

[Shadow]

My friends and I used to go out all the time... camping, hiking, bar, etc. Met plenty of new people and girls that way but over the years (especially after lockdowns) all they really want to do now is go out to eat just ourselves. And then they wonder why everyone but me is getting fat.

The last couple of years of bullshit really did seem to have done quite a number on most people.

Nope.

Picking up now at least? Sounds like you are getting a bit more motivated with the site... hobbies are always a good morale boost.

That shit's gonna change real soon. I am working on a new site, and yes, actually spending hours everyday on it. With the help of Jiggy, I'm bringing this site back to, hopefully, some of its former glory.

Honestly I'm surprised that you've kept the site around for as long as you have... most people would have just closed up shop long ago. I definitely appreciate the tenacity. Were you planning a complete revamp of the site, or something more along the same vein but with a facelift?

[Chucky]

My friends and I used to go out all the time... camping, hiking, bar, etc. Met plenty of new people and girls that way but over the years (especially after lockdowns) all they really want to do now is go out to eat just ourselves. And then they wonder why everyone but me is getting fat.

The last couple of years of bullshit really did seem to have done quite a number on most people.

I was making good strides a couple years ago. In January 2020 I started hitting the gym and by around May/June the same year I had lost around 60lbs. Unfortunately, put most of it back on throughout 2021.

Picking up now at least? Sounds like you are getting a bit more motivated with the site... hobbies are always a good morale boost.

I think it was a combination of stress, lack of sleep and depression (mostly stemming from putting all that weight back on which I worked so hard to lose). Though for the past two months I have been trying to get back on track to start shedding some of that weight again which has probably helped in motivating me more with the site because Jiggy and I were absolutely slaying it with our YouTube content in 2020 when I had lost all that weight.

Honestly I'm surprised that you've kept the site around for as long as you have... most people would have just closed up shop long ago. I definitely appreciate the tenacity. Were you planning a complete revamp of the site, or something more along the same vein but with a facelift?

If it weren't for the fact that I got married when I was 19 and was a father at a fairly young age (btw, my daughter turned 18 today), I probably wouldn't have fallen off so many times as I did. There were just times where I had to focus on life over everything else but I never really wanted to move on from the site.

It is going to be a pretty big revamp. Reviews will of course be a huge thing as usual but with a much more diverse way of rating movies. There will be a lot of video content and also a revamped implementation of the fights. We can also branch out into a lot of other genres. Horror will always be the mainstay, but I think technically any movie could be reviewed and discussed, kind of like a Fight Evil (horror, thriller, action etc) and Fight Everything (drama, comedy etc). 

[Shadow]

I was making good strides a couple years ago. In January 2020 I started hitting the gym and by around May/June the same year I had lost around 60lbs. Unfortunately, put most of it back on throughout 2021.

I've had to dial it back a little bit, myself. I chingered my shoulder a few months back and have been babying it since. Finally getting around to seeing a doc about it so we'll see what's going on.

Luckily enough for me I do a lot more than just lift things for exercise, and I don't need to exercise to lose weight... I mainly do it to wear myself out to sleep better.

If it weren't for the fact that I got married when I was 19 and was a father at a fairly young age (btw, my daughter turned 18 today), I probably wouldn't have fallen off so many times as I did. There were just times where I had to focus on life over everything else but I never really wanted to move on from the site.

Well maybe now if she's flying the coop you'll have more free you-time on your hands.

It has crossed my mind, though, with the amount of time that's passed since we've seen a lot of the old timers- how much has life changed for them?

It is going to be a pretty big revamp. Reviews will of course be a huge thing as usual but with a much more diverse way of rating movies. There will be a lot of video content and also a revamped implementation of the fights. We can also branch out into a lot of other genres. Horror will always be the mainstay, but I think technically any movie could be reviewed and discussed, kind of like a Fight Evil (horror, thriller, action etc) and Fight Everything (drama, comedy etc). 

Sounds interesting... you've never made an update to the site that I didn't like before so I'll be curious to see how it turns out. Hopefully that sort of thing would be able to bring in/bring back some people.

[Chucky]

I've had to dial it back a little bit, myself. I chingered my shoulder a few months back and have been babying it since. Finally getting around to seeing a doc about it so we'll see what's going on.

Luckily enough for me I do a lot more than just lift things for exercise, and I don't need to exercise to lose weight... I mainly do it to wear myself out to sleep better.

Gonna have to 'bate with the off-arm for a while... 

Well maybe now if she's flying the coop you'll have more free you-time on your hands.

It has crossed my mind, though, with the amount of time that's passed since we've seen a lot of the old timers- how much has life changed for them?

There's a few I see occasionally through Facebook. I recently had "Seed" message me on Facebook, mainly to get contact info for one of the old members.

Sounds interesting... you've never made an update to the site that I didn't like before so I'll be curious to see how it turns out. Hopefully that sort of thing would be able to bring in/bring back some people.

It's a lot of work but the main thing for me is trying to get over my inability to be 100% happy with the designs I create.

[Shadow]

Gonna have to 'bate with the off-arm for a while... 

Lucky me I'm ambi.

There's a few I see occasionally through Facebook. I recently had "Seed" message me on Facebook, mainly to get contact info for one of the old members.

Lucky me I was able to get a handful of peoples' phone numbers before I dropped off social media. Shame most people moved from IM to Facebook's messenger, otherwise I'd of still been able to get some more.

It's a lot of work but the main thing for me is trying to get over my inability to be 100% happy with the designs I create.

I know what you mean... it gets irritating knowing there is still work to be done on something you can't quite get to for some reason. At least that's how it is for me.

So did you have a timeframe for it?

In other news I did end up seeing the doc and he suggested I get an MRI... so that'll happen eventually. I was thinking if I can get my hands on the scans maybe I could do something neat with my 3D printer.

[Chucky]

Lucky me I'm ambi.

This may be TMI, but I only use my off-hand these days.

I know what you mean... it gets irritating knowing there is still work to be done on something you can't quite get to for some reason. At least that's how it is for me.

So did you have a timeframe for it?

I have my good days and bad days in terms of how much progression is made. It's more of a ride the wave type of thing when it comes to getting it done. Some days I'm flying through it and then sometimes I get stuck on how I want a page to look, and it takes a lot of back and forth before I settle on it. So I can't really give a timeframe but I'd hope in maybe a month or two.

[Shadow]

Well better to take your time and get it the way you want "the first time" rather than having to go back and tweak this and twist that because you wanted to hit some arbitrary deadline for something that didn't necessarily need it.

So all the shoulder stuff has been sorted out. I got an MRI and apparently it is bursitis... doc got kind of disappointed when I turned down all his shots and pills. "Well what did you expect?" Oh I don't know, how about some PT exercises like everything online says you should try first?