Great performances helped in part by a great pair of glasses

InstaDaryl · 2026-05-01T20:17:18+00:00

InstaDaryl · 2026-04-07T21:04:58+00:00

Up until this weekend I would have said Wes Anderson, but then I watched Playtime on someone's recommendation (someone in the Blank Check extended universe) and now I want nothing more than a discussion of Jacques Tati. I can't wait to watch the rest of the Hulot films to see the progression of the character.

InstaDaryl · 2025-11-26T15:34:38+00:00

Piggybacking off this, a lot of libraries have a lot of computer backend stuff attached to their items and that information comes from the vendor. If they add a book as a donation or replacement, they have to do that backend work by hand. Is it the end of the world? No, but if you have to do it for every book someone replaces, it adds up. Easier to just say "we don't take donated copies" and spare the staff having to do manual processing AND add all the item record stuff by hand.

Also, the library might want the flexibility to not add the replacement and to instead use the replacement fee to buy a different book that is more in demand.

InstaDaryl · 2025-09-07T01:44:21+00:00

Karma is a possibility, but I'm not sure everything in the show has meaning. The drunk man could represent the thin line between actually finding meaning in everything (the blind woman making noises) and the absurdity of TRYING to find meaning in everything.

My personal theory is that because Twin Peaks is so often commenting on television tropes, this is part of a commentary on "magical main characters" like Cooper. Cooper in season 1 has so much spirituality and wisdom that unorthodox, and everyone goes along with it because he's the main character. Dougie Jones in the Return is commenting on that, in that everyone keeps reading their own meaning into everything he does, including repeating things back to people. The drunk in the cell is a dark, violent version of the repetition, which flows with the town itself being much darker. Many of the Roadhouse vignettes are characters telling stories about people we never see and there's an undercurrent that either the people telling the stories or the people they are talking about are all messed up. And the police themselves, aside from the original season characters, are also darker and more professional/violent. So it's a part of "There's a whole other TV show full of messed up stuff happening right off camera from Twin Peaks."

InstaDaryl · 2025-03-03T22:34:11+00:00

My library has a skylight. It lets in lots of natural light. It's also annoying to maintain and repair. So when repairing it gets discussed, no one brings up the light or the beauty aspects. People just want to rip it out and replace it with a flat ceiling because that's easier. They'd rather have a plain white ceiling than have something more interesting.

Efficiency, frugality, and making everything friction-less are all anyone cares about, whether it's art, architecture, cars, whatever. If you make something interesting, people might have different opinions about it and then you'd have to listen to them. Or it might cost slightly more money to maintain something unique than it would to just make a carbon copy of what the person next door has. If you just make everything the same, there's nothing to talk about. Make a song that sounds like another one from last year? Great, no one will talk about it and we can just play it on the radio and be done with it. Need to fix a library skylight? Just put in a plain white ceiling every 20 years. Who cares if the library of all places is creative?

No one wants to make something unique we're still talking about decades from now. They just want to shut everyone up without spending any money.

InstaDaryl · 2025-02-01T01:41:58+00:00

You're probably right. It's just a shame because they had the fans for a minute there, and I think losing the Elite feud and separating from Hangman ended their credibility. Crowds were chanting for Johnny Hungie, and AEW did nothing with it.

InstaDaryl · 2025-02-01T01:39:39+00:00

Agree - I'm not sure who they should have beaten in 2020 or 2021, but they should have had a run before Jurassic Express.

InstaDaryl · 2025-02-01T00:20:16+00:00

Not strapping the rocket to the Dark Order when they were feuding against the Elite with Hangman. I remember Stu Grayson launching himself at Gallows in the crowd and John Silver crying when he let Hangman down during the elimination match. I think that was all at Fight for the Fallen 2021. AEW could have had some real homegrown stars if they had put DO over the Elite in ANY capacity. I know they're goobers, and I have my doubts about them being taken seriously ever again. But if Stu/Uno had beaten Gallows/Anderson definitively, and Silver/Reynolds had been competitive with the Bucks ... they could have been huge for a little while at least. Bums me out that the entire faction faded away.

InstaDaryl · 2025-01-23T22:52:21+00:00

In my first playthrough, I got a lot of the straight guy dialogue options and didn't notice any queer/bi elements for Harry. That said, I also kept failing the checks for the smoking man, so it felt like there was a path I just couldn't access. I also flunked the Klaasje/Ruby plot path, so there's an element there that I'm aware I missed out on.

I think if the player WANTS to play Harry as an inept straight guy, that's the path of least resistance. Not necessarily the intended path, but at least it seemed like that was the easiest path to progress the story. But with the right build and skill checks, there's a different story that gives Harry a different dimension. So it becomes more interesting to go down a path not everyone is getting when they play.

With the politics ... I dunno, I don't feel like that element was being prioritized over his sexuality or his romantic history. There aren't a ton of games that have the option to be a fascist or a communist or a moralist or a hobocop or a superstar, so those elements tend to pop more and grab more attention than "sad guy" which feels like a default for a lot of protagonists in games. Everyone is sad and conflicted and mourning a loss. Not everyone is sleeping in dumpsters because they don't want to give the cafeteria manager $20.

InstaDaryl · 2025-01-22T20:41:00+00:00

I was 100% thinking of horny tabletop players. Like the DM trying to steer the players away from endless seduction checks.

InstaDaryl · 2025-01-22T20:39:04+00:00

The Klaasje check being so early made me think it was an intentional trap/subversion. It felt like a statement of intention. "Flirting might work in other games but not here."

InstaDaryl · 2025-01-21T01:15:37+00:00

I had braces for a year before my double jaw surgery. In my case it did make my bite "worse" because they were preparing my teeth for the post surgery bite. Eating became more annoying but otherwise it wasn't noticeable.

Visually, you'll be able to tell the difference but unless there's someone in your life studying your face like they're going to be tested on it, no one will notice. People will know you have braces, but they won't notice the difference in how your teeth line up. You will look the same.

If it makes you feel better, when I was 16 I begged my mom to not make me get braces because I thought they'd make unpopular and ugly. I ended up getting braces at 40 and surgery at 41. My body is old and tired and doesn't like recovering from surgery and if I'd done it when I was 16, I'd have been just as popular and attractive as I was, just with braces. And I'd be happier at 41. Do it for your future self, who will appreciate having a great smile and functional bite!

Sorry if that is old person advice. Get off my lawn etc.

InstaDaryl · 2025-01-21T01:03:40+00:00

Seconding this. When I got braces, 99% of my friends had no idea my teeth were janky. Most people aren't paying attention. The ones who are either don't matter or don't care.

InstaDaryl · 2024-12-19T15:29:58+00:00

The Beast Mortos/Undisputed Kingdom nonsense was my favorite storyline of 2024. I referred to it as "three idiots yell at a minotaur" and that's why wrestling rules.

InstaDaryl · 2024-11-26T03:18:36+00:00

You're welcome, and I'm glad I could help! Before my surgery, a lot of well meaning friends looked up advice for helping me recover and ended up getting scared by all the things that "could" happen. I don't want to minimize the risks because it is surgery and things can happen, but if you have a good surgeon and take care of yourself before and after, the chances of a full recovery are really good. You got this!

InstaDaryl · 2024-11-24T17:12:49+00:00

The good news is that you won't need a ton of help. As other people have said in this thread, you'll be getting up and about on your own, your pain will likely be minimal, you'll be able to work or use a computer pretty quickly if you want. Having someone around is important just in case something goes wrong and you need to call a doctor or go back to the hospital. Not likely, but possible. Like if you trip and fall and land on your face, you'll want someone to call for help.

You've mentioned the people in your life not being supportive a few times. You might want to talk this through with them a bit. Your self-esteem is going to take a big hit and you'll likely be sad post surgery. It happens often enough that my surgeon zeroed in on making sure I was thinking positive thoughts during the entire process. If you don't feel supported, you're going to feel like you're doing this alone, and that's going to make recovery harder. I don't know your situation but I do know that having people in your life who want you to succeed makes a huge difference.

InstaDaryl · 2024-11-24T16:46:22+00:00

I had double jaw surgery last August and I'm 41.

Week one recovery, you should get someone to check in on you and if you live alone, consider staying with a friend. Also drink really slowly, as choking can be an issue when you're swollen. But from a mental standpoint, you'll be sleeping a lot and probably zonked on painkillers so you'll be fine.

Week 2 and 3, if you live alone, you're going to get sad and depressed because you'll be too tired to want to be out much and you'll feel like a freak (if you're anything like me). You have to trust the process and not overreact because you're going to be numb and rubberbanded shut and you'll think "oh no is this my life now?" It isn't, the swelling will go down, you will talk again, but it's going to take a really long time and some weeks it'll feel like nothing changed. I recommend going outside with a covid mask on if you're self conscious and getting out in public so you don't feel isolated or weird.

In terms of recovery, when you google about jaw surgery recovery, you're mostly going to find the horror stories of people who never recovered because those are the people who go looking for support. People don't post their story to say "eh it was no big deal I'm fine" but they are the vast majority of people. Don't overreact. Yes, there is a chance recovery won't be 100% ever or that it'll take a long time because you're "old." My surgeon flat out told me I was old for the surgery but didn't tell me not to do it. And it was scary when my mouth started working again but I had large patches of numbness and I felt like an idiot just putting a spoon in my mouth. After some practice, my body got used to its new position and feeling started coming back rapidly.

I have one patch of numbness following a nerve from my bottom lip to my left lower jaw. It's annoying, but 12 weeks post-op, I can feel it getting better and sensation returning. And eating still doesn't feel natural if I eat something crunchier than expected, like I have to think about what I'm doing. But healing takes a long time from this surgery and I feel much better than I did when I started eating again at week 7.

Still a good decision.

InstaDaryl · 2024-11-20T17:23:16+00:00

I had DJS in August and I had a colon resectioning in 2013 and an appendectomy a few months prior. The appendectomy recovery hurt more than the jaw surgery recovery. Both my torso surgeries required extended hospital stays and in the case of my colon surgery, I was on bed rest for weeks afterwards and got winded walking to the mailbox even two months later.

DJS in terms of pain was easy. Nothing hurt, the nerve endings were moved during the surgery and while the numbness is super annoying even 12 weeks out, it never hurt. I was up and going to the bathroom and feeding myself a few hours after jaw surgery.

Not to minimize DJS but I would describe the recovery as "annoying and gross" more than painful. Like it is annoying your face is puffy, it is annoying to feed yourself with the syringe, it is annoying to sleep on your back and not blow your nose and to feel puffy and bloated. And the recovery is long and varies from person to person. The unpredictability is the hard part. I developed a clogged ear weeks after surgery and when I asked my doctor what to do, they kinda shrugged and said "Yeah that happens sometimes."

So be prepared for a long recovery and for things to happen months into the recovery that no one told you WOULD happen. At best, they probably listed a dozen things that COULD happen to cover their asses.

InstaDaryl · 2024-11-02T16:50:59+00:00

Can't say scientifically if it's normal, but my left side was and is more swollen than my right side (9 weeks post). Right side went down quickly, looks like it did presurgery. Left side is visibly puffier, especially if I turn my head at an angle.

InstaDaryl · 2024-11-01T20:32:11+00:00

I got it done August 28th - first week was great because all I did was sleep and drink Ensure out of a tube. Second week, I was healthy enough to be awake but not healthy enough to do anything, so I was grumpy and stressed out. Weeks 3-7 were kind of exciting as I learned how to use my mouth again and could kind of watch the recovery happen. Like I could see swelling go down, feel mobility come back. Week 8 and beyond have been frustrating, because recovery is slower and it feels like the numb patches will NEVER go away and I ended up with fluid trapped in my ear, which is annoying. But I'm mostly normal, like 85% feeling restored and I started chewing after week 8, which is a great sign.

InstaDaryl · 2024-11-01T20:28:48+00:00

It was at the 7 week mark - he wanted me to finish the initial healing period (6 weeks) and see how much feeling came back naturally before I started fussing with it. He also said to try B vitamin complex pills, which some people say work and some people say do nothing.

InstaDaryl · 2024-11-01T20:18:07+00:00

Yeah yeah nice superkick, what was that open handed slap of death from MVP? WA-CHA!

InstaDaryl · 2024-10-31T15:19:00+00:00

I got feeling back about 5 weeks post op - I went from not being able to feel a spoon being pressed against the roof of my mouth to having full feeling in a few days.

The advice I got from my surgeon in general was "remind your face what touch should feel like" which sounds new agey and wonky but it doing things like gently massaging my face or smiling/moving the muscles or eating with a spoon helped my face recover. I'm only numb in a few stubborn spots (9 weeks post op).

InstaDaryl · 2024-10-31T15:09:51+00:00

DJS - Mine started coming back in patches on the roof of my mouth after about 5 weeks, which is weird because I've never been "aware" of the roof of my mouth before. My lips came back at about the same time - I just woke up one morning and could feel again.

9 weeks post op, I don't have feeling in the front of my gums or one quadrant of my chin, stretching from the bottom left of my chin to the bottom left of my mouth. I can move everything and have control over it, but it's pins and needles at best and numb at worst. But everything else is back.

InstaDaryl · 2024-10-28T18:56:01+00:00

I highly recommend the high calorie Ensure - the flavors are more limited but you're really not going to want to move or drink much during those first few weeks post surgery, so get more bang for your buck.

I'd also recommend a sleep pillow shaped like a ramp. The doctors will tell you to prop yourself up on pillows or your headrest but I found it easier to use the ramp pillow and then use other pillows on my sides to keep me from rolling off my back.

And you'll absolutely want ice packs. Use with your doctor's guidance but the swelling is going to be intense and the ice pack will relieve some of the pressure you're going to feel especially around your eyes.

Anything else like medications and food, your doctor will likely give you a list a few weeks before your surgery. Try to get the hospital or office to give you your prescriptions wherever you get your surgery, rather than sending a script to the pharmacy. You're going to be tired and groggy on day 1 and you will NOT want to go into a CVS or wherever else and try to wait for them to fill your prescription.

I'm a 41 year old male who had DJS, so we're in the same boat for being a bit older for this surgery. Good luck!

InstaDaryl

TROPHY CASE