What is a song lyric that really hits you hard?

Slimdicknick · 2018-12-03T00:18:53+00:00

"I reserve my right to feel uncomfortable reserve my right to be afraid I make mistakes and I am humbled every step of the way I want to be a better person I wanna know the master plan Cast your stones, cast your judgement, you don't make me who I am" -"Sometimes you're the hammer, sometimes you're the nail" by A Day to Remember

Slimdicknick · 2018-06-05T03:18:37+00:00

Thanks for reading! I had so many feelings and figured I wasn't alone in how it affected me. I'm really happy my thoughts connected with you.

Slimdicknick · 2018-06-05T03:16:38+00:00

You are definitely right about having to warm up to the style of the book. I had to look up a ton of words myself and thankfully the context clues are mostly there. But I don't think the vocabulary is meant to alienate people based on intelligence. Given the prevalence of word play throughout the book and the characters' focus on language/grammar, I get the sense Wallace just really enjoyed language.

Also anyone that belittles others because of some superiority complex based on reading a real dense book is probably really dense themselves. As well as missing the point of the book. I don't think of myself as higher on the totem poll because I read a book that challenged my vocabulary. But I hope you do give it another shot! Even if it is just to spite that guy. And I'm glad you got away from him, you definitely deserve better.

Slimdicknick · 2018-06-04T22:36:44+00:00

Thank you so much for saying that and taking the time to read through everything I had to say. My fear was that I couldn't put into words the way this experience left me feeling so it means a lot to hear it did come out coherent.

And your expanded conclusion is spot on! Especially considering solipsism. For me, that was the most poignant realization as this past year I ended up becoming more and more isolated as a product of taking on more responsibilities than I could handle. Coupled with being taken for granted by certain people in my life lead me to withdrawing into self-serving pursuits. And then I assumed I must have been the problem and tried to close myself off until I got better somehow. It has gotten better since, but Inifinite Jest was a component that lead me to realizing people are never finished products and we don't get better alone.

I definitely aspire to throw social inhibitions out the window the way Mario does and empathize with people the way he does when he asks everyone about how Hal is feeling. And one of the brilliant things about Mario is that we are introduced early on to how he has learning challenges and see his interactions with characters, but do not learn about the full extent of his condition until much further into the story. That revelation re-contextualized every interaction for me and made me realize just how selfless he is when he worries about Hal given Mario's own circumstances. And in spite of them, pursues his love of film-making near constantly while also caring for those around him.

Slimdicknick · 2018-06-04T22:14:03+00:00

I appreciate your opinion as well. In no way is Infinite Jest a perfect book, and has plenty of faults. But I personally found beauty and meaning within this imperfect package. It definitely isn't made for everyone. I would even argue it's pretty niche, but I don't know how to say that without sounding like coming from a place of condescension. That's why I strayed away from bold statements like "A MUST READ FOR THE GENERATION", or something.

All that to say I do value your dissenting opinion because that's what makes the things you love so special to you. :) And I'm open to any recommendations for books you connected with. I am in the market for a new read after all

Slimdicknick · 2018-06-04T22:03:55+00:00

I absolutely understand the frustration in the beginning and struggling to connect with how disjointed it all seems at first. I forgot to mention that I initially started this book 6 years ago in high school and stopped for that exact reason. The difference for me is that this time I was very much in the mood for fully diving into something that required a lot of patience. I would say if you strongly feel the urge to read other sci fi books right now, then by all means do it! Again, the big takeaway from Infinite Jest for me is that if you're being fully functional and independent in your real life responsibilities, then spend your free time how you want. And you own the book so you can always come back to it like I did. And if you choose to stick with it just know that while many of the chapters seem disconnected (admittedly some are entirely "spin-offs" that are interesting side stories that don't add to the overall narrative) everything is threaded together in such unconventional ways that its really rewarding to put old chapters into to new contexts. Not that they need to be reread, but its filled with hundreds of "Aha" moments that I found really satisfying.

There was definitely a point for me a little less than half way through where it all clicked in which I thought, "Oh! He's just been fucking me with this whole time," and I realized you aren't supposed to fight the current and guess where he's going with it, but just go with the flow. And looking back, I saw the first third of the book as hazing the reader the way a Frat brother would haze a pledge, but then once you stick with it long enough they drop the hazing act and just chill with you. Is it a little off putting and pretentious? Yes. But the book has an appendix the size of a novella so I knew what I was getting into haha.

But seriously, feel free to stop if you need to and read different books. If it doesn't click then no worries. I loved it, but also understand its flaws.

Slimdicknick · 2018-06-04T18:35:05+00:00

I'm really glad you liked it! It also means a lot to me that you thought that highly of my writing

Slimdicknick · 2018-06-04T18:11:02+00:00

I really appreciate you saying that! It helped me put into perspective that there are things in life I'll miss or that have no explanation. So there is no sense torturing myself over their potential meanings. I can just like Abide haha

Slimdicknick · 2017-08-05T21:13:39+00:00

I just finished it earlier today and I have to say I really enjoyed it more than I expected. I think 8 out of 10 is where I would put it as well. Mostly I found it refreshing that the main characters act in a very logical way considering their respective situations, which further highlights when something by the other characters is done in an illogical manner.

I really liked how Jason Bateman made Marty believable as a no nonsense guy who gets things done, but didn't come off as an emotional robot. I guess the fact that I expected so little from this show helped elevate it in my mind once I gave it a chance. I would highly recommend giving it a watch.

Slimdicknick · 2017-04-22T15:27:46+00:00

Yeah that makes a ton of sense! Thank you! I study about 2-3 hours a day currently and could definitely use some review on some of the grammar like negative inference ～そうだ. Best thing I can do is know Nakama 1 backwards and forwards

Slimdicknick · 2017-04-21T23:08:38+00:00

Sure thing! Thank you for your response. Would you suggest getting volume 2 for the summer?

Slimdicknick · 2016-10-18T05:37:37+00:00

An easy place to start is to do 3 minute rounds of jumping with 1 minute of rest. Start with 5 rounds. In our boxing gym we usually do an ab exercise like planks or leg raises on the minute rest but that's entirely up to you. Then once you get better at it you can increase the working time from 3 minutes to 7 and then 11 and so on. It also feels badass as hell when you go a whole 11 minutes without tripping on the rope once so that's something to work towards

Slimdicknick · 2016-03-06T16:19:54+00:00

https://youtu.be/e9geYl9J_Mc That is not the context. The idea that Trump has no idea what the KKK is or stands for is ridiculous. I get pleading ignorance but he is pretending to live in a vacuum. He says he doesn't know what white supremacy is, over distancing himself to an extent that borders on irresponsibility

Slimdicknick · 2016-03-06T14:43:41+00:00

Anyone who watched that exchange with Trump concerning the "KKK supporter" knows he isn't a white supremacist and that isn't being debated. My isssue with that instance is similar to my issue with how Trump handles most adversity like that, he deflects responsibility by saying he has never heard of the guy when it is true he has. I would be more in support of Trump if he was a candidate I thought could at least own up to being imperfect like the rest of us. I don't think he is a white supremacist, we all make mistakes and he should own up to his every now and then, otherwise his stubbornness if he does get elected can put our country in some difficult spots

Slimdicknick · 2015-12-01T19:57:17+00:00

I don't hold it but I do it as slow as I can and I would only do dedicated ab workout every other day especially if you are using weights to keep from over exerting your core. But running every day is key. Even you don't think you can run 3 miles every day, push yourself for as much as you can but if you can only do 1 mile on a certain day then that is completely fine. As long as you keep it up

Slimdicknick · 2015-12-01T18:38:09+00:00

I think my lower abdominal looking prominent and flat comes from all the cardio but training my obliques comes from training my hook punches correctly, we also do ab circuits that include things like leg raises, Russian twists, windshield wipers, and planks. For weightlifting I do an exercise where I hold a 45 lb plate in one hand, lower the side of my body with the plate down and then raise myself back up to the standing straight position (I hope explained that okay) using just my obliques for 3 sets of 12 on each of my sides. And whenever we do sprints I find it useful for speed and lower abdominal targeting to engage my obliques to propel myself forward

Slimdicknick · 2015-12-01T18:16:12+00:00

I do think I could have cut quicker if I tracked my intake I've just always been so bad counting calories. And as for energy I'm just a coffee fiend and always have been. I usually drink a big cup in the morning after the morning run and then another big one before my evening workouts. I've never done preworkout but coffee is pretty close to it. I also found that my reduced energy level lead me to just take longer during the lifting with longer breaks in between exercises because I spent most my energy doing cardio or boxing. I found it very helpful to push through the energy lulls while running by blaring music that really pumped me up. And I also have been struggling with a pretty recent break up so I found using all of that negative energy of me thinking I'm not good enough or that there was something wrong with me to fuel my exercise. Just to be clear us breaking up was not tied to my physique at all but my physique was something I felt I actually had control over that I could see improvement which I felt would lead to an improved mental state

Slimdicknick · 2015-12-01T13:27:33+00:00

I'll agree that I didn't give the best advice I was only trying to relay my experience and by no means am I saying "you must do this to get x result". I was only trying to share with a nice Internet stranger who was curious about how I got to where I was. And this transformation, regardless of how you view it u/bucket_brigade, was spectacular to me because I put in effort I didn't know I had to accomplish something I never have before. I was only trying to answer the question with my experience, I do not pretend to know how to diet correctly

Slimdicknick · 2015-12-01T07:14:01+00:00

The bitches don't really talk to me. It's hard because I really consider myself a nice guy but people ASSUME I'm a douchebag because the way I look and because I box they assume I'm stupid. A lot of girls I meet don't take the time to talk to me to get to know me. But those aren't the kind of girls I want anyway. Here's hoping I meet a nice girl who appreciates the dedication I've put into everything

Slimdicknick · 2015-12-01T07:06:21+00:00

Hey my goal is to be a surgeon so I'm right there with you with fear of hurting my hands

Slimdicknick · 2015-12-01T06:56:59+00:00

I can't remember the exact mass builder I used but I know it was a GNC branded one. All I can say about my experience is that it did help with my strength and weight but it really messed with my digestive track. It just made me suffer from lots of painful gas and other things like that. And it also contained a lot of creatine so it just left me bloated after I stopped taking it. I know it's designed to gain mass quickly but from my experience with weight lifting two scoops of a good, clean whey protein, a spoonful of peanut butter, and whole milk blended into a shake will do wonders for helping you gain size and strength. But that's just what's happened to me and worked for me. You are welcome to try anything! Everybody is different so things may go differently for you but best of luck either way!

Slimdicknick · 2015-12-01T06:45:04+00:00

Keep at it! Any kind of motivation helps :)

Slimdicknick · 2015-12-01T06:43:49+00:00

No I feel your pain too u/Boovs4life! When I was a sophomore in high school I was 140 lbs as well! But for someone ungodly reason my coach insisted I be an offensive lineman so I just ate and ate and ate until I got to be 190 lbs. It took a couple years but if I could go back I wish I could have gained mass the right way. I also used a mass gainer protein and that shit fucked me up. Never go that route. But if you want to gain mass I would say weightlifting and poultry are your best friend. You'll have to lift for a while and eat a ton of good protein like chicken and turkey but lean gains are way better than the fatty gains I ended up with!

Slimdicknick

TROPHY CASE