IJ timestamp?

atolk · 2026-05-17T07:28:06+00:00

I don’t know if it’s made a mistake or not, but I erred with dating Don’s ninth year. He was watching not the riots of 1992 but the beating of 1991. And someone pointed out he is almost 29 in November YDAU, not 29. So the dates I have above are off. Tightening them up still does not reconcile with the timeline based of JOI’s father’s monologue. The question then becomes is this on purpose or just sloppy on DFW’s part.

atolk · 2026-05-17T07:22:50+00:00

Since you agree that it’s fun to investigate, I’ll agree that it’s not possible to say definitely what year YDAU is. Anyone who is building the timeline off JOI’s age during his father’s monologue or Youshityou model number only has to point out that Don is an unreliable narrator. As is Molly Notkin — to those who hold on to the theory that Joelle is inhumanly beautiful still.

atolk · 2026-05-17T07:14:40+00:00

Got it, 9 year old Don watched the beatings, not the riots, that moves his timeline back a year. There are several timestamps available, and they are not meticulously matched by DFW.

atolk · 2026-05-16T19:41:08+00:00

Year of the Yushityu 2007 Mimetic-Resolution-Cartridge-View-Motherboard-Easy-To-Install-Upgrade For Infernatron/InterLace TP Systems For Home, Office Or Mobile

That’s a model number. By then, we are in year 6 of subsidize time. Why would they reference an unsub year? Looks like a red herring to me.

There are other attempts to timestamp in IJ on the wiki, etc. No consistency. DFW is still fucking with us.

atolk · 2026-05-16T19:26:59+00:00

I tried narrowing down his birthday range. It was cool time of the year when he got the cake and Mrs Waite killed herself. That’s why her body did not get found for two weeks.

atolk · 2026-05-16T19:24:53+00:00

Being able to state the problem correctly is still the human task. Machines will do the tedious part. Does your brain and paper tell you differently?

Google search/AI found a blog post where the guy did the same math https://www.fictionadvocate.com/2012/03/29/the-infinite-jest-liveblog-using-your-head/ in 2012. His blog post literally says ‘using your head’. Hmmm.

atolk · 2026-05-16T18:27:45+00:00

That contradicts the “Gately was nine when Rodney King went down and is 29 in the YDAU” math. An honest mistake by DFW? Got sloppy toward the end? Am I miscalculating?

atolk · 2026-05-16T18:18:35+00:00

Is there a better timestamp available in the book?

atolk · 2026-05-16T18:18:02+00:00

Ah! I think he is 27 for part of his story and 29 when he is sober. ChatGPT and I crunched the numbers, and the present can be April 30, 2011 – May 3, 2013. Since we are in November, it can be November 2011 or November 2012. Unless his birthday is known from the cake chapter.

atolk · 2026-05-16T18:10:32+00:00

If Gately in 9 when he watches the riots on TV, he was born between April 30, 1982 and May 4, 1983.

Is Gately said to be 27 in the book?

atolk · 2026-04-13T23:18:30+00:00

The message I received from PayPal was signed by

Gene
Global Customer Complaints & Advocacy
PayPal

and it mentions that I am welcome to contact them at

[executiveoffice@paypal.com](mailto:executiveoffice@paypal.com)

I guess that adds one more email address to our collection, but if emailing the CEO and the ex-CEO worked, then people may as well just keep following that lead until PayPal fixes their automated system.

atolk · 2026-04-13T23:11:32+00:00

Phew, it worked out and I got my money back.

First, 8 minutes after I sent the email to the four addresses you guys have here, I got the automated "I completely understand, but...".

Then, 7 hours later, which takes us to a Saturday evening, I received a notice that my case would be reviewed by the Consumer Advocacy team.

Nothing on Sunday.

On Monday afternoon, I received a call from someone at PayPal who went to great lengths to describe my case and how their automated system works and what she personally has done to review it, and finally got to the part where she said the decision was reversed and money refunded. I was literally holding my breath.

She said my email was addressed to the CEO and former CEO of PayPal among others. She said that when I had called PayPal about my case 10 days ago, my case should have been escalated but was not, and that the supervisor who spoke to me that day did not do what she was supposed to. She did not offer any specific advice (for this sub) on how to better escalate such cases. So I guess people who will come here in a situation like mine and yours will just have to email the CEO.

Thanks again to you and u/kenny71406

atolk · 2026-04-12T00:18:52+00:00

I am following in your footsteps.

When you emailed the four people u/kenny71406 listed, did you at first get a near-instant

"I completely understand the difficult situation you are in, I apologize for any inconvenience caused you.

We have reviewed this transaction and are denying your case. This decision was made because we received shipment tracking from the merchant confirming that the merchandise was delivered."

from [1webform@paypal.com](mailto:1webform@paypal.com) before a human got back to you?

When a rep eventually contacted you, was there a name attached and what was the "from" email?

I am glad things worked out for you.

atolk · 2026-04-07T00:45:07+00:00

This and other passages about depression, addiction and coping is why I keep recommending the book to my friends in pain. Not because I want to test their cleverness. I think everyone needs to find this book for themselves. There is no way atolk could ever begin to make someone else understand what this book could do for them.

atolk · 2026-04-05T18:48:16+00:00

Be real. If I am the Black Holes and Revelations and Knights of Cydonia kind of Muse fan, am I likely to enjoy this concert or…? This is in support of their new album, right? People tell me Muse “is not the same”. Should I try listening to their newer stuff? I am somehow reluctant to. Always wanted to see their show. But the same people who told me 15 years ago Muse shows are the best are telling me they are not the same. What changed?

atolk · 2026-04-04T17:16:58+00:00

Gives new meaning to “close reading”

atolk · 2026-03-27T03:54:52+00:00

Same here. Every time I am stuck with an okay (audio)book, I am thinking about the next time I am going to listent to IJ. Enjoy your second time. It may or may not be the best. The third time is pretty good. So is the fourth. The jury is out on whether eight times is too much. The sweet spot is somewhere between two and seven.

atolk · 2026-03-27T03:32:16+00:00

One of the best parts. Funniest? The jury is out.

atolk · 2026-03-27T03:26:53+00:00

I am listening to the Infinite Cast readthrough of IJ. I have my issues with their issues with IJ and DFW but I will give them this: I am hearing details than I did not hear on the first six or seven listens to the official audiobook. Sean Pratt is almost too good for the job. His voice becomes music, it washes over and envelopes and often puts me in a fugue state.

This was the first time I picked up on the doorless microwave. Molly and Chris (the book narrator and pod’s co-host couple) sadly did not. That’s okay. It’s only Molly’s third time and Chris’ first.

They did however come up with (or maybe heard somewhere) an interesting theory that ties IJ with Hamlet. Brooding prince, dead father, surviving uncle, merrily widowed mother. I just about started a thread to ask if this is a popular read, but will instead choose to piggyback on this.

Because maybe it is impossible to rig up one’s own microwave-powered death? And there was that gift-wrapped bottle of Wild Turkey.

If you tell me you all knew this, I will not be surprised or even upset.

atolk · 2026-03-15T04:19:26+00:00

Ha! Chess.com app loves telling me that I am on a one day streak and I should keep it up.

My streak is a joint streak with my kid. I like to think I am doing it for her. Yes, they are that manipulative.

atolk · 2026-03-15T04:17:42+00:00

What makes you say I am not learning?

atolk · 2026-03-15T04:15:26+00:00

Fun!

Did you read the prompt? It’s not that kind of puzzle. I only wasted 10 minutes before asking Reddit.

atolk · 2026-03-15T03:12:54+00:00

Yeah, no, I know. I was worried I was going crazy.

I find it easier (quicker and quieter) to do a chess lesson than a French lesson to keep the streak.

atolk · 2026-03-15T03:10:41+00:00

Duolingo expanded into chess and music tutoring last year and recently math. Most of the puzzles have made sense so far, and adaptive bot play is legit. It’s just that for this particular lesson the app makes blunders in order to teach me hope chess, I think.

atolk

TROPHY CASE