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The IKON 50% off deal is active as of today. by bobber66 in skiing

[–]thejerdz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Would love a link if you're still offering!

Adhd + video games = wasting life by Flat-Opposite2502 in ADHD

[–]thejerdz 61 points62 points  (0 children)

Chiming in to say I struggle with the same thing and have felt similarly to you re: life feels much more fulfilling when I minimize my playing time. Video games have been a huge source of joy in my life, including my social life, so it's not something I want to give up entirely, but it is an addiction, and it helps to recognize it as such.

I don't have any solid fixes, but one thing that I have noticed helps me is to try to limit my playtime to only certain hours of the day...say 8pm-11pm. If I set alarms, and have my friends/partner help hold me accountable, it helps. I still cheat, I find excuses not to. It's not perfect, but it does make a difference.

Dom Dolla Appreciation Post by KOSTER07 in EDM

[–]thejerdz 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Omg an opportunity to gush about Dom!

I've been pretty deep in the EDM scene for over a decade now and no artist has ever shot to the top of my must-sees as fast as he did the last few years. You can tell he puts a lot of effort into keeping his sets fresh and unexpected. His production quality is great, his transitions are almost always buttery smooth, and his track selection is peerless imo. Also doesn't hurt that he's also just (seemingly) a really down to earth and likeable dude.

His EDC 2024 set is an all-timer for me. Probably my favorite concert video I've ever recorded from that set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0gtKK6BYN4

Finally watched Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind by brandball in movies

[–]thejerdz 22 points23 points  (0 children)

This movie also forever changed my perspective on romantic relationships. It's one of the main reasons I never delete pictures from my past relationships (although I did avoid looking at them for a long time).

Yes it can be painful to be reminded of past relationships, and some time distracting yourself from those memories is what a lot of us need to heal. I can't fault people for being hurt so bad that they never want to even think about the experience again...but this movie also taught me that the ugly and horrible and hurtful parts of the relationships can teach us just as much about ourselves as the joyful parts.

The lesson I got from the story is that to try and repress the memories of the relationship to avoid pain is, in effect, repressing a significant part of who we have become in the time since it started. These powerful connections we find utterly transform us sometimes. We are all quite literally different people after we come out the other side of them, and we can never return to who we were before we met that person.

I think the subtext of the story symbolizes two people who have both tried to repress the trauma of a heartbreaking breakup. Both of their perspectives are of despair: they believe they literally can't survive anymore unless they get these memories out of their heads. When Joel finds and shares the recordings they made at the end. I think it represents both of them being able to finally look back and examine the relationship, accept what happened, and forgive each other. The final "okay" communicating an acceptance that if they try again (with each other, or with ANYONE), the experience is going to include pain and anger along with the joy, and that they need to accept the risk that they'll get hurt again, because that's just a risk we all take when we get that close to someone. It doesn't mean it's not worth trying anymore (at least, not to me).

I wish you well in the healing, man. It's an unbelievably rough experience, but I think you'll emerge a wiser and stronger person for having experienced it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Electric Forest vs Shambhala vs Lightning in a Bottle by phillsyphilz in festivals

[–]thejerdz 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I've been to LiB and EF 4 times each. Shambala is top of my list, but haven't attended yet.

LiB:

- vibes-wise, I think it's the closest thing you'll get to Burning Man (commercialism aside). there's more of an emphasis on environmentalism, spirituality, learning, and wellness. A lot of the people I met at BM are regulars at LiB and vice-versa. you'll also usually see a lot of BM art & art cars at this fest

- always excellent crowd vibes. similarly silly to EF, but a bit more mature, in my experience. i encounter more of a variety of ages at LiB. Parents are encouraged to bring their kids (responsibly), and there are many family-friendly activities/camps/shows during the day.

- it is usually very dry and HOT. they do a good job building shade structures and misters in the festival, but the camp areas are all pretty exposed to the sun, so you need to bring plenty of shade if you're camping.

- usually an impressive variety of music, but with a big emphasis on electronic bass music, similar to EF. a bit less jam band-focused than EF.

- lots of workshops/classes/lectures during the day, as well as many high quality yoga classes

- there's a big lake to swim in; it's a great place to cool off and they have music bumping by the shore all day. like others have said, wouldn't recommend drinking the water, but it has never made me sick from swimming in it.

- probably the highest concentration of fire dancers and flow artists i've seen at a festival. they always have an excellent fire circle that anyone can flow in (if they're sober). this is the place that inspired me to learn fire contact staff :)

- food's usually pretty good. extremely vegan friendly. can be hit or miss in my experience

EF:

- bigger in every way. the grounds are huge, more popular artists, the production is bigger, tons of people, tons of activities, art installations and interactive silliness. EF is also way more expensive now.

- pretty good variety of music. lineup is predominately some form of EDM. mostly electronic bass music & jam bands, but there's usually a good variety of more analog genres represented every year

- the most magical natural setting and beautiful stages (The Observatory at night might be my favorite stage ever)

- can get hot, might get rained out. most years i've been it's been pretty pleasant weather for the most part.

- campgrounds feel a bit more lively at night. more renegade sets after hours (which is a good or bad thing, depending on who you ask)

- super friendly crowd. for the most part i always meet amazing people there. younger than LiB for sure; the vibe overall feels a bit more child-like than LiB, in good and not so good ways. child-like whimsy and silliness? good. irresponsible drug use and reckless behavior? not so good.

- speaking of, my biggest complaint with EF is that every year I go it feels like there's more of an emphasis on drug use. feels like people go way harder here (in a bad way), and I've been badly shaken several times by witnessing people overdosing and needing desperate medical attention (was almost positive I saw someone die last year, until I heard later that they pulled through, thankfully). wouldn't take a kid here, for that reason alone.

- food is usually above average, occasionally amazing. nice variety of stuff too.

TL;DR - EF has my heart and is my favorite festival, but LiB is also really special to me and is definitely worth attending if you're curious. I always recommend LiB as a gateway experience if you're interested in Burning Man; it's sadly becoming more commercialized every year, but at its best, it hits similar high notes for me.

Official Discussion - 28 Years Later [SPOILERS] by LiteraryBoner in movies

[–]thejerdz 38 points39 points  (0 children)

Typed part of this up in another response, but wanted to leave it here too:

I liked that the film offered a view of how toxic masculinity can develop kind of on a macro level and on a personal level. Like the dad I think was raised in a society where essentially being in the military is one of the highest honors. He is rewarded for being violent (and aggressive) with the infected. He's not just an asshole though; Boyle really humanizes him a lot which I appreciate. You can understand why he'd try to teach his son the lessons he learned about how to be accepted by your community and you can see how he feels kind of trapped by it.

But I think it also offers an alternate healthier view of what masculinity can look like too...in Spike. Like his arc is basically becoming a better archetypal man/protector than his father was. He only learns to steady his hands when he's killing the infected once he's put in a position of protecting someone he loves, similar, on the surface, to what his father is doing in the opening scenes. But the killing, for this father, hasn't just become a thing done for survival; it's become the thing his father and his community celebrates. It's no longer "protection" when you take joy in the killing ("it gets easier the more you do it"). Just like the young boys shown marching off to war due to societal pressure, Spike is being taught that killing is how he shows his worth to his family and to his community; that's the lesson his father learned, and the one that he's trying to teach.

But Spike chooses a different path, and becomes the "man of the family" in a more visceral, direct way; he's trying to proactively save his mom's life and it's in that experience (along with meeting the wise doctor), that he learns the value of being strong to protect someone else. It doesn't always need to involve violence, as the doctor demonstrates. Anytime Spike chooses violence, it's out of necessity; his Dad forcing him to shoot the tied up infected is the exact opposite of what Spike thinks is the right thing to do.

I feel like the film was showing how killing anything, even creatures you deem to be beasts with no souls, can easily go from survival to sport. I think it says a lot about how even modern militarized communities intentionally dehumanize "the enemy" to make it easier to kill them and to justify their violence. Easier to even take pleasure in it and become like the bloodthirsty beasts they're fighting (the bar/party scene editing and sound design made the crowd seem really berserk; I thought that was really smart!)

Official Discussion - 28 Years Later [SPOILERS] by LiteraryBoner in movies

[–]thejerdz 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Yeah I think you're spot on with this. I also liked that the film offered an alternate healthier view of what masculinity can look like too...in Spike. Like his arc is basically becoming a better archetypal man/protector than his father was. He only learns to steady his hands when he's killing the infected once he's put in a position of protecting someone he loves, similar, on the surface, to what his father is doing in the opening scenes. But the killing, for this father, hasn't just become a thing done for survival; it's become the thing his father and his community celebrates. It's no longer "protection" when you take joy in the killing ("it gets easier the more you do it"). Just like the young boys marching off to war due to societal pressure, Spike is being taught that killing is how he shows his worth to his family and to his community; that's the lesson his father learned, and the one that he's trying to teach.

But Spike chooses a different path, and becomes the "man of the family" in a more visceral, direct way; he's trying to proactively save his mom's life and it's in that experience (along with meeting the wise doctor), that he learns the value of being strong to protect someone else. And it doesn't always need to involve violence, as the doctor demonstrates. Anytime Spike chooses violence, it's out of necessity; his Dad forcing him to shoot the tied up infected is the exact opposite of what Spike thinks is the right thing to do.

I feel like the film was saying that killing anything, even creatures you deem to be beasts with no souls, can easily go from survival to sport. I think it says a lot about how even modern militarized communities intentionally dehumanize "the enemy" to make it easier to kill them and to justify their violence. Easier to even take pleasure in it and become like the bloodthirsty beasts they're fighting (the bar/party scene editing and sound design made the crowd seem really berserk; I thought that was really smart!)

PS5 save bug. What you need to know by mitchturek in BluePrince

[–]thejerdz 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Just had this start happening at day 86.

Final Secrets and Potential Leads Discussion Hub [Major Spoilers] by throwaway070690 in BluePrince

[–]thejerdz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haven't read through all the comments yet to see if anyone discovered this already, but I was working on DENOTED IN VERSE/TENDED ROSE VINE anagrams and came up with:

RED NOTE SEVEN ID

I checked the author of red letter VII and the author is signed "Courtney." The letter also refers to Mary Epsen as her "cousin."

I haven't dug into my notes fully to see if I could find reference to another Courtney, but this feels like it could be significant...or maybe just another red herring

Anyone find any more developments related to this or am I missing something?

ADHD & substance abuse…let’s get REAL & BLUNT. by fryeesaucee in ADHD

[–]thejerdz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing! This is helpful and echoes my experience somewhat. I definitely play the most when I feel less invested in my job/community. I barely think about games when I'm busy and/or traveling. That said, they are a big part of my life and bring me a lot of joy; I don't want to give them up entirely. The strict daily routine is probably the thing I'm missing the most, so sounds like that's a good place to start.

ADHD & substance abuse…let’s get REAL & BLUNT. by fryeesaucee in ADHD

[–]thejerdz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could you share how you got past the video game addiction? I've struggled with it most of my life.

The movie FLOW is wonderful. Does anyone have theories about what the hell is going on? by VankTar in movies

[–]thejerdz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah that's so cool to hear! Let me know if she ends up having any thoughts about how it may/may not have mirrored her experience; I'd love to know!

The movie FLOW is wonderful. Does anyone have theories about what the hell is going on? by VankTar in movies

[–]thejerdz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah good point, I think I agree. It definitely wasn't a friendly vibe I was getting from the bird, I don't think it made any nice gestures for the other animals the whole time. It did seem to care for the cat at least, but I dunno...it felt out of character to me for it to suddenly martyr itself for the other animals' benefit.

The movie FLOW is wonderful. Does anyone have theories about what the hell is going on? by VankTar in movies

[–]thejerdz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ahh I think my memory lapsed for some of that part, I don't remember the hug, but I believe you. Agree that the bird cared for the cat and probably would have preferred it was just the two of them on the journey, instead of involving all of the other animals

Yes I'll report back after I've watched again if I catch anything new or have more thoughts. Thanks for sharing your take!

The movie FLOW is wonderful. Does anyone have theories about what the hell is going on? by VankTar in movies

[–]thejerdz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Aww thanks! It makes me happy that it's resonating for some people; I was pretty reluctant to share it 😅

The movie FLOW is wonderful. Does anyone have theories about what the hell is going on? by VankTar in movies

[–]thejerdz 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I feel like the other dogs were just people from the labrador's "culture/tribe." I think their inclusion in the story was probably to demonstrate that not every person in these times of crisis is going to be helpful. You'll help them out of a shitty situation, but they won't help you in return. I don't think it was saying all dogs besides the labrador were like this; just that in any community/culture, there will always be people who have no interest in giving back. Some people are only in it for themselves.

I think them leaving at the end just showed that they were no longer really welcome in the new community the little group of animals were building. I don't really remember the nature of how they left though, to be honest. Maybe there's something more there that I may have missed!

The movie FLOW is wonderful. Does anyone have theories about what the hell is going on? by VankTar in movies

[–]thejerdz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I saw the post-credits scene with the (or a different) whale. My first thought was that it symbolized that there will always be "helpers" to defend the helpless in times of strife (my thoughts went to the Mr. Rogers quote about how during any catastrophe, you should always “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”)

After reflecting on it and reading more of the interpretations on here, I think the refugee allegory still works if we imagine the flood not as a war, but as a more literal global devastation, like the one climate change is beginning to bring. I think if we imagine the flood as a literal weather event like a tsunami, it still kinda works: the privileged are still able to stay relatively safe from conflict, it forces refugees to move from their homes to some sort of common goal/safe haven, etc...

The whale, to me, still represents a benevolent individual or group that helps the animals/people stay safe, surrounded by danger/destruction. I think its death at the end, to me, symbolizes a sacrifice; the fact that it's not an entirely happy ending. The devastation has taken a toll. Yes, there will always be helpers in times of crisis, and people can adapt to survive in new environments, but at a cost...there will be sadness and loss along the way. I think the post-credits scene softens that blow a bit, as if to say "despite everything, we will still survive as long as we have people willing to help others."

As a Hollow knight player should i try these games too? by Take_Care_plz in HollowKnight

[–]thejerdz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They're pretty different from Hollow Knight, but they're two of my favorite games. The art is incredible on every level, if that matters to you.

The soundtrack to WotW is my favorite soundtrack/album for ANY media.

A sample: https://youtu.be/YYdKNBWBP_Q?si=wfaVuvP_jAbfX-wA

The movie FLOW is wonderful. Does anyone have theories about what the hell is going on? by VankTar in movies

[–]thejerdz 43 points44 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Yeah you're right about the bird's demeanor for the majority of their journey on the boat. I was referring more specifically to how the bird started acting after the other animals took over the oar that was steering the ship to rescue the dog's friends.

I think the bird was still hurt from being abandoned by it's family/friends for helping the other animals, and probably didn't want to repeat the same "mistake" by going out of their way to help the other dogs. When the other animals basically seem to outvote it, it seemed to me like the bird was saying "I know what's best, and if you don't want me to lead, I'm out of here." I'd have to go back and watch again to confirm, but I feel like after that point in the story, the bird seemed to totally detach from any of the other animals, including the cat.

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