Posts by Grace Jones86

I need some advice, please.

I've been diagnosed with a nasal polyp in one nostril. It’s causing real issues, and honestly, it pretty much has to be surgically removed.
I started the prep work at a public hospital for surgery under general anesthesia, but after thinking about it more rationally, I've started considering getting a second opinion from another specialist.

I know what general anesthesia entails, and I definitely know from reading online what it means to deal with a painful nose and packing for a week, followed by an unknown amount of grueling recovery time.
First question: how long is the actual recovery period really, and how painful/difficult is the mucosal healing after a standard polyp removal?

My ENT specialist mentioned that local anesthesia is an option (and frankly, I'm not thrilled about the idea of going through the whole general anesthesia process), but he claims that if he has to operate under local, the procedure is much more traumatic for both the patient and the surgeon.

Given that I am not happy about being fully knocked out and dealing with that classic nose tampering—which I assume leads to a long, brutal recovery (especially since it'll be the middle of summer)—I'm asking for any advice or information regarding possible alternatives for my situation.

Is there a specific specialist (or maybe a private clinic... anyone) you would recommend who could perform a less traumatic polyp surgery for a fee (or perhaps through supplemental insurance)? Is there a method that causes less postoperative trauma and allows for local anesthesia?

I would be incredibly grateful for any specific advice or information. 🙂
(If anyone has info, feel free to send me a DM)

Brian Edwards6 said:You aren't right about a single thing. There is a Legal Studies topic that explains this perfectly, plus a Political Science topic where the discussion goes even broader.👍

So what? Now we supposedly need a PhD in Law just to say two or three sentences about someone or something rotten in public without fear? If something is clearly garbage, call it out.

Look at us forum users as a sort of "credit rating agency." 😁😁

If we have the wisdom ( 😁 ) to call someone or something trash, and they actually *are* trash (like the current investment rating of the USA, for example), then that entity—whether a person or a corporation—shouldn't be entitled to protection from "negative public outcry."

The definition of the public (and a forum is a public space) is the public barking at problematic—essentially garbage—matters, people, and phenomena.

Am I allowed to call someone out or trash something here? That’s what forums are for—chatting, unwinding, and giving raw, unfiltered commentary...
..without worrying about some federal agent knocking on my door because of it?
And without fearing these "North Korea" style purges used to sanitize online speech?
Are we supposed to wear white gloves now whenever we talk about people or things online?

I heard rumors about some new legal crackdown on online chatting. 🤷

btw... am I going to prison just because I used "North Korea" as a stylistic comparison? Am I questioning the sanctity of the United States or some other vague nonsense? 🤷😕

Is this anything like back in the day under Bush, when he was celebrating at an MLS stadium and you couldn't even breathe wrong without risking jail time? 😁🤷

Jesse Booth2 said:No, never. Not even a tiny little hiccup.

Hold on just a second, do you honestly believe that once you finally land that job—which, let's be real, is the actual hurdle I've been figuring out lately—you're just going to be totally satisfied?
Like, you think the rest of the world is just standing there actively trying to stop you from being blissfully happy in this amazing life you'll supposedly enjoy the moment you solve this massive unemployment headache?

If you ask me, we're all just fundamentally dissatisfied and ungrateful people to some degree. Maybe it's just my permanent rose-colored glasses being broken.

Are you being sarcastic?
Or what?!? 😲

Btw... I found a job. In my opinion—and objectively speaking—it's a great gig when you look at the big picture.
(That's after spending years staring down long-term unemployment and a few years working jobs with pathetic conditions.)

I could expand on the points in your post, but I remembered the topic here is "Quarter-life crisis," not some inquiry into "absolute satisfaction."

We are talking about a life crisis (the crises young people actually face), not some pathological sense of discontent just because someone doesn't have "absolute, perfect happiness in their perfect life" or whatever...🤷

Those two things have nothing to do with each other.

Jesse Booth2 said:Then just go, man! Seriously, just head straight for the Appalachian Mountains. Why on earth would you need to trek all the way to Alaska just to live without electricity and all the "perks" of modern civilization? Go down to the Midwest, work the land, and live that grueling life from sunrise to sunset. Get up at 4:30 AM to feed the livestock and hit the sack at night knowing that your entire day of backbreaking labor barely produced enough food to put on the table.

When you're actually working to survive, you don't have time for this deep philosophical whining or playing the martyr because life feels a little too easy. At the end of the day, that whole fantasy sounds great in theory, but you'd get bored of basic survival in a heartbeat. Producing food from scratch and wasting hours on stuff you could normally knock out in ten minutes? Yeah, no thanks.

And what exactly would you do with all that solitude? You think you'll rediscover the laws of nature or find some sudden burst of creativity? Please. It's just this world holding you back. Wake up, pal, reality isn't some romantic movie.

As for that restless dissatisfaction you're feeling—even though you know your life is actually pretty good—how to deal with it and if there's even a cure... honestly, I'm still trying to figure that one out myself.

Where does this dissatisfaction come from for you people?

What's the point of having a "good life" if it leaves you feeling unsatisfied? How can a life be considered good if you personally hate it? Why don't you like it?
🤷

casualeagle82 said:Reading this thread, I see myself in way too many parts. I’m 29, got a solid career, my own house, good friends, and an amazing girlfriend of five years—we're headed toward marriage eventually.

I honestly don't know what I want from life. All my friends are getting married and starting families under the assumption that it's just the natural order of things, the whole point of existence, the only way to be. I don't know if that's actually the point. Work, live, kids, settle down, routine, industrial automation, 1 2 1 2 1 2, summer vacation at the beach, winter trips to the mountains—it’s all fine. We do it so we look successful to everyone else, so we follow the rules and get respected.

Like someone mentioned at the start of this thread, part of me just wants to take out a loan and vanish. Just disappear. It's a radical thought, but it hits me constantly. What is life if we're just living up to everyone else's expectations? Where does the mainstream end and the alternative begin? Part of me wants to head up to Alaska and sign onto a fishing boat. I want to feel the adrenaline when a five-meter wave crashes toward you in 40-degree water. I want to live in a cabin without electricity, internet, or anything else with "LCD" in its description.

Maybe I'm wrong. There are plenty of people wealthier than me, but there are also tons of people much poorer who would kill for the life I have. Yet here I am, dreaming about sunsets over the Appalachian Mountains, the Canadian North, Alaska, or the Midwest. No computers, no phones, no cable news, no reality TV, no Champions League, no pop stars, no interest rates, no celebrating new gadgets, TVs, or phones. Just a pile of tech junk I'll eventually gather up and toss to some poor soul who hasn't yet felt the suffocating grip of this high-tech society.

You guys probably saw that movie about the guy—*Into the Wild*, I think—who just "left." He said his piece, ended everything he knew to start something new. It didn't end well for him, but you get the point.

You described something diametrically opposed to what I wrote. 😁🤷

You are describing a personal pathology, whereas I described the desperate struggle of an individual for a meaningful life (which is the total opposite of the flight from meaning you described). 🤷

etc... etc... etc...☕

Why is it that whenever a crisis is described, people always describe a crisis originating from within? 🤷 😕
I described a crisis that relentlessly strikes from the outside, which a person must overcome to gain whatever freedom and happiness they can.

Yet most people describe the exact opposite under the guise of a crisis.

People describe a pathological state of wanting self-destruction, which seemingly stems from (let's call it that to simplify) disorientation. 🤷

Where is my logic flawed? Am I being too simplistic?

Have any of you actually tried being unemployed for a few years?

Have you ever experienced, damn it, anything truly bad? 😕(I’m just poking fun because people like that are always so vague when they talk about your "problem.")

John Stewart9 said:Every once in a while, I feel this wave of what people call a "quarter-life crisis" hitting me, and honestly, the intensity fluctuates quite a bit... it’s basically that identity crisis you get when you're in your twenties or early thirties, though those lines aren't exactly set in stone. Since I'm already pushing through the back half of my twenties, things feel a little heavy—I'm still grinding through college, I don't have a girlfriend, and my friendships seem to be constantly drifting or hitting weird patches. I know plenty of other guys out there dealing with the exact same stuff, but man, knowing I'm not alone doesn't really make it feel any better. On the flip side, I see so many friends and acquaintances who graduated ages ago, landed solid jobs, and are already deep into the whole marriage and family thing—and naturally, I end up seeing them way less often than I used to. College isn't even the biggest headache, even if it's something I can't ignore; at the end of the day, you just finish it whenever you finally cross that finish line. But on a personal level, everything feels way more complicated: the years are slipping by, and I haven't met anyone I could actually see myself building a life with... marriage and kids still feel like something straight out of a sci-fi movie to me. My parents have never really given me a hard time about it, but I can definitely sense that expectation hanging in the air, along with some pressure from the relatives I actually care about, making me feel like I should be doing something more... And truth be told, I wish things were different too, because when I was younger, I was totally convinced all of this would just happen naturally. Since it hasn't, I've started feeling this creeping discomfort, a hit to my self-confidence, and this nagging guilt because I'm not working yet, I don't have a partner, and it feels like I've wasted so much time... anyone who's spent a long time stuck in school will totally get what I mean 😉. Plus, my relationships with friends are always up and down; one day we're tight, and the next I'm not even sure where we stand... it seems like everyone is just trying to find their own lane, or like they say, searching for themselves. There's also this heavy dose of nostalgia for those happier, simpler times in the past, too
.
If you guys are going through something similar or have had these kinds of experiences, please share them...

What does "or a girlfriend" even mean?
Are you kidding me?

If you aren't kidding, and you're just sitting there like a child wanting to "have a girlfriend," forget it...
Forget the job too... life is a grind. Life isn't about "having a girlfriend," life is just one long struggle.

You have to learn how to fight through life first. Maybe then you'll figure out "how to find a girl." ☕

Take me, for example. I finally figured out how to handle life and now I have a high-quality career (and let's be clear, anyone can spend years unemployed or stuck in dead-end jobs after graduation while chasing endless certifications).
Being unemployed or working garbage jobs is pure misery in every conceivable way.
There is no room for "having a girlfriend" during that.
So, personally, I really screwed up before I got it together.

I once wanted a girlfriend too. Now I realize you only get a partner after you've survived the grind. You never make progress with the idea "I want a girlfriend"... you should have left that behind at fifteen. I didn't leave that mindset behind that early either; a lot of mental baggage followed me well into my mid-twenties (a late bloomer... whatever ☕ )

Apologies for the crude descriptions and limited vocabulary, but this is the most precise and easiest way to make you understand..

And that last poster was right... it’s obvious your mindset comes from a conservative upbringing.
Stop dragging out your degree, dive headfirst into life—which boils down to a brutal struggle... for years, everyone will screw you over in ways you can't imagine and you might go crazy (but at least you won't waste energy on nonsense like "I want this specific type of girl, this specific relationship, etc.")
Then, eventually, through massive effort and if luck is on your side, you'll get the chance to start winning. Somewhere in that struggle, you might actually pick up a woman.
Damn it, man, be a man. Don't "want a girlfriend." You could "want a girlfriend" at thirteen. You can't do it at thirty. Grow up. 😉

btw... it doesn't help whether you're a misanthrope (who is actually just a disappointed idealist and perfectionist) or if you have an innate, uncontrollable sense of superiority.

Just finished watching it. 👍(Feels like my first time seeing it, honestly)

Great movie. Truly. I knew it was one of Douglas' top films alongside Wall Street...
It’s easy to identify with the main "hero." 😬 That's the scary point of the film...
(Even though it's clear the whole time that the guy is just a crazy villain despite everything...)

Btw... the reaction from D-Fens to that Nazi in the attic was great. 🤣
This creep gets all worked up over white-power bullshit and nonsense about being "brothers" or threatened white supremacists, and this guy just looks at him with pure disgust, telling him he's just a normal American who wants to get home to his daughter, not some deranged neo-Nazi. 😁
(The most suppressed "subculture" is the cohort of everyday guys, and the film draws that brilliantly for anyone struggling to perceive the everyday crap people encounter.)

Only one thing is a bit blurry to me. The premise is that D-Fens is your typical everyday urban guy who is forced to swallow a certain amount of shit (which causes him to snap).
But at the same time, looking at that family VHS he's watching at home, we see he was actually a hysterical maniac even during "happy times," screaming at his wife and kid. He's clearly a special case, not exactly the quintessential John Doe. 🤷
Doesn't matter though... whatever... the movie is great, smart, and entertaining. You don't see many high-quality crime dramas like this anymore that are actually fun to watch.

Actually, if anyone has recommendations for this type of film from the last 20 years, let me know. If I missed something high-quality in this vein, it's easy enough to track down.

For instance, three films come to mind that fit this exact mold—top-tier cinema.
Aside from Taxi Driver, the third is Straw Dogs Sam Peckinpah, which is a cinematic masterpiece in its own right.
All three are about broken guys who lose their minds. 😁

There are plenty of movies covering the dark, bizarre, and heavy side of everyday America.
And I know quite a few... I've seen them, and I've even picked up a few I haven't watched yet. 😁

P.S.

One more thing...
It's charming how the film carries this early 90s vibe. Every atom of the movie exudes the style and feeling of that era—the ideas, the city situations, the objects... everything.
You watch it and need a moment to realize those cinematic years with that unique atmosphere are gone, and you're stuck in the 2010s... 🙂 which feel totally weird and artificially perfectionist when viewed through the lens of the early 90s.

For example... the cinematic language used in The Social Network and the era it covers feels cheap compared to those relaxed cop vs. vigilante vibes found in big US cities during the 80s and 90s.

Larry Morales12 said:Last year, nothing on the Bud Light stage ever dragged past ninety minutes. And we weren't stuck watching some boring filler acts, either. They were top-tier sets from killer bands: Rise Against, Pendulum live, Dubioza, Skindred, and Flogging Molly. 👍

Oops. I think we had a misunderstanding. 😕

I can't stop thinking about that second stage. It’s the second largest one there. Just 100 meters to the right of the main stage. 🤷
I can't remember the name.
By that logic, those bands you listed were all playing on the Bud Light stage one after another.

I know for a fact that one year he was on the Apple stage, if I recall correctly.

The sets used to be weird. Bands would drag out their performances way too long, or there’d be massive, empty gaps between acts. Total chaos.

Gregory Harris8 said:Maybe they’d charge more for a longer set. Organizers aren't about to waste headliner money on someone who isn't actually headlining.

How are they not headliners? That's a rock-solid band. You could easily put them on the main stage. It would be a shame if they didn't pull a crowd here in America... but I'm pretty sure they can. They belong at the top of the bill.

So you're claiming the guys don't want to be headliners? 😁

amberranger said:They’re way too expensive for a set in the woods.

Why not just slot them for 9 PM on the main stage, like The Flaming Lips last year?

It's ridiculous how much these guys think they're worth, charging those insane prices... 😁

amberranger said:Volt is problematic because their recent sets have been running two and a half hours long. That is simply impossible within festival scheduling constraints.

Hmm...
If my memory serves me right regarding that other stage over the last few years (I think it was the Budweiser Stage last year), they used to book all sorts of random bands and acts.
And there were plenty of boring shows that ended up dragging on for nearly two hours...
So, if a bunch of random indie acts can trudge through a two-hour set, I don't see why Mars Volta can't get the time they actually need on that stage. 😎🤷 They can always just stick to the schedule or whatever...
What's the actual issue here?

velvetmarlin472 said:...just please don't schedule them for an afternoon slot while the sun is beating down...or put them on some tiny side stage in the middle of nowhere...

They'll be headliners, so they'll end up on the second main stage at night. Think Tricky during a Moby set 😁
maybe even hitting the main stage around 9 PM.

velvetmarlin472 said:The Mars Volta played New York City twice (The Fillmore and The Roxy) and I’m not even sure I want to hear them again. They fit an outdoor festival vibe, though. A 45-minute set is plenty for that symphonic Zeppelin-space nonsense...

See? Now you've gone and piqued my interest again. 😁
I've never actually seen Mars Volta 😁 and I'd really love to see those maniacs live with that kind of sound setup...
If we get Jay-Z, Mars Volta, or even AF... then I'm buying a ticket. ☕

The Mars Volta idea is solid. Someone needs to pressure the organizers to bring them back. Heh.

Grinderman is coming.
Fine.
But honestly? I’m just over Kev...😬
Even in some sort of hard rock🤣 phase where he started acting like some tough old man...
I have zero interest in listening to a bunch of bearded grandpas banging on instruments and screaming whatever comes to mind...🙂

Kev was only edgy during that glorious, old-school Birthday party phase.
I won't lie, I'm not feeling these Grindermansky vibes.😁☕

edit:
btw, of course, I think the morning news was hyping up Grinderman as this divine, peak force of modern live rock music...🤣
Typical rock and casual music critics in the media are starting to seriously get on my nerves...

silentdriver12 said:Look, just forgive me.

Nothing at all. 😁😕😁

silentdriver12 said:The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival back in '09 was perfectly fine for me.
I don't know what you people are even expecting?

The guy was being sarcastic. It was a joke aimed at the post he was quoting.
This is music. This is just some famous corner of the internet where crowds of people gather because they have nothing better to do.
It’s the weakest part of Reddit—it bores any sane person within two days because of the typical users here....

Karen Green97 said:What does "unjkav" even mean? People are dropping this word so often on this thread that I'm actually embarrassed I don't get it yet.

Just Google "unjkav" and its variations and try to wrap your head around it. 😁
Personally, I just use it to describe a general vibe... 🤣 It's an undefined term... but it works perfectly for moments like this.. haha

urbannomad30 said:Oh, I'll gladly help you out!
Daft Punk 👎 Tricky 👎 The Killers 👎 Franz Ferdinand 👎 Moby 👎 Editors 👎 Tracy Chapman

There you go, buddy 😛.. safe to say you totally missed the mark!
People seriously can't see the forest for the trees; they’re always nitpicking over nothing.
Personally, the only thing I bother nitpicking is Arcade Fire and their funerals 😁🙂 and that overly dramatic "portrait of modern American suburbia" (TM by Dragaš 😁)

urbannomad30 said:Keep complaining. Honestly, none of you seem to like any band on this lineup, past or future. ☕

I want to see M.I.A. perform in Washington, D.C. 😁
☕



Fun stuff. High energy. Unconventional. True world music in its best form.
That beats sitting through some bland indie crap—just staring at the sky for no reason while listening to soft Canadian rock or other "important" bands. 😁