Seriously, over 1000 points? I don't remember ever seeing any article on hacker news gather so much karma. Not even those related to, you know... hacking.
Today you, tomorrow me
191–200 of 212 posts
Re: Today you, tomorrow me
#192If you live in the UK you will surely know Dave Gorman [1]. He did a TV show called American Unchained [2] where he attempted to get across America without using chain stores. In that series I saw an America that I recognise from the Americans I know and have worked with (I've never visited America). Americans are some of the most friendly, optimistic and outgoing people in the known universe. In the show he experien…
Lets make a huge distinction between a people (The American People) and a political power structure (The USA).
Look at the Irish people (generally a decent lot) and the Irish State (mostly a basket case morally and financially).
People are great. I love people, including nearly all the American I have met. I have yet to meet a state I can respect.
Re: Today you, tomorrow me
#193The author is in a big jeep and is too tight to call a breakdown service.
When someone does stop he breaks their tire iron, lets them buy a new one, accepts their food and water, and offers a token $20 dollars as compensation?
Maybe today you, tomorrow me was said with a hint or sarcasm (although in a daytime TV movie script like this I dount it).
Re: Today you, tomorrow me
#194Funny, as I read this post I thought, "Not hacker news." Then I read all the comments (42 as of this writing) and still thought, "Not hacker news." Then I realized, "Perfect hacker news." Let me explain... I try to approach my business just as the Mexicans in the story did. Not to make money, not to change the world, not to build cool stuff (well maybe just a little), but to genuinely help people. For a business pers…
Agreed. Thought it was an inspiring story that exposes an admirable attitude.
Re: Today you, tomorrow me
#195For some reason, half way through this great story I suddenly found myself contrasting it with that less great story that did the rounds last July 4: the Sun-Times' Terry Savage's "There is no free lemonade" (original article expired probably with good reason, but here's a copy I found: http://bit.ly/eqIMNe ) wherein author recounts her horror at finding a lemonade stand manned by two girls giving away their product…
Thank you for intimating that wealth should be measured in more than currency. Too often discussions of the economy focus only on measures like GDP, roughly, how much money is flying around. Clearly, measuring our wealth and the health of the economy involves much more than this. What terrifies me is that, where capitilism has all but become the religion, people act like being selfish is somehow doing the right thing…
We should remember that the core measurement of economics is utility, not money. Money's just an easy way to measure utility for most means, but not by any means complete.
Re: Today you, tomorrow me
#196Funny, as I read this post I thought, "Not hacker news." Then I read all the comments (42 as of this writing) and still thought, "Not hacker news." Then I realized, "Perfect hacker news." Let me explain... I try to approach my business just as the Mexicans in the story did. Not to make money, not to change the world, not to build cool stuff (well maybe just a little), but to genuinely help people. For a business pers…
Great comment. I was quite amazed at how this got more than 1000 up votes until your comment. Thanks.
Re: Today you, tomorrow me
#197I try to give rides to hitchhikers when it's especially dark and lonely and cold out. I ride a motorcycle, and people usually aren't interested in a ride with no helmet unless it's really dark, lonely and cold. Used to help people on the side of the road a lot, but a childhood friend was hit by a truck & killed just recently while helping someone change a flat and I almost broke my ankle in the dark another night whe…
That's the problem in a lot of places. The highway I use most often is the 401 in the greater toronto area -- the busiest highway in north america. Stopping on the side of the road is extremely dangerous at the best of times, and walking along it, even worse. However, I have called 911 on occasion. It always amazes me how few people call in collisions and accidents. On a recent road trip to the US, I was travelling N…
When I did first aid, CPR, and disaster training, this was drilled in to me:
Never say "somebody call 911". Either call yourself, or pick a specific person and say "you, call 911" and make sure they acknowledge you. Because if you just say "somebody", everyone will assume you meant somebody other than them.
Re: Today you, tomorrow me
#198If you live in IA, MN, ND etc. (I'm sure other places, but these are the places I've lived), this story won't seem very out of the ordinary. Once when I was in college, I flew to Arizona for Thanksgiving, then back to ND on a Monday to go to class. When I got back, it was one of the worst snowstorms of the year. It was horrible. The school was closed, the roads had been closed that night, snow seemed to just be mater…
> The latest trend seems to be "rejection therapy". If this helps people, good, but I hate this. Can we instead please make the next trend "Make somebody's day every day for 30 days therapy"?
Actually, there are some people trying to do something called "make a difference Monday" around here (here being Phoenix, ironically). It amounts to helping out one random person in some way just because. Every Monday is "make a difference Monday."
Re: Today you, tomorrow me
#199A story like this still doesn't make me want to pick up hitchhikers. I used to live in the metro-Detroit area and there have been at least 3 or 4 cases in the past year where people have been robbed at gunpoint by alleged hitchhikers. This is what makes me think that this country has gone to hell.
The sources of information you place value in purposely use that narrative in order to capture your attention long enough to sell their advertising partners' products. Fear is the most powerful attention mechanism available.
"The sources of information you place value in purposely use that narrative in order to capture your attention long enough to sell their advertising partners' products. Fear is the most powerful attention mechanism available."
Haha. You mean documented evidence of crime and real people that have been robbed? You're right. I should just ignore it and chock it up to "fear".
The story linked here tries to get me with sympathy instead of fear. You shouldn't fall victim either.
Re: Today you, tomorrow me
#200This actually makes much more sense than a rich family stopping. I think its got to do with our psychology. We support each other because one day we'll need the support ourselves.
The richer folk see less need in stopping to help because they feel like they're self sufficient; in other words, if they themselves run into car in the future, AAA and cash will bail them out.
This more humble family however knew that if something like this occurred to them, they would definitely appreciate the help. Thus they were more inclined to stop. So I don't know why people here were so surprised...
Hell, the guy himself states all I just said in four simple words. Still, it was quite a touching story.