Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Victorian gas lamps that sold cups of hot coffee (2012)

ianvisits.co.uk

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 92 posts

Re: Victorian gas lamps that sold cups of hot coffee (2012)

#31

Post by handrous »

bobthepanda wrote: post #20
arthurcolle wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is aluminum used for both hot and cold items? I haven't been to Japan so just curious. I was just imagining little disposable thermoses and thinking that maybe that isn't the move - but yeah it's an interesting subject. I try to avoid plastic cups a la $SBUX when I want to just grab a coffee so go to a place with little ceramic espresso demitasses instead of some plastic shell that will become a waste product. I just…

I've only visited; when I've had one, I would call it "warm" rather than "hot", mostly because when I think of hot coffee in the US I think of things that are too hot to drink like that McDonald's lawsuit. Google says there are a few ways around the "hot metal can" problem, like an insulated label. Interestingly enough, Japan has some public trash cans, but not a whole lot in general; the cultural expectation is to b…

> like an insulated label.

I've had beer cans in the US that used these. They feel really, really weird. Can's been in the fridge for three hours, but feels barely under room temp (because you're touching the insulated label, not the metal)

Re: Victorian gas lamps that sold cups of hot coffee (2012)

#32

Post by ruined »

smegger001 wrote: post #11
warning26 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Completely agree; I'd love to see it in the US, but it's really a shame that Americans are completely incapable of not destroying a vending machine that isn't under 24/7 surveillance...

I have never understood that compulsion, why do people here constantly vandalize anything unsupervised. What is the motivation of these people they don't get anything out of it. Why break something when it wont benefit you to do so. Why do people rub feces all over public restrooms, break vending machines or graffiti hate filled messages on others property. why make to world a worse place for everyone including yours…

as someone who has been the vandal

vandalism is the most accessible way to literally change the world. it's direct, visceral cause and effect before your very eyes, and it remains visible in daily life and to everyone around.

i didn't have anything to lose, and it was more fun than sitting on a curb. in that position it did make the world a better place for me.

if you want people to quit breaking shit give them a reason not to. no, legal penalties are not a reason, that just makes them hate you more

Re: Victorian gas lamps that sold cups of hot coffee (2012)

#33

Post by quotemstr »

ruined wrote: post #32
smegger001 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have never understood that compulsion, why do people here constantly vandalize anything unsupervised. What is the motivation of these people they don't get anything out of it. Why break something when it wont benefit you to do so. Why do people rub feces all over public restrooms, break vending machines or graffiti hate filled messages on others property. why make to world a worse place for everyone including yours…

as someone who has been the vandal vandalism is the most accessible way to literally change the world. it's direct, visceral cause and effect before your very eyes, and it remains visible in daily life and to everyone around. i didn't have anything to lose, and it was more fun than sitting on a curb. in that position it did make the world a better place for me. if you want people to quit breaking shit give them a rea…

> legal penalties are not a reason

Don't be ridiculous. If we throw enough vandals in prison for long enough, then yes, vandalism will drop. It's not fashionable to say it, but it's true: the way to get criminals out of society is to get criminals out of society.

Re: Victorian gas lamps that sold cups of hot coffee (2012)

#34

Post by im3w1l »

bloqs wrote: post #18
smegger001 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have never understood that compulsion, why do people here constantly vandalize anything unsupervised. What is the motivation of these people they don't get anything out of it. Why break something when it wont benefit you to do so. Why do people rub feces all over public restrooms, break vending machines or graffiti hate filled messages on others property. why make to world a worse place for everyone including yours…

If you are looking for a serious answer, vandalism is generally explained as a response to a social hierachy. When you feel you are at the bottom of the pile in relation to others around you, it has a variety of psychological effects. One of the most notable is that it increases your impulsivity and irrationality, and also causes you to feel "judged" by other people simply being near you, even inanimate objects feel…

How does stomping on sandcastles fit into this? How does griefing in minecraft fit in? I think some people just intrinsically love destroying things. This impulse is then more or less moderated by social norms in various groups.

Re: Victorian gas lamps that sold cups of hot coffee (2012)

#35

Post by dustintrex »

lotophage wrote: post #21

These days it's next to impossible to find a vendor of beef tea essence.

Oddly, meat essences, particularly chicken essence, have found a new life in Asia, where they've been adopted into the pantheon of Chinese traditional medicine and are now considered essential (bad bum tssh) for hard-studying students. The market leader, Brands, was originally British.

https://www.brandsworld.com.sg/en/about-us/history-and-herit...

Re: Victorian gas lamps that sold cups of hot coffee (2012)

#37

Post by themodelplumber »

Magi604 wrote: post #16
jonpurdy wrote: post #3

Having lived in Korea and visited Japan, ubiquitous vending machines is an absolute game-changer. Especially with a choice of hot or cold drinks, vending machines really make life super convenient. Pretty cool to see the Victorians had this idea over a century ago.

Over 10 years ago as a poor student I made a trip to Japan. I spent three weeks in Saitama, which is near-ish to Tokyo, to see if it would be worth it teaching English for a year (spoiler: no). Anyways towards the end of the trip I was running out of money so my meals for that final week consisted of a 100yen (basically $1) chicken breast from their Lawsons (basically their 7-11) and a 100 yen can of warm corn soup f…

Konbini are totally there when you need them. Also yeah, associated with tragic poverty as well, e.g. in Japanese cinema.

I got a bit nostalgic reading your comment. I lived off of some weird stuff when I was poor in Japan. Bags of donuts or bread found behind bakeries, basically in the trash. Unwanted produce that our Brazilian friends would bring over. They always had some other amusing garbage find too, like a G-Shock still in its original packaging. "SHIN-PIN, ne," they'd shout, laughing together.

You couldn't talk about this to regular Japanese friends, some understood but most seemed to look away embarrassed.

My favorite at any kombini was tuna onigiri and a meiji bar.

Re: Victorian gas lamps that sold cups of hot coffee (2012)

#38

Post by hyperpallium2 »

bloqs wrote: post #18
smegger001 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have never understood that compulsion, why do people here constantly vandalize anything unsupervised. What is the motivation of these people they don't get anything out of it. Why break something when it wont benefit you to do so. Why do people rub feces all over public restrooms, break vending machines or graffiti hate filled messages on others property. why make to world a worse place for everyone including yours…

If you are looking for a serious answer, vandalism is generally explained as a response to a social hierachy. When you feel you are at the bottom of the pile in relation to others around you, it has a variety of psychological effects. One of the most notable is that it increases your impulsivity and irrationality, and also causes you to feel "judged" by other people simply being near you, even inanimate objects feel…

Is the instinct for rebellion irrational, or the instinct for tyranny?

Re: Victorian gas lamps that sold cups of hot coffee (2012)

#39

Post by ruined »

quotemstr wrote: post #33
ruined wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

as someone who has been the vandal vandalism is the most accessible way to literally change the world. it's direct, visceral cause and effect before your very eyes, and it remains visible in daily life and to everyone around. i didn't have anything to lose, and it was more fun than sitting on a curb. in that position it did make the world a better place for me. if you want people to quit breaking shit give them a rea…

> legal penalties are not a reason Don't be ridiculous. If we throw enough vandals in prison for long enough, then yes, vandalism will drop. It's not fashionable to say it, but it's true: the way to get criminals out of society is to get criminals out of society.

you can't jail alienation.

Re: Victorian gas lamps that sold cups of hot coffee (2012)

#40

Post by stephen_g »

quotemstr wrote: post #33
ruined wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

as someone who has been the vandal vandalism is the most accessible way to literally change the world. it's direct, visceral cause and effect before your very eyes, and it remains visible in daily life and to everyone around. i didn't have anything to lose, and it was more fun than sitting on a curb. in that position it did make the world a better place for me. if you want people to quit breaking shit give them a rea…

> legal penalties are not a reason Don't be ridiculous. If we throw enough vandals in prison for long enough, then yes, vandalism will drop. It's not fashionable to say it, but it's true: the way to get criminals out of society is to get criminals out of society.

The US has the largest prison population in the world (if I recall correctly both in absolute number and as a proportion of the population), it really doesn't seem to be working out for them. So no, it's not that simple...
Post reply on HN