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Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

daringfireball.net

131–140 of 141 posts

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#131

I've never read so many inspiring and life changing stories about anyone. Steve Jobs was one of the greatest men to have ever lived.

> Steve Jobs was one of the greatest men to have ever lived. Don't you think that's a little over the top?

Depends how many people you include in that list. 5? 100? 10,000?

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#132
post #25

Many years ago a colleague, Steve Holtzman, suddenly discovered he had colon cancer. Within a year he had faded away (it seemed almost literally) and was gone. He had money and access to the best doctors, but he wasn't vigilant (he had ignored odd weight loss and bowel trouble) and so it was too late. Although Jobs didn't die of a "man's disease" there are lots of men killers out there that can be stopped if you look…

In January 2009 I was Stage 5 chronic kidney disease, in July 2009 I had a kidney transplant. Looking back there were so many telltale signs that I had over the last six months, which I was ignoring as I was busy building my startup. A regular health check has the potential to catch a problem like this. I now nag each of my friends and family in having an annual health check. Its the best time you can spend. This was…

This was not the first time I made a mistake like this. When I was a kid, I had trouble seeing my teacher's blackboard. I just kept moving closer to the blackboard. I saw a doctor when I had trouble understanding what the teacher was writing from the first row.

Until I read this, I had forgotten about my own history of mild myopia: I had a mandatory eye exam at 14, which detected the problem, but I was too vain to tell my parents about it, because I didn't want to wear glasses. 3 years of straining to read the board in class followed (which probably dropped my performance in school significantly). When I turned 17 and wanted to drive, I caved and got glasses and contacts. It was an amazing change in quality of life, and by the time I was 22 I had LASIK.

Thanks for reminding me of this: I'm going to make sure I get my own kids' eyes tested at least annually.

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#133
post #89
post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I now nag each of my friends and family in having an annual health check. I had an aunt and an uncle (from different sides and don't know each other) fight off cancer 5 years ago. After they were deemed "cured", they still didn't learn the lesson of an annual health check. Around 1 year ago they both started to feel strange symptoms and went to checkup again. They found out not only had the cancer recurred but that…

When your trying to loose weight, finding if there is anything else that might be making it hard can be helpful. Taking a blood test and finding out you have iron problems could literally save your life. 4 Hour Body kind of drills regular testing to see how your body is doing, and those accurate tests can be a wake up call. Seeing 30% body fat from a DXA scan surprised me a bit, since I estimated I was around 25% At…

Look into spelling and punctuation while you're at it. You may lose your hair, but you can keep your ability to write grammatical sentences well into old age.

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#134
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate this admonishment of fanboy-ism that permeates the discussion anytime MG or Gruber are mentioned. We need fanaticism to counter balance apathy. There is nothing more empowering than a belief in what you do, why you do it, or who you do it for. *said as someone who ran a fan site for 16 years

There is no need for fanaticism to counter balance apathy, well-written, factual and objective articles work fine.

That isn't how culture works.

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#135
post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When your trying to loose weight, finding if there is anything else that might be making it hard can be helpful. Taking a blood test and finding out you have iron problems could literally save your life. 4 Hour Body kind of drills regular testing to see how your body is doing, and those accurate tests can be a wake up call. Seeing 30% body fat from a DXA scan surprised me a bit, since I estimated I was around 25% At…

Look into spelling and punctuation while you're at it. You may lose your hair, but you can keep your ability to write grammatical sentences well into old age.

Berating someone on spelling and grammar on an fleeting internet forum that no one will read in a few days is reflection on your social skills too. For shame.

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#136
post #69

"I like to think that in the run-up to his final keynote, Steve made time for a long, peaceful walk. Somewhere beautiful, where there are no footpaths and the grass grows thick. Hand-in-hand with his wife and family, the sun warm on their backs, smiles on their faces, love in their hearts, at peace with their fate." Beautifully written. And I'm glad it took Gruber some time to post this after the news broke yesterday…

I like to think he had mowed grass. That is what a common man does in the U.S., and it would be a sign of his humanity. I also like to think he just wore the shoes because he was sick, in pain, and he needed a comfortable pair of shoes.

Not sure why this was downvoted. Seems reasonable to me.

FYI Steve was famous for always wearing the same thing, including the shoes.

Overall something about Gruber's piece felt off to me. But none of us is a perfect writer and this is an emotional time.

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#137
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously. Princess Diana level craziness.

Not really. Look, Steve Jobs was an extremely important dude in the field of computers. If you go round reading a news site for and by people who work in the field of computers on the day he dies then yes, you're going to find a lot of tributes to the man. If you don't like it, go read something else for a while. Some people are going too far, like whoever left the two bunches of flowers I noticed outside the door of…

> Death is hard, and I've got better things to do than look down my nose at other people for their reactions to it.

Well said.

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#139

A walk outside in nature: something I can heartily recommend all the folk stoking up their teenage emotion tsunami while swamping HN with endless Steve tributes.

Seriously. Princess Diana level craziness.

exactly my thoughts. ima outta here.

Re: Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot

#140
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Come back and say it on your real account, chief.

Look, I'll say it on my real account. I'm not that guy. I find the outpouring of grief repetitive at best and embarrassing at worst. It's the time of year for everyone to strut out their favourite Steve stories and anecdotes. Gotta tell everyone how you feel. Tell me you can read a comment like http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3078323 with a straight face.

I've got a feeling the iPhone 4 Steve is a very clever marketing ploy by Apple. "I'll be buying an iPhone 4 Steve this friday." Emotional manipulation in its subtlest form.
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