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Dan The Chainsawman
Joined: 05 May 2005
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 Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:38 am Post subject: |
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| What is changi? |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:56 am Post subject: |
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What is changi?
Korean chess. |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:51 am Post subject: |
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| Qinella wrote: |
| I gave a homeless guy $50 one time. He was most certainly going to spend it on alcohol, and my friend dogged me real hard for it, but I figured, hey.. I had a lot of money at the time, and if all this guy has in his life is to get drunk or use drugs, I'll hook him up with a little cash for a fun evening with his buddies. My concept of altruism doesn't have strings attached. |
This is the second time today -- second time since I joined Dave's, I think -- where I was preparing to post something, even typed it out, but for some reason I changed my mind and didn't submit it. So I came back to the thread later on, and it's as though I'm reading my own post (!!) though with someone else's name & avatar attached to it. 
So anyway, yeah, a homeless guy, and yeah, it was $50 (which was odd enough as I was only in the US briefly on business and wouldn't normally have US currency on me) and yeah, yeah, I got a the same stern lectures from my friend for doing it, how it wasn't helping and only contributing to Homeless Guy's habit and so on. Anyway damn it, I wish I'd posted mine earlier, and then it would be Qinella getting all freaky and hearing the Twilight Zone theme instead of me.
Okay, here are some details (WHICH HAD BETTER DIFFER from Qinella's experience):
Homeless Guy wasn't alone, he was with Homeless Woman. They looked in their 30s. Late 30s. Hippified. They would not have looked out of place at a Hare Krishna temple on free-eats day. They were carrying blankets, both wrapped around them and rolled up.
It was around midnight, but I was wide awake with the time difference, and so I decided that I would practise driving on the wrong side of the road in my rental car at a time when there was no traffic. That's when I saw this shabby looking couple wandering along the street. I drove waaaay over there, got lost, looked at my map, then drove alllllll the way back, and found Homeless Couple again, still homeless, still shabby, still ambling along. A very pathetic sight. I slowed down enough to see their faces, and I felt really sorry for them. Me? Oh, I was being paid for a week of jerking around, travel & meals, incidentals, and I had a lovely hotel room (the kind of place nobody stays on their own dime) with a stunning view that just screamed out for a slag.
My first thought was to drive a block or two ahead of them and stick the $50 (largest note I had) under a rock and let them "find" it. I didn't want them to thank me, and who knows... they could be armed and drug-crazed!!  But then, what if they pass by and don't see it? Or if it blows away? And I couldn't see any rocks around. Okay, maybe it's not so bad to hand it to them in person. And if there was to be any swordplay, I'd have the advantage of surprise on them. Which I utilised.
I parked, turned off the engine & the headlamps, ducked down and let them pass me. Then I hopped out and chased them. (They looked pretty scared when I did that!  ) And I just said, "Hey, you dropped this", and gave them the money. They stared at me, the money. Finally Homeless Guy took it, silently. I didn't wait around, though. As soon as he took hold of the $50, I was in the car and breaking the sound barrier back to the hotel bar... to wash the taste of piety from my mouth and find me a slag!  (j/k)
My friend who gave me the big lecture was here in Korea, not with me at the time.
I know $50 is nothing compared to what they needed. And I know it's not an effective way to deal with the plight of the homeless and hippified. But that wasn't my intention at that moment. I just had to make some sort of gesture -- useless, empty and vain though it was -- right then.
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I've handed out spare change now and then, but that doesn't make me feel good or useful at all. The first charity I contributed to was the World Wildlife Fund. When I was in school and broke I determined that I was going to become a "benefactor" when I got my first job. Ha! It was probably my third job before I remembered that pledge. But I got right on it and began sending a little to the WWF every few months. Every time a little more, all of it to the WWF. After a while I started getting "thank you" cards from Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan and the Undertaker... so I checked that address and got it all straightened out.
So, what's next? My time and body parts I guess. |
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Rteacher
Joined: 23 May 2005
Location: Western MA, USA
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| Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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I donated my brain to religion...
Also, I was giving either cheon won or coins to every begger I met yesterday until I was accosted by an older Korean lady at the Itaewon station who said she was very hungry and who kept insisting that I give her ten dollars - even after I had given her �� cheon. I would probably have given her a few more cheon of won if I had it, but I balked at giving her mon won because she was way too brazen and picky for a begger... |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Rteacher wrote: |
| I donated my brain to religion... |
Some people have lost their head over Islam. |
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crazykiwi
Joined: 07 Jun 2003
Location: new zealand via daejeon
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| Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:34 pm Post subject: |
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my wife gets a little pissy when im too generous with the helpings i give her at dinner time. shes pissed cause she feels she has to eat it all or she might offend me!  |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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I'm extremely generous with sharing my opinion; Generally I'll give it to you whether you ask for it or not.
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:02 am Post subject: |
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A friend gets what a family member gets... NADA!
Kidding.... anything reasonable.
An acquaintance I'll help too.
A stranger... maybe.
I hate loans, but hate not to repay.
Sometimes we fret over a dollar here and there, but blow loads stupidly.
It's good to help and be helped.
I'm lucky to come from a generous family. |
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Porter_Goss
Joined: 26 Mar 2006
Location: The Wrong Side of Right
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| Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 8:28 am Post subject: |
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I gave jajdude a new avatar and instructions on how to change it.
Jerk blew me off. |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 9:11 am Post subject: |
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The most generous thing I've ever done is.........
.....to be nice to everybody every day.
That's my religion. |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:00 am Post subject: |
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| Porter_Goss wrote: |
I gave jajdude a new avatar and instructions on how to change it.
Jerk blew me off. |
Sorry did not read the reply.
And why bother changing it? |
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Porter_Goss
Joined: 26 Mar 2006
Location: The Wrong Side of Right
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| Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| jajdude wrote: |
| Porter_Goss wrote: |
I gave jajdude a new avatar and instructions on how to change it.
Jerk blew me off. |
Sorry did not read the reply.
And why bother changing it? |
Just joking. Don't do anything crazy. |
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Grotto
Joined: 21 Mar 2004
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| Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 10:20 pm Post subject: |
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I give blood regularily.
I'm on the bone marrow donor list.
I have a 'help yourself to whatever you need' on my drivers licence in case I die in an accident.
Today I spent 3 hours helping a buddy cut up the wood to build a playset for his kids.(its going to be pretty cool, slide, swing, climbing wall, sandbox underneath)
I have given money to strangers who are in need. I dont give to beggers but will help out those who need it, little old lady who is scrounging for money for her groceries or trying to decide what she can live without, someone who has run out of gas(and cash), etc.
I shovel both my neighbors walks when it snows(sometimes they do it for me too...depends on who is out there first)
I hold doors open for women, old people and young kids.
Loaning money? Only to very good friends who I have known for years. Anyone else? Not a chance!
When I travel I bring back gifts for most of my friends and family(this will change in the future as there doesnt seem to be enough sucking up afterwards!  )
I tip well if I get decent service. I dont tip at all if I get poor service.
I do all this and am still the surly individual you know today |
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