Tomorrow is 4/15, the dreaded Tax Day for Americans. I think it's probably a little too late for me to tell you to go file your taxes at this point, but um, yeah, if you haven't done it already, you probably should. Good news guys, I actually am getting money back from the government this year! Oh, you don't care? It's ok, I'm just glad I don't owe hundreds like I did last year, so I don't care that you don't care! But here's good news that's applicable for all of you. In honor of the headache inducing Tax Day, many restaurants are offering freebies or major discounts as a little tax relief. Head over to The Bargainist for more.
Boston Market: Individual dinner plates BOGO Free
04/15/2010 through 04/18/2010.
Cinnabon - 2 Free Cupcake Bites on 04/15/2010 between 6pm and 8pm.
McCormick & Schmick's - $10.40 dinner specials & drink specials at the bar. (Guys, M&S has these amaaaazing Happy Hour specials. I like a lot. Check it.)
P.F. Chang's - 15% off food purchases all day
Starbucks - Bring in a reusable travel mug & get free brewed coffee
McDonald's - Select restaurants to offer BOGO Free Southern Style Chicken Biscuit
Subway - Free cookie for all customers
T.G.I. Friday's - Diners receive a $5 gift card w/purchase of $15-$25 or a $10 card w/purchases of $25 or more
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tax Day Free Day!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Don't eat and drive!
I've seen people do some crazy crap while driving, like some woman putting on mascara on the NJ Turnpike while going at like 70mph (needless to say, I switched lanes ASAP). I think people don't realize that multi-taking is not a good thing when you are behind the wheel and sharing a road with other people. Talking on the phone, texting, fiddling with the radio, putting on makeup, all dangerous stuff, folks! And so is eating.
An auto insurance company just released the 10 most dangerous foods to be eating while driving, and the list is not surprising, though some of the reasons are kinda funny (fizzy sodas can lead to sneezing...). According to an Exxon survey of 1,000 people, more than 70% eat and 83% drink beverages while they are driving, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) cites those distractions as top reasons for car crashes. I mean I take a sip or two while driving too, but I rarely eat while behind the wheel and I don't get how people can do it. But alas, if you HAVE to, just try not to eat the following:
- Coffee. Hot.
- Hot soup. Also hot.
- Tacos. Can disassemble easily.
- Chili dogs. Can drip easily.
- Hamburgers. Greasy hands = slippery steering wheel.
- Ribs and wings. Are you kidding with this one? Why would you be eating this behind the wheel anyway?
- Fried chicken. More greasy hands.
- Jelly donuts. Can oooze easily.
- Soda. Carbonation? Leads to sneezing? Also, has lids.
- Chocolate. Melts easily.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
What Happened on This Day?
Let's check out some events that happened in March 31st:
Births:
1596 - René Descartes, French mathematician (d. 1650)
1685 - Johann Sebastian Bach Influential German composer and organist. (d. 1750)
1878 - Jack Johnson, American boxer (d. 1946)
1929 - Liz Claiborne, Belgian-born American fashion designer (d. 2007)
1943 - Christopher Walken, American actor
1948 - Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
1971 - Ewan McGregor, Scottish actor
Hm, not really an interesting day for births, but I don't mind sharing this day with the likes of Christopher Walken and THE MAN Al Gore :D
New Jersey celebrates "Thomas Mundy Peterson Day," in honor of the historic first African-American to vote n an election under the just-enacted provisions of the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
As for current events, the Slumdog Millionare DVD is released today.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Korean Moms are Funny
Throughout the past 23ish years of my life, I've received my fair share of little notes of reminders and such from my mom. Honestly, I wonder what goes through her 파마 머리 (permed head) when she's rushing in the morning, and stopping to write out a quick little note to me. "Hm, should I write it in Korean? Nah, she can barely understand Korean (true to some degree -_-) .. let me show off my English skillz and leave her a note in English!"
From notes telling me "Putting them in the bank" (depositing checks for her), my mom's English isn't as bad as others.
For more convincing, check out My Mom is a Fob, a site in which kids across the Internet can submit their very own proof as to why their mom is a fob.
My favorite of these sites that focus on the weirdisms of moms? Definitely Stuff Korean Moms Like. So true, that it's scary.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Better Than the Original
So last Thursday, I went to see Wicked at the Gerswhin Theatre.
Yes, I read the book. And no, I did not particularly find the book to be enjoyable. Mainly because I felt that it was too hyped up, and my expectations for it surpassed what I normally expected for a book. With that said, I wouldn't say that I was looking forward to seeing the stage adaptation of it, despite all of the raving reviews it got.
However, the show was surprisingly pretty good. Well, mainly because it's not really like the book. Touché, Broadway; you've broken my belief that "the book is always better."
Going along with that, a recent photo shoot has been traveling across the Internetz, once more proving to me that the original is not always the best:
Um, Paul Rudd? YES! Jason Segel?? Fo sho! Seth Rogen? Why not! Jonah Hill? Um .. meh, I guess if the rest of Judd Apatow's gang is here ..
Monday, March 2, 2009
Racist or Not Racist
Racist or Not!?
Dubai Denies Visa to Israeli Tennis Player- Yahoo Sports
In protest of the fighting between Israel and Palestine, the United Arab Emirates denied Shahar Peer an opportunity to play at an official WTA tournament.
Ruling: Stupidly Racist
If Shahara Peer was actually launching rockets into Palestine on her time off, I can see how this would be fair. What does this accomplish? Win the war against Israel one banned athlete at a time? Luckily, the UAE realized it's stupidity and allowed Andy Ram, another native of Israel, to play in a man's double tournament.
New York Post Cartoon Compares Stimulus Author to Dead Primate- Huffington Post
Cartoonist, Sean Delonas, drew the following cartoon. Not much else needs to be said.
Ruling: Not Racist, Although Stupid Let me explain. I don't think Sean Delonas was comparing Barack Obama to a monkey in the physical sense but rather showing what he thought of the people who designed the stimulus package. That said, you had to see this coming, Mr. Delonas.
Old Disney Cartoons- Cracked.com
Jafar, the bad guy, looks a whole lot more "ethnic" than the white-washed good guy, Aladdin. A black crow named Jim Crow. Mickey Mouse trying to "educate/tame" an African boy named Thursday.
Ruling: Ignorantly Racist
This is like some older people, the ones who are steadfastly against slavery but don't mind segregation all that much. I gotta give Disney a little break. They've made so many cartoons for so long, some of them were bound to be racist. Think about how many racist cartoons we can find from the 1940s.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Jury Duty Recap
I reported to jury duty today, and spent a whole lot of hours sitting around, before it got to the good stuff. And the good stuff was only good for like 5 minutes, before I realized it was going to be more hours of sitting around. So, although I did not have to go to work, I did not enjoy my particular jury duty experience all that much. Allow me to explain a bit about the Jury Duty system in Bergen County, just in case you ever get called in.
The day starts bright and early, and you get to sit in a room with 150 other people to fulfill your duty as a citizen. The number of trials scheduled for that day and whether cases are resolved without the need to go to trial or not determine whether they need you on a jury. Thank god I had a magazine, a book, and my trusty iPhone to keep me entertained during all of that sitting around.
By the time lunch came and went, I still hadn't been called, so I thought I was going to be safe. I was wrong. With 2 more hours to go before the end of the day, a case needed jurors, and I was one of the 25 names randomly picked for this particular trial. We shuffled out of the room and into the judge's court. Let me just say that this can all be a very intimidating process, but I LOVED my judge. He joked around, he asked each jury member what TV shows they watched, he basically tried to lighten the mood and get to know his potential jurors. From the 25 that gets pulled into court, they only need 8. This is where the questioning/weeding out process begins.
And so they randomly pick 8 to fill the jury seats. From here on, it's just a very long process of questioning each jury member, while all of us have to sit there and listen to/watch the whole thing. The questions are a gamut of things, from your occupation to asking whether you know any of the people involved in the trial, to your bias to the particular case. And when the judge chooses to excuse someone (some of the excuses were: kids at home, taking care of sick mom, not getting paid to miss a day's work..) or the lawyers choose to dismiss a juror for whatever reason, then they randomly choose another one of us from the group to take their place. And so on and so on until everyone is satisfied with the people making up the jury.
Long story short, I got put on the jury, but was weeded out in the questioning process because the trial was scheduled to run into my trip to LA next week. THANK GOD. I mean, I think the jury system is indeed an important part of the legal system, and if I were to ever be involved in a trial in any way, I'd like fair jurors on my case. But, I was glad to be dismissed in this case just cause of the timing of it all. All in all, it was a very unproductive day, but I'm glad I got it over with. It's one less thing I have to worry about, for the next 3 years, anyway.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
At A Crossroad: To Get Inked or Not To Get Inked?
For the past few years, I've been toying with the idea of getting a tattoo. I know, I know .. it's kind of very permanent, painful, blah blah. And my one problem was that I didn't know what I wanted to get the tattoo of, and instead knew where I wanted to get it (inner wrist, very unique, I know).
Anyway, with the new year approaching and the idea of turning 24 in a few months becoming more real to me, I figured it's time. I found a design that I like enough to contemplate it for the past few months, envisioning how it would look and why I would want such a design.
Now, with today being the end of 2008, I am still questioning whether or not it's worth getting. Inner wrist tattoo can mean trouble, especially if I ever do decide to go work at some major corporation (for those who don't know me and my current job, a good portion of my coworkers have tattoos - and I'm talking sleeves and such), so I'm wondering if getting a tattoo at such a location will leave me with regrets.
We'll see what happens in 2009.
Friday, December 5, 2008
These Four Things I Know Are True
1. Britney Spears is hot, again. I remember a time when I told people that Britney was the hottest person on Earth and people would call me crazy. Maybe not the hottest person, but close. I still remember our high school baseball team rocking out on the bus to Hit Me Baby One More Time. Womanizer, I can do without.
2. There will be a lot more Knick fans in 2010. Be prepared to order your #23 jerseys. On another sports note, Christiano Ronaldo (wooer of ladies) Nike wants you to go to Inter Milan. We'd love to have you and make up for the last Ronaldo we had.
3. Ponds clear pore strips don't work. Find something else to get that filth off your nose.
4. Korean BBQ chicken is better than turkey on Thanksgiving every time!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Analogy of the Day
You can fly the plane, but can you land it?
What does it mean to you? You can get dressed, but are you ready? You can complete the 60 yard bomb, but can you score? You can win an election, but can you lead a country? You can shoot yourself in the thigh, but can you man up to the consequences? You can make them believe, but can you make them feel it? You can say all the right things, but can you make it happen?
SO READERS! I SAY AGAIN!!!!!
You can fly the plane, but can you land it?
Monday, December 1, 2008
That's What She Said of the Day
We all have that's what she said (TWSS) moments through out the day, but when of my coworkers and I get together we look for those moments with every phrase that is uttered. It's never mean spirited but it can be quite funny. Here are some of my favorite that's what she said moments of the past couple of weeks.
Person (after being pelted with TWSS through out the day): "I'm going to have to be so careful of what I say now, but I don't know things just come out of my mouth sometimes."
Person (while rock climbing): "This is so hard! Even if I try to keep my legs open."
Person 1 (commenting on one thing or the other) "I usually take mine from the back." At this point I can't hold my seltzer water in and spit some of it on Person 2 who yells, "AhhH! You got it all over me." An impressive double TWSS.
Person (trying to put something together) "No it didn't go in right. Pull it up harder! Okay now bring it in slowly."
Person 1 (email on playing basketball) "Just come...I suck too...we can all suck together"
Person 2 (replies) "That's what he said"
Impressive
Friday, November 7, 2008
Wet Phone Blues
Last night, as I was ready to go to sleep, I knocked my cell phone and my keys off my bed. My keys made the accustomed muted jingle as they fell to the carpet but it was accompanied by stranger noise this time, a plop. My phone had fallen inside a mug of watered down coke. I took it out and placed it on the floor without giving it much thought. A few minutes later I was disturbed by a humming noise and was appalled to discover that my phone was vibrating and flickering uncontrollably.
If this happens to you, I know what you're thinking, panic. Do that for about 4 seconds then calm yourself down and take the battery out immediately. The steps go a little like this.
1. Get it out of the water as soon as possible. The plastic covers on cell phones are fairly tight, but water can enter the phone in a short period of time, perhaps only 20 seconds or less. So grab your phone quickly! If you can't get to it in time, your best bet is to remove the battery while it is still under water. Water helps dissipate heat from shorts that can damage the phone, so most damage occurs when the inside of the phone is merely wet and there is a power source.
2. Remove the battery. This is one of the most important steps. Don't take time to think about it; electricity and water do not mix. Cutting power to your phone is a crucial first step in saving it. Many circuits inside the phone will survive immersion in water provided they are not attached to a power source when wet.
3. If you have a GSM carrier, remove your SIM card. Some or all of your valuable contacts (along with other data) could be stored on your SIM. To some people this could be more worth saving than the phone itself. SIM cards survive water damage well, but some of the following steps are unnecessary i.e. don't heat it. Just pat it dry and leave it aside until you need to connect your phone to your cellular network. (This step does not apply to CDMA carriers such as Verizon, Alltel, US Cellular, Sprint, etc.)
4. Dry your phone. Obviously you need to remove as much of the water as soon as possible, so you can save it from getting into the phone. Shake it out without dropping it, then use a towel or paper towel to gently remove as much of the remaining water as possible. Dry the excess moisture by hand.
5. Remove any covers and external connectors to open up as many gaps, slots, and crevices in the phone as possible.
6. Use a vacuum if possible. Do not use a hair dryer (even on a "cold" mode) to dry out the phone, as this may force moisture further into the small components, deep inside the phone. If moisture is driven deeper inside, corrosion and oxidation may result when minerals from liquids are deposited on the circuitry. Using a hairdryer might be a temporary fix, but this will eventually cause component failure inside the phone. Instead, remove all residual moisture by drawing it away with a vacuum cleaner held over the affected areas for up to 20 minutes in each accessible area. This is the fastest method and can completely dry out your phone and get it working in thirty minutes. Be careful not to hold the vacuum too close to the phone, as a vacuum can create static electricity, which is even worse.
7. Use a substance with a high affinity for water to help draw out moisture. Leave the phone in a bowl or bag of uncooked rice overnight. The rice would absorb any remaining moisture. If available, it is preferable to use desiccant instead. Desiccant will absorb moisture better than rice. It may be found under a brand name such as "Damp Rid" or "Dry Right".
8. Let the phone sit on absorbent towels, napkin, or other paper. Remember that the goal is to evacuate all the moisture and humidity, not to trap it or add even more. Check the absorbent material every hour for 4 to 6 hours. If moisture is evident, repeat the vacuuming step and desiccant steps.
9. Test your phone. After you have waited a day or so, make sure everything is clean and dry looking and re-attach the battery to the phone and see if it works. If your phone does not work, try plugging it into its charger without the battery, if this works, you need a new battery. If not, try taking your cell phone to an authorized dealer. Sometimes they can fix it. Don't try to hide the fact that it has been wet. There are internal indicators that prove moisture.
Thank you for Wikihow.com for the info. As of this afternoon my phone is back on track. Yay Phone! It will be replaced soon for the Blackberry Storm. Buh Bye Phone.
Monday, November 3, 2008
[Feature] Leaving on a Jet Plane
Well, Life in Boxes readers, it's been fun.
I, Yuri Kim, will no longer be an editor for Life in Boxes effective November 14th. I am leaving because I recently joined the Americorps and I'll be moving out to Seattle for a year to work for the United Way of King County. It's such a big change that my life will be a bit too hectic for me to regularly post on the blog. So because of that, I'll be bowing out for the time being.
To give you a little more detail....
A few months ago, I found myself in a bit of a rut. I had been looking for a full-time job, but everywhere I wanted to work, I wasn't hired, and everything that I was hired for, I had no real interest in. After some soul searching, I realized that I was at a juncture in my life, post-college and pre-mortgage, where I could try something different. To that end, I joined the Americorps. I've always had a strong interest in public service and I saw the Americorps as an opportunity to do something I was interested in and at the same time go somewhere I'd never been. So when I got offered to work for United Way in Seattle, I took the chance.
Even though I'm leaving, I feel like I'm embodying the concept of Life in Boxes more now than ever. In less than a month's time, I need to once again put everything I own in as few boxes as possible and move to somewhere I've never been to before. And even though I roughly have a year of my life planned out, the details are very murky and anything past December of 2009 is still a mystery to me.
It's going to be different. I'm sure my year will be exciting, nerve-wrecking, sad, and enjoyable all at the same time. I think the most important thing is that I will be making a drastic change for the better. I'll be moving, living on my own and doing something I have a passion for.
Hopefully, I'll be able to make some time to keep you all updated on the trails and tribulations that comes with living below the poverty level in a strange new city. But for now, it's goodbye.
PS.
With my decision to leave, I've obviously shaken this blog up, so some changes are coming to Life in Boxes.
As you may have noticed, our "What are you doing this weekend?" posts are no more. The work started getting tedious and we feel like we can better utilize Fridays.
Also, our weekly features are going to change to monthly features. As editors, we found ourselves sort of forcing out features instead of becoming inspired to write them. Now, we'll have time to think carefully about what we want to write and give you something nice and meaty to chew on.
With the loss of one editor (me :x), there will be a slight drop in posts, but it should still be more than enough for you voracious readers!
Life in Boxes will still be around, sans me, and it'll probably be better than ever. Keep reading, I know I will!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Trip Of the Day
Hello, New Jersey! It is grand to be back from a trip to the Dominican Republic. I always want to travel next to the cute girl on the plane when I'm traveling alone. I got to do that once. Things were going grand, then she mentioned her boyfriend and how he liked taking pictures. I'm almost certain she broke up with him because she hesitantly mentioned him as though it had slipped from her tongue. The only thing more telling of an inevitable break up is when people mention their significant others within the first 5 minutes of meeting someone else. On this round trip I sat next to an old man who asked a ton of questions and a little kid who kicked me while he slept and I tried to. Better luck next time.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
These Four Things I Know Are True
1) Don't ever say out loud, to your parents, joking or not, that they're embarrassing. I had to put up with 40 minutes of passive-aggressive weird behavior from them as a result. I didn't really mean it, per se, but I wasn't completely kidding either (hey I know I'm not the only one who feels this way). Nonetheless, they were offended, and I felt bad. Parents have feelings too.
2) My hair and fashion inspiration is Katie Holmes, minus the weird rolled up jeans look she was rocking for awhile. On occasional good days, my hair does look like this. Most days however, this is what my hair does. I guess it could be worse.
3) Jason Mraz is the best musician to see live, and I don't say that lightly. He puts on the most awesome, entertaining shows, so much so that I saw him 2 consecutive nights in a row this past weekend and I loved every minute of it. Mraz mixtape coming up later this week, but for now, enjoy this and this and this.
4) Britney's Womanizer music video debuted on Friday. I like it, but it's kind of reminiscent of Toxic, which I LOVE. But, nonetheless, she is looking good (cue, gratuitous nude shots), and continuing onward with the uphill battle that is her comeback. YESSS.
Monday, October 13, 2008
[Feature] The Liberal Media
The presidential election is only a few weeks away and the Obama/Biden ticket has opened a 6%-8% lead in most polls; of course, the McCain camp is working hard in order to make up this difference. One claim coming from conservatives is that the "liberal" media is not going after Obama as tough as it should be. The notion that the media gives liberal candidates a break and unfairly criticizes conservative candidates has been claimed by conservatives as far back as the Nixon presidency.
Is it true?
A 2004 study by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that more journalists share liberal points of view than conservatives points of view. According to the report, 34% of national journalists consider themselves liberals while only 7% of national journalists consider themselves conservatives. Although the study does not show any evidence that a journalist's political point of view affects his ability to be objective, it does lead to speculation about the fairness in the media. The following appeared in an article in Accuracy In Media, an organization that monitors the national media:Conservatives justify their belief that a liberal media bias exists by arguing that journalists are liberal, and that their ideology affects how journalists cover the news. For example, a survey in 1992 showed that 89% of Washington, DC, journalists voted for President Clinton in the 1992 Presidential election. These results may explain why throughout 1992, the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) found that more than 70% of the networks' sound-bites about President Bush were negative, whereas the majority of sound-bites about Governor Clinton were positive.
The liberal media argument could be used in order to gain political advantage even in cases where there is no evidence of a bias media. Eric Alterman of the nation writes that during the 1992 election Rich Bond, the chairman of the Republican Party at the time, said "There is some strategy to it [bashing the 'liberal' media].... If you watch any great coach, what they try to do is 'work the refs.' Maybe the ref will cut you a little slack on the next one."
The liberal media argument has been used before. In those cases the groups making the allegations were less than reputable. For example, during the civil rights movement, some white southerners accused the media of being too liberal. Clearly, unlike some of those southern whites, the Republican party has nothing but the best intentions for the future of the United States. However, I do feel that accusing the media of being liberal is a losing argument for a public figure. Why would you call the guy who's going to write about you a jerk? I understand that the media should be as objective at possible in most cases, but I also know that it is possible for personal bias to leak into one's professional work.
There are media outlets that tend to be liberal (NBC) and there are those that tend to be conservative (FOX). I believe that there are others that are attention whores and will do anything for ratings (CNN). Is the media liberal? It probably trends that way, but it is not nearly as bad as some conservatives make it out to be.
Sources:
Bottom-Line Pressure Now Hurting Coverage, Say Journalists
What Liberal Media?
New Evidence of Liberal Media
Thursday, October 2, 2008
These Four Things I know Are True
Tonight's debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden will be more entertaining than any of the presidential debates. Why? Sarah Palin! Watching Palin speak is like watching an Evil Knievel jump through a ring of fire over 13 trucks. Youtube is hanging on her every word. Biden will sit back and enjoy the show.
The Yankees didn't make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. I wanted so much to believe in them but they let me down. Still, no fanhood can compare to the pain the Metropolitan fans are experiencing. Two years in a row they choke on the last day of the regular season. How can people still root for a team like that?
Google has the best email service, the best chat program, and the best search engine. If Google ever decided to add fantasy sports to their repertoire, Yahoo would be done for. Make it happen Google.
New York City is the greatest city in the world. Shame on South Jersey for referring to Philly as "the city."
Monday, September 22, 2008
[Feature] It's time for a little self-control
Back in June, Steve Jobs made my dream come true by announcing the new iPhone 3G, at a mere $199 per pop. That was like getting an iPod cheap, except it would be a smart, nay genius, phone that would do SO MUCH MORE than just being a plain old iPod. While I had deemed the $500+ price tag for the first iPhone a way unnecessary expense for my modest budget, the announcement of this cheaper-and-better model made my heart flutter with hope. Come July, I would finally be getting one. I had grandiose plans of what I'd do with my phone- Facebook/Urbanspoon/Twitteriffic apps, check. Personalized ringtones ripped from my iTunes collection, check. Unlimited text messaging?? I was so prepared to never talk to anyone other than through text messages again.
Except... It turns out that when you're a current AT&T customer in the middle of a 2-year contract, there are a lot of fine print to sort through in your quest for an iPhone. The kicker for me being that I get to pay $200 extra dollars for the phone of my dreams, which is kind of an ironic and cruel punishment for being a loyal, pre-existing AT&T customer. Thanks, guys, I'm so glad I stuck with you all these years!
I cried about this a little. Well, not literally, but enough to annoy the people in my life with all my 'BUT I WANT AN IPHONE NOW' talk/whine. To prevent myself from giving in and getting one, I brought in the big guns- mainly instituting a slap bet with Julia, in which she was allowed to slap me if I broke down and got one. And for all of you who are rolling your eyes and being like 'it's not that great, there are better things to covet,' stop right there, I've already stopped listening to you.
The thing is, I can totally go get one right now, there's nothing holding me back (except the wrath of Julia's palm on my cheek). But I'm holding out, until at least my birthday in December (best.birthday present to myself.ever), OR if I'm really good, February '09, when I'm eligible for a phone upgrade. It seems so torturous, since I want it so much and can technically afford to go get one. However, here is why I'm holding out: self-restraint. I'm not very good at this. Say I've already had a ginormous breakfast of the Michael Phelps diet proportions. Dangle a biscuit in front of me, and I'm a goner. Say I make a (futile) no-shopping-this-week pact with myself. I'm bored at lunch, so I stop by J.Crew because looking never harmed anyone, and I leave the store with a shopping bag in hand. See where I'm going with this? I tell myself I'm NOT going to do things, and then I weasel my way out of it with irrational rationalizations.
Well not this time! If there's anything my desire for an iPhone taught me, it's that sometimes, my love for materialistic possessions outweigh my power of self-control and will. There was a time period when it seemed like EVERYONE I KNOW (and their moms) were getting an iPhone, and I was dreaming of one constantly. Obsessive? Yeah. Here we are weeks later, and I still REALLY REALLY want one, but I no longer dream about it constantly. You know, just at night when I close my eyes.
So from here on out, I am instituting my version of Lent, called JENt. (I know it's corny, ok??) I am practicing an intense 73ish-or-possibly-more days of self-restraint. The time will be used to think about my upcoming purchase, whether I really want it (the answer is YES), to save up money, give Apple time to come out with a better/cheaper one in time for the holidays, so forth. I think it's good to take a step back from the things you think you want and can't live without, and have a period of reflection, which is basically what real Lent is about. Also, the period of waiting will make the iPhone purchase that much sweeter. Cue heavens-opening-up music.
Now, I'm going to be annoying here and ask you to also think about giving up something with me. It's SO much more fun to have company when doing something, yeah? Also, misery loves company...what? I didn't say that..
But seriously. While I hold off on buying the iPhone until December/later, why don't you try putting a hold on something you're kinda sorta obsessed with, or partake in an act that will shake things up a bit in your life? My friend Ashley planted this seed in my head, and she's offered to give up handbag shopping during that period. If you know us girls at all, that is a big deal. My friend Leslie is giving up bacon. Yes, I don't know if I can go that long without bacon either. Fellow blogger Jorge is giving up eating pizza; it's his favorite food. I was touched by the support! Your period of Jent doesn't have to be quite so long- 73 days is practically the double of 40 days of normal Lent. But I think sometimes we all need to practice a period of self-discipline, which is why I'm advocating this.
It's going to be hard. I gave up coffee this past Lent and it wasn't easy. But I think you'll start to realize that maybe the things you think you absolutely need in your life, aren't so needed. And at the end of it all, you can be proud that you stuck to what you set out to achieve and climbed your Mt. Everest, whatever it may have been. So... Take my challenge. We're all in this together, and I promise it'll be rewarding.
Oh, and in the meantime, if you have an iPhone, try not to flaunt it in front of me TOO much. While I am SO happy! for you, I'd much rather be the one doing the flaunting. Hey, at least I'm being honest.
Friday, September 12, 2008
The Results Are In..
"The" is King! "I" Settles For Talking About Itself
According to the Wall Street Journal the most used word in the English language is "the." "The" is the most frequently used word in newspapers, the Oxford English Corpus, and the the British National Corpus. The latter two are compilations of texts such as the 9/11 Commision Report. However, it is only the fourth most used word in conversation behind "I", "you", and "and".
Miami, Most Attractive City In America
Miami was chosen as the city with the most beautiful city by Travel and Leaisure Magazine. New York finished first shopping, arts, diverse residents, and skyline. And yet, it still can't help but wonder if wearing a little more lip gloss would have swayed the beautiful vote to its side.
Monday, September 8, 2008
[Feature] Lessons I Learned in August
For me, last August was the most hectic months I've had in a long time. I went through a lot of pain, physically and financially. But in the end, it seems like it worked out for the better and I learned a few important lessons along the way. It all started with a job interview... [cue Wayne World-style flashback fingers]
Lesson One: Don't Wear Old Contact Lenses
I wanted to make sure I looked as presentable as possible for my interview, so I wore my contacts.
The thing is, I hadn't worn my contacts... in a long time. Like, so long I'm too embarrassed to say how long it actually was. But it was in the months range.
I had done similar things before, so I thought nothing of it. I just had clean the lenses as thoroughly as possible and slap them on. I'll be fine, right?
Wrong. WRONG.
I was fine for the interview and only had a little irritaiton. But by the end of the day, my one eye was bothering me so much, I had to take my contacts out. Normally, taking off my contacts would stop the pain, but this time it didn't. My eye became so scratchy, painful, and red that I couldn't even keep it open.
Apparently, I had developed something called a Corneal Ulcer, which in layman's terms means, ow my eye hurts a lot for a couple of days. Basically, the dirty contact lens I wore cut my cornea and filled it with dirty bacteria which started eating my eyeball. Corneal Ulcers can lead to blindness, which isn't as fun as Korean drama parodies make it out to be. Luckily, I opted to go to the emergency room pretty quickly, which made it something much easier to deal with.
So lesson #1: Don't wear dirty contacts. They rape your eyeballs. Older contacts makes you 10 times more likely to develop a corneal ulcer than new contacts.
It's cheaper to constantly buy new contacts then risk wearing old ones and paying for a hospital bill. Which leads me to my second lesson learned....
Lesson Two: Hospitals are Expensive.
Okay, I know this isn't a revolutionary discovery, but it's always worth reiterating: doctors drain your wallet. Especially if you're uninsured :(
After going to the ER, I had to make two visits to an opthamologist to make sure my eyes were healing up properly. During those two visits, I got about 10 minutes of face time with my doctor and had to pay $225 in total for it. Holy cow.
I later received my ER bill, which came out to $900 ($600 for the stay, $300 for medicines/shots).
And just when I thought it was over, the ER doctor sent me a bill for $220! What?!?! Doesn't the hospital pay him? Isn't that what the ER bill was for? Apparently not.
Needless to say, I was flabbergasted and my bank account cried itself to sleep that night.
Lesson Three: If You're Poor, the Government Can Help You.
This is the point in the article where things start looking up. Seeing as $1300 is not really affordable for me, I felt pretty screwed. Luckily, I remembered a lesson I learned while interning for my congressman: if you're poor, the government will help you out. Seriously, cynical people think the government only steals from you, but the truth is you can make it work for you.
Because I'm uninsured and make very little money, I applied for the state-run Charity Care, which is the New Jersey Hospital Care Payment Assistance Program. They are there to pay for some or all of your hospital bills if you cannot afford to pay for it yourselves. All you have to do is fill out an application that verifies your income and makes sure that you've been living in the state for three months. The process is fairly quick, as bureaucracies go, and extremely helpful for people like me. For more information about Charity Care, visit their website or call 1-866-588-5659.
I just recently gave in my application, so all I can do now is wait. Hopefully, I'll have learned all my lessons for a lot less money than expected!
Here's to more adventures, government assistance programs, and life lessons!
