While doind some research for a business I had in mind, I discovered that the vast majority of mom-and-pop (i.e. non-corporate chain) convenience stores in my area are owned by Asians.
Also it appeared that most of these were bought as existing businesses and not started from scratch. Buying a going concern would probably reduce the risk of business failure.
What readers don't realize is that Paul actually won, in a free drawing, the title of Official Lord-High-Arbiter of Whose Usage Is iPhone-Worthy And Whose Isn't. Just for future reference.
I don't suppose it matters that much - a friend of mine was showing me all the features on his iTouch - it's pretty cool stuff, and I suppose I would even use some of it, if I wasn't so easily irritated by small gadgets in general. I'm with you on the no standing in line rule, and I apply that to everything - be it a Star Wars movie, a Harry Potter book, or a Wii. It's not that I think I'm too cool to stand in line with the unwashed masses, I just really freaking hate standing in line. It makes me stabby.
I'm so frustrated with finding a job. I've been unemployed for over a year now and it seems like my degree isn't worth **** in the real world. I need experience, yet nobody wants to give me the chance to gain any experience. I already have plenty of experience during college but it seems now that I've been unemployed for a year that NOBODY wants to hire my sorry ass. I'm contemplating suicide, what the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I find a job? I'm so fed up with life.
I consistently get 40 mpg in my 96 corolla 5 speed - easy - could do better if i slowed down an drove the speed limit but even half assed it is easy
tire inflation high but not way high
Coast whenever possible- keeping RPM's down - (idles at 800-900)
try not to brake
accelerate slowly - shift quickly into high gear
the rest is anticipation
i rarely use cruise because a lot of times on the hwy I can coast
The comment about everything being geared for two incomes worries me... Because I don't have one! Not all of us are lucky enough to have married the love of our lives.
It worries me that the best thing I can do for my financial health (that I'm not already doing) is get married.
I mean, who is the lord-high-arbiter of whose usage is iPhone-worthy and whose isn't. If my mom got one, it would be because it's a neat gadget that looks fabulous, the print on it (calculator especially) is large enough for her to read easily (cataracts), and on the (extremely rare) occasions when she needs internet on the go, she would actually be able to read the page. She wouldn't even need a data plan! My sister says she shouldn't get one, because she wouldn't use it to its full potential, but she's a grown woman who pays her own bills, and if she likes it better than what she's got now, more power to her.
Does this make her trendy? If so, look out for Winnie-the-Pooh henleys and denim purses to be fashion hits this fall!
P.S. I get tons of crap from people assuming I'm trying to be hip for daring to own an Apple product (my first), and no one has looked down on me for not upgrading.
I don't think the problem lies with the people who actually HAVE a need for this phone, many users in this post are posting that they actually use the phone as it was intended and therefore get their money's worth out of the product. I don't think a purchase is a wasted purchase if you are using the item everyday and have knowledge of how it works etc.
However there seems to be another class of people who are buying it just to have it, and this is true with many other electronics like the Wii. They are buying it for the sole purpose of the fact that it will make them more popular and make them be cool with their friends, and that they have to have it or else friends will constantly pick on them for not having the latest Iphone (god forbid you have an older model or a different phone that still works perfectly and fits your needs). I think these are the people that this article targets, how many people in that line were buying it just to have it and barely know what it is other than its the next hot product that we have to have to be cool, vs how many people were buying it to use for its full functionality. There is a huge difference here.
It's certainly true that the common perception of mass transit riders is that they're all people who, for some reason, can't drive: people too poor to own a car, people too severely disabled by physical or mental problems to operate one, people with drug or alcohol problems that have cost them their drivers license, the young, and the very old. And you certainly see people like that, if you ride mass transit.
Where I live, though, there are a lot of other people: people trying to reduce their impact on the environment, people who can make more profitable use of their commuting time if they don't need to spend it controlling a car, people who find it more convenient to be at their destination without a car to be parked and attended to.
I expect we'll see the trend continue, with more and more people choosing to ride mass transit just because it's cheap and convenient, rather than because they have no choice. And, as more such people do make use of the systems, there will be more voter pressure to improve them.
The difference between the iPhone and every other phone out there is the quality of the web browser. All of the pages show up in their entirety, in crisp, beautiful colors. The pages look amazing. They are easily navigable with the touch screen, and I can zoom in on even the tiniest letters to make them readable. For users like me, the ONLY reason for having a fancy phone (compared to my previous old-school candy bar phone) is the ability to surf the web without intense frustration. Even my tech-tarded mother is thinking about getting one, because it is easy to use, and does what it does AMAZINGLY WELL.
Also, your math sucks. At $30 a month, it would take almost three years to even spend ONE thousand dollars, as opposed to the "thousands in future cell phone bills" that the article claims. Are you assuming that the people who buy brand-new iPhones aren't already paying for a cell plan every month? The iPhone data plan isn't more expensive than other plans (I have the old $20 plan, so I'm ahead of most data users), and $200 isn't an unreasonable amount to spend on a phone.
While waiting in line for a product that will still be there in a few weeks seems silly, most of these complaints are even sillier. If you're going to bag on iPhone users for spending "thousands in future cell phone bills," you need to bag on ALL data plan users.
So as not to mislead people I wish someone would address the difference between using a Heloc myself and paying off the mortgage and the $3,500 software method. I am not disagreeing with the method if you really want to pay off your mortgage (which is not always the best way to go) - just how does your software compare to the method of using a heloc yourself. When does the software program beat out the same method just using a Heloc from your bank?
I live in the old neighborhood of Hollywood, CA - so I am near the old transportation hub left over from the days of the red cars (altho it's now buses and the subway) - I have used those in an emergency - but Once again, I have heard the tales of a friend who decided to green it and ditch the car & they are not pretty. One positive thing is that public transportation is slowly getting more respectable here - for the longest time only the poorest were on the bus - and many of them have, well ISSUES.
Been finding vitamins at great discount with expiration dates at the end of the year. A guy at church who is studying to be a pharmacy assistant said that they could be weaker - but at the dosages I got I thought it would be OK - I did some internet research and learned that even for prescription DRUGS the expiration dates are EXTREMELY conservative and that with a few exceptions, stored drugs will last for YEARS. You just should check to see if the tablets have deteriorated, which will give you a sign of decomposition. So I feel much better about the CoQ10 I snagged at 99 cents a bottle (normally $25!!) and the other bargain supplements I get!! (Not to mention that I can use my old stash of anti-depressants in an emergency if I have to...)
Many of you have questioned the effect of spending $3500 (which is never out of pocket) verses simply going with the DIY method. The effect is clear: You will leave tens of thousands of potential saved interest on the table and pay for years longer. Over the tens of thousands of MMA's sold and hundreds of thousand's of free analysis preformed, you will be paying 27 months longer and paying $15,000-$25,000 more in interest verses using the MMA package and coaching program. That was under version 3. Version 4, out this month is 20% more aggressive in your payoff. Not only that you can do an UNLIMITED number of properties, boats, motor coaches, airplanes or whatever else you want at the same time, and you own it for life. There's also an optimizer package with automatic bill pay and other features available. On top of all that you must remember that besides using a HELOC you can us any other type of line of credit, including a credit card. AND now you don't even have to have that. We have an optimizer package that works simply with a standard checking and savings account. You can even finance part of the subscription fee! For those who don't own a home and still need the advantage of a debt reduction & coaching program there's the MMA express for $1795. So the question becomes would you spend $3500 to save $25,000 and two years? Of course you would!
I'll issue the same challenge now that I've issued all along: go to http://www.payoffyourhomenow.org and enter your numbers for a free analysis. There's NO WAY any DIY program will ever beat the power of the MMA period.
Man, this post was awesome, and really funny. And the commenters with their knickers in a bunch just made this all the more hilarious.
I humbly request more posts like these in hopes that more whiny materialists with some grandiose feeling of entitlement will comment and tell you "u r dum, appel is teh bests at phones!"
Oooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmm! Yeah. Driving slower is the answer to many challenges. It is kind of sad being tailgated by some angry person, but it really is their problem. It is so much safer to drive slower. Getting better gas mileage is worth the minor hassles. I really didn't want to mention it, but common courtesy and good manners are good for the soul. Granny
Yeah, this rant makes me a little sick. Hell, I could live without a mobile phone, but this is not a phone, it's a mobile computer.
Do you need a mobile computer? No. Do you need a computer? Nope. Do you need a calculator? Nada. Do you need paper and pen? Not really. People everywhere are surviving without any of that right now.
It's about improving the quality of life. If I can work more efficiently with a smart phone then I can have a happier life.
I don't have Cable TV. I don't pay for satellite radio. I pay for my part of a family plan for two phones that is $60/mo. I think I know how to handle my finances.
Oh, and I've spent about $30 out of pocket for this iPhone. Don't talk to me about being wise with my bread.
And yes, I waited a total of three hours for this device that was "just a phone".
A phone that will make me more productive at work. A phone that will provide me entertainment. All of this along with a social experience waiting in line, chatting with like-minded individuals who love technology.
If you don't get it, maybe you should write about something you DO understand. I think I got a bargain.
Every now and then I get very depressed. When this happens my immediate urge is to buy a macbook. Thank god I have a wonderful boyfriend who talks me down from the ledge. I got an ipod touch as a present (mom won it and couldnt work it out, haha) and the urge to buy a macbook was HUGE. Why? So my gadgets would match. How sick is that?
I am happy I didnt spend the money. Here in South Africa it is hugely expensive. I'd rather save that money for a deposit on a house one day. At least a house wont get dented or break easily.
(as an aside, I once read a question posted by a graphic designer with a DEGREE on some forum. The question read: "Any designers here on PC? Do you have any issues?"
I just thought to myself, my god person! Are you retarded? Just goes to show the power of peer pressure. Many people don't even know that non Mac options are even viable)
I think that showcasing the fact that you held a position for a significant amount of time is important, no matter what the job was in college.
For example, lets say the grad is applying for a job in finances somewhere, but held down a bartending gig for two years while keeping up their grades. Sure, the bartending experience isn't applicable to investments, but it does show commitment, and the ability to juggle work and studies successfully for an extended period of time.
Excellent article. It amazes me that people will stand in line hours for this new phone. We are in a recession though, right :)? If things were that bad in the economy, people would be struggling to put food on the table not standing in line for hours for a phone. People fail to take into account the true cost of owning this new gadget with the monthly plan required, etc. And, I'd be willing to bet most put this purchase on credit and are what the credit industry calls their beloved "revolvers" we pay the bare minimum each month.
so does that make me more or less "pathetic" than those that wanted one, and did?
Also, I have to chuckle at those who posted "I waited in line for x, but this is just a phone" Well, Harry Potter is just a book, Star Wars is just a movie, and Wii is just a video game. I saw some of the lines in NYC on Friday, and it was just as social of an event, just without the costumes (unless you count hipster as a costume).
While doind some research for a business I had in mind, I discovered that the vast majority of mom-and-pop (i.e. non-corporate chain) convenience stores in my area are owned by Asians.
Also it appeared that most of these were bought as existing businesses and not started from scratch. Buying a going concern would probably reduce the risk of business failure.
What readers don't realize is that Paul actually won, in a free drawing, the title of Official Lord-High-Arbiter of Whose Usage Is iPhone-Worthy And Whose Isn't. Just for future reference.
I don't suppose it matters that much - a friend of mine was showing me all the features on his iTouch - it's pretty cool stuff, and I suppose I would even use some of it, if I wasn't so easily irritated by small gadgets in general. I'm with you on the no standing in line rule, and I apply that to everything - be it a Star Wars movie, a Harry Potter book, or a Wii. It's not that I think I'm too cool to stand in line with the unwashed masses, I just really freaking hate standing in line. It makes me stabby.
I'm so frustrated with finding a job. I've been unemployed for over a year now and it seems like my degree isn't worth **** in the real world. I need experience, yet nobody wants to give me the chance to gain any experience. I already have plenty of experience during college but it seems now that I've been unemployed for a year that NOBODY wants to hire my sorry ass. I'm contemplating suicide, what the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I find a job? I'm so fed up with life.
That sucks, I remember a while back another big bank had also failed. Can't put my finger on the name though...
I consistently get 40 mpg in my 96 corolla 5 speed - easy - could do better if i slowed down an drove the speed limit but even half assed it is easy
tire inflation high but not way high
Coast whenever possible- keeping RPM's down - (idles at 800-900)
try not to brake
accelerate slowly - shift quickly into high gear
the rest is anticipation
i rarely use cruise because a lot of times on the hwy I can coast
The comment about everything being geared for two incomes worries me... Because I don't have one! Not all of us are lucky enough to have married the love of our lives.
It worries me that the best thing I can do for my financial health (that I'm not already doing) is get married.
I mean, who is the lord-high-arbiter of whose usage is iPhone-worthy and whose isn't. If my mom got one, it would be because it's a neat gadget that looks fabulous, the print on it (calculator especially) is large enough for her to read easily (cataracts), and on the (extremely rare) occasions when she needs internet on the go, she would actually be able to read the page. She wouldn't even need a data plan! My sister says she shouldn't get one, because she wouldn't use it to its full potential, but she's a grown woman who pays her own bills, and if she likes it better than what she's got now, more power to her.
Does this make her trendy? If so, look out for Winnie-the-Pooh henleys and denim purses to be fashion hits this fall!
P.S. I get tons of crap from people assuming I'm trying to be hip for daring to own an Apple product (my first), and no one has looked down on me for not upgrading.
I don't think the problem lies with the people who actually HAVE a need for this phone, many users in this post are posting that they actually use the phone as it was intended and therefore get their money's worth out of the product. I don't think a purchase is a wasted purchase if you are using the item everyday and have knowledge of how it works etc.
However there seems to be another class of people who are buying it just to have it, and this is true with many other electronics like the Wii. They are buying it for the sole purpose of the fact that it will make them more popular and make them be cool with their friends, and that they have to have it or else friends will constantly pick on them for not having the latest Iphone (god forbid you have an older model or a different phone that still works perfectly and fits your needs). I think these are the people that this article targets, how many people in that line were buying it just to have it and barely know what it is other than its the next hot product that we have to have to be cool, vs how many people were buying it to use for its full functionality. There is a huge difference here.
good article.
I hope my bank doesn't fail either
It's certainly true that the common perception of mass transit riders is that they're all people who, for some reason, can't drive: people too poor to own a car, people too severely disabled by physical or mental problems to operate one, people with drug or alcohol problems that have cost them their drivers license, the young, and the very old. And you certainly see people like that, if you ride mass transit.
Where I live, though, there are a lot of other people: people trying to reduce their impact on the environment, people who can make more profitable use of their commuting time if they don't need to spend it controlling a car, people who find it more convenient to be at their destination without a car to be parked and attended to.
I expect we'll see the trend continue, with more and more people choosing to ride mass transit just because it's cheap and convenient, rather than because they have no choice. And, as more such people do make use of the systems, there will be more voter pressure to improve them.
The difference between the iPhone and every other phone out there is the quality of the web browser. All of the pages show up in their entirety, in crisp, beautiful colors. The pages look amazing. They are easily navigable with the touch screen, and I can zoom in on even the tiniest letters to make them readable. For users like me, the ONLY reason for having a fancy phone (compared to my previous old-school candy bar phone) is the ability to surf the web without intense frustration. Even my tech-tarded mother is thinking about getting one, because it is easy to use, and does what it does AMAZINGLY WELL.
Also, your math sucks. At $30 a month, it would take almost three years to even spend ONE thousand dollars, as opposed to the "thousands in future cell phone bills" that the article claims. Are you assuming that the people who buy brand-new iPhones aren't already paying for a cell plan every month? The iPhone data plan isn't more expensive than other plans (I have the old $20 plan, so I'm ahead of most data users), and $200 isn't an unreasonable amount to spend on a phone.
While waiting in line for a product that will still be there in a few weeks seems silly, most of these complaints are even sillier. If you're going to bag on iPhone users for spending "thousands in future cell phone bills," you need to bag on ALL data plan users.
So as not to mislead people I wish someone would address the difference between using a Heloc myself and paying off the mortgage and the $3,500 software method. I am not disagreeing with the method if you really want to pay off your mortgage (which is not always the best way to go) - just how does your software compare to the method of using a heloc yourself. When does the software program beat out the same method just using a Heloc from your bank?
Wish someone could explain that piece.
i'll be darned you really DID get loads of negative comments. i thought you were exaggerating.
I live in the old neighborhood of Hollywood, CA - so I am near the old transportation hub left over from the days of the red cars (altho it's now buses and the subway) - I have used those in an emergency - but Once again, I have heard the tales of a friend who decided to green it and ditch the car & they are not pretty. One positive thing is that public transportation is slowly getting more respectable here - for the longest time only the poorest were on the bus - and many of them have, well ISSUES.
Been finding vitamins at great discount with expiration dates at the end of the year. A guy at church who is studying to be a pharmacy assistant said that they could be weaker - but at the dosages I got I thought it would be OK - I did some internet research and learned that even for prescription DRUGS the expiration dates are EXTREMELY conservative and that with a few exceptions, stored drugs will last for YEARS. You just should check to see if the tablets have deteriorated, which will give you a sign of decomposition. So I feel much better about the CoQ10 I snagged at 99 cents a bottle (normally $25!!) and the other bargain supplements I get!! (Not to mention that I can use my old stash of anti-depressants in an emergency if I have to...)
Many of you have questioned the effect of spending $3500 (which is never out of pocket) verses simply going with the DIY method. The effect is clear: You will leave tens of thousands of potential saved interest on the table and pay for years longer. Over the tens of thousands of MMA's sold and hundreds of thousand's of free analysis preformed, you will be paying 27 months longer and paying $15,000-$25,000 more in interest verses using the MMA package and coaching program. That was under version 3. Version 4, out this month is 20% more aggressive in your payoff. Not only that you can do an UNLIMITED number of properties, boats, motor coaches, airplanes or whatever else you want at the same time, and you own it for life. There's also an optimizer package with automatic bill pay and other features available. On top of all that you must remember that besides using a HELOC you can us any other type of line of credit, including a credit card. AND now you don't even have to have that. We have an optimizer package that works simply with a standard checking and savings account. You can even finance part of the subscription fee! For those who don't own a home and still need the advantage of a debt reduction & coaching program there's the MMA express for $1795. So the question becomes would you spend $3500 to save $25,000 and two years? Of course you would!
I'll issue the same challenge now that I've issued all along: go to http://www.payoffyourhomenow.org and enter your numbers for a free analysis. There's NO WAY any DIY program will ever beat the power of the MMA period.
Man, this post was awesome, and really funny. And the commenters with their knickers in a bunch just made this all the more hilarious.
I humbly request more posts like these in hopes that more whiny materialists with some grandiose feeling of entitlement will comment and tell you "u r dum, appel is teh bests at phones!"
Oooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmm! Yeah. Driving slower is the answer to many challenges. It is kind of sad being tailgated by some angry person, but it really is their problem. It is so much safer to drive slower. Getting better gas mileage is worth the minor hassles. I really didn't want to mention it, but common courtesy and good manners are good for the soul. Granny
Yeah, this rant makes me a little sick. Hell, I could live without a mobile phone, but this is not a phone, it's a mobile computer.
Do you need a mobile computer? No. Do you need a computer? Nope. Do you need a calculator? Nada. Do you need paper and pen? Not really. People everywhere are surviving without any of that right now.
It's about improving the quality of life. If I can work more efficiently with a smart phone then I can have a happier life.
I don't have Cable TV. I don't pay for satellite radio. I pay for my part of a family plan for two phones that is $60/mo. I think I know how to handle my finances.
Oh, and I've spent about $30 out of pocket for this iPhone. Don't talk to me about being wise with my bread.
And yes, I waited a total of three hours for this device that was "just a phone".
A phone that will make me more productive at work. A phone that will provide me entertainment. All of this along with a social experience waiting in line, chatting with like-minded individuals who love technology.
If you don't get it, maybe you should write about something you DO understand. I think I got a bargain.
Every now and then I get very depressed. When this happens my immediate urge is to buy a macbook. Thank god I have a wonderful boyfriend who talks me down from the ledge. I got an ipod touch as a present (mom won it and couldnt work it out, haha) and the urge to buy a macbook was HUGE. Why? So my gadgets would match. How sick is that?
I am happy I didnt spend the money. Here in South Africa it is hugely expensive. I'd rather save that money for a deposit on a house one day. At least a house wont get dented or break easily.
(as an aside, I once read a question posted by a graphic designer with a DEGREE on some forum. The question read: "Any designers here on PC? Do you have any issues?"
I just thought to myself, my god person! Are you retarded? Just goes to show the power of peer pressure. Many people don't even know that non Mac options are even viable)
I think that showcasing the fact that you held a position for a significant amount of time is important, no matter what the job was in college.
For example, lets say the grad is applying for a job in finances somewhere, but held down a bartending gig for two years while keeping up their grades. Sure, the bartending experience isn't applicable to investments, but it does show commitment, and the ability to juggle work and studies successfully for an extended period of time.
Excellent article. It amazes me that people will stand in line hours for this new phone. We are in a recession though, right :)? If things were that bad in the economy, people would be struggling to put food on the table not standing in line for hours for a phone. People fail to take into account the true cost of owning this new gadget with the monthly plan required, etc. And, I'd be willing to bet most put this purchase on credit and are what the credit industry calls their beloved "revolvers" we pay the bare minimum each month.
I look at the iphone the way I look at Obama, lots of hype, but there are far better substitutes that will cost me far less in the long run.
so does that make me more or less "pathetic" than those that wanted one, and did?
Also, I have to chuckle at those who posted "I waited in line for x, but this is just a phone" Well, Harry Potter is just a book, Star Wars is just a movie, and Wii is just a video game. I saw some of the lines in NYC on Friday, and it was just as social of an event, just without the costumes (unless you count hipster as a costume).
though i don't see eye to eye with you on the iPhone as "just a phone" - i took a little bit of a positive spin...
http://fratboyinvestor.wordpress.com/2008/07/14/the-iphone-is-an-investm...