Poor Grad Student Shares Money Saving Secrets

Though I do have a pretty good tuition deal, as a graduate student, I'm not exactly rolling in the dough. As a result, I make it a point to dig for deals in any and all of my purchases.

Apparently, my reputation for garnering good deals proceeds me. There have been several requests for me to post some of my money-saving tips on my blog (ok, maybe more like one request, but there should have been several:). So if you want to save some money, read up! Here are some of my favorite sites for the thrifty-at-heart.

The best site ever was recently brought to my attention by Anne, my internet informant. Seriously, it's awesome. www.gomusicnow.com is a Russian music site (in English!) that sells entire albums for around $1.50, and single songs for 9 cents. Take that iTunes! I'm not paying $1.29 for a single song. You can pretty much find any album you want on this site. PLUS, albums are released a week earlier on this site than they are in the U.S. The only catch (which is not really a catch) is that you have to put $25 on your account at first. Then, the site acts like a debit card, subtracting from you account as you purchase albums. As soon as songs are downloaded, they go directly to you iTunes player. Anyone who doesn't take advantage of this site is kind of weird.

Speaking of music, another great way to save money on music (without downloading from those illegal sites) is to share music with friends through Dropbox.com. You can just create a folder with a friend, and share music by dropping your mp3s in the dropbox, and downloading ones that were dropped for you.

When it comes to more tangible products, such as makeup, all I can say is ebay, ebay, ebay!!! Seriously people, NEVER pay full price for makeup. Whenever I need something, I head straight for ebay and usually get it for at the very least, 25% retail prices. My latest steal was six pigment eyeshadows from L'oreal, that retail at about $10 each. What did I pay for them? $8 for ALL. Score. Usually, these deals are possible because individuals will sell items on ebay at wholesale prices. Other things I usually nab on that site are lotions, Crest white strips, and just recently a North Face jacket for $70 off. It's sweet.

OK I have to start working on my homework. I don't want to. Go save some money!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNE

That's all. I hope your six-year anniversary of 21 is fun.

Belated Halloween Post: Blackface. Halloween Fail.

It continues to amaze me that people don’t get that dressing up in blackface for Halloween is not okay. Most white people my age, they have never even heard of blackface, so when I suggest that it’s highly offensive, they are often like, “yeah, whatever.

Hey, I didn’t make the rules – and neither did you. You can’t just say it’s not offensive, and then expect no one to be offended by it. Unless you want to go back and chnge historyand I haven’t met anyone with those capabilities yet. It is arrogant to assume that you, a white person, can decide that something doesn’t matter anymore. That’s as arrogant as the white people who decided to play blackface in the first place – because blacks weren't good enough to represent themselves.

Now I know many people just don’t know about the history of blackface. If you don't, Wikipedia it. Wikipedia=the answer to everything. Anyway, I found out about blackface my junior year of high school. We were in a Native American unit in history class, and had to do some group project on Native Americans. I don't remember the point is us doing this, but our group decided to make a video portraying stereotypes of Native Americans. So, some of the guys painted their faces red/brown, and pretended to drink a lot of beer.

I look back and wince. Needless to say, our history teacher was quick to gently point out the inappropriateness of our portrayal --- and the reason behind it.

In conclusion, if you still don't believe me that blackface is offensive, google how many news stories there are about some witless white person donning it on Halloween and creating a ruckus. This year, the ruckus was centered on a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, who decided to be Lil' Wayne. It didn't work out too well for her, as you can imagine.

The end.

Lady Gaga is Crazy

But, highly addictive. My personal gossip columnist/J-school colleague Melissa informed me of Gaga's latest creation this morning, and it was stuck in both of our heads for the rest of the day. Check out her new video and you too, may be strangely fascinated, and singing "bad romance" all day long...

Bad Romance, Lady Gaga

Deep Thoughts on the Next Decade

I feel bad for people who are going to graduate in this upcoming decade. Not because of jobs, or air pollution or whatever, but because it's going to be awkward saying their graduation year.

This enlightening thought popped into my mind as I was crossing the Washington Ave. Bridge this afternoon. I noticed a sign that read "Help welcome the class of 2014." I then realized that this year's graduating class was the class of '10. The class of '10. That sucks. You ask someone when they graduate and they say "ten." Ten what? Ten days, ten months? Just think about saying, "I'm the class of '11." The class of 11. It just doesn't sound right. The number is low enough where it sounds like there are eleven people in your class.

In addition to feeling sorry for the upcoming graduating classes, I began to realize how old I am becoming. Whew! Oh well. To quote Oscar Wilde, "What is youth but an unripe time?" I am much happier now than I ever was in my early twenties. Granted, I'm not actually old yet but whatever... I'm choosing to believe that life gets better with age.

Plus, the class of '05 doesn't sound awkward. Sure, I graduated in a decade that no one could decide what to name (the Ots? 2000s? Tens?), but at least the individual years sound good. That's more than the "teens" decade will be able to say.

A Lesson on Aspberger's

The other day, my ever-so-in-the-know roommate Molly asked if I’d heard of the writer Penelope Trunk. I had not, so I decided to google her, and the search brought up a plethora of results. Apparently, she’s been in the a lot of reputable newspapers, and currently writes a blog called the “Brazen Careerist,” in which she gives career advice--particularly to individuals in their twenties. I was relatively impressed with her writing, and was half-way through her most recent post, when Trunk casually mentioned she had Asperger’s Syndrome.

I was confused. Asperger’s is a mild form of Autism. Usually, people living with Asperger’s lack social skills needed for career success. That was my impression anyway. So, I asked Molly—who happens to be an Autism specialist thanks to her job—how someone with Asperger’s, like Trunk, could be so successful.

Molly’s reply was very educational. Your insight into the realm of autism will double, perhaps even triple, after reading her responses below. Note: This conversation was over gchat. The modern way to socialize.

Autism Gchat Convo. 101.

me: how do you function in society with Aspberger’s? I mean, be successful? That would explain why she broadcast her miscarriage on twitter I suppose

Molly: I have a staff who has it, and yes that would explain it. Autism is weird because you can move from having "severe autism" to Aspberger’s in some cases with the proper interventions. Some kids also start out without having any diagnosis, are developing typically and then begin to lose all language and social skills and are diagnosed with autism, this happened to a client at age 14, regressive autism its called I believe.

Strange, isn’t it? That’s why everyone is so concerned about the epidemic. One in every 150 kids is being diagnosed on the spectrum!

me: Wow that sucks, 14! So this trunk woman, can she function normally then? I mean, if she's successfully giving people advice?

Molly: Well, she's probably gone through a TON of cognitive-behavioral therapy and still does it, probably a lot of things she does seem off to most people, but they probably can't quite put their finger on what it is. For example saying exactly what she thinks.

me: Yeah. I suppose. It's just strange because I always thought you need good social skills to be in a field of career advice and journalism.

Molly: She probably has a really hard times in loud, bright places and needs a lot of breaks, its probably all stuff that is manageable now, but was super difficult to control. People with Aspberger’s usually go through intensive cognitive behavioral therapy and do social skills groups where they learn what is appropriate and what is not. They may understand life as more scripted than you or I, because that's how their minds function. They can for sure do it; they just have to learn it differently than other kids

me: It's more like, live by laws...rather than by relationship…I just subscribed to her blog, it's good.

Molly: Yeah, to some degree, but its not to say that there's no emotion, because there definitely is, it’s just difficult for them to process through it.

me: Perhaps I will have to turn this informative gchat into a blog.

Molly: YES! Success! You should interview me more. I am informative. ...On the ground!

Editor's Note: The "on the ground" references was to a SNL digital short you must google. Now.

Rain Rain Go Away & Halloween Blues

What's going on here? Do I live in Seattle? It's been raining for like, all of October. I don't think I've ever kept my umbrella in my schoolbag before. I just sounded like a second grader when I said schoolbag. Oh well.

Ok, let's transition to Halloween. I have always been really annoyed with Halloween. It takes so much effort to come up with a costume, and I'm forced to once a year. Usually, I just throw something stupid on the day of, but this year, I feel obligated to think out my false persona for once.

How do people come up with good costume ideas? I have no idea. Everything I think of either requires too much money, too much effort, or is really lame. Last year, I was an ex-pat. It was kind of stupid. My friends came up with killer ideas. Four of them were the perfect representation of John and Cindy McCain, and Sarah and Todd Palin. I had a colorful sheet wrapped around me.

Something's gotta give. Perhaps it will this year. I have plans to attack the Salvation Army downtown tomorrow, in hopes to find Halloween costume gold. Wish me luck.