Best feature ever from American Express
I'm sure this has happened to everyone: your favorite toy suddenly stops working unexpectedly and for no reason. This past Sunday I got into my car, pulled my GPS from its neat little carrying case that was sitting in my glove box, and turned it on. Nothing. Dead battery? Nope, absolutely nothing. Thankfully I knew where I was going that day. I had bought the device in December 2009 for $160 from Amazon.com. It came with a one year warranty from Garmin. So what do I do? Sunday night I call up American Express (I have the Blue Cash card), and file a claim, which takes about 5 minutes. Monday afternoon I get an email from them saying they are crediting my account $160. Tuesday I buy a new GPS with updated maps and features and I'm back in business by Thursday. This great service by American Express adds one year warranty to the manufacturer's warranty and it really is that easy. How much does it cost? Absolutely nothing. No annual fee, no service fee, no headaches, no hassles. And seeing that I always pay my balance in full, I don't even pay them interest. Yet it has probably saved me $700 in the 10 years I've had this card.
So, next time you buy something that might break, consider putting it on your Amex card (note: a few other cards also offer this service). They also offer some other cool perks such as 90 day theft/loss protection.
Fresh Tomatoes!
I've heard and read many complaints the past few 
years about how crappy tomatoes are that you buy at a grocery store these days. Well, three years after I started my garden I FINALLY got my first real full-sized tomato to grow (year #1 it rained the entire summer, year #2 squirrels ate them all).
As for the complaints, they are all very justified. I ate it tonight and I can't believe the difference compared to what I'm used to from a store, the flavor was almost over powering. Can't wait to have more ripen and make make some guac with them.
Driving in India
I normally hate email forwards, but seeing as I was fortunate enough to get to travel to Bangalore India this past spring, I couldn't agree more with this summary. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined driving and roads like I saw there. Essentially, there are NO RULES. If you want just a taste of what you might see, here is a good example: Youtube This hilarious article was written by an Expat from Baan, Netherlands, who spent two years in Hyderabad.
For the benefit of every Tom, Dick and Harry visiting India and daring to drive on Indian roads, I am offering a few hints for survival. They are applicable to every place in India except Bihar, where life outside a vehicle is only marginally safer. Indian road rules broadly operate within the domain of karma where you do your best, and leave the results to your insurance company. The hints are as follows:
Do we drive on the left or right of the road?
The answer is "both". Basically you start on the left of the road, unless it is occupied. In that case, go to the right, unless that is also occupied. Then proceed by occupying the next available gap, as in chess. Just trust your instincts, ascertain the direction, and proceed. Adherence to road rules leads to much misery and occasional fatality. Most drivers don't drive, but just aim their vehicles in the intended direction. Don't you get discouraged or underestimate yourself except for a belief in re-incarnation, the other drivers are not in any better position.
Don't stop at pedestrian crossings just because some fool wants to cross the road. You may do so only if you enjoy being bumped in the back. Pedestrians have been strictly instructed to cross only when traffic is moving slowly or has come to a dead stop because some minister is in town. Still some idiot may try to wade across, but then, let us not talk ill of the dead.
Blowing your horn is not a sign of protest as in some countries. We horn to express joy, resentment, frustration, romance and bare lust (two brisk blasts), or, just mobilize a dozing cow in the middle of the bazaar.
Keep informative books in the glove compartment. You may read them during traffic jams, while awaiting the chief minister's motorcade, or waiting for the rainwaters to recede when over ground traffic meets underground drainage.
Occasionally you might see what looks like a UFO with blinking colored lights and weird sounds emanating from within. This is an illuminated bus, full of happy pilgrims singing bhajans. These pilgrims go at breakneck speed, seeking contact with the Almighty, often meeting with success.
Auto Rickshaw (Baby Taxi): The result of a collision between a rickshaw and an automobile, this three-wheeled vehicle works on an external combustion engine that runs on a mixture of kerosene oil and creosote. This triangular vehicle carries iron rods, gas cylinders or passengers three times its weight and dimension, at an unspecified fare. After careful geometric calculations, children are folded and packed into these auto rickshaws until some children in the periphery are not in contact with the vehicle at all. Then their school bags are pushed into the microscopic gaps all round so those minor collisions with other vehicles on the road cause no permanent damage. Of course, the peripheral children are charged half the fare and also learn Newton's laws of motion en route to school. Auto-rickshaw drivers follow the road rules depicted in the film Ben Hur, and are licensed to irritate.
Mopeds: The moped looks like an oil tin on wheels and makes noise like an electric shaver. It runs 30 miles on a teaspoon of petrol and travels at break-bottom speed. As the sides of the road are too rough for a ride, the moped drivers tend to drive in the middle of the road; they would rather drive under heavier vehicles instead of around them and are often “mopped" off the tarmac.
Leaning Towers of Passes: Most bus passengers are given free passes and during rush hours, there is absolute mayhem. There are passengers hanging off other passengers, who in turn hang off the railings and the overloaded bus leans dangerously, defying laws of gravity but obeying laws of surface tension. As drivers get paid for overload (so many Rupees per kg of passenger), no questions are ever asked. Steer clear of these buses by a width of three passengers.
One-way Street: These boards are put up by traffic people to add jest in their otherwise drab lives. Don't stick to the literal meaning and proceed in one direction. In metaphysical terms, it means that you cannot proceed in two directions at once. So drive, as you like, in reverse throughout, if you are the fussy type. Least I sound hypercritical; I must add a positive point also. Rash and fast driving in residential areas has been prevented by providing a "speed breaker"; two for each house.
This mound, incidentally, covers the water and drainage pipes for that residence and is left untarred for easy identification by the corporation authorities, should they want to recover the pipe for year-end accounting.
Night driving on Indian roads can be an exhilarating experience (for those with the mental makeup of Genghis Khan). In a way, it is like playing Russian roulette, because you do not know who amongst the drivers is loaded. What looks like premature dawn on the horizon turns out to be a truck attempting a speed record. On encountering it, just pull partly into the field adjoining the road until the phenomenon passes. Our roads do not have shoulders, but occasional boulders. Do not blink your lights expecting reciprocation. The only dim thing in the truck is the driver, and with the peg of illicit arrack (alcohol) he has had at the last stop, his total cerebral functions add up to little more than a naught. Truck drivers are the James Bonds of India, and are licensed to kill. Often you may encounter a single powerful beam of light about six feet above the ground. This is not a super motorbike, but a truck approaching you with a single light on, usually the left one. It could be the right one, but never get too close to investigate. You may prove your point posthumously. Of course, all this occurs at night, on the trunk roads. During the daytime, trucks are more visible, except that the drivers will never show any Signal. (And you must watch for the absent signals; they are the greater threat). Only, you will often observe that the cleaner who sits next to the driver, will project his hand and wave hysterically.
This is definitely not to be construed as a signal for a left turn. The waving is just a statement of physical relief on a hot day. If, after all this, you still want to drive in India, have your lessons between 8 pm and 11 am-when the police have gone home and The citizen is then free to enjoy the 'FREEDOM OF SPEED' enshrined in our constitution.
Mountain Dew, candy, and chips. Seriously?
One can buy junk food and soda with tax payer money? Watching this first hand the other day really gave me a shock, this sure does seem pretty sad, huh? Social welfare programs like government paid for food, housing, and medical care are obviously a very big partisan issue lately, and in many respects are at the heart of the "raise taxes vs. cut spending" budget debate going on right now with the Federal government. As a liberal, I believe that the people that can afford it (like myself) should help support those who can't. Yes, I know there is abuse and the system in place is not perfect, but when push comes to shove I'd rather know that I'm helping those that truly need it (unfortunately alongside those that likely don't) instead of just leaving everyone out to dry.
With that said, and knowing I'm a supporter of welfare programs, I was very disappointed the other day when I watched this purchase that indirectly used my money. It just killed me to learn that this was allowed. It would be great to see the various welfare programs working a little more collaboratively. If you cut publicly paid for junk food, you will cut health care expenses in the long term: I really think it is that simple.
Welfare programs should pay for what people need, not what people want, and if those using food stamps want junk food they will either do without or find another way to pay for it. For example, public money should pay for programs such as the "Boston Bounty Bucks" (details), which is a program sponsored by the non-profit "The Food Project" and the City of Boston to allow discounts at Farmer's Markets for those paying with food stamp programs.
In case you were curious what is or is not offered as guidance, below is what the official website says (here for details):
You can buy any food item except food that is hot when you buy it, or food that is sold to be eaten in the store like restaurant food. Eligible food items include:
- any food products or ingredients used to prepare meals at home
- cold prepared sandwiches, salads, and other deli items
- ethnic and health foods
- snack foods, candy, soda, and ice