CrackBerry Storm vs. Samsung Alias 2

This summer has brought many wonders, adventures, and relaxation. Along with these amenities summer brought me the biggest cell phone headache since I can remember. At the end of fifth grade I got my first cell phone and I've been technology-obsessed ever since. It became imperative to always have the latest, greatest technology. I never followed Verizon's standard 2-year contract policy which allowed me to get a new phone every 24 months. Didn't they know a cooler phone came out at least once a year? I found myself, 12 years old, shelling out $200 of birthday money annually for the out-of-contract upgrade. Upon receiving my new, shiny phone I would love it, name it, clean it, and keep it always at my side.

Roughly a year ago I got a new phone, the Samsung Alias, or SCH-U740. It was between that and the BlackBerry Curve, which has a SAR rating of 1.51 w/kg. SAR is the Specific Absortion Rate of radiation emitted from our cellphones. Although there is no conclusive evidence that this radiation is harmful, I am not one to take the risk. So, I grew satisfied with my little Samsung. It flipped in two directions and was small enough to fit in my pocket, my Marc by Marc Jacobs tiny purse, and my shoe if I had to be sneaky. And knowing me, I treated this phone like my little baby. It was almost tragic when, a month after purchase, I watched the phone fly out of my pocket and into a clean toilet. I rescued it, because, who wouldn't rescue their drowning baby?

Upon removing my phone from the toilet I put it under a hot lamp in attempts to dry it. Two hours later my phone miraculously turned on, not changed an ounce except for the "indicator." This "indicator," which detects water damage, had changed colors. I went on, for ten months, with this lovely phone, which continued to work despite its little swim. It was to my surprise, a few weeks ago, that it started malfunctioning. I will stop telling you this portion of the story, because I do not have the energy to critique Verizon Wireless for all the pain they caused me, and all the time they took from me.

Fixing my phone, which had "liquid damage" according to the lady with finger nails longer than a train opposing me at the counter, would be more expensive than getting a new one. So, after hours of research I learned that the BlackBerry Storm, had a very very low SAR rating. I went for it, bought the BlackBerry, and loved it..for a day. Which brings me to my next topic, Smartphones.

Who needs them? Where did they come from? Which is better, and iPhone or a BlacBberry? The BlackBerry I chose, the Storm, is a touch phone. It's not just any touch phone, it is a "click-to-touch" phone, which gives the user a simulated button feel. It is the single handedly most hard to use phone I have ever met. I consider myself a technologically savvy teenager, and I was stumped. It wouldn't hold a charge for even a day. And on top of the weird, confusing, impractical technology, I had to wake up with emails by my side. I couldn't, even for a moment, disconnect myself from the ubiquitous world of constant information. I gave it three weeks, three weeks to prove to me that I needed a BlackBerry at sixteen years old. And in the end I realized that a "smartphone" just isn't for me, right now. I have the rest of my life to get my email while on the freeway, so why pay the extra $30 a month for something that just doesn't serve my best interest. This is not to say that I do not fully envy how cute you look on your iPhone when it rings and sounds like a Xylophone or an old fashioned telephone. Or that when you get a BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) on your adorable new Tour that I don't cringe with a bit of jealousy. It's that right now...it's not for me.

So, with much pride and adoration, I introduce to you the Samsung Alias 2 (SCH-U750). It is the new version of my old phone and makes me feel much more at home. And, p.s., its kinda the coolest phone on the market...it has magic keys ; ). Really, if you don't believe me, see for yourself.

Raindrops on Roses and Gluten in Wheat

A week ago today I stood shaking in a doctor's office. I sat, in the waiting room, holding both of my arms to my stomach, crying. I have a severe case of needle-phobia, which I had to get over in order to find out what kind of case of Celiac Disease I have. Celiac Disease is the disease among people who's bodies cannot digest the protein found in wheat, gluten.

Now there's a word that's been spoken in my life very frequently in the past 7 months. In February, I diagnosed myself with Candida. Something had to account for my constant headaches and fatigue. The Candida diet, which attempted to clear all fungus from my intestine (yuck), was rigorous. No sugar, pasta, bread, rice, vinegar, fruit, soy sauce, ketchup, potatoes... And after two months of that, I saw a doctor, who told me the "Western World," seldom recognizes Candida as a real condition. She thought, instead, I might have Celiac disease...or a "gluten intolerance." So, after roughly 7 months of being gluten-free, I find out I do not have the very serious disease associated with gluten intolerance. I also know, due to extensive research about my potential condition, that these blood tests can easily come up as a false negative, especially for patients who are already on gluten-free diets.

So, technically, my journey to discover what I can eat and what I can't is not over. I could eat gluten (yum!) for a few weeks and then get my blood taken again. Or I could get tested for gluten intolerance or a wheat allergy...(which must be what I have..) Or, the option I favor, I could get in my car and have the first Sprinkles cupcake in 7 months.

xoxo,

natasha