I take this moment to realize and never forget that we are young only once. This is the age where we look best and do best.
The problem comes when we crave for what we don't have? Why do we crave btw? The answer is simple, we forget what we have. Well said, No man knows he is young while he is young- G.K.Chesterton. So, lets keep refreshing our memory every now and then.
One advice that is put so well in words and beautifully sang is Wear Sunscreen by Baz Luhrmann. "Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded".
So good luck with that!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
One and one quarter year with Mini Cooper S
I can't believe it has been 1 yr 4 months already since I bought my Mini Cooper S. When I was looking for a car to buy, the ones that I had in my mind were Saturn sky, Pontiac G6 convertible or VW Jetta. I test drove Pontiac G6 convertible, I was impressed and I loved it. A new car was always my choice but may be within $24k. But then one day, a random search led me to Mini cooper. It is within my price range, got absolutely fantastic looks, engine power and is unique.
I want to consolidate a long time review about the mini. Can I say long time? may be, it is more than a year and it is a first hand experience. To start with, my Mini Cooper S is a 2007 model, sparkling silver metallic paint and premium package (multi-function steering wheel, sports leather steering wheel, moon roof, automatic A/C) with fuel economy of 26/33 mph.
Turbo charged, direct injected 1.6 liter, 16-valve inline 4-cylinder engine (172hp)
MacPherson front suspension,
electronic throttle, automatic transmission with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters (this made the semi automatic transmission so easy to play with),
sport button with increased throttle and power steering (sport button significantly increases the pick up and power- I am totally astonished by this capability)
Anti lock braking system (ABS), Corner Brake Control (CBC), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)- the brakes are awesome, you can come to a halt while driving in 70mph in a flash without making the passengers lean forward (unless you hit the brakes insanely)
Run flat tires- mini uses them because it cannot provide space for a spare tire, the positive side is, it can run on flat tires up to 100 miles at reduced speed, but, they are costly to replace
centered twin pipe exhaust (Had to take it to dealer after mini recalled to reduce the length of exhuast pipe by an inch or so
remote keyless entry- I never have to take my keys out of my bag, it is very convenient, enter, start and lock the car without key
all season traction control, check control vehicle monitor system, convenience package (auto diminishing rearview mirror, rain sensor and bluetooth), birds eye vents for A/C. I have black bonnet stripes with white edges, checkered flag dashboard and mini cooper S emblem.
The only time I had to take it to the dealer was when there was an engine indicator lamp. The dealer said it was repeating during cold start and was fixed.
I will soon update with some pictures and more info.
I want to consolidate a long time review about the mini. Can I say long time? may be, it is more than a year and it is a first hand experience. To start with, my Mini Cooper S is a 2007 model, sparkling silver metallic paint and premium package (multi-function steering wheel, sports leather steering wheel, moon roof, automatic A/C) with fuel economy of 26/33 mph.
Turbo charged, direct injected 1.6 liter, 16-valve inline 4-cylinder engine (172hp)
MacPherson front suspension,
electronic throttle, automatic transmission with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters (this made the semi automatic transmission so easy to play with),
sport button with increased throttle and power steering (sport button significantly increases the pick up and power- I am totally astonished by this capability)
Anti lock braking system (ABS), Corner Brake Control (CBC), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)- the brakes are awesome, you can come to a halt while driving in 70mph in a flash without making the passengers lean forward (unless you hit the brakes insanely)
Run flat tires- mini uses them because it cannot provide space for a spare tire, the positive side is, it can run on flat tires up to 100 miles at reduced speed, but, they are costly to replace
centered twin pipe exhaust (Had to take it to dealer after mini recalled to reduce the length of exhuast pipe by an inch or so
remote keyless entry- I never have to take my keys out of my bag, it is very convenient, enter, start and lock the car without key
all season traction control, check control vehicle monitor system, convenience package (auto diminishing rearview mirror, rain sensor and bluetooth), birds eye vents for A/C. I have black bonnet stripes with white edges, checkered flag dashboard and mini cooper S emblem.
The only time I had to take it to the dealer was when there was an engine indicator lamp. The dealer said it was repeating during cold start and was fixed.
I will soon update with some pictures and more info.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Review of the movie Seven Samurai
I recently watched a movie called Seven Samurai, a 1950's japanese movie with english subtitles. The story is about a small village trying to fight local bandits with the help of seven samurai. The villagers come to know that the bandits are planning to rob the town once they get the crop the year later. Three villagers set their journey to a town to find samurai to help them defend their village.
Some things are really interesting in the village like, when the whole village, men, women and children, gather at the center of the tiny village and start crying with their heads down and body crumpled when they find out that the bandits are going to steal everything they have, very soon. And also, when they don't have the money to hire samurai, they go on, to find a hungry and strong samurai with a bag of rice to offer him. Even though they are hungry, they cannot eat the rice. They face a lot of humiliation in their quest to find the samurai when the villagers have nothing to offer except a bowl of rice.
And finally when they find the samurai, some of the local villagers are worried that their daughters may fall in love with the samurai. It is surprising that they are worried about the pain caused by a small prick when their head is under the axe.
Later, it is revealed , that the villagers once killed many samurai who came to their village and now the same samurai are sacrificing their lives to help these villagers. And there comes the difference when the wise men forgive the ignorant and help them. Through out the movie the seven samurai always remain cheerful and in good spirits and support the village.
Some of my favorite quotes in the movie
"Haven't you seen anyone cut wood before?
Not with such enthusiasm,
Thats my nature! "
"I've got nothing out of fighting
I'm alone in the world"
"If you treat him as an adult, he'll grow into an adult"
"The one that gets away always looks good"
I felt like the director took his time in showing every detail which makes the movie so interesting and touching. Finally, the movie remains on my top list with extraordinary ratings.
Here is a clip from the movie and remember it is 1950's movie.
Some things are really interesting in the village like, when the whole village, men, women and children, gather at the center of the tiny village and start crying with their heads down and body crumpled when they find out that the bandits are going to steal everything they have, very soon. And also, when they don't have the money to hire samurai, they go on, to find a hungry and strong samurai with a bag of rice to offer him. Even though they are hungry, they cannot eat the rice. They face a lot of humiliation in their quest to find the samurai when the villagers have nothing to offer except a bowl of rice.
And finally when they find the samurai, some of the local villagers are worried that their daughters may fall in love with the samurai. It is surprising that they are worried about the pain caused by a small prick when their head is under the axe.
Later, it is revealed , that the villagers once killed many samurai who came to their village and now the same samurai are sacrificing their lives to help these villagers. And there comes the difference when the wise men forgive the ignorant and help them. Through out the movie the seven samurai always remain cheerful and in good spirits and support the village.
Some of my favorite quotes in the movie
"Haven't you seen anyone cut wood before?
Not with such enthusiasm,
Thats my nature! "
"I've got nothing out of fighting
I'm alone in the world"
"If you treat him as an adult, he'll grow into an adult"
"The one that gets away always looks good"
I felt like the director took his time in showing every detail which makes the movie so interesting and touching. Finally, the movie remains on my top list with extraordinary ratings.
Here is a clip from the movie and remember it is 1950's movie.
FICA taxes during OPT
This is good news! I am not sure how many F1 students file refund for FICA taxes during OPT, but it is interesting to know that, social security and medicare taxes should not be withheld unless the student is considered a resident alien. But are we considered prospective resident alien? the answer is No. Unless your stay of period is not more than 5 yrs, you are still a nonresident alien. And did you forget to file for the FICA taxes for the past years, no worries, just file a seperate form for each year and you will get your refund. Isnt it great?
And btw, why can't employers include the exemption in our pay checks? The answer is, it is always easy for them to give a pay check equivalent to all other employees and there is a clearly laid out procedure for us to claim the refund.
Here are some of the websites that has all the info abt how to file for the refund. The most important thing we have to do before filing the FICA taxes with IRS is, to ask the employer to give the refund. But if the employer cannot refund, we have to obtain a letter from them stating that they are unable to refund X amount of FICA taxes.
http://taxipay.blogspot.com/2008/03/non-resident-exempt-individual-social.html
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=129427,00.html
I heard from some of my friends that employers don't like to give these kind of statements, but it is a matter of making them understand the exemption F1 students have in paying these taxes. You can always show them the IRS link and try your luck. If the employer is still not convinced, you can say in the application that you are unable to get the letter from your employer and include reasons why.
The application has to be filed seperately from tax returns and you can find where to send the application below
http://www.irs.gov/file/content/0,,id=105693,00.html
Most of us tend to file taxes online as a resident by using form 1040 but that makes you not eligble to claim for FICA taxes since IRS treats you as a resident alien. Please click comments for more information.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I filed for FICA taxes refund for my opt period from Oct 2007 to Sept 2008. I used seperate forms for each year but posted together with the letter from employer and refund amount calculated (used my pay checks to show the total). This is the timeline of the process.
March 22, 2008: Mailed to the nearest IRS service center which is Fresno, CA.
April 15: Called IRS to confirm that they received the application and to update my address
April 24: got a letter that they haven't completed all the research necessary for a complete response
May 22: got another letter saying that they are forwarding my application to IRS Philadelphia
June 20: got a package with a copy of my application (stamped Received) and contact info if i have any questions. (pleasantly surprised of how they have been in touch with me all through the process)
July 06: Confirmed my 2007 claim is processed and denied 2008 claim. This is expected because I have filed Form 1040 for 2008 (did this intentionally). Also they have sent my 2008 information back and suggested I can file amended 1040r and refile. A contact person info if I have any questions.
Aug 11: Called IRS Philadelphia to find out the estimate time to receive the refund. I was told it takes 46 weeks to get the refund. Unbelievable!!! I have couple of questions still need to find answers for:
1. Is the 46 weeks the maximum time and doesn't mean it takes that long?
2. How soon others got their refunds?
Aug 31: Got the check from the US dept of Treasury!!!!! Awesome!
P.S: I highly appreciate any comments or if you have got the refund or got rejected or any kind of input.
And btw, why can't employers include the exemption in our pay checks? The answer is, it is always easy for them to give a pay check equivalent to all other employees and there is a clearly laid out procedure for us to claim the refund.
Here are some of the websites that has all the info abt how to file for the refund. The most important thing we have to do before filing the FICA taxes with IRS is, to ask the employer to give the refund. But if the employer cannot refund, we have to obtain a letter from them stating that they are unable to refund X amount of FICA taxes.
http://taxipay.blogspot.com/2008/03/non-resident-exempt-individual-social.html
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=129427,00.html
I heard from some of my friends that employers don't like to give these kind of statements, but it is a matter of making them understand the exemption F1 students have in paying these taxes. You can always show them the IRS link and try your luck. If the employer is still not convinced, you can say in the application that you are unable to get the letter from your employer and include reasons why.
The application has to be filed seperately from tax returns and you can find where to send the application below
http://www.irs.gov/file/content/0,,id=105693,00.html
Most of us tend to file taxes online as a resident by using form 1040 but that makes you not eligble to claim for FICA taxes since IRS treats you as a resident alien. Please click comments for more information.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I filed for FICA taxes refund for my opt period from Oct 2007 to Sept 2008. I used seperate forms for each year but posted together with the letter from employer and refund amount calculated (used my pay checks to show the total). This is the timeline of the process.
March 22, 2008: Mailed to the nearest IRS service center which is Fresno, CA.
April 15: Called IRS to confirm that they received the application and to update my address
April 24: got a letter that they haven't completed all the research necessary for a complete response
May 22: got another letter saying that they are forwarding my application to IRS Philadelphia
June 20: got a package with a copy of my application (stamped Received) and contact info if i have any questions. (pleasantly surprised of how they have been in touch with me all through the process)
July 06: Confirmed my 2007 claim is processed and denied 2008 claim. This is expected because I have filed Form 1040 for 2008 (did this intentionally). Also they have sent my 2008 information back and suggested I can file amended 1040r and refile. A contact person info if I have any questions.
Aug 11: Called IRS Philadelphia to find out the estimate time to receive the refund. I was told it takes 46 weeks to get the refund. Unbelievable!!! I have couple of questions still need to find answers for:
1. Is the 46 weeks the maximum time and doesn't mean it takes that long?
2. How soon others got their refunds?
Aug 31: Got the check from the US dept of Treasury!!!!! Awesome!
P.S: I highly appreciate any comments or if you have got the refund or got rejected or any kind of input.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)