The Opposite of Zen (or When Fingers Become Sledgehammers)
If you work in a large office, chances are you've been there. Frantically rushing to dial into a conference call as the leader. The faster you go, the sloppier you get, increasing the likelihood you will misdial the phone number, conference code or PIN. Then, you get the dreaded robot message, "The number you have entered is not valid. Please try again..."
Click...AAAARGH!!!
Second try. Rushing even more this time you hit a wrong number. Robot message. Is this really happening?!
Finally, on the third try you gather your wits, slow it down, and success! Congratulations would be in order, except because of the impromptu Riverdance your fingers just performed, you are just hoping the participants are still there.
However, there IS a better way.
Your mobile phone has a "pause" key which causes a wait of about 2 seconds while dialing. Two pauses equals 4 seconds, three equals 6, etc. By using the pause, you can program your conference call number as a contact in your phone so the conference code and PIN will be dialed for you at the proper moments. It takes a bit of trial and error to get the timing right, but this is time well spent. So you put in the phone number, a pause(s) (represented by a comma), the conference code, pause(s), and then the PIN.
For example, my fake "Joe's con call" contact would look this (I've redacted the PIN):
+1(201) 333-2923,,,13842109#,,,*,,XXXXX#
This link explains how to use the pause for several types of mobile phones.
Depending on your desk phone, you may be able to work a similar solution, but alas, mine does not support pauses.
No more Riverdance and let the Zen dialing begin! EZPZ.
Top 10 Reasons to Shave Your Head (Well, my Top 10)
Alternate title: How a sunburn lowered stress, saved money, and helped me get married (not necessarily in that order).
Charlottesville is a scenic town about 2 hours south of Washington, D.C. and is home to the University of Virginia (Go Hoos!), which was founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819. Twice a year there is an event in Charlottesville called the Foxfield Races. You lay a picnic blanket on the grass and enjoy food and drinks with friends while watching horses race. It's a simpler version of the Kentucky derby, without the wacky hats.
A few years after I graduated I went to Foxfield with some college friends. It was a blisteringly hot day and we all got a lot of sun. I was visiting from NJ so that evening I crashed with some friends who lived in Alexandria, Virginia. In the morning I woke up with a killer headache. However, it was an odd sensation because my headaches usually hurt behind my eyes or at my temples. This one was more from the top of my head.
I went to wash my face and noticed in the mirror that my scalp was a rosy pink. After a few moments of pondering I realized with horror that the top of my head was sunburned! I had noticed my hair starting to thin in college, but this was serious.
Long story short, this was when I realized 1) my need for sunblock or a hat; 2) cutting my hair short, while helpful, didn't hide the fact that I was balding; and 3) I needed to do something about it. In the end, I decided to take the plunge and shave my head. This was an agonizing decision as I had no idea how I would look and shaved heads were not that common at the time.
It took some time to adjust for sure, but more than a decade later I can honestly say I wish I had done it earlier. After many years living with a shaved head, here is my list of the top 10 benefits.
10. A bottle of shampoo lasts almost a year and you don't need conditioner.
9. I save time and money by cutting my own hair.
8. Worry-free rides in convertibles, boats, and roller coasters.
7. The priceless look on the face of the VP of Employment Law (before I let him off the hook) when he realized I shaved my head as he was saying, "Something is different about you. I'm... not... sure... what..."
6. Getting ready in the morning is a lot quicker.
5. Never having to worry about changing my hairstyle.
4. It was the first thing my future wife noticed about me and she thinks it shows confidence.
3. No bed head.
2. No hat head.
And last, but not least...
1. NO bad hair days!
Who Is, Or Rather, Who Isn't Joe Kwon?
If you've stumbled across this site looking for Joe Kwon, unless you are looking for a Privacy and Compliance attorney, chances are you are not looking for me. This is not false humility, just a recognition that I'm not famous and when I search for myself on Google periodically, pretty much all of the hits are for Joe Kwon, the classically-trained cellist for the Avett brothers. We are both Korean, but my guess is the similarities end there.
The only one who thinks I have ANY musical ability is my mom ("Hercules! Hercules!"). As a child I took what were very painful piano lessons (though now I am thankful for them) and wasn't horrible, but ultimately realized that performing music was neither my talent nor my passion. Oh, and I played clarinet in school and had a brief stint in our high school marching band. I know, I know...please take a moment to let the cool wash over you.
Funny thing is, our CEO plays the banjo and is actually a HUGE Avett Brothers fan and sometimes I wonder, when he hears the name Joe Kwon, what pops into his head? My shaved head or the song "I and Love and You." And when I followed our CEO on Twitter and he followed me back right away...hmmm.
The more famous and musically talented Joe Kwon also has a blog. Check it out here: Taste, on Tour. He talks about and take pictures of restaurants he likes and fellow diners. I imagine some of the more memorable moments on tour happen during these meals while breaking bread.
I started my EZPZ blog to share things that make me happy and make my life just a little easier. The sort of thing you would have a good conversation with a friend or close coworker about. So If you have a moment, please take a look around.
And if you really need to find another Joe Kwon, here are a few others:
Dr. Joe Kwon, psychiatrist
Jo Kwon, K-pop star