Isn't it Ironic

 

I know this blog is called Know It All In NJ, but I have been fresh out of things I know it all about for quite some time. And I'm actually calling for a cessation to needing to give opinions on every single thing, when really, sometimes, it better to say nothing. 

 

This blog started out as a place to put all my thoughts, opinions, life hacks, etc. And I could control the commentary. If someone made rude or nasty comments, I could just delete or not allow the comment to be posted at all. It wasn't like putting something out on Facebook, even something I thought was just funny and innocuous yet, would somehow be taken too seriously or personally by at least one or two and it would turn into something I wasn't looking for, like an argument or having to explain myself. It was annoying. The blog was better for me because I could say what I wanted and not have to deal with anyone else's responses if I didn't want. I'd share the entries on the Facebook page I made for my blog but most of the time the commentary was civil and it wasn't a huge THING. 

 

Then I stopped writing so much because there was Covid lockdown, E was getting older and I didn't have anymore kid places to review, I don't really go anywhere or do anything new. I kind of stopped driving - for no real reason. I drive, I just don't drive A LOT anymore. I didn't even get a new car- when my lease was up, Jeep discontinued my car, and the cost of leases and financing was so high, I'd have to get a lesser car for more money. I just bought out my car instead. So I didn't even have a new car to review.

 

It's more than that though.  I think it's actually been since October 7, 2023 that I have been thinking this more and more.  Not everyone needs to give their opinion all of the time. A lot of stuff has gone down in the past few years and the fact is- most people have no idea what they're talking about. I don't get my news from TikTok or podcasts. I don't watch CNN, MSNBC, FOX, and whatever news or infotainment channels are out there. I watch my news on ABC Eyewitness News with Bill Ritter. I trust Bill. And Howard Stern. But Stern isn't talking news or politics anymore. Beyond that- I do look stuff up on the internet. But I check a bunch of sources before I believe something and to get the whole picture. 

 

When I realized that American Jews really don't have a home politically, when the left unexpectedly let us down and the right was never our people, and we found that we're basically on an island alone as far as allies, I just started watching. I watch what people post on Facebook and Instagram and I just take it in. I've seen some shocking bedfellows. Fellow American Jews jumping ship from left to right, because of Israel. Even though in my book, right is definitely wrong. People whom have shocked, disappointed, angered, me with their stances on a variety of topics that I know they really know zero about and are just parroting what they've taken in from TikTok. Or FOX or Newsmax or wherever right wing people get their information. People who have had such insane, wrong, skewed information they've disseminated with absolutely no facts to back it up. I just watch. 

 

And I continue to watch. It's never going to be good when what's going on in the middle east is reduced to one minute commentary in a Reel or TikTok. Or in sound bites in a meme or story. I also just don't have the mental bandwidth to debate or question people anymore. I used to have it in me, but now I think, what's the endgame? They aren't going to change their mind. It's just a waste of my time and energy. THEY DON'T CARE. I think that's really it. I finally know - they don't care what I think or have to say. I can put my time and energy into other things. It's kind of freeing. I've also learned that no matter what happens, people are just going to believe whatever narrative they already invested in. They've put too much into it. They've gone so deep it's become their identity. If they confront that identity with facts, what do they have left? Nothing. They're not going to do that. We live in a world now where you double down, you don't admit fault. It's deny deny deny. 

 

I saw something the other day, in a Facebook group I'm not even in. A town acquaintance invited me into it, I have no idea why, because from what I saw it's basically a republican echo chamber. I'm pretty sure she knows where I stand but whatever. I was seeing posts from this group in my feed all of a sudden and one stuck with me. It was from a guy who lives around the block from me, who had a giant Trump flag on his house, he has at least one daughter, and he's also really whiny, from what I can tell from any of his posts that I've seen. He posted something, a meme about common sense and how it's in short supply and the people that need it don't have any. That was the gist of it. And this one lady who has Trump signs on her house and who I'm pretty sure gave the mayor and council some obscene gestures at a council meeting last year, for something out of their control, liked and commented positively on the post. It hit me right then. It's like living in parallel universes. We think they're nuts, stupid, with no common sense, and all that, and they think the same of us. There isn't going to be civil discussion. This guy is also the admin of the group. I have no desire to be part of any group he's in. 

 

So why argue and debate? To me, they're way too far gone. I just don't want to engage. Maybe that's wrong. Maybe engagement would help? I don't know. But it can't be with me. I'm out. I just want to take my marbles and go home. That's not to say I plan to stick my head in the sand. Or do nothing. I just don't want to engage on social media with people, for no reason and no positive outcome. 

 

It's 9/11. I don't need to post about it. I remember that day in it's entirety. I remember where I was, what I was doing, what I was wearing, what the sky looked like before and after. I don't need to post "Never forget". Who am I to tell anyone to never forget. Can anyone really forget? I don't need to recount my day that day. Everyone has a story about that day. Mine isn't unique. I can quietly remember, as I do, whether I want to or not, without sharing it with a bullhorn on social media. I don't care if that is what anyone else needs or wants to do. I'm just over so much sharing. Oversharing. I think I'm just wanting to retreat from so many f'ing opinions everywhere. 

 

The only opinion I'm going to give here is on 9/11. I've seen so many posts about how we were "so united" during that time, in the days, months, maybe years, after 9/11. How we need to go back to that. Sure, in some ways we were. But it's pretty easy to forget, especially if you're just a regular old white person or just not outwardly Muslim or Muslim looking, how WE were all united, but if you were thought to be Muslim.... watch out. The Muslim hate was off the charts. So yeah, united, except to crap on that group. Just like Asian hate during Covid and Jew hate all time. It reminds me of that line in Saturday Night Fever when Tony Manero goes off about every group dumping on the next. We were united, but united in hate. It was supposed to be against "terrorists", except the reality was that it was anyone who LOOKED like they could be a terrorist. I can totally do without hearing more about how united we were when that's not exactly how it went down. It wasn't as cumbayah as all that. 

 

And yesterday, Charlie Kirk was shot and killed. Believe it or not, I don't want to share any opinions about it and I really don't want to read anyone's opinion on it. I didn't know Charlie Kirk. I know who he was, I definitely know what he stood for, but I didn't know him. You most likely didn't know him either. So why do so many people who didn't know him feel that their opinion about what happened to him is so damn important to share? Based on what people are sharing about what they thought of him and what happened and how they feel about it, is only giving me new opinions about what I think of the person sharing them. A lot of these opinions I wish I didn't know. I could've lived the rest of my life not knowing how anyone in my life, or the periphery, felt about Charlie Kirk. Yet, because of social media, unless I just remove myself completely, I have no choice but to know. And you know what? Regardless of what you think about him or what happened to him, it CHANGES NOTHING. Except maybe my opinion of you. But that's about it. 

 

I guess it's the podcast era, as to why everyone thinks they need to share. Stern loves to complain about how he had to work so hard to get a radio show and now anyone with a mic and time on their hands says they have a radio show. His complaining is for different reasons, but the fact is- that's exactly it- everyone thinks their take is so important. Important enough to make a show out of it. Or just because they have a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), TikTok, Blogger account, everyone needs to know. 

 

Well, I'm in my less is more era. No one needs to know. Unless you want to come over or meet at the pool or Starbucks and talk about it. Because I'm not driving and I'm not leaving my town to do it. I'm still ON social media. You'll still see my comments in comments sections. Because there are some things I can't quit. I can't help my anger at strangers who are bigots, racists, homo/transphobes, etc. I really want to stay out of comment sections but they're my Kryptonite. I've posted a few political Reels or TikTok videos here and there, but certainly not to the degree I used to do it. I still might post something here or there, if it's really good, but I probably won't. No one needs or wants to hear it. Everyone thinks what they think and I'll just quietly do what I want to help with or join and that will be that. I'll still write here if I find something cool or go or do something unique or interesting. I'm not saying goodbye, just...saying that sometimes less is more and I'm jumping on that. 

  

Ulike Air 10 UPDATE

 

I wrote this awhile ago- at the end of June. I wanted to add photos but I didn't get around to it. So, I don't have pics of my hairless body but I'll describe it for you. The short of it- the Air 10 is totally worth every penny. 

 

I thought I'd do a little update for those wondering if this thing actually worked/works. I got it almost exactly a year ago so I figured this would be the perfect time. The only thing is- I don't have photos because it's hard to take super close up photos where you can really see but one day I'll try. Maybe when I eventually get a new phone. 

 

If I have to rate it 1-5 stars, with one being terrible, it doesn't work, and five being it's awesome, totally magical, I'm going to give it 4.5 stars. It DOES work. On dark hair. Honestly, I don't know how long my friend with light hair stuck with it, she said she did it obsessively at first but then it wasn't doing much so she stopped. So for her- her review was that it didn't work. For me, who would shave in the morning and have dark stubble by the end of the day- it TOTALLY works. It's saved me so much time and money. And the annoyance of body hair.  My rating is 4.5 and I'll get to why I had to knock off a half star as you continue to read.

 

I'll just recap a little- I got it last end of June. The directions aren't super clear. I thought you just pass over every area you want to do once, every other day, and that's it. Then "maintenance" once or twice a month going forward. That's not EXACTLY how it works. I started reading on Reddit or reviews somewhere and it turns out you need to pass over an area at least two times in a session. That means if you're trying to do a lot of areas, that would be a SIGNIFICANT amount of your time.  I learned you have to break it up, and if you really want it to work then, and you don't have hours a day to do this, then you need to then do it daily for the first month, just breaking up where you do. Like with working out. You don't do arms every day, maybe you do them every other. Same principle. Do you full legs one day, armpits and nether regions the next. So on and so forth. 

 

I did not HAVE to shave this winter. I have a Schick Intuition in the shower and when I thought I'd do maintenance, I'd do a few swipes with it on my legs, under the arms, and some in the bikini area. Sometimes I did the maintenance, most of the time I forgot. But the swipes were more because you're supposed to shave before doing it and I had some sparse hairs on my legs, bikini area (I'll go more in depth about this area later) and in the underarms. However- what I had left is NOTHING like what I started with. 

 

The reason you shave prior to use, at least from my own perspective is that if you don't, it HURTS to zap. I know this because I did it on my sixteen year old son who doesn't like body hair. He was lazy about shaving the area he wanted me to do and was like, just try it without shaving. Yeah, no. He won't do that again. The bar where the light zaps has a cooling element in it. But when it's dirty (like if you had lotion/deodorant on which you're not supposed to have on), or if there is hair there, it doesn't get/stay as cold and that zap is HOT. It feels like you're burning. Well, imagine that on your bikini area. I don't like to shave there because apparently I'm "cyst-y". I get ingrown hairs and cysts. I'm legit afraid. I've gotten a full Brazilian wax since I lost a bet in 2002. I've tried zapping without shaving and it's not that the area is super sensitive on it's own, it's doing it with anything more than a bit a stubble. You can't wax instead because you need a root there to kill. Maybe if you waxed then waited a week that would be okay because it would be growing back by then. At least for me it would. 

 

I'll add that some places are definitely more stubborn than others. I feel like my armpits worked way easier than my bikini area. Granted, I probably did them the most because they were the easiest to shave and access. There were times I definitely did two passes, then went in the shower and sometimes did another quick pass over after the shower. I did not lavish the same attention on my nether region because it was time consuming and painful if I didn't shave enough or close enough. But I did do the area a lot in the beginning. It's kind of interesting. I have an extremely long torso so I have a long space between my belly button and the closest area to any openings. I don't know how else to phrase it and I obviously am not adding photos. From the belly button to close to the top of any opening, the hair is almost fully gone. Without even doing maintenance. It's lower that's been the most stubborn. I think you'd have to really be dedicated down there and I just haven't been. 

 

On my legs- the dark hair is almost all gone. What's left is what I call "chicken hair". Like, I'd be fine going to the pool now without shaving. You're not going to be sitting next to me, seeing hair on my legs. I can rub my legs and they feel smooth. But if I am in the sun and look at my knee, I can see wispy light hairs like you'd see on a plucked chicken. That's why I do the occasional swipe - to get rid of the chicken hairs. I don't know if those will ever fully go away. It's not thick or anything. That's why I don't feel it to the touch. It's more just what you can see in sunlight. I still go over my knees extra. Sometimes I'll just do my knees even if I don't do the rest of my legs. 

 

My reasons for knocking it half a star: 

-The shape and where the buttons are placed are awkward. I've changed the setting or shut it off by accident just by where I was holding it. Plus, you don't want to cover the fan with your hand and the vents are easily covered depending on how you're holding it.  

-It's loud. It has a fan in it because it gets hot. Not hot to the touch where it would be too hot to hold but I guess it needs an internal fan so it doesn't overheat. I'm always afraid of covering the fan and having it overheat and break. Since it isn't inexpensive, I obviously don't want that to happen.

-Some people say they wish the zapping area (I don't know what else to call it), the top, was smaller for more precision on small areas. I guess if you're doing your upper lip or somewhere else on your face. But I wish it was way bigger, or had attachments, so if you're doing your legs, it wouldn't take forever. It's a small zapping area for a whole leg. I can't picture what it would look like if you could switch out attachments or maybe there is a reason you can only do a small area at a time. 

-You can't do continuous pulsing if you're using the strongest setting. You have to do it manually. I don't understand why. Obviously the technology is there to have it continuously pulse using the second highest setting, just not the super mode. It doesn't make sense. It takes longer having to do it manually and I want to be able to use the super mode plus have it continuously pulse for saving time. 

 

Overall, I highly recommend it. You do HAVE to be consistent in the beginning. It's NOT going to work if you just half-ass do it. And I'd ditch the directions and do it as much as possible that first month. It'll be a pain to spend the time but it will be worth it in the end. My son has never been consistent with it so his experience is different. I pretty much have to make an appointment with him every other day for it to really work. He just doesn't have the patience. 

 

I will never need to buy another package of Gillette Daisy razors. I have had the same head on my Intuition all year. That's a HUGE change from the past. I used to buy Daisy and heads for the Intuition. I had to buy shaving cream or gel. Now, if I went away for the weekend, even somewhere I was going to be wearing a bathing suit, and didn't bring anything, I'd be totally fine with it. Those things are just unnecessary now. Prior to using the Ulike Air 10, I'd have shaved in the morning, then again after the beach or pool before going out. Now, I'd only bring something just for the mental aspect - because after so many years of being hairy, you just expect to wake up with hair. Even after a year of being mostly hair free. 

Ulike Air 10