What grinds my gears....

Nothing grinds my gears more than seeing "Sallie Mae" show up on my phone screen. As I decline yet another call from the now saved phone number as though I have a personal relationship with "her", I confirm that her (yes, I refer to Sallie, as though she is human) "gladiators" (If you watch Scandal, you'll know what I'm talking about) are ruthless individuals trained to do nothing but seize and destroy. I have managed to pay for forbearance for the last year since it is actually four times cheaper than the monthly amount due, and become extremely frustrated every time I am asked why I am requesting financial hardship. Why else does one request financial hardship? Hmmm.. I know!! Financial hardship maybe?!?!

The Wall Street Journal reported that student-loan debt rose 4.6% and is now higher than credit card debt. I am a part of the 4.6% that can't afford to make extremely unreasonable monthly payments because living costs too much and the economy is in the pits. It doesn't make it any better that organizations require more years of experience than the total amount of time that I've been alive and are not willing to let young adults in to demonstrate their abilities that can sometimes prove to more beneficial to the company than those with the years of experience that work there.

But of course, it doesn't stop there. I also have an autoimmune disease that requires frequent doctor visits, a copay, and an out of pocket maximum that has led to nearly $6,000 in medical bills in less than 2 years. Since I can't afford to keep up with ridiculous payment agreements, the medical bill army has also decided to compete with every other bill collector and calls from 8 am to 9 p.m, 5 days a week. I just can't catch a break!

What REALLY grinds my gears is that these heartless organizations are committed to accepting nothing less than 100% of the amount they ask for. I have asked thousands of representatives from Sallie Mae as well as collection agencies to accept what I have to give, and have been told that it is unacceptable. The audacity to refuse money! Why ask me what the minimum amount I can pay is, if you have already made up your mind that I need to pay YOUR minimum? Why offer to check if I qualify for financial assistance to tell me that I make too much money and don't qualify each time? (Which is interesting because I make too much money to afford loan repayment).

Yes, I did apply for the loans with every intention to repay them, but is it my fault that I crave higher education and couldn't afford it without aid? I unfortunately was not wearing my psychic cap and did not see my future of endless job searching when I was signing the loan term agreement. Did I ask for an autoimmune disease that sucks everything (emotionally, physically, and monetarily) out of me?

It's not that I don't plan on repaying the loans, it's that I need more time. I need time to find my dream career that will make a $1200 monthly payment look like chump change. I need the economy to improve and allow me the rite of passage into a corporation where I can grow and do what I love. I just need a chance.  I will continue to exert patience, continue to pursue my passion, and hope that I will be given the opportunity to prove that I earned my degrees and WILL be an asset to the organization that hires me. Until then, Sallie Mae will have to wait in line with all the other sharks that want money that I don't have. After all, you can't get blood out of a stone.

Hey.... I'm not bitter. Not bitter at all. (Declining Sallie Mae once more).....

Best-off-the beaten spots!! (Hartford, Connecticut)

Imagine being able to take the train andbus to travel around the state, or wake up at any time of the day and find something to do-whether it be eat, dance, or talk, or even walk to the nearest corner store to buy junk food. Imagine being born and raised in a place known as the city that never sleeps and becoming accustomed to seeing thousands of tourists visit a place that is nothing more than home to you, but a huge attraction to those around the world who travel thousands miles to take pictures as proof of having been there. That is what it feels like for a Brooklyn native and most likely for the majority of New Yorkers.

Being a city girl living in Connecticut has been a culture shock. After moving here in 2006, I thought I had met my doom. Nicknamed“the Insurance capital of the world”, I found it difficult to find lots of‘touristy’ things to do like I could in New York. After accepting that the two states were very different, I decided to take things into my own hands.

Wadsworth Atheneum

In Connecticut, you can visit the famous Wadsworth Atheneum (the oldest public museum in the country) and view its wonderful art, take a tour of the Hartford Courant (the oldest published newspaper) enjoy an event at the XL Center, stroll through the rose garden at Elizabeth Park, or enjoy the Bushnell Park carousel (the oldest operating carousel  in the country).

What else is there to do? Well, I’m glad you asked!!

(Bonitha at I at the Russell)

If you become tired of hearing the crickets from your hotel or bedroom on a Monday Night, visit The Russell Restaurant located conveniently downtown and enjoy spoken word and live entertainment as you sip on the delightful rum punch and eat the most amazing jerk chicken sandwich and fried plantains in Connecticut. You can also visit The Russell on a Friday evening after work and enjoy Happy Hour with coworkers and friends as you kick off your heels and uncomfortable work shoes and enjoythe live DJ.

If you have a taste for authenticCaribbean food and don’t mind eating where the Connecticut natives eat, stop byDunn’s River Jamaican Restaurant and enjoy amazing fried chicken or moretraditional foods like curry goat and white rice or oxtail and rice and peas.It may sound weird, but I promise that it’s “umm umm good!”

Talcott Mountaintop

When you’ve finished enjoying the tasty foods in Connecticut, feel free to visit Talcott Mountain State Park for some exercise and hike along the trail which provides a spectacular view you can see for miles once you’ve reached the top of the mountain. At the center of Talcott Mountain is the Hublein Tower which now serves as a museum with artifacts and furnishings. For this adventure, I’d recommend that you bring lots of water, bug spray and wear comfortable walking shoes.

Feeling romantic or just want to take a stroll? Takeyour significant other for a long walk along the pedestrian bridge that links East Hartford with Hartford and enjoy breathtaking views of the CT River and the city skyline. You may also be able to enjoy the boat racing and Asian festival, or my personal favorite-the Taste of Hartford, or the Caribbean Jerk Festival. During Fourth of July Weekend, you can enjoy an impressive display offireworks.

Real Artways

Real Art Ways offers live music and performances, book readings, art exhibits and more. Community events are heldon a monthly basis which is usually free or reasonably priced. Young professionals and entrepreneurs can mingle on the third Thursday of every month during “Creative Cocktail Hour” and enjoy live entertainment.

All of these fun adventures are ones that I have taken part in firsthand and highly recommend. Don’t be boring! Step off the beaten path!

*(^&*^@*&@^# ! I left my cell phone...

I read an article on CNN about the human race's dependency of smart phones, tablets, technology, etc. and could only hang my head in shame because I am a super dependent iPhone and iPad junkie. There's not one thing that I don't use my phone for. It is a multi-purpose tool that has become a requirement for me to complete my day.

In his article, John D. Sutter discusses the pros and cons of mobile technology and mentions that while mobile technology allows us to be "superhuman", it also takes away from the interpersonal relationships we once had.

I absentmindedly check my phone every morning that I wake just because I subconsciously feel like I've missed out on things that may have occurred while I was sleeping. I start with my US Weekly application to ensure that there weren't any new marriages or divorces since I last checked and that Hollywood is still up and running. From there, I check Twitter to see what the topic of the day is and what it was when I dozed off. I close Twitter and move to Facebook to check if my niece in Finland has sent me a message and to view everyone's photos as well as read the 'angry-way too much information' statuses. As I am coming to the close of my morning routine, I check my emails and delete all the SPAM as well as my text messages from friends who continued to have a conversation without me as I slept, or the night owls who simply can't sleep without some assistance from Benadryl or NyQuil. I even decide to send out a few messages disregarding the fact that it is 6:30 in the morning and expect to see responses shortly after. I check Instagram and look at everyone's pictures, make a few comments, and after all of this, I am ready to start my day.

 I have had instances where I left my apartment and had to turn back around after realizing that I left my phone. My phone is my notebook, my main source of communication, my access to social media, my access to email, my camera, my journal - MY LIFE. It's so crazy because I can remember when I didn't even own a cell phone, as well as when I got my first cell phone that only allowed me to make calls and play Tetris. I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A DATA PLAN.

But now.... I can connect my phone via bluetooth to my car, play Pandora, watch movies on Netflix, Facetime when I have Wi-Fi, and video chat on SKYPE even when I don't! I consult Google as though it were my personal consultant. Let's not even talk about my texting capabilities!! I can group chat, and I can have over 10 conversations all at the same time! (I AM WOMAN WITH SMART PHONE, HEAR ME ROAR!!!) Wouldn't you agree with Mr. Sutter that our smartphones do make us superhuman?? I would.

But then... what happens when we do start to disconnect from face to face communication and choose to keep everyone at a specific distance through the mobile world? What happens when we can argue non - stop through text all day but become silent when we are within proximity of our significant others? What happens when we cut telephone calls short because it becomes awkward when we have nothing else to say? Are we really superhuman then?

 Read the CNN article here:
How smartphones make us superhuman - CNN.COM

When life's got you down...think happy

As I performed my daily ritual browsing Oprah Winfrey's website, an article about achieving 30 days of happiness caught my attention. I looked further into the subject which revealed that Oprah is challenging her audience to keep a happiness journal which focuses on recording the happiest moment of the day. I thought about this and was inspired to rise to the challenge and focus on the things that make me smile and make me feel happy throughout the day.

I love to write - especially about my feelings and have noticed throughout the years that I write mostly about the bad days and the moments of unhappiness, anger, pessimism, and worry. If one were to read my journal, they would probably assume that I lived the worst life ever and was a depressed individual walking the earth. Don't get me wrong - writing about those not so great moments helped me feel better because I got the chance to vent my feelings without having to deal with criticism or to be patronized. I just find it ironic that I don't take the time to jot down the happy moments!

I too will join Oprah and the rest of her fans and begin to write about the happy moments and focus on the ones that make me smile, rather than resonate on the uneventful, unhappy moments that find a way to smother my happiness.

With that being said - I 'forward' the challenge to you and dare you to think about the happy moments as well as record them to see what a difference it can make in your life when you force yourself to think about the positive rather than the opposite. 

All about purpose and passion

So much has occurred since my last post in 2009! Since then, I have graduated from the University of Hartford, not once - but twice! Once with a Bachelor's Degree in Communications and most recently with a Master's Degree in Communications. I am driven and motivated to pursue a career in corporate communications and won't stop until I achieve my purpose. :) Since we are on the subject of purpose...... I recently came across a "life class" on Oprah's website, hosted by T.D. Jakes on living every moment with purpose and was challenged to discover my own purpose and focus on my dreams. I've always had a desire to write, to speak to others, and to demonstrate my creativity as well as improve myself as an individual emotionally and spiritually. I was motivated to set goals, become more active in my pursuit of a career and not a job, and to believe in my self. I want to make my dreams a reality and use myself as a tool to motivate other young professionals as myself to pursue their dreams and fulfill their highest potential and calling. I desire wholeheartedly to live a better life than the one I am living right now and will not be satisfied until I have achieved this goal. So, I decided to start creating goals for myself and working toward meeting them. I'm on a mission to improve my writing as well as ME (Kimberly). So, I decided to go back to the things I enjoyed - the things I found solace in such as writing and reading. Life can become so overwhelming and one can be inundated with so many regular tasks, forgetting to do the things they enjoy. I work towards personal improvement because I believe that I am here for a purpose and that I am destined for greatness. I appreciate websites that provide useful content to motivate individuals to do something. This broadcast in particular, motivated me to awaken the passion and zeal I had when I was an undergraduate to be a great writer and to love my profession in Communications. Some day I hope to travel the world. Some day I hope to be a director in the corporate office of an innovative and exciting Communications Department, communicating internationally and being acknowledged as a talented young black women who defied the odds and followed her dreams to success. I hope to do all of this with the same hunger and desire I have now and take baby steps looking forward to the growth and maturity. Dare I ask - What is your purpose? What do you have a passion for? Have you set goals?

Cyber Bullying

Cyber bullying has seemed to been arising as more and more teens are able to interact with each other. Because this socially interactive technology is available to us 24/7, students are bringing their school lives homes and taunting other students. It is a shame that many students are under as much pressure to be forced into committing suicide. It is also appalling that all of this is taking place with parents not being knowledgeable of what is happening in their children’s lives. We cannot blame parents though, because if their children want to hide something, they will and it is the parent’s responsibility to interact and communicate with their children in order to find this information out. What I would like to know is why hasn’t this topic been drawn to the attention of schools and made more important. Students and school faculty should be made aware that this is something that is happening and something needs to be done. Of course, we have all experienced peer pressure, but home has been the safe haven where those who are pressured go in refuge. Now, they are under attack everywhere they turn because of cyber space. There is always good and bad to technology, and this is one of those bad moments.

Observing Observations

Based on a h.w. assignment, we were supposed to observe ourselves daily and document all the technology / new media that we used throughout the day and record if it was necessary to use it or not. I found that because of the advancement of technology, most of the technology that I interact with is necessary and I didn’t know what should be done if I didn’t have that specific medium. From checking my emails, bank account statuses, and paying bills online, I have become so accustomed to do doing these things, that I could not even imagination myself doing it otherwise. I don’t even remember when online banking did not exist!! I am trying to go back into time to where I had to go to the bank to make transfers, and simply can’t remember!! Technology has made it easier for us to advance in the future and do things easier, but has terminated the things we do in the past. If we were to stop using technology, I feel we would be going backwards. What do you think?

Growing Up Online

From watching Frontline’s Growing Up Online documentary, I must say that I learned much and gained insight into the perspective of parents who are simply worried about the well being of their children. It is true that we (teens and adults) have turned social networks such as MySpace and Facebook into “digital hangouts: and are living our lives online. Facebook is a very addicting site that keeps you “in synch” with the lives of your friends and family. I do agree with the researchers who think that teenagers are living double lives and have taken on an extra persona outside of who they portray themselves as in front of their parents. Teenagers mostly do this because they aren’t judged in Facebook, especially since their peers are all doing the same and because the internet is a willing listener AT ANY TIME.

As they have been called, “Generation Facebook” is most definitely immersed in a virtual world that will continue to grow and evolve. Their children in the future may only rely on technology and not know or understand the traditional way of doing things.

The documentary also speaks about the revolution in the classroom and teachers having the need to be as interactive with the students as necessary. In a sense they have to compete with all the students' technological devices because once you lose their attention, they are gone!! I was once a high school student, and even though cell phones were prohibited in school, we all found a way to get our cell phones into the school and would text each other throughout the day and even in class. When teenagers want something, they will do whatever they can to get it.

Another thing I would like to focus on is where is the line drawn with parents and their kids privacy? As a teenager, I wanted nothing more than to be as independent as possible and for my mom to respect my property. Of course she didn't, and was always snooping around my stuff, but teens these days want so much privacy but are doing wrong things with it. Where should the line be drawn? when should the parents intervene? Some should be monitored until they reach an age to understand that they cannot reveal too much information about themselves because times have changed and there are predators out there who will try their best to get another young naive teen... Think about it....

Issue in New Media: It's Effects on the Family

Have you ever been in the grocery store, had to wait on an extremely long line, and BAM! a tabloid magazine slaps you in the face? It always does this to me, and sometimes even though I don't know whether or not to believe the rumors and the gossip, I still end up skipping through the magazine to read the new "dirt."

Lately, the pictures of Jon and Kate of John and Kate Plus 8, have been decorating the last few tabloid magazines which seem to dish new dirt every day. What happened to the family that once wanted to share there experience of caring for eight children on their own? Now, media and its wonderful magical powers have turned this family upside down and its viewers have opened personal doors that were once meant to be closed. When I used to watch the show, they wouldn't even show the parents' bedroom because that was their private sanctuary.

The Media disrupted this family and continues to prowl inside of it without permission and these eight children have to pay for it in the end. Media's main role is to inform but I think it has crosssed its boundaries and has gone way too far. Although it is another source of entertainment, can't we find something else to entertain us instead of scouring through the lives of others for our pleasure?

My main question is : What is the role of media? and when/where should the line be drawn?

John and Kate are going through a terrible situation at the moment and no matter whose wrong or right, cameras and nosey men do not have the right to intrude into the lives of others just to entertain. Shame on media... tssk tssk tssk

New Media Devices: The Ipod

It feels just like yesterday when the first Ipod was launched in 2001. I remember wanting an ipod and going to school seeing students with the trademark white head phones that made them so cool. After a while, the ipod became a craze and some did anything to get an ipod. I remember staying at my uncles house one day to learn that his neighbor's son was killed because he refused to give up his ipod and sneakers to a few robbers.

The ipod, a large item at that time, has still maintained the craze it began with and people continue to purchase it everyday. As ipod days increase, it has become smaller and smaller. Comparing it to the shuffle I had in the past, the new shuffle is smaller than half the size of the original one! How can we fit so many things into sucha small object, I wonder... hmmm ...

What has the ipod done for us and what does it do to us.

Ofcourse, everyone can say this new media device is an "on the go" device because it can go wherever you do. It is convenient and a source of entertainment. It allows you to be entertained 24/7! Who wouldn't like that? You can play games, add music, and even watch your favorite television shows!! So convenient..

My big question is HOW FAR WILL APPLE GO?

With its unique capabilities, the ipod is slowly taking the place of the television, radio, and even books!!! It is no longer a requirement to turn your radio on to hear it because you can just download it to your ipod and lsiten at your own pace. Now, the Iphone exists and it is a mini computer that is taking the place of computers. It has everything a computer does and more!!

Will the ipod be the most reliable tool in a few years? Will we no longer have to purchase computers, newspapers, or televisions?

What some don't pay attention to is how much we pay to have an ipod. First, it is not a cheap item. Second, inorder to maintain your ipod and add new applications such as games, and music, you have to purchase these items from Itunes. Downloading is an option with the probability of a fine or even jail time (yikes!!) So to stay on the safe side, we purchase all this audio at acceptable and affordable prices, but in the end it all adds up to $$$$$$$ . Here's a link to an ipod touch review that I found interesting: http://www.macworld.com/article/141835/2009/07/ipod_touch_ascendant.html?t=206... Enjoy!!!!