Monday, September 21, 2009

Living Paycheck to Paycheck

No, not in that sense. I realize that by focusing on my paydays the weeks go quicker. For instance, today is payday and in two weeks it will be Monday, October 5th, two weeks from fall break and two months before the end of classes. Adopting this payday mentality makes me accomplish things quicker because there is a finality to it. That’s how I have been able to graduate from ALDP, ace my elementary statistics class and process the new child tax credit. Finally, it will also be the reason for getting my GS-12 promotion and acing fall semester classes to qualify for the GS-12 Statistician and Mathematician positions.

Nice Try But No Cigar

A male blogger friend of mine talks about enabling abuse but I take particular issue with blaming the victim because it was all about the female singers but not male abusers. What are the abusers’ psychology? This sticks at me because even though he’s a gay man, he’s a man nevertheless so he does not understand.

Monday, September 14, 2009

The Problem I Have When People Deem What They Say As Intelliegent But It Really Is Not

Unlike NY Times' Room for Debate, I do not believe that Mexico decriminalizing marijuana will affect the US drug policy because of our no tolerance drug policies. Look at student financial aid. If a student is caught using drugs, his financial aid is cancelled. Therefore, I do not understand why this or any publication would waste trees trying to entertain something like this! The New York Times is just stupid for even making this gesture. Now I am officially on Marc Anderssen's NY Times Deathwatch list because all the papers seems to do is write salacious pro-drug articles to generate web traffic. Wow! How the mighty (newspaper publication) has fallen!

Friday, September 11, 2009

You Cannot Give with a Closed Palm

Increasing my philanthropy has been one of my 32nd birthday wishes so receiving the DC Dress for Success annual luncheon invitation has made my day! Attending this event enables me to realize my personal objective. Having donated money and shoes, I am an avid supporter of this organization because it ensures that women can wear professional clothing, get jobs and feed their families. In addition, the ticket price is affordable. Furthermore, since one of my social service organizations holds clothing drives, I will ask if I may attend this program and give a report at the general body meeting. Since I am picking out my annual event table, I might as well infuse something that’s free! More importantly giving to DC for Success is about lifting as I climb.

This has always been core to my being because no one gets here by himself. Also I want to see people do better. Moreover, charitable giving shows my money maturation because one year ago I could find afford this ticket. However, after signing a one-year rental contract which keeps my costs down, my band promotion, and paying off a student loan, I have enough money to give to others, and in a way, myself.

Financial Empowerment & Upward Mobility

I really want the $98 Stuart Weitzman Puddles rain boots but the shoe company only carries it to size large (sizes 9-10). Knowing that I need an extra-large to fit my size 12 feet, I begin searching the Internet, and viola Bloomingdales comes up in the first page results. Though I click on the link, I am cautious about it because the department store carries women’s shoe sizes until size 11. Therefore, when Bloomingdales offers Puddles in extra-large, I am astounded! Immediately I search the site for the Chevy Chase location, call the main number and get forwarded to the women’s shoe department where I ask the sales employee if it has the extra-large. He says the store does so I ask if he could hold them for me. Not only does he hold the boots, he asks me when can I pick them up? I tell him lunch time around 12pm-12:30pm. Obviously brimming with optimism and anticipation, I cannot wait that long and leave the office at 11:35 am en route to Farragut North and eventually Bloomingdales. I board the third car because it aligns itself with the Western Avenue elevator. Right upon exiting the train and the station, I decide to take the elevator to Wisconsin Avenue. Upon seeing that it is on the train’s level, I make a mad dash for it (Of course, I wait to see if anyone else wants to board.). Why climb two sets of escalators when the elevator takes you to the street? I hit the button transporting me to the street where I walk two blocks to Wisconsin Center where Bloomingdales is located.

Wisconsin Center’s construction is going along at a rapid pace. In addition, to Bloomingdales, BCBG, Cole Haan and Eileen Fisher are now tenants. Furthermore, Capital Grille is under construction; and, I hope that they finish before Christmastime so that I can eat there! Bypassing the other stores, I enter the department store, look at the directory and make my way towards the women’s shoe salon where I see a male sales employee going right by me. Thinking this is horrible customer service, I am fuming. Then I decide to talk to the female employee who is cleaning the displays. When I tell her that I have come to try shoes that are held for me, she proceeds to her register where my boots are. Oops! Right after putting my feet in them, the wool sole padding surprising me because it minimizes the amount of space. This addition magnifies the importance of purchasing the extra-large. While seated I remark to the female employee that they feel snug to which she recommends that I stand up. Upon doing so, the Puddles are looser. Immediately, I buy the $103.88 ($98 plus $5.88 in taxes) and wear them outside since it rained earlier. The lady places my Munro in the Stuart Weitzman boot. After purchasing a slice of vanilla bean cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory across the street, I return to Friendship Heights metro station where I board the red line back to downtown.

Looking around my room I see the five other purple Stuart Weitzman boxes. The Puddles purchase brings my total to six. My ability to have all of my bills paid and snap up a pair of haute couture exemplifies how far financially I have come in three years. In 2006 I was a financial mess with two checking accounts in ChexSystems, the delinquent checking account bureau and credit so bad that no one would rent to me after my apartment flooded. This forced me out of DC and into Arlington, VA. During the next three years, I have enrolled in CCCS paying off two creditors along with my $1200 Hiram College Perkins loan. In addition, I have received my GS-11 economist promotion which helps accelerate my debt; thereby, liberating more discretionary money to buy Stuart Weitzman. :)

My 9/11 Reflections Eight Years Later

Today marks the eighth anniversary of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks by Al-Qaeda. Even though Osama bin Laden is still outstanding, I pray that President Obama catches him. His capture would symbolize the turning point in the War on Terror. Thus far, we have aimlessly been pointing guns, running around in circles, trying to find the chief masterminds of these attacks. Even though the United States has captured the #3 Al-Qaeda terrorise, no one will rest until Osams bin Laden is caught!

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

My Promotional Job Search Thus Far

When one of my interviewers asks me to supply a reference's phone number, I believe that I may be on the cusp of receiving a GS-12 Economist offer. Though staying internally is my original aim, the interviewer's department has this neat housing project focusing on my hometown so I would not feel bad if I go there for an opportunity. In addition, this department has its own leadership development program enabling me to still realize my career objective of joining the Senior Executive Service. Therefore, if I must make a move then so be it. The decision should come either late this week or after Labor Day. During this time I will contact my internal interviewers to inquire about the status of my applications because this is crunch time!
However, if this and other opportunities do not materialize there is always six more GS-12 Economist applications which have been forwarded to the hiring official in the last three weeks; four of them within one week. I feel that after Labor Day people will once again call me for interviews therefore I am not worried since one of these applications is inside of my department and Human Resources rates me qualified at both the GS-12 and GS-13 levels!