RStheGr8

The Election

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 03:13:00 +0000

I'm not going to even attempt to dissect all of the many elements and layers of the significance of our nation electing Obama as president of the United States. It's been on my mind and I've been turning over all new aspects ever since.

In taking it all in, there are two sites that have posted pictures that I believe capture the significance of the day.

Please look at this link first and then this one.

I promise you won't be disappointed.

P.S. I took some of my own pictures too. Email me for the link if you're interested.

RStheGr8: And the simplification continues...

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:05:00 +0000

Over the past month, I've been working to simplify my thoughts and as a result simplify my routine and priorities. That simplification process will continue.

Now onto phase 2:

Despite the fact that I've moved around more than 6 times over the past 8 years, I've still managed to hold on to a lot of stuff. Of course, I've at the same time acquired more over the years too. But I've decided that I don't want to have so much stuff. It takes a lot of time and energy to not only find stuff but to organize it and go through it ever so often.

This week, I am in the process of getting rid of stuff. I am having a virtual garage sale starting this weekend. I will be getting rid of gadgets, books, DVDs, clothes, shoes and any other items that I don't need or have not used in the past couple months. Even if I don't manage to sell it all, I'm setting it aside and organizing it. If it doesn't sell by a certain time (I could use the extra cash), I'll look to donate.

One benefit of removing the clutter will be my ability to appreciate all that I have. I've been blessed with so much and instead of holding onto and hoarding what I have, it's time to allow God to be able to bless me with more.

A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.
Luke 12:15 NIV

RSthegr8: Simplify...

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:15:00 +0000

In my quest to simplify, the following excerpt from Purpose Driven Life struck a chord with me:

The closer you live to God, the smaller everything else appears. Suddenly, many activities, goals, and even problems that seemed so important will appear trivial, petty, and unworthy of your attention.

At church on Sunday, the pastor spoke of being patient. Instead of spending time wishing things get better, focus that energy on thanking and honoring God with what you have.

When it starts to feel like I don't have enough hours in the day, I'm going to start weeding out the activities and problems that take up my time. Think of it as budgeting for the soul and mind. The result: a richer, more purposeful life on Earth.

RStheGr8: On writing

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:33:00 +0000

One of my passions is writing. I admit that in the past year I haven't done much of it. But I want that all to change. I have a public platform and a large network to make sure I can get it done. I first found out about the National Novel Writing Month last week by chance. Basically, it's a community of people who buckled down for the entire month of November to crank out 50,000 words or about 175 pages.

For years, I've talked about writing my first book. It hasn't yet happened. But I will take this opportunity (and challenge) to get started. There's no better time to get started.

If you'd like to follow my journey through the month of November, click here.

I know it's not going to be easy and I could definitely use all the support of my readers. Feel free to check in on me throughout the month of November to make sure I'm on track writing 1,700 words per day. I'd greatly appreciate it. And who knows? I may dedicate my first bestseller to you! ;)

RSthegr8: Continuing my efforts to simplify...

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:39:00 +0000

I am making great progress in simplifying my life. In fact, I'd want you to join in the journey.

One quick and easy way I plan to bring others along my "simple" life is through Twitter. I am still discovering everything that this tool has to offer but I plan to use it for quick updates on the go. Some Twitter posts will serve as a teaser to more detailed posts on my blog.

I am excited about this and I want this to be a lot of fun. Please join me in my journey.

RStheGr8: Simplifying the complication

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:32:00 +0000

Over the past couple months, I let many things get too complex and difficult.

Exercise
Friendships
Traveling
Shopping
Spending
Saving
Cleaning
Surfing
Eating
Cooking

I've had plenty of time to reflect and I've come up with the beginnings of a comprehensive plan to simplify my life. I will worry less and rely on services that were created to help.

Daily surfing habits: Become more efficient by structuring surfing time using sites like Google Reader and delicious.

Daily spending & saving habits: Rely on online personal finance sites like Mint, Rudder and Wesabe. Also, dedicate more time to reading my Money magazines, reading personal finance books and watching personal finance shows as well as keeping up with personal finance blogs.

Daily cleaning habits: Clean up as I go along versus waiting till the weekend or when it's unbearable. If necessary, create a list of to-dos and get it done.

There are a bunch more ways that I can think of to simplify my life. Now that I've got my plan in place, please stay tuned for more great things in this space.

She's On The Money: Good News...Financially

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:27:00 +0000

Last post, I wrote about how I had made some unwise money decisions. I've taken the past month to give a hard, long look at my finances. In that time, I've already made some drastic changes:

I now have a roommate.
I have created and adhered to more strict personal spending rules. And most importantly...
I have fully paid off my car! (And within 2 years and a couple weeks)

Yes, I'm still a long way out of debt but I've made it about $250 easier on myself per month. Next up, I can focus on chipping away at my student loans aka dowry in reverse.

She's On The Money: Bad Financial Decisions

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 23:44:00 +0000

Over the past several years, I've congratulated myself and been proud that I am good with money. I've never had a problem saving money from each check or for waiting to have the money before making a big purchase. I've never carried a balance on my credit card. And I managed to walk away from undergrad with very little debt. However, in the midst of this, I made some questionable decisions.

* Signing up for a six year car loan. It's a used car. It has great potential to be unusable before I would've paid it off. I realize that mistake and am working to fix it this month.

* Slacking on my scholarship search. I did so well in undergrad, paying my way for school about 95 percent financed via scholarships that I took being debt-free for granted. I stopped looking for graduate school scholarships. I figured taking out loans was easier and wouldn't be that bad.

* Failing to change spending habits. During graduate school, I lived like I was awarded thousands of dollars instead of keeping in mind I'd be paying back every single dollar...for years.

As a result of some of my mistakes, I have to consider some drastic measures. The idea of being in debt for the next 10-30 years is not something I want hanging over my head. So I will think about taking in a roommate, getting a second job and pairing back my spending drastically.

It's not the best scenario but I know you gotta pay for your mistakes. I'm fortunate that I can handle my financial mistakes on my own.

Get on with it...

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:18:00 +0000

It's about that time...or is it? At this point, it's up in the air when Ms. Clinton will bow out of the race. Just take a look at CNN.com versus the Chicago Sun Times' site.

My guess is that she'll stay in it until the Democratic party drags her out kicking and screaming. What do you think?

RStheGr8: Customer "dis"service

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:00:00 +0000

I have a recently discovered interest excellent customer service. I can typically tell a company that will stick around and a company that will fade away solely based on the way they handle their biggest asset—the customer. I enjoy acknowledging the good guys and pointing out the bad guys. Fortunately, there are others like me. I just came across a site with endless complaints about service—not dissimilar from my own though I've only dealt with this company for three months.

For the entire time I've lived in my condo, I've been "dealing" with one company. They're a pain. They're rude. They're unprofessional. And they lie—a lot. But I almost need them: Comcast.

Fortunately, I have my internet service through AT&T, where I've had no problems with service. But Comcast finds a way to make a simple amenity like cable absolute torture.

First, if you can actually get somebody on the line (they love to "drop" calls around there), the technician people will have you run all kinds of tests that they know will NOT work but they "have" to do the tests BEFORE they can send a technician out. Then they will SAY they're going to send somebody out. But if and when that actually happens is a toss-up.

The fact that all of my service features have not worked properly since day one is definitely a source of frustration. Comcast in many places in Chicago is a complete monopoly. I really want to switch to a Dish but that would violate the rules of my condo. So for now, I wait…I do my best NEVER to have to deal with Comcast. And when I do, I try to call my "allies" there whom I always have to leave a message for and who may or may not return my call. After all, what's the point of getting frustrated with a bunch of employees who probably hate their jobs anyways and hate me for calling and expecting customer service?

When life was all scoops and ice cream...

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:16:00 +0000

The people I'm working with now remind me of when life was simple. With me being so green in my career, it's amazing that I'm working with people who have been with the same company for decades—longer than I've even been alive.

I remember when I landed my very first job. I was serving up ice cream at the local Baskin Robbins, which was literally a 10 minute walk from my house. I was 16 years old and so excited to be making $6 an hour. It felt like a lot of money to me. I worked there for about two years, steadily earning a little bit more every several months. If I were still working there today, I'd probably be making about $12 an hour and I'd be 15 pounds heavier with all the consistent ice cream consumption. I wonder if life would still be "simple"? Would I be any happier?

For example, my biggest concerns while I was working there:

* If the "thick as a brick" milkshake lady would come in and order us around to prepare for her the perfect shake.

* If we'd run out of a flavor of ice cream before our next shipment.

* If my friends would come in expecting me to shell out free ice cream.

But overall, I loved my job.

In memory of the founder of Baskin Robbins who died today, I wanted to reflect on those more "simple" times.

RStheGr8: Spring is in the air...

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:31:00 +0000

Now that spring is finally here I need to get out of hibernate mode. I've had lots of changes and adjustments to make but there's more that still needs to be done.

During my introspective period, I've had a lot on my mind…a lot of it random so try to stick with me here:

· I've watched the media is work against a great pastor at a historic Chicago church.
· I've watched another black politician fall for something totally avoidable and inexcusable.
· I've watched my beloved school newspaper fold.
· I've reconfirmed my decision to NEVER fly with a connection…EVER. On a related note, I've also decided to avoid flying US Airways. (I can go on in detail about that at a later date.)
· I've been getting excited about all the updates and changes to the iPhone. (I can't wait to activate mine!) Furthermore, I've been getting even more excited by the technological advances that are still to come.
· I've watched my friends accomplish BIG things such as going back to school and buying a house.

Bottom-line: There's a lot that's been on my mind and I look forward to sharing again.

RStheGr8: Escalators

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:24:00 +0000

This past Sunday, I heard of a great way to visualize our walk with God. There's how it should be and how it shouldn't be.

If given a choice to take an escalator or walk up the stairs, which would you choose?

Often times, it doesn't seem that simple in our actual walk with God. Instead of being guided by the Spirit, we are trying to do things in our own power.

I know that when I choose to walk the stairs (over taking the escalator) I reach the top feeling tired, dazed and exhausted. If I would've simply taken the escalator, I wouldn't have experienced those same feelings.

So what'll it be? Cruising with God or pulling yourself along the path without any help, support or assistance?

She Unit: I like this description

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:20:00 +0000

The following sentence is from a story in today's Chicago Tribune about weather:

By 10 a.m., the winter storm was lashing Chicago with stinging sleet. It scoured exposed faces and coated flat surfaces. Wind whistling through skyscrapers pried off flakes of ice the size of drink coasters that hit sidewalks below with soft popping sounds.

That sentence sounds straight out of a novel. And for now, I'm soo happy that it's just that for me: descriptive fiction.

RStheGr8: Brainstorming... wrong place, wrong time

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 05:28:00 +0000

I always problem solve and come up with some great ideas, inspirations and plans. But at the wrong time.

Usually, I am in the wrong place to be coming up with such great ideas. It's a bad place or time because I'm not supposed to be thinking or I don't have anywhere to write things down.

Here are a few examples:
In class
In church
During a deep conversation with someone (in person or on the phone)
While driving
While away from my computer
During a meeting
Right when I'm trying to fall asleep

I don't know why these times are so perfectly wrong for me. Half the time I later can't remember exactly what I thought was such a great idea at the time.

I just want to know why this even happens. I try so hard no to think about things that they just seem to fall into place. If only this would happen more often at the RIGHT time.

She's On the Money: More on Apple

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 23:51:00 +0000

I found the following comment while reading an article on Marketwatch on Apple's latest announcements. I think this comment does a good job of explaining what the company is doing.

BY COGITOERGO 1 HOUR AGO
The iphone story is about the recurring revenue stream from taking a portion of the phone bill. The same with itunes. Apple is generating hardware that continues to generate earnings. It is like HP selling printers in order to get significant income from the ink. This is significant because investors will pay a premium for earnings transparency.

One word: MONETIZE.

Apple realizes it's products could be even better in the future but what they're doing is building an empire around products that continue to generate money. This most overtly started with the iPod then the iPhone and now Apple TV and the MacBook Air and so on...

For these products, you have to spend more money either on music, movies or accessories and adapters. It's pretty much inevitable.

That's what I think too many companies fail to do. Apple has made this their focus. People will continue to use and spend money on Apple products and iTunes--what other alternatives are there, really?

Apple, once again, is in an excellent position.

Do I own stock? No, but I wish I did.

RStheGr8: Six months later, not much progress

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 05:35:00 +0000

It's been nearly six months since I was in Minneapolis surrounded by this drama.

And as of today, they still don't have a sufficient explanation, in my opinion. 13 people dead and still no way to explain what happened to their families.

However, I am still thankful that I was more or less unaffected by the events. And even better, I got to leave. I am no longer reminded daily of the horrific scene that stole many nights of peaceful sleep.

But I will continue to pray for those involved.

She's On the Money: I heart Mac

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:42:00 +0000

Apple announced their newest laptop and you KNOW I want it.

While I realize it would be financially irresponsible to buy a new laptop when (1) I don't need one and (2) I don't have the free cash sitting around, I refuse to let that stop me from dreaming about it.

The idea that a Mac laptop is even more portable is amazing. The idea to do everything wirelessly and without a lot of peripherals is pretty neat and innovative. (Everything they do is innovative...duh.) But I do admit there are some things I'm not too pleased about.

Firstly, the elimination of drives and ports almost forces users to spend more money...either buying from the iTunes store (I will give you my 2 cents on iTunes in another post) or buying extra converters and drives. Also, you almost have to have another computer meaning the MacBook Air cannot be your only computer.

On the other hand, the invention of the time capsule is perfect. You can use it to store files and wirelessly access anything on the computer networks.

Bottomline: I want one. But I'll patiently wait for the improvements that will likely come from a 2G introduction.

Next step: iPhone?!?

Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:26:00 +0000

Trinity United Church bringing in the New Year with Common at the pulpit:

RStheGr8: Gone but not forgotten...

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 06:44:00 +0000

It's been nearly 20 days since my last post but it honestly doesn't feel that long.

I've accomplished a LOT over the past several days.

I graduated from Northwestern.

I moved out of my penthouse in the graduate dorm.

I scoured the city for my first true rental unit. Then I "graduated" to searching for my first condo.

I've visited dozens of places--some multiple times. I've met with mortgage brokers and bankers. I've been online non-stop researching everything from start to finish.

I'm on my way to homeownership! So far, it's been a true learning experience. I've already experienced disappointment. I put in my very first offer on a place. I didn't get my first choice. Or my second choice.

But I've still got a smile on my face because I know God will lead me to the right place. And also because I know it'll be just what I want and need.

I really can't wait to move in to my new place. It'll also be nice to have something to call my own as well as something constant in my life during such a big personal transition. I can't wait to be done with moving for a long time.

I can't wait!

Merry Christmas to me (even if it's late)!

RStheGr8: The Sign

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:33:00 +0000

As I was driving by the restaurant that my family and I will eat at following my graduation next Saturday, I noticed their sign.

It read: "Worry never changed anything."

How true. I mean I think about all the worrying I've done in the past couple weeks alone and everything works out--no matter how much I worry about it. It's all going to work itself out especially since I have God on my side.

RStheGr8: Thank you Louis

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 03:22:00 +0000

Dear Louis,

We weren't supposed to meet today but fortunately God had a better plan. I had no idea I would be at the place where I met you. But God led me there.

You were honest with me and you gave it to me straight. It was as if God was talking to me directly through you. You inspired me to do more, to give back and to want to make a difference.

You show me that people can change. No they're not perfect but given a chance they can and want to do better.

If I were to meet you on the street, I wouldn't have given you the time of day. But the meeting was timely--the right place at the right time.

Thank you, Louis, for telling me what I needed to hear. I appreciate you.

She's On the Money: Lessons Learned about Sprint

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:56:00 +0000

I've been dealing with Sprint all weekend and it's been nothing short of a complete mess and a nightmare. I've lost hours this weekend that I'll never get back.

First of all, if you want something done, you need to call repeatedly to get someone who can actually help you. Then you must be transferred to every single department. During my interactions with Sprint I was transferred more than 15 times and I have 10 DIFFERENT Sprint numbers to show for it.

So my advice when dealing with Sprint: If within the first 30 seconds of the call you sense any attitude or incompetence, just hang up. It's better to start all over again than to deal with that frustration.

Next, call back again to confirm what was supposed to have been done by the last representative. You'd be surprised how many different representatives see different things on the account.

You need to be SURE that your business is handled. Note: This may require more than 2 calls.

RSdoesNU: Little time left...

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:10:00 +0000

I am one 10-page paper, one Powerpoint presentation and one final exam away from no longer being a student.

It feels weird. I knew this day would come but didn't imagine it coming so soon. I'm thankful that I'll have another degree soon.

But it's funny because months ago I said I never wanted to be a student again. Meanwhile, that will definitely be the case in a few weeks. But is that really the end?

RStheGr8: Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (RSTheGr8) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:09:00 +0000

Lately, I've been relying on reviews of others a lot. I've placed great weight and importance on the opinions of others. I decided not to buy items online because I saw what others thought. On the other hand, I purchased items because of others' positive experiences.

I think there should be a way to keep reviews on other people. I should be able to do my "research" on people that I invite into my social circles beyond criminal history and voting records. Those kind of public records don't allow you to see if someone is crazy. I believe some kind of database like this would help to not only save time but also lost energy and potentially dangerous situations.

Of course it would be just that--the opinion of another person. But at least one would be armed with a better potential way to screen friends and other associates. Call it more descriptive and anecdotal research to better assist the social development process.