My day started off bad when I found out that the person they hired to replace me at my old job will have less responsibilities than I did and will paid over $15K more than I received. The 2 global projects I managed have also been reassigned to 2 different Assistant Vice Presidents. I will be meeting with them on Thursday to train them.

It really went down hill from there. By 1:00pm I just wanted to pack my belongings and begin my hejira that would take me far, without being able to look back. Unfortunately, IÂ’m too much of a professional to just walk out. So instead, IÂ’ll need to remain in purgatory for 4 more days.

A mind shift occurred a little while ago when I received a belated birthday e-card from a former famine relief worker I had worked with. He was now in the outskirts of Somalia, doing the kind of work we had done in Mexico and South America. A flood of memories of those days came back to me, helping me realize I had very little to complain about. After all, I not only was able to eat good healthy food and drink clean fresh water; I would soon be going to bed in a safe and secure environment in a comfortable bed located in a climate controlled bedroom and sleeping on nice, soft, clean sheets.

In comparison to him, I have nothing to complain about.

Posted by: Michele at 10:34 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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In some ways I have been a very lucky girl! From very early on in my life I lived in an environment where womenÂ’s roles and lives were limited by those around them. I wanted more. I wanted the freedom, fun and excitement of a manÂ’s life.

As the women in my life tried to curb my independence and exuberance for life, the men in my life (my track, volleyball and softball coaches) fostered in me a sense of independence, drive, competitiveness, and lots of leadership qualities that have served me well to this day. They created and provided a solid foundation for my life. Had my dad not been too busy with his business and congregation he would have joined the women in the restraint and reformation of Michele. When my dad finally did notice I was too much of a tomboy for his taste, so I was sent off to be under the supervision of a distant relative at a convent school. This was followed by an all girls high school. I thought it would not be fun but I was wrong. Our brother school was an all boy military academy, incredible boys each one of them. I also went to a martial arts school where I was one of 4 girls.
more...

Posted by: Michele at 11:05 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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A recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report indicated there were 10 million cases of identity theft in 2004. In 1993 I became a victim and only discovered it in 1998 when the IRS began a multi year audit of my taxes. This audit lasted several years and only ended recently in my favor because of my meticulous accounting and record keeping. I was able to prove that in those years I lived, studied and worked only in New York and not in Florida at the same time. I was lucky, IÂ’ve read of cases where victims have: lost job opportunities, been refused loans, been barred from educational institutions, rejected for housing, and have even been arrested for crimes they didn't commit.

Today it almost happened again. I was purchasing an item in a store with a credit card and the cashier, after swiping my card on the register began to walk away with my card from the register and was about to put it in her pocket. When I called her back and asked her to return my card or to at hold it while she was in front of me she made some lame excuse about needing to swipe it on a different machine instead because her register wasnÂ’t working. Just then the authorization came through on my charge. Something as simple as a small credit card scanner could have been hidden in her pocket, which captures the personal info from the magnetic strip on my credit card. This can happen anywhere a credit card or debit card is accepted: restaurants, malls, gas stations, bookstores and your local convenience store. ItÂ’s not just the companies like Citibank and Wells Fargo losing your information.

HereÂ’s some ways identity theft can happen?
• Purse snatching - A thief steals your wallet or purse containing your personal information, credit and bankcards.
• Mail theft - Thieves steal bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, telephone calling cards and tax information from your mailbox.
• Change of address - Thieves divert your mail to another location.
• Dumpster diving - Thieves rummage through residential or business trash, looking for personal information.
• Masquerading - Thieves fraudulently pose as your landlord or banker or someone else with a legitimate need for your personal information.
• Stealing work records - Thieves get your business or personnel records at work.
• Home theft - Thieves find personal information in your home. They can be either guest, workers, visitors or posing as sales people or lost individuals.
• Internet theft - Thieves obtain personal information from unsecured Web sites that you may have visited or through Phishing and Pharming techniques. More about these 2 tomorrow.
• Insider crime - People who have access to personal identifying information such as bank or financial institutions employees and steal id’s to sell or use it themselves.
• Pretexting - Thieves pretend to be you or a legitimate requestor and persuade business employees to provide them with your personal information.
• Corporate espionage - Thieves steal business secrets or data which encompasses employee and client information.

Because this is such a huge topic, and one which Congress and many states are dragging their feet on, I decided precipitated by todayÂ’s events, that I would make others aware of this potential danger by doing a sort of installment on this topic broken down in segments. My next post will deal exclusively with cyber identity theft, specifically Phishing and Pharming. I will also show, with the permission of a few of my kind family members as guinea pigs, how easy it is for a thief or a stalker to obtain a information on them without their knowledge or consent. I will also show everyone how to protect themselves from this type of crime and those who commit them. Sorry, no fun post, it was a weary day!

Posted by: Michele at 09:26 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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When given the choice between hearing the good or bad news first, I usually ask to hear the bad news first. That way when the good news is given, it will hopefully soften the blow of the bad news or eliminate the sting altogether.

So the bad news first. This was news I actually received over 6 months ago, when I showed up at my university, after trying unsuccessfully to get my diploma through the mail. On that day I was told that the reason requests went unanswered was due to a stop on my record. The stop was placed there because there were 3 classes I needed to complete from my last semester at school.

So my reaction: Impossible, I completed all my coursework. It turns out, after waiting for 3 hrs to meet with the Chair of the English Dept., that my professor died before he was able to turn in the semester grades for classes. I was extremely upset on 2 counts! First, that my life was unfairly being turned upside down, as a result of external circumstances, for something that was totally out of my control. Second, that the man who inspired me to pursue a Master's degree in English, and later reccommended me for the English Doctoral Program at CUNY's Graduate Center, had died so abruptly, sadly and alone. Since then, I've been filing academic and other appeals so that I could do the coursework without having to attend classes. Why, my job right now is to fulfill my responsibilities as a single-mom.

Late Friday I learned that my last appeal had been denied. Which in essence means that since I was in an accelerated combined BA/MA Honors program, and since the courses I had been taking were to complete both my undergrad & grad requirements, I would remain without degrees until I re-enrolled, paid back the scholarship money I was given to take those classes in the first place, then pay over $5,000 in tuition fees to take the new classes, successfully complete the damned courses, and then refile for accreditation to see if I am then eligible to graduate with the combined BA/MA degree. That just sucks bigtime!

One of the suggestions I was given by one of the administrators was for me to put my child in daycare (till 9:00pm) 3 nights a week, so that I could quickly finish my degrees in one semester. There were many expletives that were unsaid and will remain unwritten, though the thought of sharing it (full force) with them was very tempting. To say that I'm angry is to do my rage an injustice. I have been considering my next steps, but I felt that I needed to sit, vent, think, evaluate and then decide on the best course of action, after consulting a lawyer.

As for the good news... the first is that my son did extremely well in his scholastic test, which means that we have 4 schools from which to choose. The second is that I received an offer for the job I really wanted. Yay on those two counts, and on the third... I can finally stop interviewing! So it took me a total of 9 weeks from when I started making phone calls, to when I'm supposed to be starting the new job. I'm both happy and relieved, though it still doesn't take away from the anger and frustration I've been feeling since Friday over my educational situation. Grrrrr! I do a slow, intense burn everytime I think of it. I think I need to pray for peace of mind and a viable solution.

Posted by: Michele at 12:01 AM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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1 Hip Hip Horray!!! You got the job you wanted! I am so happy to hear that. I am also very happy to hear your son has so many options. That is not good news about your degree. It just doesn't make sense that they are not working with you considering the circumstances.

Posted by: vw bug at June 02, 2005 06:48 AM (V4mW3)

2 Yea for you! Yea for your cutie son! Boo, hiss at the University. Sounds like they know you are right but they sense they can make some money off of this. It might be wise to contact other students of the professor to see what they have done. Also contact a lawyer.

Posted by: Machelle at June 02, 2005 08:43 AM (ZAyoW)

3 Yay!! - Focus on the good.

Posted by: _Jon at June 02, 2005 08:56 AM (ewFgD)

4 Wow, the university thing sucks. I have never heard of anything like that happening anywhere else. I'm sorry you have to go through that. Congrats on your kid. Sounds like you have one sharp minded lad. Watch out for them, they are the ones that can cause the most trouble.

Posted by: Contagion at June 02, 2005 09:02 AM (Q5WxB)

5 I'm with Machelle on this one - contact a lawyer! If you've completed the coursework you should get the credit - that's on their shoulders it doesn't matter if the professor died. You shouldn't have to repay money AND retake the classes!!! ARG - this kind of stuff just pisses me off big time! Anyhow... major congrats on getting the job! And big hugs for your little guy for doing so well on the tests so he has a choice of schools.

Posted by: Teresa at June 02, 2005 09:16 PM (nAfYo)

6 whoo hoo! I'm excited about the job and your boy! You have made so many right choices to get you where you are. As for the university thing, I am speechless. And angry. Puzzled. Horrified. Blech.

Posted by: Boudicca at June 02, 2005 09:45 PM (z7nbM)

7 Congrats on the job and your son! That other business, though.... something isn't right there. Lawyer time, definitely.

Posted by: That 1 Guy at June 03, 2005 12:07 AM (lopGJ)

8 Yay for the good news!!! I'm really happy to hear about the job and the school! I have been checking in periodically, hoping for some good news there. As for the school, I don't know what your options are. And I am in attorney, admitted to practice in NY. I sort of think that any lawyer you contact will require some bucks upfront just to cover the time and research needed to see if you have a claim. Something to keep in mind.

Posted by: RP at June 03, 2005 11:46 AM (LlPKh)

9 I guess I should stop complaining about my issues with Rutgers. The RU screw, as it is called, doesn't seem so bad now. At least I got my degree. Nine weeks? Wow! I have been dealing with one of my potential employers (a university, no less) since the end of March. Their slowness at getting around to things is frustrating. So don't give up! But congrats on the job and I hope things work out well.

Posted by: Charles at June 03, 2005 08:54 PM (ufu0n)

10 I would think there would have to be other students that were effected by the professor's demise. Maybe you could find out who they were and attack together...???

Posted by: TNT at June 05, 2005 09:56 PM (ubhj8)

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