Although many things have gone great this summer, it would be inaccurate of me to neglect mentioning my true nemesis along Lake Erie, otherwise known as Time Warner Cable! My vendetta with the famous cable television and high-speed internet provider began the day I moved into my studio flat in June and continued well into August.

Firstly, the cable box that was supposed to be provided with my apartment up-and-vanished before I moved in. “OK, no big deal…right?�

Boy was I wrong!

Secondly, I received no less than four letters addressed to the “Resident� of my apartment from collection agencies threatening my credit line if I did not pay the $800 plus that racked up in late fees. Little did I know, the resident of apartment 1304 before me portrayed a deadbeat bill payer in real life, and I nearly took the fall for him.

Thirdly, I spent three consecutive nights on-hold with Time Warner Customer Service (an ironic name for a service which only provides elevator music for hours) without ever having my questions answered. I’d spend a half hour on-hold until a representative would field my question, reply that s/he did not have the resources to answer my questions about this billing mistake, and then transfer my call to another representative while I waited [repeat].

Oh yeah, I also had my internet access taken away twice this summer because Time Warner mistook my conscious bill paying with that of my deadbeat predecessor – all the while charging me double for what I actually paid for this summer (once through my rent payment and once again by direct billing to me). Needless to say, they billed me twice for my actual fees and also attempted to bill me for the former residence’s fees as well. After I recognized this and explained the problem, Time Warner has still yet to correct their errors!

Posted by Signal_Caller at 7:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With the academic year quickly approaching, my days working as a summer intern continue to diminish. While spending the past three months learning the actuarial field, I realized that I’ve learned more than just number crunching secrets. I found out there is a much lighter side to office life that is seldom expressed. So, I’ve taken it upon myself to present my list of “Top Ten Corporate Things� that I love!

10. Office Luncheons: Very few things can top an hour of compensated work complemented with an inner-office smorgasbord of tastes from downtown cafes.

9. Windows Office Messenger: This “professional� version of instant messaging is the perfect tool to pass the time during a boring day of cubical work. It also shows whether or not a coworker is at his/her desk at any given time.

8. The Penthouse Office: The narcissism of riding in an elevator to the 19th floor of a 19-floor building as the rest of the busy-bees file out of the elevator to lower level floors always puts a smile on my face. Yeah, I may be vane, but it sure is fun to see their amused face as they realize my office is higher than theirs.

7. Bottomless Fountain Drinks: Each break station in the office has fountain beverages of Coke & Pepsi - among a various assortment of waters and coffees. It’s like having a 7-11 in each corner of the office! Just be sure to bring your own drinking cup, because the 12 ounce Styrofoam jobs won’t hand a candle for your thirst.

6. Downtown Studio Apartment + Parking: I’m within five blocks of Jacobs Field, Playhouse Square, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and my workplace. To top it off, I can park my friends in the garage for free! Having this proximity is like living on campus – only for grownups.

5. Study Hours: In order to pass my career exams, my office grants compensated study hours for their associates in substitution of office work. Understandably, I study during this time so I’m not escaping actual work, but I’m still getting paid to study!

4. Company Softball: Free Softball + Free Shirt + Athletic Coworkers = Awesomeness

3. Money: It’s nice getting paid for work that I’ve previously done for free!...Er…Should I say “volunteered� to do?

2. Perks: The perks you receive working for a large, downtown corporation are compensation in it of itself. The following is just a handful of things I’ve gotten to do through my employer: dined in the club level of Jacobs Field, received no less than five items of clothing with my company’s logo, and arranged tee times at impressive nearby private golf courses.

1. Only an Internship: Understanding that this past summer has only been an internship is great. Because, when work becomes too monotonous, I know that school is just around the corner. And, if that becomes too monotonous, I know that another summer internship is on its way. And, if that gets too monotonous….Well, you get the picture!

Posted by Signal_Caller at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now, I understand that many people my age have made large purchases in their lifetimes. Such purchases may range from attending the appropriate university, selecting that dream automobile, moving into their first home, or even picking out a life-changing diamond for that special someone. Well...my first big purchase lacks excitement to these options.

However, just yesterday I did purchase a new computer to replace my current clunker. After surfing the web for weeks to decide on the right package, I ended up with a cost just under a cool grand and a system packed with plenty of storage I'll probably never fill.

For me, it's a monumental purchase!

I learned things during this process that I would've never expected. For instance, I did NOT qualify for financing through the distributor. This was not because of a poor credit rating; however, it was due to a lack of credit in general. Apparently, one credit card that is paid off in a timely manner is not suitable for creditors. Rather, the financing denial was partly because my report failed to show multiple credit accounts! Moreover, did you know that other variable decisions influencing your credit report are the number of times you change residences in the past few years as well as how often you change your permanent telephone number?

If you're like me - somebody who has/had no idea as to how your credit report is assessed - do yourself a favor and research the criteria. You'll be surprised what you might find!

Posted by Signal_Caller at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)