Its Time for A Start

Posted on July 13, 2016 by AmoniB

In the midst of all the police brutality, alleged police assassinations, Black Lives Matter protests, companies trying to capitalize over Black organizations, people and their protest, and the PokemonGo craze that seems to just be tracking your location and predators, there is a silver lining. We are learning to come together as a people again. We are learning to go back to forums of discussion over social media. We are learning that everything isn’t meant to be poured into the digital database, which may be used against us. Thankfully we are learning. However, there are somethings that we should learn to do and that is to take back our neighborhoods.

As I suggested in previously blogs, YOUR COMMUNITY IS YOUT BUSINESS. And, therefore, you have to maintain and stabilize it. Can you look at your past and present contributions and be proud of your service to your neighborhood or the world?

I teach, mentor, volunteer, and I have founded two non-profit organizations, ‘Vive Entertainment Enterprises Corporation’ & ‘Brooklyn Multi-Service Community Center, Corp.,’ and a company called Brown-Pugh Daughters and Sons LLC. I’ve organized, walked, fundraised, and donated to various groups and causes, including traveling and marching in Washington DC for equality rights and Prop 8. The list will be several pages long. ALL in efforts to make my community (East New York and surrounding areas) and the world (I know you may think it sounds cheesy) a better place.

I am usually modest and rather not go into details. I never look for praise or profits, I just seek RESULTS. I need everyone reading this post to work towards results as well. No matter which part you play in your community, make POSITIVE efforts and try your best for progressive results. Here is 5 things you can do to improve your neighborhood:

1. Look at the statistics of crime, poverty, etc. in your area.

2. Come up with positive ideas to illuminate or reduce those statistics.

3. Develop a plan to implement at least one of those ideas.

4. Get help and/or advice if needed.

5. Start your plan.

For free assistance with business mentorship contact me via BkMSCC or via my NY Mentor site.

For Start-Up services visit my Fivrr, I also personalize orders not included on the site.

QUESTION TO THE AUDIENCE: How have you impacted change in your neighborhood?

I am no longer posting Mondays, Next Week Wednesday fund out The Pros and Cons of Blogging

How do you explain hate to a child? – a poem

Posted on July 11, 2016 by Samantha

This weeks blog was originally going to discuss readability and blogging but with the recent events in our nation I was inspired to write a poem. My condolences are extended to all who suffered a loss, who live in fear and most of all for the children who have to grow up in this scary and tragic world we as a society have created.

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN HATE TO A CHILD

By: Samantha Pezzolanti

How do you explain hate to a child? Is there really a way?

How do you find the words to explain the violence that takes place everyday?

How do you tell a child who’s innocent and unknowing,

That it’s reality that the TV is showing

Where do you find the words to rationalize the actions of a nation?

That is quick to hate and to judge but short on love and patience

How do you tell a child others can be judged by their race and gender?

Or by their religion, background or for being too chubby or slender

We raise our children to love, accept and share,

But the world around them spews hate, stereotypes and despair

We raise our children to not judge a book by its cover,

And to respect and walk in unity with one another

Yet the TV shows people who are at war with a label

Unfairly prosecuting people and leaving society unstable

So how do you explain hate to a child, how do you make them understand?

That it is not okay to take the life of another man

Or take the life of woman over the color of their skin, religion or ideas

How do you raise a child to not have fears?

Of society, of each other of the people who protect and serve,

No this is not the kind of world our children deserve

We have created a sad world indeed

One that’s chaotic, broken and in need

In need of love in need of community and in need of hope

Societies stability hangs by a rope

So how do you explain hate to a child in times like these?

If you have the answer, share it please.

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Pamela

Image Credit

This week I wanted to discuss why blogging can serve as an essential component of our professional development. I believe that professional development is worthwhile and necessary and that’s why I chose it as my topic. So the first thing to ask yourself is: what is the purpose of the blog? We need to have a clear idea of our destination. If you know what you want to blog about and what you want to achieve, you are more likely to get it. Of course, you can have more than one purpose and go in whatever direction you want to.

However, for me greatest benefit in blogging is that it allows me to motivate others with positive reinforcement as I share my stories, insights and give advice. As a motivational tool, I record my journey through the use of digital media, and reflect on my experiences. I have a constant way of processing information and a place to display that information. Even with a small audience, the act of sharing is driving me to continue the challenge of building a community of like-minded readers and expanding my interest to promote ideas and educational pedagogy.

For example, I am now looking at resumes and what style to use. Do I want bullet points or paragraph style? Should I lead with my experience or accomplishments? I will address these important questions in my next post with definitive choices. But that’s how blogging helps me to think and write more clearly. It helps me to organize my thoughts and explore them in a more thoughtful way. It gives me a better understanding of the way I think and can portray myself in a clearer manner. As a result, I am able to connect with others in a more comprehensive way.

Look at it as having a digital voice where the benefits occur not only when you write but when you read other people’s blogs.

Remember: Plan ahead to get ahead!

Why I fell in love with blogging

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Samantha

While I’ve only been blogging formally for about 7 months now it didn’t take me long to realize that blogging was something I was extremely passionate about. Before blogging with The Buzz, I had only mediocre experience blogging, only attempting (and failing) at running my own blog while I was pregnant with my daughter and shortly there after. So when I was asked by a professor if I’d be interested in blogging for the school I was skeptical that I had what it took to be a blogger but my friends encouraged me to give it a shot. I sent in my material and hoped for the best and after an interview I was ecstatic that I’d gotten the position.

I quickly found that blogging for an already established medium was a lot easier than setting up my own blog from scratch. The Buzz was already in motion and already had regular bloggers who I’d be joining and peer editing with. The existing foundation and peer support made jumping into blogging an easy transition and it was really helpful having another set of eyes to look over my work before it went live. Having that additional support gave me confidence in my work and I quickly started promoting what I was doing and the amazing atmosphere of The Buzz itself. I did some research on promoting your brand and building an audience and I was amazed at the response I got.

It didn’t take long to fall in love with and look forward to my weekly posts, I often plotted them out weeks in advance when ideas came to me. I loved blogging because I felt that I had a forum to share my story, my wins and losses and share with or support other young women who’d been in my shoes. I felt like my words would have been a comfort to me had I come across them when I was struggling and I hoped that my words offered comfort to a young mom who was struggling or at a low point in her life. I was surprised however when I realized my blogs were reaching more than just moms and young women but that guys and even fathers were reading too!

The single proudest and heartwarming moment for me though was when a classmate sent me an email that he’d read one of my posts and it gave him the clarity he needed to work on his relationship that he’d previously felt he lost. I was stunned and honored that my words were that powerful to help someone and give him or her insight into a personal situation. It was from that evening on that I was sure I would dedicate myself to blogging in some way shape or form; I wanted my words, my experiences and my success to help motivate and inspire people to chase their dreams. I’m so thrilled to be back for the summer and I hope you’ll join me as I sketch out the steps I took in becoming a successful blogger.

Why I Love Thai Food

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Jessica

If you ask my friends or boyfriend, “what’s Jessica’s favorite cuisine/type of food?” 9 out of 10 them would say Ramen or Thai food. I’ve frequently visited Thai restaurant the last few years to the point some friends got a little sick of it because to them Thai food wasn’t too impressive to them ,but to me I absolutely love it.

I think I have been to fourteen Thai restaurants between Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. That’s quite a lot, but I am sure there are others that have been to more Thai restaurants. So here’s a few reasons why I love Thai food:

I absolutely love Pad Thai! It’s definitely one of my favorite noodle dishes and I love that it has a slight tang-like flavor, but also with a little sweetness. There was a time in my life where I would try the different Pad Thai around different Thai restaurants and some were a hit or miss. I also like that you can have it with chicken, beef, seafood, vegetable, pork, and etc.

I also love Thai Ice Tea as most people do when they have Thai food. It’s rich, not too sweet, and just really refreshing and delightful.

One of the appetizers I really enjoy at a Thai restaurant is the Chicken Curry Puff which is filled with chicken, carrot, potato, onion, and Massaman curry. It’s often served with a sweet cucumber vinegar. The appetizer is very moist with delicious curry flavors, but not at spicy at all.

I also can’t forget Thai Ice Tea ice cream. Yep there is such a thing and in fact, I feel more and more places are carrying this flavor! The Thai Ice Tea ice cream I’ve had is very rich, creamy, and you can really taste the tea-ness in the ice cream.

Another reason I love Thai food/going to Thai restaurants is the decor and ambiance. Most Thai restaurants have a intimate, dim light setting and pretty calm and relaxing. There are some reasons why I love Thai food.

Is there a cuisine that you enjoy and why do you enjoy it?

Blogging Thru Summer

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Pamela

Image Credit

Hi Everyone, Happy Summer!

Summer is usually a time when students take time off from the rituals of school. However, if you’re like me and soon to graduate summer is a time to prepare for the task of job hunting. That’s why my summer is being spent preparing my resume, cover letter, e-portfolio, and social media accounts. It may seem like a lot but all are very important things to have ready.

My posts over the summer will give tips and advice on:

Presenting your accomplishments and achievements
Listing your experience
Advertising your strengths
Making use of clear and articulate writing
Avoiding spelling and punctuation errors

I will also offer advice to any aspiring writers and bloggers who wish to share their thoughts and words with the college community and on social media. Perhaps you’re like me and want to blog about your professional journey, but you also want your blog to be fun. Blogging may require a bit more effort than other popular topics but once you get the ball rolling you may find blogging to be a very rewarding practice that helps to build your career.

My summer motto: Plan ahead to get ahead!

Schools out & blogging is in!

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Samantha

Hello everyone! By the title of my post I guess you’ve figured out that school is out for the summer, not only is the spring semester over but Ava and the rest of the public school kids are free for the summer. I am super excited to be apart of the summer blogging team at The Buzz and I can’t wait to share me and Ava’s adventures with everyone. Here’s what you can look forward to in my posts this summer,

Summer Bucket List

My main theme this summer is the bucket list, which is the recap post of all the places Ava and I want to visit this summer. From museums to state parks there are a whole bunch of places we want to visit and will be sharing with my readers! Some of the places on the list are,

The Roosevelt Island tram
The museum of natural history
Brooklyn Botanical Garden

Also on my blog this summer you can find some tips, tricks and best practices for blogging, tweeting and Instagraming your way to a solid amount of followers and building a regular audience. I’ll be sharing my experiences and my strategies for building my blog here on The Buzz as well as on my personal pages. You can also look forward to me and the other bloggers leading workshops this fall!

For starters some tips are,

Pick a theme You’re going to build a bigger following if you have a theme because people will know your stuff is consistent
Post on a schedule Set days where you’ll post so your followers know when to check for new content, you can even schedule posts ahead of time so you never miss a day.
Be transparent– Don’t talk around or patronize situations or people in your writing, be honest and be you. People respond to honesty.

Restaurant Review: Heights Cafe

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Jessica

It’s not every day or normally that I eat in Downtown Brooklyn/Brooklyn Heights for dinner, but last month/semester my team and I decided on visiting Heights Cafe for our marketing project. One of our team members is actually a server at Heights Cafe so it worked out perfectly. I came with my boyfriend on a Saturday at 5PM as dinner just started.

Heights Cafe is located in the heart of Brooklyn Heights and is in a beautiful location because it’s just a short walk from the Brooklyn Promenade. The restaurant/cafe has a warm and bright atmosphere. The walls of the restaurant are decorated with paintings from local artists.

Our friend greeted us with a warm and friendly smile and asked what would we like, gave us recommendations, and etc. We started off with drinks:

My boyfriend ordered the Angry Orchard and I had a Watermelon Martini. The watermelon martini had a nice and refreshing watermelon taste to it. It reminded me of a Jolly Rancher candy, but in this case infused with alcohol. It was super strong, so I didn’t quite finish it.

Bread Basket

Warm Spinach Dip with Corn Tortilla Chips

For appetizer, we had the the Warm Spinach Dip with Corn Tortilla Chips. We typically order fried calamari as an appetizer, but this time I wanted to try something different. The tip was a delight, not too cheesy and you get spinach in every bite. The chips were crunchy and fresh.

a dish of ravioli with asparagus and tomatoes

Wild Mushroom Ravioli

My boyfriend ordered the Wild Mushroom Ravioli from the dinner specials menu for the day we went. It was $20.95, so definitely a little more expensive then ravioli we’ve had in other restaurants. The wild mushroom ravioli had olive oil garlic sauce, sauteed shrimp, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes.

The dish is definitely colorful and vibrant. The ravioli was delicious and super filling and I would have preferred more sauce.

Lobster Mac & Cheese

I had the Lobster Mac & Cheese. The lobster mac & cheese was bathed in brandy lobster cream, Parmesan, Gruyere, and cheddar cheese. I liked it for the most part, tasted more like cheese than lobster-like.I actually had trouble finishing the lobster mac and cheese because there was so much cheese and cream that I got full instantly. The cheese was just a little overwhelming.

Although our dinner was a little more expensive compared to most dinners we have had. Overall, I really liked the service and the attentiveness from the other servers before our friend arrived to our table. I also liked the atmosphere because most of the customers are locals, tourists, and/or family.

I think if I am in the area and in search of warm and delicious comfort food than yes and maybe if for a birthday dinner and etc. If a friend or someone asks me for a good Brooklyn Heights restaurant recommendation, Heights Cafe would definitely be on my top three recommendations.

Controlling Our Digital Presence and Identity

Posted on May 6, 2016 by Pamela

Cohen, J., & Kenny, T. (n.d.). Producing new and digital media: Your guide to savvy use of the Web.

Lately, I have been thinking about my personal brand and how important it is. It was very easy for me to review all my social media accounts and determine what my digital presence and identity is. The fact is, I only have a few: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Although Facebook is my most prominent one, I do have a small digital presence on Twitter and Instagram. I would say what I don’t post on Facebook tells more about me than what I do post. By that, I mean that I rarely post. So for me, it’s more about creating a digital identity that I would want to be known for.

But the fact, it is easy to forget that what we post online can remain online even if we delete it and this can potentially hurt our career and relationships. Anything we choose to upload, tweet, reblog, favorite, “like”, can be endless and very hard to erase. Whether our information is shared intentionally or unintentionally, our digital footprint is being gathered by various companies and employers and often used to obtain personal information about us. According to Cohen and Kenny “from the moment you turned on your first computer and double-clicked on the icon for the web browser of your choice, you have created an abundance of personal information, available through search engines such as Google or Yahoo!” (207). That is why it is far better to be in control of our digital identity than to allow something to take control. But whether we are branding, as in my case, or re-branding, it is important to be aware of the information that is out there about us. Even if we didn’t post the information, it may be attached to someone else’s post.

But how do we control our digital identity? Understanding the significance of our digital footprint is an important step in protecting our online identity. Cohen and Kenny (pp. 205-206) ask readers to consider what their online identity is and then take charge of it. To answer this question takes some thought, not because it is a hard question but because it is an important one and starts with knowing what we do everyday that is recorded. That doesn’t mean that we should be afraid to go online and visit sites. The best thing to do is not to stay offline but to be conscious of what we post.

The best way to control our digital identity is by deciding what communities we want to be a part of and what content we want to post. We should also decide what social media profiles we want to use such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Also important is to use positive aspects to help create our personal branding for example, a personal blog can highlight our strengths and personality. Finally, we should realize that controlling our digital presence and identity is long-term challenge that requires dedication and persistence.

Festival Of Colors

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Konyca

It was that time again for a feeling of euphoria. The Holi Festival, one of many was held last Saturday at the NYC Bhangra. Every year around the spring season there are at least two Holi festivals in New York City. Holi is an Indian festival which is usually known as the festival of colors or the festival of sharing love.

The dry colors are washable so you don’t have to worry about your clothes being discolored

Man in sunglasses, covered in colored paint