Two bank interface stories
Bank interface story #1: Got a new debit card for a new checking account. Sticker on card says "must be activated at an ATM before use." Went to ATM at bank, inserted card, entered temporary PIN (securely mailed in a…
Category consumer watch
Why can't those downtown merchants get it right?
There's an interesting and sad article in today's Palladium-Item, Main Street struggles for survival. Articles like it are being written about struggling downtown areas across the country, so of course it's nothing new in "this economy," but because it's about…
Should I unsubscribe from Wired magazine?
One of my most favorite magazines to read, and only one of two I subscribe to, is Wired. They somehow manage to stay on the cutting edge of the tools, technologies and culture I am connected to as a technology…
iPhone iOS4 IMAP mail syncing problems
I offer this account of trying to address a known (and I would say, severe) bug in the iPhone 4 mail software, in case it's helpful to others: Ever since I upgraded my iPhone to IOS4 (the latest version of…
Unhelpful responses to cyberwarfare
A number of mainstream magazines and newspapers have recently published reports on the increasing threat of "cyberwarfare," the significant resources being devoted to fighting that "war" and what we're doing to protect the critical national asset that is our digital…
Customer service FAILs (and a WIN)
A few short stories of recent FAIL and WIN experiences in customer service: Trying to stop getting unsolicited postal mail from Comcast I'm not a Comcast customer, haven't been for a long time, and never at my current address. I…
Super ultra mega-secure EFTPS enrollment
As an employer, my company Summersault is required to withhold and then turn in federal taxes from our employee paychecks. In the past we've turned in those withheld funds by printing out a check, walking it a block down the…
On life without cable television
For over a year now, I've been living well without cable or broadcast television in my life. I thought I would share some thoughts on how that transition has gone, and some pointers to tools and technologies you might be…
Waiving fees on charitable donations to Haiti
A few petitions and e-mail campaigns have been circulating that demand financial institutions waive their processing fees for the handling of donations to help relief efforts in Haiti, following the earthquake there last week. Some of the requests that I've…
Various Reviews of Various Things
I've been consuming a lot of information, and I'm here to tell you, briefly, what I've learned: Book, The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz: a great little book, a quick read full of…