Synovus, a Georgia bank services holding company, that provides 'back-office' work for a chain of small (and I suspect badly-managed) banks, including one I have the dubious pleasure of banking at(and a proud recipient of TARP money, besides!).
I was instructed in February to change the password to a business account access page--12 to 24 characters, combine numbers and letters, etc.
I dutifully comply, and all is well. Until today...
I type in the password, and can get no more than 8 characters into the little box.
Hmm...call the bank, get Synovus's phone number, go through their phone tree(of course no person answers--it's a friggin' bank!), leave a voice mail, check my watch(working on deadline, this has burned half an hour), head off to tasks that must be done by end of the business day.
Phone rings at the post office, and Polite Lady finally understands after I explain it to her three or four times(check my watch again), and she explains that the password is only eight characters long, no need to mix letters and numbers, why was I using such a long password?
I explain that all worked well until today, and Polite Lady leaves me an alternate password to work from.
I ask her, 'How was I supposed to find out about this change? I'm not on the telepathic frequency of the folks at Synovus, obviously! Why am I doing my job and yours as well? This is the third time in two months I've wasted hours on Synovus screw-ups. I'd like a call from your manager, please.'
Still waiting for the call.
Head to the bank, make a deposit, tell the branch manager what happened, and she plays Sympathetic Lady, who will never pass the word on that their vendor is screwing their customers.
After all, since the Treasury gives them all the free money they could ever want, why bother with keeping customers? Hell's Bells, we just get in the way!
Of course, the public relations folks have the insincere linguistic drill memorized. Check out the first paragraph for a chuckle.
Shame is, if Congress would just let these clowns fail, other banks run by people who might give a rip could get going.
But we live in a culture where failure is rewarded, and thus guaranteed.
Is this a small matter? Maybe. Multiply it by several thousand similar instances a day, and one wonders how long the road to recovery will be. Geithner can spew cash with a firehose, but until the culture changes, nothing changes.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Masters Week, the gift of a true hero
Were I King of the World, I would ban rugby and declare Golf the official sport of Earth.
Like all Utopian efforts, it would backfire, but it's a fond thought, no?
So, short of that, let every family teach their children of America's true hero of sport and life: Bobby Jones.
He achieved at the highest levels, always as an amateur, retired from competition, and devoted his remaining forty-one years(many of them in the throes of illness) to improving the world and every life around him. Amongst his contributions are the development of Augusta National, and founding the Masters.
Modesty, loyalty, and industry characterized his life, and we owe him our thanks for allowing those magical Sunday afternoons every April, when the world stops and holds its breath for the final nine holes, awaiting that crucial birdie putt as the sun begins to drop behind the trees.
As we find our way back to sanity, let's fire Denis Rodman and LeBron James, and reinstate Bobby Jones and his ilk to the true hero status they deserve, and we need.
(And, further, were I King, I'd require a return to persimmon!)
Like all Utopian efforts, it would backfire, but it's a fond thought, no?
So, short of that, let every family teach their children of America's true hero of sport and life: Bobby Jones.
He achieved at the highest levels, always as an amateur, retired from competition, and devoted his remaining forty-one years(many of them in the throes of illness) to improving the world and every life around him. Amongst his contributions are the development of Augusta National, and founding the Masters.
Modesty, loyalty, and industry characterized his life, and we owe him our thanks for allowing those magical Sunday afternoons every April, when the world stops and holds its breath for the final nine holes, awaiting that crucial birdie putt as the sun begins to drop behind the trees.
As we find our way back to sanity, let's fire Denis Rodman and LeBron James, and reinstate Bobby Jones and his ilk to the true hero status they deserve, and we need.
(And, further, were I King, I'd require a return to persimmon!)
Amidst the gloom, a truly positive development
This courtesy of Mish Shedlock.
The cultural rot has driven the economy over the cliff, and this article is a sign, that on some level, for some families, things might be turning for the better.
Especial attention to the final couple of lines of the article!!
It was the compulsive consumerism that fueled the bubble, and only a turning away from that way of life, and an embrace of a life that emphasizes thrift, value, sobriety and community will lead us out of the woods.
Last night, we were standing in the parking lot of our church, and my seventeen year-old-son was expressing his frustration with the place. His complaint essentially focused on the conspicuous consumption culture that took hold in the last five to six years: 'Look at all these SUV's!,' says he. 'It's just excessive.' He knows that the consumerism is a symptom of the parishioners' narcissism. (I was sooo proud of him--he gets it!)
I've got nothing against SUV's--they're wonderful things, like all things, bought for the right uses and reasons. I'm a stone capitalist, and the last thing we need is Pelosi and Obama deciding what cars can and can't be driven.
I just know that greed is the cancer of the soul.
The cultural rot has driven the economy over the cliff, and this article is a sign, that on some level, for some families, things might be turning for the better.
Especial attention to the final couple of lines of the article!!
It was the compulsive consumerism that fueled the bubble, and only a turning away from that way of life, and an embrace of a life that emphasizes thrift, value, sobriety and community will lead us out of the woods.
Last night, we were standing in the parking lot of our church, and my seventeen year-old-son was expressing his frustration with the place. His complaint essentially focused on the conspicuous consumption culture that took hold in the last five to six years: 'Look at all these SUV's!,' says he. 'It's just excessive.' He knows that the consumerism is a symptom of the parishioners' narcissism. (I was sooo proud of him--he gets it!)
I've got nothing against SUV's--they're wonderful things, like all things, bought for the right uses and reasons. I'm a stone capitalist, and the last thing we need is Pelosi and Obama deciding what cars can and can't be driven.
I just know that greed is the cancer of the soul.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
When I'm Eighty-Five...
...I hope I'm close to the condition of my golf partner from this week.
Eighty-five, I kid you not, and insisted the group play from the back tees on a very tough course he had never laid eyes on.
He played the round at bogey golf all the way around the course. Missed only two fairways all day. Chipped and putted like nobody's business.
He drove it past me several times, and I felt relieved when I found my ball parallel to his other times.
A fabulous day.
A fabulous game--nothing like golf in all the world!
Eighty-five, I kid you not, and insisted the group play from the back tees on a very tough course he had never laid eyes on.
He played the round at bogey golf all the way around the course. Missed only two fairways all day. Chipped and putted like nobody's business.
He drove it past me several times, and I felt relieved when I found my ball parallel to his other times.
A fabulous day.
A fabulous game--nothing like golf in all the world!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Yet another scam, courtesy of the guv'mint
The wonderful blog CreditCrunchedUK provides us today's winning entry in our FUBAR competition.
It goes like this: Using taxpayer money, and probably through third-party entities, the big banks(you know, the ones we are rescuing from their toxic assets?) are evidently planning to participate in both sides of Geithner's newest bail-out plan, by bidding up one another's worthless trash that will be absorbed by the taxpayer.
Crony Capitalism=Moral Hazard
If we fail to factor in people's essential depravity into every plan we make, we end up unpleasantly surprised, and looking foolish.
Most small bankers, and small business people, seem to understand that intuitively.
Does common sense just get beaten out of students in MBA programs?
It goes like this: Using taxpayer money, and probably through third-party entities, the big banks(you know, the ones we are rescuing from their toxic assets?) are evidently planning to participate in both sides of Geithner's newest bail-out plan, by bidding up one another's worthless trash that will be absorbed by the taxpayer.
Crony Capitalism=Moral Hazard
If we fail to factor in people's essential depravity into every plan we make, we end up unpleasantly surprised, and looking foolish.
Most small bankers, and small business people, seem to understand that intuitively.
Does common sense just get beaten out of students in MBA programs?
The Definition of a Blue-Dog Democrat
Yes, once again, we have our good Congressman John Tanner playing the ends against the middle.
The 'Guest Columnist' insertion in the local paper was a piece submitted under Rep. Tanner's name (seriously, friends, listen to the guy talk; hard to believe he can write anything of this length with correct grammar).
The title? Drum-roll, please! We Must Restore Fiscal Responsibility
The Honorable Member then explains how everything that has gone wrong was the fault of the evil Republicans; easy to do, since a lot of it can be laid at their feet. He intones that 'The borrow-and-spend policy down which our country has begun poses at least two serious threats', and goes on to name the spectre that the Chinese might not want to buy our T-bills(They expect to get paid back!), and our weakened place in the world and its foreign policy implications.
So, this would be a reason to not vote for the TARP, the 'Stimulus' and a budget that runs well over ONE TRILLION in deficits into the endless future, right?
WRONG! He then goes on to explain that despite all these things, he just had to vote for the 'Stimulus Bill'--he had already voted for the TARP(he just 'had to', you know), and signalled that he would be voting for the 2010 budget.
And, indeed he did!
So, what's the definition of a Blue-Dog Democrat?
He howls at the moon, declaring his fealty to the conservative values of his district. But when his masters(Pelosi, Frank, Reid, and Obama) command, he rolls over and plays dead.
Check his congressional home page:
Cries of outrage against the mounting national debt, and never a mention of his votes that make it possible.
Our grandchildren will curse our memories for allowing him and his to get away with this.
The 'Guest Columnist' insertion in the local paper was a piece submitted under Rep. Tanner's name (seriously, friends, listen to the guy talk; hard to believe he can write anything of this length with correct grammar).
The title? Drum-roll, please! We Must Restore Fiscal Responsibility
The Honorable Member then explains how everything that has gone wrong was the fault of the evil Republicans; easy to do, since a lot of it can be laid at their feet. He intones that 'The borrow-and-spend policy down which our country has begun poses at least two serious threats', and goes on to name the spectre that the Chinese might not want to buy our T-bills(They expect to get paid back!), and our weakened place in the world and its foreign policy implications.
So, this would be a reason to not vote for the TARP, the 'Stimulus' and a budget that runs well over ONE TRILLION in deficits into the endless future, right?
WRONG! He then goes on to explain that despite all these things, he just had to vote for the 'Stimulus Bill'--he had already voted for the TARP(he just 'had to', you know), and signalled that he would be voting for the 2010 budget.
And, indeed he did!
So, what's the definition of a Blue-Dog Democrat?
He howls at the moon, declaring his fealty to the conservative values of his district. But when his masters(Pelosi, Frank, Reid, and Obama) command, he rolls over and plays dead.
Check his congressional home page:
Cries of outrage against the mounting national debt, and never a mention of his votes that make it possible.
Our grandchildren will curse our memories for allowing him and his to get away with this.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Capitalists@Work: Scoop:Is Britain planning on joining the Euro?
Truly, truly chilling news from a reliable source, Capitalists@Work.
Capitalists@Work: Scoop:Is Britain planning on joining the Euro?
This means that an unelected Prime Minister will be surrendering Britain's multiple centuries as an independent nation to the tender mercies of mainland Europe: you know, the folks who brought us Napoleon, Karl Marx, Kaiser Wilhelm, Hitler, Mussolini, De Gaulle, Quisling, Franco, all this in just the last 200 years.
Maybe that has been his intention all along? Maybe that's why he greeted Daniel Hannon's fiery words with that cocky smile?
Hannan's earlier quotes from Richard II seem especially cogent:
This land of such dear souls
This dear, dear land is now leased out
(I die pronouncing it) like to a tenement or a pelting farm.
Prevent it, resist it, let it not be so;
lest child, child's children cry against you 'Woe'.
Capitalists@Work: Scoop:Is Britain planning on joining the Euro?
This means that an unelected Prime Minister will be surrendering Britain's multiple centuries as an independent nation to the tender mercies of mainland Europe: you know, the folks who brought us Napoleon, Karl Marx, Kaiser Wilhelm, Hitler, Mussolini, De Gaulle, Quisling, Franco, all this in just the last 200 years.
Maybe that has been his intention all along? Maybe that's why he greeted Daniel Hannon's fiery words with that cocky smile?
Hannan's earlier quotes from Richard II seem especially cogent:
This land of such dear souls
This dear, dear land is now leased out
(I die pronouncing it) like to a tenement or a pelting farm.
Prevent it, resist it, let it not be so;
lest child, child's children cry against you 'Woe'.
Rumblings from the Left--They're not buying Obama/Geithner either
The Atlantic Monthly boasts a loooong tradition as a linchpin of the East Coast Liberal Establishment. How interesting then, to see the editors feature this article by Simon Johnson, the former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund.
His conclusion is sobering, namely that we are on the way to becoming a banana republic (and I don't mean the hip retailer), characterized by an unholy alliance between the political leadership and the heads of the banking establishment.
(Have we noticed that our President had a friendly sit-down the with heads of the banks on Friday, and fired the CEO of GM on Sunday? Have we even wrapped our heads around the fact the the President of the United States fired the CEO of General Motors?)
It isn't just the so-called 'right-wing-nut-cases' saying this. Those guys can easily be dismissed, if one is in the mood not to listen. Simon Johnson, you can't dismiss; he's been there, done that, and has the chilling tales to tell.
In my mis-spent youth, I worked in a banana republic(a country south of here, not the retailer). I was shocked daily by the grinding poverty of so many, the flaunted wealth of so few, the families in the middle running full tilt just to stay in place, and the rampant cynical corruption that permeated the entire society.
The IMF had to be called in when things totally broke down, as did our Treasury. The cost of meltdown was deemed to be too high, and the proverbial Day of Judgement was postponed for about fifteen years(in other words, until now).
Trust me, we don't want to live that way. The article is worth the time you'll spend reading it.
Again, it's not about a weak economy driving culture astray; it's about cultural decay driving the economy over the cliff. It's the only place a decayed culture can drive an economy.
His conclusion is sobering, namely that we are on the way to becoming a banana republic (and I don't mean the hip retailer), characterized by an unholy alliance between the political leadership and the heads of the banking establishment.
(Have we noticed that our President had a friendly sit-down the with heads of the banks on Friday, and fired the CEO of GM on Sunday? Have we even wrapped our heads around the fact the the President of the United States fired the CEO of General Motors?)
It isn't just the so-called 'right-wing-nut-cases' saying this. Those guys can easily be dismissed, if one is in the mood not to listen. Simon Johnson, you can't dismiss; he's been there, done that, and has the chilling tales to tell.
In my mis-spent youth, I worked in a banana republic(a country south of here, not the retailer). I was shocked daily by the grinding poverty of so many, the flaunted wealth of so few, the families in the middle running full tilt just to stay in place, and the rampant cynical corruption that permeated the entire society.
The IMF had to be called in when things totally broke down, as did our Treasury. The cost of meltdown was deemed to be too high, and the proverbial Day of Judgement was postponed for about fifteen years(in other words, until now).
Trust me, we don't want to live that way. The article is worth the time you'll spend reading it.
Again, it's not about a weak economy driving culture astray; it's about cultural decay driving the economy over the cliff. It's the only place a decayed culture can drive an economy.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Such a strange tale, it must be true...
This article should give us all pause, encourage humility, and discourage hubris.
It's the first-person account of the obscure geek who wrote the software that allow banks and brokerages to turn all manner of financial trash into AAA-rated securities.
It wasn't that everyone was making money hand-over-fist; it was that everyone developed a belief that they were bullet-proof, that nothing could go wrong in the system they had built.
If we think that we 'obscure' people can't have an enormous impact, for good or ill, on the world around us, this man's story should cure us of that particular illusion.
It's the first-person account of the obscure geek who wrote the software that allow banks and brokerages to turn all manner of financial trash into AAA-rated securities.
It wasn't that everyone was making money hand-over-fist; it was that everyone developed a belief that they were bullet-proof, that nothing could go wrong in the system they had built.
If we think that we 'obscure' people can't have an enormous impact, for good or ill, on the world around us, this man's story should cure us of that particular illusion.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Have We Become Numb?
Calculated Risk continues to be a wry voice of reason in the sea of conflicting voices about the culture and economy, as does Bearwatch.
This just posted this evening, about yet more of our children's future earnings being shoveled to GM and Chrysler.
The President of the United States has just fired the President of GM.
Has Himself ever done anything with a car except drive it around?
Did our predecessors freeze at Valley Forge and storm Okinawa for this?
Have we just become numb to it all?
You know, we could just bring this all to an end: GM and Chrysler forever on our auto-purchase blacklist. A year from now, something/someone else will begin to emerge who can provide vehicles we can both drive and afford.
This just posted this evening, about yet more of our children's future earnings being shoveled to GM and Chrysler.
The President of the United States has just fired the President of GM.
Has Himself ever done anything with a car except drive it around?
Did our predecessors freeze at Valley Forge and storm Okinawa for this?
Have we just become numb to it all?
You know, we could just bring this all to an end: GM and Chrysler forever on our auto-purchase blacklist. A year from now, something/someone else will begin to emerge who can provide vehicles we can both drive and afford.
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