Continued Confessions
of a technical nature
As I sit down to write my Thursday post, I am also on the phone with a bill collector sorting out a rather unfortunate turn of events when I was trying to be proactive about my checking account. A couple of weeks ago I was ordering something on line and had to give my banking information. I then realized that perhaps it wasn’t quite on the up and up, so I canceled the whole shebang. Then I thought it might be wise to give my bank a call to alert them in case this outfit attempted to charge me anyway. I spoke to an actual person, and I believed she understood my concern. I just wanted them to keep an eye on my account overnight. Well, I guess there is no such thing, so instead my account was frozen unbeknownst to me. Luckily I don’t use that account much so it didn’t become a problem until I just was informed that my mortgage payment didn’t go through. Also, the gas I purchased yesterday was declined after the fact because my SmartPay card is linked to my checking. Of course, I had already driven away with the gas, but now it is going to cost me an extra $20. God only knows whether the mortgage company will also charge me for re-submitting. As one of my idols, Gilda Radner, said “It’s always something!”
Luckily, I don’t have any other big expenses right now. And I have a stocked larder and plenty to read. One day at a time, I am glad that this minor kerfuffle came to light in time to be solved before Christmas. I fully intend to enjoy an orange at the toe of my stocking rather than a lump of coal.
So, back to what I really wanted to tell everyone is that I finished reading Helen Lewis’ most fabulous book Difficult Women. I truly recommend it to everyone who is interested in “a history of feminism in 11 fights” as the subtitle explains. The book was first published in the United Kingdom in 2020, and I believe I ordered it from there. The history behind the fights for women’s rights is fascinating, particularly because I have lived through quite a few of them. And I now know a lot more about the many wonderful women who led the charge. This additional knowledge gives me strength to carry on now, when it feels as though we’re having to start all over again. Thank you, Helen, for all the work you put into this book for the ages.
Needing another book for my morning read, I turned to the one my friend Carol had sent to me, the third one of the Trump trilogy by Jonathan Karl entitled Tired of Winning. I’m already into Chapter 4, and it was hard to put down. But obviously other matters need attention (see above).
I also had to ration myself recently because I started watching “FISK” on Netflix. I really enjoyed this Australian comedy created by and starring Kitty Flanagan. Melbourne looks like a great place to visit. I managed to limit myself to one episode a night, but with two seasons of six episodes each I’ve already seen them all. Perhaps I can go back and enjoy Attorney Woo again now that it’s been a few years since she got me through the pandemic. Quirky lawyers both of them.
Final thanks for another great friend, Ellen, who drove me to do some work yesterday because my eyes are still problematic on sunny days. Luckily we both had work at the same town hall, and it was a splendid ride in the country. I even got a short walk while waiting for Ellen to finish up, and I photographed the town’s memorial to veterans to send to my darling former Marine who keeps me sane through it all. And grand baby is getting his first plane ride today to visit his other set of grandparents in the midwest. I am thankful for the technology that allows me to see a video of him maneuvering through his wonderful world.
I feel much better now that I have confessed to the world. Whether anyone else actually reads it is immaterial at this point. I’m a happy camper.
Dear Katharine,
Do you know I hear your posts every Thursday now, as read by a Paltrow AI-like voice, and it's so soothing at 7 am with my coffee.
https://app.screencast.com/2gwVlCZ2jtwmd - have a listen! I am not even sure where that click comes from, but cool no?
Now on your content today. It is all a techBro spider web, this digital way of paying for life, that now can't be avoided. Once you are ensnared, there is no way out, the spider will bite sooner or later. This is why I started my Stack, and even though I get easily sidetracked by writing about other things, this short example of yours brings me back. Reminds me of my purpose.
I think you have read how I shop now, no? I go to each vendor or supplier of my purchased goods in person, once a month, have tea, have a chat, and then pay the bill, with a promise to do the same on the 1st of next month. This is how my grandparents from the old country of Odessa did it once, and it sure works for me now.
And this again highlights my cause, well, a shared cause, and this cause is a protest against what's going on in tech these days, against all these new entanglements that we did not ask for, but have to deal with, from new rules in Parenting to new security theatre in Banking, to a corruption in Political Discourse, we are being twisted into pretzels by mad men and their digital tinker toys, like Stripe and PayPal and then even at our credit unions and banks, who are being sold CRAP that we, the end user, have to suffer through each day of our digital lives.
Well, I have had it. How about you?
Yours in the shit,
Jigs
Well I read it Katharine. So sorry to hear about your frustration with the modern world. Like I suspect you did, my formative years involved paying for items by cheque, handwritten on real paper. Credit cards had not yet arrived. Email and the internet were non-existent - and the greatest threat was that someone might steal or forge your cheque. You could also always speak to someone in the bank because automatic call handling had not happened, and answering machines were rudimentary. Is the present way of life any better for us? The answer is probably “the curate’s egg” - parts of it are excellent and parts are rotten. Thanks for your various recommendations. I will check them out. We have a medical member of the family who lives in Melbourne, so tend to prick up our ears at mention of that city (which we have visited many times). We have recently been indulging Kath and Kim and will now take a look at FISK.