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Occasionally, everyone finds themselves in a situation where their checking account may not have enough funds to cover an expense. That's why it's handy to have overdraft protection. Simply put -- you have a second account with money in it that automatically covers those expenses when you are overdrawn.
It worked fine with my old bank -- the funds simply transferred automatically into the depleted checking account.
Now that my bank has been purchased by a much larger bank, I can still get the overdraft protection -- BUT -- it's not free. My new bank charges a 12.50 USD fee each time to transfer my own money from one account to another. If you don't have overdraft protection and you don't have enough funds to cover an expense -- the bank charges 35.00 USD -- which is normal. However, to charge a customer to transfer his/her own money is gouging.
I think it's time to find a friendlier bank.
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Saturday, May 12, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
Beyond the Limits of Technology....almost
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I have spent the last year trying to identify the best way to get a decent internet connection here at my mountain home. In August, as a last resort, I chose a satellite delivered internet provider. It was expensive -- 80 bucks a month -- and slow. Faster than dial-up, but not by much. It was also impossible to make Skype calls with this system. This was another reason I was reluctant to sign up and I literally mean sign up. It was a two year contract.
Whenever I would call to report that I was never getting the speed that I was paying for -- the robotic sounding person on the other end would take me through the same drill. Turn off your router, then turn off your modem and now turn off your computer. Reboot everything.
Afterward, the speed would increase slightly, but not by much. I would complain again and then the robotic individual on the other end of the line would say "I'm sorry. This is all we can do. However, if you would like to schedule a service call I would be happy to do that for you. By the way, you will be billed 95 USD for the service call."
Living in a rural area, this is what people who want internet have to deal with on a regular basis. It's absolutely unfair and maddening.
So, last week, a friend brought over one of those credit card sized 4G hotspots and we tried it out. I was not optimistic since mobile phone signals don't usually work here because of the mountains. Yet when he turned it on -- the gadget started blinking green. "This is a good sign," he said. We connected a small antenna to it and suddenly it was picking up a 4G signal from a cell tower over the mountain. I could not believe my eyes.
I tested out this little gadget for the next few days and found it to be very reliable. So much so, I went out and bought one -- outright -- no two year contract -- just pay as I go -- just the way I like it.
Today, I am connected to the internet via the "hotspot" and even though it only gets "one bar" on the signal strength meter -- one bar is enough. Suddenly, I am getting faster internet, much faster -- up to 6 or 7 megabytes fast.
I still find it hard to believe that it works and I'm told that if it's working now, it'll work even better in the autumn because leaves on the trees can block a cell phone signal. So I feel lucky. However, I will have to keep close tabs on my monthly bandwidth usage -- that's the only downside.
Whenever I would call to report that I was never getting the speed that I was paying for -- the robotic sounding person on the other end would take me through the same drill. Turn off your router, then turn off your modem and now turn off your computer. Reboot everything.
Afterward, the speed would increase slightly, but not by much. I would complain again and then the robotic individual on the other end of the line would say "I'm sorry. This is all we can do. However, if you would like to schedule a service call I would be happy to do that for you. By the way, you will be billed 95 USD for the service call."
Living in a rural area, this is what people who want internet have to deal with on a regular basis. It's absolutely unfair and maddening.
So, last week, a friend brought over one of those credit card sized 4G hotspots and we tried it out. I was not optimistic since mobile phone signals don't usually work here because of the mountains. Yet when he turned it on -- the gadget started blinking green. "This is a good sign," he said. We connected a small antenna to it and suddenly it was picking up a 4G signal from a cell tower over the mountain. I could not believe my eyes.
I tested out this little gadget for the next few days and found it to be very reliable. So much so, I went out and bought one -- outright -- no two year contract -- just pay as I go -- just the way I like it.
Today, I am connected to the internet via the "hotspot" and even though it only gets "one bar" on the signal strength meter -- one bar is enough. Suddenly, I am getting faster internet, much faster -- up to 6 or 7 megabytes fast.
I still find it hard to believe that it works and I'm told that if it's working now, it'll work even better in the autumn because leaves on the trees can block a cell phone signal. So I feel lucky. However, I will have to keep close tabs on my monthly bandwidth usage -- that's the only downside.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Ignorance is Bliss and Patriotic?
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Few opinion pieces strike me as right on, but this one did. Superb and timely thoughts from Charles Simic.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Spring Along the A-T
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It's been a very long time since I've seen spring really explode so early.
I've been mesmerized by the beautiful colors -- the Bradley Pear trees looking so dressed for success in their white blossoms, the red buds (which are really purple) adding brillant color to the gray trees that await their day and those amazing ornamental bushes in bright shades of yellow and red. It's all so early and so beautiful.
Today....finally, I brought along the camera and took a hike along a stretch of the Appalachian Trail near Hot Springs, North Carolina. Here are some of the colors I spotted along the way.
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| The A-T overlooking the French Broad River near Hot Springs, NC |
It's been a very long time since I've seen spring really explode so early.
I've been mesmerized by the beautiful colors -- the Bradley Pear trees looking so dressed for success in their white blossoms, the red buds (which are really purple) adding brillant color to the gray trees that await their day and those amazing ornamental bushes in bright shades of yellow and red. It's all so early and so beautiful.
Today....finally, I brought along the camera and took a hike along a stretch of the Appalachian Trail near Hot Springs, North Carolina. Here are some of the colors I spotted along the way.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Public vs Private Morality
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The current crop of Republican presidential contenders are trying to mix up the issue of morality. They spend all their time focusing on private morality -- contraception, abortion, etc -- issues that belong in the bedroom -- when they should be looking at the real issue that is destroying America -- the lack of public morality.
Robert Reich has written a nice piece on the issue of private vs public morality.
Robert Reich has written a nice piece on the issue of private vs public morality.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Used Car Blues
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My car has set up residency at my local mechanic.
I haven't driven the car in nearly four months. It all started a few days before Thanksgiving when the transmission died. After a couple of grand, I got the car back only to drive it a week before it began to "miss" badly. New spark plugs and coils -- those things that sit on top of the plugs -- didn't make a difference. The new diagnosis -- a new fuel pump. The car, actually a Jeep Liberty, was still sick.
One mechanic suggested a new engine -- the second opinion recommended the same. So now, the Jeep has a new, used, engine. The "miss" is gone, but now it has trouble starting -- the new fuel pump was the chief suspect, so it was replaced, but guess what -- it still has trouble starting -- so now -- the mechanic is recommending I replace the little device that sits between the fuel pump and the engine.
We'll see. There's not too many other things to replace so I essentially have a new car, but after a Saturday night hail storm -- with hail the size of ice cubes -- the Jeep could use a new paint job.
Ka-ching, Kaching.
I haven't driven the car in nearly four months. It all started a few days before Thanksgiving when the transmission died. After a couple of grand, I got the car back only to drive it a week before it began to "miss" badly. New spark plugs and coils -- those things that sit on top of the plugs -- didn't make a difference. The new diagnosis -- a new fuel pump. The car, actually a Jeep Liberty, was still sick.
One mechanic suggested a new engine -- the second opinion recommended the same. So now, the Jeep has a new, used, engine. The "miss" is gone, but now it has trouble starting -- the new fuel pump was the chief suspect, so it was replaced, but guess what -- it still has trouble starting -- so now -- the mechanic is recommending I replace the little device that sits between the fuel pump and the engine.
We'll see. There's not too many other things to replace so I essentially have a new car, but after a Saturday night hail storm -- with hail the size of ice cubes -- the Jeep could use a new paint job.
Ka-ching, Kaching.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Frightened Bear Cub Out on a Limb
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It was a pitiful scene: a bear cub trapped in a tree as dozens of people watched below. I was one of those people for a short while on Thursday. After all, it's not every day that you see a bear up a tree in the middle of a metropolitan area -- as was the case in downtown Asheville.
No one, particularly the authorities seemed too worried about the animal's safety.
Police seemed clueless. When I asked one officer what the plan was for rescuing the cub, he said in a patronizing tone -- "we've got it covered." Apparently not. The bear spent at least five hours up the tree and I assume it eventually came down when the sun went down. In fact, after speaking to the officer, the bear remained in the tree for at least another four hours.
I was told by one spectator that the guy who would normally "rescue" animals was out of town. In a town the size of Asheville, you'd think there would be at least two people who could be called in to save the cub from civilization.
No one, particularly the authorities seemed too worried about the animal's safety.
Police seemed clueless. When I asked one officer what the plan was for rescuing the cub, he said in a patronizing tone -- "we've got it covered." Apparently not. The bear spent at least five hours up the tree and I assume it eventually came down when the sun went down. In fact, after speaking to the officer, the bear remained in the tree for at least another four hours.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Cozy Little Shed
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The first day of this new year, 2012, and I am sitting on a North Carolina hillside inside my cozy little shed aka art studio. It's fully-insulated for the cold winter months ahead -- complete with a skylight to bring in that southern exposure sunlight, track lighting for that extra bit of light and an electric radiator.
Outside, the temperature is near freezing, so the little heater keeps the 8x12 foot room cozy. A strong wind is blowing the tall poplar and oak trees -- and the pines are whispering through their needles.
Over the last few weeks, I've worked up a series of new paintings from this little shed -- feel free to view them here.
I wanted to move in a new direction with my work and have started adding symbols -- mostly ancient ones -- to the pieces. One exception is the painting the Russian Ballerina.
I recently watched the grand re-opening of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow after a multi-million dollar renovation. One of the performances included Swan Lake. I was really struck with the passion of the performers in the piece. It was performed with a stark blue background -- which worked well with the white costumes.
Outside, the temperature is near freezing, so the little heater keeps the 8x12 foot room cozy. A strong wind is blowing the tall poplar and oak trees -- and the pines are whispering through their needles.
Over the last few weeks, I've worked up a series of new paintings from this little shed -- feel free to view them here.
I wanted to move in a new direction with my work and have started adding symbols -- mostly ancient ones -- to the pieces. One exception is the painting the Russian Ballerina.
I recently watched the grand re-opening of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow after a multi-million dollar renovation. One of the performances included Swan Lake. I was really struck with the passion of the performers in the piece. It was performed with a stark blue background -- which worked well with the white costumes.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Beyond the Limits of Technology
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It's odd.
I've lived in some pretty remote places around the globe, but I always had relatively decent internet -- in terms of speed and reliability.
Here in the mountains of western North Carolina, you're lucky to get something slightly faster than dial-up. It's as if my neighborhood has been forgotten. In fact, the local phone company technician said "you're beyond the limits of technology."
It's true. The phone company says I'm one mile too far from their DSL service. Better yet, I'm just 400 yards from where the other internet provider, the cable company, terminates its service. If I climb the hill and look south, I can see the pole where the cable service stops.
The most reliable service here, beyond the limits of technology, is satellite-delivered internet. It's so-so -- faster than dial-up, but not by much -- Skype won't work and there is a limit on how much bandwidth you can use per month.
The only other option is wireless. Now that the leaves have fallen off the trees, I get a better signal from the cell tower just over the mountain. I get two bars on my Ipad -- not bad -- Skype works, occasionally and I can sometimes watch live streaming.
It really depends on the weather -- if it's cloudy, sometimes the wireless doesn't work and when it's raining or snowing -- the satellite internet always goes out.
So, right now, conditions are pretty good -- I'm able to post to my blog and tweet -- every now and then.
For now, my fingers are crossed that one day soon, I will no longer be beyond the limits of technology in America.
I've lived in some pretty remote places around the globe, but I always had relatively decent internet -- in terms of speed and reliability.
Here in the mountains of western North Carolina, you're lucky to get something slightly faster than dial-up. It's as if my neighborhood has been forgotten. In fact, the local phone company technician said "you're beyond the limits of technology."
It's true. The phone company says I'm one mile too far from their DSL service. Better yet, I'm just 400 yards from where the other internet provider, the cable company, terminates its service. If I climb the hill and look south, I can see the pole where the cable service stops.
The most reliable service here, beyond the limits of technology, is satellite-delivered internet. It's so-so -- faster than dial-up, but not by much -- Skype won't work and there is a limit on how much bandwidth you can use per month.
The only other option is wireless. Now that the leaves have fallen off the trees, I get a better signal from the cell tower just over the mountain. I get two bars on my Ipad -- not bad -- Skype works, occasionally and I can sometimes watch live streaming.
It really depends on the weather -- if it's cloudy, sometimes the wireless doesn't work and when it's raining or snowing -- the satellite internet always goes out.
So, right now, conditions are pretty good -- I'm able to post to my blog and tweet -- every now and then.
For now, my fingers are crossed that one day soon, I will no longer be beyond the limits of technology in America.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Long Time Gone and SOPA
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It has been a while since I have been here.
I've been spending time painting. You can check out my work at www.csrice.com.
I've also been following closely a piece of legislation called SOPA or Stop Online Piracy Act. You've probably seen the commercials if you watch TV. It's goal is to stop the online pirating of movies, music and other copyrighted material.
However, the legislation is a bad piece of paperwork -- it over-reaches and could have a disastrous affect on internet freedom.
Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe notes how a number of ways SOPA violates the First Amendment.
“SOPA provides that a complaining party can file a notice alleging that it is harmed by the activities occurring on the site ‘or portion thereof .’ Conceivably, an entire website containing tens of thousands of pages could be targeted if only a single page were accused of infringement. Such an approach would create severe practical problems for sites with substantial user-generated content, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and for blogs that allow users to post videos, photos, and other materials.”
A vote on SOPA is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, December 15, in the House. If you feel strongly about how SOPA could impact the internet as we know it -- it may be time to contact your member of Congress.
I've been spending time painting. You can check out my work at www.csrice.com.
I've also been following closely a piece of legislation called SOPA or Stop Online Piracy Act. You've probably seen the commercials if you watch TV. It's goal is to stop the online pirating of movies, music and other copyrighted material.
However, the legislation is a bad piece of paperwork -- it over-reaches and could have a disastrous affect on internet freedom.
Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe notes how a number of ways SOPA violates the First Amendment.
“SOPA provides that a complaining party can file a notice alleging that it is harmed by the activities occurring on the site ‘or portion thereof .’ Conceivably, an entire website containing tens of thousands of pages could be targeted if only a single page were accused of infringement. Such an approach would create severe practical problems for sites with substantial user-generated content, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and for blogs that allow users to post videos, photos, and other materials.”
A vote on SOPA is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, December 15, in the House. If you feel strongly about how SOPA could impact the internet as we know it -- it may be time to contact your member of Congress.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
North Carolina: Internet With Conditions
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I have to be mindful of my internet usage.
I have few options, one of which is satellite-delivered internet. It's ok if you are checking your email and doing a bit of surfing, using twitter or writing a blog. Skype doesn't work at all. Downloading movies and music are also a no-no -- simply because of the limits on download usage.
In addition to the satellite internet, I use a not-very-stable data flash-key that delivers internet via a mobile phone provider. I plug into the USB port on my laptop and sometimes it works, but most times it doesn't. However, if I climb to the top of the mountain behind the house (great exercise) -- the flash-key works really well -- although the speed is so-so. Still, I grabbed my laptop, stuck it in my backpack and hiked up through the woods to give it a try. I was curious to see if I would be able to download a movie.
I sat down on the high ground -- with five bars on my flash-key and gave it a whirl.
The result: a 90 minute movie would have taken about ten hours to download.
If only there were electrical outlets deep in the forest!
I have few options, one of which is satellite-delivered internet. It's ok if you are checking your email and doing a bit of surfing, using twitter or writing a blog. Skype doesn't work at all. Downloading movies and music are also a no-no -- simply because of the limits on download usage.
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| In the woods with my laptop. |
In addition to the satellite internet, I use a not-very-stable data flash-key that delivers internet via a mobile phone provider. I plug into the USB port on my laptop and sometimes it works, but most times it doesn't. However, if I climb to the top of the mountain behind the house (great exercise) -- the flash-key works really well -- although the speed is so-so. Still, I grabbed my laptop, stuck it in my backpack and hiked up through the woods to give it a try. I was curious to see if I would be able to download a movie.
I sat down on the high ground -- with five bars on my flash-key and gave it a whirl.
The result: a 90 minute movie would have taken about ten hours to download.
If only there were electrical outlets deep in the forest!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
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