Banks & Getting Nickel-And-Dimed To Death

Ever wonder about the ethics of banking? That's easy - it doesn't have any. Not a one. Without exception, banks are the scaliest, scummiest operators on the planet. Think a bunch of Ferengi in a feeding frenzy - and that's an insult to the Ferengi!

So you have a savings account - and say you leave money in that account and don't deposit or withdraw anything from it - do you know what will happen? Go back in a couple of months and check.

Will the amount you left in there be more? Or less?

What do you thing?

Rotten To The Core - America's Deceptive Slant On History

Just Google the question: "What war did slavery cause in the United States?" and see what comes up. The American Civil War, naturally. There's no mention of the American Revolution (or "the American War of Independence") - and why should there be? The American Revolution was about... well, other stuff. 

Wasn't it?

Um...

Cultist Zombies At My Door

Today's tale comes with the compliments of social convention.

By that, I mean that it's acceptable standard practice for people to have some form of doorbell at the front entrance to their homes. Not having one naturally would make it harder for anyone visiting to attract the attention of those inside - except for knocking as the most likely alternative, followed closely by shouting, or "hollering" as our 'murican cousins call it.

Let me begin with the note that I'm on holiday - my annual vacation to be exact, and as such I've made it my mission to sleep later than my usual 5:45 workday routine the rest of the year. Things that make this quite difficult for me include various forms of body ache and pain left over from numerous accidents and injuries over the years (yes, I've lived quite an interesting life, haven't I?) - and that... fucking.... doorbell.

Or, rather more accurately, people who exist outside these walls who insist on ringing it. Especially the ones who actually mean to visit our immediate neighbors and can't seem to realize that our doorbell panel - mounted between our entrances - has a different number on it than the house they're visiting. But no, that wasn't today's issue. No, it wasn't.

The Christian War On Everything

Family, right? Love them or hate them. At the time of the winter solstace, the Chrispies among them - who've ignored you for the rest of the year, tend to suddenly remember you exist and around midnight send you "Merry Christmas" messages via text, or on WhatsApp or Facebook. Bearing in mind that they either know you're not a Christian, or that they just casually assume that you are, this speaks to a sort of detachment from reality, lack of empathy, and entitlement that flows from what I would describe as an expression of the narcissism inherent to the religion itself.

I mean, who - what sort of person, and in what sort of mental state would send someone they barely know (and face it, some relatives really are that distant) this sort of message AND tack on a "thank God for sending Jesus" at the end?!

No, everyone is not a Christian - and just because you are, and just because you believe in these fairytales doesn't mean everyone else does too - or should - or should pander to your shortsighted, selfish and wilful imposition of your beliefs onto them.

What message does all this actually deliver? Ah, let me count the ways!