I also miss things.
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"Dear Bank of America,
A bank should never include a "click to log in" button in its email. Either your security department is incompetent, or this is a phishing attempt. Either way, you should be aware of the situation."
I swear.
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Isn't 'Bofa' also a rather uncomfortable-sounding alternative means by which over-excited soldiers like to consume their beer?
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So here's a question for the masses: Have any of you ever had a fraud alert actually work correctly?
I ask because:
(1) GothBard is in the U.K. right now and one of her cards immediately got blocked. Yet another false positive.
(2) It turns out that Impus Minor's bank issue is even stupider than I could have imagined. He bought $30 worth of stuff from an online store. Our credit union blocked the charge. Yet another false positive. We call in and say that the charge was legitimate. The credit union says, "Have the company re-try."
Their billing cycle is monthly, so they next month they try to bill Impus Minor. Flagged as fraud, card locked, Impus Minor has to call in, flag the charge as legitimate, and unlock the card.
Every. Month. For. 18. Months. Now.
(It's especially frustrating because all he has to do is give the company a different card, but he's too lazy to deal with it and now that he's over 18 I can't talk to the bank on his behalf.)
(3) When we actually had someone steal one of our cards and use it for $1000 worth of bogus purchases at a sporting goods store we never use, it was approved without batting an eye.
So we've NEVER had the d**ned things catch actual fraud, and we deal with false positives every single month.
I really wish I could turn off fraud alerts entirely for all of my cards. "Just. Stop. I'll monitor my cards myself. (Which I do.)"
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So here's a question for the masses: Have any of you ever had a fraud alert actually work correctly?
I ask because:
(1) GothBard is in the U.K. right now and one of her cards immediately got blocked. Yet another false positive.(2) It turns out that Impus Minor's bank issue is even stupider than I could have imagined. He bought $30 worth of stuff from an online store. Our credit union blocked the charge. Yet another false positive. We call in and say that the charge was legitimate. The credit union says, "Have the company re-try."
Their billing cycle is monthly, so they next month they try to bill Impus Minor. Flagged as fraud, card locked, Impus Minor has to call in, flag the charge as legitimate, and unlock the card.
Every. Month. For. 18. Months. Now.
(It's especially frustrating because all he has to do is give the company a different card, but he's too lazy to deal with it and now that he's over 18 I can't talk to the bank on his behalf.)(3) When we actually had someone steal one of our cards and use it for $1000 worth of bogus purchases at a sporting goods store we never use, it was approved without batting an eye.
So we've NEVER had the d**ned things catch actual fraud, and we deal with false positives every single month.
I really wish I could turn off fraud alerts entirely for all of my cards. "Just. Stop. I'll monitor my cards myself. (Which I do.)"
Yes, a few times, but I have a small local credit union, not a mega-bank.
Which means that, when they have had to cancel my card for fraud, I've been able to walk into my branch and pick up a replacement card the same day.The downside:
There are certain categories of purchases for which my card does not work. I cannot buy airplane or concert tickets online, and have to use an alternate payment method, which is stupid. When I go on road trips, I have to call in advance and notify them as to which states I will be traveling through on specific dates.
...Yes, a few times, but I have a small local credit union, not a mega-bank.
Which means that, when they have had to cancel my card for fraud, I've been able to walk into my branch and pick up a replacement card the same day.The downside:
There are certain categories of purchases for which my card does not work. I cannot buy airplane or concert tickets online, and have to use an alternate payment method, which is stupid. When I go on road trips, I have to call in advance and notify them as to which states I will be traveling through on specific dates.
I'm surprised mainly because you've been hit by card fraud "a few times". In my lifetime I've had my cards used fraudulently twice. I've had legitimate purchases blocked over a hundred times. The hit-to-miss ratio is terrible. And while Provident Credit Union is big for a credit union, I don't think it qualifies as a "mega-bank".
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Speaking of community colleges vs. 4-year schools, both schools have subsidized cafeterias the kids use, and both of them eat about the same thing.
Impus Minor for the week at a community college: $23.50.
Impus Major for the week at a public 4-year school: $47.50.
The 4-year school's cafeteria simply charges twice as much. (And tuition is 10x as much.)
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i wonder what smells worse: overpriced bureaucratic inefficiency, or the chickens and pigs?
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Fantasy NPC: Baron Voohrsk, The Shadow Of A Vampire
Come to his castle... Bring a small amount of... Joy and vitality... That comes with guests...
So here's a question for the masses: Have any of you ever had a fraud alert actually work correctly?
I ask because:
(1) GothBard is in the U.K. right now and one of her cards immediately got blocked. Yet another false positive.(2) It turns out that Impus Minor's bank issue is even stupider than I could have imagined. He bought $30 worth of stuff from an online store. Our credit union blocked the charge. Yet another false positive. We call in and say that the charge was legitimate. The credit union says, "Have the company re-try."
Their billing cycle is monthly, so they next month they try to bill Impus Minor. Flagged as fraud, card locked, Impus Minor has to call in, flag the charge as legitimate, and unlock the card.
Every. Month. For. 18. Months. Now.
(It's especially frustrating because all he has to do is give the company a different card, but he's too lazy to deal with it and now that he's over 18 I can't talk to the bank on his behalf.)(3) When we actually had someone steal one of our cards and use it for $1000 worth of bogus purchases at a sporting goods store we never use, it was approved without batting an eye.
So we've NEVER had the d**ned things catch actual fraud, and we deal with false positives every single month.
I really wish I could turn off fraud alerts entirely for all of my cards. "Just. Stop. I'll monitor my cards myself. (Which I do.)"
Yes, every time I buy something from Walmart I get a text from the fraud department to make sure it's legit.
Yes, every time I buy something from Walmart I get a text from the fraud department to make sure it's legit.So here's a question for the masses: Have any of you ever had a fraud alert actually work correctly?
I ask because:
(1) GothBard is in the U.K. right now and one of her cards immediately got blocked. Yet another false positive.(2) It turns out that Impus Minor's bank issue is even stupider than I could have imagined. He bought $30 worth of stuff from an online store. Our credit union blocked the charge. Yet another false positive. We call in and say that the charge was legitimate. The credit union says, "Have the company re-try."
Their billing cycle is monthly, so they next month they try to bill Impus Minor. Flagged as fraud, card locked, Impus Minor has to call in, flag the charge as legitimate, and unlock the card.
Every. Month. For. 18. Months. Now.
(It's especially frustrating because all he has to do is give the company a different card, but he's too lazy to deal with it and now that he's over 18 I can't talk to the bank on his behalf.)(3) When we actually had someone steal one of our cards and use it for $1000 worth of bogus purchases at a sporting goods store we never use, it was approved without batting an eye.
So we've NEVER had the d**ned things catch actual fraud, and we deal with false positives every single month.
I really wish I could turn off fraud alerts entirely for all of my cards. "Just. Stop. I'll monitor my cards myself. (Which I do.)"
Is that an issue with fraud alert or Walmart, though?
Yes, every time I buy something from Walmart I get a text from the fraud department to make sure it's legit.So here's a question for the masses: Have any of you ever had a fraud alert actually work correctly?
I ask because:
(1) GothBard is in the U.K. right now and one of her cards immediately got blocked. Yet another false positive.(2) It turns out that Impus Minor's bank issue is even stupider than I could have imagined. He bought $30 worth of stuff from an online store. Our credit union blocked the charge. Yet another false positive. We call in and say that the charge was legitimate. The credit union says, "Have the company re-try."
Their billing cycle is monthly, so they next month they try to bill Impus Minor. Flagged as fraud, card locked, Impus Minor has to call in, flag the charge as legitimate, and unlock the card.
Every. Month. For. 18. Months. Now.
(It's especially frustrating because all he has to do is give the company a different card, but he's too lazy to deal with it and now that he's over 18 I can't talk to the bank on his behalf.)(3) When we actually had someone steal one of our cards and use it for $1000 worth of bogus purchases at a sporting goods store we never use, it was approved without batting an eye.
So we've NEVER had the d**ned things catch actual fraud, and we deal with false positives every single month.
I really wish I could turn off fraud alerts entirely for all of my cards. "Just. Stop. I'll monitor my cards myself. (Which I do.)"
Is that an issue with fraud alert or Walmart, though?
as a former bank employee(relatively small time purchased twice and is now big time-ish) I maintain that banks and internet commerce are not going to be truly seamless for another generation. Banking is still built on now-ancient electonic tools(Vany may be able to say more, along with CH) that I don't think anyone is going to truly eliminate/replace for another century. The people who are reliant upon these tools are old but still very much alive. The people who will replace them likely haven't been born yet or are very very young.
Huh. I could get Ori and the blind forest, or maybe even both Ori games...
I'm surprised mainly because you've been hit by card fraud "a few times". In my lifetime I've had my cards used fraudulently twice. I've had legitimate purchases blocked over a hundred times. The hit-to-miss ratio is terrible. And while Provident Credit Union is big for a credit union, I don't think it qualifies as a "mega-bank"....Yes, a few times, but I have a small local credit union, not a mega-bank.
Which means that, when they have had to cancel my card for fraud, I've been able to walk into my branch and pick up a replacement card the same day.The downside:
There are certain categories of purchases for which my card does not work. I cannot buy airplane or concert tickets online, and have to use an alternate payment method, which is stupid. When I go on road trips, I have to call in advance and notify them as to which states I will be traveling through on specific dates.
My personal favorite was around 2015-2016 when I was, admittedly, several hundred miles away from home and my bank decided the purchase I just made was fraudulent and decided to protect me. This is also when the bank has just completely moved to online banking so I was able to call them and get it resolved, but if I hadn't called them when I did I would have been locked out of my account the entire weekend.
We all laughed, but it could have gone VERY differently.
Thats one reason I always carry a few hundred in cash when I travel.
Also I can make money being mugged!
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...My personal favorite was around 2015-2016 when I was, admittedly, several hundred miles away from home and my bank decided the purchase I just made was fraudulent and decided to protect me. This is also when the bank has just completely moved to online banking so I was able to call them and get it resolved, but if I hadn't called them when I did I would have been locked out of my account the entire weekend.
We all laughed, but it could have gone VERY differently.
Yes. Imagine being on a business trip in another country with a critical deadline that week that you've flown in to help the team meet...
...and your card is 100% blocked. You can't even take a taxi to get to your hotel nor get your hotel room nor any food.That was GothBard's situation except she always carries a second card, and I told her to bring one I could act on instantly if it acted up. It didn't, and she was fine, but after being awake for 24 hours solid, 20 of which were travel time, she didn't need Uber to reject her card, then the restaurant where she was treating her reports to dinner to reject her card. Nothing like being publicly humiliated by a rejected card multiple times in a row when you're exhausted.
Ah, the woes of being in a dense urban area on a rare "perfect hot" day.
I normally hate the heat, but sometimes, like today, it comes in just short enough of a burst to be pleasant. It was 55°F at 8:00 am this morning, 75°F at 12:30 pm, and suddenly shot up in a quick burst to 91°F by 2:00 pm, but it's already dropped to 84°F and should be in the 60s by the time I cook dinner. Just hot enough long enough to open up the house, let it get pleasantly warm, and bask a bit before letting everything cool off a bit.
Except I'm in an area where every lot is 25'-37.5' wide, so I am right next to my neighbors. Windows are open. Check. Baby crying next door right outside my window. Check. (New neighbors seem nice enough, but their solution to a crying baby is to take it outside and hold it in the side yard, which is right under the window where I work.) Table saw going two houses down. Check.
The weather may be pleasant. The noise level is anything but.
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Talky and Impus Minor want me to take them to Costco tomorrow afternoon for the first time in their lives.
I told them to leave their cards at home and carry cash only, and only as much as they're willing to lose.
Costco. A casino for bulk shoppers.
Talky and Impus Minor want me to take them to Costco tomorrow afternoon for the first time in their lives.
I told them to leave their cards at home and carry cash only, and only as much as they're willing to lose.
Costco. A casino for bulk shoppers.
My parents got us a Costco membership years ago, we went once and didn't buy anything.
I'm not a bulk shopper.
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Captain Yesterday's pro tip of the day!
If anyone points out a flaw in your project, blame it on the circumference of the earth playing tricks on the eye.
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GothBard is convinced that aging is caused by a lifetime of life's little disappointments. Mine are very little, but annoying just the same:
Food Delivery: Shiro is convinced I'm cursed. After months of refusing to get delivery at all, on Saturday GothBard was on her way to the U.K., Impus Major was out for the evening, so it was just me and Impus Minor and we were both busy. He wanted Troy for dinner, so I checked their web site and they were partnered with a delivery service, so I figured that might work. Nope. Food got delivered cold and even though the bags were stapled shut our falafels were missing. Never again. If it isn't being delivered by employees of the restaurant (for example, pizza or our local Indian place), it isn't being delivered to me.
Fingerprint Recognition: I figured since I have my laptop open every morning to boot up, I'd try Windows fingerprint recognition. It lasted surprisingly long (2-3 weeks) before deciding that my finger is no longer recognizable and fingerprint recognition no longer works. I'm not opposed to biometric security on any kinds of privacy grounds; I'm opposed to it because it never fricking works for me.
Kids And Gas Tanks: Impus Minor is now commuting in the Celica 4 times a week. That's 280 miles, so he should really be tanking up once a week. He doesn't, and the fuel gauge has gone below Empty more than once. At some point he's going to be stranded somewhere. I wouldn't mind, except running the car out of gas is bad for the engine, and I love my Celica. He needs to fill that tank!
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One more:
U.S. Medical Care: GothBard is having a minor medical emergency in the U.K.
(1) Time from recognizing she had an issue to time meeting with an appropriate doctor at an office: 90 minutes.
(2) Doctor didn't see anything but provided a referral to a hospital "with better equipment" for full scans.
(3) Our estimated out-of-pocket total so far? $0. While the NHS does not cover U.S. tourists under most circumstances, emergency care is (apparently) completely covered.
We'll see what we actually have to pay once all the paperwork is sorted out, but the U.S. Embassy's site specifically says emergency treatment is typically provided by the NHS free of charge.
EDIT: Update: The emergency visit to the office had a $30 co-pay, no insurance required. "And everybody there was SO nice!" GothBard may not come home...
Update 2: This was just scary. New neighbor is still a British citizen, so I asked him about NHS. His response, "Oh, as long as it's urgent, they're incredible. My father fell and broke his hip and had hip replacement surgery the next day and they gave him full rehab all free of charge. It's when you're looking at something 'optional' that you're told, 'Get in line,' and there'll be a months-long queue."
So yep. They determined that GothBard's issue was non-urgent and suddenly the wheels fell off of her incredible care story. "The specialist isn't in today, says your and the other doctor's description don't merit him coming in today, so go ahead and make a regular appointment and we'll see you in a few weeks."
Very American.
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Sometimes I wonder whether my manager sends me these requests intentionally or she just gets lucky.
Manager: Here's your next assignment.
Most CDs: OK! Let us work on it!
NobodysHome: Here's a detailed analysis as to why this is a bad idea and we shouldn't do it, with bullet points as to why their request isn't relevant. Oh, and I've CC'ed them on this response so they know whom it's coming from.
I don't do stupidwork because other teams ask for it.
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You can all stop worrying - they've found the nice teaspoon.
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Eating dinner with baronaremhasevaum, Greg Vaughn, Tim Hitchcock and friends!
I have installed and restarted Darksiders III...
Why do I do that to myself?!
It really is amazing/frustrating just how fundamentally people don't listen to you.
Car Shop Guy: Do you have a cell phone?
NobodyHome: Why?
CSG: Because it's easier and faster for me to text you any questions.
NH: OK, fine. But please don't try to call me on that line. The ringer is turned off and I'll never answer.
CSG: Gotcha.
Checked my phone yesterday morning. 3 missed calls from Car Shop Guy.
Whatever.
I didn't even bother calling him back. He eventually resorted to email, which I responded to immediately. Or... he could have texted like he said he would.
EDIT: And FWIW, it's equal parts stubbornness and incompetent phone design. As I've mentioned, we barely get a signal in our area. But because phones are designed to prefer any cell signal at all, no matter how weak, over wireless, any conversation on my cell phone at home is a series of, "What was that? I'm sorry, you broke up. I just said that... <click>." I seriously can't have a 1-minute call on my cell phone at home without getting disconnected. So my choices are:
(1) Remember to turn off cellular data when I'm at home and turn it on again when I go out so that the phone is forced to use wireless at home, or
(2) make people call me on my land line, which always works without issue.
I choose (2) because it's more convenient for me.
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Very Persistant "chaseamericavisamastercard" "security department". Hang up. Hang up. Don't pick up. Don't pick up. Still calling. Gave them a tirade. They still decided to call back one last time....
Turn youtube to "scary fox noises" crank the volume all the way up. Place phone suddenly to speaker.
Fox: A dog running on cat software with a dolphin soundcard.
Speaking of Things NobodysHome Hates™: Flashlights with "flash" mode.
I've been utterly unable to find a sturdy steel LED flashlight that doesn't have a built-in "flash" mode. I have never met anyone who can justify its existence in anything other than rear bicycle lights. And those are red. A flashing light is useless as a flashlight and blinds everyone around you.
Yet every time I try to crawl under the house or reach into the back of a drawer, flashlight in hand, I bump something and FLASH-FLASH-FLASH I'm blind and I have to stop, turn off the flashlight, wait a few seconds (because flash mode can't possibly just turn off. You have to wait for the flashlight to calm down), then turn it back on.
Can I PLEASE get a flashlight that can withstand being bumped against concrete or a 2"x4" that doesn't go into, "Help! Help! My owner is abusing me!" mode?
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Oh, good. Now I'm going to have to start watching the back yard again.
Online advice: "While you can feed your crows cat food, they greatly prefer unsalted nuts, especially almonds."
Yeah, right. When I put out an assortment of unsalted peanuts and almonds plus Costco's chicken and rice cat food, the crows turned up their beaks at the nuts and stuck to the cat food. The only thing that happened when I put out nuts was that the local squirrels got fat.
Yesterday Impus Minor and Talky took me to Costco and I found huge bags of unsalted mixed nuts, primarily cashews and walnuts. I put some of that stuff out with the cat food this morning and the cat food is untouched while the nut bowl is picked clean. And I can't blame the squirrels because Cranky Calico was outside the whole time, and while she ignores the crows, she will not abide a squirrel to live. So it wasn't squirrels.
As the John said in the darkened brothel, "What's eating my nuts?"
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Maybe your crows are fans of Costco?
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And I can't blame the squirrels because Cranky Calico was outside the whole time, and while she ignores the crows, she will not abide a squirrel to live. So it wasn't squirrels.
As the John said in the darkened brothel, "What's eating my nuts?"
Plot twist: it was Calico munching on nuts between squirrels. You gotta' stay healthy, girl!
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Why I'm not allowed to repair GothBard's furniture:
GothBard: Aw, man! We let the kids use my grandmother's antique dresser and they messed it all up! Look at all the chips!
NobodysHome: I have some walnut-colored polyurethane right here. I guarantee those spots'll never chip again!
Apparently applying polyurethane to antiques isn't done...
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Update 2: This was just scary. New neighbor is still a British citizen, so I asked him about NHS. His response, "Oh, as long as it's urgent, they're incredible. My father fell and broke his hip and had hip replacement surgery the next day and they gave him full rehab all free of charge. It's when you're looking at something 'optional' that you're told, 'Get in line,' and there'll be a months-long queue."
Pretty much accurate. Try to access one of the less fashionable or glamourous services, particularly mental health, on a non emergency basis and you will be waiting a particularly long time.
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mode.
I've been utterly unable to find a sturdy steel LED flashlight that doesn't have a built-in "flash" mode. I have never met anyone who can justify its existence in anything other than rear bicycle lights. And those are red. A flashing light is useless as a flashlight and blinds everyone around you.
That's one use for it. You give a burglar or mugger a hard time. Probably why its on the sturdier ones, the market for blind the burglar and bap the burglar have significant overlap.
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mode.
I've been utterly unable to find a sturdy steel LED flashlight that doesn't have a built-in "flash" mode. I have never met anyone who can justify its existence in anything other than rear bicycle lights. And those are red. A flashing light is useless as a flashlight and blinds everyone around you.
That's one use for it. You give a burglar or mugger a hard time. Probably why its on the sturdier ones, the market for blind the burglar and bap the burglar have significant overlap.
Yeah, but notice he dropped it from a helicopter and it maintained a steady beam.
I don't doubt that it survived the drop. I'm betting it was flashing like when it actually hit the tarmac.
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I swear, cats are such optimists. They match the definition of insanity to a T.
The Cranky Calico has been living with us for 17 years now. She has never (intentionally) been allowed out in the dark. But every day without fail, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, once I'm up and at my computer, she walks back and forth between me and the back door, making it absolutely clear that she wants to be let out. And not once in all that time have I let her out before dawn.
Stubborn? Optimistic? Insane? Stupid? Take your pick.
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Three hours to get to work today.
Three. Hours.
I will be poor company for the foreseeable future.
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Doesn't recognize human definition of dark, so if she's let out during the day but not at night it seems like an arbitrary distinction? Half the time you do let her out and half the time you don't so there must be some strange human ritual she's missing. Maybe if she claws you more....
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Stubborn? Optimistic? Insane? Stupid? Take your pick.
Disappointed
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Mystery solved. This morning I put out the nuts and cat chow and kept an eye out for who came into the yard.
A crow came down and went to town on the nut bowl. Apparently they really do prefer nuts to cat food. Just not peanuts nor almonds.
Every female fawtl past, present, and future, could decide they all simultaneously wished to give me a full body massage without using their hands AND TODAY WOULD STILL SUCK
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Every female fawtl past, present, and future, could decide they all simultaneously wished to give me a full body massage without using their hands AND TODAY WOULD STILL SUCK
A crow came down and went to town on the nut bowl. (...) Just not peanuts
Well, duh!
nor almonds.
Awwwwww :(
Every female fawtl past, present, and future, could decide they all simultaneously wished to give me a full body massage without using their hands AND TODAY WOULD STILL SUCKIs it raining?
It was earlier yes
I am watching video of two experts speaking about what is wrong with James Bond's pee-pee in Dr. No...
I am watching video of two experts speaking about what is wrong with James Bond's pee-pee in Dr. No...
is this some variation of Lewis Black's "sign of doomsday" double-Starbucks streetcorner example?
that's not even a first-world problem. it's a less-than-zeroth-world problem.
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I am watching video of two experts speaking about what is wrong with James Bond's pee-pee in Dr. No...is this some variation of Lewis Black's "sign of doomsday" double-Starbucks streetcorner example?
that's not even a first-world problem. it's a less-than-zeroth-world problem.
It was a video of two gun experts talking about (mislabeled) guns used in Dr. No: James receives what we are told is Walther PPK, and in reality it was Walther PP, so they kept saying pee-pee a lot in that video when they comment on various scenes and switches between guns.
So yeah, complaining about accurate portrayal of gun in an old movie is a sort of not even a first world problem, twice removed, but Ian can be entertaining and informative and they were doing it to promote the other guy's book about James Bond's guns in general.