Blogging Books

We went to the library today and I borrowed two books. One is on blogging the other on HTML. So maybe they can teach me how to make this blog more interesting in content and visually. No doubt time will tell.

Filters!

Well we needed to change the filter in the airconditioning/heating return so we bought a nice three pack at Lowes. Imagine our surprise when we got them home to find they were the wrong size. So I changed them just now and brought back yet another set all the wrong size. I really must start writing things down when I go shopping. My brain is not what it used to be.

Banks

I find it hard to understand why the banks over here seem almost reluctant to use a system similar to "direct debits" in common use in the UK. It took three attempts over 5 months to get my mortgage lender to draft from my checking account. When we cancelled an arrangement with an insurance company they told us it was too late to stop a draft and they would re-fund. So we contacted our bank and asked for them to put a stop on the draft. The bank said they could do that but it would only work if the stop was for an exact amount that we had to specify. Apparently they cannot put a stop on a specific draft to a specific company! To stop a direct debit for any amount in the UK took me about 10 seconds via the internet.

In the USA it is hard to find a bank that won't charge you an arm and a leg for being their customer (unless you keep say $5,000) in your checking account. In the Uk it is hard to find a bank that does not provide free checks, free ATMs, free statements, unlimited free teller transactions, even free overdrafts!

Mind you the more fragmented banking system here does provide for lots of choice.