Citibank Strangedays

Well, I called up Citibank today to inquiry about the status of my unauthorized transactions investigation. A person from the fraud customer service department picked up my call. I'll refer to him as Gear. So, I asked Gear about the status of the investigation. First words out of Gear's mouth in reply, "Investigations take 14 business days to be completed." Well, I expressed about as much frustration as I am capable in response. When I first reported the unauthorized withdrawals on my account, I was told that I would have resolution in 4 to 5 days. The second time I called, I was also told 4 to 5 days. After the 5th day, I called again. This time, I was told it was 10 days. And now I called on the 11th day and Gear was telling me I had to wait 3 more days. No way!
He put me on hold and did some checking. He comes back and tells me I was right. The investigation is 10 days, and it is done. I will receive the investigation closure letter and my reimbursement in a couple days. Then he tells me the amount of the reimbursement, under $2000. More than $3000 was stolen from me! What the?!
After more time passes, Gear finally figures about that the initial investigation was only opened for one of my two accounts that was affected. So Gear and I had to go through all of the transactions again, and submit two requests (one for each account) for review and reconsideration of the investigation results, all because of a Citibank error!
You know what, I don't know if this means I will get the initial reimbursment amount, or hafta wait another ten days for the correct amount. Arg! So, the saga continues.

Movie Review: The Forgotten

The movie The Forgotten starts off as a good story that appears to be building towards something significant. In the film, the heroine starts realizing that major portions of her life are disappearing, particularly those portions regarding her son. She is the only person that sees it happen. The movie’s flaws start showing up as the plot unfolds (or unravels). The second half of the movie is full of huge plot holes. The plot problems didn’t distract me from enjoying the film, at least until the end. Important characters and plot points are completely forgotten to give the film a Hollywood happy ending that contradicts and negates the rest of the movie. It’s as though the movie itself suffered from the same plight as the heroine. The one redeeming quality of this film is its affirmation of a mother’s love for her offspring.

New Campaign

I've determined that I need to try to change the system. ::que dramatic music:: lol Really though, I'm working with my friend Dave, and soon others too, to create an abstract proposal for points to include in the law for enhancement of security for credit, charge and debit card holders.
I've got several ideas. I'll state the details of this proposal when we've worked them out. Once we get the details worked out, we are going to look for help in letter writing for people that agree. We will approach the banks, credit card companies, congress, president and state governments.
More to come.

Frustration

I'm upset with my bank. They've left me high and dry until their investigation is complete. 10 days! I've got checks bouncing all over the place, no additional cash and no checks on my new account yet! The name of this bank is CitiBank.

We...

She loves me. I love her. She doesn’t seem to like who I am. She wants me to live within the box she has built for herself. That box is far too small for her. She outgrow it years ago. How does she expect me to live in there with her? I don’t demand that she leave her box, but I open the way for her escape. She really likes staying in the box. I invite her out of the box. She takes a step, then two. When I turn my attention away, she leaps back in, like she is pulled by a mighty spring (yet, no spring exists).
She came out of that box when we were getting to know each other, exploring each other. She explored her surroundings, and was happy, excited. The instant we became official, she hopped right into it, and tried to coax me in with her. I’m not going. My spirit is not as free as some, but it is way too free to be held to such a small place.
I don’t care that she is in there. I love her for who she is. I care that she’s expecting me to cram myself in to that box with her. That is hurtful. I’ve been nothing but straightforward about who I am. She knows I like it out here. She lied. She pretended. Yet, it wasn’t pretending. She is the person I fell in love with, yet she doesn’t know it. When she is outside the box, she is happy, she glows. When she snaps back in, she hunches and moans with cramped discomfort. I soothe her soreness with tender care and without judgement. She grabs for my collar, a shirt tail, a pocket or anything just to hold me, to yank me in with her. Dirty tricks.
I love her. She loves me. We…

Bouncing around

Due to my bank account being hacked into, my checks and paypal payments are bouncing around like firecrackers in a 4th of July show that has gone horribly wrong. What a major pain in the ass. I took the initive to send new checks to my mailed bills.
Now I have to somehow get the cash together for Money Orders to cover the several muffed paypal payments. Paypal doesn't allow funding source changes to be made once you send a payment through their system. If they did allow funding changes, I wouldn't have had any issues with my paypal payments at all.
My roommate already cashed his check. I have to right him a new rent check as well, and still find the cash to cover my car payment which is due in a couple of days. arg!!!

Somewhere in Pakistan

I never expected to have a link to the exotic country of Pakistan. The link I have with this land is that some fucker, or group of fuckers, stole over $3000 of my money through hacked ATMs in Pakistan. I'm guessing they got my pin from a likewise hacked ATM that I attempted to use at convenience store in Newark, CA on Friday, Oct 29. I suspected something was odd with the ATM at the time, but didn't bother making the trek to my bank to change my pin because I was in a hurry (I was trying to use a convenience store ATM for a reason). That will learn me.
At first, I thought I may have been hit by a spoof email (maybe I just wasn't paying attention, half asleep when I did it?), but I looked back in my emails records to find no such emails claiming to be from my bank. That's when I remembered that suspicious ATM. In fact, now that I think of it, the convenience store owner was acting kinda shady when he saw I was having an issue with the ATM. I asked him a completely different question (unrelated to the ATM completely) and he was all, "I've got nothing to do with that ATM," in his Pakistani accent. hmm. Who do I contact to report this?

Ripped Pin Number

Well, I believe my pin to my debit card has been ripped. My checking account has been sucked dry of cash, just as I mailed off a bunch of checks for bills. This month is going to be a bit of a mess. Arg. Hopefully, everything can get straightened out soon.

Bothersome trolls

I had jury duty Monday and Tuesday. Here's how it went.

 
On Monday, I got to the Hall of Justice. I waited in the security screening line. The security guys held onto my Treo 600 cuz it has a camera. Arg, it's my main form of entertainment! I got upstairs and checked-in to the jurors office. I went into the jurors' waiting room. I waited. I waited. I waited. I waited. I waited. I waited. I waited. Some announcements were made that had nothing to do with my juror group. I waited. I waited. I waited. I waited. I waited. I waited. I waited. I waited. We were released for lunch. I had lunch. I returned on time. I waited. I waited. I waited. I waited. I waited. I waited.

 
Ok, finally, we were assigned a judge and a case. We all filed upstairs to the court room. I waited. I waited. Once the judge came in, he gave us instructions, we all took an oath. They gave us a questionnaire. I filled it out and headed home.

 
On Tuesday, I got to the court just in time. More waiting in that security line. I din't bring my Treo this time. ha. I got to the jurors' waiting area just in time to be called up to the courtroom. I waited. I waited. I waited. We were waiting for all the jurors to show up. Well, a lot of them got stuck outside the room (afraid to come in, I guess), and it took someone leaving for the restroom to give them a clue to come in. Finally all the jurors were there. The judge comes in, called off a bunch of names (I'm among them) and releases us. I go to work.

Comment about Bush

I figured I might as well make a brief comment about Bush.
Bush Jr. failed to fulfill his duties as President of the United States of American. Bush Jr. has simply bungled in ways that would have led to impeachment several times over in normal circumstances. Being wrong about his reasoning for war demands impeachment. Either he lied to the American people (showing he is immortal and unpatriotic), or he didn't do his job and determine his was being lied too (showing he isn't fit for office). If the latter is true, he has allowed the world's only Super Power to be used like a homeless hooker by Iraqi dissidents, the U.K., and related Oil interests to fulfill their own selfish lusts. Through this, he has weaked our country in the most ridiculous fashion. Sorry, I'm not interested in any more of his excuses. I'm interested in making American truly strong again.

Off to Napa, Sideways, Prop 72

I'm off to Napa Valley this afternoon for a day with my friend to just relax and let the stresses of life melt away, if only for a day. Speaking of a Napa trip, I want to see that movie Sideways.

 
BTW, I already voted via absentee ballot. One of the problems about voting early is that you might end up with second thoughts about your choices. I'm reconsidering how I voted for Prop 72 which will require health insurance for employees by medium to large employers. I realized that companies like Walmart don't offer health insurance and that my tax dollars are paying for it instead to cover unpaid medical expenses for preventable emergency care visits.

Is abortion allowed by the bible? Well, yes actually!

Ecclesiastes 6:3-5 reads from the New American Standard: 3)If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many they be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, "Better the miscarriage than he, 4) for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. 5) "It never sees the sun and it never knows anything; it is better off than he." 

Truth 

This text is clearly comparing the quality of life of the unborn with someone that can't appreciate life, and makes the statement that the unborn have it better in such cases. Please read all of Ecclesiastes chapter 6 to see that I am applying this text in context. 

Terms 

The word "abortion" is a modern term. For the bible to apply to abortion, ancient equivalents have to be established (otherwise the bible makes no statements regarding abortion at all, for OR against!). With that said, the word "miscarriage" is also translated in various bibles as "premature pregnancy", "stillborn", "pregnancy ending before its time", or similar terms. All of these terms can refer to ending a pregnancy through natural or induced methods. So, it is responsible to conclude abortion is covered by this passage in the context of modern times. Also, notice that the scripture specifically says that the unborn "never knows anything". Other translations use the words, "not conscious of anything" or similar wording. This is exactly opposite of what Christian Fundamentalist try to claim. These people obviously don't read the bible for themselves, otherwise, this scripture would be paramount in their various religions and I wouldn't have to correct them now. Ironically, by saying that the unborn "never knows anything", this scripture contradicts Pro-Life arguments on a whole separate level.

Current Resources (2026)

Trouble with access

My methods of access to the internet have been troubled this past week due to a series of unrelated but collaborating events. Good news is that I'm working with a web designer to create a new, one-of-a-kind layout for my website. It's looking good, and I can't wait to bring it online. This will be the third major layout change. It will allow me some versatility that the standard blogger.com templates just don't have. It will also be uniquely my own. I get a bit unnerved when I come across a website with the same basic template as my own (even if my is heavily customized). I normally try to refrain from making blog entries about my blog, but I'm excited about this change.

Status on Cal props 2004

This link is to a news story that details where several of the california props stand amoung voters.
I'm glad to see a lot of support for Prop 66 (Limitation of the Three Strikes law) and Prop 71 (Stem Cell research funding). These are the only two measures on the ballot for which I am voting yes. For short details, see my California Propositions blog entry.

-Please vote no on Props 60 and 62. Both of these props are attempts to undermind the primary process for Political Parties, allowing voting sabotage from opponents. This would essentially turn third parties in puppets of the two main parties. It would also create primary election wars between the two main parties.

-Please vote no on Props 68 and 70. Both of these props are attempts to greatly expand gambling all over California.

-Please vote no on Prop 69. It is the prop that would establish a DNA database of criminals. However, it also attempts to allow DNA collection of some individuals not found guilty of any crimes. I would favor a DNA database if it did not have that provision.

California Propositions

My friend and I looked over the Propositions in detail. Here's what we come up with.

Prop 1A Protection of Local Government Revenues – (Me: NO; Dave: N/A) This is yet another budget constraining measure. These kinds of measures are a major cause of California’s yearly budget crisis.

Prop 59 Public Records, Open Meetings – (Me: NO; Dave: YES?) Open and public debate is a necessary part of government, but so is prudence. Dave feels the openness is more important. I feel certain situations require prudence, especially when dealing with court records and private matter.

Prop 60 Election Rights of Political Parties – (Me: NO; Dave: NO) This is a scam to attack Party rights! Bad! It attempts to undermine the primary process for Political Parties, allowing voting sabotage from opponents. This would essentially turn third parties in puppets of the two main parties. It would also create primary election wars between the two main parties.

Prop 60A Surplus Property – (Me: NO; Dave: NO) This is yet even another budget constraining measure. Again, these kind of measures are a major cause of California’s yearly budget crisis.

Prop 61 Children’s Hospital Projects. Grant Program – (Me: NO; Dave: YES?) This measure serves a great purpose (as the title suggests), but it’s using yet another Bond sale for funding. My opinion is that our State’s credit rating is already in the toilet. These kind of measures need to be held off until our State has a better credit record. Dave’s opinion is that this program is needed regardless.

Prop 62 Elections. Primaries – (Me: NO; Dave: NO) Even worse than Prop 60. This is a scam to open up primary partisan elections to any person of any party. It is an open attack on Party rights! This will allows sabotage of a party’s primary in the worse possible way. Very bad! Again, this would essentially turn third parties in puppets of the two main parties. And again, it would also create primary election wars between the two main parties.

Prop 63 Mental Health Services Expansion, Funding – (Me: NO?; Dave: YES?) This measure taxes anyone making more than $1 million per year to fund services for mental health needs. I might vote “NO” because is seems too Pie-In-The-Sky; and I’m not fond of an unnecessary tax. I’ll have to do more research.

Prop 64 Local Limit on Private Enforcement of Unfair Business Competition Laws – (Me: NO; Dave: NO) A scam to limit citizens’ rights to seek compensation for damages incurred by a legal entity. Very bad.

Prop 65 Local Government Funds, Revenues – (Me: NO; Dave: NO) This is yet more tinkering with budget constraints. ARG!

Prop 66 Limitation on “Three Strikes” Law – (Me; YES; Dave: YES) Right now, our prisons are unnecessarily filling up from the arbitrary application of the Three Strikes law by over zealous prosecutors. People are literally serving life sentences for petty crimes. Make room in our prisons for the serious offenders by ending the abuse of the Three Strikes law. Dave’s only concern with this proposition is that it requires review of current cases, which could be costly to the State. My view on this manner is that is our punishment for allowing abuses the law in the first place.

Prop 67 Emergency Medical Services – (Me: NO?; Dave: YES) This measure would provide additional (and needed) funding for EMS. I’m leaning against this measure because of the Telephone Surcharge it imposes.

Prop 68 Non-Tribal Commercial Gambling Expansion – (Me: NO; Dave: NO) A scam to that either taxes Indian Tribes 25% of their revenues OR allows non-tribal businesses to expand gaming operations. This measure is literally extortion of the Indian Tribes. It’s a ludicrous plan that shouldn’t have made it to the ballot. The Indian Tribes are already profit sharing with the State. We certainly don’t need non-tribal businesses running casinos all up and down the state! UPDATE: The backers of this prop have revoked support for it.

Prop 69 DNA Samples – (Me: NO; Dave: YES?) This measure will create a DNA database and allow for the collection of criminal’s DNA. Both Dave and I favor this. However, I think the measure goes too far by allowing the collection of DNA of some people who only arrested and have not been charged with a crime. Can you say, “BIG BROTHER?” I would favor a similar measure that doesn’t collect DNA upon arrest.

Prop 70 Tribal Gaming Compacts – (Me: NO; Dave: NO) Yet another scam. It allows Indian Tribes to expand gaming operations well beyond current limits in exchange for 25% revenue sharing. It would allow Indian Tribes to build Vegas style casinos all over California. Additional, as stated before, the Indian Tribes are already profit sharing.

Prop 71 Stem Cell Research – (Me: YES; Dave: YES) This is an important enough field of research to require public funding. The possible results from Stem Cell research are astronomical in terms of health and cures.

Prop 72 Health Care Coverage Requirements – (Me: NO?; Dave: YES) It’s about time we are addressing health care coverage. However, I’m not sure that this is the way to do it. I need to do more research on this one.