Avoid Bank of America

This has been confirmed through several resources:

From McMillan's Facebook account.... in their words:

 McMillan Fiberglass Stocks, McMillan Firearms Manufacturing, McMillan Group International have been collectively banking with Bank of America for 12 years. Today Mr. Ray Fox, Senior Vice President, Market Manager, Business Banking, Global Commercial Banking came to my office. He scheduled the meeting as an “account analysis” meeting in order to evaluate the two lines of credit we have with them. He spent 5 minutes talking about how McMillan has changed in the last 5 years and have become more of a firearms manufacturer than a supplier of accessories. At this point I interrupted him and asked “Can I possible save you some time so that you don’t waste your breath? What you are going to tell me is that because we are in the firearms manufacturing business you no longer want my business.” “That is correct” he says.

 Several years ago we had an account with Bank of America which was closed following errors on their part. During this time we found their customer service to be beyond horrible. Since then we have used other banks, and currently are very happy with Wells Fargo - who to date has defined great customer service in a bank for us. Given my history, as well as actions like this, you may rest assured that BofA will see zero of my money for any transaction ever again. 

 

 

Changing outlooks

I'm not sure how much this has happened to other people, but I do know having kids has changed my outlook on a number of things - most particularly work. How I deal with children and parents, things I am aware of, all of those things are different than when kids were just a theoretical concept. Calls where children are hurt or at risk affect me even more so, as I see my own children in those faces.

Yesterday had one of those instances. I was helping out the road guys with some calls since they were short handed. One I rolled on was around lunchtime - a "suspicious vehicle with people hanging out in the back seat" in one of our residential neighborhoods. Since we're getting killed on daytime B&Es around here, I was hoping to at least get a chance to help identify some of these people if not actually catching something.

So I pull up on scene to see the one passenger squirt right up to the front seat, while the guy gets out and tries to look casual as he walks up to his side. Looking at them I can see the nervousness and red faces, as they adjust clothing and try to pretend nothing is going on. It only takes a minute to sort out the particulars - he's 19, she's 14; they met online in a chatroom & he convinced her to skip school and hang out today, no her parents have no idea what's going on etc... They both swear they were just kissing and nothing more, and no intent to go further.

By this point one of the sergeants and the primary officer have shown up as well, as we separate people and start getting a bit more. The guy is almost textbook for a perv-in-training - a few instances in his history, unemployed & living in the parents basement, all the stuff that would make you feel uncomfortable. Plus he has brought a few accessories along for the trip.  The girl is a 14-going-on-20 like so many others these days - old enough to get into trouble & have raging hormones affecting her decisions, but young enough that she has no idea what all of this really entails. In my mind I can see my own daughter, or my teenaged niece - imagining what this own girl's father will think when he learns about all this.

Since it's already decided the guy will be taking a ride with us, I take the time to pull the girl to the side and give her the lecture of a lifetime. I don't even bother to sugarcoat anything - she's old enough to get here, she's old enough to hear the blunt truth. I ask what she would have done if he wanted more than she felt like giving... her "Just leave I guess." answer I quickly dissect with the fact she is 20 miles from home in a neighborhood she doesn't know, she's half his size, has no phone or anything else - as she seems to realize the predicament she was in. I explain about some of the other examples we've had around the locale and the nation of girls just disappearing after meeting someone "nice" online, and the things that have happened to some of them. Finally, killing the last bit of doubt in her mind, I show her the bag of sex toys and accoutrements he had in the trunk of the car...

From there my part was pretty much done. I know she got another earful from the sergeant as he delivered her to her father, and I'm sure dad was even worse. The guy got a trip to our jail & hopefully this at least gets him high enough on the radar we can keep him from actually dong something worse than getting one of these girls in a compromising position. I do know it was one of those times I personally enjoyed seeing someone get arrested and hauled away.

As I said, this was one of those calls that made me think of my own kids and family. We try to shield them from the nastier sides of my job, and to keep what we can of their innocence around. But I also know that before I'm ready to accept it we also need to teach them that "bad people" is more than just an idea, and that sometimes evil wears a nice face.

How it all begins...

An old southern country preacher form Georgia had a teenage son and it was getting time the boy should give some thought to choosing a profession. Like many young men, the boy didn't really know what he wanted to do, and he didn't seem too concerned about it.

One day, while the boy was away at school, his father decided to try an experiment. He went into the boy's room and placed on his study table four objects:

- a Bible,
- a silver dollar,
- a bottle of whiskey and
- a Playboy magazine

I'll just hide behind the door," the old preacher said to himself, "and when he comes home from school this afternoon, I'll see which object he picks up. If it's the Bible, he's going to be a preacher like me, and what a blessing that would be! If he picks up the dollar, he's going to be a businessman, and that would be OK, But if picks up the bottle, he's going to be a no-good drunkard, and, Lord, what a shame that would be. And worst of all, if he picks up that magazine he's gonna be a skirt-chasin' bum."

The old man waited anxiously, and soon heard his son's footsteps as he entered the house whistling and headed for his room. The boy tossed his books on the bed, and as he turned to leave the room he spotted the objects on the table. With curiosity in his eye, he walked over to inspect them.

Finally, he picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm. He picked up the silver dollar and dropped it into his pocket. He uncorked the bottle and took a big drink while he admired this month's Centerfold.

"Lord have mercy," the old preacher disgustedly whispered, "he's gonna be a bomb tech."

Today's Earworm

I so love when my people display their talents...

They start young

So, out of nowhere this evening our four-year-old daughter took it upon herself to explain to her mother and I that we needed to be careful because "zombie lizards can rise from the grave and eat your brains." All very matter-of-fact as if we should be well aware of this and prepared for the eventuality.

Not sure if I should be proud or concerned - but I definitely see some parent-teacher conferences in the future with interesting looks.

Well-spent

So today:

- I spent some time with each of the kids snuggling, talking and making them laugh.

- I finished two books.

- I finished two miniatures.

- I got several emails done.

- I cooked a nice dinner.

- Now sitting quietly with my wife & enjoying the evening.

Apparently I need to do this "day off" thing a bit more frequently. Plus, not having to wake up before the sun tomorrow will be nice.

Ice Cream Machine is back on...

Hopefully at least.

After the past two weeks of way-too-early mornings & long hours, I have the day off & a return to a normal (or somewhat) schedule. So hopefully that means I won't be too insane at the end of the day to write & I can return to some irregular, irreverent posting.

Thanks for waiting around.

And in a separate note - the fact that they are trying a Three Stooges remake is an abomination before the Lord...

Quote of the night

So, working on going back to school.... AGAIN... to finally finish out the degree. In doing so, discussing with my wife the various course options for my first semester back, pros & cons etc. - particularly given the fact that I graduated high school 25 years ago & have not taken a few of the basics since then.

Which led to this exchange...

Me - "Oh cool, they have math for liberal arts majors. Since I've forgotten all my algebra."

Her - "What, they don't offer math for conservative arts majors?"

Which resulted in me almost falling out of the chair laughing...

Links from the lazy host

Yes, I've been absent - work has been an ass-kicker the past two weeks & until it slows down blogging will suffer.

But, OldNFO put up two posts that I appreciate as a vet, and I hope you all will as well:

THANK YOU TO THE 0.45% ...

And a follow up to Thank You...