Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: beet1e on November 17, 2002, 06:17:27 AM
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America has many great things: The best telephone system in the world, 24 hour grocery shopping, Creamo's belly, great service in restaurants, bars, stores, hotels. A myriad of choice in everything.
And then there’s the banking industry. :( Well, it’s come on in leaps and bounds – thanks to a little British help. :D
We might be backward over here in Limeyland, but our banking system may well be the envy of the world. When I first had a bank account, I had with my cheque book a plastic card which guaranteed cheque payments up to a maximum value of £50, which was quite a bit back then. With my cheque book and cheque guarantee card, I could walk into any branch of any bank, and cash a cheque for up to £50. It’s all to do with the fact that we have a Central Clearing Bank, which I believe acts much in the same way as the Merchant Bank in a credit card transaction. When a merchant makes a sale to a credit card customer, the transaction is money in the bank. I got statements every month, and an overdraft facility which came in handy if I had to make a big payment just before payday.
How did this compare with America at that time? Well, the first thing that I had to learn when I opened my first US bank account in Springfield,IL was that the law stipulated that a bank could not have more than one branch. My account was with the First National Bank of Springfield. But there were no other branches of that bank. And I had to go to that very bank if I wanted to cash one of my own checks. :( I couldn’t just go to another bank and cash a check there. Even check payments were viewed with suspicion, except when paying bills to people like Illinois Bell and Commonwealth Edison.
I was always puzzled by the names of American banks. First National Bank of Springfield – was there a Second one? And what was National about it? Did people come in from out of state to cash checks? LOL. I had a car loan with them at one point, and under the terms of the loan, the whole thing became repayable if I were to relocate out of state. So what was National about it remained a mystery. Later on, I lived in Mt. Prospect,IL – NW suburb of Chicago. The bank was called Mt. Prospect State Bank. But Mt. Prospect is not a state. :confused: I once asked them if I could overdraw my account temporarily – just a few days, and not more than about $50. They didn’t know what I was talking about! I got put on hold and transferred between about four operators before a male voice advised me ”that’s not the way we do business”. You were not allowed to touch the bank’s money for any reason! One time, I paid for some film processing by check. Funds in the account were insufficient to cover the $6 check, so they bounced the check and hit me with a $10 charge, hence the account was more overdrawn than if they’d just paid my damned check – LOL! At FNBS they were at least very friendly. I was assigned a manager, and we were on first name terms from the outset – maybe that’s why it was called First National Bank? LOL!
Luckily, I was able to cash my paychecks over the counter without needing a bank account. That surprised me. Here in Limeyland, for security a cheque must be paid into an account – that’s why the cheques have “A/C Payee” printed on the face.
I had never bothered with credit cards at home. Cheques had always been good enough, but now I was having problems. People were distrusting of “checks”. I might be able to pay my Osco-Jewel grocery bill by check, but that was at their discretion. There was no equivalent of the cheque guarantee card. All the banks had “Member FDIC” amongst their credentials. I later learned that FDIC is the Federal Depositors’ Insurance Corp – which insures individual losses to the tune of $100,000 if the bank goes belly up. What? I banked with Lloyds (not the same company as Lloyds of London), and over here, banks simply do not go belly up. Well guess what – a bank in the nearby township of Des Plaines (which the local population pronounces Dezz Plainzz) actually did go belly up. Customers invaded the bank to draw their money out. (Memories of the 1930s Depression?) And signs went up in stores to say that checks drawn on First Intergalactic Bank of Des Plaines would not be accepted. OK, I can’t remember the exact name of the bank. :D
Well, the day came when I needed to make a trip back home to Limeyland, so I phoned the bank to order some pounds sterling so that I’d have money when I got there. The person at the other end didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. ”Sterling? I’m sorry, sir. We don’t deal in precious metals.” LOL!!! I had to explain that “Sterling” is the name of the UK currency, and then all was well. :) (Kind of reminds me of the post office that thought United Kingdom was part of Russia!)
I was amazed at the denominations of bills – as well as $1, $2, $5, $10, $20 and $50 – there are also $100 and even $1000 bills. The $1000s have President McKinley’s mug on them, and I keep mine separately from the other bills. The $100s have the mug of Benjamin Franklin, and he wasn’t even a president. :confused: The $2? Oh yes, not many of those, but they have President Jefferson’s mug on the front. I keep one in my wallet for luck.
Well, I got back from my trip home, and my New York based company was sending me out to San Francisco. I had had an expenses advance, so all was well. But on arrival in San Francisco I tried to cash a check from the company. Can you imagine it! A check drawn on a New York Bank being presented in California by some funny foreign guy with Illinois ID! I had no chance. Well, I did, but it took them 30 minutes to figure out what to do. I later opened an account with Bank of America, but had the usual American problem. Where I ended up living and working was nowhere near the bank, and I was unable to get there to cash checks. Had to open a new account with another bank. :rolleyes: And that one was Security Pacific National Bank in Concord,CA. Yes, it had reasonable security. Yes, it was sort of near the Pacific. But what was National about it? At last! For the first time, I had a bank card which allowed me to draw cash at any time around the clock from the ATM. I didn’t have to drive up to the bank during opening hours. No check guarantee card, but I’d got used to that by then, and had MC & Visa – and AmEx. Oddly enough, the AmEx card was the easiest of all to get.
After I’d returned to Limeyland for good, I read in the paper a few years later that American banks were planning to end the erstwhile practice of returning paid checks with the bank statements. Reversal of this policy was to be known as Check Truncation. As one bank official put it, ”The world (by which he meant the American banking system) is drowning in paper!”[/i]. Over here, when you pass a cheque, that’s the last you see of it. It’s been like that since the 1930s, according to my father, but by the 1980s America was catching up. Just before I left, I remember seeing TV ads for a bank which covered 11 western states. You could have an account at one branch of the bank, but use any of the others. Luxury! I think it was First Interstate Direct, and in this case, it really was a First!
Banking practices have converged in the two countries recent years. There are far fewer cheque transactions here these days, and people now use payment cards instead. And now, even America recognises my Lloyds-TSB gold card, and the banks pay me cash on demand – no ID, no interview. How things have changed. ;)
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America has many great things:
Thats as far as I got.
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Heh, and I just clicked on the thread 'cause I saw you responded.
SOB
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Well if your that easily amused TOB, I just put 1 lb. of hamburger on the stove, so too make the super pre-NFL Sunday game day Sloppy Joes, and am calculating how many Shasta Diet Orange flavored Soda Vodka drinks I can consume before the Packer game before I need to add beer to just stay conscious. It’s a fine line, and a formula one must respect or just ultimately miss the entire game. Reading Beetards post would have been a sleep inducer I can only assume.
Oh, and I was adding up my FattiKop order. I’m going with the thong, the clock, and lunchbox.
FattiKop (http://www.cafeshops.com/cp/store.aspx?s=fattikop)
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This American Banking is a hot topic.
Thread Rob (http://meatyfilms.thewiggins.org/fattikop/fattikop.htm)
Go SOB!
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LOL Creamo! You're good, and when you can resist the temptation to even open my threads, you'll be perfect. :)
Get your flames in now - going away for the week, back Friday.
- Beetard (LOL!)
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You mean read them? No, that’s out of the question.
If you could add a synopsis shorter than your sig at the end of your posts, sure, I'll dog you out.
It’s pry some European fool rant of some sort, and ought not require much bashing skills.
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I didn't know fattikop was british.
I knew he rocked, though.
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Heh..in the great British banking system, it still takes 3 days to transfer money from one account to the other, in the same branch. Clearing cheques still takes upwards to one week.
Had foreigners coming over to work at my previous job and despite being well-paid, they were struggling to open a simple savings account.
Certainly, when I moved over here, I considered the British Banking system to be the most backwards system in the world and still largely do.
Daff
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Daff!
Heh..in the great British banking system, it still takes 3 days to transfer money from one account to the other
I do that a lot - one phone call, instant transaction. Who says it takes 3 days? :confused:
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Ive never banked in England, but I bet it gets interesting once you get to the balance the check book part and "they never have deposit slips next to pubs bloke" bit. Pass the tack hammer.
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This thread is the following:
(http://216.40.249.192/mysmilies/contrib/blackeye/boring.gif)
(http://www.jamezbrown.com/mysmilies/contrib/edoom/sleeping.gif)
(http://216.40.249.192/mysmilies/contrib/blackeye/drooling1.gif)
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Who thinks Green Bay is going to the Super Bowl?
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Not me, but Im sure hanging in for every Sunday fun NFL action. If any team gets blown out, with the NFL package you can just turn the channel.
What's more a point spread is if DRippy can post a actual topic not from cnn, or a respond without images. It's like he's thought crippled, and cant type because of a mental void or something. Duh....Add image here!
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I don't know creamo, homefield advantage is starting to look likely thru the playoffs. And we all know what a winning combination frozen tundra and cheap vodka is.
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shouldn't this have been in the other thread when i asked if england had anything that was better than America?
I have a checking account and have never had the least bit of trouble with it. they don't charge me for it and they have the records for me instantly. debit cards, online banking etc. can't think of anything that I need from a bank that they don't give me plus...
several banks in the U.S. will give you a brand new Weatherby magnum rifle in your choice of caliber if you put enough money in a CD. I bet there is no bank in england that gives out Weatherby's.
lazs
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Cheap Vodka? Brett would have unknown BBS mental powers. His home play is truly tough.
Why cant he win in a dome for gads sake? I don't wanna have to make a "pride and poise" post after they lose 4 games like the Gayders.
This is the best thread rob ever. I gotta get my cookbook out and post some recipes.
Well screw it-
Ingredients
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups dark molasses
2/3 cup cold water
7 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon crushed cloves (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 egg yolks
10 drops food coloring
1/2 teaspoon water
3/4 cup raisins
Directions
1 Mix shortening, brown sugar, and molasses thoroughly. Stir in 2/3 cup water. Blend flour, soda, salt, and spices; stir into molasses mixture. Chill for about 1 hour.
2 Roll the dough about 1/4 inch thick. Cut with boy and girl cookie cutters.
3 Make egg yolk paint by blending egg yolks and 1/2 teaspoon water. Divide the yolk among a few small bowls, and add food coloring to each cup for desired color. Paint the clothes and decorations on the cookies as desired. Carefully transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet. Using a toothpick, make a hole in the top of each cookie. Press raisins into dough for eyes, nose, mouth. Use bits of candied cherries for coat buttons, and strips of citron for ties.
4 Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly, then carefully remove from baking sheet.
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I have not written a check in 10 years.
In 25 years of banking I've never had checks mailed back to me.
I have $3000 overdraft coverage on my checking account that I can dip into at any time.
I can get money at any bank in the U.S. or Europe and virtually every place else using a neat little invention called the A.T.M.
All this comes at the cost of adding 1/16th of an inch of thickness to my wallet.
I find the use of the term "check" and "modern" in the same thread to be quite amuzing.
But most importantly, I was wondering if the thought of Creamo eating sloppy joes and watching football in his underwear gave anyone else a chubby?
AKDejaVu
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NBC cut away from the final minutes of a New York Jets-Oakland Raiders game to begin a TV special, "Heidi," on schedule. The Raiders came from behind to beat the Jets 43-32.
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Yep - the only checks (or cheques) i have to write are to the cleaning lady, and the taxman.
Hope the Green Bay Packers will win - would you believe I even have a GBP woolly hat.
Cya folks - back Friday.
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Creamo that looks delicious, but if you want a wonderiffic baking experience to last through all of the Sunday games and even into Monday, I suggest going with a gingerbread house.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
7/8 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground allspice
6 egg whites
4 (16 ounce) packages confectioners' sugar, sifted
Directions
1 First cut out in thin cardboard: a side wall, 4 1/2 x 8 inches; an end wall, 4 1/2x5 inches; a triangular gable, 4 1/2x3x3 inches; and a roof rectangle, 4 1/2x9 inches. Tape the rectangular end wall piece to the triangular gable piece: match the long side of the triangle, 4 1/2 inches, to one of the 4 1/2 inch sides of the end wall.
2 In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and molasses. Gradually beat in 2 eggs. Sift the flour, baking powder, and spices together; stir into creamed mixture. Wrap dough in parchment paper, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3 Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 6 portions, 2 slightly larger than the others. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the 4 smaller pieces to approximately the size of the side wall and the end wall with gable templates; cut out two of each. Roll out remaining dough, and cut into two rectangular roof pieces. Transfer gingerbread onto greased baking trays.
4 In a preheated 375 degree F (190 degrees C) oven, bake gingerbread for 10 minutes, or until crisp. When removing from the oven, leave the gingerbread on the baking trays for a few minutes to set, then transfer to wire racks. Leave out overnight to harden.
5 In a large bowl, lightly whisk 2 egg whites. Gradually beat in approximately 5 cups confectioners' sugar. The icing should be smooth and stand in firm peaks. Spread or pipe a 9 inch line of icing onto a cake board, and press in one of the side walls so that it sticks firmly and stands upright. If necessary, spread or pipe a little extra icing along either side to help support it. Take an end wall and ice both the side edges. Spread or pipe a line of icing on the board at a right angle to the first wall, and press the end wall into position. Repeat this process with the other two walls until they are all in position. Leave the walls to harden together for at least two hours before putting on the roof. Spread or pipe a thick layer of icing on top of all the walls, and fix the roof pieces in position; the roof should overlap the walls to make the eaves. Pipe or spread a little icing along the crest of the roof to hold the two pieces firmly together. Leave overnight to set firmly.
6 When ready to decorate, make the remaining icing. In a large bowl, lightly whisk 4 egg whites, and mix in remaining confectioners' sugar as before. Use this to make snow on the roof, and to stick various candies for decoration. Finish with a fine dusting of sifted confectioners' sugar.
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PS - I tried to preorder Fattikop from Amazon over the phone, but the lady just kept asking what the hell I was talking about, and threatening to report me.
(http://images.cafepress.com/logo/405457.jpg)
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A wonderiffic baking experience to last through all of the Sunday games and even into Monday? Of course...You bet!
As long as the bankers can discuss stuff, thats terrific fatty. Don't intrude though.
(http://www.killuglytv.com/images/deviants/danielle.jpg)
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Btw, not to get off the banking topic, do you have a recipe for chops?
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Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons garlic powder
4 pork chops
Directions
1 In a shallow dish, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, honey and garlic powder. Place chops in dish, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate for 2 to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
2 Preheat grill to high heat, and lightly oil grate.
3 Cash a cheque for up to £50 with your cheque guarantee card.
4 Grill steaks 5 to 8 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.
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This BBS has got it all... A thread that begins with a complaint of the US banking system... turns to football... recipes and a camel toe picture.
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Yeah and a 16yr old illegal minor camel toe.......Some of you guys are just sick.
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she's not a minor she just looks young. (mantra)
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got any more pics of her?
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Originally posted by JoeDirt
got any more pics of her?
LOL!
Guess it doesn't qualify as "porn". :D
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the law stipulated that a bank could not have more than one branch.
How many centuries ago was this?
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Originally posted by Sandman_SBM
LOL!
Guess it doesn't qualify as "porn". :D
not to me atleast.
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ra - that was last century.
Back to off-topic - I'd really like to drive one of these. London RouteMaster. AEC engine and 4-speed epicyclic pre-select gearbox.
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[edited]Picture of girls my age.....
Ahh....
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Originally posted by beet1e
I banked with Lloyds (not the same company as Lloyds of London), and over here, banks simply do not go belly up.
Liar!
Nick Leeson.
Barings Bank.
SIMEX.
88888 account.
I read his book. Good stuff. I see a lot of that same sort of matrix-managerial style in my current company, and its a scary thing to behold, particularly when after reading Leeson's book about how he broke the bank and how his cover-up was aided by his direct managers in Japan, Singapore, and England.
Its a good thing there was a Dutch bank around to scoop up the carcass of one of England's oldest private banks.
Other than that - interesting assessment in your post about how things are done here and over there.
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Originally posted by gofaster
Liar!
Nick Leeson.
Barings Bank.
SIMEX.
88888 account.
Its a good thing there was a Dutch bank around to scoop up the carcass of one of England's oldest private banks.
To be fair Barings was a Merchant Banking organisation..not a regular deposit taking bank that is being discussed here. But your point is well taken.
ING picked up Baring for a quid, I think...pretty good deal, except that they had to assume alot of liability.
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hawklore........?????????
eagle25fw@hotmail.com
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LOL im just playing around dude lol, well she looks my age...
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(http://www.cameltoe.org/images/IdaTOE.jpg)
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Beet1e, you are detached in time and in mind, but carry on.
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kornikovatoe, AND she's legal
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(http://www.cameltoe.com/camel-birth.jpg)
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What in buggery is a Sloppy Joe ?
Tronsky