#CitiBank's New Customer Retention Policy: Jail Them!

Citi's New Logo!

Congratulations to CitiBank for its innovative new program for retaining customers: if too many people try to close their accounts, call the police and have them arrested!
I appreciate that the situation is more complicated than this. CitiBank is a person, and if it's a person that commits three felonies, it could go to jail for life. Just Kidding! CitiBank is the sort of person that is completely immune to jail time - so it can refuse to give back your money all it wants and never see the inside of jail - but if you insist Citibank give you your money, you can!
Is this a great country or what?

Personally, I moved my money to credit unions years ago. I was briefly lured back to a commercial bank last year, by the promise of free money for opening an account but - silly me! - there is no free money - it was all eaten up in fees! LOL@me!!!
So now I'm back to credit unions only; if you're smart, you'll do the same. Find a credit union at Move Your Money.
And whatever you do, DON'T GO TO CITIBANK TO CLOSE YOUR ACCOUNT ... unless you need a place to stay for a few days. Hey, it's getting cold out; if you've lost your home to foreclosure, maybe Citibank'll do you the favor of having you arrested!
(Technical note: new logo designed with the aid of http://tjshome.com/imageproc.php, a cute little utility. Thanks!)

EDITTED:
Here's an account by the videographer herself: http://m.wonkette.com/55631/show/81e2f331bcf530c3c60412963e4a5233

Free AV CLE As Year-End Approaches

As the year winds down, the urgency of completing CLE requirements increases, and for a great many lawyers, cost is an issue. While 4freeCLE lists hundreds of free continuing legal education opportunities, most of them are live seminars that are now past. It's worth checking there fore some future courses offering live credit, but you may need to resort to recordings, which may be subject to various limitations by your jurisdiction, but offer the opportunity to hear the content over and over if it doesn't stick the first time.
http://4freecle.blogspot.com/search/label/Anytime includes those which can be accessed "anytime", primarily via the Web. The challenge then is to find stuff to match your interests.
AV CLE Approved for credit by WSBA/MCLEActivity ID 285340    How to Work With An Interpreter Seattle University School of Law http://4freecle.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-to-work-with-interpreter.html
288349 Advocating for Veterans- the Basics on Benefits, Discharge Upgrades and Cultural Practising Law Institute http://4freecle.blogspot.com/2011/09/anytimeweb-advocating-for-veterans.html
281043    Diversity in Law Practice 2011: Legal Update, Inclusion Strategies, and Work-Life Practising Law Institute http://4freecle.blogspot.com/2011/09/anytimeweb-diversity-in-law-practice.html
290500     Introduction to Open Source Software Licenses     Black Duck Software http://4freecle.blogspot.com/2011/07/webinar-introduction-to-open-source.html
294465     Open Source Exposure via Your Software Supply Chain     Black Duck Software http://4freecle.blogspot.com/2011/09/anytimeweb-open-source-exposure-via.html
294679     GUILT BY ASSOCIATION: YOU DIDN'T DESIGN, MAKE OR SELL IT, BUT YOU COULD BE LIABLE     Trial.com http://4freecle.blogspot.com/2011/06/anytimeweb-guilt-by-association-you.html

AV CLE Not Yet Approved by WSBA But Likely To Be If You Just Fill Out The Form 1
Counsel Selection: A Trial Lawyer's Guide to the Universe Trial.com http://4freecle.blogspot.com/2011/04/anytimeweb-counsel-selection-trial.html


This is far from covering all the material, but it may be a good start to meeting your requirements. There's a pack of live events coming up as well, so check back in a week to see if I've reveiewed them too.

Planted This Week: Cabbage, Leeks, Hellebore and Halloween (#ctww)

We're all recycled, eventually.

Our fine crop of pine needs and twigs is the start of Recycled Hallowe'en, as a grave appears on our front lawn with the cautionary legend "Rest In Pizza"(tombstone material courtesy of the excellent Proletariat Pizza, which is not responsible for the contents of this grave!)
We will all return our carbon to the soil eventually, and if we can furnish a little entertainment along the way, all the better!
I also planted some winter crops. In the back, it's leeks and cabbage, stuck in among the last stalks of the squash, tomatoes and so forth. They are still producing slowly, but will soon give up their final crop and move on to mulch and compost, while the crops that love the cold more have their turn.
Speaking of  "dead" ... this week's Change The World Wednesday Challenge was

"Halloween is coming up so ... this week consider the environmental impact of the treats we give out and offer suggestions for better alternatives. Let's expand on Jen's idea and include parties, costumes, etc."

Planted This Week:
Tiny Cabbages and Leeks
amid the waning of
our summer crops

I was initially stumped on the treats business. I understand that parents want treating to be sealed packages of commercially prepared products, and I'm fine with that. I will try and see if a local chocolatier produces something; there was a time when every locality had its own candy bar but consolidation has reduced us to a choice between Hersey's and Mars. Last week my brother Dan brought us a bunch of Idaho Spuds that would have done nicely, except we ate them all. Maybe we can find something local like Carter's Chocolates in Port Orchard might be ideal, or something even closer to home? This challenge will make me look for chocolate, and that can't be a bad thing!
Meanwhile, we're starting with the decorations. The traditional "yard-raking graveyard" is very environmentally helpful, especially since it'll help us convert our turf lawn into something better. Laying out the graves will help my identify walking patterns through the yard, so I can put down a duff walkway, and come November, turn over the "graves" with my shovel and plant bulbs for springtime. Even the cardboard headstones will become food for worms!
We also planted a hellebore from Village Green Perennial Nursery. Besides the cool Halloweeny name, this plant does well in our climate with a minimum of care and enables us to convert another square yard of sod into flowers!