Business…this week’s joint in the column is about the last ten years of P-Diddy. And for my final trick on Ron Artest, peep this “review” I did for ESPN on Allure’s record. Good fun.
Now that the -itis is gone, gotta look back on my most enduring holiday moment from this year. And it ain’t cheerful…
So, the night before Thanksgiving, I hit Kroger to buy the supplies I needed to make the casserole I was taking with me to dinner (which came out pretty well, if I do say so myself. My hosts said the same, but it’s hard to tell when nice, polite folks are telling the truth). It’s about 10:30, which means that everyone in the joint is picking up last minute things and trying to maintain some level of sanity.
So I get in line behind a lady, and she was paying for about four or five items. I get off my phone conversation so that I could talk to the cat while I was paying. But, for some reason, the lady’s just standing at the register with a blank stare on her face. Buddy at the register is messing with the machine for some reason, but she’s still there.
Turns out she was paying with a check, and the check wouldn’t run because of some computer malfunction. Bullshit you not, I stood there for about twenty minutes while they were trying to make it all good for her check to go through, and it was no dice. None.
Finally, the lady breaks down and says, “I’ll just give you the cash.”
Why ain’t she get that bright idea at the first sign of a malfunction? And more importantly, where is your check card?
The old fashioned way was cool when it was cool, but dead that, man. Get you a stinkin check card. I ain’t got time to wait behind people while you try to verify your driver’s license and all that. If you’re not paying your rent, break out some plastic. I can’t think of the last time I wrote a check in public, and I surely can’t think of the last time I heard of someone receiving a checking account and not getting a check card.
This was one of those strange twinges of adulthood, one where I found myself way too salty about something relatively minor. However, I wanted to get home and make my casserole! Ugh.
If you still write checks, let me and the rest of the universe know why you insist upon wasting everyone’s time with that nonsense.
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Because of a scheduling change at AOL, I now have to do a lot of writing way before the pieces run. That’s not a problem, but have you ever tried doing something Christmas related before Xmas has rolled around? Imagine trying to write about Christmas songs on Thanksgiving Day…not the easiest. It wound up working out because of Stevie…just popped in “Someday at Christmas” and everything rolled.
How powerful is music? It can fool you into thinking Santa’s headed to your house, even if he’s still at the warehouse taking orders.
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Updates may not be too regular in the next couple of weeks as I try to ensure that I don’t flunk out of school, but I also use this as a tool to stave off burnout. So, you’ll either get no posts or a post a day. The likelihoods of either are about even.
7 Comments
by Kirk
Man, a major pet peeve. A check is just a polite way of saying “I don’t have the cash, so my ATM card won’t work. However, if you wait long enough, this check just might go through.” The only thing worse is someone buying more shit than they have the money for and watching them try to whittle down the order one item at a time. “Is that enought yet? No? Ok, leave the 50 gallon tub of ice cream and put the baby formula back…”
Some people need to be slapped on principle, for the good of society.
by bj
When it comes to writing checks Bomani, I used to be the King of check-witing. So, let me break it down for you. I wrote checks because I either didn’t have the money in the account ,or, wanted to use the ‘check float’ to allow for a direct deposit to be made, or, to earn a few more days interest on the money I already had in my account.
Unfortunately, Bush and his cronies have ended all that. The new Reg21 Banking Act will allow our banks to send digital images of checks to each other for cashing/depositing checks. This means that the old school ‘float time’ of 2-5 business days will be a thing of the past by years end.
I recommend everybody get a checking account card, (if you don’t already ahve one), and keep checks for gifts to nieces and nephews or you may end up paying a lot of bounced check fees in the very near future.
peace always,
bj in philly
by Mook
Has anyone ever tried to give the weedman a check? Nah, didn’t work for me either…
by MsInstyle
I was curious to read the article on Diddy … I can’t lie … I acutally like the man.
There was a sentence, however, that made me go hmmmmmmmm.
“No matter how dope Biggie was, he was a fat, dark, unattractive rapper with a lisp and mostly dark subject matter.”
Now I’m certainly not here to say that you are being dishonest … but I have always had an issue with the tone of one’s skin being portrayed as something negative.
I’m a dark brown woman. It reminds me of the days (and they haven’t gone away) when people say, “you’re cute to be dark.” WTF?? What if he was light … would that have been mentioned in the list of all things negative about Biggie??
Not trying to fuss … that’s just one of my peeves.
by Erin
Ok, I know that some folks like to blame Bush for everything but your inability to write checks using money you don’t have is not his fault. I do believe that has been illegal since the Dems were in office.
by Jenn
People still write checks? Really? No…REALLY? Hell, even my RENT is paid with a money order!
Wow, you learn something new every day!
by Imani Bertrand
I kind of think P.Diddy is selfish because everyone he produces he HAS to be in their video! Can you tell what video you ain’t seen him in for Bad Boy Entertainment!he just made himself famous by that.