Not Quite Yet!

I have a wonderful friend...a very successful man in the corporate world of high end consulting...I'll call him Bill...he knows who he is.

In reviewing my blog (he is also a wonderful writer) he counselled me to write more from my own experiences...he seems to think I've had an interesting life...which, by some measure, I have, in part because of his encouraging belief in me and professional generosity.

He referred to himself as an "old kvetch" and thought I'd have a better blog if I had less complaining and more personal stuff.
He said there are too many "kvetchers" out there.

He's usually right and probably is in this case but, and I'm sorry Bill...I just need to have a little bitch fest here...just a little one...so I hope you'll forgive me...

I went to the bank today...it shall remain nameless but it is one of those that almost failed recently having a long history of service and value since its' founding in San Francisco years ago by an Italian merchant.

Anyway...I deposited a rather large check from an investor in a TV project I'm working on. I very much need the money to pay for the marketing plan I'm developing to sell the project...so I can begin to make money and pay dividends to my other investors...as well as the new one.

I cannot, for the life of me, understand how it is that we can push a button and Google Earth can show us what someone is eating on The Champs Elysees or find out who had the most stolen bases in 1941 or what Kirk Douglas' real name is or any number of other inane or critically important things we "have to know"...right now...but my bank has to "hold" my money for a few days or weeks, waiting for the check to "clear."

What the.....!?

Ok..it would be disingenuous of me to really assert that I don't understand. I do...it's all about the money...unfortunately not mine...theirs!

Well, actually, it is mine but they are using it to make more for themselves so they can give it to their investors...but more importantly to themselves in the form of multi-million dollar bonuses. Why don't I get interest for those days...? Ever think about that!?

I get it. They say, with a straight face, that the system needs a period of time to process the check.

Bull!

The system that the bank celebrates when it is trying to get me to use the ATM or online banking is the same system that operates at 186,000 miles per second!

In the immortal words of Cuba Gooding, Jr.s character in "Jerry Maguire"...

"SHOW ME THE MONEY...!!!"

"We need to put a hold on the money while this check clears."

Hold this...!