Canceling your credit cards in the case of death

Not my story.  Sent to me.

Be sure and cancel your credit cards before you die. Some people are really stupid. Honestly.

When this lady died in January, Citibank billed her for February and March for their annual service charges on her credit card. Then they added late fees and interest on the monthly charge. The balance had been $0.00, but ended up being $60.00 at this point. A family member placed a call to Citibank. Here is some of the exchange:

. . . . .

Family Member: 'Yes. I am calling to tell you that she died in January.'

Citibank: 'The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply.'

Family Member: 'OOoooookkaayyy. Uumm, maybe, you should turn it over to collections.'

Citibank: 'Since it is two months past due, it already has been.'

Family Member: ' Alright. So, what will they do when they find out she's dead?'

Citibank: 'Either report her account to frauds division or report her to the credit bureau. Maybe both!'

Family Member: 'Do you think God will be mad at her?'

Citibank: 'Excuse me?'

Family Member: 'Did you just get what I was telling you - the part about her being dead?'

Citibank: 'Sir, you'll have to speak to my supervisor.'

Supervisor gets on the phone:

Family Member: 'I'm calling to tell you . . . . she died in January. You should close her account.'

Citibank : 'The account was never closed and late fees and charges still apply.'

Family Member: 'You mean you want to collect from her estate?'

Citibank: *stammers* 'Are you her lawyer?'

Family Member: 'No, I'm her great nephew.' *Lawyer info given*

Citibank: 'Could you fax us a certificate of death?'

Family Member: 'Sure.' *Fax number is given*)

After they get the fax:

Citibank: 'Sir, our system just isn't setup for death. I don't know what more I can do to help.'

Family Member: 'Well, if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing her. I don't think she'll mind.'

Citibank: 'Well, the late fees and charges do still apply.'

Family Member: 'Would you like her new billing address?'

Citibank: 'That might help.'

Family Member: ' Odessa Memorial Cemetery , Highway 129, Plot Number 69.'

Citibank: 'Sir, that's a cemetery!'

Family Member: 'Of course. What do you do with dead people on your planet???

RKgames

Ready to make a wager? 

Elizabethans were generally pious, but they loved their gambling. From the epic boar-baiting to the no-less ferocious rat-baiting, from cards to dice, and gameboards scratched in the cathedral pews (really) -- you'd have no problem finding someone to cover your bet. There are many pleasant card and dice games suitable for Faire but they lack a certain spectacle. In the absence of the bloodsports (there being generally more pet rats than pet terriers on any given fairesite), I've found several period games that make fine street sport.

Nine-Man Morris

Nine-man Morris is an excellent street game. The board can be scratched in the dirt of the street, painted on a cloth, or carved into a table. The 18 markers can be rocks, coins, wizened apples, or what-hae-ye (mongers were fond of beets vs turnips). The game is easily taught to passers-by and finishes up within 5-15 minutes. I've found it appealing to both children and adults and a fine way to take an afternoon ale break. The only downside is if, as Shakespeare's Titania laments, "The nine-men's morris [fills] up with mud."

The board consists of 3 nested squares with lines connecting the mid-point of each side. The gameplay is similar to tic-tac-toe: players alternate placing markers on the 24 intersections, attempting to get three-in-a-row. A line-of-three is called a mill. When a mill is created, the player may then remove (pound) one opposing non-mill piece from the board. A pounded piece is out of play.

Once all markers have been placed on the board (pounded off or not) the gameplay changes slightly. Instead of adding a marker, players now slide their markers along the lines. The game ends when a player has only two pieces left or is pinned-in and unable to make a move.

Variations include: disallowing shifting a single piece in/out of the same mill; pounding mills if no other piece is available; changing sliding to flying to any open intersection when reduced to 3 markers; six-man morris with 2 squares; twelve-man morris with 3 squares, midpoints and diagonals connected.

Quoits

Quoits is essentially horseshoes but using a ring (the Quoit) rather than a shoe. Generally played with pins (Hobs) driven into the ground (at 15-25 paces), you can also use baskets or tankards or whatever. It is easy to make Quoits by bending straw into a circle and lashing it in place with a ribbon or string. Give them enough mass for a nice toss. Quoits looks great in the street and makes a fine spectacle when down on your belly measuring the distance from the Hob with a length of twine.

With two Hobs and 1-3 Quoits per player, players stand a toe to the Hob and cast their Quoits at the distant Hob. Ringing the Hob is worth two points, having the closest Quoit is worth one point. Play to five or some reasonable score.

Variations include: horseshoes; scoring additional points for each Quoit closer to the Hob than all the other player's Quoits.

Fox & Geese

Fox and Geese has a more complicated board than Nine-man Morris and is better suited to a painted playing board (cloth, wood, etc) than scratched in the dirt. The 13 (or 17) Geese start at one side of the board, and moving only forwards and forwards diagonally, try to trap the single Fox. The Fox meanwhile may move in any direction and tries to jump a Goose thereby removing it from play. The Geese move and the Fox jumps, as in checkers. The Fox goes first.

The Geese win if they trap the Fox in a corner (and peck him to death), and the Fox wins if the Geese cannot trap him or have all moved to the far side of the board. This is a little more difficult as a street game because the advantage lies with the Fox. It may prove unsatisfying to merely play once (as the Geese).

Farming Vegetables

Vegetables (Veggies) are sown automatically and they grow by themselves. The only work which must be done on a vegetable farm is to harvest them, which is done every fifth day. So, the schedule looks like this:
Your veggies are growing nicely (state 1 of 5)
Your veggies are growing nicely (state 2 of 5)
Your veggies are growing nicely (state 3 of 5)
Your veggies are growing nicely (state 4 of 5)
Your veggies are growing nicely (state 5 of 5)
Your veggies are ready to be harvested. (Hire a worker on this day)


A first field will produce 4 vegetables and a second field will produce 3 vegetables.
Vegetable Farming Advice



There is no value in requiring stats at any level other than zero, so just put zero in the intelligence choice and hire for the minimum in your town.
Because vegetables are effectively the same as fruit, players are advised not to grow vegetables in a village with an orchard.
Check with your mayor if you are unsure what field to choose. Your mayor knows what the town needs.

Leetworld

If you game at all, you'll LOVE this series.

You can't help but laugh.
Turn up your sound or use headphones, or you'll miss the subtle jokes. ;D