Attestation and other curiosities

it’s a good thing I know our license plate number

attestationAttestation seems like a very fancy term, maybe a serious disease. It is actually “a legal acknowledgment of the authenticity of a document and a verification that proper processes were followed.” When I digitally enter my Census timesheet, I have to attest that I worked those hours. Before my wife goes to school, she has to promise that she’s taken her temperature and is well enough to come in.

We both need to wear masks to work. As noted, my head is bigger than hers, bigger in fact than most people’s. She apparently didn’t notice this at first and randomly assigned the first masks to us and our daughter randomly. But now she can tell, just by looking, which mask belongs to whom; I cannot.

It always reminds me of The Price is Right

We got A NEW CAR! Most of the summer, my wife admittedly obsessed with the price of used RAV4s. This editor’s letter in the August 28 issue of The Week actually mirrored her experience.

“Every dealer I spoke with had sold out of decent and affordable used autos…” This is a function of the pandemic, but also “some of the cash they might have splashed on vacations or restaurant meals is instead going to new wheels.”

That was certainly true of us. We had a vacation budget that went unspent. So the used vehicle is instead a current one. My wife bought it out of town for logistical reasons, so I never saw it until four days after she purchased it.

YouTube

I only recently discovered that my wife is also a fan of finding helpful hints on YouTube videos. I’ve been watching them for years – here’s one on changing the battery on a CVS bathroom scale, which is similar to one I used.

The recent requirement I had involved not just recording on Zoom, which I figured out. My question was to FIND my #ZOOM RECORDINGS, which I needed to retrieve so I could read to our Sunday school class.

Cellphones

On my cellphone recently, I received a text that read “[Tik Tok] **** is your verification code, valid for five minutes. To keep your account safe, never forward this code.” Since I’ve never been on Tik Tok, I will assuredly abide by this.

Speaking of cellphones, I got some bogus company calling my Census phone to say it was needing to update my system. Spammers are everywhere. I ignored it, correctly.

I’m rich!

Surprise money. I got a check from Wells Fargo for $159.13 for some fiscal malfeasance that they had undoubtedly committed. I’ve gotten these types of checks before, but usually, they are for $7.81, or at the most $24.59.

The good old days

I was looking to find a list of the current members of the Cabinet because, geez, who can keep track? On Google, page one, there’s a pulldown list that lists Barack Obama’s cabinet, fueled from this page. I have a… certain disdain for the current batch, especially Bill Barr. But you knew that, didn’t you?

The FantaCo/Smilin’ Ed Kickstarter; the Wells Fargo refund

FantaCo owner/publisher/co-creator of Smilin’ Ed, Tom Skulan,, is organizing a Kickstarter to create The Complete Smilin’ Ed Comics. He’s trying to raise $7500 by Thursday, December 11, 2014 at 1:12 AM EST.

FantaCo_sign
Those of you who lived or worked in Albany from 1978 to 1998 might remember this sign, created by the late Raoul Vezina in the window of FantaCo Enterprises, the comic book store/mail order house/publisher/convention organizer at 21 Central Avenue; the sign has been digitally enhanced from the original by artist Bill Anderson. Raoul drew the logo rat for the store, the character eventually dubbed Smilin’ Ed Smiley.

A few years later, Smilin’ Ed became the star of some comic books published by FantaCo, as well as in strips in Albany’s Metroland magazine and the Comics Buyers Guide. Unfortunately, Raoul died in 1983 – of an asthma attack.

Now, FantaCo owner/publisher/co-creator of Smilin’ Ed, Tom Skulan,, is organizing a Kickstarter to create The Complete Smilin’ Ed Comics. He’s trying to raise $7500 by Thursday, December 11, 2014 at 1:12 AM EST.

As I have mentioned in the past, I worked at FantaCo, running the mail order, editing a handful of magazines, and various other tasks, from May 1980 through November 1988. I had a hand in scripting one of the stories. I played interlocutor for a couple of parties involved in this project and found a few pieces that are included in the book. I wrote one of the text pieces contained therein. Oh, and I took the picture of Raoul that appears on the Kickstarter page.

Thus, I do have an emotional investment in seeing this project succeed. Raoul’s sister Maria has also been heavily involved with the project, and it’s very important to her. One of the pieces in the book will be the script and some art pages to a never-published Ed story.
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I got this envelope in the mail this month. It appeared to be junk mail, but in fact, it contained a check for $214.85, and not one of those phony “use this check as a down payment on a car from us,” but a real cashier’s check.

Dear ROGER O GREEN:

Our records show you previously purchased, then cancelled an identity theft protection plan. During your enrollment the credit monitoring benefit may not have been activated.

We recommend reviewing your credit history, and are providing a free Experian credit report. Please call… and provide this code…

We are reimbursing yoy for fees paid during a period of time when your your credit monitoring benefit may not have been activated.Cashing the check will not reactivate your plan. For other questions please call Wells Fargo…

Thank you. we appreciate your business.

Interesting. I no longer remember how much the service cost, maybe $5.95 a month, maybe more. But even at $9.95 a month, and it wasn’t that much, that’s over 21 months where the right hand knoweth not what the left hand doeth. I haven’t had a Wells Fargo credit card in years, and seldom used it when I did.

Of course, I DID make use of the Experian report. Surprisingly, they did not try to buy their OWN service; thank you, very much.

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