Deepstatized

Last month I heard, with great relief, that the ADA mandate was suddenly being extended for a year. I heard about the reprieve from the coauthor who had heard it on NPR. Last year I heard about the clampdown indirectly and MANY MONTHS LATE, when one professor asked the publisher if her books were going to be ready. The PUBLISHER hadn’t heard about the clampdown!

This is part of the Bush era deepstating of life. Information is there if you know how to find it, but it’s PASSIVE. We’re barraged with hundreds of meaningless notifications for unwanted crappy updates and offers, but we DO NOT HEAR anything that matters to our life and work.

A less important example today. My old washing machine is reaching the end of its life, making expensive noises. I called a repairman who replaced the shock absorbers, with little improvement. Time for a new one, and especially time for a toploader. When I bought this one in 2001, I didn’t realize the difference. Now I do. Frontloaders are shit.

So I ordered a new small Amana online from Lowes. During the order my debit card immediately bounced, then a credit card seemed to work. Install was scheduled for next Monday. Today the credit card suddenly bounced, and after the usual incomprehensible conversation with an Indian call center, I canceled the order to figure out what’s happening. Both cards are working in general, both have been running other transactions during this time. Was it just the amount? Unlikely; larger amounts have worked before.

Finally I googled “Lowes suspicious credit cards” and found the secret. There is a surge of fraudulent transactions involving Lowes, so the card companies have placed hold-for-approval on any Lowes transaction. This information did NOT appear on its own during either failed transaction.