La Vie En Rose for 2005 June 10

There is a quote in the Newsweek article on the EU referendums on the constitution in France and the Netherlands last week from one one the "founding fathers" of the EU, Kohnstamm. "None of the founding fathers had any illusions that it would be easy to build Europe through consensus and common interests, instead of war and conquest. But that didn't deter them then, and shouldn't now, he says. "I've seen so many crises--and seen so many crises overcome--that I am absolutely certain that this process will go on.""

This perspective explains why it's easy to take so-called "set-backs" with a grain of salt. I'm sure Europe will get to a constitution eventually. Rome wasn't built in a day.

A speaking of EU, Sumana sent me a link to this great blog of an MEP (Member of European Parliament) from Yorkshire. There is some really good stuff, especially in the "humour" section:

Corbett was seated next to Otto von Habsburg (son of the last emperor). Once, when Austria played against Hungary at football, I was curious to see his reaction and asked whether he had seen the match. "What match?" He asked. "Austria-Hungary" I replied. "Oh," he said, "who against?"

Stupid, stupid bank. Apparantly they have a policy of holding every check that gets deposited in an ATM for four days. And how exactly one is supposed to do business when one gets paid at the end of the month and has to give money to one's mom for bills at the beginning, well. I suppose that is not the problem. As long as the bank can keep charging $23 per "over drawn" charge (even though there is actually money in the account) I guess they are happy. They send a nice letter saying they will give a refund for such charges if I did not recieve the notice at the time of the deposit, and the check is paid. But as the lady on the phone said, this only counts if you make the deposit in the branch and not at an ATM, because an ATM has no way of giving you notice. Well, that covers all the bases nicely. And it's so easy to make a deposit in a branch when there's 2 of them and they're not open on Saturdays. Ohhhh hate.

Yelled at the lady on the phone, and then felt bad because she's only allowed to reverse one of the fees and I have TWO. TWO. That's forty-six dollars. I'm going in person (when I'll have time, no idea) to explain how utterly ridculous it is that they are charging me $23 for HAVING ENOUGH MONEY in my account for a check I wrote, when I don't even spend that much money a week on FOOD. I swear, if they don't give my money back, I'll close my account (but not until I make sure everything is cleared, I learned that lesson last time.) I may anyway, out of protest to the ridculousness of the whole thing. Maybe I'll just not have a checking account, and deal in cash and money orders. or something.

How on earth is one supposed to get ahead in life when people who are supposed to be on one's side, helping one (ie credit unions) are looking for every chance to suck one's blood. I was feeling much better but now have been plunged back into the depths of despair of Tuesday and Wednesday. I am so frustrated I want to cry. If I ever get to the point in life where I don't have to worry about money, I don't know what I'll do. All that stress and energy can go towards a worthy cause, like global poverty. Ohhh the injustice of it all.