Preachy. Perfect word to describe the tenants of the new woke religion.

My neighbors have one of those "In This House We Believe...." signs in their front yard. My old neighborhood was littered with those.

It always struck me as signaling. Sorta like the way my ultra-Christian fundamentalist in-laws had Jesus pictures and crosses liberally sprinkled throughout their house.

As for Michael Clayton being an "underrated cinematic masterpiece," meh.

Shaming is the right word, not signaling.

Vax required for soldiers. Next: Fed contractors

https://www.uexpress.com/life/miss-manners/2021/08/21

DEAR MISS MANNERS: About three years ago, a good friend gave me a debit card as thanks for some favors I did for her. I had never had a gift card or debit card before. It was issued by a national financial company, at a major national store chain.

In the years since receiving it, I have not found one store willing to take it -- not even the chain where it was purchased! Their only reason is, "We don't take gift cards." I had thought that, since it says "debit" on it, it would be considered the same as cash.

I wonder whether this friend has spent money on these cards for others. Should I tell her that I've been unable to redeem mine? (I would do so solely because I would hate for her to continue to purchase these cards if they're just a waste of her hard-earned money. I would refuse a replacement gift, if offered!) Would that be similar to telling her a gift arrived unusable because it was broken?

GENTLE READER: A store that does not accept its own gift cards?

Miss Manners would think that your friend would definitely want to have this information -- even if it is three years after the fact. You could slip it into conversation casually, "You know, I never could get that very generous gift card to work. The store said they didn't accept them. Can you imagine?"
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This was followed by many fascinating comments. Some people suggested that the friend of the LW had unknowingly bought a stolen card. (In theory, of course, an innocent party such as the LW would not have to be told to call customer services for a more detailed explanation - which is why the stores didn't tell the LW.)

I was walking around my hometown this summer, a leafy suburb in Boston's metrowest and those signs, and the Black Lives Matter signs where everywhere, and I was like, "Yeah Black Lives Matter so much to you, you moved here where there aren't any".

Yeah, it was judgy of me, but I live in frickin' rural Switzerland and see more black people then I do in that suburb. Perhaps you are thinking rural Switzerland is surprisingly progressive and diverse? You would be wrong.

"We don't take gift cards" is an unlikely statement after scanning it through. Why scan it if you don't take gift cards? So, it seems the stores will not take their own gift cards or this is a card not widely accepted, for whatever reason.

It might be that the stores at which she tried to use it are franchises or licensees. For example, when you see a Starbucks in the grocery store, it's a licensed operation and is not tied into Starbucks' payment system, so you cannot use your Starbucks gift cards there as Starbucks received the payment for the card at purchase, not the grocery store.

There are Web sites at which she may be able to sell the gift card. She won't get full value, but she may get money she can actually spend somewhere.

Rereading the letter, it sounds as if she may have been given a reloadable debit card - e.g., GreenDot or Walmart's MoneyCard. It also sounds like it is not tied into a national financial exchange network - e.g., Visa or MC - and is reliant on a network not accepted by many retailers. Her best bet might be to Google the network and see where the card is accepted.

I worked for two years in the gift card industry. It's actually quite a fascinating business model, selling other people's money. As for banking, reloadable debit cards can be a workable banking solution for poor people - FDIC insured, low fees, and no minimum balance requirements since it's all virtual.

I've assumed that the settlement of petty debts of commercial firms to consumers through $20, $40 or $80 prepaid Visa cards was a naked attempt at data collection.

> it was judgy of me

Luvyoo. In this university town, all the stylish (and often sumptious!) restaurants are very fussy about putting Black Lives Matter on a prominent streetside window.

And I've noticed the font of the painted text is always naive brushstrokes in a clumsy wash of shallow bone-ish color… No matter how elegant the typography of the store name, hours, or posted menus directly adjacent.

To be reelee down with the 'hood, they can't risk any sophistication whatsoever. The Lingua Franca is shameless inarticulation. This amuses.

Where the fuck is Karen Crowder?