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Kitchen Table Kibitzing July 5, 2026 [1]

['Side Pocket', 'A Pagan In Arizona']

Date: 2026-07-05  

Last week’s KTK was not even published because there were system glitches, which I assume have been corrected. So I will just copy and paste last week’s from that draft.

Checks and Balances

Lately there have been many articles and warnings about the use of checks for paying bills. Here’s a free link to a Times story: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/26/your-money/paper-checks-mail-fraud.html?unlocked_article_code=1.tlA.yCj2.sEWQuUtebhna&smid=url-share

We pay a lot of our bills by check and always have. After warnings, we now use pens with the kind of ink that can’t be erased, or “washed”. There have been local cases where Napa County lost money from stolen checks, washed, and the amounts altered. If we are mailing checks we deposit them in the actual Post Office.

A year ago we sent a large check to Schwab and traced it to the Post Office only 8 blocks away from the Schwab office. It never arrived. We cancelled the check, but even after a year the check, with our account numbers on it, never surfaced.

Whenever I’ve mentioned checks, here and elsewhere, the response from most is “I never write checks. Does anybody any more?” Monthly we get statements from our financial institutions with images of the actual checks we’ve written. That’s comforting. Less than comforting are the recommended alternatives, such as digital wallets, ACH payments, eChecks, wire transfers, and cryptocurrency. It seems like every day I hear or read about a new and innovative way of hacking the internet.

What’s the best, easiest, and safest method, to help me move into the 21st century?

Having accomplished that, I will share some personal information. Most of you know I have been receiving treatment for bladder cancer. We went through several Cystoscopies which were clear after months of biochemical treatments, so we were very optimistic this time. Alas, the cancer has returned. I am scheduled for surgery tomorrow. I have the doctor I wanted, the only one I trust. I don’t even go in till afternoon, so I am prohibited from eating…..all day! So that’s the story, not so surprising considering my age. Stay healthy, y’all, and live every moment to the fullest.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/7/5/800065684/community/kitchen-table-kibitzing-july-5-2026/

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