Group A: France, Mexico, South Africa, Uruguay

As shocking as this may sound, I just can’t see France progressing. Their lack of a decent manager has finally caught up with them, and they look like they could crumble at any moment. South Africa also will have a tough time making it through this group. Not making it into the African Cup of Nations this past winter was a big blow, and despite being the home team, I think it will be tough. This group may go to the Hispanic nations.

Group B: Argentina, Greece, Nigeria, South Korea

This is a tough group. Argentina has a good squad, but has struggled under Maradona. Nigeria also has a pretty strong squad. I think Argentina will be able to hack their way through, but it’s a tossup between the other three. South Korea is certainly a team to watch here. South Korea vs. Greece will be the match of the group, in my opinion.

Group C: Algeria, England, Slovenia, United States

England had a bit of luck with this draw. I can’t see Algeria or Slovenia providing much of a fight. Of course the England vs. US game on Saturday will be one to watch. The United States have a scrappy team, and they’ve managed to pull things off in the past.

Group D: Australia, Germany, Ghana, Serbia

Australia essentially have the same squad as 2006, and are probably a bit bitter from their encounter with Italy. However, I can’t see them moving out of this one. Germany has been hit by a lot of injuries, but I think they have too good of a squad not to move on. Ghana stood a chance up until the injury of a key player (Essien). I think Serbia will get the drop on Australia and Ghana on this one. It should provide some exciting match ups, though.

Group E: Cameroon, Denmark, Netherlands, Japan

Cameroon stands a chance. Alexander Song has had a solid season, and with the striking power of Samuel Eto’o they may be able to move on. This will depend on Eto’o, however, since he seems to have a hot head at the international level. Netherlands should be able to top the group with ease. They have a solid team, with an underrated back four. Denmark has flown under the radar for me, and I just don’t think Japan has what it takes.

Group F: Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia

Italy has been known to start slow, so expect a bumpy ride from this group. Still, it’s unlikely they won’t move on with such an experienced squad. De Rossi will be key to their run. New Zealand is arguably the weakest side in the cup. It’s unlikely they’ll make it through. Paraguay has a well-rounded team, I think they’ll move on as well.

Group G: Brazil, Ivory Coast, North Korea, Portugal

We all know Brazil to be a high quality squad. It’s highly unlikely they won’t progress. I’d say the second slot is a tossup between the Ivory Coast and Portugal. Portugal has some good, experienced players. However, they lack depth and have already suffered injuries. Ivory Coast stands a chance, but they suffered a key injury (Drogba) I mentioned in the previous post that may set them back. We’ll have to see if the Toure brothers can push them through.

Group H: Chile, Honduras, Spain, Switzerland

Without a doubt, Spain will move on. Their squad is immense and they’ve had an immaculate run leading up to the World Cup. Honduras is an extreme underdog, and I think Chilie will progress over them. Switzerland has been pretty quiet. I don’t think they have what it takes to progress.

The World Cup starts tomorrow! I hope you’re all excited as I am. I may overlap slightly with the actual event, but next up I’m going to post my picks for winner and a few other things. If you’re going to only watch a few games, I’d pay attention to the ones that involve Spain, Netherlands, Ivory Coast, and of course the United States.

I can’t wait till 10am tomorrow!

Stars:

Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcalona/Winger) – Messi is in a class of his own. At 23, he’s come into his own in the last two seasons. He scored 34 goals in 30 games for Barcelona in the regular season (an unbelievable statistic), carrying the team to yet another league title. With incredible feats, such as back to back hat tricks, commentators have run out of adjectives to describe him. Immaculate. The only level he has yet to perform with such skill, is the World Cup. He will be crucial to Argentina’s chances of winning, but has a lackluster international record. Messi is worth watching not only for his goal scoring ability, but for his ball control. It is as if the ball is attached to him.

Robin van Persie (Holland/Arsenal/Striker) – Plagued by injuries, van Persie is one of those players you look at and wonder how much more of an impact he could have made if only he had stayed fit. He started the English Premier League season with 7 goals in 11 games, before picking up an injury that kept him out of the sport for 5 months. He’s back from injury though, and has scored 4 goals in the 3 international friendlies leading up to the World Cup. He is not only a goal scorer, but also a play maker and this may be a key competition for him. He’s worth watching, not only because of his prolific goal scoring abilities, but also because of the way in which he scores them.

Wayne Rooney (England/Manchester United/Striker) – Another prolific striker, Rooney will be hoping to play a key role in bringing the trophy home for England for the first time since 1966. He’s been the shining star in a Manchester United season that fell short, with 40 goals in all competitions. The man has the passion, and it’s the reason you should pay attention to him. Not only does it make him one of the hardest working players on the field, it also makes him one of the fieriest. He is notorious for being hot headed, and while he has matured since the last world cup, many teams will be looking to get him riled up.

Clint Dempsey (United States/Fulham/Winger) – For some reason, Dempsey is underrated in the United States and it’s something that I continue to not understand. Seemingly overshadowed by Landon Donovan, I’d argue that Dempsey is more consistent and an overall better player. He’s a fan favorite at Fulham, and has been a big part of some of the best form they’ve ever seen. He’s also worked hard for his country, scoring 3 goals in 5 games for the US in the Confederations Cup last summer. He’s a hard worker with some nice goals. Well worth watching.

The Entire Spanish Squad - I have no idea how to do this. Every single player on this squad is worth watching. Even their subs. It’s unbelievable how much talent they have, and how fun it is to watch said talent. I’ll just leave you with a few clips of various players you’re likely to see.

Hampered by Injury:

Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast/Chelsea/Striker) – Last Friday Drogba, key player for the Ivory Coast, broke his arm in a friendly against Japan. Drogba has scored an incredible 44 goals in 69 appearances for the Ivory Coast and is crucial to their success in the World Cup. Successful surgery took place, but it is unclear if he will make it back in time to keep his team afloat. Without this injury, I would have pegged him to be the winner of the Golden Boot. Despite being an incredible tool, he has an insane amount of power.

Arjen Robben (Holland/Bayern Munich/Left Wing) – Robben has moved out of Ribery’s shadow at Bayern Munich over the last season, and has proved time and time again to be a consistently strong and creative player. Unfortunately, on Saturday he limped off the pitch after scoring two goals with a hamstring injury. However, he is hoping for a speedy recovery and may make it back in time for the knock-out stages that Holland will likely be a part of.

Players You’ve Probably Never Heard Of:

Lee Chung-Yong (South Korea/Bolton/Right Wing) - In only his first season, Chung-Yong has adapted well to the Premier League, becoming a key play maker for Bolton. While South Korea may not progress far, Lee’s creativity and skill on the ball will make him fun to watch.

Michael Bradley (United States/Monchengladbach/Midfield) – I can’t say I’ve seen much of his performances first hand, but it sounds like the boy is a scrapper. His father, incidentally, is the US coach, but there’s no nepotism involved. He’s earned his place. However, he also has a knack for getting cards, so it will be interesting to see him play.

Managers:

Diego Maradona (Argentina) – I created this category simply for Maradona. You may recall him from the 1986 World Cup with his “Hand of God” goal or his drug addicted past. All I can say is that he’s only gotten crazier. As a manager he has been banned from the game for 2 months for lewd comments after a win, he’s belly slid in the mud, he’s declared (more like threatened) to run through the streets of Buenos Aires naked if Argentina win the World Cup. He’s even run over a reporters leg with his car and then called said reporter an asshole for getting his leg run over. You can’t make this stuff up… He’s certain to be a character to watch, even if he’s not on the field.

Next up: A look at the teams of the World Cup.

It seems as though one of Apple’s Software Engineers has dropped the ball when it comes to secrecy surrounding the new iPhone (4th generation, 4G, HD, fourth coming of the Messiah?).  Actually, substitute ‘the ball’ with ‘the actual iPhone’ itself and ‘dropped’ with ‘left it at a bar in Redwood City, CA’ and you’ve pretty much got the gist of it.

It seems as though there is one person to blame for this whole situation – Gray Powell (well, Gray, birthdays and German beer).  On March 18th, Powell was out with friends celebrating his birthday at the Gourmet Haus Staudt.  When he began the night he was sober and the prototype iPhone was disguised to look like an iPhone 3GS.  At the end of the night I can’t say whether or not he was in a drunken stupor, but I can say he was stupid enough to leave that iPhone on a barstool for anyone to pick up.  That, of course, is exactly what happened.  In the end, the gadget blog company Gizmodo bought the prototype for $5,000 and decided to investigate and dissect.  At this point Apple had already bricked the phone, not allowing anyone to bypass the “Connect to iTunes” symbol.  That, however, was not going to stop the people over at Gizmodo – as they completely disassembled the gadget, took pictures and made a list of the its new features compared to past/current models.  The list is on their website, but I’ll post it here in case you don’t want to head over to check out the exclusive report (although I suggest you do for the in-depth pictures):

What’s new
• Front-facing video chat camera
• Improved regular back-camera (the lens is noticeably larger than the iPhone 3GS)
• Camera flash
• Micro-SIM instead of standard SIM (like the iPad)
• Improved display.  It’s unclear if it’s the 960×640 display thrown around before—it certainly looks like it, with the “Connect to iTunes” screen displaying much higher resolution than on a 3GS.
• What looks to be a secondary mic for noise cancellation, at the top, next to the headphone jack
• Split buttons for volume
• Power, mute, and volume buttons are all metallic

What’s changed
• The back is entirely flat, made of either glass (more likely) or ceramic or shiny plastic in order for the cell signal to poke through.  Tapping on the back makes a more hollow and higher pitched sound compared to tapping on the glass on the front/screen, but that could just be the orientation of components inside making for a different sound
• An aluminum border going completely around the outside
• Slightly smaller screen than the 3GS (but seemingly higher resolution)
• Frame is more squared off
• 3 grams heavier
• 16% Larger battery
• Internal components are shrunken, miniaturized and reduced to make room for the larger battery

(Photo from Gizmodo.com)

Instead of drawing out this story to an outrageous length (you’re welcome), I’ll provide the link to Gizmodo’s page describing (in more detail) how Apple lost the phone, its new features, some great shots as well as the letter sent to Editorial Director Brian Lam from Apple’s Senior VP & General Counsel Bruce Sewell asking for the return of their property.

http://gizmodo.com/5520471/the-tale-of-apples-next-iphone

CNET.com reported today that Apple has apparently spoken to local police and is seeking justice.  They have not been able to confirm whether the investigation is targeting Gizmodo.com, its source who reportedly found the iPhone in a bar, or both.  Either way, the tale of the lost iPhone has got someone in Santa Clara County upset, and it looks like the outcome is a very sour Apple.

I’m hoping this one mistake does not hinder them from testing new products/generation upgrades in the wild.  Simply put, let’s hope this one bad Apple (employee) doesn’t spoil it for the bunch (ok – done with the lame apple jokes).

- joe

“The jo of majoda promises his next blog will have absolutely nothing to do with Apple.  Orange-ya glad to hear that?”

If anybody knows me personally, they know that I pretty much love to do vocal percussion ALL over the place (in the car, while walking to work, at the urinal, etc.). I attribute this, fun to me/annoying to others trait to my time spent with Not Too Sharp. Ever since I first sang with those awesome guys, I’ve been completely obsessed with all things A Capella. While I’m certainly not an expert critic when it comes to reviewing albums, I do know that there are just some albums that MUST be shared among everyone I know. One of these albums is Straight No Chaser’s most recent album, With A Twist (Deluxe Edition).

At the very least, listen to these songs on their website (the picture above brings you directly to their album page with audio samples available) and if you’re like me, you’ll buy their album right on the spot on iTunes. Their arrangements are incredible and that last song, “Til’ There Was You” completely blows me away. THIS is what contemporary A Capella should sound like. In a genre where people strive to emulate instruments with their voices, groups for many years have done whatever they could achieve perfect instrument replication. A group would essentially listen to a song, do a cover of it, and replicate all the instruments in the song. Nowadays, the use of studio effects have become standard and I unfortunately think this has become a double edged sword. I personally enjoy the different studio effects (autotune, distorted guitar, etc.) and they have the ability to make songs interesting. However, like today’s pop songs musicality and raw talent tend to get lost in the bath of effects (looking at you Britney Spears). Depending on the album, you’ll barely recognize voices other than the soloist! Is this A Cappella? I’ll leave you loyal Majoda reader to decide.

Thankfully, this album is NOT over-washed with effects and has a wonderful organic feel to it. All of the incredible voices (my god that bass is ridiculous) are showcased and again, I must say the arrangements really separate this group from everyone else. The songs are clean, precise, not overly complicated with too many syllables and importantly, all the songs have a “feel good” vibe. My only VERY slight complaint to this album (due to personal song preference) is that almost ALL of the songs have the jazzy, really tight sounding vibe. While I love this style (and is certainly is THEIR style), unfortunately I think many of the songs sound simply too familiar. With the exception of “You & Me & The Bottle Makes Three” and perhaps “Tainted Love”, there aren’t songs that bring make a strong statement with hard-hitting, pop/rock, and that in your face sound. I think throwing in one or two of these types of songs would help accentuate just how down right smooth some of the other songs are.

Regardless of this minor tidbit, I absolutely LOVE this album…and in fact, why are you even reading this part of the article? Shouldn’t you be listening to the album right now?!?!?!!

Also, if you are thinking… “Hm, Straight No Chaser sounds familiar, are they on youtube?” Indeed they are and these are the same guys who brought you this gem back in their college days:

Trying to bring some Ma back to Majoda!
Mark

On January 27, 2010 (yeah, it was that long ago), Steve Jobs unveiled to the world a product that he described as both “magical and revolutionary” – the iPad.  It was (finally) shipped/released on April 3, 2010 with storage sizes and price points of $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB and $699 for 64GB, respectively (those being the prices for the WiFi versions only  - the WiFI + 3G versions, which will be shipped “late April,” come in at a whopping $629, $729 and $829).  Although the iPad brought with it much speculation and hype, I decided not to drain my piggy bank for Apple’s newest must-have gadget.  That being said, all of my information and opinions come from what I have read or experienced while briefly testing out the product at the local Apple store.

(Photo from Apple.com)

First of all, the 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit multi-touch display is absolutely gorgeous, offering 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch.  Like the iPhone 3GS, the iPad features a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, which I believe will be a standard feature with all future iPhones/iPod Touches/iPads/etc.  Although this is a truly crisp and amazing screen, I found I had an issue with Apple’s choice of OS.  Yes, it works hand-and-hand with the iPhone/iPod Touch (and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?), but the home screen looks empty even when it contains a page full of apps.  I’m not saying it’s a terrible decision, but I expected a revolutionary change to the home screen for this “game-changing” product.  With the possible addition of folders in the OS, I would be curious to see if people use more than one page (but more on that later).
Although I was originally skeptical about the iPad, after using it briefly at the Apple store, I found that the stand out and obvious features really are home runs.  With the iPad came the introduction of the iBooks app, where users can browse and download books and have them appear on their “bookshelf” as quickly as music does in your iTunes library.  The most amazing characteristic about Apple is that they can make an idea/concept that has already been created seem completely new.  With the iPhone 3GS they made the Voice Control seem as though it were a revolutionary feature although it is found in older devices.  Instead of pushing a button and saying “Call ____….” they decided to make this feature stretch throughout the device, working also as a command center for your iPod.  With iBooks, Apple is trying to bring some heat to other digital book readers (Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Sony Reader, etc.) – and let me say, the heat is on (in Saigon?  Sorry – needed at least one musical theatre reference.  Anyone?).  Even though many things in this world are becoming digital (music, books, etc), I personally have a weird feelings toward that movement – I am that person who likes to have the physical CD/book/etc.  Another amazing app that has arrived for the iPad is Netflix.  Although this app will arrive shortly for the iPhone and iPod Touch, the ability to play instant videos on the iPad’s large crisp screen really makes it enticing.  The mere fact that I can access Netflix on my XBOX 360 got me pretty damn excited.  Granted, I don’t use it nearly as much as I should, it’s still nice to know that it’s there (again, it’s the whole issue I have with having the physical thing in my hands – you would be shocked if you saw just how many CDs I own).  Apple has released a Pages, Keynote and Numbers ($9.99 each) app for the iPad which I think is a great move on their part, for obvious reasons.  The only real concern I had was with the virtual keyboard; but once I opened up Pages and started to type I could sense the ease with each word.  I don’t think I would be able to type up an entire paper on the iPad, but I could definitely see myself doing some hard-core editing (or blogging – although this is becoming quite a novel itself).  Only other question: Why did they not include a USB port?  Couldn’t this allow for easy data transfer between your PC/Mac/iPhone/iPad/etc?  Maybe I’m wrong – I’m sure Mark or Dan will set me straight on this.
One thought that has intrigued me is how exactly they will integrate the iPad with other Apple devices.  They have already created a Scrabble app where the iPad becomes the game board and up to four iPhones can be tile racks for your letters.  Although this isn’t a mind-blowing change to the game, I thought it to be a very interesting concept.  Very curious to see where Apple and the developers of the world take this new gadget.

On April 8, 2010, Apple held an event where Steve Jobs introduced the world and all its drooling iPhone owners with what they have been waiting for – iPhone OS 4.0.  This new operating system, slated to be released this summer, brings with it over 100 new user features.  Jobs decided to touch upon only what he referred to as the “seven tentpole features” – those keys features that he felt were on everyone’s OS wish list:

The first, and seemingly most important tentpole was the first to be discussed – multitasking.  Jobs acknowledged the fact that they weren’t “the first to this party,” but promised that they would be the best (used the example of the Cut & Paste feature on the iPhone/iPod Touch).  He indicated that the fear of battery loss was the reason previous OSes lacked the ability to multitask – but promised that their way will not only save battery life but also avoid a sluggish phone/iPod.  My only concern with the function he chose to bring up the multitasking bar on the iPhone/iPod Touch (double-click the home button) is that it is identical to the one to bring up the iPod music controls.  Some services that I found quite intriguing with multitasking were background audio (Pandora and other music clients), task completion, and fast app switching.

The second tentpole, and another seemingly inevitable addition to OS 4.0 was the use of Folders.  Again, another easy drag-and-drop UI that Apple makes very intuitive on the iPhone/iPod, allowing you to group and name (actually rename, as it “intelligently names” each folder) each folder you create.

The third tentpole dealt with mail.  Some of the key features found in this update were a unified inbox, multiple exchange accounts, threaded emails and the ability to open attachments with apps.

Tentpole four was the addition of iBooks to the iPhone/iPod Touch – yawn… (but you do get that free copy of Winnie the Pooh)

The fifth tentpole dealt with enterprise.  Key features found in this tentpole were better encryption for emails and their attachments, wireless app distribution for companies, multiple exchange accounts (including Exchange Server 2010), among others.

The sixth tentpole was the introduction of Game Center – a social gaming network that allows you to invite and challenge friends to games, automatically be matched up to people of your skill level, and compare your status and achievements with other gamers.

The seventh, and last tentpole (damn this is one big tent) was iAd.  I think Steve Jobs described it best by saying, “It’s mobile advertising.”  Thanks for the help Steve – had some trouble figuring out where you were going with that one.

While the iPhone 3GS and third-generation iPod Touch will be fully compatible with iPhone OS 4.0, some earlier models will not support all the new features offered.  Surprisingly, the iPhone 3G and second-generation iPod Touch (the version I currently own) will not support multitasking.  That is not a deal-breaker for me, as I am not always connected to WiFi with the Touch.  I was slightly surprised that the iPhone 3G is not supported.  However, if you still have a 3G, and bought it when it was originally released, I think you should be eligible for and upgrade (and frankly should).

Apple also recently updated their MacBook Pro line.  I won’t go into each version and their updated specs, but it seems like the most notable upgrades are the new itel core i5 and i7 processors and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processors.  I have the most recent 13″ MacBook Pro prior to this recent upgrade and I really love it.  I don’t believe I am fully utilizing the MacBook to its fullest potential, but I’m slowly learning and I find myself truly excited whenever I find a new use or program.

Now let me briefly discuss the future for Apple – the forth generation of the iPhone, or as it is rumored to be named, the iPhone HD.  Although there have already been rumors swirling, the iPhone HD is thought to be the next big gadget to be announced by Apple so, let the rumors begin!  Bloggers and gadget lovers even spread rumors about the date when and location where the new iPhone will be announced (Tuesday, June 22nd at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco to be exact).  One big rumor involves a front-facing camera, allowing for iChat and, I’m assuming Skype video calls.  Evidence of this addition keeps piling up, but like all Apple products, we will not know until it is officially announced.  Speaking of cameras, there have been reports of Apple changing from OmniVision to Sony allowing the iPhone HD to sport a new 8-megapixel camera chip.  OmniVision, however, has been reported to have received orders from Apple for 5-megapixel sensors.  Again, we will know only know the truth when it is announced.  We do know that either camera will sport a 5X zoom courtesy of the iPhone OS 4.0 (and update that was touched upon during the OS 4.0 event – tap to zoom/focus on photos and videos).

All of this iPhone HD/iPhone OS 4.0 hype has made me question whether or not I made the right decision.  Wait, let me backtrack.  Back in January I decided to move from a Windows Mobile phone (Samsung Blackjack to be exact) to the Blackberry Bold 9700.  Although I have had a few moments of regret that I did not choose the iPhone, I am truly happy with my choice.  For me, I need a physical keyboard whenever I am texting/emailing/surfing the web/etc, and although the overall intuitive nature of the iPhone is appealing, I just could not be sold.  Will I change once my contract is up?  Yes, I probably will (of course we don’t know what devices will be released by then).  However, if Apple is to release a new iPod Touch this June with a storage capacity of 100+ GB, you know I will be getting in on that action – any takers on a second-generation 32GB iPod Touch if that’s the case?  Let the bidding begin!

ANNOUNCEMENT: majoda has officially taken over twitter – well, we are certainly on our way!  If you search the user ‘majodablog’ (took me about 20 minutes to figure out what our username should be) you will be able to check out our most recent updates.  I’m hoping that our twitter will soon be integrated into the sidebar of our blog, giving us the opportunity to share our most recent updates, links, photos/videos – whatever we want.  Follow us, and we may just follow you back (not in a creepy stalker way though – although there are no guarantees).

What a great way to start my blogging from the Big Apple – all about Apple!  I mean, who saw that coming?

- joe

“The jo of majoda would like to congratulate his friend David Vogel on making his Broadway debut this coming Monday (April 19, 2010) in the role of Mary Sunshine in Chicago….on BROADWAY!”

- Dan

Does anyone actually think Kenan is funny? Don’t get me wrong, I liked him back when I was like…10, but I can’t remember the last time I found a skit he did on SNL funny.

Your pal,

Dan

Nowadays, I’m unsure whether or not people enjoy the chance at a moment of personal interaction with another human being.  It seems as though technology has become a substitution for the personal touch, with the result being a mere time-saver or ease in the execution of a task.  Two seemingly everyday establishments where I have seen this idea taking hold are the supermarket and bank.

The two supermarket chains I frequent the most in Waltham are Shaw’s and Stop & Shop.  My personal preference is Shaw’s, but I never have a problem going over to Stop & Shop if they have a better deal.  Both offer some special services or lanes to speed up the checkout process.  Shaw’s has an express checkout lane that I find myself using quite a bit.  It’s not that I don’t want to be assisted by a cashier, but I don’t find myself buying a large assortment of groceries all at one time.  I was initially hesitant about using the express lane as most of my purchases come from the produce department, but these machines allow you to key in item codes, making it possible to input and weigh your own fruits/vegetables.  I do, however, find it frustrating when the machine stops me mid-scan to inform me that an item was not bagged or was removed from the bagging area.  Most of the time I can resolve the issue myself, but sometimes find that it becomes more of an issue – resulting in an associate from the store coming over and making me feel completely incompetent.

Stop & Shop offers a service called “Scan It!” at many of their locations.  I’ve seen this service offered at my local store but have never found any interest in actually utilizing it.  After doing some research online at the Stop & Shop website (Yes, I knowingly went to the website for a supermarket chain….and did “research.”  Take it all in), I found that “with Scan It! you can scan and bag in the aisle as you shop, with a running total on how much you’re spending and saving, plus exclusive offers just for you.”  Not only do you receive exclusive offers, but the main header states, ”Shop faster and easier with our shopping tools.”  With the high success rate I have with Shaw’s express checkout I am interested to try “Scan It!” the next time I visit Stop & Shop – although I can only imagine the problems that could ensue.

Now for the event that inspired me to write this blog in the first place: I was transferring money from one bank to another.  I am not savvy enough to transfer funds online from one account to another at different banks (not even sure that’s possible).  I can transfer within the same bank, so I guess I deserve some credit (actually, I have no credit…..I need to work on that).
Anyway, I was transferring money from Watertown Savings Bank, a local bank, to Bank of America (if you don’t know who they are you should probably just stop reading at this point and Google ‘Bank of America’).  Before even entering Watertown Savings I was met with a chance for interaction – when I misjudged the distance to the curb and hit it with my car.  As my car leapt over the curb making a combination crack/thud noise, an elderly gentleman who worked for the bank (as a greeter) opened the door and waited for me to exit my vehicle and enter to conduct my business.  I contemplated how long I’d have to sit in my car before he forgot my recent embarrassing act knowing that my other options were to throw the car in reverse and drive to another branch or simply get out, face the music and retrieve my money at the bank where I just parked like an elderly man who can’t see/16-year old who just received his learner’s permit.  Ultimately, I decided to step out of my car and head for the door.  On my way I stopped in front of my car, looked at the curb then at the man and stated, “Geez….that curb really snuck up on me, huh?” to which the man chuckled and replied, “Haha….yeah, it really did.”  Personal interaction #1 was a success, and although there was a brief moment where I felt like a complete idiot, I found the juvenile spin I chose to put on my terrible parking job really paid off.  I made my way into the bank.

When I entered the bank there were 1 or 2 people in line waiting to be assisted.  By the time I wrote out my withdrawal slip and made my way through the rope line I was able to walk right up to a woman at the counter.  The transaction went smoothly and we ended our conversation with mutual wishes to “Have a good weekend.”  On my way out the door the same wishes for the weekend were exchanged with the greeter who gave me a “your embarrassing moment is safe with me” grin as he closed the door behind me.

My next stop was Bank of America – let’s just say we have a history (long story short: I had an account that was broken into.  They caught it – it was stopped and I got all my money back.  Never really a big issue, but now I always hesitate to deposit a lot of money in the accounts I have with them).  I decided to go to the main branch in Waltham and was greeted the instant I made it through the door.  I was asked what type of business I was conducting while at the bank – I explained to the woman that I was just depositing some money into my account.  She went on to ask if I knew about the new ATM systems they have installed and explained all their new features.  I told her that I have used the new ATMs but would rather deposit the money in person – she told me that it would be quicker and easier to use the ATMs to deposit my money.  I have used the new ATMs – yes, it’s great that you no longer need to use deposit slips or even envelopes, but I have had issues with the machine counting my bills and reading the amounts on my checks.  Most of the time I do choose the ATM over a bank teller, but I chose otherwise that day.  All I could do was stand and ponder why this woman continued to judge the decision I made to actually get out of my car and enter the bank to deposit money – at the bank that she worked at!  I understand that her job was to inform the customers about the new features and ease of the ATMs located steps outside the building, but I was honestly turned off with her persistency after I explained my want to be helped by a “real person.”
There was virtually no one in the bank.  In fact, I am pretty sure there were more tellers than customers.  Again, I filled out my slip, walked through the ropes and right up to a (male) teller.  I informed him that I did not know the account number but did have my debit card.  Before he even advised me to swipe my card (I knew that was the first step – I never remember my account number at Bank of America) he asked if I knew about the ATMs and their new features.  I again informed him that I did know about the ATMs but wanted to deposit this specific sum of money in person.  He made a sort of joke and laughed at my notion of wanting to be helped by a “real person.”  He questioned my reasoning for not using the ATM and then went on to explain the ease of the new system.  I was utterly confused, as the woman I met coming in was clearly a greeter – but this man was actually a teller.  He was essentially questioning why I was coming to him to deposit money rather than going to a machine.  The only real information I was offered was about the speed of cashing a check with an ATM and how quick the money enters your account – but I was not depositing a check.  The whole process came across perplexing to me: do banks really want us to just utilize their workers for business outside the realm of cashing checks/depositing money/etc?  I entered the same bank a few weeks later, was met by the same greeter and once I informed her I was there to deposit money and get a certified bank check, she muttered “Oh, ok” and quickly walked away to joke with another associate at a nearby desk.  I’m sure all banks are not like this branch, but all these interactions make me question how much of a waste these people really are.  The bank was filled with tellers each time I went in, but there were virtually no customers – and the ones who were inside waiting to be assisted (i.e. me) were questioned and essentially judged for actually being in the bank instead of outside at a machine.

This brings me to my ultimate question: Should these cashiers be bagged in order for supermarkets to save in these tough economic times?  Should these tellers be withdrawn from their posts and replaced with machines in order for banks to save a bit more dough?

Think What We Can Do For You
Bank of Opportunity
Higher Standards

All of these are former slogans of Bank of America.  As a result of my last two visits to this bank I can tell you these standards do not exist – at least not in Waltham.

You just got served…..bitch!

- joe

“The jo of majoda will be moving on up to the east side (well, actually the west side) – the next blog will be coming to you from New York City!  Can’t wait to be blogging to you from the Big Apple!”

What did you do?

- Dan