Phone calls

Hello gentle readers.

I usually don't get many phone calls at work. That's OK with me; I work in a product development type of job so being alone allows me to think things through. Today was a day for phone calls. I was nice to have someone different beyond the office staffers to speak to.

One of the best calls was from a former student.

[A long time ago, back when I had dark hair and more of it, I was a part time community college instructor in banking and finance. Some of my students have maintained contact with me and some have not.]

As usual, the former student had a question about lending. She likes to call me because I don't make her feel silly for not knowing the answer. She wanted to get ready to meet some potential new business clients for her bank. The former student works in loan administration and has her fingerprints on almost all of her banks loans, sort of like a Ms Yes or a Ms No.

My former student wanted to know what sort of a business discounts accounts receivable?

How many of you know the answer to the question?

The simple answer is factoring.

I told her that she should avoid this business like it was a dark chocolate cake and when you are trying to fit into the new dress. It is all bad and nothing good about it. I explained why her bank should avoid this line of business; her bank is too small for the activity.

When we finished talking, she said she was going to go kill or maybe skin alive one of her bank's business development officers. I feel sorry for the business development officer but stupid is as stupid does and if you don't think things through clearly at first, you sort of deserve the consequences.

I felt good that I had spread a little knowledge and helped a friend out.

I am not saying that factoring is wrong or a bad business activity. I once worked for a factor back when I had a full head of dark brown hair. In her situation, her bank was too small to get involved since supervising a factoring credit requires a lot of time and talent.

I am beginning to enjoy the Spring Break traffic light drives; two days in a row with only an hour to get home after work. That is sweet.

I get a cup of coffee every morning from my local Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. The two barristas that are, or I should say were, there know what I drank and often had it ready for me because they could see me walking towards the store.

Now, Lindsey and Luis are gone but not forgotten by me anyway. I suppose I will get used to the new crew in time. Perhaps, it is better that I not become attached to the barristas since I know they will change regularly.

The weekly sitemeter report came today. After the big jump in readership following a link in an Atlantic Coast Conference basketball blog, readership has returned to the normal levels. When I looked at the lower level, I felt like I was Henry V, giving his monologue before the Battle of Agincourt.

"You few, you happy few, you band of blog readers."

Surprised you. How bankers do you know who can quote Shakespeare?

I am a man of many talents and skills and a master of very few.

Be well and stay happy you happy band of blog readers.