Paypal -- It depends on whether you are a systems person or a loner. From a systems point of view, Paypal is screwing their merchants on a regular basis (and yes, I have read firsthand accounts) the same way Wal-Mart does. Whatever benefit they give you was extorted from someone else. They have a political and moral agenda that is antithetical to art and humanity. The fact that they make your train run on time is small potatoes, in that context. I closed my PayPal account nearly five years ago.

As for being "safer" if the godless boogie-wonks ping your bank: Where do you suppose PayPal keeps their money? And if they suffer, do you really think they aren't going to share the pain?

M