Cash is dead.

You can't buy stamps at the Post Office.

Well, I should clarify that. You can't walk in with a handful of cash and use that machine to buy stamps. If you want to wait in line behind everyone mailing boxes to Uruguay, then you're still able to pay with cash.

I didn't want to do that, however (our office has a rather strict "lunch hour" rule). After reviewing the rules of the new debit/credit card only machine, I learned that I would have to buy a booklet of stamps. No single stamps for sale - that poses a problem, because I only need two stamps a month. I really didn't want to fork out $8 for a booklet.

Sufficiently perplexed, and still bemoaning the loss of the old machine, I left without buying any stamps. Hopefully, Consumers Energy doesn't need its payment anytime soon. (And no, I don't want to pay the $6 handling fee to pay the bill on-line.)