Snail Mail

[[email protected]]

San Diego enjoys the nation's highest prices for gasoline and
electricity. Now we appear to be going for the record in pokiest mail
delivery.

Yesterday's mail (Saturday, 4 Aug 2007) included letters from Port
Angeles, Washington, and Riddells Creek, Australia. Both were post-
marked 30 July.

Odds are, most modern-day Americans won't see anything unusual in a
letter taking six days to travel 1,300 miles at a cost of nearly half
a dollar. But when I was a kid in it took about six days for a letter
from my aunt in New York to arrive in San Francisco. Cost three cents
and traveled by train.

By accepting incompetence we become a party to it. "You're doing a
heck of a job, Brownie."

-R.S.Hoover

[Blueskies]

> wrote in message oups.com...
> San Diego enjoys the nation's highest prices for gasoline and
> electricity. Now we appear to be going for the record in pokiest mail
> delivery.
>
> Yesterday's mail (Saturday, 4 Aug 2007) included letters from Port
> Angeles, Washington, and Riddells Creek, Australia. Both were post-
> marked 30 July.
>
> Odds are, most modern-day Americans won't see anything unusual in a
> letter taking six days to travel 1,300 miles at a cost of nearly half
> a dollar. But when I was a kid in it took about six days for a letter
> from my aunt in New York to arrive in San Francisco. Cost three cents
> and traveled by train.
>
> By accepting incompetence we become a party to it. "You're doing a
> heck of a job, Brownie."
>
> -R.S.Hoover
>

Yup, folks accept crappy cell phone performance and pay premium for the privilege of dropped connections and limited
coverage. I guess it is better that the old cell phones, but you used to be able to find a pay phone and it would
work...

[wright1902glider]

On Aug 5, 1:49 pm, "Blueskies" > wrote:
> > wrote in ooglegroups.com...

> > Odds are, most modern-day Americans won't see anything unusual in a
> > letter taking six days to travel 1,300 miles at a cost of nearly half
> > a dollar. But when I was a kid in it took about six days for a letter
> > from my aunt in New York to arrive in San Francisco. Cost three cents
> > and traveled by train.
>
> > By accepting incompetence we become a party to it. "You're doing a
> > heck of a job, Brownie."


Yesterday, I saw 85 octane MOGAS for $2.80/gal. I got excited.... for
a minute.

By the way, I was out at the "lake" yesterday. More like a big farm
pond, but this is Colorado. Anyway, there were several jerks in shiny
new ski boats bound an determined to pull their skiers around the pond
in a direction contrary to the 4'x8' sign posted at the launch ramp.
Well, yours truly just got in front of them, and despite much roaring
and roostertailing with their super boats, none could catch me. For I
was in my old man's 1971 Terry 14' bass boat, powered by an equally
old but well tuned 25 hp Evinride. So much for shiny new boats.

Harry "105-year old flying machines are fine by me" Frey

[[email protected]]

> By accepting incompetence we become a party to it. "You're doing a
> heck of a job, Brownie."

Incompetence, or just plain laziness? The lazy are usually incompetent
due to ignorance. Can't learn much by only doing the minimum required
to get by.

I think it's not just the post office but the whole of our society
that has slid down the hill into the valley of mediocrity. There are
individuals that still manage to perform, and their performance really
stands out. In times past that was the norm for "service".

The burr under my saddle is parts availability. I live about 250
miles from the nearest city of 500,000 or more. ~35 years ago when I
helped my father during the summer at his motorcycle shop if he didn't
have the part the customer needed (rare) if it was ordered by 10AM you
would have it by 3 - that afternoon. (We had bus and train service
back then and distributors that actually stocked parts)

This last weekend I need a U-joint for my Dodge PU. Same U-joint
thousands of Dodges - and Fords as well - in this county use. I was
informed by the counter person at one of the major national parts
retailers that the earliest they could get it to me was Friday .........
paid for in advance. I managed to get one from their store across
town and another from their competitor. Sad, really sad. Same story
with the 5/30 synthetic oil I prefered for my old econobox. Each
store only would stock 2 qts. If I wanted a case I had to order it.
And yes, THEY ordered it one quart at a time from their warehouse.

On the flip side, I got a Christmas card in the mail a couple of years
ago from an old friend that had long since moved away. He couldn't
remember the address and drew a small map in it's place. 2 days
transit time. There are still a few out there that know how to get
things done...................and care enough to do so.

How does this relate to homebuilt airplanes?
I want 4130N sheet, not A. If you don't have the N at least tell me
that before you ship some completly unmarked stuff that might as well
have been forged (beat with smooth river rocks) over a campfire
somewhere in the hills of Mongolia.
Double Hazmat fees for resin because they don't have it all in stock -
and insist on shipping what they do have with no regard of my request
to not ship till it's all in stock.
Sticking a label on a sheet of .250" 2024T4 and shipping it with no
protection other than a wrap of Kraft paper ..... it might make a
unique coffee table if I put the really scratched/gouged side down and
putting an ersatz engine turned surface on the "good" side with the DA
and some 80 grit.
Getting a role of Graphlite marked Fragile .... with a boot mark right
next to the red 3x7 sticker.


Makes a "Home Depot" plane look better and better. All that pre-bent
wood might make good Pou spars.
==============
Leon McAtee
End of rant - and I do feel better :-)

[Maxwell]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> San Diego enjoys the nation's highest prices for gasoline and
> electricity. Now we appear to be going for the record in pokiest mail
> delivery.
>
> Yesterday's mail (Saturday, 4 Aug 2007) included letters from Port
> Angeles, Washington, and Riddells Creek, Australia. Both were post-
> marked 30 July.
>
> Odds are, most modern-day Americans won't see anything unusual in a
> letter taking six days to travel 1,300 miles at a cost of nearly half
> a dollar. But when I was a kid in it took about six days for a letter
> from my aunt in New York to arrive in San Francisco. Cost three cents
> and traveled by train.
>
> By accepting incompetence we become a party to it. "You're doing a
> heck of a job, Brownie."
>

I would have to put them right up there with the fast food industry. If you
get something that is fresh and hot, you can bet your butt they screwed the
order up.

I'm beginning to agree with George Carlin, "No one should eat anything
that's served out a window, unless they're a seagull."

[Mike Patterson]

On Sun, 05 Aug 2007 19:49:31 GMT, "Blueskies"
> wrote:

>
> wrote in message oups.com...
>> San Diego enjoys the nation's highest prices for gasoline and
>> electricity. Now we appear to be going for the record in pokiest mail
>> delivery.
>>
>> Yesterday's mail (Saturday, 4 Aug 2007) included letters from Port
>> Angeles, Washington, and Riddells Creek, Australia. Both were post-
>> marked 30 July.
>>
>> Odds are, most modern-day Americans won't see anything unusual in a
>> letter taking six days to travel 1,300 miles at a cost of nearly half
>> a dollar. But when I was a kid in it took about six days for a letter
>> from my aunt in New York to arrive in San Francisco. Cost three cents
>> and traveled by train.
>>
>> By accepting incompetence we become a party to it. "You're doing a
>> heck of a job, Brownie."
>>
>> -R.S.Hoover
>>
>
>Yup, folks accept crappy cell phone performance and pay premium for the privilege of dropped connections and limited
>coverage. I guess it is better that the old cell phones, but you used to be able to find a pay phone and it would
>work...
>

Though if you tucked it in your pocket it would stop working, and the
bulge was SO unsightly...

Plus there was the bonus of meeting new and exciting people. I was
almost mugged at a pay phone once, and I was very excited when I got
away unharmed!

Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.
"I always wanted to be somebody...I should have been more specific..." - Lily Tomlin