Thirty Years of Change from a Postal Viewpoint

A couple of days ago, I heard a postal worker tell a customer that she was retiring after 30 years of service. Yikes. That means she started working for the U.S. Postal Service in 1979.

In 1979:

• Postal employees had no idea what a toll the Internet would have on their business -- or what the Internet was, for that matter.
• They didn't have to worry about people sending dangerous substances through the mail.
• Every mail carrier probably knew most of the customers on his or her route.
• The post office was probably the only place to buy stamps.
• The number of personal letters mailed was likely much higher than now.
• Netflix did not exist.
• Nobody paid bills online.
• The term "going postal" did not exist.
• The USPS didn't advertise on TV.
• It cost 15 cents to send a letter.
• Nobody used the term "snail mail" in reference to the USPS.
• Identity theft was not a concern.

Walking on a Clear Path

When I turned a corner and walked past a building today, I found myself walking behind a trio of leaf-blowing landscapers. As I walked, they cleared a broad path in front of me. They probably didn't even know I was walking behind them, but I felt like a queen. Thanks, guys!

The Psychology of Numbers

While I normally rely on numbers for factual information, sometimes I look at them with suspicion.

The latest grocery store ad is riddled with prices that end in 99. That's no mistake. It's a sly move by the food sellers to make their prices appear lower. Lots of retailers do this because they want the number before the 99 to attract attention. It's the highest price they can set without going up to the next dollar. Once they go up to that next dollar, the item appears to be more expensive.

Flight times, on the other hand, are exact. Of course, this makes it look like the plane will take off or land at the specified time. I think the airlines are rounding up the on-time estimates. If it says a flight is 70 percent on time, I'm guessing it's more like 66 percent.

One number nobody wants to round up is the scale readout. Did you ever go for a checkup at a doctor's office and see a sign warning patients of higher numbers on the office scale than on a home scale? That's like saying, "You can just ignore that home scale, because it's lying to you. You weigh more than it says you do." The number on the office scale doesn't look good, even if it ends in a nine.

What's the Secret Password?

Remember when you were a kid and the only time you needed a password was to get into your friend's treehouse? I miss those days.

I just got an error when signing into my blog because I mistakenly typed in the password I use for Facebook. To complicate things, I have several email addresses I use and I have to remember which email address I use for each account.

I tried to call the cell phone company today to ask about a mysterious charge that showed up on the bill, but they would not tell me anything without the password. Feeling like a 1950s housewife whose husband handled all the bills, I had to tell the lady I didn't know the password for the account. I told her I would call back later after getting the password from my husband. And I pay the bills. I feel so powerless. I can't get information about our account even though I have the bill in my hands. At least I know nobody else can add a bunch of phones to our account. If they did, I would really have questions about the bill.

Stubborn Leaves

Like a captain who stays with a sinking ship after the passengers have gone, a few lingering leaves refuse to abandon their tree. They cling to it proudly and hold on, knowing that it's only a matter of time before they can't hold on any longer.

Blisters, Bug Guts and Bananas

I wonder if reference librarians are feeling bored and unloved these days. Does anyone call them anymore? If you're like me, you go online for answers to your questions.

After I got a blister on my hand from my first leaf-raking session of the season, I wanted to make sure that blister was my last. I went online and learned from some nice motocross racer with "sissy-boy hands" (his term) that you can prevent blisters by putting tape on the skin that's prone to blistering. I found some tape that was left over from adhering a large bandage to some long-forgotten injury. I stuck the tape on the skin that blistered last time. It worked beautifully. Thank you to the racer with the sissy-boy hands.

When ladybugs started showing up inside our old house, I went to the Internet for help. I learned that the simplest way to get rid of the little buggers was to vacuum them up. If you squish them, the article warned, they will stain whatever they are squished on. Not wanting to chance staining anything with ladybug guts, I fired up the vacuum and waved the wand attachment over those spotted creatures. Done!

This last odd bit of information I learned was not something I was trying to find. I stumbled on it, really. A friend of mine posted a video on Facebook about how to peel a banana like a monkey. Apparently, they are smarter than humans, because I tried their method and it sure beats the fruit out of the human way. All you do is pinch the bottom of the banana, pull it away, and peel from the bottom. Then you get a nice handle to hold too. Who says there's no useful information on Facebook?

I've only scratched the surface of the vast stores of knowledge available on the Internet. What will I learn next?

I've Pre-read This for You

Lately, I've been noticing how many step-saving, time-saving products are available. Pre-cut fruit, shredded cheese and shredded cabbage have been around for a while, but I've also seen pre-sharpened pencils, pre-charged rechargeable batteries, and computers with software already loaded on them.

But some products should never join this list. Remember the childhood joke about ABC (Already Been Chewed) gum? Yeah, gum should never be sold pre-chewed. Eeeeew. Even if gum were mechanically softened into an irregular-shaped wad, that would be weird.