Random Topics 3.1

[JayKay PE]

I'll admit, I love me a good conspiracy theory. Especially the ones that make me say "hmm, I'll buy that." They're few and far between and the plausible statements are shortly followed with something so outlandish that it quickly turns to "ya lost me there." (see: Ancient Aliens)

If anything, they're good for the entertainment value.

My favorite conspiracy theory that my mother believes: the USGS is an evil organization that is hiding the amount of earthquakes that are really occurring throughout the world and they're silencing unlicensed geologists who are trying to bring their lies to light.

Yeah.

 

[civilrobot PE etc etc]

My favorite conspiracy theory that my mother believes: the USGS is an evil organization that is hiding the amount of earthquakes that are really occurring throughout the world and they're silencing unlicensed geologists who are trying to bring their lies to light.

Yeah.

It's okay. All of our parents are a little nutty. Utility company installed a 5G antenna across the street from my parents.

My mom: Well I guess we will never sell our house now. Who wants to live across the street from a 5G antenna?

Me: ...someone who likes a strong signal? You know that's not a thing right?

Also, they have been talking about selling their house for 20 years. It's a thing they talk about. It's not something they will actually do.

 

[Voomie]

Stopping in after a few year hiatus. How is everyone?

 

[leggo PE]

My favorite conspiracy theory that my mother believes: the USGS is an evil organization that is hiding the amount of earthquakes that are really occurring throughout the world and they're silencing unlicensed geologists who are trying to bring their lies to light.

Yeah.

It had been way too long since I heard a story about your mom's conspiracy theories! This was a great reminder.

 

[leggo PE]

Stopping in after a few year hiatus. How is everyone?

Hey Voomie!! Long time no see. Things are the same, the board is a bit different (new owner, though @Road Guy is still around). How are things for you these days?

 

[JayKay PE]

It had been way too long since I heard a story about your mom's conspiracy theories! This was a great reminder.

Mom has mellowed out a lot. She's been watching the bird videos with the cats and now talks about this Korean ragdoll cat family that Cloud (the cat) is obsessed with.

 

[civilrobot PE etc etc]

Stopping in after a few year hiatus. How is everyone?

alive. we survived 2020, so there's that.

 

[Voomie]

Hey Voomie!! Long time no see. Things are the same, the board is a bit different (new owner, though @Road Guy is still around). How are things for you these days?

Good actually. I just started a new job after a 5 month layoff. Do we have an app that we can view the message board yet?

 

[matt267 PE]

Stopping in after a few year hiatus. How is everyone?

Hey @Voomie , nice to see you again.

 

[leggo PE]

Good actually. I just started a new job after a 5 month layoff. Do we have an app that we can view the message board yet?

@Angie, does Tapatalk or another app work to support EB?

 

[Supe]

I'm waiting on an old wooden admission token to show up for one of the race tracks my greyhounds ran. I ordered it on ebay. It was supposed to be here Saturday, shipping from Minneapolis. As of 9PM Saturday, it made it to Sacramento, CA - 1,887 miles in the wrong direction.

It is time to put the USPS out to pasture and privatize the postal service.

 

[LyceeFruit PE]

I'm waiting on an old wooden admission token to show up for one of the race tracks my greyhounds ran. I ordered it on ebay. It was supposed to be here Saturday, shipping from Minneapolis. As of 9PM Saturday, it made it to Sacramento, CA - 1,887 miles in the wrong direction.

It is time to put the USPS out to pasture and privatize the postal service.

I've had FedEx and UPS pull some of the same nonsense.

When I lived in southern CT, I had a package stop of the distribution center like 20min away. And then it was sent to the one in Western MA. And then back down to me. It literally drove by my house to get to the MA Dist center.

 

[Supe]

I've had FedEx and UPS pull some of the same nonsense.

When I lived in southern CT, I had a package stop of the distribution center like 20min away. And then it was sent to the one in Western MA. And then back down to me. It literally drove by my house to get to the MA Dist center.

Yeah, but it is seemingly the norm for USPS, with FedEx being #2 and UPS being #1. They also have the absolute worst tracking, and zero accountability for employee thefts/falsified delivery information (they scan the package as delivered, and deliver a day or two later).

It would also massively decrease junk mail/advertising.

They have been operating in the red for over a decade now. It's not a sustainable model no matter what.

 

[LyceeFruit PE]

Yeah, but it is seemingly the norm for USPS, with FedEx being #2 and UPS being #1. They also have the absolute worst tracking, and zero accountability for employee thefts/falsified delivery information (they scan the package as delivered, and deliver a day or two later).

It would also massively decrease junk mail/advertising.

They have been operating in the red for over a decade now. It's not a sustainable model no matter what.

I'm not disagreeing. I had a fight with USPS a couple of years ago with a missing package that was "delivered".

"Maybe it was stolen" they said
"Really? The one thing that would fit in my mailbox is stolen? When your employees have jammed packages in my mailbox, balanced them on my mailbox, left them on my front stoop, left them in my driveway... This is the one that gets stolen!?"

 

[Supe]

I'm not disagreeing. I had a fight with USPS a couple of years ago with a missing package that was "delivered".

"Maybe it was stolen" they said
"Really? The one thing that would fit in my mailbox is stolen? When your employees have jammed packages in my mailbox, balanced them on my mailbox, left them on my front stoop, left them in my driveway... This is the one that gets stolen!?"

My mother send me a paint swatch once. Probably looked like cash through the envelope. USPS delivered me approximately 1/3 of a ripped, empty envelope about 2 weeks late.

 

[Tiger15]

I completely agree with the USPS problems you describe, but really the postal service is already privatized in the sense that they are self supporting and receive no government funding.

I think the solution is the opposite. The postal service can't successfully be self sustaining. They need to be supported by the federal government. It's a necessary expense that should be added to the budget.

 

[Supe]

I completely agree with the USPS problems you describe, but really the postal service is already privatized in the sense that they are self supporting and receive no government funding.

I think the solution is the opposite. The postal service can't successfully be self sustaining. They need to be supported by the federal government. It's a necessary expense that should be added to the budget.

I'd much prefer it just be contracted out 100%. Convert the pensions to 401K like every other private industry and go from there.

 

[snickerd3]

I completely agree with the USPS problems you describe, but really the postal service is already privatized in the sense that they are self supporting and receive no government funding.

I think the solution is the opposite. The postal service can't successfully be self sustaining. They need to be supported by the federal government. It's a necessary expense that should be added to the budget.

They have trouble with self sustaining because the they are being told how to run their business even though they don't get funding. M-F postal delivery with postoffices open on Saturday seems like a reasonable way to cut costs, it fails getting approval anytime it is brought up. The future pension pre-funding requierments are nuts too

 

[Tiger15]

I'd much prefer it just be contracted out 100%. Convert the pensions to 401K like every other private industry and go from there.

They have trouble with self sustaining because the they are being told how to run their business even though they don't get funding. M-F postal delivery with postoffices open on Saturday seems like a reasonable way to cut costs, it fails getting approval anytime it is brought up. The future pension pre-funding requierments are nuts too

That is doable but I don't see how that's any different than UPS and FedEx.

 

[Supe]

That is doable but I don't see how that's any different than UPS and FedEx.

It's not, but that's the point. UPS and FedEx pay taxes, are still profitable, and offer superior service when looking at the benchmarking statistics for delivery times, etc. There's no service that the USPS offers that couldn't be better managed by one of the big two.