Forever Stamps

Postal customers buy Forever stamps before prices rise

"...On May 12, the cost of sending a first-class letter will rise a penny to 42 cents. But the United States Post Office's Forever stamps -- which are always valid for mailing a letter -- still are selling for 41 cents...."

Reference: www.islandpacket.com

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TSP Returns April 2008

Thrift Savings Plan Return April 2008


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Bryant Annex Post Office Postal Supervisor Problems

Postal workers go postal with picket
"...Limin said. “He’s a bully with a big ego. ”Branch 214 also sent us a letter signed by dozens of workers demanding that post office managers intervene: “[Malig] constantly threatens most of the employees with discipline even without basis just to harass and intimidate us. He yells and screams at almost anyone who disagrees with him. His continued unprofessionalism created a … hostile environment for all the employees under his supervision. He lacks integrity, honesty and truthfulness in every interaction with the employees … This strange, erratic and sarcastic behavior is of great concern to each and every one of us.”..."
Reference: www.sfbg.com

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Air Force Reserve 60th anniversary pictorial cancellation

The Air Force Reserve 60th anniversary pictorial cancellation will continue through June 14.




Above is a pictorial cancellation stamp to be used by the U.S. Postal Service to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Air Force Reserve. The stamp will be used from April 14 to June 14 at the Marietta, Ga., Post Office.

Pictorial Postmarks
60th Anniversary of the USAFR Station
257 Lawrence Street
Marietta, GA 30060-9998

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Carrier Arrested After Boxing Dog Running Wild In Neighborhood

Here's a sad story ...sad for the innocent little puppy and sad for the postal carrier that protected the little pup from getting ran over and squashed by putting it in a box on a politician's porch to highlight the loose dog issue. Unfortunately, the puppy may have been injured in his escape from the box. Unfortunate as well, is the fact that the postal carrier may have accidentally injured his own career while attempting to protect the dog and shed light on a problem of dogs running loose in the neighborhood. Take a look at an article on the story from the Dallas News. The story: Irving postal carrier who left dog on mayor's doorstep arrested. We offer best wishes to the puppy in his recovery, as well as the postal carrier in his efforts to clear his name.

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Most Expensive Stamp Ever: lenticular technology

Austrian Post has created a stamp using lenticular technology. The stamp was created by superposing 48 recorded television images on the stamp. This creates an optical effect producing what appears to be a three minute film. For more information on the stamp go to: http://www.post.at/en/271_7694.php
To order the stamp go to: http://www.post.at/eshop/philatelieshop/detail.php?prod=208240


© Austrian Post 2008

Reference: Visit Austrian Post (English version) at: http://www.post.at/en/
Visit Austrian Post in Native Language at: Die Post ...Die Post bringt allen was.

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Record Profits For Big Oil Companies

Exxon’s $10.9-billion profit disappoints...
"...Last year, ExxonMobil’s record $41 billion in earnings was the highest ever for a U.S. corporation. At the same time, oil prices this year have nearly doubled from 2007, at times rising well above $100. Drivers also are outraged over retail gas prices topping $4 around the USA...."
Reference: www.freep.com

GPS Mail Logger

Here is an interesting item we found on the internet while searching for interesting articles to post. This item is a GPS mail tracking unit that can identify where your mail has been. This looks like a great item for bulk mailers to determine where mail delays may be taking place. Take a look at the website for the BrickHouse Security Micro GPS Mail Logger. The site reads as follows:

Discover Delays And Inefficiencies In Delivery With GPS Location
The U.S. Postal Service delivers more than 212 billion pieces of mail annually and they are constantly looking for new ways to improve efficiency and eliminate delays. The answer? The GPS Mail Logger. At half of an inch thin, this GPS Mail Logger is the world�s only GPS Tracking Device that can be mailed in an envelope. Evaluate the effectiveness of your delivery service by pinpointing inefficiencies or delays in the delivery process.

Features

* Tracks your mail with GPS location
* Records your mail�s downtime to pinpoint inefficiencies and delays in the delivery process
* Customized time interval records your mail�s movement as often as your like
* Battery lasts for up to 2 weeks on motion-activated "e;Tilt Mode"e; or 20 continuous hours with minute-by-minute updates
* Fits into an envelope at � of an inch thin
* Integrates directly with Google Earth
* Use it to track mail anywhere in the world
* GPS Location information is stored onto a removable MicroSD card for later review
* Records location, speed, and altitude anywhere in the world for later review

If you have used this item, please leave a comment or a screen capture of a tracking report. Thanks!

new automation mail preparation standards

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Ross-Simons Slams Proposed USPS Rule Change For ‘Slim-Jim’ Processing
"...the USPS says in its proposal that “many slim-jims will jam letter automation equipment or become significantly damaged during processing. To avoid these problems, slim-jims often are run on flat-sorting equipment, where they process without significant problems, but at significantly greater cost. To rectify this situation, the Postal Service is developing new automation mail preparation standards for letter-size booklets and folded self-mailers that more accurately characterize which pieces can be run on its primary letter-sorting equipment”..."
Reference: multichannelmerchant.com

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Postal Carrier Dogged for Making a Point

Chihuahua delivered to mayor's doorstep "...contends that he has complained about the puppy wandering loose in his neighborhood, and animal control failed to correct the problem. After the pooch "made sexual advances"..."
Reference: blogs.roanoke.com from a story in the Dallas Morning News

How can I be a postal service mystery shopper?

Postal Service looking for secret shoppers: The Real Deal 4/30/08 "...You can’t just sign up for the program, however. Certain zip codes are chosen, and people living in those zip codes are sent letters at random. While secret shoppers may get to keep items they buy while on the job, the Postal Service isn’t offering you anything in return for your taking part in the program..."
Reference:

The National Postal Museum Needs Your Help

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The Smithsonian National Postal Museum is looking for photographs and memorabilia of postal employees
"...especially interested in photographs of employees from the 1940s to the present. The photographs are being sought in connection with the upcoming “Portrait of the Postal Worker” exhibit, scheduled to open in March 2010...."
Reference: www.npmhu.org

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schedules for economic stimulus payments

Below are the schedules for economic stimulus payments related to tax returns processed by April 15, 2008:

Letter Carriers Food Drive is May 10, 2008

ABOUT STAMP OUT HUNGER
On Saturday May 10th, letter carriers in more than 10,000 communities will collect food items and deliver them to local food banks to help some of the millions of Americans, including an estimated 13 million children, who face hunger every day.

Since 1993, families have donated more than a half-billion pounds of food to Stamp Out Hunger. You can help make this year our most successful ever.
Simply place bags filled with nonperishable food items like canned meats and fish, canned soup, juice, pasta, vegetables, cereal and rice next to your mailbox on Saturday, May 10th. *

Your letter carrier will pick up the bags and deliver them to your local food bank.

* Please do not include out-of-date items or those in glass containers.

Forever Stamp

Every Time a Bell Rings… Another Forever Stamp is Sold: Postal Service Customers Prepare for New Prices on May 12 "...The Forever Stamp, as the name suggests, can be used to mail a one-ounce First-Class Mail letter at any time in the future without additional postage, regardless of when the stamps are purchased or used and no matter how prices may change. Customers who buy Forever Stamps now at the current First-Class Mail stamp price of 41 cents will save a penny when the price of stamps — including the Forever Stamp — increases to 42 cents on May 12...."
Reference: www.usps.com

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www.fedexwatch.com References Book

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New York Times Reporter Writes About FedEx in New Book "...The New York Times is serializing parts of Greenhouse’s book. The April 20 Sunday Times had an extensive excerpt that focused on former FedEx Ground driver Jean Capobianco..."
Reference: www.fedexwatch.com

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Cookeville Postal Retiree Serves Online Radio To The Masses

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We always like to find articles about what postal employees do when they retire. Here's an article on Bill Barnes who is riding the waves ...internet waves that is. Surf on over. Support a retired postal worker by dropping by his website and requesting a song. Tell him "The Postal Newsgroup" sent you! Here is the article out of Cookeville, Tennessee.Cookeville man hits the Internet radio waves "...COOKEVILLE -- Bill Barnes of Cookeville has amassed thousands of songs in his years as a DJ for hire. Now he's going to share those songs with the whole community through a two-hour online radio show which airs from 3-5 p.m. every Monday through Friday at http://community.loudcity.com/stations/thebman38502-yahoo-com...."
Reference: www.herald-citizen.com

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TSP Snapshot

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Here is the April 2008 TSP SnapShot:
Click to enlarge image please


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The Juan Rodriguez Postal Collection

Postal collection reminds Juan Rodriguez of his years of service "...The pieces bring back memories of his time as a postal carrier in Miami, delivering mail to such places as residential neighborhoods and the Miami International Merchandise Mart..."
Reference: www.thevillagesdailysun.com

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Classic Car Stamps

Postal Service provides ‘sneak peek’ at Classic Car Stamps "...Ever wanted to own a classic car but couldn’t afford one? Later this fall, 50 million Detroit classics will roll out of the nation’s 37,000 Post Office show rooms as the second issuance in the America on the Move commemorative stamps series. The 50s Fins and Chrome 42-cent First-Class stamps go on sale Oct. 3, and feature paintings by renowned automobile illustrator Art. M. Fitzpatrick—a ’57 Chrysler 300C, ’57 Lincoln Premiere, ’57 Pontiac Safari, ’57 Studebaker Golden Hawk and a ’59 Cadillac Eldorado. The stamps were modeled after cars still on the road today...."
Reference: www.usps.com