Post Office going the way of Pony Express

I’ve had problem with the United States Postal Service, or USPS, before but things are just getting rediculous. After the $0.02 stamp rate increase they quickly ran out here and we had to use two $0.37 stamps to send my brother a card. That was almost 2 weeks ago and he still doesn’t have it.

The USPS has also tried to get the federal government to tax each email you send. Why? Because the USPS is loosing popularity to a quicker and more reliable service – email. Sounds like another company of which you’ve heard?

Pony Express lost to trains which would carry mail across country faster. They, too, lost to a more popular service that was just better.

Even for package delivery I don’t use USPS unless I don’t have a choice. FedEx and UPS have both proven reliable and had package tracking long ago. The fact that I could see where my mail was only affirmed that either company also knew where my package was. Right now I have no idea where Kyle’s birthday card and gift are – does USPS?

So, if anyone from USPS is reading learn from history that there will always be a better technology that will make previous technologies in that area obsolete. That’s just how the future goes.

Photos of Suzie

Below are a couple photos of Suzie, our new puggle.

Xbox 360 + HDTV

Xbox 360 + HDTV = WOW!

 

Tracy and I have been considering an HDTV for almost a year now. We’ve compared DLPs and plasma television for quite sometime and even still it can be confusion and daunting. We finally settled on DLP because it potentially lasts longer. Plasma TVs have a half live of between 10-20 years with 4 hours per day use, but all the while it is dimming. When it gets to a point where you can’t stand it (probably before the half live even) the TV is trash. DLPs have bulbs that will go out in about 4 years with 4 hours of day per use and the bulbs cost about $280 (now at least; they probably will be cheaper and the models are rather ubiquitous) but once you replace them the TV is good as new sans any other problems.

 

So, the Samsung DLP – which is arguably the best DLP and Samsung is an early adopter – came down to a reasonable price (and DLPs are cheaper than plasmas anyway) after Christmas we decided to get it.

 

We hooked up the Xbox 360 and switched the format and the result is very impressive! Project Gotham Racing 3 that Tracy and I played together looks almost real and with the larger 42" diagonal screen split screen still is playable.

 

It’s definitely our last major commodity purchase for a while but it was worth it. I made sure that it was relatively future-proof. It has HDMI which supports HDCP, which the copy protection system necessary for PVRs, HD DVD, and more of the newer formats and technology like digital cable. It should last a good long time.