Less mail, Few days with the 5, Kick ass way to make kale

So yesterday the USPS announced that they are planning to discontinue Saturday delivery of mail in August.  (packages would still be delivered)  Reaction to the announcement has ranged from “who cares” to outrage.  My reaction is somewhere in the middle.

I think what annoys me the most is this problem is not solely because of the decline in mail volume in our new digital age where “letters” are electronically delivered across thousands of miles in milliseconds.  Actually it’s root cause is because of another wonderful edict issued during the W administration (2006) where the Post Office was required to pre-fund 80% of it’s retirement benefits, something no other government or private business is required to do.

If you would like to read more about this, look here.

So anyway, cutting back Saturday mail delivery isn’t going shake my world however I am concerned for what it means in the big picture.  The estimated cost savings of 2 billion dollars is only a small percentage of the huge operating loss the PO has been operating under since the change in retirement funding was ordered.

I have to laugh when lightly informed people are dismissive of the post office, acting like it is no big deal if they go out of business.  They are the second largest employer in the country for cripes sake.  Just like most Tea Party stances, as long as the job that is lost is not theirs, they don’t give a fck.

These same people often like to throw their catch all fix to the problem, privatize the PO, or let UPS and FedEx take over.  Have you shipped anything recently through either of these carriers in the past couple years?  Prices have skyrocketed.  Just this week It cost me $14 to ship a small 6 pound package to northern Florida.  Yea privatization would be great, for UPS/FedEx stockholders.

I have now had my new Iphone 5 for a a few days.  I really am digging the phone although it is mostly just because it more of what was already a good thing.  I like the larger, better screen, faster hardware, better camera and LTE wireless connection.  Despite the hassle of retooling my phone accessories, I like the smaller “rocket” USB connector too.

At first I was going to sell my old Iphone 4 but I might keep it and jailbreak it to use for whatever floats my boat.

Last night I made my first ever kale chips, a great healthy alternative to potato chips.  They are very easy to make.  I took 4 branches of kale, you pull the leaves off the stem and lay them out on a cookie sheet.  Then spray them with some sort of healthy oil like coconut oil or olive oil and then sprinkle the “chips” with sea salt or whatever spices you like.

You throw them into a 400 degree oven for around 10 minutes and you are done.  They will shrink dramatically from baking and might look a little disfigured but they taste great.  Try it.