5th Annual Bubble Wrap® Appreciation Day

Today is the 5th Annual Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day. It is celebrated the fourth Monday of January.

http://www.fast-pack.com/bubblewrapappreciation.html

Sealed Air News Release below:

Sealed Air Celebrates Bubble Wrap® Appreciation Day

SADDLE BROOK, N.J., Monday, January 31, 2005 - For almost 50 years, the Bubble Wrap® brand has been a household name in America. Today, Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE:SEE), the inventor of Bubble Wrap® cushioning, announced the celebration of the 5th Annual Bubble Wrap® Appreciation Day, a national holiday for bubble-popping aficionados everywhere.

"We are proud of our innovative history developing this superior cushioning product," stated William V. Hickey, Sealed Air President and Chief Executive Officer. "To this day, Bubble Wrap® cushioning continues to help businesses do business around the world."

Bubble Wrap® cushioning, invented in 1960, was originally intended to be a type of textured wallpaper. However, the inventors quickly realized that it was in fact a superior cushioning material and founded Sealed Air, which today offers a wide range of packaging solutions and has global sales of approximately $3.8 billion a year.

"Bubble Wrap® cushioning may be best known for protecting fragile items being shipped, but it’s also a source of fun and entertainment for the whole family," said Rohn E. Shellenberger, Business Manager - Air Cellular Products for Sealed Air. "Each year, more and more people are showing their appreciation for this beloved ‘pop’ icon."

Some creative and fun ways to celebrate Bubble Wrap® Appreciation Day this year include:
Keep Bubble Wrap® cushioning at your desk at work - pop the bubbles to relieve stress all day long.
Line your kitchen floor with Bubble Wrap® cushioning to keep family members from raiding the fridge for late-night snacks.

Pop Bubble Wrap® cushioning at your upcoming Super Bowl parties to cheer for your favorite team.
In honor of the holiday, log on to http://www.bubblewrap.com/ to play interactive games, including learning your Bubble Wrap® personality type.

end news release

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Also check out http://www.fast-pack.com/bubblewrapappreciation.html

Russia Issues Guns to Postmen

Russian Postal carriers will be issued Pistols, along with mace spray and stun guns. See full story here... http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/01/28/thepostman.shtml

"Going Postal" Setting the Record Straight

From www.usps.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

January 28, 2005

Ms. Katie Couric
NBC News
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112-0036

Dear Ms. Couric: In recent days, I have received a number of complaints from Postal Service employees and customers about your public use of the phrase "going postal" in a derogatory manner. I ask you to take a moment and reflect on what that term really means.

The Postal Service is very proud of our 225-year tradition of linking America's communities together. To us, "going Postal" means the hard work of our more than 700,000 employees, in every city and town in America, who deliver the mail, your mail, to every address in this great nation, no matter what. Last year, those employees set records in every measurable category for on-time delivery and customer satisfaction.

"Going Postal" means the "never give up" attitude of Lance Armstrong and his six consecutive Tour de France victories.

"Going Postal" means the pride we feel in the over 200,000 Postal employees who have served in our nation's military, and the 3,500 employees currently on leave protecting our freedom around the world.

"Going Postal" means the more than $38 million our employees pledged in the 2004 Combined Federal Campaign to support local charities and community organizations.

"Going Postal" means the more than 70 million pounds of food for food banks and shelters our carriers collected last year in cooperation with the National Association of Letter Carriers annual food drive.

So, obviously we see the term "going Postal" in a very different light. On behalf of our 700,000 employees, who are rightly proud of the public service they provide, I hope you will find it in your heart to mention us in a more positive manner.

Thank you.

(Signed)Azeezaly S. Jaffer,
Vice President,
USPS Public Affairs and Communications

FedEx to get 1st Airbus A380 Freighter

From: www.fedex.com

FedEx Express will be the first to take delivery of the Airbus A380-800F from Airbus in August 2008 and the first to deploy the plane in in service for its global customers.

FedEx, which announced its purchase of 10 A380-800Fs in January 2001, worked closely with Airbus working groups on design details of the cargo version. Delivery of the first A380 cargo plane will be followed by two more by the end of 2008, three in 2009, three in 2010 and the 10th in 2011. FedEx also holds options for 10 additional aircraft.

During the first year of operation, the three FedEx planes will operate on long-range routes between FedEx hubs in Asia and North America. Additional routes from Europe to North America and Europe to Asia will be added as more aircraft are added to the fleet in coming years.

The planes not only give FedEx greater network capacity, but they are cost effective and environmentally friendly. The engine, the Engine Alliance GP7200, has a design strategy which will allow the A380 to surpass requirements for lower emissions, noise and fuel burn.

WORLD WISE DELIVERY

From www.usps.com

WORLD WISE DELIVERY. FedEx is the delivery agent for Global Express Guaranteed (GXG) — the Postal Service’s premier, date-certain international delivery service to more than 190 countries and territories. GXG shipping labels feature both USPS and FedEx logos. About 7,400 Post Offices around the country offer GXG service.

UPS Orders 10 Airbus A380 Freighters

From www.ups.com

UPS Places Order for 10 Airbus A380 Freighters LOUISVILLE, Jan. 10, 2005 - Moving to expand the capacity of its air network to accommodate strong international growth, UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced a firm order for 10 A380 super-jumbo freighter aircraft made by Airbus.
In a related decision, UPS and Airbus have agreed to amend a previous order for A300 aircraft.

"The A380 will allow UPS to effectively meet the fast-growing demands of our customers across a variety of global trade lanes," said John Beystehner, UPS chief operating officer and president of UPS Airlines. "This plane offers an exciting combination of payload and range that will help improve both the capability and efficiency of our international network."

"We are extraordinarily pleased to have UPS join the growing list of A380 customers, particularly because their order demonstrates the strength of the aircraft as a freighter for air carriers based around the world," said Noël Forgeard, Airbus President and Chief Executive Officer.

Deliveries of UPS’s A380s are scheduled to begin in 2009 and run through 2012. The order also gives UPS the option to purchase 10 more of the planes. The purchase price of the aircraft was not disclosed. UPS has not yet made an engine selection for the A380.
Under the agreement regarding A300 aircraft, UPS is reducing its previous order for 90 planes to 53. To date, 40 A300s have been delivered and the remaining 13 will be delivered by July 2006.

The A380 has the capacity to carry three decks of cargo with container capacity of nearly 40,000 cubic feet and a maximum structural payload of 330,000 pounds. With a range of 5,600 nautical miles, the A380 can fly non-stop to places around the world that used to take two or more flights.

UPS’s international business has been very strong. During the third quarter of 2004, for example, UPS’s total international export volume climbed 13.2% over the prior-year period. Asia export volume increased 29% and export volume out of China more than doubled compared to the prior year.

"We continually evaluate and adjust the company’s air network to meet the needs of our customers," Beystehner added. "Our strong international growth has increased our need for larger aircraft and the super jumbo is part of that solution."

UPS is the world’s largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain services, offering an extensive range of options for synchronizing the movement of goods, information, and funds. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. UPS stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange (UPS) and the company can be found on the Web at UPS.com.

APCs IN EVERY STATE

Automated Postal Centers in every State

From www.usps.com

Automated Postal Centers (APCs) are now available in all 50 states. APCs began appearing in Post Office lobbies as the Postal Service continued to expand customer access to products and services. By late November, 2,500 were in place throughout the nation. APCs provide a quick, easy and convenient way for customers to weigh, calculate and apply postage, and ship Express Mail and Priority Mail items, packages and First-Class letters — 24 hours a day in many locations.

USPS: Delivery Should Return to Normal Today

Delivery Should Return to Normal Today in the Northeast, after airports were closed this weekend due to severe snowstorms. http://www.dmnews.com/cgi-bin/artprevbot.cgi?article_id=31618

Shipping 101- From choosing vendors to shipping and handling charges

Found a great article, talks about how to choose the right shipping vendor for your company and how to negotiate lower shipping rates. We have found that packages under 3lbs are cheapest to ship via USPS Parcel Post or Priority Mail, over 3lbs use UPS or FedEx.

Currently FedEx is handing out discounted rates like there is no tomorrow, print your labels from their website at www.fedex.com and all ground shipments get 10% off! Or, if you ship 10-20 packages a week, call and ask to have a rep assigned to your account, have that rep come out to meet you and see what they can do for you. UPS is very hard to get a discount. The best way to get a UPS Representitive to even think about handing out a discounted rate is to be getting one from another vendor and let them know it!

Check out the article below for even more $$$ saving tips!

Shipping 101
From choosing vendors to shipping and handling charges, we've covered the essentials of setting up a shipping system that delivers.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,311235,00.html

USPS: "NO RATE INCREASE THIS YEAR."

From the USPS website:
http://www.usps.com/communications/news/welcome.htm

NO RATE INCREASE THIS YEAR. USPS Public Affairs and Communications VP Azeezaly Jaffer confirms there will be no USPS rate increase this year. “First-Class postage, 37 cents, will not increase this year. It did not increase last year either, nor the year before,” Jaffer said in a response to a recent editorial in the Uintah Basin Standard. Jaffer explained the lengthy rate-setting process through the independent Postal Rate Commission will not allow for price changes in 2005.

ZIP, City & Phone Lookup

The following FREE ZIP, City & Phone Lookup tool is very useful, see below for a list of results it offers:

http://www.melissadata.com/lookups/zipcityphone.asp

Results for ZIP Code
AM, FM & TV - Campaign Contributors - Carrier Routes - City Demographics - Climate - ZIP - Demographics - Income Tax - Labor Statistics - Nearest Mailing House - NonProfits - Public Schools - Streets in ZIP

*State
*Type of ZIP Code
*USPS Preferred City Name
*Dunn & Bradstreet Businesses in ZIP
*Population (2000) of ZIP
*USPS Residential Deliveries in ZIP
*USPS Business Deliveries in ZIP
*Area Code
*Time Zone (Local Time)
*County Name (FIPS)County Seat
*In-Out Flow Economy Demographics
*Earthquake Hazard
*Available Maps
*Single ZIP Code

Through rain and sleet (but not big snow piles)

Through rain and sleet (but not big snow piles)
By David Nelson
The Herald Journal
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6832281/

Postal Service stops delivery at some mailboxes Since Jan. 8, Jerry Jorgenson of Logan has seen UPS delivery drivers, garbage trucks and snowplows make the rounds through his west Logan neighborhood.
He hasn't, however, seen any letters, bills or advertisements make their way into to his white mailbox, nor has he heard from the Postal Service about why nothing has arrived.

"All these other people manage to get their jobs done in the snow," Jorgenson said, standing next to the box emblazoned with his last name and sticking out of a 3-foot-deep pile of packed snow just off the sidewalk.
Jorgenson is not alone, as mailboxes at hundreds of Cache Valley residences were blocked by snow this week. And just like Jorgenson, many people called their local post offices wondering where their mail was.

"Even if it's junk, they want it," said Matthew Adams, carrier supervisor at the Logan post office, where two overflowing trays of mail sit on the floor labeled "Boxes are down/snow blockages" with a black marker.
Adams said the Postal Service can't afford to alert every customer who may have mail service postponed after a snowstorm. Safety is the priority for rural drivers, he said, and decisions about whether to deliver mail are left to individual drivers when they make the rounds among the piles of snow shoveled from driveways, sidewalks and streets.

He urged customers to help make carriers' jobs easier by keeping paths to mailboxes or doors clear. He said residents can use their judgment to determine whether mail will arrive or not.
"If you can drive up and get mail out of your box, then we can drive up and put mail in it. That's one of the best indicators," said Adams.

Adams estimated that at least 40 rural customers served by the Logan office had their mail stored at the downtown office this week because of snow blockages. Other Cache Valley communities reported similar problems for rural drivers, including Richmond, which held mail for about a dozen customers, and Hyrum, which was unable to reach the mailboxes of roughly 100 residents by truck.
"To have to hop out for every box, there's no way they can finish in time," said Sue Tibbetts, a clerk at the Hyrum Post Office, who said some days this week the mail didn't arrive until nearly 5 p.m. on rural routes because of snow-related delays.

Tibbetts said some residents actually called the post office to request their mail be held when the storm hit, although she also experienced phone calls similar to those Adams has been receiving all week. Adams said Saturday's mail will be delivered by hand to customers with inaccessible boxes, with a reminder that the blockage must be removed by Tuesday to resume service.

If the snow has already frozen around boxes on rural routes, Adams said residents can use creativity to get mail delivered on time. He recommended customers extend pieces of wood from their roadside boxes and leave buckets on the end. And then, he said, "do the drive-by test," or check whether mail trucks can make the delivery.

"Look at where your carrier comes from," said Adams. "If he can't walk that route, you probably won't get your mail."

Confirm a U.S. address, get ZIP+4 code, area code, time zone, county, address type, street detail and more.

This looks like a GREAT FREE Tool! Gives you so much information, maybe a little too much, but a great tool especially for web based business to confirm a questionable address before shipping.

Confirm any U.S. address and get the ZIP+4 code, area code, time zone, county, address type, street detail and much more. : -----> http://www.melissadata.com/Lookups/addressverify.asp

Here is the Canadian version: Verify Canadian addresses. Get the Postal Code, time zone and area code. ---> http://www.melissadata.com/Lookups/canadianaddressverify.asp

USPS Phone Number Directory Lookup

Sometime in mid 2004, we noticed the USPS (United States Postal Sevice) stopped giving out phone numbers for individual Post Offices, via their website, www.usps.com . Also, they are no longer listed in local phone directories and phone books. Now you get a toll free number to a call center. When we called that toll free number we were told they do not give out phone numbers to the post offices now becuase of security reasons. For some reason some searches from their "Locate a Post Office" tool on their website now do give phone information, but some searches do not.

If you need a phone number for a post office, local or across the country try these websites:
USPS - Find a Post Office Tool - http://www.mapsonus.com/db/USPS/
A free search tool from Melissa Data - http://www.melissadata.com/lookups/NearPostOffice.asp

This information comes in handy when having questions about a particular service they offer, or if they are holding a package for pickup, you can call to schedule a redelivery attempt. Just to name a few.

Flat Rate Boxes from the USPS - Can save you money in postage!

Before using these flat rate boxes, be sure you need to by checking the rates here --> http://www.coolebaytools.com/postal_rates.html

http://www.usps.com/communications/news/press/2004/pr04_072.htm
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE BUILDS A BETTER PARCEL WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Postal Service will soon provide customers with more shipping options just in time for the holiday mailing season. Using Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, customers will be able to mail packages — regardless of the parcels' weight or destination — for just $7.70 each. The Governors of the Postal Service approved this new Priority Mail option as a two-year test, and it will be available Nov. 20, 2004 at most Post Offices and online at USPS.com. The new boxes don't have to be weighed, and there are no zone chart and rate calculations required.Customers can get the value of Priority Mail in two convenient shapes at one consistent price. "Services that are easy to access and simple to use provide real value for our customers," said Stephen M. Kearney, Vice President of Pricing and Classification for the U.S. Postal Service."We look forward to testing the convenience of flat-rate pricing for Priority Mail packages, especially among small businesses and consumers."The Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes are available in two shapes: 11-7/8 inches x 3-3/8 inches x 13-5/8 inches (ideal for garments, board games, books and other relatively thin items) and 11 inches x 8-1/2 inches x 5-1/2 inches (perfect for shoes, model cars and taller items.)Kearney said knowing the $7.70 price in advance should help customers ship packages quickly and easily, making the boxes very convenient for the upcoming holiday season.He noted that paying the flat-rate Priority Mail box postage also is simple and convenient. The price is $7.70 regardless of the weight or destination. For the ultimate convenience, customers can use Click-N-Ship, offered online though USPS.com, to print a shipping label and pay the $7.70 postage, and use Carrier Pickup online notification to let their Post Office know they have a package to be collected when their letter carrier delivers their mail the following day. Customers can also affix two $3.85 Jefferson Memorial stamps, use a postage meter indicia or any combination of U.S. postage stamps."The new flat-rate box options for Priority Mail are as simple as one-two-three," offered Kearney. "One consistent price, two conveniently-sized boxes, and three words that sum it all up - Quick, Easy, Convenient."

REMINDER: USPS Closed Monday January 17, 2005

The United States Postal Service will be closed on Monday, January 17, 2005 in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday.No deliveries or pick ups will be made. All customer service counters also will be closed. See A full list of holidays that the USPS Observes by clicking the link below: http://usps.com/communications/news/uspscalendar.htm

UPS and FedEx will be Picking up and Delivering as usual.

eBay Fee Increase Coming Febuary 18 2005

We have just heard that ebay fees will be rising in early Febuary 2005. We have listed a few changes that will effect all sellers, but many more changes can be found on ebay's website at http://pages.ebay.com/help/announcement/1.html

*Ebay Stores subscription fees will be changed from $9.95 per month to $15.95 per month.
*Gallery fees will be raised from $0.25 to $0.35 per listing.
*10-day listings will be raised from $0.20 to $0.40 per listing.
*Ebay Stores FVF $0.01-$25 - 8% of the closing price

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Stores: $9.95 to $15.95 (!) a 60% increase
Gallery: $ .25 to $ .35 a 40% increase
Final Value Fees: 5.25% to 8% a 50% increase

FREE Tool Compares Shipping Rates from four Carriers

Free tool compares shipping rates from four different carriers including UPS, FedEx, USPS, and Airborne. You can choose to get rates for business or residential delivery. You enter the weight of the package, the from zip code and to zip code, then hit search. Results were served within 20 seconds when we tried.

The tool is called Quick Quote from Intershipper @ http://www.intershipper.com/Shipping/Intershipper/Website/MainPage.jsp?Page=QuickQuote

See below for the Carrier and Service that each search will include rates for:

Federal Express
FDX 2nd Day

Federal Express
FDX Express Saver

Federal Express
FDX First Overnight

Federal Express
FDX Priority Overnight

Federal Express
FDX Standard Overnight

Federal Express
FDX Ground

United Parcel Service
UPS 3 Day Select

United Parcel Service
UPS 2nd Day Air

United Parcel Service
UPS Next Day Air Saver

United Parcel Service
UPS Next Day Air

United Parcel Service
UPS Next Day Air Early AM

United Parcel Service
UPS Ground

U.S. Postal Service
USP Express Mail Addresses

U.S. Postal Service
USP Priority Mail

U.S. Postal Service
USP Ground Machine

DHL World Wide Express
DHL Overnight

AirBorne
AirBorne Overnight Air Express

AirBorne
AirBorne Next Afternoon

AirBorne
AirBorne 2nd Day

AirBorne
AirBorne Ground

UPS Ground to AK, HI & PR available now.....

The first week of January, UPS started offering UPS Ground and lower rate options to customers in Alaska, Hawaii & Puerto Rico . According to UPS, shipping to these new destinations will require anywhere from 3-10 days. Rates can be calculated on the UPS website at www.ups.com . Some destinations will require a combination of services to make it to its final address.

For more information visit the www.ups.com

http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/select/sending/services/ground.html

Here is an article by the Juneau Empire Online, see link to article below.

http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/010905/sta_20050109010.shtml

UPS, FedEx & DHL Rate Increases January 2005

For those of you that may have been unaware of the recent price increases by UPS and FedEx, new rates for both can be found at the links below. These rate increases took effect the first week of January 2005.:

*FedEx rate changes, effective January 3, 2005
*FedEx Express package and freight published rates will increase an average of 4.6% for U.S. domestic and export services.
*reduce the overall fuel surcharge by 2%, resulting in a net average increase of 2.6% in express rates.
There will be an increase in FedEx Express U.S. to Puerto Rico rates.
FedEx International PremiumSM rates will also increase.
There will be an average increase of 2.9% in FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery® rates.
More information on the FedEx increases can be found here ---> http://fedex.com/us/update1.html/#1

UPS press release on the 2005 rate increase can be found here --> http://www.pressroom.ups.com/pressreleases/current/0,1088,4479,00.html

DHL Rate increase information can be found on their website at http://www.dhl.com

To our knowledge, the next rate increase from the USPS ( United States Postal Service) will be in early 2006

USPS Holiday Closing 1/17/05 - Monday, January 17 - Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday

The United States Postal Service will be closed on Monday, January 17, 2005 in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday.No deliveries or pick ups will be made. All customer service counters also will be closed.

See A full list of holidays that the USPS Observes by clicking the link below:

http://usps.com/communications/news/uspscalendar.htm

UPS and FedEx will be Picking up and Delivering as usual.

Researching new product....

I was doing some research on the web today and came a cross a new, very promising product. I am very excited about this product. If it does what it says it does and is of good quality I expect it to be a great addition to our product line! It will be a big time saver and create a lot LESS mess than the current solution available.

Currently in every mailroom or shipping department you will find a packing peanut dispenser hanging from the ceiling. It is big and bulky and VERY expensive, a dispenser that will hold 20 cubic feet of peanuts will usually cost about $150.00 +. This new product is small and can be tucked away after use if needed and will only cost about $40.00 - $45.00 . More details to follow, will post a reveiw of the product here some time next week. We have ordered one to try out, and it should arrive Monday or Tuesday.

UPDATE TO THIS ARTICLE POSTED HERE ---> Packing Peanut Dispensers

Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day January 31st this year! Prepare!

Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day is fast approaching! ;) Prepare!

Bored? Have some spare time? Check out this page we created dedicated to everything bubble wrap. How it was invented, TONS OF VIRTUAL BUBBLE WRAP POPPING GAMES, a short bubble wrap animation, and fun bubble wrap photos.

http://www.fast-pack.com/bubblewrapappreciation.html

Enjoy!

Be Heard, BLOG ! Why you can't ignore BLOGGERS !

Well, after setting up this weblog over a year ago and forgetiing about it I decided to give it another try. I just got through reading an article in this months Fortune magizine "WHY YOU CAN'T IGNORE BLOGGERS". It has inspired me to give it another try. A good read if you have a half hour or so. Check it out here --> http://www.fortune.com/fortune/technology/articles/0,15114,1011763,00.html