Completely Random Thoughts

[Edward J Grug III]

Oh good, they just figured out that the anti-venom for our most common, poisonous spider doesn't actually work (And in fact can potentially cause more problems): http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-20/redback-anti-venom-doesn27t-work3a-new-research/5104048

[Darth Geek]

Australia, I think, must just get bored sitting so far away from the rest of the continents, so it just keeps inventing really horrible creatures for fun.

A similar explanation for why Alaska made Sarah Palin.

[gbeenie]

Not sure where else to put this..

Amazon Taps Post Office For Sunday Deliveries; A Win-Win?

November 11, 201310:05 AM


Much of the talk in recent years about how the U.S. Postal Service could stem has been about the things it might stop doing — most notably, delivering the mail on Saturdays.

Now, there's word that with the Postal Service for Sunday delivery of packages. The service begins immediately in the Los Angeles and New York City metropolitan areas and is planned to expand next year to other metros, including Dallas, Houston, New Orleans and Phoenix.

The early analyses of the deal say it's a winner for both sides.

For the Postal Service, , the deal offers "a chance to take some business from United Parcel Service and FedEx, which do not deliver on Sundays. Now, some orders that would have been handled by either of those carriers for Monday delivery will go through the Postal Service and arrive on Sunday."

Package delivery is a profitable part of the Postal Service's business, unlike money-losing delivery of Saturday mail.

, the Postal Service will deliver the packages "at regular rates. ... Previously, a shipper had to use its pricey Express Mail service and pay an extra fee for Sunday delivery." The Postal Service, adds the Post, "said it would increase staffing in the locations where Amazon will offer the service, but did not offer specific numbers. ... [It] also declined to comment on how much additional revenue the new initiative is expected to bring."

Amazon, meanwhile, "won't change shipping prices for customers" who want Sunday delivery, .

But the online shopping giant "is seeking to siphon away customers from Target Corp. and other retailers," Bloomberg adds, at a time when it is "also facing competition from online-shopping sites that are rolling out new services to get products to customers more quickly and efficiently. EBay Inc. offers deliveries under an hour, seven days a week, for some products, and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. operates a same-day delivery service for groceries and household goods."

Beyond the issue of what it means for both sides of the deal, we have a question.

I'd like to hear Lembach's take on this..

Other than USPS comes in very distant third in the Big Three shippers, what is there not to like? Many people are going to be pleasantly surprised when I tell them that their replacement will get to them Sunday instead of Monday.

Third? Bullshit. UPS is ok, but they don't send letters.  And Fedex can go fuck itself.

I'm not a particular fan of UPS, but it bears pointing out that they don't carry letters because they're legally not allowed to.

[gbeenie]

Pretty fucking cool? more like really really fucking freezing.

QUIT RUINING MY HILARIOUS DAD JOKES.

Both of you chill out!

Okay; who invited Schwarzenegger-as-Mr. Freeze? Tripe, was it you? I know how much you love your wordplay...

[gbeenie]

Oh good, they just figured out that the anti-venom for our most common, poisonous spider doesn't actually work (And in fact can potentially cause more problems): http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-20/redback-anti-venom-doesn27t-work3a-new-research/5104048

I dunno. For Australia, "most poisonous" spider seems sort of akin to "brownest coat" at a Firefly convention: Sure, there might be a winner, but in the end, you're still completely awash in a veritable sea of brown (or super-poisonous animals that can kill you in seconds).

[Tripe]

Now, now, not everything in Australia is poisonous, some of it is venomous.

[Quantum Vagina]

Now, now, not everything in Australia is poisonous, some of it is venomous.

And all of it prevents me from wanting to go there. Which really sucks, because I think Aussie is the hottest/cutest/sexiest accent. Sorry, Brits.

[RVR II]

Now, now, not everything in Australia is poisonous, some of it is venomous.

And all of it prevents me from wanting to go there. Which really sucks, because I think Aussie is the hottest/cutest/sexiest accent. Sorry, Brits.

Oh I'd still go there
Maybe search for some poisonous squirrels

[Tripe]

That's alright, there's plenty that find their knicker elastic perishing when I and others of my kind speak.

I still want to go to Austrailia, mind you I'm having my wisdom teeth pulled a week Friday with just local numbing, so I might have a different reaction to potential unpleasantness of situations.

[Edward J Grug III]

Oh good, they just figured out that the anti-venom for our most common, poisonous spider doesn't actually work (And in fact can potentially cause more problems): http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-20/redback-anti-venom-doesn27t-work3a-new-research/5104048

I dunno. For Australia, "most poisonous" spider seems sort of akin to "brownest coat" at a Firefly convention: Sure, there might be a winner, but in the end, you're still completely awash in a veritable sea of brown (or super-poisonous animals that can kill you in seconds).

I said most common, not most poisonous. I believe the funnel web is the most poisonous. Or maybe a white tail?

I did have a friend bitten by a redback in a house I was living in once, but he brought it into the house in his jumper (I have a feeling you guys don't call them jumpers... Can't be bothered looking it up)

We have a LOT of them in the backyard of our new house, which is a bit scary with our baby... Need to do a big bomb of the area soon.

[Edward J Grug III]

Now, now, not everything in Australia is poisonous, some of it is venomous.

And all of it prevents me from wanting to go there. Which really sucks, because I think Aussie is the hottest/cutest/sexiest accent. Sorry, Brits.

Ah, go on, it's not all that scary here. I disagree with you on the accent though.

[d00hickey]

Red Backs are very closely related to Black Widows, I wonder if they use the anti venom. The area around my house is crawling with black widows, fortunately I have never been bitten by that type of spider.

[UncleDesmond]

Australia, I think, must just get bored sitting so far away from the rest of the continents, so it just keeps inventing really horrible creatures for fun.

This doesn't explain the box jellyfish, which as a sea dweller can theoretically go anywhere else in the sea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_jellyfish

[UncleDesmond]

I will never go on another damn plane again.

[Tripe]

Yeah those toilets are pretty scary.