[rescue] Happy New Year! RIP, Sun/Solaris...

[gsm at mendelson.com]

On Thu, Jan 06, 2011 at 01:39:00PM -0500, Ray Arachelian wrote:
>You're better off with bare drives and proper metal cases with fans in
>them.  (These usually go for $30-50 on newegg.)

WTF is newegg? A produce shop? A farmers market? 

>But yeah, if shipping is an issue, it's going to be difficult no matter
>how you go.

It's not just shipping, it's the constant battle between local vendors
who pay taxes, file certification reports, provide warranty service,
and so on versus foreign vendors who sell items and pay none of those.

There is a move to make the post office, now a private company profitable.
They keep trying to charge a customs clearing fee ($10) for small packages
(under $50) because UPS, FEDEX, etc do. 

They no longer want local mail to effectively subsidise imports. 

A year ago when they tried it, it was "shot down". This year, it has been 
dropped unless the package weighs more than 2 kilo (5 pounds). In a year
the maximum weight will be lowered, eventually to an envelope.

What worries me the most, is if they start charging these fees they will
want to hire more employees, which will mean they will have to steal more
mail to make sure each gets their "fair share". :-(

And yes, I've had packages sent to me via relatives in the US get "lost" in
the US mail too.

Geoff.
-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson N3OWJ/4X1GM
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to misquote it.