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Embracing the power of And
May. 19th, 2012 05:40 pmSome (such as Frederik Pohl) say that the Postal Service is collapsing because of sly tricks by the Republicans to destroy any form of public service that works at all; they are correct. Some say the Postal Service, like newspapers, is being destroyed by the Computer Revolution and the sheer volume of tasks (such as bill paying) that used to have to be done by mail and now aren't; they are correct, too.
But the Postal Service is doing its share. I saw someone online (I don't remember where) rejoicing that Gwendolyn Brooks is on a stamp, and vowing to buy hundreds of those stamps and mail letters with them. She can't do it, at least not without buying an equal number of the stamps honoring nine other poets. You can't buy just Gwendolyn Brooks stamps, or just Sylvia Plath stamps, or just Wallace Stevens stamps. You can't buy Ratatouille stamps without buying the stamps for four other Pixar flicks. The Postal Service has always wanted to sell lots of stamps, especially to people who will not bother to stick them on letters, but they're shooting themselves in the foot on this one. I can't say I'm surprised.
But the Postal Service is doing its share. I saw someone online (I don't remember where) rejoicing that Gwendolyn Brooks is on a stamp, and vowing to buy hundreds of those stamps and mail letters with them. She can't do it, at least not without buying an equal number of the stamps honoring nine other poets. You can't buy just Gwendolyn Brooks stamps, or just Sylvia Plath stamps, or just Wallace Stevens stamps. You can't buy Ratatouille stamps without buying the stamps for four other Pixar flicks. The Postal Service has always wanted to sell lots of stamps, especially to people who will not bother to stick them on letters, but they're shooting themselves in the foot on this one. I can't say I'm surprised.
