underwater what???

My last blog got me thinking about what if there was an underwater post office...well guess what there is... it is the worlds ONLY underwater post office!

can you think of a more unique job than being an Underwater Post Officer? For five ‘Xtreme Posties’ this job is a reality. Vanuatu Post’s Underwater Post Office, found just off Hideaway Island near Port Vila, was opened for business on 23 May 2003. The Post Office is only 50 metres offshore and at only three metres below the surface is very accessible to young and old alike, and hundreds have participated in posting one of the special waterproof postcards that are available. These cards are collected regularly by one of Vanuatu Post’s four trained scuba divers and “cancelled” underwater with an embossing cachet. Mail that requires a normal Underwater Post Office date stamp is cancelled in the Main Post Office. Vanuatu Post promised all visitors they would accept mail underwater and deliver anywhere in the world.

The Underwater Postmen of Vanuatu handle thousands of specially-made waterproof postcards which can be written on land or even underwater. The postcards are collected every day with the post office staffed in the busy season where the Xtreme postmen work on a shift basis. The mail they receive is given a special embossed frank underwater before being sent on its way through the postal channels. Standard mail (non waterproof) that is requested to carry the underwater cancellation is catered for at the main Post Office.

1. What makes the postcard waterproof?
The postcards are a synthetic product called Syntek and the weight is 340gsm. So a plastic like product. The Syntec material is basically made of a mixture of clay (calcium carbonate) and polypropylene resin. It is non-toxic and has the look, feel and printability of paper, plus the durability of plastic. They are tough, waterproof, tear-resistant, impervious to grease, oils, chemicals and the elements. They can also withstand high temperatures and humidity.
2. How does the underwater embossing work?
The embossing is done by a small hand held machine that makes raised areas in the shape of the cancellation.
3. The underwater post office is open for how many hours each day? How many people work there?
The Post Office is open for about one hour on most days, and longer if there is much interest. Usually one staff member in the Post Office but we always have some else in the water nearby for safety reasons. When the Post Office is not staffed there is a drop box that customers can swim down to and post the cards. We trained four of our staff to get their open water dive certificate, and sometimes the dive masters at Hideaway Island operate the Post office of our behalf.

All info found at
http://www.vanuatupost.vu/

Deepest Underwater Postbox

There is a mailbox located underwater off the coast of Susami in Wakayama prefecture.
10 metres (32.8 ft.)

The mailbox is an actual mail collection point officially recognized as part of Susami’s postal system.

Each day the contents are collected from the box, which reportedly contains as many as 200 pieces of mail at the busiest times.

Snowman......No Snow Woman!

The Worlds Largest Snowman, or well should I say Snow Woman!


""BETHEL, MAINE – The good people of Bethel have officially broken the world record for the largest snowman, previously held by them, by 9 feet. Angus, King of the Mountain was replaced in the record books by a woman named Olympia SnowWoman who weighs in at 13,000,000 lbs. of snow. 5 foot wreaths were used for eyes, 16 skis for eyelashes, 130 ft. scarf, 30 ft. spruce trees for arms and 2,000 ft. of rope for hair.


It was a whole community effort with even the local kids pitching in. Elementary school children made the "carrot" nose made of muslin, chicken wire & wood frame. The Mt. Valley Middle School in Mexico (Mexico, Maine, that is) students painted a 48 ft. circumference fleece hat. And the Mahoosuc Kids Association painted 5 red auto tires that are used for lips. ""

Laffy Taffy

Laffy Taffy as you know has 2 jokes on the back of them .. So I as I opened my halloween candy...

285. Why did the Ghost join the team?
Because they needed spirit

286. Why can't your nose be 12 inches long?
Because then it would be a foot


Fact: Laffy Taffy is a brand of candy first produced in the 1970's.

Kings worth playing

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:
King of Spades = David (from the bible)
King of Clubs = Alexander the Great
King of Hearts = Charles (presumably after Charlemagne)
King of Diamonds = Caesar (presumably after Julius Caesar)


""In the standard English playing card deck, the king and the other face cards represent no one in particular (though the king of hearts is sometimes referred to as the "suicide king" due to the fact that he appears to be sticking his sword into his head). However, the court cards in a French deck do have names. Because the manufacture of playing cards was illegal in the UK during the Interregnum, when the English Restoration came and the court began playing card games, the suits in an English deck came from the French deck, but without all of the lore.

For a period, starting in the 15th century, French playing-card manufacturers assigned to each of the court cards names taken from history or mythology. This practice had largely disappeared by the 19th century.^[1] The most common names for the kings were:^[2]

• King of Spades: David (a biblical king)
• King of Hearts: Charles (presumably after Charlemagne)
• King of Diamonds: Caesar (presumably after Julius Caesar, dictator of the Roman Republic)
• King of Clubs: Alexander (king of Macedon) "" ( insert from wiki)
  

R Represents Kings in a french deck

Sometimes I feel like a Nut

Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty years of age.
Although some produce at 20-30 years but 50 is the average and by 70-80 years they will produce thousands!

Just few more Quotes.... to kick off the season!

Dwight Schrute: When I was in the 6th grade I was a finalist in our school spelling bee. It was me against Raj Patel. I misspelled, in front of the entire school, the word "failure".

Michael Scott: Last week I would've given a kidney to anyone in this office. I would've reached right into my stomach and pulled it out for them. But now, no. I don't have the relationship with these people that I thought I did. I hope they ask, so they can hear me say, "Uh, no, I only give my organs to my real friends. Go get yourself a monkey kidney."

Dwight Schrute: Women are like wolves. If you want a wolf, you have to trap it. You have to snare it. And then you have to tame it. Keep it happy. Care for it. Feed it. Lovingly, the way an animal deserves to be loved. And my animal deserves a lot of loving.

Michael Scott: You may look around, and see two groups here. White collar, blue collar. But I don't see it that way. You know why not? Because I am collar-blind.

Michael Scott: A lot of the people here don't get trophies very often, like Meridith or Kevin. I mean who's gonna give Kevin an award, Dunkin' Donuts?

Pam Beesley: I suggested we flip a coin, but Angela said she doesn't like to gamble. Of course by saying that, she was gambling that I wouldn't smack her.

[Jim set a fence of pencils up between Dwight and his desk]
Dwight Schrute: Your pencils are creating a health hazard. I could fall and pierce an organ.

Michael Scott:
You know what I want this to be cutting-edge, I want it to be fast, quick cuts. You know, youthful, sort of, um, MTV on crack kind of thing.

Dwight Schrute: The eyes, are the groin of the head.

Michael Scott: Yeah. We all want money. But there is none in the budget. So. Tell me why you're really leaving.
Stanley: Money.
Michael Scott: Mo money mo problems, Stanley. You of all people should know that.

Michael Scott: Well it is a little chillier than I had thought. So I have fashioned my hat back into my pants.

Michael Scott: I have brought with me only the bare essentials. A knife. A roll of duct tape. In case I need to fashion a shelter, or make some sort of water vessel.

Pam Beesly: There is a master key and a spare key for the office. Dwight has them both. When I asked, "what if you die, Dwight? How will we get into the office?" He said, "if I'm dead, you guys have been dead for weeks."

Creed:
A lot of jazz cats are blind. But, they can play the piano like nobody's business. I'd like to put the piano in front of Pam, without her glasses and see what happens. I'd also like to see her topless.

Michael Scott: Today's a very special day for me. And it's really not about me. It's about my grandkids, it's about my great grandkids... I can come back here when I'm one hundred and I can find that piece of cement and say, "That's me. Look kids, your daddy left that face hole." I donno. It's a good feeling.

Michael Scott: You are fired like a heart attack.

Michael Scott:
Yeah, I'm trying to lure these kids into my booth. But, uhh, kids are very weary of being lured, these days. Thank you Dateline.

Jim Halpert: You know, it's a tough thing, seeing a grown man take six shots to get out of a sand trap, but I have to give Phil credit for not quitting. Which is what I told him. I also told him that I don't quit either, and I'd call him every single day until he gave me his business. Which he did, after fifteen minutes of me blocking his car. So I am now his paper supplier! And I shot a 102 today so I'm feeling pretty good.

Michael Scott: You cheated on me? When I specifically asked you not to?

Dwight Schrute: I'm a deer hunter. I go all the time with my dad. One thing about deer: they have very good vision. One thing about me: I'm better at hiding, than they are at vision

Michael Scott: Was tonight a success? Well, I made Pam laugh so hard she fell down and almost broke her neck. So I killed, sort of

Jim Halpert: One day Michael came in, complaining about a speed bump, on the highway... I wonder who he ran over then
.
Michael Scott: Toby is in HR, which technically means he works for corporate, so he's really not a part of our family. Also, he's divorced, so he's really not a part of his family.