How exactly would a consumer know which shipping carrier is the safest to use?  A pretty good source of information is the cost to insure a shipment -- but not the price the shipper charges, because a shipper's own insurance pricing is not clearly related to actual risk.  

Instead, let's compare how much an independent, third party insurer charges to ship packages using the various carriers.  We know that the insurer has an incentive to (a) charge as little as possible, because this is a crowded, competitve market, (b) not charge less than the expected value of a shipment's loss (expected value being: the sum of: the probability a given dollar-value loss will occur, multiplied by the dollar value).  So the insurance company's rates are likely a decent indicator of at least comparative shipping safety.

(Please click on or tap this image below to view it in larger form)

FedEx is our winner, in terms of one-stop shopping. UPS and DHL match it in the International category, but FedEx wins by a HUGE margin (272%, if my math is correct).  CanadaPost and the United States Postal service have embarrassing results.

The caveat here is that there are some confounding variables.  Perhaps the insurance company knows that people who ship via FedEx tend to pack more carefully, or that the types of things shipped by FedEx tend to be sturdier than those shipped by customers of other carriers.  So mabye you don't need to use FedEx as much as act like the kind of person who uses FedEx.  That's difficult when you aren't deciding what it is you want to ship, but.  

Ultimately, I think the effect of confounding variables is low.  I do however recognize that there may be additional factors I'm not considering, which factors could impact the price differences.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

For one reason or anoher, my energy has led me to post more or less exclusively on youllbehappy.com -- one of my other Posterous blogs -- rather than this one.  So, go all ye faithful and change your bookmarks (lol: as if anyone ever bookmarked this site)... I think youllbehappy. 

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

this is from RunKeeper.  at the time of the hike, the map wasn't there, but it was still able to plot a course because it could get GPS.  once we were back in AT&T range it was able to download the map underlay.

nice little hike; but I am *not* used to altitude.  my home in SLC is at ~4700 FT, and that is fine for me, but I'm a city boy and not used to climbing up mountains at more than double that altitude.  if the hike had been flat I'd have been alright, but still probably would have noticed the air thinness.  see post below for altitude reading from another iPhone app.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

because the app doesn't store maps locally on the phone, and we were out of AT&T service range, we could get GPS data but no map fill-in

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Despite what the guy at the local coffee shop Mestizo says, I'm not sure everyone is an artist.  I definitely don't consider myself one.  But I made this drawing on my iPhone and I think it's pretty neat.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

From the it's-fun-to-find-neat-little-quirky-web-services dept.:

Just found formspring.me a service that lets one ask questions of anyone with a page, or set up a page and answer questions.  I just set up an account.  Widget:

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

So why don't you leave a message?  Yes, without picking up the phone OR having the fear of actually having to speak to me, you can click the nifty little widget below and leave a message for me.  Make sure to say something nice.

Oops. Turns out this works completely differently from how I thought it did. You will need a cell or landline phone, and no mic or headset is necessary. I can't tell if that's more or less convenient for the average reader of this post. My guess is "less".

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

This is a fantastic concept and I give major kudos to the person or team who chose the name 'White Goat'.  My main question is the comfort-level of the toilet paper that results.  I don't think Charmin' has anything to worry about just yet, unless perhaps the machine adds a step in which some sort of organic solvent is incorporated to soften the paper.  I will say this:  When shredding isn't enough, shred and flush is certainly a big step towards total protection of sensitive data.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

As a relatively new resident to Salt Lake City, I hadn't yet heard the term or known of the phenomenon "inversion" when one day I awoke thinking it was snowing outside, only to realize that it was not snowing but instead the local area was immersed in some sort of white, non-foggy haze.  I later learned that this is basically all of the pollution in the area being prevented from escaping upwards, because of pressure/wind barrier that is particular to parts of the world with specific geographies.  Rumor has it next time it snows, this "inversion" will lift.  It's been 2+ weeks without snow now, and everyone is starting to get antsy for a storm.  

I'm told that if I were to drive about 15 or 20 minutes up the mountains, I would clear the inversion and it would be a bright & sunny experience.  I would also be able to look down and see the smoggy cloud just sitting over the valley that is SLC.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Free 2Hr parking in downtown SLC

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Permalink | Leave a comment  »