🚀 go-pugleaf

Regular readers of this newsgroup will recall my effort last year 
to 'train' Microsoft and Symantec on how to deliver products to 
customers who do not have access to UPS.  At that time I 
introduced these firms to the magic of the United States Postal 
Service, and official agency of the United States Government, 
which, for the last several decades, has demonstrated an almost 
uncanny ability to deliver parcels weighing up to 70 pounds to 
virtually every US ZIP Code address, including PO Boxes and 
APO/FPO addresses.  In due course, and after no small amount of 
correspondence, I received Word 4.0 from Microsoft and Think 
Pascal 2.0 from Symantec.

Well, imagine my horror when the 'new' APDA refused to send me 
KanjiTalk 6.0.2 because I was unable to supply them with a 
'street' address for UPS delivery.  (The island on which I live, 
Saipan, has virtually no named streets and almost no house 
numbers.  Interestingly enough, the only houses with numbers, 
built by the CIA in the 50's, are located on streets with no 
names....)

Well, I went into training mode again and finally convinced APDA 
to send me KanjiTalk via US mail.  And, I am now proud to announce 
that the 'new' APDA has joined the fold and officially recognizes 
that some folks just don't have access to UPS.  Their new catalog, 
on page C-98, announces that they will 'use First Class U.S. Mail 
for deliveries to all APOs, FPOs, and PO Boxes'.  Thank you, APDA!  
Welcome to the club!

Before I close, an aside and an irony.

First the aside:  When APDA shipped me KanjiTalk via US Mail, they 
still addressed the package to the fictitious 'street' address 
that I gave them.  However, to cover all bases, they affixed a 
sticker to the package that read, 'Ordered by Mike Newman, P.O. 
Box 1510, Saipan MP 96950'.  The package was delivered to that 
P.O. Box.

And now, the irony:  As I write these words, UPS is preparing to 
offer package delivery to the island of Saipan.  All of us who 
live here are wondering how they will cope with the lack of street 
addresses.  (The best I could do would be something like: Mike 
Newman, Green Wooden House with White Aluminum Roof, Terminal Road 
[AKA Afetna Road], Afetna Area, San Antonio Village, Saipan, 
Northern Mariana Islands.)  Anyway, thanks to UPS for dragging us 
into the last decade of the century, and good luck...!

+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+
|   Mike G Newman               |  mike_g_newman@cup.portal.com  |
|   BX 1510                     |  MCI:   mnewman                |
|   Saipan MP 96950             |  Phone: 670-234-7726           |
+-------------------------------+--------------------------------+