----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2000 4:58
PM
Subject: Re: F before ma?
> On first reading, I thought atm. stood for atmosphere, in
accordance with
> the dictionary. On second reading I assume atm.
is short for atom. I'm
> not sure what is the advantage of a
three-letter abbreviation for a
> four-letter word.
It comes from the same mind-set, John, that makes folks use two-letter
abbreviations for Ohio, Iowa, and Utah. The USPS pulled the greatest con in
history when it brainwashed the US public into dropping historical and
meaningful state abbreviations such as Penna, Tenn, Tex, Colo, and Calif in
favor of arbitrary and confusing two-letter symbols.
How many people have questioned the necessity of the USPS rule requiring
doubly-redundant addresses on envelopes that we send by mail? Why must we
write the city AND the state AND the zip code. The five-digit zip code
identifies the state, the city, and the particular post office. The nine-digit
zip code identifies the street, the block, and maybe even the house.
Paul O. Johnson
Collin County College