So I placed two orders on Friday afternoon. I purchased the same shipping on both of them - the standard 3 to 5 day ground service. One package is coming from Apple and is shipping via FedEx, and one is coming from MP3Car.com and has shipped via UPS.

I've never really liked UPS. I mean, I like getting packages, and I like it anytime anyone is at my door handing me something I have been coveting for the last several days. But UPS just seems played out - with their brown trucks and little shorts, always running around all fast and making people sign their names.

FedEx, on the other hand, seems much more modern. They have white trucks with a red and blue logo. they use modern styling, and their people are friendly. Oh, and one more thing, they actually tend to deliver the package you sent. According to my shipping widgets, I have 0 days left until I receive my order from Apple, and 8 days left before I receive my other order.

8 DAYS?!?!!! I could be dead by then! WWIII could be in full swing and I could be drafted away fighting communists/terrorists/children with guns in some foreign god-forsaken hell-hole in 8 days! I don't even understand how it could be so slow - like I mean physically how can they make it so slow? I could drive to the east coast, pick up my package, and drive back and I would have it much quicker than 8 days.

It reminds me of a skit on the classic cartoon Tailspin. For some reason or another, Kit had to send in some letter and Baloo screwed something up so they didn't have enough money to send it. He ended up using 23rd class mail to send the letter. I showed the process of the letter going through 23rd class, where only really old people in walkers handled your mail and they flew in an old sputtering biplane to deliver it.

In a race between FedEx and UPS, not only would FedEx win, they would win, quite literally before UPS even started. I will get my package from Apple tomorrow, but according to UPS my package from MP3CAR hasn't even left the state yet.

Now UPS isn't ALL bad - I mean there are worse shipping methods - like say, the United States Postal service. I once had my dad OVERNIGHT me a check (yes, OVERNIGHT at great cost to himself). I didn't see the check for something like 8 months. I actually got it when I was at home later that year and the post office called asking if we wanted it. No, we don't want it. We just wanted to give you thirty dollars to hold onto it for us for nearly a year! Thanks!

Have you seen castaway? Tom Hanks worked for FedEx and was on the verge of death before he was willing to open other people's packages. This kind of care and consideration exemplifies their business practices in general, I believe. Now that's a company I can trust.

Oh ya, and DHL is okay too - although Jake will tell you something different.