Neither Snow Nor Sleet

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While the United States Postal Service has no official creed or motto the words 'Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.' are carved into Manhattan's James Farley Post Office. According to Wikipedia the phrase was derived from a Herodutus translation describing the Persian system of mounted postal carriers circa 500 BCE "It is said that as many days as there are in the whole journey, so many are the men and horses that stand along the road, each horse and man at the interval of a day’s journey; and these are stayed neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness from accomplishing their appointed course with all speed." The US Post Service has mirrored this devotion to duty since its creation by Benjamin Franklin in 1791, however Saturday service was curtailed in New England by the heavy snowfall from Superstorm Nemo. Mottos change with the times and this weekend's failure to complete the appointed rounds served as a harbinger of decreased service, since the political hacks running the service have announced that later this year Saturday delivery will end for good. Now the unofficial motto will have to read 'Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds, except of Saturdays and Sundays, because there is no mail on those days.' Somehow it doesn't have the same ring, but then I'm old school about everything.