3/31/26 - Mail Surcharge, Emojis, Bar Codes, and The World's Largest Laundromat

Tuesday 3/31/26

Celebrate:

Dance Marathon Day

Eiffel Tower Day

Holy Tuesday

International Taco Day

International Transgender Day of Visibility

National "She's Funny That Way" Day

National Bunsen Burner Day

National Clams on the Half Shell Day

National Crayon Day

National Farm Workers Day

National Prom Day

National Tater Day

World Backup Day

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The Postal Service announced that it would implement a 8% fuel surcharge on some of its shipping and packaging products to “better align its costs of transportation with the market."

USA TODAY reports that the possible change in pricing comes as oil, gasoline and diesel prices have shot up since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. 

The price changes could take effect at midnight Thursday, April 26, pending approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission.

The price increase would remain in effect until Jan. 17, 2027. At that time, they will further determine if a different long-term approach is needed.

What USPS products are impacted?

Priority Mail Express

Priority Mail

USPS Ground Advantage

Parcel Select

First‑class mail stamps and other Postal Service products are not affected.

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If you’ve been to Chicago, you know there’s enough to do to keep you busy for days, or even weeks. One stop you might make is the World’s Largest Laundromat, located in Berwyn, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

That’s the name of the place. In terms of pure machine count and scale, it has maintained its dominance through several decades. The WLL has 301 machines in total: 140 washers and over 160 dryers. Some of the washers are “express” models capable of holding up to 90 pounds of laundry. The building spans roughly 13,500 square feet, which is about five times the size of an average U.S. laundromat. The WLL has 16 flat-screen TVs, arcade games, a massage chair, and a large indoor aviary filled with finches and miniature doves. It also offers free coffee and donuts every morning, and has an indoor play area for children. The roof is equipped with 36 solar thermal panels to help heat the massive amount of water used daily.

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We are just a days away from history. NASA is preparing to launch four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back this week, marking the first crewed lunar mission since the Apollo era . The Artemis mission, scheduled for launch on Wednesday, April 1st, will send three U.S. astronauts and one Canadian astronaut on a critical test flight that will pave the way for future lunar landings.

As one NASA official put it: "We are going back to the Moon, and this time, we're staying."

Get the swag too. 

Space-themed merchandise is flying off shelves. From official NASA gear to independent artist designs, everything lunar is having a moment. The mission marks the first time humans will travel to the Moon's orbit since 1972, and the public's excitement is translating into serious retail momentum.

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Are you using emojis correctly? Maybe, maybe not!

Here are some emojis with unspoken and alternative meanings you might not know about

🙃 Upside-Down Face

The upside-down smiley face emoji articulates dark humor and sarcasm. It’s not to be used when you’re being genuine or heartfelt. You’d be smart to avoid it in professional communication, too, unless your office has more of an edgy vibe.

😂 Face With Tears of Joy

For younger texters, the face-with-tears-of-joy emoji (also known as the crying-laughing emoji) doesn’t mean they’re actually laughing — it’s typically used by Gen Zers when something is decidedly unfunny. If you’re actually ROFL (rolling on the floor laughing), you might consider using the skull emoji (💀), which implies something is “so funny I could die.”

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🐐 Goat

The goat emoji is always a compliment. “GOAT” is an acronym meaning “greatest of all time,” so if you receive a goat emoji, you’re doing something right.

🥑 Avocado

Here’s a cute one that’s popular on Snapchat — the avocado emoji (🥑) is frequently used to denote someone as your better half.

💢 Anger Symbol

This emoji usage has Japanese origins, particularly in anime and manga. It’s meant to resemble the veins that appear on a manga character’s face when they’re angry — you can use it to let your friends know when you’re stuck on the bus and getting frustrated that you’re running late.

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That barcode on every product actually tells a story...

The first 1–3 digits are the country prefix, showing where the barcode was registered—not necessarily where it was made. For example, 000–139 = USA/Canada, 300–379 = France, 400–440 = Germany, 450–459 & 490–499 = Japan, and 690–699 = China.

The next set of numbers identifies the manufacturer, followed by the product code for that specific item, and the final digit is a check digit used to verify the barcode scanned correctly.

Once you know this, you can quickly get a sense of where a product originates and who’s behind it, just by glancing at the barcode.

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Today's Useless Fact of the Day - The Eiffel Tower was completed on this date in 1889 and first opened to the public on May 15th.

The Eiffel Tower stands at about 1,062 feet (324 meters) tall, including its tip. In comparison, the Statue of Liberty is 305 feet (93 meters) from the base of its pedestal to the top of the torch. The statue itself, without the pedestal, is about 151 feet (46 meters) tall.