I ordered a couple of items from Amazon last Thursday – a book and a CD – and elected for standard shipping.

I think I ordered during lunch, as I read about the book (Patti Smith’s Just Kids) somewhere while I was eating lunch.

Whatever.

On Saturday, I heard something out front of the house, and when I looked out the front window I saw a guy getting into a Penske rental van.

I opened the front door, and there – between the glass door and the regular door – was my Amazon order.

Less than two days, on standard shipping.

And that the guy is in a rental van means Amazon is hiring freelancers to do deliveries – anything to give them an edge in this all-important Q4 ecommerce shopping season.

Impressive.