Friday, May 20, 2011
Gotta Love Momma - DailyCute.net - your head a splode with the cuteness!! ^_____^
See this lovely lion cub rubbing against Mom: Gotta Love Momma - DailyCute.net - ^_____^
We're STEEL in recession. Read from BBC: Tata Steel to cut 1,500 jobs in Scunthorpe and Teesside. Also, I show you maximum cards with the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, a steel masterpiece. The Carib natives declared that Verrazzano was a really good man. They ate him
A lot of steel went into this marvel.
"In 1528, during his third voyage to North America, after exploring Florida, the Bahamas and the Lesser Antilles, Verrazzano anchored away from shore and rowed ashore, probably on the island of Guadeloupe.
The fleet of two or three ships were anchored out of gunshot range and no one could respond in time."
"Giovanni da Verrazzano (1485–1528) was an Italian explorer of North America, in the service of the French crown. He is renowned as the first European since the Norse colonization of the Americas around AD 1000 to explore the Atlantic coast of North America between the Carolinas and Newfoundland, including New York Harbor and Narragansett Bay in 1524. The bridge over the opening of New York harbor, a naval vessel of the Italian navy, a destroyer of the Navigatori class, are among his numerous eponymous honors."
"The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge {MY NOTE: should be double Z: Verrazzano!] is a double-decked suspension bridge that connects theboroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City at The Narrows, the reach connecting the relatively protected upper bay with the larger lower bay.
The bridge is named for both the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, the first known European navigator to enter New York Harbor and the Hudson River, and for the body of water it spans: The Narrows.
It has a center span of 4,260 feet (1,298 m) and was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time of its completion in 1964, until it was surpassed by the Humber Bridge in the United Kingdom in 1981.
It now has the eighth longest center span in the world, and is still the longest bridge span in the Americas.
Its massive towers can be seen throughout a good part of the New York metropolitan area, including from spots in all five boroughs of New York City.
The bridge is also easily seen from points in New Jersey including a great viewpoint from the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge Township, New Jersey."
"
- "Because of the height of the towers (693 ft/211 m) and their distance apart (4,260 ft/1,298 m), the curvature of the Earth's surface had to be taken into account when designing the bridge—the towers are 15⁄8 inches (41.275 mm) farther apart at their tops than at their bases.[8]
- Because of thermal expansion/contraction of the steel cables, the bridge roadway is 12 feet (3.66 m) lower in summer than its winter elevation.[9]"
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Please read from BBC:
Tata Steel to cut 1,500 jobs in Scunthorpe and Teesside
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Rich people fall into two major categories: self-made, and heirs to somebody's fortune.
Lakhsmi Mittal became a billionaire because (among other things) he managed to TRIM costs.
What did Paris Hilton TRIM?
"Lakshmi Narayan Mittal (born 15 June 1950)[4] is an Indian steel magnate.
He is the chairman and chief executive officer of ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaking company.
Mittal is the richest man in the United Kingdom[5], second richest man in Europe[6] and is presently the sixth richest individual in the world with a personal wealth of US$31.1 billion or £23.8 billion.[3]
He is the 44th most powerful person of the 68 most powerful people in the world.
One out of 5 cars in the world is made up of the steel materials of his steel empire.
But trimming jobs ruthlessly is another matter, Mittal and Tata!
CREATE JOBS in VIABLE BUSINESSES! :)
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Possible message, from beyond the grave, from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Paris Hilton:
"Paris, I said I have a DREAM, not a trim.
Use your wealth, influence and your own qualities to become SOCIAL ELITE, not just SOCIALITE!
Live, and help others live, too."
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Happy PFF (Postcard Friendship Friday)!
Please visit: http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/ (wait until Beth posts the today's Linky tool for the meme, then make your entry, if you want to join).
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Only 1 in the world, UNICATE/UNIKAT dorincard: a non-compliant maximum card that USPS has inadvertently created for me, against my will, by over-postmarking a postcard. White-tailed Deer custom maxicard, with no cachet and 2 sets of postmarks. Or, with a pictorial postmark that can be THE CACHET (illustration)
Is this a philatelic EFO ("errors, freaks and oddities")?
No freak, but it sure is an error and an oddity...:)
This was a rectangular piece of Avery transparent mailing address label (still on its waxy backing paper) that I cut to obtain a custom postcard.
Then I affixed the stamp and I mailed it to a post office in Florida, to get that deer pictorial postmark.
I provided a SASE envelope, but the postal associate decided to just drop it in the mailstream, "naked."
What the mailstream did was to apply an inkjet, spray-on cancellation by the Automated Postal System, which you can see: "SOUTH FLORIDA...HAPPY HOLIDAYS".
Over-postmarking by the post office is redundant and even not recommended, last time I checked the Domestic Mail Manual and the Postal Operations Manual.
Anyway, now I could trim it and affix the remaining label with the double-postmarked stamp onto a picture postcard, to create a maximum card.
Or, I could keep the item as is - unique in the world (only 1 specimen, I guess).
In this case, I could even regard this deer pictorial postmark
(more than 2x4 inches, which is huge size for a postmark)
as a drawing / illustration / cachet / image of the postcard.
Have you ever seen a maximum card where the illustration / image is actually a (second) pictorial postmark?
:)
Besides the 3 heart-shaped head contours for Mom, Dad and Kid Deer, notice a heart shape between Mom and Dad...ain't that cute and cool?
Say Awww...:)
Bonus: heart in my own address label! :)
I could say: "I knowww...", like Craig Ferguson.
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Please visit and join The Guest Heart Thursday meme!
Welcome to Guest Heart Thursday -
A place to share YOUR hearts!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Edward Maya - This Is My Life OFFICIAL HD VIDEO. Edward is going to India today. Also, I show you a few postcards and maximum cards from India
Edward Maya said today on his Facebook Page: On the way to India - "This Is My Life " ;) .
Watch the video and see him and Vika Jigulina! :)
Newsflash, postcard publisher! This "ain't no stinking hunting cheetah!"
In fact, it's a stinking leopard (Panthera pardus).
I say "stinking" for entertainment purposes only.
In fact, most animals do smell - some on purpose. :)
Louis Braille.
"Louis Braille (English pronunciation: /ˈbreɪl/; French: [lwi bʁɑj]) (January 4, 1809 – January 6, 1852) was the inventor of braille,[1] a system of reading and writing used by people who are blind and visually impaired. One reads braille by passing one's fingers over characters, each of which is an arrangement of one to six embossed points. The system has been adapted for languages worldwide."
List of commonly misused English words - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Illustrated example: the Jupiter AM-13 Rocket was DISCRETE, but Gordo "The Space Monkey" was DISCREET
By all means (necessary), please read:
List of commonly misused English words - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
List of commonly misused English words - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Let's illustrate an example, with a maximum card.
Discreet means "circumspect".
Discrete means "having separate parts", as opposed to contiguous.'
Discrete means "having separate parts", as opposed to contiguous.'
The Jupiter AM-13 Rocket was DISCRETE, but Gordo "The Space Monkey" was DISCREET.
The poor "squirrel monkey" had no freakin' idea that SPACE TRAVEL is next.
So it was probably circumspect, in his own way...
As part of the NASA space program, Gordo, also known as "Old Reliable", was launched from Cape Canaveral on December 13, 1958 in the U.S. Jupiter AM-13 rocket.
The rocket would travel over 1500 miles and reach a height of 310 miles (500 km) before returning to Earth and landing in the South Atlantic.
A technical malfunction prevented the capsule's parachute from opening and, despite a short search, neither his body nor the vessel were ever recovered.[1]"
:(
Beautifully-designed maxicard from Romania.
See that blue planet in the vastness of space?
That's ours!
Until we screw-up...
"Mary, Queen of Scots"? No, "Marie of Edinburgh, Queen of Romanians". Maximum cards from Romania
"Marie of Romania (Marie Alexandra Victoria, previously Princess Marie of Edinburgh; 29 October 1875–18 July 1938) was Queen consort of Romania from 1914 to 1927, as the wife of Ferdinand I of Romania."
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Please visit and join ABC Wednesday meme!
http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/
Today, R is for Romania, Royalty...:)
Today, R is for Romania, Royalty...:)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
World's Largest indoor Photo: Strahov Philosophical Library, Prague - 40 Gigapixel 360º Panorama. Also, I show you (again) my first blogpost, a maximum card with James Dean, his photo camera and some books
World's Largest indoor Photo: Strahov Philosophical Library, Prague - 40 Gigapixel 360º Panorama
This is a great maximum card, in my opinion, because the postcard shows actor and cult figure James Dean in a characteristic pose/posture.
James Dean is NOT turning his back on books and reading.
I am not accusing him of being a bookworm, either.
He's just leaning on them....relying on them for support...at least head support.
In fact, aren't some (many?) of us using books for mind support...soul support...not just skull support?
It also shows a facsimile of his autograph/signature.
Facsimile (the likeness of the signature) is the next best thing to the real deal, to an original autograph.
I have bought from North Carolina this postcard, printed in UK.
In my home state, Virginia, I have affixed the stamp to a light-background area of the postcard.
Then I have mailed it, along with other items, to the Hollywood, California 90028 Post Office and I have asked for a postmark, on each of them.
From now on, I hope that this James Dean maxicard will be viewed by people from 6 continents - it's improbable that some researcher in Antarctica will stumble upon it...:)
#37980005: WOA LONGEST RIVER SYSTEM NON-AUTOGRAPHED MAXIMUM CARD (I CREATED ONLY A HANDFUL) [5 USD]
The mighty Mississippi River...
#37980005: WOA LONGEST RIVER SYSTEM NON-AUTOGRAPHED MAXIMUM CARD (I CREATED ONLY A HANDFUL) [5 USD]
I hope that the authorities will spare no effort to help the flood victims...
Best wishes to all affected, and all helpers!
"Fourteen Mississippi counties affected by flooding have been declared major disaster areas eligible for federal assistance."
"Most Americans do not realize that the "Great American River" (Lower & Middle Mississippi-Missouri-Jefferson-Beaverhead-Red Rock-Hellroaring Creek) is the third longest river in the world, exceeded only by the Nile and the Amazon."
Now it's a catastrophic situation, but in the past, when the river was within normal parameters, navigating was a pleasure. Although nothing is as easy as it seems.
Steamboats on the Mississippi...
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Please visit and join Ruby Tuesday meme!
Please visit and join Ruby Tuesday meme!
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Bulletproof Dog That Stormed Bin Laden's Lair | Fast Company. Also, I show you maxicards from Romania, with a German Shepherd dog "with American speed and German tactics" [to paraphrase an old joke]
Please read, from my most favorite business magazine, Fast Company:
The Bulletproof Dog That Stormed Bin Laden's Lair | Fast Company
The Bulletproof Dog That Stormed Bin Laden's Lair | Fast Company
Of course, you recognize the German Shepherd above, UL and LR.
Don't bring an Afghan [dog] to Pakistan.
Don't bring a Boxer [dog] to a gunfight.
Maxicards from Romania.
"The German Shepherd Dog (GSD, also known as an Alsatian), (German: Deutscher Schäferhund) is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany.[2]
The German Shepherd is a relatively new breed of dog, with its origin dating to 1899.
As part of the Herding Group, the German Shepherd is a working dog developed originally for herding and guarding sheep.
Because of its strength, intelligence and abilities in obedience training it is often employed in police and military roles around the world.[3]
German Shepherds currently account for 4.6% of all dogs registered with the American Kennel Club.
Due to its loyal and protective nature, the German Shepherd is one of the most registered of breeds."
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Trained attack dog Samo leaps forward toward a decoy's arm wrap as Tech. Sgt. David Adcox restrains him.
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Biserica Trei Ierarhi (Church of the Three Hierarchs) is a seventeenth-century monastery located in Iaşi, Romania. Incorruptible bodies, retardation, saponification...Maximum card from Romania
"Biserica Trei Ierarhi (Church of the Three Hierarchs) is a seventeenth-century monastery located in Iaşi, Romania.
The monastery is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments[1] and included on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Site."
"The church was erected between 1637 and 1639, in the Moldavian capital, in honour of three saints (Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, and John Chrysostom), and was blessed by Bishop Varlaam.
In 1640, Prince Vasile Lupu, the renowned defender of the Orthodox Church, set up here the first printing press in Moldavia and the Vasilian College, a higher education institute. In 1643, the first volume ever printed in Moldavia was issued in Iaşi.
The Trei Ierarhi Church was dedicated by Vasile Lupu to the 20 monasteries on Mount Athos.
Several Romanian royal figures are buried inside the church: Tudosca (Vasile Lupu's first wife) and Ştefan Vodă, their son; prince and scholar Dimitrie Cantemir (1673–1723); and Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the first ruler of the united Romanian principalities (1859–1866)."
"The church became renowned for the extraordinary lacery in stone which adorns the facades, from bottom to the top of the derricks. One can count over 30 non-repeating registers of decorative motives.
Western architectural elements (Gothic, Renaissance) combine with the Eastern style, of Armenian, Georgian, Persian, Arabian or Ottoman inspiration, in a totally bold conception, whose result is a harmonious ensemble.
The effusive scenery makes the church resemble a shrine of architectonic proportions, especially conceived to protect the Sfanta Cuvioasa Parascheva's relics (1641).
After the 1882 restoration, the original fresco was derusted, some fragments still being kept today in the monastery's museum.
Near the church one can find the Gothic Hall, which shelters a religious art museum.
It has, among other things, objects related to the history of the monastery. In the gate's tower (which today no longer exists), that served as belfry, Vasile Lupu had installed a huge horologe, the first public use clock in Moldavia (1654).
During the 1882 restoration, the whole mechanism was disassembled and transported to France, where it remained." [Thanks, France! Do you still need it?]
Parascheva's body, upon exhumation, was found to be INCORRUPTIBLE,
and then her relics were NOT "lost in translation"
"Christian tradition states that after an old sinner was buried near Paraskevi’s grave, the saint protested by appearing in a dream to a local monk. The vision informed the monk where the saint had been buried; when the body was unearthed, it was found to be incorruptible.[1] The relics were translated to the church of the Holy Apostles in Katikratia.[1]"
Here is a similar example of (almost) incorruptible body:
For Joe Sixpack, The Incorruptibles can only mean some cops who could not be bribed by the gangstas.
"Incorruptibility is a Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox belief that supernatural intervention allows some human bodies to avoid the normal process of decomposition after death.
Bodies that reportedly undergo little or no decomposition, or delayed decomposition, are sometimes referred to as incorrupt or incorruptible (adjective) or as an incorruptible (noun)."
"Although incorruptibility is still recognised as supernatural in Roman Catholicism, it is no longer counted as a miracle in the recognition of a saint.[1][clarification needed]
Incorruptibility is seen as distinct from the good preservation of a body, or mummification. Incorruptible bodies are often said to have the odour of sanctity, exuding a sweet or floral, pleasant aroma."
Wake up and smell the relics.
"In Roman Catholicism, if a body remains incorruptible after death, this is generally seen as a sign that the individual is a saint, although not every saint is expected to have an incorruptible corpse.
When the Catholic Church recognized incorruptibles, a body was not deemed incorruptible if it had undergone an embalming.
As such, although the body of Pope John XXIII remains in a remarkably intact state, after its exhumation, Church officials quickly pointed out that the Pope's body had been embalmed and that there was a lack of oxygen in his sealed triple coffin."
So the Pope was disqualified from "incorruptibility".
Retardation [relax, Sarah, it's not what you think] and Saponification
"The two main positions on incorruptibility can be summarized as an argument for a physical or environmental cause, and an argument for a spiritual cause.
Physical causes include conditions such that decomposition is significantly slowed down.
There are a number of ways of retarding decomposition, but the mechanism commonly stated is that of saponification.
Another environmental condition that can be the cause of retarding decomposition is a burial ground that is cool and dry.
The retardation of decomposition also occurs if the ground is composed of soil that is high in certain compounds that bring the bodies' moisture to the surface of the skin.
It is also suggested that bodies with low amounts of muscle and body fat tend to resist decomposition better.
The argument for a spiritual cause may include a belief that the pious nature of the individual in some way permeated the flesh (a metaphysical cause having a physical effect), or a belief that decomposition was prevented by the intervention of God, or some other supernatural agent, as the body will be resurrected later."
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At the top, you saw the blue sky of Moldova (still called Moldavia in English), a region that is about one third of Romania.
That Moldova is the western half of historical Moldova, a Romanian land.
The Eastern half of historical Moldova is now called Republic of Moldova.
Rhetorical question: USSR, why did you annex by military force the Eastern Moldova?
Hmm, you sound like Bill Clinton...
So, MIGHT MAKES RIGHT, huh?
We'll see about that...:)
Reminder: USSR/Russia, you also have to return the Romanian Treasure!
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Happy Blue Monday! (meme)
Please visit: http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/
