From Peter M. - Scandinavian Stamps: A New Forum for Stamp Collectors: Stamp Bears

I agree! :)

Scandinavian Stamps: A New Forum for Stamp Collectors: Stamp Bears:
"A hobby-- on a large scale-- is also a community. And when it comes to communities, the ones that thrive are the ones that appear vibrant and "happening." I realize a lot of old-timers would be set in their ways and dismiss "vibrant and happening" as nonsense... because THEY don't need it. True enough.

But attracting new people to stamp collecting isn't about what appeals to "old philatelists," but about what appeals to youngsters and newcomers.


What I like about the Stamp Bears community is that its intent is to be a "family forum" for stamp collectors... and NOT "yet another forum for Serious Philatelists." The forum's focus and mission is very much about the fun and joy of simply "collecting stamps." This is not to say that you wouldn't enjoy it, if you were a "serious" collector... nor that "serious" philately isn't discussed.


The community was created and is run by a 30-something couple who are both stamp collectors, and they have two young daughters, who are also getting into collecting... thereby being a living example of a stamp collecting family.


As a collector with 40-something years of experience, I found the "atmosphere" of the forum very refreshing and friendly-- and I'd like to encourage you to click here and check it out!"

Official Stephen Colbert Postage Powered by Zazzle! « Zazzle Blog See this satirical videoclip! :)

Official Stephen Colbert Postage Powered by Zazzle! « Zazzle Blog

The Colbert Report
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I wrote this customer review (see below) for amazon.com, about those Colbert zazzle stamps.
In case that the review will not appear, for whatever reason, I am posting it here. :)

"If you want to use any of the normal stamps mass-printed by the millions by USPS, then you pay them face value. Or slightly below, at Costco, if you buy  at least 100 stamps.

If you want the PRIVILEGE of choosing a cool CUSTOM DESIGN for such a stamp (YOUR  design or somebody else's - but not from USPS), then you can choose from the few officially-licensed vendors of USPS.

THAT'S WHY it costs you more: because you CAN CHOOSE or CREATE the stamp DESIGN. :) Also, the worldwide print run can be as low as 20 stamps - not in the millions!

Also, you may get "customized postage" images of LIVING PEOPLE (including you), PETS, etc. which USPS would NEVER feature!

My favorite such vendor, by far, is the one shown in Stephen Colbert videoclip: zazzle.com, which offers you the option to not only buy your "personalized stamps", but also  sell them in the Public Gallery at Zazzle.

No competitor matches zazzle in that, and in creative possibilities for you, for stamps and  hundreds of other products.

Zazzle is not flawless, and I addressed that, too, in my blog Dorincard.

At zazzle, ANYBODY in the world can DESIGN AT NO COST ("FOR FREE"="FOR FOR NOTHING"), and if anybody buys something, a royalty will be paid to the creator.

I know from experience, because I designed, bought and sold numerous "personalized stamp" designs.

See my blog for images, comments, tips and tricks about that. :)"

Please visit the Message Board (on Delphi Forums) of The Virtual Stamp Club. For example, this thread: Philately - General - Maximum card images.

 For example, this thread:  Philately - General -  Maximum card images.(scroll the left column to find Philately-General, then find in that the Maximum card images thread).
The Virtual Stamp Club #31386.249
Navigate this discussion:  1-8 ...209-228 229-248 249-251


There are many other interesting philatelic topics there.
Ask, and there are many experts wiling and able to answer your question.

Help! I Inherited A Stamp Collection!

Help! I Inherited A Stamp Collection!

"The very first question you have to ask yourself - and you may already have answered - is do you want to keep it or get rid of it? If the latter, are you seeking money or gratitude?

If the latter - gratitude - you can skip most of the rest of this article and click here, and just pick a charitable organization. We recommend the American Philatelic Society, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation.

[MY NOTE: I also recommend a chapter of APS called American Topical Association - http://www.americantopicalassn.org/ . ATA is the largest affiliate of the American Philatelic Society.

"What is Topical Collecting?

Topical or thematic stamp collectors develop themes or story lines based on images or subjects of the collected stamps. They assemble their collections according to themes or topics instead of by country."

http://www.americantopicalassn.org/whatistopicalcollecting.html ]

If any of the other choices, including taking a tax deduction for your donation, then the first step is to get an idea of what's in the collection. The more work you do, the more you'll get from the collection.

You can just take all the books and boxes to a local stamp dealer, dump them on the counter, and say, 

"What will you give me for this?" but how will you know if you're getting a fair deal?

First, then, visit our Introduction to Stamp Collecting article just so you know a little bit about what you have. If you need more information, visit our Message Board and don't be afraid to ask. No one will jump down your throat."

BBC News - German police seek help over mystery 'forest boy'. Also, I give you info about worse cases: FERAL CHILDREN. Many famous examples were proven to be HOAXES, but here's a TRUE CASE: "Marie-Angélique Memmie Le Blanc, the Wild Girl of Songi, also known as the Wild Girl of Champagne (France, 1731).[9]:41-48[10] This is the only case of a child having survived 10 years in the forests (from November 1721 to September 1731),[citation needed] and the only feral child who succeeded in a complete intellectual rehabilitation,[citation needed] having learned to read and to write. According to biographer Serge Aroles, Marie-Angelique was 19 years old when she was captured, learned to read and write, and died rich on December 15, 1775 at the age of 63.[14] An Amerindian from Wisconsin (then a French colony), she was brought to France by a lady living in Canada and then escaped into the woods of Provence in 1721.[citation needed]". Also, I show you 3 MCs /DORINCARDS with MOWGLI, from DISNEY & KIPLING

BBC News - German police seek help over mystery 'forest boy'

Also, I give you info about worse cases: FERAL CHILDREN.
Many famous examples were proven to be HOAXES, but here's a TRUE CASE:

"Marie-Angélique Memmie Le Blanc, the Wild Girl of Songi, also known as the Wild Girl of Champagne (France, 1731).[9]:41-48[10]
This is the only case of a child having survived 10 years in the forests (from November 1721 to September 1731),[citation needed] and the only feral child who succeeded in a complete intellectual rehabilitation,[citation needed] having learned to read and to write.
According to biographer Serge Aroles, Marie-Angelique was 19 years old when she was captured, learned to read and write, and died rich on December 15, 1775 at the age of 63.[14]
An Amerindian from Wisconsin (then a French colony), she was brought to France by a lady living in Canada and then escaped [at age 9] into the woods of Provence in 1721.[citation needed]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feral_children

"Mowgli syndrome is a term used by Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty in her 1995 book Other Peoples' Myths: The Cave of Echoes to describe mythological figures who succeed in bridging the animal and human worlds to become one with nature, a human animal, only to become trapped between the two worlds, not completely animal yet not entirely human.^[1]

It is also a rarely used descriptive term for so-called feral children; "Mowgli syndrome" is not a recognized psychological or physiological malady. The term originates from the character Mowgli, a fictional feral child from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mowgli_Syndrome

Now, my 3 non-FIP MCs with 3 different stamps from BHUTAN and a Disney stamp from USA, just to get the Disney pictorial postmark:

My non-traditional MAXIMUM CARD / MAXICARD / DORINCARD with MOWGLI, from DISNEY & KIPLING.
At the time of that postmarking, 2006, USPS did not have yet a JUNGLE BOOK stamp, so I used one from BHUTAN.
USPS (unlike Royal Mail UK) officially allows a foreign stamp to be postmarked in the same stroke with one of its own (American, in this case).

My non-traditional MAXIMUM CARD / MAXICARD / DORINCARD with MOWGLI, from DISNEY & KIPLING.
At the time of that postmarking, 2006, USPS did not have yet a JUNGLE BOOK stamp, so I used one from BHUTAN.
USPS (unlike Royal Mail UK) officially allows a foreign stamp to be postmarked in the same stroke with one of its own (American, in this case).

My non-traditional MAXIMUM CARD / MAXICARD / DORINCARD with MOWGLI, from DISNEY & KIPLING.
At the time of that postmarking, 2006, USPS did not have yet a JUNGLE BOOK stamp, so I used one from BHUTAN.
USPS (unlike Royal Mail UK) officially allows a foreign stamp to be postmarked in the same stroke with one of its own (American, in this case).

Look closely, and you'll see that the bear's tongue is PINK, is it not? :)

===========

Happy Pink Saturday! (still open on Sunday!)

^{Please visit "Pretty in pink"/ "Show us your pink" [objects, that is :)] meme here:}

^{http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/}

Get Your Party On! "Here is a fabulous tutorial by seller allgreek2me about how to maximize your Zazzle earnings as a Zazzle Associate! "

Get Your Party On




Get Your Party On
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Get Your Party On Everyone loves a good party, and Zazzle knows just how to add that extra special custom touch to any great event. The coming months bring a multitude of opportunities to celebrate, so it is a good idea to start working on invitations, envelopes, postage and more to assist in your customers' many party planning needs. Oktoberfest The Germans definitely know how to throw a good party! Customers will be looking for Oktoberfest steins, t-shirts, invitations, stickers, and more. Popular themes for this holiday include beer, bratwurst, and everything German! Halloween As fall sets in, Halloween is on the brain. Consider creating fun designs for Halloween party invitations, cards and postage, t-shirts, and bags to use for trick-or-treating! Tailgates Now that football season has begun, tailgates abound and offer many opportunities to create entertaining and exciting invitation designs. Make sure that your products are template products so that it is easy for your customers to input their party details! Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a time of year when families and friends from around the country get together, and what better way to invite family to a Thanksgiving feast than with a customized invitation? You can create elegant, simplistic, modern, funny, or sentimental invitations to attract a wide audience. Don't forget to create matching envelopes and postage to complete the package! Get Inspired! Based on recent user trends, here are a few design ideas for the coming week: Republican Gifts Breast Cancer Gifts Halloween T-Shirts Tailgating Invitations Homecoming Gifts Football T-Shirts Seller Challenge Since this week's theme is all about parties, go ahead and throw your own get together where you send out custom invitations to friends or family specially designed by you! Tutorial of the Week Here is a fabulous tutorial by seller allgreek2me about how to maximize your Zazzle earnings as a Zazzle Associate! Think you've got a good tip? Make a video or write a blog post, then send us the link! What's New Featured Seller Interview Current Promotions Zazzle on the web Zazzle Blog Facebook Twitter YouTube Zazzle Forum Talk to Zazzle Have tips to share? Want to have your artwork considered for inclusion in an upcoming seller newsletter? Email us tips or a link to your store for consideration. Recent Seller Newsletters How To Get Your Products Featured: Part 2 Marketing Your Products with Google +1 Advanced Features for Designing Products New Prints Offerings Have Arrived! Excitement in October!

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Obama signs 1st major patent law change since 1952 - WTOP.com. Also, I present you info about the place where President OBAMA signed this today: the best PUBLIC high-school in America - Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST, TJ, Jefferson). Also, I show you my new MAXIMUM CARD with The THOMAS JEFFERSON MEMORIAL

Obama signs 1st major patent law change since 1952 - WTOP.com
"The bill is meant to ensure that the patent office, now facing a backlog of 1.2 million pending patents, has the money to expedite the application process. It now takes an average of three years to get a patent approved. More than 700,000 applications have yet to be reviewed.

"Somewhere in that stack of applications could be the next technological breakthrough, the next miracle drug," Obama said. "We should be making it easier and faster to turn new ideas into jobs.""

"The president signed the bill after touring Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va., where he examined student projects, including a wheelchair that responds to brain waves"

==========

Now, ladies and gentlemen, have you ever heard of TJHSST?

I did.

My wife and I went there numerous times, between 2004-2008, for some reasons. 

Parental reasons. :)

"Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST, TJ, Jefferson) is a Virginia state-chartered magnet school located in Alexandria, Virginia, United States.^[2] 

It is a regional high school operated by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

As a publicly funded and administered high school with selective admissions, TJHSST is often compared with notable public magnet schools, although it did get rid of non-application based admission after the class of 1988. Attendance at TJ is open to students in six local jurisdictions based on an admissions test and prior academic achievement. 

The selective admissions program was initiated in 1985 through the cooperation of state and county governments, as well as corporate sponsorship from the defense and technology industries. 

TJHSST occupies the building of the previously FCPS non-selective Thomas Jefferson High School (constructed in 1965). 

TJHSST is one of 18 Virginia Governor's Schools, and a founding member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology.

U.S. News & World Report ranked the school the best public high school in the nation in 2007,^[3]2008,^[4] 2009,^[5] and 2010."

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Address
6560 Braddock Road Alexandria, Virginia 22312
Information
School type	Public, magnet high school
Founded	1985
School district	Fairfax County Public Schools
Principal	Evan Glazer[1]
Staff	approximately 180
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	1,812  (2010-2011)
Language	English
Campus	Suburban
Color(s)	Blue, red and white
Mascot	Colonials
Newspaper	tjTODAY
Yearbook	Techniques
Feeder schools	Northern Virginia schools
Athletic conferences	Liberty District Northern Region
Website	http://www.tjhsst.edu

"It was also ranked #1 among "America's Best High Schools" in a study by U.S. News and World Report since 2007.^{[3][4][5][22]} 

Each year, over a quarter of its graduating class accepts admission to the University of Virginia. 

The other major schools attended by graduates are College of William and Mary,

  Duke University, and

 Princeton University in that order. [MY NOTE: Princeton campus became familiar to my family, in the past 3 years...:) ]

Other graduates attend Ivy League schools and high-ranking public and private schools across the nation.

For schools with more than 800 students in grades 10-12, TJHSST was cited as having 

the highest-performing AP Calculus BC, 

AP Chemistry, 

AP French Language, 

AP Government and Politics: U.S., 

and AP U.S. History courses 

among all schools worldwide."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tjhsst

Truth be told: there are several PRIVATE high-schools in America who are also VERY good. :)

=========

I show you my new MAXIMUM CARD with The THOMAS JEFFERSON MEMORIAL

"The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is a presidential memorial in Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to Thomas Jefferson, an American Founding Father and the third President of the United States. The neoclassical building was designed by John Russell Pope. It was built by Philadelphia contractor John McShain. Construction began in 1939, the building was completed in 1943, and the bronze statue of Jefferson was added in 1947.^[3]

The Jefferson Memorial is managed by the National Park Service under its National Mall and Memorial Parks division. In 2007, it was ranked fourth on the List of America's Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects."

Jefferson Memorial
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Memorial
Location:	Washington, D.C.
Area:	18.36 acres (74,300 m²)
Built:	1938
Architect:	John Russell Pope; Eggers & Higgins
Architectural style:	Classical Revival
Visitation:	2,312,726 (2005)
Governing body:	National Park Service
NRHP Reference#:	66000029
Significant dates
Added to NRHP:	October 15, 1966[1]
Designated NMEM:	April 13, 1943[2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_memorial

========================

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).