Striped White Tiger 3 Postage Stamps from Zazzle.com

Striped White Tiger 3 Postage Stamps from Zazzle.com

Maximum card from Australia Post: Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus)

Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus).

Wait till you see the uncommon wombats.

The other two species are hairy-nosed. :)

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

There was a recent attack on a man, in Australia. Combat with Wombat.

:)

Polar bear, (Ursus maritimus), mother and two cute Postage Stamps from Zazzle.com

Polar bear, (Ursus maritimus), mother and two cute cubs Postage Stamps from Zazzle.com

Non-FIP maximum card/ maxicard/ dorincard: Deer from Shenandoah National Park, VA, USA

I was exasperated by the smudging of the postmark ink on the glossy postcards, so I experimented with the non-FIP solution of using a label. Oh, well, I like it. 

At least I can see the postmark, which ideally should have been from a post office in or near the park.

Anyway, I consider it as a modest salute/tribute/honor to Shenandoah, originating from Sterling, VA, near my home.

That postmark is from my own Mailer's Postmark Permit canceler, which uniquely identifies me as permit holder #67 (I should have had #1, I guess, but my pre-cancel application # to USPS was aggregated with the 66 bulk mailers from that zipcode).

"The most difficult thing of those three mentioned in the title is to create your own pictorial postmark, legal and valid for postage with your Post (USPS in my case - the United States Postal Service)."

Details here: http://dorinco.webs.com/

Fragment from http://www.squidoo.com/dorincard, translated from English into Estonian

I have learned many good things about Estonia - I like it! :)

Also, the few maximum cards/maxicards that I have from there are very nicely and cleanly realized - beautiful!

World-class postmarks, stamps and postcards.
---------------
"The settlement of modern day Estonia began around 8500 BC, immediately after the Ice Age. Over the centuries, the Estonians were subjected to Danish, Teutonic, Swedish and Russianrule. Foreign rule in Estonia began in 1227. In the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade the area was conquered by Danes and Germans. From 1228–1562, parts or most of Estonia were incorporated into a crusader state Terra Mariana, that became part of the Ordensstaat, and after its decline was formed the Livonian Confederation. During the era economic activities centered around the Hanseatic League. In the 1500s Estonia passed to Swedish rule, under which it remained until 1710/1721, when it was ceded to the Russian Empire.

The Estophile Enlightenment Period (1750–1840) led to a national awakening in the mid-19th century. In 1918 the Estonian Declaration of Independence was issued, to be followed by theEstonian War of Independence (1918–1920), which resulted in the Tartu Peace Treatyrecognizing Estonian independence in perpetuity. During World War II, Estonia was occupied and annexed first by the Soviet Union^[15][16][17] and subsequently by the Third Reich, only to be re-occupied by the Soviet Union in 1944.

Estonia regained its independence on August 20, 1991. It has since embarked on a rapid programme of social and economic reform. Today, the country has gained recognition for its economic freedom,^[18] its adaptation of new technologies^[19] and was one of the world's fastest growing economies for several years.^[20] However, Estonia's economy was second worst hit of all 27 European Union members in the 2008–2009 economic crisis,^[21] contracting sharply in the first quarter of 2009.^[22]"

^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estonia}

--------------------------------

English to Estonian translation

Katkend http://www.squidoo.com/dorincard, tõlkida inglise keelest eesti keelde
maximaphily = koguda maksimaalselt kaardid (postkaart + tempel + postitempel)Maximaphily
Maximaphily on filiaali filateelia või tempel koguda, mis tähendab, et koguda maksimaalselt kaarte.Üldiselt, kuni kaart on postkaart, templiga ja postitempli pildil poolel. Ideaalis peaks kõik need 3 elementi tuleks kattuvad, kuid mitte identsed.Traditsioonilisel viisil on kooskõlas eeskirjadega FIP (International Philatelic Föderatsioon).http://www.maximaphily.infoMittetraditsiooniline nii, nagu ma seda nimetada, on jälgida kedagi eeskirju! Kui te ei soovi ta, muidugi.Kutsun DORINCARD tahes postkaardi, mis oli isikliku lisades tempel ja postitempel pildil pool postkaart. Traditsioonilisel viisil või mitte. :)

Contribute a better translation

-------------------------

Fragment from http://www.squidoo.com/dorincard, translated from English into Estonian

maximaphily = collecting maximum cards (postcard + stamp + postmark)

Maximaphily

Maximaphily is a branch of philately, or stamp collecting, that means collecting maximum cards.

Generally, a maximum card is a postcard, with a stamp and a postmark on the picture side. Ideally, all these 3 elements should be concordant, but not identical.

The traditional way is to comply with the rules of FIP (International Philatelic Federation).

http://www.maximaphily.info

The non-traditional way, as I call it, is to follow nobody's rules! Unless YOU want it, of course.

I call DORINCARD any postcard that was personalized by adding a stamp and a postmark, on the picture side of the postcard. Traditional way, or not. :)

Philately (stamp collecting), as a confluence of domains: learning, writing, web design, business administration, etc.
http://dorincard.blogspot.com
http://dorinco.webs.com
http://www.squidoo.com/dorincard
http://www.delcampe.com/stores/dorinco
http://www.zazzle.com/dorinco*/
http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/ll201/dorincard/

Little Mermaid/Disney maximum card/maxicard (USA)

Personalized stamp that I created at zazzle.com: African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis)

http://www.zazzle.com/african_forest_elephant_loxodonta_cyclotis_postage-172841520443678126?rf=238693463283865848

Here is a Zazzle stamp that I have designed and dedicated to my fellow postcrosser (http://www.forum.postcrossing.com) mingshu (Irene, from Finland).
She is very passionate about elephants. :)

"Elephants are large land mammals in two genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta. Three species of elephant are living today: the African Bush Elephant, the African Forest Elephant and the Asian Elephant (also known as the Indian Elephant). All other species and genera of Elephantidae are extinct, some since the last ice age: dwarf forms of mammoths may have survived as late as 2,000 BC.[1] Elephants and other Elephantidae were once classified with other thick-skinned animals in a now invalid order, Pachydermata."

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

http://www.pibburns.com/cryptost/pygmyele.htm

Happy Valentine Day, or Best Wishes to you even if you're not observing it!

The point is not "Are you a tough cookie?". It's "Are you a good enough cookie?"
What about the other cookies? Who's to say you're better than them?
And if you are, then who am I to deserve you?
The challenge is not to find the best cookie out there, but the one that's most suitable for you, IF we're talking  long-term relationship.

No, it's not a current photo of the White House

Yes, in the Greater Washington, D.C. area we are covered in snow, ice, and more snow, but this image is NOT from the White House lawn.
And those penguins are NOT politicians in disguise, although they always have fishy agendas on their minds.

"Now you see him, now you don't!" "Before, and after".

The title is a joke, of course. :)

I could further joke that the guy is an avid researcher, member of several herpetological societies. He wrestles with his python once a month, so that's his Mont(hl)y Python. 

The lower image shows his Full...Python. Full of food.

Joking aside, the upper image shows a young boa, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Snake,_Jersey_Zoo.jpg and the bottom shows an 8 meter-long sucuri from Pantanal, Brazil. That's a special boa, called anaconda - green anaconda, in this case. 

In the belly of the beast is a capybara, the world's largest rodent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capybara.

"Eunectes murinus (derived from the Greek "Ευνήκτης" meaning "good swimmer" and the Latin "murinus" translated into "he who predates on mice") is a non-venomous boa species found in South America. It is the most massive of all known snake species".

"Primarily aquatic, they eat a wide variety of prey, almost anything they can manage to overpower, including fish, birds, a variety of mammals, and other reptiles. Particularly large anacondas may even consume large prey such as tapir, deer, capybara, jaguars, black caiman, and crocodiles, but such large meals are not regularly consumed"

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

I especially like that lower image, an actual postcard from Brazil. Someday, I'll create a maximum card, with a matching stamp.

Here are a few anaconda stamps:

http://www.reptile-stamps.de/html/eunectes

The "no text" version of my "Tai Shan and Mei Xiang" Zazzle stamp

http://www.zazzle.com/giant_panda_bear_mother_and_cub_cute_cool_fun_postage-172011191158394817?rf=238693463283865848

Also, I have shifted the image so the Zoo tree, with its anti-climbing metallic trunk wrap is less visible.

This way, the image looks more wildlife than Zoo life.

Good bye, Tai Shan! The most beloved animal ever at the National Zoo, Washington, D.C. (USA)

http://www.zazzle.com/giant_panda_bear_cute_cub_tai_shan_mei_xiang_zoo_postage-172881826527237754?rf=238693463283865848

Maximum card: gray wolves (USA)

They say Homo...homini...lupus. [No, it's not about gays.]

But wolves were wolves (not werewolves) to wolves?

Or rather wolves are brothers (or enemies) to other wolves, as needed.

--------------------------------

ALPHA MALE: For now, lay your troubles on my shoulders, brother. Your head, too.

But remember: I am the Alpha Male, until proven otherwise.

BETA MALE: That day will come... Enjoy while you can!

ALPHA MALE: I heard that there is a gorgeous She-Wolf in Italy, called Lupa Capitolina. She adopted two human puppies, Romulus and Remus.

BETA MALE: Well, I heard there's another great one, in the Hollywood Wilderness: Lupa Angelina. She adopted many more humans.

ALPHA MALE: Yeah, she would be a great ALPHA FEMALE in our wolfpack, but I hear that she is involved with a Hill Billy Bob Cat...no, with a Great Dane Cook...no, with an Inverted Jenny (no, that's a rare stamp)...no! With a glorious non-basterd (purebred) American Pitt Bull, a cum laude braduate of The Fight Club Chez Vicks.  Lupa Angelina is "out of our forest". Furrrrr-getaboutit!

Two tigers in the same postcard

BOARD OF DIRECTORS, CEOs, ASSes - I could make this into dorincard kit#3.

This is a postcard available commercially, as you can see from the backside.

It's supposed to be a visual metaphor, is it not?

Leaders of all sorts come in all types, colors and values. Some are good, some are bad.

Your preferred negative example of a leader might deserve an AVATAR like an ass (or mule?) from the postcard.

Are those entities in the above image...asses (donkeys)? Mules? Horses? Zebras?

Don't ass-ume that you can horse around, walk on zebras and kick ass - it may be hazardous.

"Mules are generally less tolerant towards dogs than horses are.^{[citation needed]} They are also capable of striking out with any of their hooves in any direction, even sideways if needed.^{[citation needed]}

Mules exhibit a higher cognitive intelligence than their parent species - horses and donkeys. This is believed to be the result of hybrid vigour, similar to how mules acquire greater height and endurance than either parent. ^[8]

Mules are highly intelligent. They tend to be curious by nature. A mule generally will not let the rider put it in harm's way. However, the stereotype of the mule as being stubborn is somewhat unfair and inaccurate."

I hope you know an ass when you see it. I mean a donkey.

But do you know the difference between all of them, especially between a mule and a hinny?

[Can't you go to wikipedia.org by yourself? Why am I doing this?]

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

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

BOARD OF DIRECTORS, CEOs, FROGS... DIY do-it-yourself dorincard kit #2. Not yet a maximum card maxicard maxi card.

- Condition: uncirculated DIY do-it-yourself dorincard kit. Not yet a maximum card, maxicard, maxi card.
- Year: stamp from 2008, postmark from 2008 (if you want me to postmark it) or whenever you postmark it (if you want to have it postmarked later).

This dorincard kit is comprised of:
- BOARD MEETING TODAY, Frogs - commercially available postcard.
- BLANK customized postage, mint, valid for postage.

Optionally, I can do the postmarking on a transparent rectangular mailing address label over the postcard.
This way, you have a clear, sharp postmark that is not smeared on the glossy surface of the postcard or the stamp.

- Condition of the stamp: MNH ; large size (more expensive to produce)!  2.5x1.5 inches (63x38 mm)
- Year: 2008
- Catalog value: I ordered only 20 stamps; 3 (at least) I keep, 17 (at most) still available.

Zazzle: customized postage, personalized stamps, personalized stamp, personalised stamps, personalised stamp.

The stamp is valid for postage as such, blank as it is (only one postal use, please).
If you don´t intend to use it as postage, then you can further decorate it any way you want, for your own enjoyment.  Notice the large area, without any border.
You can even write text on it, with fine tip permanent marker.
You can temporarily or permanently attach an image.  Just try not to offend anyone...
Scan several versions of it.  Remember: you cannot and may not use duplicates as valid postage.  Each zazzle stamp has a unique ID code, valid one-time only.

Please visit my delcampe store to see many unusual items!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS, CEOs, PIGS... DIY do-it-yourself dorincard kit #1. Not yet a maximum card maxicard maxi card.

- Condition: uncirculated DIY do-it-yourself dorincard kit. Not yet a maximum card, maxicard, maxi card.
- Year: stamp from 2008, postmark from 2008 (if you want me to postmark it) or whenever you postmark it (if you want to have it postmarked later).

This dorincard kit is comprised of:
- BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Pigs -  commercially available postcard.
- BLANK customized postage, mint, valid for postage.

Optionally, I can do the postmarking on a transparent rectangular mailing address label over the postcard.
This way, you have a clear, sharp postmark that is not smeared on the glossy surface of the postcard or the stamp.

- Condition of the stamp: MNH; large size (more expensive to produce)!  2.5x1.5 inches (63x38 mm)
- Year: 2008
- Catalog value: I ordered only 20 stamps; 3 (at least) I keep, 17 (at most) still available.

Zazzle: customized postage, personalized stamps, personalized stamp, personalised stamps, personalised stamp.

The stamp is valid for postage as such, blank as it is (only one postal use, please).
If you don´t intend to use it as postage, then you can further decorate it any way you want, for your own enjoyment.  Notice the large area, without any border.
You can even write text on it, with fine tip permanent marker.
You can temporarily or permanently attach an image.  Just try not to offend anyone...
Scan several versions of it.  Remember: you cannot and may not use duplicates as valid postage.  Each zazzle stamp has a unique ID code, valid one-time only.

Please visit my delcampe store to see many unusual items!

LOVELY GIANT PANDA CUSTOM MAXIMUM CARD MAXICARD #10 HONG KONG CHINA. BEAUTIFUL FDOI PICTORIAL POSTMARK

LOVELY GIANT PANDA CUSTOM MAXIMUM CARD MAXICARD #9 HONG KONG CHINA. BEAUTIFUL FDOI PICTORIAL POSTMARK

LOVELY GIANT PANDA CUSTOM MAXIMUM CARD MAXICARD #7 HONG KONG CHINA. BEAUTIFUL FDOI PICTORIAL POSTMARK