Can you spot a heart shape here? Hint: it's upside-down. Guest Heart Thursday meme. Official (from the Post) maximum card/ maxicard/ dorincard with Boxer Dogs, from Suomi/ Finland.

"White Boxers

Boxers with white markings covering more than one-third of their coat - conventionally called "white" Boxers - are neither albino or rare; approximately 20–25% of all Boxers born are white.^[5]Genetically, these dogs are either fawn or brindle, with excessive white markings overlying the base coat color. Like fair-skinned humans, white Boxers have a higher risk of sunburn and associated skin cancers than colored Boxers. The extreme piebald gene, which is responsible for white markings in Boxers, is linked to congenital sensorineural deafness in dogs. It is estimated that about 18% of white Boxers are deaf in one or both ears,^[6] though Boxer rescue organizations see about double that number.^[7][8] In the past, breeders often euthanized white puppies at birth; today, most breeders place white puppies in pet homes with spay/neuter agreements. White Boxers are disqualified from conformation showing by the breed standard, and are prohibited from breeding by every national Boxer club in the world. They can compete in non-conformation events such as obedience and agility, and like their colored counterparts do quite well as service and therapy dogs."

Temperament

“	The character of the Boxer is of the greatest importance and demands the most solicitous attention. It is renowned from olden times for its great love and faithfulness to its master and household. It is harmless in the family, but distrustful of strangers, bright and friendly of temperament at play, but brave and determined when aroused. Its intelligence and willing tractability, its modesty, and cleanliness make it a highly desirable family dog and cheerful companion. It is the soul of honesty and loyalty, and is never false or treacherous even in its old age.	”
	— 1938 AKC Boxer breed standard[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer_(dog) "Never false or treacherous even in its old age"...compare that with grumpy old pets, especially males. Ungrateful pets... Compare that with dubious or dangerous pets such as Travis The Chimp, possible posthumous spokeperson for U-Maul Company.  To stop him, it wasn't enough a simple stabbing with a kitchen knife, by her desperate female owner who had been taking care of him with food-and-beverage-including-wine-and-bathing(!)-and-sleeping(!)-accomodations(?). It took police firepower, after Travis ripped apart the side-view mirror of a police cruiser and then he (it?) lunged to assault a police officer, too. How hard would have been for a big, muscular male chimpanzee to also rip apart a human's head? Not hard at all. A specialist said that a male chimp can be 10 times stronger (especially in the upper torso) than an average human male. "Travis walked up to the police car when it arrived and tried to open a locked passenger door, instead smashing a side-view mirror. Then he went calmly around to the driver's-side door and opened it, at which point Officer Frank Chiafari shot him several times. Travis retreated to the house, where he was found dead next to his cage.[8]" "He [Travis] was adopted by Sandra and Jerome Herold when he was three days old.[2" "Jerome died from cancer in 2004, and their only child died in a car accident; as a result, Sandra Herold considered Travis as a son and pampered him.[8][14] Sandra slept and bathed with Travis saying, "I'm, like, hollow now. He slept with me every night. Until you've eaten with a chimp and bathed with a chimp, you don't know a chimp." [16][17" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travis_(chimpanzee) How well did SHE know a chimp, mauling and all? Moral: you want a house pet? Don't take a chimpanzee, tiger, etc. Take a good breed of dog or cat, or so.

Please visit and join The Guest Heart Thursday meme!

http://clytie-randomhearts.blogspot.com/

Welcome to Guest Heart Thursday -
A place to share YOUR hearts!

Egypt, Israel and a Strategic Reconsideration | STRATFOR. Also, a visual metaphor of the relationships (intended? perceived? real?) between two countries such as Egypt and Israel: mailed maximum card (USA) with my giant panda personalized stamp and a postcard with dog-drawn trumpeting (or releasing WickedLicks?) panda

Egypt:
Egypt (ⁱ /ˈiːdʒɪpt/; مصر, Miṣr, Arabic: [mesˤɾ]; Egyptian Arabic: [mɑsˤɾ]; Coptic: Ⲭⲏⲙⲓ, Kīmi), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt


Israel: 
Israel (ⁱ /ˈɪzriəl/; Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל‎‎, Yisrā'el; Arabic: إِسْرَائِيل‎, ʾIsrāʾīl), officially the State of Israel (Hebrew:  מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל (help·info), Medīnat Yisrā'el; Arabic: دَوْلَة إِسْرَائِيل‎, Dawlat ʾIsrāʾīl).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel


War and Peace...How Much Land Does a Man Need...The Living Corpse...The Power of Darkness.
All these are NOT about Egypt and Israel (or are they?), but they are titles of  literary works by Lev Tolstoi:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolstoi


Please read: Egypt, Israel and a Strategic Reconsideration | STRATFOR

Let's say, shall we, that this could be (or is, if we so decide) a visual metaphor of the relationships (intended? perceived? real?) between two countries such as Egypt and Israel.

Feel free to comment ("Would it kill ya' to comment?") about how you interpret it.

Who's The Dog, and who's The Dawg (some human mastermind of this)?

Who's The Bear (giant panda bear)?

Who's [not whose, you grammar-averse students - you know who you are :) ] The Master, and who's The Servant here...if any?

Is that "team" going anywhere? Or just wherever The Dog finds a more compelling smell?

Are they at peace, or they could start a fierce fight at any time?

Is The Bear trumpeting, or just... releasing WikidLicks?

Who are The Puppet Masters, The Directors behind the scenes like this?

:)

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Please visit the newly started Postcard Exchange meme. "For the meme, we do it every Wednesday and the Linky is open until Friday. We'll start again tomorrow. Hope you can join us."

http://www.thelearningcenterbkk.com/2011/01/postcard-exchange-meme-starts-tomorrow.html

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For my giant panda bear and the German shepherd dog - is it "romantic" or "practical" to team up?

Or neither, nor?

:)

Please visit the Two 4 Tuesday meme:

http://www.two4tuesday.com/home/two4tuesday/

From Picasa album Erin - Received Handmade cards

Great cover about Arctic Barents Race for dogsleds - if only would have had a matching stamp, instead of the lynx stamp...:)

Who let the dogs out(back), Down Under? The Australian Dingo or Warrigal (Canis [lupus?] dingo) - maximum card/maxicard from Australia

"The Australian Dingo or Warrigal is an ancient, free roaming, primitive canine unique to the continent of Australia, specifically the outback. Its original ancestors are thought to have arrived with humans from southeast Asia thousands of years ago, when dogs were still relatively undomesticated and closer to their wild Asian Gray Wolf parent species, Canis lupus. Since that time, living largely apart from people and other dogs, together with the demands of Australian ecology, has caused them to develop features and instincts that distinguish them from all other canines".

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

Dingo pups in Berlin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dingowelpen_Berlin.JPG

In my personal, subjective opinion, The Dhole (Cuon alpinus) is the best (the ultimate) CURSORIAL hunter. Maximum cards (MCs) from Bhutan - Link and image from WWF Shop (I don't have these MCs!)

http://www.wwfstamp.com/oxid.php/sid/04f532520e273259575b86078de4ad4f/cl/details/anid/d744340da52d18294.95274776/listtype/search/searchparam/dhole

Someday, somehow, I will obtain these 4 maximum cards about this formidable animal...:)

Better yet, some philatelic partner/friend will cooperate with me in creating our own cool maximum cards. :)

Why would The Dhole be the best cursorial hunter?

Because "Though fearful of humans, dhole packs are bold enough to attack large and dangerous animals such as wild boar, water buffalo and tigers."

Print depicting a tiger being attacked by dholes from Samuel Howett & Edward Orme, Hand Coloured, Aquatint Engravings

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tigerdholes.jpg

"Before embarking on a hunt, clans go through elaborate prehunt social rituals involving nuzzling, body rubbing and homo [MY NOTE: "The name is BONDING. MALE BONDING." ] and heterosexual mounting.^[50] Dholes are primarily diurnal hunters, hunting in the early hours of the morning. They rarely hunt nocturnally, except on moonlit nights, indicating that they greatly rely on sight when hunting.^[51] Though not as fast as jackals and foxes, they can chase their prey for many hours.^[43] During a pursuit, one or more dholes may take over chasing their prey, while the rest of the pack keeps up at a steadier pace behind, taking over once the other group tires. Most chases are short, lasting only 500 metres.^[52] When chasing fleet-footed prey, they run at a pace of 30 mph.^[47] Dholes frequently drive their prey into water bodies, where the targeted animal's movements are hindered.^[53]

Once large prey is caught, one dhole will grab the prey's nose, while the rest of the pack pulls the animal down by the flanks and hind quarters. They do not use a killing bite to the throat.^[26] They occasionally blind their prey by attacking the eyes.^[54] Serows are among the only ungulate species capable of effectively defending themselves against dhole attacks, due to their thick, protective coats and short, sharp horns capable of easily impaling dholes.^[55] They will tear open their prey's flanks and disembowel it, eating the heart, liver, lungs and some sections of the intestines. The stomach and rumen are usually left untouched.^[5] Prey weighing less than 50 kg is usually killed within two minutes, while large stags may take 15 minutes to die. Once prey is secured, dholes will tear off pieces of the carcass and eat in seclusion.^[56] Unlike wolf packs, in which the breeding pair monopolises food, dholes give priority to the pups when feeding at a kill, allowing them to eat first.^[6] They are generally tolerant of scavengers at their kills.^[57]"

^"On some rare occasions, dholes may attack tigers. When confronted by dholes, tigers will seek refuge in trees or stand with their backs to a tree or bush, where they may be mobbed for lengthy periods before finally attempting escape. 

Escaping tigers are usually killed, while tigers which stand their ground have a greater chance of survival.^[44][60] Tigers are extremely dangerous opponents for dholes, as they have sufficient strength to kill a single dhole with one paw strike. Even a successful tiger kill is usually accompanied by losses to the pack.^[61] Dhole packs may steal leopard kills, while leopards may kill dholes if they encounter them singly or in pairs.^[42] Because leopards are smaller than tigers, and are more likely to hunt dholes, dhole packs tend to react more aggressively toward them than they do with tigers.^[17] It was once thought that dholes were a major factor in reducing Asiatic cheetah populations, though this is doubtful, as cheetahs live in open areas as opposed to forested areas favoured by dholes.^[62]

Dhole packs occasionally attack Asiatic black bears and sloth bears. When attacking bears, dholes will attempt to prevent them from seeking refuge in caves, and lacerate their hind quarters.^[42]"

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

Triple-concordant maximum card from a DEAD COUNTRY, in philatelic terms (TRANSKEI, an ex-bantustan inside Republic of South Africa): The African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus), the second-best cursory hunter. The best (the ultimate) would be The Dhole, in my opinion.

Notice the cool, pictorial, concordant, detailed, clean and clear postmark.

If Transkei could do it (or their philatelic contractor...), then why couldn't ALL the "developed" countries do it? Too many awful postmarks are still being applied today, around the world. Wake up and smarten up, National Postal Administrations! Improve your business appearance, "will ya"? :)

See my previous blogpost for more maximum cards/maxicards with this phenomenal hunter.

The penultimate CURSORIAL hunter: The African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) - WWF maximum cards/maxicards/dorincards about Guinea (République de Guinée)

"The African Wild Dog, Lycaon pictus, is a large canid found only in Africa, especially in savannas and other lightly wooded areas. It is also called the African Hunting Dog, Painted Wolf, Cape Hunting Dog, Painted Dog, Painted Hunting Dog, Spotted Dog or Ornate Wolf."

"The African Wild Dog hunts in packs. Like most members of the dog family, it is a cursorial hunter, meaning that it pursues its prey in a long, open chase. Nearly 80% of all wild dog hunts end in a kill; for comparison, the success rate of lions, often viewed as ultimate predators, is only 30%. Schaller found that 9 of 10 wild dog hunts in the Serengeti ended in kills. ^[12]. Members of a pack vocalize to help coordinate their movements. Its voice is characterized by an unusual chirping or squeaking sound, similar to a bird. Wild dogs frequently kill larger prey via disemboweling, a technique that is rapid but has caused this species to have a negative, ferocious reputation."

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

"Men are not dogs. Dogs are LOYAL!" - Wanda Sykes. Shipping Labels from Zazzle.com

"Men are not dogs. Dogs are LOYAL!" - Wanda Sykes. Shipping Labels from Zazzle.com

Another element of a mailpiece, that can be personalized as you wish, is your address label.
This is an example of how you can add your favorite photo to it, such as your beloved puppy.
Then you personalize it online with your own mailing address.
The image above shows the bigger model - a shipping label.
The mid-size is the address label.
The smallest size is the return label.
You can see them all, customizable, in my zazzle store. Click on the links to visit, if you want.

Every day, in USA, about 11,000 cats and dogs (many of them are adoptable) have to be euthanized [translation: put to sleep] [further translation: killed] in animal shelters.
Those unfortunate cats and dogs can't "claim sanctuary"...

Why a DOG EATS DOG World, and not a DOG LOVES DOG World? Maxicard (USA)

I am showing you that I used a folded postcard, and I don't care if anybody, including FIP Commission for Maximaphily, would say that it is NOT a maximum card.

So what if it's a folded postcard?

I like it, I use it.

As long as it's not meant to be exhibited by their rules, why play by their rules?

Make your own rules, for your private enjoyment.

Do what makes YOU happy.

Now, it can be cut in two, or it can be glued so it becomes "a thicker postcard".

Or it can be enjoyed just the way it is.

And IF I care to pacify the "righteous" crowd of ultra-orthodox, fanatical followers of traditional maximaphily rules (rules inherited pretty much from around 1950), then I COULD say that it's not a traditional FIP maximum card.
Instead, it's a non-traditional maximum card.
Either way, to me it's a DORINCARD [or whatever].
You, too, can name your creations any way you want.
:)

A Finnish reader might tell us the translation of the text from the other postcard, scanned in the same pass.
Or we could each use www.translate.google.com, for an imperfect translation.
:)

Curiousity killed the cat? Not this time. Maxi-card (USA)

I added here the second image, to show you that it's a folded postcard ("greeting card") that I used to create the Curious Cat maximum card. In the same pass, I scanned a foldable postal card with dogs.

Dog literally ON the phone - maximum card (USA)

I added my MPP postmark on the back, too, for clarity.

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

I will create someday gorgeous maximum cards with wonderful panoramic postcards like these:

And now some lovely dogs.

Suomi/Finland...one of my most favorite countries!

About 5.4 million people, 2 million firearms, very few shooting sprees, top-of-the-world education system, many passionate collectors of postcards, stamps, etc.

"Finland has been ranked the second most stable country in the world, in a survey based on social, economic, political and military indicators.^[6]

Finland was a relative latecomer to industrialization, remaining a largely agrarian country until the 1950s. Thereafter, economic development was rapid, and the country reached the world's top income levels in the 1970s. Between 1970 and 1990, Finland built an extensive welfare state. In the aftermath of the country's severe depression in the early 1990s, successive governments have changed the Finnish economic system through some privatisation, deregulation and tax cuts.

Finland is well placed in international comparisons of national performance such as the share of high-technology manufacturing and health care.^[7] The country is ranked 1st in the 2009 Legatum Prosperity rating, which is based on economical performance and quality of life.^[8]"

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

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English to Finnish translation

Fragmentti siitä http://www.squidoo.com/dorincard, käännetty Englanti suomeksi.
maximaphily = kerätä mahdollisimman kortteja (postikortin + leima + postileima)Maximaphily
Maximaphily on osa filatelian tai leima kerätä, että keinot kerätä mahdollisimman kortteja.Yleensä suurin kortti on postikortti, jossa leima ja postileima kuvan puolella. Ihannetapauksessa nämä kaikki 3 elementtiä olisi sopusoinnussa, mutta ei samanlaisia.Perinteinen tapa on noudattaa sääntöjä FIP (International Postimerkkikeskus Federation).
http://www.maximaphily.info
Kuin perinteisellä tavalla, koska olen sitä kutsuvat, on noudatettava kenenkään sääntöjä! Ellet halua sitä, tietenkin.Pyydän DORINCARD kaikki postikortti, joka oli henkilökohtainen lisäämällä leima ja postileima, kuvaa puolella postikortti. Perinteinen tapa, tai ei. :)

Contribute a better translation

^{------------------------------}

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

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/