How to Tell if Your Neighbor is a Bombmaker | STRATFOR. Also, some truffle-searchers and bombmakers are missing THIS. D'oh! Maximum cards from USA.

 Please read: How to Tell if Your Neighbor is a Bombmaker | STRATFOR

In Italy, there were some men with missing fingers.
Were they amateurish bombmakers?
No, they were truffle-searchers, and they have used domestic pigs for that purpose, of sniffing out the underground truffles..

Look at his ears!!!

Ears, fingers...omnivorous diet!

Let's say that the pig's ear to the left of the image way up is a black heart shape, chipped as it is, upside, at an angle.

Yes, it's a stretch, but so is any political decision, pretty much.

"Never wrestle with a pig" is a book title.
Well, wrestling truffles away from a pig's mouth is a risky endeavor, coz they can go...digital.
Eventually, the truffle-searchers smartened up and switched to using dogs. Dogs don't fancy truffles.
Duh...Doh...D'oh...

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

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!

New Google Tool Tells You How to Make Your Site Faster - read from mashable.com. Also, talking about speed - WOA FASTEST LAND ANIMAL [in the western hemisphere] PRONGHORN NON-AUTOGRAPHED MAXIMUM CARD (I CREATED ONLY A HANDFUL)

Please read: New Google Tool Tells You How to Make Your Site Faster

Talking about speed [just look, you don't have to compulsively buy anything]:

WOA FASTEST LAND ANIMAL [in the western hemisphere] PRONGHORN NON-AUTOGRAPHED MAXIMUM CARD (I CREATED ONLY A HANDFUL)

http://delcampe.com/page/item/id,0037985248,language,E.html

WOA doesn't necessarily mean the interjection Whoa!. :)
Here, it means Wonders of America, a cool series of 40 USPS stamps from 2006.

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

WHY is the pronghorn so fast?

Because it was chased, over time, 

by the prehistoric American cheetah. 

Seriously.

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

More details in a future blogpost.

Our enemies shape us, in time.

==========

Please visit http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

Wordless is good, but if you simply look at the above image, you may miss some of the important aspects about it.

Some images are best left wordless, but some could use some meaningful words. :)

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

Please visit and join ABC Wednesday meme!

http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/
Today, L is for Long-distance runner.

Most politicians would pass a BILL in favor of the SILVER SPOON-FED children of the rich. Not in favor of The Eurasian Spoonbill or Common Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia). WWF maximaphily "cartons" (since the postcards used for these MCs were NOT previously available commercially, as FIP CfM wants in its rules). But I still like such maximum cards! :)

"The Eurasian Spoonbill or Common Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae, breeding in southern Eurasia from Spain to Japan, and also in North Africa. 

Most birds migrate to the tropics in winter, with European breeders mainly going to Africa, but a few remaining in mild winter areas of western Europe north to the United Kingdom."

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

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

Happy Blue Monday! (meme)

Please visit:  http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

!!! 17 Nov 1882: postal card sent by Herr Scholem, from the city of Roman (Romania) to Herrn Josef Landau [?] in Stettin, Prussia/German Empire [present-day Szczecin, Poland]!!!

Ladies and gentlemen from around the world, this is the oldest postal/philatelic item that I own, so far!!!

Isn't that cool? :

I hereby make an appeal to everybody who has an advance knowledge of philately (especially postal history), and German language to help me uncover the story of this very old postal card.

Thank you!

What can I decipher?

17 Nov 1882: postal card sent by Herr Scholem, from the city of Roman (Romania) to Herrn Josef Landau [?] in Stettin, Prussia/German Empire [present-day Szczecin, Poland]!!!

The monetary sums appear to be denominated in K; I think that's Kreuzer:

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

More deciphering brainstorming about this - is happening here:

http://forum.postcrossing.com/viewthread.php?tid=54903&page=14

"Roman (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈroman]; Hungarian: Románvásár, German:Romesmark) is a mid-sized city, having the title of municipality, located in the central part of Moldavia, a traditional region of Romania. It is located 46 km east of Piatra Neamţ, in the Neamţ County at the confluence of Siret and Moldova rivers.

It is thought that the name was taken from Moldavian Voivode Roman I of Moldavia, believed to be its founder.^{[weasel words]} Roman's first son was Alexandru cel Bun."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman,_Romania

"Stettin developed into a major Prussian port and became part of the Prussian-led German Empire in 1871. 

While most of the province retained an agrarian character, Stettin was industrialized and its population rose from 27,000 in 1813 to 210,000 in 1900 and 255,500 in 1925.^[51] 

Major industries prospering in Stettin since 1840 were shipbuilding, chemical and food industries and machinery construction.^[47]

Starting in 1843, Stettin became connected to the major German and Pomeranian cities by railways, and the water connection to the Bay of Pomerania was enhanced by the construction of the Kaiserfahrt (now Piast) canal.^[47]"

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

Now, don't ask me about the text, coz Ich weiss nicht Deutsch so gut; nur ein wennig...:)

The coat of arms on this historic postcard belongs, of course, to the Kingdom of Romania. It has the royal motto:

"Nihil Sine Deo, Latin for "Nothing without God", is used as a motto by the German Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen royal family.

This formula was the motto of the Kingdom of Romania, while ruled by the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty (1878 - 1947). The motto is proudly displayed in the arms room of Peleş Castle."

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

"Timeline (1859 - 1939)

1859	Alexander John Cuza unites Moldavia and Wallachia under his personal rule.
1862	Formal union of Moldavia and Wallachia to form principality of Romania.
1866	Cuza forced to abdicate and a foreign dynasty is established. Carol I signed the first modern Constitution.
1877	April 16. Treaty by which the Russian troops are allowed to pass through Romanian territory April 24. Russia declares war to the Ottoman Empire and its troops enter Romania May 9. Romanian independence declared by the Romanian parliament, start of Romanian War of Independence May 10. Carol I ratifies independence declaration
1878	Under Treaty of Berlin, Ottoman Empire recognizes Romanian independence. Romania ceded southern Bessarabia to Russia.
1881	Carol I was proclaimed King of Romania on March 26. [MY NOTE: The postcard is dated in 1882, remember?]
1894	Leaders of the Transylvanian Romanians who sent a Memorandum to the Austrian Emperor demanding national rights for the Romanians are found guilty of treason.
1907	Violent peasant revolts crushed throughout Romania, thousands of persons killed.
1914	Death of Carol I, succeeded by his nephew Ferdinand.
1916	(August) Romania enters World War I on the Entente side. (December) Romanian Treasure sent to Russia for safekeeping, but was seized by Soviets after the Romanian army refused to withdraw from Bessarabia. [MY NOTE: cheese of the B type...]
1918	Greater Romania is created.
	By the Treaty of Versailles, Romania agreed to grant citizenship to the former citizens of Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires living in the new Romanian territories.
1919	A military conflict occurs between Romania and Hungarian Soviet led by Béla Kun. The Romanian Army takes over Budapest on 4 August 1919. The city is ruled by a military administration until 16 November 1919.
1920	The Treaty of Trianon upholds Romanian unification." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Romania You thought "it's a long way to Tipperary"? [that's a cultural reference, don't worry about it] It was a long, long way for the Romanian lands/principalities to achieve unification and independence from all those ancient and feudal enemies and invaders. Them B cheese... (Hint: read aloud, until you get it...) http://www.zazzle.com/yes_thats_an_euphemism_postage-172784866997600135?rf=238693463283865848

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

Happy Sunday Stamps meme!

Please visit: http://viridianpostcard.blogspot.com/

WWF maximum cards/ maxicards/ dorincards about São Tomé e Príncipe. Not a fish, but they call it Blackfish; a true killer, but not a true whale: The Killer Whale (Orcinus orca). Another species on these MCs: not even a true "killer whale" (not closely related): The False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens)

UL (upper-left) and LL: "The False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens) is a cetacean, and the third largest member of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). 

It lives in temperate and tropical waters throughout the world. 

As its name implies, the False Killer Whale shares characteristics such as appearance with the more widely known Orca (killer whale). 

Like the orca, the False Killer Whale attacks and kills other cetaceans. 

However, the two dolphin species are not closely related. 

The False Killer Whale is black with a grey throat and neck. 

It has a slender body with an elongated tapered head and 44 teeth. 

The dorsal fin is sickle-shaped and its flippers are narrow, short and pointed. 

It can grow up to 20 feet." 

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

 UR and LR: "The killer whale (Orcinus orca), commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family." 

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

"The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises^[2], which belong to suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales)." 

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

"Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas. 

Killer whales as a species have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey. 

Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals such as sea lions, seals, walruses and even large whales. 

Killer whales are regarded as apex predators, lacking natural predators and preying even [on] large sharks."

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

Trainer-killing orca Tilikum back in SeaWorld show

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12920267

I think that's a BAD idea, both for the safety of future trainers of Tilikum and others, and for the whole idea of confining big dolphins in small swimming pools.

They deserve large spaces to live properly.

===========

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Location_S%C3%A3o_Tom%C3%A9_and_Pr%C3%ADncipe_AU_Africa.svg

"São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. 

It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about 140 kilometres (87 mi) apart and about 250 and 225 kilometres (155 and 140 mi), respectively, off the northwestern coast of Gabon. 

Both islands are part of an extinct volcanic mountain range. São Tomé, the sizable southern island, is situated just north of the equator. 

It was named in honour of Saint Thomas by Portuguese explorers who happened to arrive at the island on his feast day.

São Tomé and Príncipe is the second-smallest African country in terms of population (the Seychelles being the smallest). 

It is the smallest country in the world that is not a former British overseas territory, a former United States trusteeship, or one of the European microstates. 

It is also the smallest Portuguese-speaking country."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A3o_Tom%C3%A9_and_Pr%C3%ADncipe

===========

Time for a stretch.

Today, let's make a stretch and pretend that we see a heart shape in the UL maximum card, behind the False Killer Whale.

Let's say that we see a heart formed by the water, with a little tsunami overwhelming half of that heart, if you see what I mean.

Metaphorically-speaking, today the heart of Japan is overwhelmed; half by the tsunami, half by the earthquake.

On top of that, radiation is spreading.

They'll have to build a deep-concrete sarcophagus, like in Chernobyl.

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

"Screwed" by the slipping of a screwdriver.

A fatal, supercritical mistake with The Demon Core:

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

Enjoy while you can, whatever you enjoy! Vita brevis...

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

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!

"Notre DAMA". ERROR: Not n'dama, as inscribed on the stamps (that's a cattle type), but: The Dama Gazelle (Nanger dama; formerly Gazella dama). WWF maximaphily items (maximum cards / maxicards / dorincards) from Senegal.

Nobody's perfect - not even a great organization like WWF:

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

Here's a stamp designing mistake that somebody made, and it went uncorrected, despite the best efforts of several editors, presumably. :)

But we know better, don't we?

Who the hell is WE?

We, The People. :)

ERROR: Not n'dama, as inscribed on the stamps (that's a cattle type), but: The Dama Gazelle (Nanger dama; formerly Gazella dama)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%27dama

It "is a species of gazelle. 

It lives in Africa in the Sahara desert and migrates south in search of food during the dry season. 

Their habitat includes open steppes, bushy, grassy steppes, semi-desert, and deserts, while their diet includes grasses, leaves, shoots, fruit, and especially Acacia leaves. 

After the rains return and the desert plants turn green, the gazelles move north back to the Sahara. 

Poaching and destruction of their habitat have greatly diminished their numbers, and they no longer live in large herds." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanger_dama

"Senegal is located on the west of the African continent. It lies between latitudes 12° and 17°N, and longitudes 11° and 18°W.

The Senegalese landscape consists mainly of the rolling sandy plains of the western Sahel which rise to foothills in the southeast. 

Here is also found Senegal's highest point, an otherwise unnamed feature [they DIDN'T name this] near Nepen Diakha at 584 m (1,916 ft). 

The northern border is formed by the Senegal River, other rivers include the Gambia and Casamance Rivers. 

The capital Dakar lies on the Cap-Vert peninsula, the westernmost point of continental Africa.

The Cape Verde islands lie some 560 kilometres (350 mi) off the Senegalese coast, but Cap Vert ("Cape Green") is a maritime placemark, set at the foot of "Les Mammelles" , a 105-metre (344 ft) cliff [at least they DID name this]

resting at one end of the Cap Vert peninsula onto which is settled Senegal's capital Dakar, and 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) south of the "Pointe des Almadies", the western-most point in Africa."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegal, except the comments in red, of course.

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

Does the Dama Gazelle suffer from fear of failure 

(= Atychiphobia)

...to find food every day, to find water, to escape predators?

God knows - let's ask him.

Well...he's unavailable for comment.

Atychiphobia...

in other words:  Kakorrhaphiophobia

http://www.zazzle.com/what_stamp_postage-172780532697535446?gl=dorinco&rf=238693463283865848

Atychiphobia

"Atychiphobes generally gather a defeatist attitude out of fear of failing, making them avoid trying to achieve anything due to potentially failing at it. 

They may also subconsiously undermine or sabotage their own efforts to prevent having to continue to try, and therefore preventing any potential failure. 

This strategy is known as avoidance behavior. 

Atychiphobes may also suffer from an inordinate sense of perfectionism, and may only try something that is guaranteed perfect and successful, or may try but will encounter excessive anxiety in the process due to unrealistically perfectionistic standards."

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

I'm telling you, man (and woman, too): perfectionism is a trap.

Don't fall into it!

:)

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

Please visit and join ABC Wednesday meme!

http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/

Today, K is for Kakorrahaphiophobia, or 

Atychiphobia.

Please visit Wordless Wednesday meme!

http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

Simply look at the "Notre DAMA" images, if you want no comments.

Or, read some of the above comments, too.

:)