Sunday, December 19, 2010

Trains on stamps, Part 1: Stamps from Cuba, and one from Nicaragua. From my Showcase Collection (not Specialized Collection)


For me, the best way to enjoy collecting stamps (for educational purposes, not as a financial investment), is by creating a Showcase Collection: at least one stamp (simple, or on cover, or maximum card, etc.) from EVERY subject, theme, topic that interests me or others.

Why a Showcase Collection? 
"For the love of the game"...to promote this hobby - philately. Promoting online and offline.

I also have Specialized Collections, such as "Wild mammals on maximum cards".

For example, I'm not interested in yachting, but I'll keep at least one such stamp, for educational/illustrative purposes.
I'm not saying that I BUY all those stamps: some come free (not "for free" - pleonasm) from various sources.
So I am not spending much, even for those that I buy.
In fact, nowadays I mainly buy maximum cards - on the rare occasions when I buy anything.
Many of the stamps from my Showcase Collection are inexpensive CTOs (cancelled-to-order, valuing at about 25% of a mint stamp), from the days of my youth in Romania.

I am mildly interested in trains on stamps, but I kept a few of those that crossed my path.
In the above image from my stock book of stamps, notice a "stamps on stamps" series. In the lower left corner, there's a depiction of a stamp from the series exemplified by a stamp from that original series.
See that?

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Niagara Falls in winter - maximum card/maxicard from my good friend Terry (USA). Also, please support Wikipedia.org!


You could read yourself about Niagara Falls, if you really want.
Or I could give you the bottom line, in my subjective opinion, from my most favorite website in the world: wikipedia.org.
Or from other source.

But I want to invite you to read this, and contribute at least $1 (one). Or more, if possible.

Mark Zuckerberg, please contribute $1 followed by many zeroes. Facebook should not be followed by many "zeroes"...Reading and learning increase the IQ, in general.

Bill Gates, please write this binary code on a check file payable to Wikipedia: 1000000. Then sign. Or Melinda can do it. Es una linda señora y benefactora [I'm winging it -  I don't know Spanish :) ].

Martha Stewart, please craft an artistic check file to Wikipedia. It would be a good recipe for you to get good karma and stay away from that place with "bar exams" from angry soyezlesbiennesvenues...

Warren Buffet, please open an All You May Need Buffet at your designated banks, where each worthy recipient may get a check from you, for the dollar amount needed. Invest in education, not just in stock market.

Wikipedia is a "Book" faced by almost as many users (400M) as Facebook (500M).



"From Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales

Friday, December 17, 2010

Theme: Breastfeeding. Maximum card mailed to me as a postcard by my friend "Luxi" from Luxemburg



The theme/subject of this custom-made UNICATE (only 1 in the world) maximum card is breastfeeding, as a concept.
It's not strictly about Luxemburg, although the stamp and the postmark are from there.
It's not strictly about Africa, although the postcard depicts a Himba mother with child.
"The Himba are an ethnic group of about 20,000 to 50,000 people[1] living in northern Namibia, in the Kuneneregion (formerly Kaokoland) Recently they have also built two villages in Kamanjab which have become tourist destinations. They are mostly a nomadic, pastoral people, closely related to the Herero, and speak Otjihimba, a dialect of the Herero language."
That's why I have approved Luxi's proposal to create this maximum card for me.
Breastfeeding, as a concept.

For those puritans who might object to any public image of naked breasts, here's an example from the official [State] Flag of the Commonwealth of Virginia, USA:


"The obverse of the seal is the official seal of Virginia and is used on all the official papers and documents of the Commonwealth's government, as well as on its flag. On this side, a female figure personifying the Roman virtue of Virtus was selected to represent the genius of the new Commonwealth. Virginia's Virtus is a figure of peace, standing in a pose which indicates a battle already won. She rests on her long spear, its point turned downward to the ground. Her other weapon, a parazonium, is sheathed; it is the sword of authority rather than that of combat. Virtus is typically shown with a bare left breast; this is commonly recognized as the only use of nudity among the seals of the U.S. states.

Tyranny lies prostrate beneath the foot of Virtus, symbolizing Great Britain's defeat by Virginia. The royal crown which has fallen to the ground beside him symbolizes the new republic's release from the monarchical control of Great Britain; Virginia and New York are the only U.S. states with a flag or seal displaying a crown. The broken chain in Tyranny's left hand represents Virginia's freedom from Britain's restriction of colonial trade and westward expansion. The useless whip in his right hand signifies Virginia's relief from the torturing whip of acts of punishment such as the Intolerable Acts. His robe is purple, a reference to Julius Caesar and the Etruscan king of Rome, Tarquinius Priscus.

The motto selected for the obverse of the Virginia seal is Sic semper tyrannis, or in English, Thus always to tyrants. This is a derived quote from the famous events in Roman history, attributed to Brutus upon his participation in the slaying of Julius Caesar. (Caesar had been named perpetual dictator of Rome in the same year, and some Senators believed had ambitions to abolish the Roman Republic and establish himself as a monarch.)".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_of_Virginia

Listen to this interview from NPR, and read the abridged transcript, too!


 

A Breast Oncologist, Diagnosed With The Disease



"Causes [of cancer]


"Definition of breast cancer: Cancer that forms in tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk). It occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare.

"Cancers are primarily an environmental disease with 90-95% of cases due to lifestyle and environmental factors and 5-10% due to genetics.[4] Common environmental factors that lead to cancer death include: tobacco (25-30%), diet and obesity (30-35%), infections (15-20%), radiation, radon exposure, stress, lack of physical activity, and environmental pollutants.[4]"

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


Estimated new cases and deaths from breast cancer in the United States in 2010:


 New cases: 207,090 (female); 1,970 (male)
 Deaths: 39,840 (female); 390 (male)" 

==================
Happy PFF (Postcard Friendship Friday)!

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Top 30 Stamp Collecting Blogs, by guidetoartschools.com

#2:
"Dorincard: Blogger Dorin C is a stamp and postcard fanatic, and luckily he's more than pleased to write prolifically and charmingly about his obsession. He has a particular bent for stamps with wild mammals on them, but his blog demonstrates an affinity for stamps of all forms and backgrounds, as long as they offer a special narrative that's worth sharing with his readers.


  • Source: http://www.guidetoartschools.com/library/best-stamp-collecting-blogs#ixzz1KirbuA4p
    "

    Some feedback received about me and my blog here

    [DORIN'S NOTE: There are over 100 million websites.]

    From alexa.com traffic rank site

    "There are 1,699,250 sites with a better three-month global Alexa traffic rank than Dorincard.blogspot.com.
    About 43% of visitors to the site come from France, where it has attained a traffic rank of 152,077.
    About 80% of visits to the site consist of only one pageview (i.e., are bounces).
    Dorincard.blogspot.com's visitors view an average of 1.5 unique pages per day.
    Visitors to the site spend roughly two minutes on each pageview and a total of three minutes on the site during each visit."



    inkling (Enthusiast)

    The best use of this site is Other.

    Likes
    • Good content

    Comments:
    Postcards and stamps, mainly featuring mammals and birds but Dorincard also has other creations
    and interests he likes to share.
    His enthusiasm for Maximum cards (a postcard and a similar themed stamps sent through the
    postal system) shines through.
    He shows how he gets the right card, stamp and postmark together.
    Visiting his site you will also learn things about the natural world told with a dry sense of humour,
    possibly with a play on words, and a unique style of headings.
    Topical and informative both for the enthusiast and casual visitor.
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    1 Review
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