Obama's State of the Union and U.S. Foreign Policy | STRATFOR. Also, a variant maximum card from USA, that I created with the Presidential Inauguration Day pictorial postmark - the superior quality ink (STAZ-ON like) did not smudge on the highly-glossy surface of the postcard.

Please read this interesting article from stratfor.com: Obama's State of the Union and U.S. Foreign Policy | STRATFOR
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Obama's State of the Union address

The link to the speech is at the end of this blogpost.
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The stamp that I used for this maximum card/ maxicard/ dorincard is part of the FOON (Flags Of Our Nation) coil stamp series, which shows all the 50 states flags, and the American flag on several stamp designs.

Rush Limbaugh said he wants President Obama to fail. "The sooner, the better for USA".

And some said "Don't listen to Rush Limbaugh and FoxNews!".

I say you should listen to and learn from your "enemies" (or detractors/ political adversaries), too.

What if they still have some valuable points, in all the noise and "fog of war"?

"An enemy is a teacher - gratis".

Unlike Rush Limbaugh, I want President Obama to succeed, and I still hope that he can do a good, if not great, job for the American people, and for the world, in general.

But there are many obstacles, all around.

"We have a situation" means "we have a problem", or even "we're deep in it".

"We're in it, to dig it!"

President Obama ("The Audacity of Hope") has to deal with:

- the war in Iraq ("The Audacity of Soap").  

As in a soap opera, in that war theater there are many actors (their skill may vary), with many dramatic conflicts (some real, some invented), and the whole story plot is an...explosive mix.  

Also, chasing soap balloons (the effect) will not help you get rid of all the soap bars (the cause).  

Against a problem with "the radicals", you need, well, radical action. 

Clerics...Incitement and radicalization are not just a "cleric-al error".

- the war in Afghanistan ("The Audacity of Dope")

The Mom and Pop(py) small business is a big business, with global impact.

The poppy fields organically grown/harvested here go on to support the impoverished dealers and consumers from various cartels and 'hoods from around the world.

"Coming soon, to a crackhouse near you!"

Also, Afghanistan is harboring other problems, as we all know.

USA still has to deal with the TORA Syndrome: from "Tora! Tora!" to Tora Bora, there are always attackers, who then pose as the victims of aggression.

- the political pressure from various countries (including, maybe, Vatican City), interest groups, religious organizations (only for the sake of rhyming, let's say "The Audacity of Pope")

You cannot please everybody at once, so prioritizing will result in temporary winners and losers.

- the American people (The Audacity of Cope")

We, in USA, are scrambling to cope with a myriad of problems, of all kinds.  

Well, ALMOST all kinds.  There are problems, here and there in the world, that we don't have to cope with.

"Like what? Like what?"

Like KURU. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuru_(disease)

We don't feel pain in the Kuru.

- the Democratic Party ("The Audacity of Rope")

You never know who's on your side, this voting time around.  

But the democrats, like many other politicians, learn early all the ropes of politics, then they pull the ropes, as instructed by the senior leadership.  

Ropes of the Puppet Masters...

No?

- the Republican Party ("The Audacity of Nope")

"Just say NO!" gets you only so far.  

The best thing that happened lately to President Obama is the recent rise of the Republicans.

How can you keep saying NO to your fellow Republicans now?

Sometimes, you can win by losing, and vice-versa.

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Obama's State of the Union address

The actual speech: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12286629

Read from BBC: "FBI charges 127 alleged mobsters in north-east US". Also, a personalized stamp with a mafia cultural reference (The Sopranos)

Read the whole article here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12243086#

"Officials said alleged leaders of the all five major crime families in New York were arrested, including the entire leadership of the Colombo family not already in prison. In addition, the arrests hit the Gambino, Genovese, Lucchese, Bonanno, and DeCavalcante families."


Superior detective work, a la Lieutenant Columbo, culminated in a cavalcade of arrests. A novel wave of arrests of those who forced their Lucc at Gamb-ling with the law - 2011 will be a bon anno.


Is that gonna definitively eradicate THE MAFIA?

http://www.zazzle.com/fuhgeddaboutit_postage-172290341172830415?rf=238693463283865848

Part 1 - Side-by-side comparison between European bison (Bison bonasus) and American bison (Bison bison)

The front view, of the head only, is not too conclusive for the layman, for the average person. Don't they look pretty similar, at first glance?