Read from BBC: Lake Vostok drilling in Antarctic 'running out of time'. Also, see some "e-postcards" from Vostok Station, Antarctica.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wostok-Station_core32.jpg

I would love to receive some real postcards from Antarctica [from Vostok and all the other stations/research bases (28?)], written and stamped, preferably addressed to me, showing images like the above from wikipedia, my most favorite website. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GISP2_team_photo_core37.jpeg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LakeVostok-Location.jpg

"The lowest reliably measured temperature on Earth of −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F) was in Vostok on 21 July 1983^[9] (See List of weather records) Lower temperatures occurred higher up towards the summit of the ice sheet as temperature decreases with height along the surface."

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

Read this very interesting article from BBC:

"With only about 50m left to drill, time is running out for the Russian scientists hoping to drill into Vostok - the world's most enigmatic lake.

Vostok is a sub-glacial lake in Antarctica, hidden some 4,000m (13,000ft) beneath the ice sheet.

With the Antarctic summer almost over, temperatures will soon begin to plummet; they can go as low as -80C.

Scientists will leave the remote base on 6 February, when conditions are still mild enough for a plane to land."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12275979

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In other news from Antarctica:

First woman that successfully ended the 7 Volcanoes Circuit. Romanian 16 years old Crina COCO Popescu is the youngest mountaineer worldwide and also the first woman that finishes the Volcanic 7 Summits Circuit - reaching the summits of the highest Volcanoes on 7 continents!

Read more

Coco in Antarctica: the long wait is over

After the success obtained on 4th of January, when Coco completed the ascension of Mt. Vinson – a new age record for Romania, it followed a range of days in waiting of the departure to the next objective: Mt. Sidley, the highest volcano in Antarctica.

Read more

COCO - the world’s youngest alpinist that climb Mt. Vinson (in Antarctica)

Crina Coco Popescu finished Tuesday, 4th of January 2011, the ascension of Mt. Vinson - the higher peak of Antarctica, in her most important expedition, ”Antarctica 2010 – 2011”.

Read more

Read more about this exceptional girl from Romania:

http://www.celmaisus.ro/?lang=en

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Happy PFF (Postcard Friendship Friday)!

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

Read from AOLNews: "Argentine Woman Survives Fall From Hotel's 23rd Floor". Also, a personalized stamp about how life is.

http://www.zazzle.com/messi_stamp_misspelling_of_messy_postage-172267884447570079?rf=238693463283865848

Read from AOLNews: "Argentine Woman Survives Fall From Hotel's 23rd Floor". 

The 23rd floor...is that a tall story? Keyword: crash-landing.

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/26/argentine-woman-survives-fall-from-hotels-23rd-floor/

Argentina, the land of Messi passion, and sometimes messy happenings.

This unfortunate suicidal woman filed her TAXI RETURN to life.

Location, location, and timing, too.

Curiosity did not kill the driver, who was intrigued about the policeman looking up.

Luck may not be up to you, but at least you can be alert. Observant of your surroundings and happenings.

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.
========================
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