Tuesday, May 10, 2011

U.S.-Pakistani Relations Beyond Bin Laden | STRATFOR. Also, could this red-hot, A4 / page-size dorincard (in this case, a non-traditional maximum card) be a visual metaphor for..."something, something"?

Please read this interesting commentary by one of my favorite analysts, Dr.George Friedman of STRATFOR:
 U.S.-Pakistani Relations Beyond Bin Laden | STRATFOR

======
In a seemingly unrelated story: what you think you know about a country like USA a car is a mixture of information, misinformation and...disinformation.
1959 Cadillac Eldorado

Could this red-hot, A4 / page-size dorincard (in this case, a non-traditional maximum card) be a visual metaphor for..."something, something"?

At first glance, it's just a car.
The image shows not "the little red...engine...hood", but the tail-lights.
At second glance, with a metaphoric mindset, it could be much more - your mileage may vary.
La Belle Américaine might be incorporating some symbols, beknownst, or unbeknownst to you 
(who the hell invented such words?).

This classic car might "say":
- I'm red, because I'm hot...and cool, too. [ :) ]. "A thing of beauty is a joy forever"; "forever until it rusts", in my case. Unless I'm conservated, with loving care.
- I'm expensive, because I'm worth it. My Owner ("We, the People" - from the upper class of USA, that is) can afford the expenses, including gasoline. Quality is expensive, although costliness is not a quality.
- My chrome parts are shining, because I don't like dullness. It's also a message to some entities that my "Master of Metalworking" Owner could send you objects of Heavy Metal, and other variations (such as the awful Depleted Uranium), should you "ask" for it by your misdeeds.
- My tail-lights may look like suppositories, to say "You made the wrong suppositions about my Owner's lack of reaction, if you're abusing him. I'll give you the right suppositions..."
- My tail-lights may look like lipstick, because we know when lip service is necessary.
But there is a time for talking, and a time for doing.
- My tail-lights may look like missiles/rockets, because when ALL the talking is done, and the conflict IS inevitable, then compound interest might be your "undoing".
You'll be "a person of interest, hiding in a compound".


Don't enter into an intentional, vicious collision with me (head-on, broad-sided or rear-ended), coz my Owner will eventually catch you between a rocket and a hard place...or something.
Or, if smithereens is not the desired outcome, then my Owner (the American people) will send its S.E.A.L. of approval and justice will be served, with a personal touch(down).
Menu: cold cuts, and bullet entree...
Then your stash of paraphernalia, and cornucopia of actionable intelligence will be swept clean from your unassuming fortified mansion in the shadow of the Wild, Wild West Point Academy of No Return ("Stay put!", eh?).
============
Please visit and join Ruby Tuesday meme!


Monday, May 9, 2011

What's the difference between The Netherlands, Holland and The Åland Islands? Also, DID YOU KNOW that Australia was New Holland, and "New York City, as New Amsterdam" was the capital of the New Netherland (a Dutch colony)? Maximum cards from Åland Islands, showing The Eurasian Elk (Europe) (Alces alces), called The Moose in North America

In Romanian, Holland is Olanda. 
In Swedish, Åland is pronounced correctly as Oland.
But there are big differences...





"The moose (North America) or Eurasian elk (Europe) (Alces alces) is the largest extant species in the deer family
Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic ("twig-like") configuration. 
Moose typically inhabit boreal and mixed deciduous forests of the Northern Hemisphere in temperate to subarctic climates."

"Moose are not usually aggressive towards humans, but can be provoked or frightened to behave with aggression. In terms of raw numbers, they attack more people than bears and wolves combined, but usually with only minor consequences. 
When harassed or startled by people or in the presence of a dog, moose may charge. 
Also, as with bears or any wild animal, moose that have become habituated to being fed by people may act aggressively when denied food
During the fall mating season, bull moose may be aggressive toward humans due to the high hormone levels they experience. 
Cows with young calves are very protective and will attack humans who come too close, especially if they come between mother and calf. 
Unlike other dangerous animals, moose are not territorial, and do not view humans as food, and will therefore usually not pursue humans if they simply run away.[43] 
Like any wild animal, moose are unpredictable and should be given a respectful amount of space."

[How many stamps have you ever seen, that can be part of a written conversation?]

Holland is the Central-Western part of The Netherlands.
"In many languages including English, 'Holland' (HollandeHolanda etc.) is a common name for the Netherlands as a whole. Even the Dutch use this sometimes. Strictly speaking, Holland is only the central-western region of the country comprising two of the twelve provinces, North Holland and South Holland (see figure) and thus linguistically a pars pro toto related to use of Russia for the (former) Soviet Union, and England for the United Kingdom. The use is sometimes discouraged. "

"Abel Tasman gave the name New Holland to the continent now known as Australia, a name it retained for 150 years until the United Kingdom renamed it in 1824. 
[MY NOTE: in Romanian or Spanish transliteration, Aussies seem to pronounce the name of the country like this: Astrailia :) ]
There was also a colony called New Holland in South America. 
Part of Lincolnshire is also known as Holland.

The Dutch colony centred on New Amsterdam (the modern New York City) was called New Netherland."


The Åland Islands, "where the Finnish are Swedish"

"The Åland Islands (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈoːland]FinnishAhvenanmaa) form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. They are situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and form an autonomousdemilitarisedmonolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland
The islands collectively constitute the smallest region of Finland, with only 0.49% of its land area, and 0.50% of its population."

"Most inhabitants have Swedish (the sole official language) as their first language: 90.2% in 2009, and 5.0% speak Finnish."

=============
You saw the top image here, with the elk swimming in the blue waters of The Åland Islands, right?
Happy Blue Monday! (meme)


Sunday, May 8, 2011

Best transportation for a polar bear small cub: Mom! Maximum card and future maximum cards


Happy Mother's Day!

Now, another "Transportation" maxicard, with a train:


===============
Happy Sunday Stamps meme!



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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
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    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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