Guest Heart Thursday meme: "Your heart has AIS, my heart has AIZ" - Where's the heart? Maximum card with Star Wars, from USA

Another very interesting blog, hosted by Clytie, is http://clytie-randomhearts.blogspot.com/

Guest Heart Thursday #43

Welcome to Guest Heart Thursday -
A place to share YOUR heart!

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My entry:

 "Your heart has AIS, my heart has AIZ" - Where's the heart in this image?  [Not a NASA-level riddle]

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Groundhog, Woodchuck, Land-beaver or Whistlepig (Marmota monax) - maximum cards/ maxicards/ dorincards/ MCs from USA

"The groundhog (Marmota monax), also known as a woodchuck, or in some areas as a land-beaver, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. Other marmots, such as the yellow-bellied and hoary marmots, live in rocky and mountainous areas, but the woodchuck is a lowland creature. It is widely distributed in North America and common in the northeastern and central United States. Groundhogs are found as far north as Alaska, with their habitat extending southeast to Alabama.<sup>[2]"


"</sup>The groundhog is the largest sciurid in its geographical range, typically measuring 40 to 65 cm (16 to 26 in) long (including a 15 cm (6 in) tail) and weighing 2 to 4 kg (4 to 9 lb). In areas with fewer natural predators and large amounts of alfalfa, groundhogs can grow to 80 cm (30 in) and 14 kg (31 lb)."
^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog}


"Groundhog Day is a holiday celebrated on February 2 in the United States and Canada. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, it will leave the burrow, signifying that winter will soon end. If it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and winter will continue for six more weeks.^[1]"
"the National Climatic Data Center reportedly has stated that the overall prediction accuracy rate is around 39%.^{[25]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_day}

I created this maxicard although I knew that the postmark will not be very visible.  I wanted to leave the text unobscured, and I hoped that the ink of the postmark will be good enough.  Hoping is free - anybody can do it.  Anyway, you can see the postmark on the backside, below.

The FDOI (First Day of Issue) postmark was applied by USPS (United States Postal Service) in Toronto, Canada.  

Is Canada [officially] part of USA?  :) 

No, but it was during CAPEX (Canada Philatelic Exposition/Exhibition) and USPS decided to have there the FDOI postmarking event for that great, beautiful 50 stamp-series.

"Desired Desire" - Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, sometimes known as Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam. I received today my first maximum card from Belgium, showing his house.

Erasmus lived in this house, too - in Anderlecht, Belgium.

Thank you, my friend Johan Ockerman (Belgium)! http://johanpostcards.blogspot.com/ .

Somebody in Belgium made a smart decision to apply the same pictorial postmark on the envelope, outside the stamp. That way, we have a perfectly clear image of the postmark, which is not possible from where the postmark met the stamp.

"Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (October 28,^[1] 1466 – July 12, 1536), sometimes known as Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, was a Dutch Renaissance humanist and a Catholic priest and theologian. His scholarly name Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus comprises the following three elements: the Latin noun desiderium ("longing" or "desire"; the name being a genuine Late Latin name); the Greek adjective ἐράσμιος (erásmios) meaning "desired", and, in the form Erasmus, also the name of a St. Erasmus of Formiae; and the Latinized adjectival form for the city of Rotterdam (Roterodamus = "of Rotterdam").

Erasmus was a classical scholar who wrote in a "pure" Latin style and enjoyed the sobriquet "Prince of the Humanists." He has been called "the crowning glory of the Christian humanists."^[2] Using humanist techniques for working on texts, he prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament. These raised questions that would be influential in the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation. He also wrote The Praise of Folly, Handbook of a Christian Knight, On Civility in Children, Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style, Julius Exclusus, and many other works.

Erasmus lived through the Reformation period and he consistently criticized some contemporary popular Christian beliefs. In relation to clerical abuses in the Church, Erasmus remained committed to reforming the Church from within. 
He also held to Catholic doctrines such as that of free will, which some Protestant Reformers rejected in favor of the doctrine of predestination. 
His middle road approach disappointed and even angered many Protestants, such as Martin Luther [DORIN'S NOTE: not Martin Luther King Jr. - http://www.zazzle.com/c_am_sayin_postage-172331084925934503?rf=238693463283865848 ], as well as conservative Catholics.
He died in Basel in 1536 and was buried in the formerly Catholic cathedral there, recently converted to a Reformed church.^[3]"

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

Part 2 Fox news: Outfoxing the Cold War - The Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus), maximum cards/ maxicards/ dorincards from USA and Romania

See my previous post for more images and info. :)

Fox news: Outfoxing the Cold War - The Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus), maximum cards/ maxicards/ dorincards from USA, Romania and (WWF) Finland

Postmark from Nome, Alaska.

Postmark from Arctic Village, Alaska.

I hate cold, but this fox species just loves it! :)

"The Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus or Vulpes lagopus^[2]), also known as the White Fox, Polar Fox or Snow Fox, is a small fox native to Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and is common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. "

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

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Happy Blue Monday!

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

It's Year of the Rabbit, not Year of the Kumquats [the fruits depicted as the main (!!!) graphic element on the 2011 USPS stamp for YOTR, courtesy of the "vision" of the stamp illustrator Kam Mak]

This older Year of the Rabbit maxicard/ maximum card/ dorincard properly depicts a goddamn [ :) ] rabbit as the main graphic element of the stamp - as it should!

Now it's Year of the Rabbit, not Year of the Kumquats [the fruits depicted as the main (!!!) graphic element on the 2011 USPS stamp for YOTR, courtesy of the "vision" of the stamp illustrator Kam Mak]

http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2011/pr11_006.htm

I strongly believe that you could put any secondary symbol (narcissus, kumquats, General Tso chicken with rice - whatever) of the Chinese Lunar Year celebration in the BACKGROUND.

But put the image of the zodiac animal in the FOREGROUND - that's the main symbol!

:)

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Happy Sunday Stamps!

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

From Picasa album Erin - Received Handmade cards

Great cover about Arctic Barents Race for dogsleds - if only would have had a matching stamp, instead of the lynx stamp...:)

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.
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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.

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

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?

Captivity versus Freedom? How about Freedom made possible only thru Captivity? The fascinating true story of how the last 11+1 specimens [7 cows and (4+1) bulls] have saved the species called Wisent (pronounced /ˈviːzənt/) (Bison bonasus), also known as the European bison

I will detail this amazing story later, with more images and comments.

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

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY [  :) yes, I mean "long story - short" ]: this species was saved from the brink of extinction by the coordinated effort of breeding the last 12 specimens alive, all captive: 7 cows and 4 bulls of Lowland Wisent (Bison bonasus bonasus),  and 1 bull of Caucasian Wisent (Bison bonasus caucasicus) .

The eventual FREEDOM, semi-freedom or zoo captivity of the descendents was possible only thru CAPTIVITY, and selective breeding (yes, some in-breeding, too).

TBC (to be continued)

See, it might be a good idea to have a...Caucasian in your genealogic tree. :)

For comparison with the European bison: American bison (Bison bison).

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Please visit the Two 4 Tuesday meme: http://www.two4tuesday.com/home/two4tuesday/index.php/2011/01/18/captivity-freedom/

Captivity – Freedom

January 18, 2011