National Opera 24.1.2011

The Finnish National Opera (FNO) will celebrate its one-hundredth birthday in 2011. In honour of the jubilee the miniature sheet of four stamps was issued.
The visual themes of a miniature sheet focus on scenes from six popular operas from different points in time. The operas selected in the miniature sheet designed by Tarja Salonen depicts scenes from the operas “The Last Temptations” by Joonas Kokkonen, “The Red Line” by Aulis Sallinen, and “The Knight of the Rose” by Richard Strauss. The program year begins on January 24 with the celebration of the 100-year-old Finnish National Opera. The miniature sheet resembles a festive stage set where the light puts scenes from beloved operas center stage. The Finnish National Opera in Helsinki is the leading opera company in Finland. Its home base is the Opera House on Töölönlahti bay in Töölö which opened in 1993, and is state-owned through Senate Properties. The Opera House features state-of-the-art technology and two auditoriums: the main auditorium with 1,350 seats and a smaller studio auditorium with 300 to 500 seats. Ella sent me this lovely first day cover.

USA – USSR Apollo/Soyuz Joint Mission 15.7.1975

This wonderful First Day Cover dated 15.7.1975 was issued in the USA. This cover is especially important as it is postmarked at the Kennedy Space Centre. It is a pity that I don’t have the fdc postmarked that day at the Baykonur Cosmodrome in the USSR.

Apollo Soyuz Goals. Apollo Soyuz was the first international manned spaceflight. It was designed to test the compatibility of rendezvous and docking systems for American and Soviet spacecraft, to open the way for international space rescue as well as future joint manned flights.

The Spacecraft. The existing American Apollo and Soviet Soyuz spacecraft were used. The Apollo spacecraft was nearly identical to the one that orbited the Moon and later carried astronauts to Skylab. The Soyuz craft was the primary Soviet spacecraft used for manned flight since its introduction in 1967. A docking module was designed and constructed by NASA to serve as an airlock and transfer corridor between the two craft.

The Flight of the Apollo Soyuz Test Project. July 15-24, 1975

Apollo Crew : Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand, Donald K. Slayton

Soyuz Crew: Valeriy Nikolayevich Kubasov, Alexei Arhipovich Leonov
09 days, 07 hours, 28 minutes

The Soyuz was launched just over seven hours prior to the launch of the Apollo CSM. Apollo then maneuvered to rendezvous and docking 52 hours after the Soyuz launch. The Apollo and Soyuz crews conducted a variety of experiments over a two-day period. After separation, Apollo remained in space an additional 06 days. Soyuz returned to Earth approximately 43 hours after separation.

All communications among the five crew members during the mission were made in the language of the listener, with the Americans speaking Russian to the Soviet crew and the Soviet crew speaking English to the Americans. Contact of the two spacecraft, 51 hr, 49 min, into the mission (12:09 pm July 17) was transmitted live on TV to the earth, and Stafford commented, "We have succeeded. Everything is excellent." "Soyuz and Apollo are shaking hands now," the cosmonauts answered. Hard docking was completed over the Atlantic Ocean at 12:12 pm, 6 min earlier than the prelaunch flight plan watched by millions of TV viewers worldwide. "Perfect. Beautiful. Well done, Tom. It was a good show. We're looking forward to shaking hands with you in board [sic] Soyuz," Leonov said. Tass later reported that Kubasov told Moscow ground controllers that "we felt a slight jolt at the moment of docking" but that all went according to plan.

Cyprus - The ship from Kyreneia, 4th Century BC

The Kyrenia ship is the wreck of a 4th century BC Greek merchant ship. It was discovered by Greek-Cypriot diving instructor Andreas Cariolou in November 1965 during a storm. Having lost the exact position Cariolou carried out more than 200 dives until he re-discovered the wreck in 1967 close to Kyrenia in Cyprus. Michael Katzev, a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, directed a salvage expedition from 1967-69. Preservation of the ship's timbers continued during the winter of 1970. Katzev later was a co-founder of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology. The find was extensively covered in a documentary by the National Geographic Society. It is the only preserved ship from Greece's Classical Age. The ship was considered to be very well preserved with approximately 75% of it in good condition. It found a new home at the Ancient Shipwreck Museum in Kyrenia Castle, where it remains on exhibit. This card was sent to me by my friend Merja from Cyprus.

1981 Space Achievement 21.5.1981

Thanks a lot Hemant for this nice fdc commemorating US Space achievement.The 1981 Space Achievement block of 8 stamps in its normal configuration, with the 4 center space shuttle stamps, flanked by two smaller vertical pairs on each side. The design of each stamp is as follows:

• Top left stamp, Exploring the Moon, shows an astronaut on the moon.
• Top stamp second from the left side, the Space Shuttle releasing its external tanks, before it goes into orbit. This shuttle stamp position is referred to as the UL position (upper left) in the block of 4 stamps.
• Top stamp second from the right side, the Space Shuttle in orbit about to release a satellite from its cargo bay. This shuttle stamp position is referred to as the UR position (upper right) in the block of 4 stamps.
• Top right stamp, understanding the sun, shows the Skylab manned space station.
• Bottom left stamp, probing the planets, shows the Pioneer spacecraft near the planet Saturn.
• Bottom stamp second from the left side, the launch of the Space Shuttle. This shuttle stamp position is referred to as the LL position (Lower left) in the block of 4 stamps.
• Bottom stamp second from the right side, the Space Shuttle coming in for an Earth landing. This shuttle stamp position is referred to as the LR position (lower right) in the block of 4 stamps.
• Bottom right stamp, comprehending the universe, shows the hubble telescope space satellite againt backdrop of the universe.

USA - Adopting a Child 10.5.2000

Giving a child with no hope a New and Glorious World of Hope is something really charitable.

USA – Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 30 in 2011). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in the military service. First enacted to honour Union soldiers of the American Civil War – it was extended after World War I to honour Americans who have died in all wars. Memorial Day often marks the start of the summer vacation season, and Labour Day its end.

Begun as a ritual of remembrance and reconciliation after the Civil War, by the early 20th century, Memorial Day was an occasion for more general expressions of memory, as ordinary people visited the graves of their deceased relatives, whether they had served in the military or not. It also became a long weekend increasingly devoted to shopping, family get-togethers, fireworks, trips to the beach, and national media events such as the Indianapolis 500 auto race, held since 1911 on Memorial Day. Thank you Hemant.

USA - Star of India

Star of India was built in 1863 as Euterpe, a full-rigged iron windjammer ship in Ramsey, Isle of Man. After a full career sailing from Great Britain to India then to New Zealand, she became a salmon hauler on the Alaska then to California route. After retirement in 1926, she was restored between 1962 and 1963 and is now a seaworthy museum ship at the San Diego Maritime Museum in San Diego, United States. She is the 2nd oldest ship that still sails regularly and the oldest iron hulled merchant ship still floating. The ship is both a California and United States National Historic Landmark. The 1863 Star of India is the fourth oldest ship afloat in the United States, after the 1797 USS Constitution, the 1841 Charles W Morgan, and 1854 USS Constellation, and is the second oldest ship in the entire world that still sails regularly. Unlike many preserved or restored vessels, her hull, cabins and equipment are nearly 100% original. Thank you Hemant for this lovely cover.

Zamość

Zamość is a town in southeastern Poland with 66,633 inhabitants (2004), situated in the south-western part of Lublin Voivodeship (since 1999), about 90 km (55.92 mi) from Lublin, 247 km (153.48 mi) from Warsaw and 60 km (37.28 mi) from the border with Ukraine. About 20 kilometres from the town is the Roztocze National Park. The historical city centre was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List (in 1992) as a result of the decision taken during the sixteenth ordinary session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, from 7 to 14 December 1992.

In the view of UNESCO, "Zamość is a unique example of a Renaissance town in Central Europe, consistently designed and built in accordance with the Italian theories of the “ideal town,” on the basis of a plan which was the result of perfect cooperation between the open-minded founder, Jan Zamoyski, and the outstanding architect, Bernardo Morando. Zamość is an outstanding example of an innovative approach to town planning, combining the functions of an urban ensemble, a residence, and a fortress in accordance with a consistently implemented Renaissance concept. The result of this is a stylistically homogeneous urban composition with a high level of architectural and landscape values. A real asset of this great construction was its creative enhancement with local artistic architectural achievements. Zamość is spoken of as a Renaissance town. However, on the one hand, Morando himself must have had Mannerist training, and on the other, in all the countries of Central Europe (Poland, Bohemia, Slovakia, Hungary, certain German regions and, in part, Austria proper), Italian Renaissance architecture had been well assimilated and adapted to local traditions since the 15th century. Consequently, Zamość was planned as a town in which the Mannerist taste mingled with certain Central European urban traditions, such as the arcaded galleries that surround the squares and create a sheltered passage in front of the shops." This nice card was sent to me by Anna.

1991 Ice Hockey World Championships 1.3.1991

The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation. The 1991 Ice Hockey World Championships took place in Finland 19 April - 4 May. The games were played in Turku, Helsinki and Tampere. The main venue was Turkuhalli. Eight teams took part, with each team playing each other once. The four best teams then played each other once more. This was the 55th World Championships, and at the same time was the 66th and last Ice Hockey European Championships. Sweden became world champions for the fifth time, and the Soviet Union won their 27th European title. In the European Championships, only matches between European teams were counted towards scoring.
They were preceded by the European Championship’s which were held from 1910 to 1932, and decided at the 1920 Summer Olympics for the first time. Subsequently ice hockey featured at the Winter Olympics, where the World Championship was decided when the two events occurred concurrently. The last time the World Championships were decided during the Olympic Games was at the 1968 Winter Olympics. Thank you Ella.

United Nations - Transport – Land/Sea/Air

The United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) issued three se-tenant strips of five stamps each on the theme “UN Transport – Land/Sea/Air” on 2^nd September 2010. The stamps have denominations of 44 cents, F.s. 1,00 and € 0,65. You might also like to see the previous issue of a similar series by the UN in my post dated 5th January 2010 .

Transportation plays an extremely important role for the United Nations in its efforts to maintain its peacekeeping and humanitarian operations. United Nations transport vehicles are critical for deploying UN personnel to peacekeeping missions, shipping large amounts of food to meet emergency needs, supplying emergency medical supplies and transporting other cargo and equipment to the field missions throughout the world. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) is dedicated to assisting the Member States and the Secretary-General in their efforts to maintain international peace and security. The Department’s mission is to plan, prepare, manage and direct UN peacekeeping operations using all forms of transport, whether by land, sea or air. In order for the United Nations to maintain its peacekeeping operations properly, it requires strong transport logistics. The Logistics Support Division (LSD) is a part of the Department of Field Support (DFS) at the United Nations. LSD is based at UN Headquarters in New York City, where a diverse and dedicated team of civilian staff provides logistical support to UN-led peacekeeping, peacebuilding and political missions around the world. The Logistics Support Division is responsible for the implementation and monitoring of policies and procedures for all logistic issues in United Nations peacekeeping. The Division consists of three elements: 1. The Operational Support Service includes logistics, planning and programme support. 2. The Specialist Support Service includes a range of technical logistics sections, including supply, engineering, contingent-owned equipment and property management, and cartographic and medical support. 3. The Transportation and Movements Service ensures effective logistics capabilities in terms of air transport, strategic air- and sealift for movement of military and civilian personnel and cargo, and providing vehicles and spare parts at the required time and place, in the most efficient manner. The Logistics Support Division also oversees the operations of the United Nations Logistics Base in Brindisi, Italy, which manages reserve equipment stocks and strategic deployment stocks that assist in rapid establishment of new missions.

United Nations peacekeeping efforts continue to evolve conceptually and operationally to meet new challenges and political realities. Faced with the rising demand for increasingly complex peace operations, the role of UN transport vehicles is as critical as ever in order to contribute to the most important function of the United Nations-maintaining international peace and security. Thank you Hemant for these lovely covers.

XV th Calgary Olympics 6.4.1988

The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event held in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Most events took place in Calgary, although Alpine skiing took place in Kananaskis and Nordic skking and biathlon taking place in Canmore. Fifty-seven nations and 1,423 athletes participated in the games, with five countries making their debut in the Winter Olympics. Super-G made its Olympic debut, while curling, freestyle skiing, short track speed skating and disabled skiing were demonstration sports. Speed skating was held in an indoor rink for the first time and the games were extended to 16 days.

On the stamp is shown Finnish ski jumper Matti Nykanen who won five Olympic medals. Three of them were gold medals won at the Calgary Winter Olympics in Canada in 1988. This FDC is courtesy of Ella.

Boxing 28.2.1981

The European Amateur Boxing Championships is the highest competition for boxing amateurs in Europe, organised by the continent's governing body EUBC, which stands for the European Boxing Confederation. The first edition of the tournament took place in 1924, although the first 'competitive' championships were hosted by the city of Stockholm (Sweden) in 1925. This stamp and fdc was issued in Finland to commemorate these Championships when they were held in the City of Tampere in 1981.The FDC was given to me by Ella.

Year of the Rabbit 7.1.2011

Further to my post on the Year of the Rabbit on 7th January, I now have a very pretty First Day Cover from Canada with a mini sheet on this subject issued on the 7th January. This FDC was sent to me by Guy Dorval.

Netherlands – Cycling in Dutch Life

There is no country in the world where biking is so normal as it is in The Netherlands - except China. This is a tribute to Dutch Bikes. Yes, they really do a lot of bicycling - and they have the bikes to show for it. Want to commute to work or run weekend errands on a bicycle without looking like a sweaty, beady-eyed bike messenger? Want to save the planet and your clothes? Get a Dutch bike. Good for the environment and for keeping fit, bicycles in the Netherlands are more than just a leisure item, they are the workhorses of many families You need to realise that cars (even second-hand ones) are expensive to both buy and run , petrol costs Euro 1.43 per litre (unless it has changed since then). Bikes are so prevalent in The Netherlands that in some places there are just too many. All Dutch train stations have places for bikes to be parked, but when many people make use of that facility, chaos ensues.
One reason why bikes work in Holland is that the country is so flat. What the dutch call hills would hardly be recognized as such in most other countries. Bikes are also very practical in crowded cities. But, you will also find Dutch people riding their bike in the country-side during weekends. You will find bikes in villages. You will find bikes just about everywhere you go in The Netherlands. Try crossing the street in Amsterdam - you won't be able to, if you don't pay attention to the bikes. Bikes could be one reason why Dutch women wear pants so much ;-))

Typically you if you commute by train you will own several bikes,one is a real ” dunger” .. a beaten up bike that hopefully no-one will steal… it lives with a big lock on it at the railway station closest to your workplace so that after you hop off the train, you can easily cycle to your workplace from the station… … and back to the station again after work. You lock your bike well, at the station because (a) Bike theft is a national sport (b) the bike with the smallest and easiest lock to break will be the one that gets stolen, so a humongous lock steers thieves to easier pickings (c) you can use your mega lock on your other, more expensive bike(s) when out and about on those at other times (d) it’s a darned hassle to want to cycle off to work after getting off the train to find that the rotten thing has been pinched (e) even second hand beaten up dunger bikes cost more than you think… more than Euro 75 each if you are lucky and often more than Euro 100, so there is method in the apparent madness of having a lock that is probably worth as much as the bike You then board your train, commute to the station closest to your home, go to the cycle racks to collect your second ” dunger” also well locked up, to ride home… Thus the train comes into the station and about 5 minutes afterwards hundreds of cyclists stream out of the station cycle stands to peddle their way home. The cycle stands in The Hague Central Station looks just like a parking building for cars… it’s two stories and massive… but it’s only parking for bikes! The alternative to the two-bicycles-and-a-train senario is the small fold up bike that can be taken on board the train with you for no charge. These bikes have small wheels and the seat can be raised for cycling, and then it’s folded up and can be stored in your office at work , or easily at home. They look a bit strange but they do the trick and most people who use them will have a “proper” bike at home for leisure cycling as well, the fold up bike is only for the workplace commute.

The appeal of the Dutch bicycle lies less in the bike itself than in an attitude about bicycling: just get on the bike and go someplace. No fussing with clothing, no tying everything down, no strapping on a big helmet, no fear of grievous injury.

I wish more and more people biked because, more bikers on roads equals safer roads for bikers, and biking is healthier then driving. I also realize it is vital for the future of most countries, considering the political, economic and environmental costs of fossil fuels. More people should realize that 90% of your errands could be performed by bike or on foot. You will never crib out traffic jams in Delhi if you used a bike. This nice card was sent to me by Elly.

Sports 15.9.1977

First Day cover issued during the European Volleyball Championship in 1977. Thank you Ella.

Finland – Finland - Japan Joint Issue

Four Japanese artists have designed stamps of the traditional Finnish Christmas motifs shown on this beautiful First Day Cover sent to me by my friend Ella. The atmosphere differs from the Finnish ones. On the sheet there is Fuji Mountain on the background and it is designed by a Finnish artist Johannes Ekholm. The other designers are Masaki Koide, Sonoko Arai, Ken Kuroi, Goro Sasaki.

Tarja Halonen, 11th President of Finland 1.12.2003

The FDC and stamp were issued on the 60^th birthday of Tarja Halonen. The first lady to occupy the important post of President in Finland. Tarja Kaarina Halonen born 24 December 1943) is the 11th and current President of Finland. The first female to hold the office, Halonen had previously been a member of the parliament from 1979 to 2000 when she resigned after her election to the presidency. In addition to her political career she had a long and extensive career in trade unions and different non-governmental organizations. Halonen is a graduate of the University of Helsinki, where she studied law from 1963 to 1968. She was active in student politics and served as the Social Affairs Secretary and Organization Secretary of the National Union of Students from 1969 to 1970. In 1971 she joined the Social Democratic Party and worked as a lawyer in the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions until she was elected to parliament in 1979. Halonen served in the parliament of Finland for six terms, from 1979 to 2000, representing the constituency of Helsinki. She also had a long career in the city council of Helsinki, serving there from 1977 to 1996. She started her campaign for the presidency at the beginning of 1999 after President Martti Ahtisaari announced that he would not stand for a second term in the office. She easily won her party's nomination, and eventually got 40% of the votes in the first round of the presidential elections, and 51.6% in the second, thus defeating the Centre Party's Esko Aho and becoming the 11th president of Finland.
During the time of her presidency she has been extremely popular among Finns: her approval ratings rose and reached a peak of 88% in December 2003. Even though her ratings were so good, she was not re-elected in the first round in the next presidential elections in 2006. She beat National Coalition Party candidate Sauli Niinistö in the second round by 51.8% against 48.2%. In 2004 she finished 5th in a TV-show called Great Finns, which was based on the BBC's 100 Greatest Britons. Halonen is widely known for her interest in human rights issues. In 1980–81 Halonen served as the chairman of SETA, the main LGBT rights organization in Finland. During her presidency, she has participated actively in discussion of women's rights and problems of globalization. In 2006, she was mentioned by many sources as a potential candidate for the United Nations Secretary-General selection, but later she stated that she wanted to finish her term as president before thinking about other career options. Halonen is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders, an International network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development. In 2009, Forbes named her among the 100 Most Powerful Women in the world. This cover was sent to me by Brita.

Reindeer in Lapland 5.11.2010

This pretty maxicard was sent to me by my good friend Ella. I have talked a lot about Lapland in many earlier posts, so I'll only be repeating myself if I continue talking about it. Suffice it to say that Santa's Main Post Office is also located there.

Finnish Lighthouses on the Baltic 10.9.2003

In 2003 Finland issued a minisheet with five stamps featuring lighthouses on the coast of the Baltic Sea. From left to right they are the Bengtskår lighthouse on the southernmost inhabited island in Finland. It was built in 1906 and is the tallest lighthouse in Scandinavia at 52 meters. The "eye of Hanko" built on Russarö Island in 1863. It is 21.4 meters high and made of stone. This lighthouse is on the coat of arms of Hanko. Rönnskär is the oldest preserved lighthouse in Finland dating from 1800. It is on the Porkkalanniemi, a peninsula in the Gulf of Finland. Harmaja Granaara is an island and a lighthouse outside Helsinki, south of the Soumenlinna sea fortress. It has been a lighthouse since 1883. Harmaja received the world's first directed and undirected radio beacon in 1936. The Söderskä lighthouse was built in 1862, 15 nautical miles from the centre of Helsinki. It is 40 meters tall. The design of the minisheet has pictures of the five lighthouses with a map across the top of the sheet. At the top of each stamp are some vital statistics: the date it was built, the coordinates of its location and its height.
It was later discovered that the coordinates given for the Russarö lighthouse namely, 50° 46,0´N 22° 57,1´E, were incorrect. The correct latitude should be 59° 59,1´N. This lovely FDC was sent to me by Brita.

Railways – The Beauty & the Beast

These two cards came to me from Ruth in Germany who sent me the Beast (;-)) and Nora from Taiwan who sent me the Beauty.

The Great Western Railway (GWR) 2800 Class is a class of steam locomotive designed by G.J. Churchward for heavy freight work. They were the first 2-8-0 class in Great Britain. The prototype, originally numbered 97 but later renumbered 2800, appeared in 1903. Construction of the production series commenced in 1905 and continued until 1919. The 2884 Class which appeared in 1938–1942 was developed from the 2800 class and is sometimes classified with it.

Taiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail line that runs along the west coast of Taiwan. It is approximately 345 km (214 mi) long and runs from Taipei to Kaohsiung. Construction was managed by a private company, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC), which also operates the line. The project had a total cost of US$18 billion and is one of the largest privately-managed and funded transport schemes to date. For most of its length, THSR runs on viaducts or in tunnels. THSR's technology is based mainly on Japan's Shinkansen system, mixed with European standards and system components. The Taiwan High Speed 700T train is a variant of the 700 Series Shinkansen and was built by a consortium of Japanese rolling stock builders. THSR began service on January 5, 2007. Trains with a service top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) travel from Taipei to Kaohsiung in as fast as 90 minutes, compared to over four hours for a train on the conventional Western Line of the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA). Tickets are more expensive than on normal trains or express buses, but cheaper than on airplanes. Most intermediate stations are outside the cities served, with rapid transit connections constructed only after the opening of the line. Ridership missed forecasts, but grew from under forty thousand passengers a day in the first few months to over a hundred thousand passengers a day in 2010. THSR took away passengers from airlines on parallel routes almost completely, and also impacted road traffic.

Happy New Year

From Russia, and from Elena With Love – Happy New Year to All.

The stamp on the card is noteworthy. It is in the shape of a snow crystal. Very topical and typical of the place.

Anguilla

The spirit of Christmas is best personified by these lovely stamps from Anguilla.For those who aren’t familiar with this island, a brief on it won’t be out of place. Anguilla is a British overseas territory in the Caribbean, one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. It consists of the main island of Anguilla itself, approximately 26 km (16 mi) long by 5 km (3.1 mi) wide at its widest point, together with a number of much smaller islands and cays with no permanent population. The island's capital is The Valley. The total land area of the territory is 91 km² (35 sq mi), with a population of approximately 13,500 (2006 estimate). It lies east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. As a dependency of the UK, the UK is responsible for its defence, although there are no active garrison or armed forces present. Wilma gave me these nice stamps.

Year of the Rabbit 2011

Persons born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "Year of the Rabbit," while also bearing the following elemental sign:

• 29 January 1903 – 15 February 1904: Water Rabbit
• 14 February 1915 – 2 February 1916: Wood Rabbit
• 2 February 1927 – 22 January 1928: Fire Rabbit
• 19 February 1939 – 7 February 1940: Earth Rabbit
• 6 February 1951 – 26 January 1952: Metal Rabbit
• 25 January 1963 – 12 February 1964: Water Rabbit
• 11 February 1975 – 30 January 1976: Wood Rabbit
• 29 January 1987 – 16 February 1988: Fire Rabbit
• 16 February 1999 – 4 February 2000 Earth Rabbit
• 3 February 2011 – 22 January 2012: Metal Rabbit

The Rabbit is the fourth animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. The Year of the Rabbit is associated with the earthly branch symbol 卯. In the related Vietnamese zodiac, the cat takes the place of the rabbit (Main character in the card). The Chinese symbol 卯 for the Rabbit sounds like (mão, mẫu, méo, mẹo, mẻo); the word "mèo" is cat in Vietnamese. Therefore, cat was translated from Chinese to Vietnamese as fourth zodiac sign instead of Rabbit.

Rabbit Personality - People born in the year of the rabbit often make ideal diplomats or politicians. Rabbit person has grace, culture and beautiful manners. Although rabbit people get on well with everyone, at heart they are basically reserved creatures, and are only really happy when they are engrossed in some sort of scholarly or intellectual activity. They are just too sensitive to the world around them. They are just not able to thrive in a competitive or aggressive environment, and it makes them anxious if someone forces them to take risks. Their inner world is simply too delicate for unsettled or unpredictable situations, and they tend to create a peaceful and comfortable atmosphere on a hunch. This character trait makes them very hospitable and attentive people, who take care of those around. The average rabbit person emphasizes the importance of small details. They pay attention to everything from colour, design and furniture to food and conversation. And only when they are sure that everything has been arranged as they wished, these people can relax and have fun. Person born in the year of rabbit often leads a conservative lifestyle, where one of the most important things is their security. This quality has a negative side also. Opting for safety over risk they may miss good opportunities. This does not imply that these people are frivolous or irresponsible, for when they truly believe in some thing they are serious, perseverant and capable.

Calm as they are, it is not easy to provoke rabbit people. They are sentimental and compassionate. Yes, and they cry easily too. They can be moved by personal problems you share with them. Therefore, if you work as a salesman for a living, you will have much better luck with rabbit people - Nine out of Ten Rabbit people will definitely buy your products!   

Thanks Stan for this lovely card.

Czech Republic

Stan sent me these two cards recently from the Czech Republic. The cards and the post marks which are quite descriptive of the seasonal celebrations need no further elaboration. Thanks Stan for these nice cards.

USA – Old Ironsides

This block of four stamps was issued to commemorate the 150^th Anniversary of The U.S. frigate 'Constitution' which is the world’s oldest warship still afloat. Commissioned in 1797, she is thus about 213 years old now. Despite extensive overhauls and repairs over the years, she still retains her original keel and therefore is considered an 'original ship'. She lies today as museum ship in Boston. In 1812, during combat with HMS 'Guerriere', American sailors observed that the British frigate’s balls (I mean cannon balls) could not penetrate ‘Constitution’s hull, earning her the everlasting nickname, 'Old Ironsides'.

Throughout the 18th century, the Mediterranean and the Straits of Gibraltar were feared hunting grounds of the Barbary pirates from Morocco, Tunis, Tripoli, and Algeria. France and England paid hefty tributes to the Pashas of the Berbercoast and were left in peace. Without a navy to protect them, American ships became easy prey to these pirates. In 1793 eleven American ships were captured and faced outrageous demands for ransom . Something had to be done. The U.S. ministers to France and England, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, said it would be cheaper to build a navy to protect American shipping than to pay tribute. Finally, in March of 1794 Congress passed a bill leading to the building of six frigates. These American frigates were to be superior in firepower to any other frigates and fast enough to outrun any British warship, while outmaneuvering any vessel of the same size. Here is some data to the 'Constitution': Construction period from 1794 to 1797 in Boston. L 204 ft, B 43.5 ft, D 22.5ft. Foremast 198 ft, mainmast 220 ft, mizzenmast 172.5 ft, displacement 2,200 tons, Sail area 42,710 square feet with Leesails, speed max. 14 kn, able to to be close hauled 6 points to the wind. Armament: 32 24-pounders, 20 32-pounders and two 24-pounders in the bows. The hull, an oak skin from 1.3 to 1.7 ft thick, was fitted with copper plates. Crew 450 men. When the British saw these frigates, they reached the conclusion that the Americans had created ugly hybrids, half frigate, half ship-of-the-line, and combining few of the advantages of either type. They would soon find out differently. The ‘Constitution' was dispatched against the French in the Caribbean. She made two prizes which however had to be given up, being British ships previously taken by the French. In 1801 the Pasha of Tripoli intended to extort more tribute capturing American ships and locking up the crews. In 1803 the Americans sent a fleet with the 'Constitution' into the Mediterranean. Tripoli was bombarded. In June of 1805 a peace treaty was signed on board the 'Constitution'. Thereafter she became the flagship of the U.S. North Atlantic fleet.