Friday, October 31, 2014

Happy 150th Birthday, Nevada!


Postcard US-3017742 was sent to Germany with warm greetings from Nevada. On October 31, 1864, Nevada became the 36th state of the United State during the Civil War. Today marks the 150th birthday of the "Silver State" Nevada.

Las Vegas hosted a special Nevada Day Parade for the first time started at 10 a.m. to celebrate the State’s Sesquicentennial, highlighting the legacy of Southern Nevada. 150 groups marched up 4th Street in Downtown Las Vegas, consisting of floats, antique cars, horses, motorcycles, and marching bands. Hard to miss were larger-than-life Birthday Cake, Elvis, and American Eagle balloons.


Celebrations continue tomorrow including the 76th annual Nevada Day Parade in Carson City on November 1, 2014.

You can purchase a copy of the Greetings from Nevada postcards from Zazzle.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Home Means Nevada


Postcard US-3038783 to Latvia shows a maxi card that has a big-letter "NEVADA" rubber stamp imprint and a Nevada Statehood Forever stamp with a first-day-of-issue cancellation.

As part of the Nevada’s Sesquicentennial celebration, more than 500 groups around the state participated #NevadaSings to sing the Nevada State Song "Home Means Nevada" at 10 a.m. today, attempting to set a record for people singing one state song at the same time, with one group singing from as high as 25,000 feet or 7,620 meters in the sky. For those who had participated, video or photo proof are still accepted on www.Nevada150.org web site.

Written & Music by Bertha Raffetto, the lyrics of the official song of the State of Nevada are:

Way out in the land of the setting sun,
Where the wind blows wild and free,
There’s a lovely spot, just the only one
That means home sweet home to me.
If you follow the old Kit Carson trail,
Until desert meets the hills,
Oh you certainly will agree with me,
It’s the place of a thousand thrills.Home means Nevada
Home means the hills,
Home means the sage and the pine.
Out by the Truckee, silvery rills,
Out where the sun always shines,
Here is the land which I love the best,
Fairer than all I can see.
Right in the heart of the golden west
Home means Nevada to me.

Whenever the sun at the close of day,
Colors all the western sky,
Oh my heart returns to the desert grey
And the mountains tow’ring high.
Where the moon beams play in shadowed glen,
With the spotted fawn and doe,
All the live long night until morning light,
Is the loveliest place I know.

Home means Nevada
Home means the hills,
Home means the sage and the pines.
Out by the Truckee’s silvery rills,
Out where the sun always shines,
There is the land that I love the best,
Fairer than all I can see.
Right in the heart of the golden west
Home means Nevada to me.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

The Frog Princess


Postcard RU-3104812 from Russia shows an illustration of the Frog Princess fairy tale that has various origins in its Russian version.

Under the King's directive, Prince Ivan and his two brothers shot arrows to locate their brides. The other brothers' arrows were found by the daughters of an noble and a wealthy merchant respectively, while Ivan saw his arrow in the mouth of a frog in a swamp whom he had to marry with. It turned out that the Frog Princess was a beautiful and skillful girl under a spell who could only reveal her true identity at night.

She passed a series of tests from the King. During the final dance test, she shed her frog skin and transforms to a beautiful princess at the King's banquet. However, the Prince burned the frog skin, probably in hope to prevent her from transforming back to a frog, without knowing that the Frog Princess would have been freed in three days. Now he lost her instead.

Ivan then set out a journey to find her again. He got advice from an old man; did multiple good deeds; and finally met the witch who gave him directions on how to free her. In the end, Ivan was rewarded for his good nature and earlier good deeds. He was able to free the Princess; and the two lived happily ever after.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem



Postcard US-3038790 to Germany was one of those postcards I bought at the tropical themed casino Margaritaville in Las Vegas, showing a trio of parrots relaxing on the beach by a "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem" sign post. Since a parrot can really sing "I'm Sexy and I Know it" as seen on this Youtube video, the above beach scene may not be a total fantasy.

On a technical note, unlike the previous Youtube videos embedded in this blog with the built-in tools from Blogger.com that require Adobe Flash player or browser plug-ins, this video was embedded using the HTML 5 codes provided on the Youtube page under the Share/Embed/Email tabs. I will start to use the HTML 5 codes from now on, so that the embedded videos can be viewed on a mobile devices that do not support Adobe Flash.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Basilica of Superga

Postcard IT-288254 from Italy shows the Basilica of Superga church near Turin, Italy. Built from 1717 to 1731 for Victor Amadeus II of Savoy and located at the top of the hill of Superga, the church was designed by Italian architect and designer Filippo Juvarra in late Baroque style. Under the church, the Royal Crypt of the Basilica of Superga is the burial place of the House of Savoy, one of the oldest royal families in the world,

Sunday, October 26, 2014

National Geographic: Owls


Outgoing postcard US-2869244 to Ukraine, sent on July 3, 2014, has since expired. It shows a tagged northern spotted owl in a redwood forest in California.

After I saw a Youtube video of an owl attacked by a hawk, I was curious about the difference between owls and hawks, all birds of prey. Owls belong to the order Strigiformes, with more than 100 species. On the other hands, hawks belong to the Accipitridae family within the order Accipitriformes. Owls are more active at night while hawks rule the day. That probably partially explain the timing of the above "attack." However, hawks do appear to be more aggressive and territorial. Another popular Youtube Video shows the dramatic moment of a hawk attacking a drone over Cambridge, Massachusetts recently, sending the quadcopter plummeting to the ground.

Photo Credit: Michael Nichols/National Geographic Stock. The postcard was purchased at National Geographic store at Zazzle.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

The Sounds of AHH

Postcard US-2205897 to the Netherlands was one of the several shaped cards that I bought at the "Everything Coca-Cola" specialty store in Las Vegas. Today I came cross a 2014 Coca-Cola "The Sounds of AHH" commercial by Kurt Schneider, Max Schneider, Zendaya, and Kina Grannis, singing the cover of Capital Cities' "Safe and Sound" and using the coke bottles and glasses as instruments.
I could lift you up
I could show you what you wanna see
And take you where you wanna be
You could be my luck
Even if the sky is falling down
I know that we'll be safe and sound

Friday, October 24, 2014

The Millennium Project


To commemorate the 69th anniversary of the 1945 Charter of the United Nations, President Barack Obama proclaimed October 24, 2014 as United Nations Day.

Postcard US-1779034 to Australia features Meg Bonenfant at age 20, to highlight one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),  Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education. The goals were a series of time-bound and quantified targets, set out in the Millennium Project at the United Nations' Millennium Summit in September, 2000, aiming to reduce extreme poverty in the forms of income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter, and exclusion while promoting gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability, with a deadline of 2015.

The postcard was obtained at the World Urban Forum III in Vancouver, Canada during June 19-23, 2006. Another copy of the card was recently sent to the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) in New York City for a postmark on the United Nations stamps in September, 2014.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Natural Beauty at Guinsa, South Korea


Postcard KR-104756 from South Korea shows a scenic drive led to Guinsa (救仁寺), Buddhism Temple of Salvation and Kindness, in the Sobaek Mountains near Danyang, South Korea. Originally built in 1945, Guinsa was burned down during the Korean War; and the reconstruction started in 1966. The campus, placed along a narrow valley surrounded on all sides by mountains, was chosen according to head monk Sangwol Wongak's (上月圓覺) interpretation of the Lotus Sutra (妙法蓮華經).

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Love Locks and the Pont des Arts


Postcard SG-157009 from Singapore shows a loving couple at the Pont des Arts, a pedestrian bridge which crosses the River Seine in Paris, France. It was first built between 1802 and 1804, under the reign of Napoleon I, at the present location as the first metal bridge in Paris. Listed as a National Historic Monument on March 17, 1975, the Pont des Arts is also part of the World Heritage Site "Banks of the Seine" in Paris, recognized by UNESCO in 1991.

The bridge has been known for those love locks attached to the railing since 2008. Couples engrave their names on the padlocks and throw the keys into the Seine river after locking them in place as a gesture of committed love. However, as the number of locks became overwhelming, city officials in Paris started to remove some lock-laden railings and replace them with special glass panels in September, 2014. The Mayor's Office in Paris launched a #lovewithoutlocks campaign to encourage people to take "selfies" instead of leaving love locks.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Forbidden Jump


Postcard US-2651065 to Luxembourg depicts one of the thrills of boyhood on the farm or ranch - the forbidden jump off the windmill into the stock tank. Artist Fred Boyce captured this high point in the lives of two pint-sized cowboys for the Western Horseman magazine's September issue in 1959.

This vintage magazine cover postcard was from a postcard book purchased at the Cowboy Christmas Gift Show during the National Finals Rodeo in 2012.

Monday, October 20, 2014

New Las Vegas ATC Tower Opening Delayed


IFATCA is celebrating the International Day of the Air Traffic Controller with a Facebook profile picture and a Youtube video.
Postcard US-3017710 to Japan shows the new 352-foot or 107.3-meter tall FAA Air Traffic Control Tower at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas that has been under construction since 2011. However, Construction mistakes have pushed the tower opening date from 2015 to late 2016 or early 2017. Upon completion, the tower, the second-tallest in the U.S., will give air traffic controllers a better view of air and ground traffic at McCarran International Airport, the ninth busiest airport in the North America.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Penguin One


Postcard US-3014308 to Japan shows one of Southwest Airlines' specialty planes, Penguin One, taking off from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. It is the latest co-branded 737 jets under the partnership with SeaWorld since 1988. The current SeaWorld fleet includes Shamu Two, entering service on May 30, 1990; and Shamu Three, on September 7, 1990. The first jet Shamu One, introduced on May 23, 1988, has since retired.

However, animal rights activists have protested Southwest Airlines' relationship with SeaWorld for its treatment of the killer whales and other sea mammals in captive. Under the pressure from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and other animal rights groups, Southwest announced on July 31, 2014 that it would concluded its 26-year partnership with SeaWorld by the end of the year. Penguin One, just introduced to the fleet last year on June 20, 2013, will be painted back to the traditional Southwest color scheme along with Shamu Two and Shamu Three.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Lost and Found in Las Vegas


Outgoing postcard US-3038777 to China was an advertising card that promoted a benefit event for the Vegas Valley Book Festival. A program of Lost and Found schemes, scenes and stories by authors and performers was presented in the Clark County Sahara West Library at 7 p.m. Friday October 17, 2014.

The annual festival in its 13th edition, held from October 16 to October 18, 2014, was a three-day celebration of the written, spoken and illustrated word. Past keynote speakers included Dennis Lehane in 2010.

Secret Agent 23 Skidoo family band played Gotta Be Me at the Children's Main Stage on October 18, 2014, combining hip hop funk music with a message of self assurance and diversity appreciation.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Taipei 101


Eleven years ago on October 17, 2003, the pinnacle was fitted onto the roof of Taipei 101, a 101-floor skyscraper in Taipei. At 508 meters or 1,667 feet, it surpassed the Petronas Twin Towers (451.9 meters or 1,483 feet) in Kuala Lumpur by 56 meters or 184 feet and had been the tallest building in the world until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010.

Postcard TW-851403 from Taiwan shows an elegant illustration of Taipei 101, highlighting the design that symbolizes the combination of modern technology evolution and Asian tradition  The repeated segments, eight of them in total, mimics the rhythms of an Asian pagoda that bridges the earth and the sky. The tower also reminds people the color and shape of a bamboo shoot that represents perseverance, learning and growth.

In comparison, Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas, the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States, stands at 350.2 meters or 1,149 feet.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

4 ∞


Postcard NL-2693844 from the Netherlands shows the main building Academiegebouw of the University of Groningen. Located in the City of Groningen and founded in 1614, it is not only one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands but also one of the largest. The university is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year with a festive program RUG400 from May 15 to June 15, 2014, under the theme "For Infinity" (4 ∞).

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

The Muppets Tour the Globe


Postcard US-2921174 to Belarus shows the Muppets Tour the Globe, a Disney themed card purchased at Zazzle. It was sent in for a first-day-of-issue postmark on the Hot Rods forever stamps on August 5, 2014, and reached the destination on October 9, 2014 after 65 days.


The order was apparently held up together with my other first-day-of-issue requests. I received part of the Hot Rods order on September 23, 2014, along with the Harvey Milk order that was requested on July 21, 2014. A separate Nevada Statehood order, requested on July 26, 2014, arrived days earlier on September 20, 2014. A check for the digital-color-postmark fee in the Harvey Milk order was not cashed until October 1, 2014.

Therefore, as the Muppets Tour the Globe, the actual traveling time for the postcard from U.S. to Belarus was about 16 days.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

鉄道の日


"鉄道の日" is the annual Railway Festival in Japan on October 14 to commemorate the opening of Japan's first railway between Shimbashi Station (新橋駅), Tokyo and Sakuragichō Station (桜木町駅), Yokohama on October 14, 1872. In 2014, the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) issued a three-day unlimited-ride pass to celebrate the occasion.

Postcard JP-591605 from Japan shows the Super Sōya, express train service between Sapporo and Wakkanai in Hokkaido, operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) which is one of the six regional operators in the JR Group for the passenger services.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Sunset Over Sabang Bay, Indonesia


Postcard US-2293197 to Michigan shows a beautiful sunset view over Sabang Bay in Aceh Province, Indonesia. It was one of those postcards I bought when I was volunteering in Banda Aceh, Indonesia in 2005. A similar card was featured in this blog last year for the International Day for Disaster Reduction, which was designated as October 13 by the UN General Assembly in 2009, replacing the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction that was part of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction in the 1990s. The theme for 2014 is "Resilience is for Life."

Best known for snorkeling and diving, Sabang Bay is located on the north side of Pulau Weh, an island north of Banda Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra. On the sidebar of the postcard, Rubiah Island, Ulee-Lheu Beach, Lhok Seudu Beach, and Lhok Nga Beach are shown from top to bottom.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Discovering North America


522 years ago, Christopher Columbus reached the Americas on October 12, 1492. The landing has been celebrated as Columbus Day in the United States as a Federal Holiday since 1934. It has been fixed to the second Monday in October since 1970 as a result of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.

However, Columbus Day has met with a long history of opposition. As a blog article in the Washington Post pointed out, Columbus did not really discover North America, because he never set foot in North America but on various Caribbean islands. More importantly, his brutal ruling at the Caribbean islands where he landed resulted in atrocities against native peoples on the islands. It was a prelude to the indigenous population collapse during the European colonization of the American continents that followed Columbus' "discovery". 

Therefore today people are celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day in Berkeley, California; Native American Day in  South Dakota; a combined Columbus Day and American Indian Heritage Day in Alabama; and Discovery Day in Hawaii and the Bahamas.

Postcard US-2849020 to Philippines shows a map of Native Tribes of North America. 

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Yes, I DO


It is the 26th Anniversary of National Come Out Day (NCOD) on October, 11, 2014. An annual celebration for being who you are in the LGBT community, and in support of those who are coming out, NCOD this year coincides with a turning point when marriage is open to all  in Nevada for the first time. Seven same-sex couples were married at the NCOD Family Festival in Alexis Park All Suite Resort tonight.


The High Roller Ferris Wheel in the background, sporting rainbow-colored lights, looked like a giant wedding ring.


Postcard US-2722698 to Michigan shows a wedding decoration in a store front on the Las Vegas Strip.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Secret Memo to the Emperor


Postcard TW-1378800 from Taiwan, styled after file folders for secret memos to the emperor in ancient China, was one of the three new postcards made by the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Those memos ranged from official statements of the facts, proposals of measures, and greetings. The emperor would mark the memo as read with a cinnabar red pen and return it to the sender. Last year, the National Palace Museum in Taipei issued paper tapes with an emperor's handwriting "marked as read", as part of a cultural and creative project. It was an instant success.


Taiwan celebrated the Double Ten Day - its National Day on October 10, 2014, the 103rd birthday of the Republic of China (ROC). The ROC government fled to Taiwan in 1949 in a civil war against communist forces in mainland China, and moved more than 696,000 pieces of ancient Chinese imperial artifacts and artworks from the Forbidden City in Beijing to Taipei, which became the National Palace Museum's permanent collection.

Thursday, October 9, 2014


Today, the U.S. Postal Service issued the limited edition Batman Forever stamps at New York Comic Con 2014 at the Javits Center on October 9, 2014, in honor of Batman’s 75th anniversary as the protector of Gotham City.

Four versions of stamps feature Batman in four very distinct eras over the comic book history: the Golden Age (bottom row: 1939 - 1956), the Silver Age (third row: 1956 - 1969), the Bronze Age (second row: 1970 - 1985), and the Modern Era (top row: 1985 to the present). There are four incarnations of the famed Bat-Signal, the spotlight that Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon beamed into the night sky to summon Batman.


According to USPS, Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others, and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Forever Batman Stamps
Special Events Coordinator
380 West 33rd St. Room 4032
New York, NY 10199-9998

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by Dec. 8, 2014.

In 2006, the USPS issued a series of stamps featuring various DC Comics superheroes, including Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Last year, Canada Post issued five Superman stamps on September 10, 2013 to commemorate Superman’s 75th birthday and his Canadian roots.

Outgoing postcard US-3017764 to the Netherlands shows a DC Comics book cover with Batman and Robin, purchased at DC Comics' Batman store at Zazzle.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Mount Nemrut, Adıyaman, Turkey


Postcard TR-197954 from Turkey shows Mount Nemrut near Adıyaman in southeastern Turkey, a presumed royal tomb site built by King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene in 62 B.C. At its 2,134 m or 7,001 ft summit, there are a number of large statues with their heads separated and scattered throughout the site. Mount Nemrut was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Marriage for All in Nevada


Mere one day after the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear appeals against lower courts' rulings that declared banning same-sex marriage were unconstitutional in Oklahoma, Utah, Indiana, Virgina, and Wisconsin, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Idaho and Nevada’s bans on same-sex marriage violated equal protection rights on October 7, 2014. The court's decision also covers Alaska, Arizona and Montana.

Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval and State Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto announced this Tuesday evening that they would not appeal the ruling. The Marriage Bureau in Clark County, located at 201 Clark Avenue in the Regional Justice Center, will start to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples at 2 p.m. Wednesday October 8, 2014. Now, Las Vegas can truly claim itself as the wedding capital of the world.

Postcard US-1864037 to Germany shows the Little Church of the West Wedding Chapel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. Built out of California redwood as part of the Last Frontier Hotel in 1942, it is the oldest building on the Las Vegas Strip. It had since moved several times until it was relocated to the current location in 1996. The wedding chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 14, 1992. It is known for the 1964 movie Viva Las Vegas filmed at the Little Church of the West, where Lucky Jackson (played by Elvis Presley) and Rusty Martin (played by Ann-Margret) recited their vows.

Update: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy put the Ninth Ciruit Court's order on hold after Idaho filed an emergency request for a stay on October 8, 2014.

Update 2: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Justice Kennedy revised his order in the afternoon on October 8, 2014,  removing Nevada (case No. 12-17668) from the hold.

Update 3: Nevada started to issue same-sex marriage licenses on October 9, 2014.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Love is a Force of Nature


I got this Brokeback Mountain movie promotional card during its Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival premiere at Cinema Paradiso in 2005. The movie told a powerful story of two young men, a ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy, who sheepherded in the Wyoming mountains in the summer of 1963 and formed a life-long bond with love and conflicts.

Sixteen years ago today on October 6, 1998, Matthew Shepard, a student at the University of Wyoming, was beaten, tortured and left to die near Laramie, Wyoming. He was targeted and attacked by two men because he was gay. His death from severe head injuries six days later brought national and international attention to hate crime legislation. However, it wasn't until October 2009 that the United States Congress passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. President Barack Obama signed the "Matthew Shepard Act" into law on October 28, 2009.

Today on October 6, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review those cases where state laws banning same-sex marriage were overturned by federal appeals courts, which resulted immediate recognition of same-sex marriage in Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. Wyoming could see same-sex marriages recognized by the end of this year as it was covered by the same circuit appeals courts as Utah and Oklahoma. Five additional states: North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Colorado, and Kansas, are also covered.

The card was sent in to obtain a first-day-of-issue postmark on a Harvey Milk Forever Stamp on July 21, 2014, along with other first-day-of-issue postmark and digital color postmarks. It took two months for the fulfilled order to be returned on September 23, 2014.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Bears Star


Postcard RU-3035257 from Russia shows a fantasy illustration "Bears Star" by Russian artist Galla Yegorenkova, where Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, along with a full moon, were guiding ships through a cold, rough sea. 

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Bellagio Museum Day

Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art (BGFA) hosted its annual Museum Day on Saturday October 4, 2014, in honor of Smithsonian magazine’s Annual Museum Day which offered complimentary admission to participating museums and cultural institutions in the U.S. on September 27, 2014.

“Painting Women: Works from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” is the current exhibition at BGFA, showcasing 34 paintings by women artists from 18th to 20th centuries. The show will run through October 17, 2014.

The featured postcard shows the Portrait of a Young Woman, circa 1797, by French artist Marie Louise Elisabeth Vigée-Le Brun (1755–1842), one of the paintings on display. The postcard was purchased at BGFA's gift shop.


Friday, October 3, 2014

German Unity Day


Today is the German Unity Day (Tag der Deutschen Einheit), the national day of Germany. Celebrated on October 3 every year, it is a public holiday that commemorates the anniversary of German reunification in 1990. The reunification process started as the Berlin Wall came down on November 9, 1989, and was formally completed on October 3, 1990. The German Unity Day, the national holiday of the Federal Republic of Germany, had been previously celebrated on June 17 since 1954. It was celebrated twice in 1990, once on June 17, 1990 and the other on October 3, 1990.

Postcard DE-1272658  was a lenticular 3D postcard. When viewing from different angles, it shows the reunified Germany by Day or by Night from space. It was also the first official PostCrossing postcard I received from Germany.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Taxkorgan, the Stone Fortress


Postcard CN-1385641 from China is a postal stamped card by China Post, showing the 2000-year-old hill fortress in Taxkorgan (塔什库尔干), meaning Stone Fortress, seat of Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang, China. It had been a strategically important junction on the historical Silk Road, as major caravan routes converged here leading to Kashgar in the north, Karghalik to the east, Badakhshan and Wakhan to the west, and Chitral and Hunza to the southwest in Gilgit Baltistan of today's Pakistan. Today, as the last town in China 120 kilometers or 75 miles from the border with Pakistan, Taxkorgan is on the Karakoram Highway that follows the old Silk Road route from China to Pakistan.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

President Jimmy Carter Turns 90


Jimmy Carter, Jr., the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 who was born October 1, 1924, turns 90 today on October, 1, 2014. Know as a peanut farmer, he served two terms as a Georgia State Senator and one term as the Governor of Georgia before elected President in 1976. As President, he created two new cabinet-level departments: the Department of Energy and the Department of Education, which were among those to be eliminated by Republican presidential candidate, Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2011 if he became President. Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Postcard US-1555328 to Germany shows the skyline of Atlanta, Georgia where the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum and the Carter Center is located. It was among the first few official PostCrossing postcards I sent off.