See Impossible

The 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) opened today in Las Vegas with a record of more than 3,600 exhibitors. CES is known as the place for the vendors to showcase their most-recent cutting-edge technologies. However, the recent trend is that, in addition to the usual hardware displays and technical demos to the buyers and industry affiliates, exhibitors are highlighting what those technologies can do in terms of enhancing creativity, stimulating social changes, and improving people's life.

One example is Canon U.S.A.'s PIXMA PRO City Senses Interactive Gallery that features images created by local photographers, Heather Gill and Emily Wilson from Las Vegas. Visitors can experience through the senses of touch, taste, smell and sound with a Las Vegas theme that have inspired the photographers' work. So far, the PIXMA PRO City Senses Interactive Galleries have featured seven cities: Boston, Austin, Seattle, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. "See Impossible" is the theme for the Canon booth at the 2015 CES.

Audiences are asked to compare their visions with photographers' after listening to the sounds from casino floors in a dark room at the 2015 CES in Las Vegas.

Postcard US-2323219 to USA shows a loving couple with a street bench formed by dancers at Canon Theater in the 2012 CES.

United States Air Force Thunderbirds

The USAF Thunderbirds is the air demonstration squadron of the United States Air Force (USAF), based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

The squadron performs aerobatic formation and solo flying with in various airshows and events using F-16 Fighting Falcons. The name of "Thunderbirds" was from a legendary creature in the mythology of several indigenous North American cultures, as one of their maneuvers on November 11, 2012 shown on the postcard. You can purchase the matching customized stamps from Zazzle.

Update on November 9, 2014 with a Youtube video from the 2014 Aviation Nation.

Formula One U.S. Grand Prix Austin, Texas

Postcard US-2886187 to Spain shows the major attractions around the Formula One United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Austin, the Texas capital with a population of 885,000 in a 2013 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, is hosting the race this weekend for the third time and offering spectators with great food and live music.

The race is on at 2 p.m. on Sunday November 2, 2014 at the Circuit of the Americas, the first purpose-built Formula One track in the United States. It held the First Grand Prix in 2012. With the number of laps at 56, circuit length at 5.513 kilometers and race distance at 308.405 kilometers, the lap record of 1:39.347 was set by S Vettel in 2012. The practice sessions in 2014 were held on Friday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., with qualifying on Saturday afternoon from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

On a side note, there are recent discussions in bringing a Formula One street race back to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Be One

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco began to hear oral arguments in challenges to same-sex marriage bans in Idaho, Nevada and Hawaii today on September 8, 2014. A three-judge panel had tough questions for marriage equality opponents and seemed ready to say for the second time that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.

Meanwhile, as state officials in Nevada decided not to defend the bans, the same-sex marriages might become a reality quickly in Nevada if the court rulings overturn the bans. County clerks are making new marriage license forms that list “party 1” and “party 2” instead of “bride” and “groom”.

Outgoing postcard US-2967646 to Canada shows the 2012 Gap advertising campaign in San Francisco, featuring a same-sex couple.

Fast Food Workers Demand Living Wage

President Obama said in his Labor Day speech at Milwaukee, Wisconsin: “All across the country right now there’s a national movement going on made up of fast-food workers organizing to lift wages so they can provide for their families with pride and dignity.” Meanwhile, organizers representing fast food workers around the country are planning a one-day strike next Thursday on September 4, 2014 at restaurants such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s and KFC in 150 cities, demanding a living wage of $15 per hour and the right to unionize. The Bureau of Labor Statistics had the average hourly wage for restaurant workers at $8.74 as of May 2013.

The campaign started with 200 fast-food workers in New York City in November 2012. It has since gained momentum as 13 states increased their minimum wages at the beginning of 2014 and Seattle approved a $15 minimum wage. According to Chicago Tribune, "in May, 101 McDonald’s workers were peacefully arrested for trespassing at a protest outside the company’s Oak Brook headquarters. Since then, the so-called Fight for $15 campaign has continued to raise awareness of its goals of unionizing fast food workers and raising their wages to $15 an hour."

The featured postcard shows a McDonald's Restaurant at Sahara Paradise Plaza in Las Vegas, as seen from the Stratosphere Tower.

Hummingbird in Costa Rica

Hummingbird by "Mike" Michael L. Baird, 2012

Postcard US-2738802 to India shows the Violet Sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus), a large hummingbird native to southern Mexico and Central America that lives as far south as Costa Rica and western Panama.

The photographed was taken by "Mike" Michael L. Baird at Bosque de Paz, Rain Forest Lodge, Cloud Forest, Costa Rica on May 8, 2012, near the villages of Palmira and Pueblo Nuevo, and Bajos del Toro. The Volcan Poas National Park and the Juan Castro Blanco National Park were close by. Used under a Creative Common license.

World Cup Stamps

Postcard DE-3394587 from Germany was made of a series of World Cup stamps from several countries. The three stamps on the left were 1978 North Korea stamps showing World Cup winners: West Germany (1954, 1974), Italy (1934, 1938), and Uruguay (1930, 1950).

Magyar Posta in Hungary issued the three stamps in the middle to commemorate the 1978 FIFA World Cup held in Argentina from June 1 to June 25, 1978.

The top three stamps on the right were issued in R.P. Kampuchea in 1985, dedicating to the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

The stamp on the bottom right was also a 1978 North Korea stamp from the 12-stamp History of the World Cup stamps set. Unfortunately, it fell off during the mailing.

The right stamp on the back was a Enthusiastic Germany football stamp issued on May 2, 2012.

President Obama Turns 53

Happy Birthday to President Obama, who just turned 53 today on Aug. 4, 2014. He was born in 1961, which was Year of the Ox in Chinese Zodiac. It is said that dependability, strength and determination are among the character traits for those people born in Year of the Ox. they are tolerant individuals who believe that the road to success involves hard work and scrupulous behavior; they do not believe in taking shortcuts.

Postcard US-1948589 to the Netherlands was made with a photo from President Obama's reelection campaign appearance at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas on August 20, 2012, embedded in a template then available at photofunia.com.

Bass Harbor Head Light, Maine

Postcard US-2859863 from Maine shows Bass Harbor Head Light, located within Acadia National Park on the southeast corner of Mount Desert Island, Maine. According to Wikipedia: "the history of Bass Harbor Head Light started in 1855 when it was deemed that there was sufficient reason for a lighthouse at the mouth of Bass Harbor. $5000 was appropriated by Congress for its construction in 1858. The construction of a fog bell and tower, which no longer remains today, was completed in 1876 with a much larger 4000 pound (1800 kg) bell being placed inside the tower in 1898. The keeper's house remains in its original configuration with the exception of a 10-foot addition that was added in 1900. The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Bass Harbor Head Light Station on January 21, 1988, reference number 87002273. In 1902, an oil storage house constructed of brick was built 205 feet northwest of the lighthouse."

US Mint issued the Acadia National Park quarter in 2012 as part of the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, featuring a view of the Bass Harbor Head Light and other representative elements such as the coastline, the pine trees and the ocean.

It's Soccer Time!

The USA soccer team prevailed 2:1 in its opening game against Ghana on June 16, 2014 in the group known as the group of death, Considering Ghana had put the USA team out of the last two World Cups, today's win was not a small feat. Next, the USA team will face Portugal on June 22, 2014. Then it will play against Germany at the group stage finale on June 26, 2014.

#450733310 / gettyimages.com

While the soccer has never been a top sport in the U.S., I hope things will gradually change over time. I am proud to see that UNLV, our local university, has both men's and women's soccer teams. Postcard US-2136566 to Ukraine shows their schedules in 2012 season.

Fruit Sculpture

Postcard US-2242693 to Seattle shows a fruit sculpture presentation made out of a melon during the Chinese New Year Celebration at the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas. The art of fruit carving can be traced to Japan, Thailand and China in ancient times.

If you would like to learn how to carve vegetables and fruits, I found a Youtube video from Mutita offering very simple and easy step by step lessons for making a cantaloupe flower.

Fenway Park, Boston

Postcard US-2752817 from Oxford, MA shows the Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest Major League Baseball (MLB) ballpark, and has been the home of the Boston Red Sox MLB team since it opened on April 20, 1912. Due to the age and constrained location, it is the fourth smallest by seating capacity, second smallest by total capacity, and one of seven that cannot accommodate at least 40,000 spectators among the all MLB baseball parks.

Fenway has hosted ten World Series, as early as in its 1912 inaugural season and as recent as in 2013 World Series. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 7, 2012.

Yes, We Still Can

Postcard US-1939267 to Germany shows President Obama greeted the audience before a campaign speech for reelection at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas on August 20, 2012. He chose North Las Vegas, where foreclosures was the worst in the entire country in 2011, to highlight the need for another term for him to battle the sluggish economy.

More than a year later, in his fifth State of the Union address tonight, Obama focuses on America's economic divide and inequality. Facing a divided Congress and uncooperative Republican leadership, President Obama vows to use the executive power pursue his campaign agenda and outlines modest steps, with or without the help of Congress, to help Americans left behind amid the economic recovery.

NBCNews: Speaker of the House John Boehner gives President Barack Obama a thumbs up after the president noted "how the son of a barkeep is the Speaker of the House" in an effort to highlight the opportunities available to Americans during the State of the Union address. 

International Consumer Electronics Show

The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2014 officially starts today. With 3,200 exhibitors and 150,000 attendees. it is expected to be the largest event in CES history. At this world’s largest annual consumer technology trade show, companies are showing off new technologies and gadgets. One of the hottest topic this year is the wearable gadgets that range from a voice-recognition headset to a fitness tracker. Various keynotes, presentations, demonstrations and lectures will last until January 10, 2014.

Postcard US-1706628 to MN, USA shows that dancers at Canon Theater, performing for the CES 2012 in Las Vegas, morphed into a turtle and other sea creatures.

Floriade World Horticultural Expo

It is Thanksgiving today! To celebrate a harvest season, I would like to note Postcard NL-1895799 from the Netherlands that features Floriade, a World Horticultural Expo staged once every ten years in the Netherlands. The most recent Floriade was organized in Venlo from April to mid-October 2012. It was the sixth Floriade where the world's most exquisite and exceptional flowers, plants, trees and fruit and vegetables were on display.

However, Floriade offered more with a collection of music, dance, literature, theater and visual art programs from all over the world. What impressed me most was its sustainable, pioneering architectural components shown for the first time at Floriade. Guess I will have to mark my calendar for 2022.

San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge

Postcard US-2219312 to Germany shows a fire boat in front of the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge. it opened for traffic today 77 years ago on November 12, 1936, six months before the Golden Gate Bridge opened. The bridge consists of two sections that connect Yerba Buena Island to each shore. The postcard shows the western section between Yerba Buena on the left and downtown San Francisco on the right. The photo on the card was taken on June 25, 2012.

Django Unchained

Postcard DE-2339136 from Germany was of the 2012 movie Django Unchained. A German bounty hunter and former dentist, Dr. King Schultz, played by Christoph Waltz, bought the freedom of a slave, Django, played by Jamie Foxx, with the intent to train him as his deputy bounty hunter. However, he was led to where Django's wife was under the control of Calvin Candie, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, a ruthless plantation owner.

You can rent the instant video or purchase a Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Copy, and UltraViolet combo from Amazon.

DefCon

DefCon 20, 2012

DefCon 21, one of the world's largest annual hacker/computer security conventions, is currently held in Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada from August 1 to August 4, 2013. The first DefCon took place in June 1993. The postcard, sent to Taiwan last year, shows the logo of DefCon 20, July 26-29, 2012.

Attendees to DefCon include computer security professionals, journalists, lawyers, security researchers, and of course, hackers. However, the trend has been shifted from "hacking" in early days to "computer security" in recent years. For me, it's a great place to learn the impact of advance of technology to the civil liberties and privacy. ACLU will present a panel discussion: "NSA Surveillance and More" this year. Electronic Frontier Foundation has a session called "Ask the EFF: the Year in Digital Civil Liberties". 

Federal law enforcement agents from the FBI, CIA, Department of Defense, United States Postal Inspection Service, and other agencies regularly attend the DefCons. Last year, four-star General Keith Alexander, head of the NSA, was a keynote speaker at the event. However, DefCon founder Jeff Moss requested government agencies to stay away from the event due to the recent revelation of the NSA surveillance program by Edward Snowden. 

The High Dive: Stars in Danger

TouchNote Card Featuring 2012 London Olympics Diving Events

It reminded me that I had received this TouchNote card featuring a diver during their 2012 London Olympics promotion when I was watching the finale of Jiangsu TV's show "The High Dive: Stars in Danger" on YouTube. It turns out that it has a Fox counterpart that "puts celebrities from widely different backgrounds in peril as they take the plunge into a whole new discipline... DIVING". Similarly, the contestants in this Chinese version show have received coaching by world class divers and Olympic medalists in a short period of time. They compete in a variety of different dives for an expert judging panel and in front of a live TV audience. I like the fact that the winner was once ousted but managed a come back. And it was a challenge to turn impossibles into a reality.

2013 Taiwan PYCON: May 25-26

2012 Tawain PYCON Postcard

PyCon Taiwan (PyConTW) just concluded their 2013 convention on May 26. PyConTW is an annual celebration for the Python community, by the Python community, and of the Python community in Taiwan. The conference highlights Python related technology and applications. It is the place to share knowledge and to inspire new ideas, to network and to collaborate projects. 

I received a postcard of Taiwan PYCON 2012 last year. It was held from June 6 to June 10, 2012, with focus on industrial applications of Python.