The End of Daylight Saving Time in 2019

On 2 a.m. today, we turned our clocks back one hour, marking the end of daylight saving time (DST) in 2019.

Postcard US-4002383 to Russia shows Hoover Dam with Arizona side on the right and Nevada side on the left, with the state boundary running across the dam.

Since Arizona is in the Mountain Time Zone (GMT-7) whereas Nevada is in the Pacific Time Zone (GMT-8), Arizona is one hour ahead. Therefore, if you stand across the state line on the dam right now, your left-side of body and your right-side of body will be in different time zones with one-hour time difference.

However, because Nevada observes DST while Arizona does not, during the summer there is no time difference. Interesting? Confusing? Next time when you visit the dam, pay attention to the clocks on the two intake towers; you will see.

Daylight saving time will return at 2:00 AM on Sunday, March 8, 2020.

VA Medical Center, Washington DC

Postcard US-3989690 to Russia was a linen vintage card showing the new VA Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland as of 1948.

In 2011, the Walter Reed Army Medical Center was combined with the National Naval Medical Center to form the tri-service Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, named after yellow fever researcher Walter Reed.Located near the headquarters of the National Institutes of Health  in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, it is one of the most prominent U.S. military medical centers in the United States.

Diesel Train in the Royal Gorge

Postcard US-3689818 to Russia shows a diesel train in the Royal Gorge, on the Arkansas River, passing underneath the Suspension Bridge - "The World's Highest Bridge", near Cañon City, Colorado, Cañon City, with a population of 16,400 as of 2010 and known as the "Corrections Capital of the World for having nine state and four federal prisons and penitentiaries, is one of the few U.S. cities that have an eñe in its official name.

Two train stamps, among others, were affixed to the card. One was a 33-cent "The Congressional of the Pennsylvania Railroad" from a set of five 1999 stamps entitled All Aboard! 20th Century American Trains. The other “Untitled (Trains on Inclined Tracks),” showing a gouache, colored pencil, and graphite drawing on pieced paper from circa 1960–1963, was one of the five Forever stamps, issued on March 26, 2015, featuring the work of Mexican artist Martín Ramírez who had been confined to psychiatric hospitals for more than 30 years.

I had the sender's address since November 6, 2015. However, the card didn't get posted until December 4, 2015 due to delay from my training for my first half marathon and my encounter of a failed armed robbery. The card had since expired after 60 days, and it was automatically registered by Postcrossing on May 11, 2016 when the account of the receiver was closed.

Loving Day

Today is Loving Day, an annual celebration held on June 12 each year, marking the anniversary of the 1967 United States Supreme Court ruling "Loving v. Virginia" that struck down all anti-miscegenation laws remaining in sixteen U.S. states. Citing "there can be no doubt that restricting the freedom to marry solely because of racial classifications violates the central meaning of the equal protection clause," the ruling invalidated U.S. state laws banning interracial marriage, mainly forbidding marriage between non-whites and whites.

Postcard US-3284982 to Russia features a pair of beautiful swans forming a heart shape with red flowers. It was purchased at Zazzle.

National Doughnut Day

National Doughnut Day is celebrated in the U.S. on the first Friday of June each year. It was started by the Salvation Army in 1938 to honor their members who served doughnuts to soldiers during World War I. Many national chains and independent shops in Las Vegas are offering specials today, including free doughnuts with or without purchase.

Postcard US-2317873 to Russia shows a Voodoo Doll doughnut, one of those raised yeast doughnuts filled with raspberry jelly topped with chocolate frosting and a pretzel stake, from Voodoo Doughnut which is an independent doughnut shop based in Portland, Oregon. It is known for its unusual specialty doughnuts, eclectic decor, cash-only payment and pink boxes featuring the company logo and illustrations of voodoo priests. Interestingly, Voodoo Doughnut also offers legal wedding services, with doughnuts and coffee included for the reception. I visited Voodoo Doughnut's original location at 22 SW 3rd Avenue during my Jetblue AYCJ trip to Portland, OR in 2010.

Red Square, Moscow, Russia

Russian troops marched across Red Square in a huge military parade on Sunday, May 9, 2015 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany.

Western leaders including those from U.S. and U.K. boycotted the parade over the Ukraine crisis. Nonetheless, President Vladimir Putin was joined by 30 foreign leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. During the 60th anniversary in 2005, 53 heads of state, including President George W. Bush, attended the Victory Day ceremony at Red Square.

Postcard RU-3105343 from Russia was a vintage postcard showing Red Square in Moscow with Saint Basil's Cathedral on the left and Kremlin Palace on the right.

Old Saint Petersburg, Russia

Postcard RU-3302574 from Russia shows the main facade of the Stock Exchange Building at Saint Petersburg, Russia in 1903. According to Wikipedia, the Stock Exchange Building, designed by French architect Thomas de Thomon, and inspired by the Greek Temple of Hera at Paestum,  was constructed between 1805 and 1810. The Rostral Columns erected on either side of the Stock Exchange were completed in 1811. One of the columns can be seen on the left side of the postcard.

The Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange and the Rostral Columns are significant examples of Greek Revival architecture.

The postmark indicates that the card was mailed on December 22, 2014 and had traveled more than 120 days.

Tokarev Lighthouse, Vladivostok, Russia

Postcard RU-3526905 from Russia shows the Tokarevskaya Koshka Lighthouse (Tokarev Lighthouse) in the Vladivostok Harbor at Russia's Far East. With 603,244 residents as of 2010, Vladivostok is a city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia, located at the head of the Golden Horn Bay, not far from Russia's borders with China and North Korea. The city is the home port of the Russian Pacific Fleet and the largest Russian port on the Pacific Ocean.

According to the listing of lighthouses of Russia: Vladivostok area from the Lighthouse Directory at UNC, the Tokarev Lighthouse was built in 1910 with the station established in 1876. With its focal plant at 12 meters or 39 feet, it is a cylindrical stone tower that has lantern, gallery and an octagonal base. In spite of its modest size, it is one of Russia's best known lighthouses. The lighthouse was named after Capt. M.J. Tokarev, whose ship surveyed the area between 1862 and 1863.

Located at the entrance to the Vladivostok Harbor on the extreme south-westernmost point of the Egersheld Peninsula, the lighthouse site is accessible through a breakwater, 3 kilometers or 2 miles from the end of the nearest bus line. However, the breakwater is submerged at high tide. In addition, the tower itself is closed to the public.

"Remembering Letters and Postcards" blog shows a postcard of the Tokarev Lighthouse with a different view. Two of the three postcards of the Tokarev Lighthouse showcased on "My World of Postcards" blog were of beautiful winter scenes. The other card came with a 15p stamp issued in 2010 to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the City of Vladivostok, featuring the Tokarev Lighthouse.

Saint Basil's Cathedral, Moscow, Russia

RU-3443849 came from Russia with two postcards showing various landmarks in Moscow, one of which features Saint Basil's Cathedral, once a Orthodox church and now a part of the State Historical Museum in Red Square in Moscow, Russia. The building, located in immediate proximity of the Kremlin Palace, is officially known as the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat. Built from 1555 to 1561 on orders from Ivan the Terrible to commemorate the siege of Kazan, it was once the tallest building in Moscow until the completion of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in 1600. Shaped as a flame of a bonfire, the Cathedral has a unique design with eight side churches surrounding around the ninth church of Intercession in the center. It was recognized as part of the Kremlin and Red Square UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990.

How to Send a Postcard to Crimea

Postcard UA-574523 from Ukraine in 2013 shows the Foros Church, Crimea, Ukraine, overlooking the Black Sea from a 400-meter cliff. However, as a result of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution and subsequent annexation of Crimea by Russia, the sovereignty over the Crimean Peninsula is currently disputed between Ukraine and Russia.

According to Wikipedia, "on March 11, 2014, Supreme Council of Crimea and Sevastopol City Council adopted the Declaration of independence of Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. Following contested referendum in which an overwhelming majority indicated a desire to join the Russian Federation, Russia signed a treaty of accession with the self-declared independent Republic of Crimea, absorbing it into the Russian Federation."

Although Ukraine and it's allies refuse to recognize the annexation, the Crimean Peninsula is now de facto controlled by the Russian Federation. The situation caused confusions how to send mails including postcards to Crimea. An item from the Ukrainian State Enterprise of Posts website "UKRPOSHTA" indicated that the transportation of postal items and periodicals destined to and from AR Crimea and Sevastopol city has been renewed as of March 18, 2014, while another article dated September 10, 2014 warned that the Crimean Post refused to accept postal items, especially periodicals, from continental Ukraine. As of March 15, 2015, USPS states on it's service alerts web page that delivery services for international mail addressed to Crimea (postal codes in the range 95000–99999) are still suspended.

Politics aside, mails to residents of Crimea have been reported to be routed through Russia with "Russia" as receiving country and Russia's new zipcode for the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, adding number "2" to the original Ukrainian zipcode. For example, for an Ukrainian zipcode in Simferopol "95000", the new Russian zipcode is "295000"; for an Ukrainian zipcode in Sevastopol "99000", the new Russian zipcode is "299000". Postcard US-3238647 reached Crimea in this practical manner in 26 days.

State Street, Chicago

Postfcard US-3133042 to Russia was a linen vintage postcard with a view of State Street, Chicago, Illinois in the 1940s. State Street became a shopping destination during the 1900s. It was mentioned in the song "Chicago,"  made famous by Frank Sinatra where Frank sung "On State Street that great street, I'd just like to say: They do things that they never do on Broadway.They have the time, the time of their life." State Street is the location of many landmarks buildings.

Prometheus Statue at Rockfeller Plaza

Outgoing postcard US-3169529 to Russia was a vintage card showing Paul Manship's majestic bronze gilded statue of the Greek legend of the Titan Prometheus recumbent, bringing fire to mankind from the sun. Built in 1934, the 5.5-meter or 18-foot tall and 8-ton statue is a focal point of the fountain in the sunken gardens, which are noted for their trees and shrubs and flowers, at the front of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The model for Prometheus was Leonardo (Leon) Nole. The inscription on the granite wall behind was a paraphrase from Aeschylus that reads: "Prometheus, teacher in every art, brought the fire that hath proved to mortals a means to mighty ends."

Built by the Rockefeller family, Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres or 89,000 square meters panning the area from Fifth Avenue to Sixth Avenue and between 48th and 51st streets in the center of Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York. It was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

Fur Traders Descending the Missouri

Outgoing postcard US-3139095 to Russia shows one of the most famous paintings by George Caleb Bingham, a 19th century American artist. Depicting American life in the frontier lands along the Missouri River using the Luminist style, the painting was originally entitled French-Trader, Half-breed Son. It reflected the reality of fur traders' common marriages with Native American women. However, the name was changed to Fur Traders Descending the Missouri to avoid potentially controversial when it was first exhibited. Painted around 1845, this art piece is now owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

The stamped card was one of the EXTRAordinary Art Card series issued by USPS at the Saint Louis Art Museum in St. Louis, Missouri on May 4, 1990. It has a 15-cent postage pre-printed with a reproduction of the 1845 painting and sells for 50 cents at the time.

The liberty cap or Phrygian cap worn by the older man was the symbol of freedom and liberty commonly used in the 19th century. The animal in the boat was actually a bear cub, not a cat.

Swim for Health in Safe and Pure Pools

Postcard RU-3152940 from Russia was a 1940 vintage poster commissioned for Cleveland Division of Health in Ohio, sponsored by Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration

According to Wikipedia, "the Works Progress Administration (renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration; WPA) was the largest and most ambitious American New Deal agency, employing millions of unemployed people (mostly unskilled men) to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads. In a much smaller but more famous project, the Federal Project Number One, the WPA employed musicians, artists, writers, actors and directors in large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects."

The poster was part of the Work Projects Administration Poster Collection at the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division in Washington, D.C. 20540. It promotes swimming as a healthy exercise by showing a man and a woman in a swimming pool.

#ShopSmall

Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it is Small Business Saturday on November 29, 2014. Launched in 2010 by American Express, it is the 5th year for a growing number of people to think and shop at local small business and independent retailers. President Obama and his daughters went to an independent book store Politics and Prose in Washington D.C. to buy books today as a way to show his support.

Postcard US-2941533 to Russia was shaped Guinness Beer Glass card purchased at the Guinness Store at the Shoppes at Mandalay Place in Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, next door to the Rí Rá Irish Pub, a participating small business where Guinness beers are served and traditional Irish music bands are playing.

Latvia Celebrates Independence Day

96 years ago, Latvia declared independence from Russia on November 18, 1918 in the immediate aftermath of World War I. The red and white flag was chosen as the Latvian National Flag.

In the following years, Latvia was captured and declared a Soviet Socialist Republic in 1919; recognized as an independent nation again in 1921; occupied first by the Soviet Union and then by Nazi Germany under the covert Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany in 1939; and eventually by the Soviet Union again after World War II.

Earlier this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Baltic Way event when significant peaceful protests from the three Baltic countries - Latvia, Lithunaia, and Estonia rallied against oppression under the Soviet Union in 1989. Latvia regained its independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Postcard LV-79087 from Latvia shows the cityscape of Riga, the capital of Latvia. Its Art Nouveau center was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

If Comet Has a Choice

Comet is in the news as the European Space Agency's spacecraft made a first ever soft landing on a comet after a 10-year, 310-million-mile or 500-million-kilometer journey. However, the mission may have ended early as the spacecraft apparently bounced and landed in a shadow and could not get enough charge to its batteries from solar panels.

A comet is basically a big dirty snow ball that circles the Sun. When getting close to the Sun, it gets heated up and begins to emit gas and particles from its nucleus, forming a visible atmosphere, and sometimes a tail upon the effects of solar radiation and solar wind.

Comets become extinct when they have lost all of their volatile ices and particles as a result of having passed too close to the Sun, or having passed close to the Sun too many times. So, I am wondering if a comet has a choice, will she choose to stay away from the Sun and live as a dirty snow ball eternally, or to get close to the Sun and reveal herself in splendid once and for all?

Postcard US-2107408 to Russia was made from a photo I collected when I was in graduate school. Google Image Search turns up several additional photos at Sunet.SE's ftp site. It looks like to be Comet Hale–Bopp that had its closest approach to Earth on March 22, 1997.

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.

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. 

Remnants of Turkish Fortress in Anapa, Russia

Postcard RU-3004438 from Russia shows remnants of Turkish Fortress in Anapa, a Russian resort town with a population of 58,990 as of 2010 on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the Sea of Azov. It is 333 kilometers from Sochi, another resort city along the Black Sea coast and the site of the XXII Olympic Winter Games in 2014.

Anapa was once a Turkish city and subject to the constant battles with Russia. Ottomans started to built a fortress in 1783 to defend against the Russian threat and completed it in 1791, consisting of seven bastions that were connected by a 8-meter-tall 3200-meter-long high wall with three gates. When Anapa was handed over to Russia under the Treaty of Adrianople in 1829, the fortress had undergone repeated attacks by Russia and was all but destroyed during its last siege. The commemorative plate on the wall reads "Gate remnants of the Turkish Fortress, built in 1783, named in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Russian liberation from the Turkish control of Anapa in 1828."