United States Post Office at Phoenix, Arizona

Postcard US-3372307 to Poland was a 1950s vintage card of a street view looking north on 1st Avenue past the west entrance to the U.S. Post Office in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Just North is the Hotel Westward Ho.

Also known as Federal Building-U.S. Post Office, it opened on September 29, 1936 and operated as the main post office of Phoenix for over thirty years, A landmark in downtown Phoenix, the Federal Building-Post Office was symbolic of the federal presence as it also hosted several other Federal agencies.

It is currently part of Arizona State University at the Downtown Phoenix campus. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 10, 1983, the Post Office features Spanish Colonial Revival architectural design.

Make Some Noise

Las Vegas honors 2015 Martin Luther King Jr. Day with its 33rd annual parade that attracted thousands visitors and locals lining up Fourth Street downtown to watch more than 100 floats, bands, dancers, politicians, classic cars, motorcycles and people from various organizations marching in honor of Dr. King.

The theme of this year's parade was "Living the Dream: Where do we go from here?" It highlights the reflection and debate resulted from the racial tensions exposed after multiple police killings of black men last year. It is also a reminder that the struggle for equality is continuing and there are a lot to be done ahead.

An elderly spectator watches younger marchers streaming by at the 33rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in downtown Las Vegas on January 19, 2015.

The featured postcard was a maxi card featuring a self-portrait of me in front of the Newseum in Washington D.C. on August 28, 2013 with a USPS March on Washington Forever Stamp and its first-day-of-issue postmark.

America's Party at Fremont Street, Las Vegas in the New Year's Eve

The Fremont Street Experience in downtown Vegas will again to hose the New Year's Eve America's Party to ring in 2015. The adult-only (21+) party starts at 6:00 p.m. with 9-hour live concerts on three stages, performed by 13 tribute bands: Crimes of Passion (Pat Benatar Tribute), Doobies Inc. (Doobie Brothers Tribute), Rio (Duran Duran Tribute), Don't Look Back (Boston Tribute), Generation Idol (Billy Idol Tribute) Jumping Jack Flash (Rolling Stones Tribute), Led Zepagain (Led Zeppelin Tribute), No Duh (No Doubt Tribute), Queen Nation (Queen Tribute), Fan Halen (Van Halen Tribute), Aeromyth (Aerosmith Tribute), Bonfire (AC/DC Tribute) and Red Not Chili Peppers (Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute),  as part of the “TributePalooza.” The giant Viva Vision screen will feature a spectacular light show and virtual fireworks at the count down.

Postcard US-2545733 to Czech Republic shows the light of the neon reflects off the cars parked along the Fremont Street, adding to the feeling that it was never dark in downtown Las Vegas, even in its early years. From neon circles under the Fremont Hotel to the Indian head atop the Hotel Apache sign, Fremont Street is a destination 24 hours a day. At the end of the street, the neon sign for the train depot can be seen.

Public Square and Union Terminal Tower, Cleveland, Ohio

Outgoing postcard US-3139451 to Malaysia was a vintage card showing the Union Terminal Tower, a 52-story landmark skyscraper located on Public Square in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. At 235 meters or 771 feet, it was the fourth-tallest building in the world when it was officially dedicated on June 28, 1930 during the skyscraper-building boom. The 4.4-acre Public Square was laid out in the original plan of the city conceived by its founder General Moses Cleveland in 1796. With the Union Terminal Tower on the southwest corner, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and a Civil War Memorial can be seen in the center of the southeast section of the square on the postcard.

Remembering 9/11 in Las Vegas

Postcard US-1952982 to China shows the New York-New York Hotel and Casino. A memorial sprung up spontaneously after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, with a collection of first responder T-shirts, handwritten notes, and flowers decorating the wall in front of the harbor by the fire boat below the 47-story replica of the Empire State Building. However, Casino expansion pushed out the 9/11 Memorial in 2013.

Today, 13 years after 9/11, a giant U.S. flag was hoisted by two firetrucks at the annual Las Vegas Firefighters 9/11 Tribute and March in downtown Las Vegas. At 7:30 p.m., hundreds of firefighters, police officers, military personnel and community leaders marched along the 3rd Street and paused for a moment of silence with bagpipe performing at the 3rd Street Stage at the Fremont Street Experience. 

Viva Vision Light Show at the Fremont Street Experience also paid tribute to the lives lost during 9/11.

Innocence, So Fleeting, So Fragile

Outgoing postcard US-2529931 to Belarus was another postcard from Zumanity, the Sensual Side of Cirque du Soleil at New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The scene on the postcard, with a tag line "Innocence, so fleeting, so fragile", reveals elegance and passion of women. The show is scheduled to undergo an overhaul early next year. The postcard was purchased at the show's gift shop. It was sent on November 28, 2013 and had since expired.

Tonight, the giant Viva Vision LED display canopy at the Fremont Street Experience lit up again for the 16th annual Las Vegas Pride Parade in downtown Las Vegas. A blog from Las Vegas Weekly explains why Las Vegas Pride matters for a largely dis-unified LGBT community. The pride festival will be held at the Clark County Government Center Amphitheater tomorrow from noon to 10:00 p.m. on September 6, 2014. As concluded in that blog, we will be there "not because we want to see more people impersonating Britney Spears, but because we want to see us."

Mobile Home Inn, Las Vegas

I found this 1950s vintage postcard from the Israel I. Bick Coin, Currency, Jewelry and Stamp Shows at Circus Circus today. It shows the Mobile Home Inn, then located at 1804 E Fremont Street, downtown Las Vegas. The highlights listed on the card include a 25 ft x 50 ft swimming pool, "Downtown", "Modern Only", "Adults", and "No Pets."

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.

Fremont Street, Las Vegas in 1930

May is National Historic Preservation Month. Postcard US-2545672 to Russia shows a historic photo of Fremont Street looking west around 1930. The train depot is at the end of the street. There was an Elks lodge, an ice cream and sweets store, a Western Union, and a hardware store. Doctors, dentists, and lawyers had their offices on the second floor of many of the buildings.

The Union Plaza Hotel was built at the location of the train depot in the early seventies. It continued to have the Union Pacific Railway Station attached until Amtrak discontinued passenger train services into Las Vegas in the late nineties. The area where the train station was has since been converted into additional casino space as part of the Plaza Hotel and Casino.

Tyler James as Elvis

Postcard US-2738789 to Germany shows Tyler James performing as an Elvis impersonator on the 1st Street Stage at the Fremont Street Experience. Tyler James, once working at Walmart in Arkansas, is the official Elvis for the Downtown Las Vegas.

You can join his fan club on Facebook. His incoming performances in April, 2014 are scheduled as:

• April 17, Thursday 10pm-12am
• April 20, Easter Sunday 9pm - 12am
• April 22, Tuesday 9pm-12am
• April 23, Wednesday 9pm-12am
• April 24, Thursday 10pm-12am
• April 27, Sunday 10pm-12am

"Moonrise" Over Privately-Owned Public Open Space

Postcard US-2615877 to Greece shows Moonrise March, one of three mottled aluminum heads entitled "Moonrise Sculptures: March, October, and December" by Swiss sculptor Ugo Rondinone, located at 555 Mission Street in San Francisco, California. The three sculptures are spaced apart by benches against a wall with suspended living green plants.

On the property, it has a 34-story high-rise office tower with green glass developed by Tishman Speyer in 2008. The plaza in front of the building is one of the privately-owned public open spaces (POPOS) under the requirement of the 1985 Downtown Plan, which also includes the “1% Art Program” that dedicates 1% of the total construction cost to public art for large projects with 25,000 square feet or more in downtown. Visit website of the City's Planning Department to learn more about POPOS and Public Art.

The photo on the postcard was taken on June 25, 2014.

Chinese New Year in the Desert

Postcard US-2615407 to Germany shows a Chinese New Year themed card with a horse in traditional Chinese art. As the Year of the Horse celebration runs from January 31, 2014 (Spring Festival) to February 14, 2014 (Lantern Festival), downtown Las Vegas is marking the occasion with an international food vendor village, live ice sculpture demonstrations, and special performances on the 3rd Street Stage at the Fremont Street Experience during the 3rd Chinese New Year in the Desert festival this weekend from February 7 to February 9, 2014. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman kicked-off the festival during the opening ceremony yesterday.

Dragon dance by the Las Vegas Lohan School of Shaolin on February 7, 2014

Fifth and Fremont, Las Vegas

Outgoing postcard US-2545674 to Poland shows the intersection of Fifth and Fremont Streets, downtown Las Vegas in a historical photo. Today Fifth Street is known as Las Vegas Boulevard. On the corner of Fifth and Fremont was Woolworth's anchoring the corner. It had a soda fountain and grill inside where many youngsters could be found twirling on the bar seats enjoying a frosty root beer float. It opened in 1948 and remained on Fremont Street for almost fifty years until 1997 when the chain closed the remaining Woolworth's around the country.

Las Vegas Great Santa Run

More than 11,000 Santas descended to downtown Las Vegas this morning for the Great Santa Run, the 9th annual fund raise event for the Opportunity Village that provides vocational training and employment services for people with intellectual disabilities. The Great Run features a 5K run and a one-mile walk and there are similar Santa run events in Japan, England and Australia to compete the best turnout count.

With the estimated cut-off dates for holiday mail approaching, today I sent off several postcards, including postcard US-2540431 to Belgium, to Santa Claus, Indiana for the special Santa Claus postmark. This small town is the only one in the world with the Santa Claus name and its post office receives more than 400,000 pieces of mail in December every year. You can follow the instructions mentioned here, and send your stamped cards and envelops to: Postmaster, Santa Claus Station, Santa Claus, IN 47579-9998.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

In this Veterans Day 2013, we feature postcard US-2475557 to Portugal that shows the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall with reflection of the Washington Monument in Washington D.C. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors U.S. service members who fought in the Vietnam War, service members who died in service in Vietnam and the South East Asia, and service members missing in action during the War.

In Las Vegas, there will be the 2013 Veterans Day Parade in downtown at 10 a.m on Monday, November 11, 2013. The parade is said to be the largest Veterans Day parade west of the Mississippi River, featuring active duty and reserve service members, veterans groups and local organizations.

Las Vegas Pride Parade

Las Vegas Pride Parade is one of the few, if not the only one, Pride Parades held at night. The 15th Annual Las Vegas Pride Parade will march up the 4th Street from West Charleston Blvd to Ogden Avenue starting at 8 pm on September 6, 2013 in downtown Las Vegas. The 2013 parade, presented by the MGM Resorts International and led by Grand Marshal Edward Padilla and Celebrity Grand Marshals from the cast of Divas Las Vegas, brings together the gay and straight business community, nonprofit organizations, LGBT service agencies, civic groups, and churches for a big celebration.

The postcard shows the banner of Las Vegas Pride projected on the giant Viva Vision LED display canopy at the Fremont Street Experience on April 30, 2010. The parade was changed to be held in September since.

Model Car for Chicago "L" Train

Postcard US-2375509 has a template to make a 1:160 scale model car for the Chicago "L" Train - Red Line. Chicago's "L" Train was first built as an elevated steam line to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, and later evolved into a public transit system with 1,100 cars and 290 miles of track. The Red Line is the busiest route in the city, running through Chicago from north to south and under a subway tunnel downtown.

Paintbrush Gateway

This card US-2168207, with a dimension of 5.5 inch x 8.6 inch , is an informational card about a public art project located in the 18b Las Vegas Arts District in Downtown Las Vegas. The Paintbrush Gateway consists two brushes that located on the intersections of Casino Center @ Charleston Blvd and Fourth Street @ Charleston. The brushes lean toward each other so that the searchlight beams from each brush cross paths. "The Paintbrush Gateway projects a stroke, 2,000 feet log, going into darkness, thus echoing an artist's excursion into the unknown", as Dennis Oppenheim, the artist who designed it, explained. The search light beam was produced by an 850 watt HD lamp while the aluminum brush bristles are decorated by flexible LED color-changing string lights with 144 nodes. There are 20 color changing spots inside the steel brush handle as well.

The Paintbrush Gateway was dedicated two years ago on June 2, 2011.

Beautiful Malaysia

Night View of  Downtown Kuala Lumpur

I received a postcard MY-149199 with a beautiful night view of downtown Kuala Lumpur today. You can see the Menara Maybank Tower (馬來亞銀行大厦), the Kuala Lumpur Tower (吉隆坡塔) and the Petronas Twin Towers (雙子塔) from left to right. I have seen their individual photos before. However, this is the first time I see all three (actually four) towers in one picture.

The Maybank Tower, at 244 m (801 ft) and built in 1984-1988, is the headquarters of Maybank, and home to the Maybank Numismatic Museum.

The Kuala Lumpur Tower, abbreviated as KL Tower, was completed on March 1, 1995. The highest point with antenna is at 421 m (1,381 ft); the roof of the pod is at 335 m (1,099 ft). The observation deck, open to the public, is the highest viewpoint in Kuala Lumpur that is open to the public.

The Petronas Twin Towers, with its architectural height at 451.9 m (1,483 ft) and roof height at 378.6 m (1,242 ft), were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004 until surpassed by Taipei 101. They remain the tallest twin buildings in the world.

As a comparison, Stratosphere Las Vegas, the tallest structure in Las Vegas, is 350.2 m (1,149 ft) tall. You can get a detailed comparison between the tallest freestanding structures in the world at Wikipedia.

International Museum Day

Guns used by Organized Crime

Many museums celebrate the International Museum Day worldwide around May 18 every year since 1977. The theme for 2013 is: Museums (memory + creativity) = social change.

I chose my postcard US-1987864 to mark the occasion. The guns on the card, displayed at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas, were used by organized crime. The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, as the Mob Museum in full, is dedicated to the contentious and intertwined relationship between organized crime and law enforcement within the historical context of the historical Las Vegas and the rest of United States. I visited the museum on November 3, 2012, and learned from the Kefauver Committee hearings that there were intimated connections between organized crime and corrupted police, politicians, justices, prosecutors and organized labor; that the public faces of organized crime you seen could be your neighbor, your boss, your co-worker, your doctor or your banker; and that innocent by-standers were often hurt. Exhibits also highlights on Mob violence, casino money skimming operations, and wiretapping and monitoring technics by law enforcement. 

Back to the theme of this year's International Museum Day, with the memory (the mob history) + creativity (technology advance), we are facing a fast track social change in Las Vegas and beyond. The advance of technology stimulates innovations, yet it aids organized crime to pull off certain criminal activities such as identity theft with ease that were once difficult to achieve. We also face the lose of privacy and civil liberties as law enforcement's over-zealous appetite for information and absolute power in the name to counter terrorists and to fight crimes. We witness that pursuit have resulted in abuse from time to time.   

Therefore, by celebrating the International Museum Day, we can use history as a mirror to learn from the past and to protect our future with our creative mind and rapid advancing technology.

The Mob Museum in Las Vegas

On a side note, The building where the Mob Museum is located, was constructed between 1931 and 1933. Opening on November 27, 1933, it served as a post office, and as a court house of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on February 10, 1983. The building was restored and renovated into the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement (the Mob Museum) in February 2012.

You can purchase a copy of the Mob Museum postcard at Zazzle.com