Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega 5b

Postcard US-3109087 to France shows Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega 5b, NR7952, at the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.

Amelia Mary Earhart, born July 24, 1897, was an American aviation pioneer. As the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, she took off from Newfoundland on May 20, 1932 and landed in Ireland nearly 15 hours later in the above plane, receiving the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross for this endeavor.

Amelia Mary Earhart disappeared on July 2, 1937 during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe in a Lockheed Model 10 Electra plane.

According to Wikipedia, She was also a member of the National Woman's Party, and an early supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment.

12 Months in Japan

Postcard JP-621600 from Japan shows each of the 12 months in a year and its associated custom and activity. I also found a web page that explains the names of months in Japan. Japanese people have a custom of sending New Year's Day postcards (年賀状) to update and greet their friends and relatives whom they could not meet with often in the past year. The Japanese Post Office (日本郵便) guarantees the delivery of the New Year's Day postcards on January 1 if they are posted before the deadline. Coincidentally, this card found its way to my mailbox on December 31, 2014.

True Love is Born from Understanding

Postcard CZ-561866 from Czech shows "Buddha Moon" produced by Tushita, a Germany based calendar and card publishers of ethnic and spiritual editions in the last 30 years, as a Sangha Edition. In Buddhism, Sangha (僧伽) means the monastic community of ordained Buddhist monks or nuns.

At the beginning of the New Year, I found one of the Budda quotes especially telling: "Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth."

Party Like a High Roller, at the High Roller

High Rollers (VIP passengers) got special treatment on the High Roller, the tallest Ferris wheel in the world on New Year's Eve. At the midnight the wheel was halted so that passengers could enjoyed fireworks from 167.6 meters or 550 feet above the ground with a champagne toast. Postcard US-2984268 to Thailand shows the High Roller at The LINQ Promenade, which opened on March 31, 2014.

2015 Fireworks from Caesars Palace with the High Roller in the background.

Countdown to 2015

The countdown to 2015 is on, and LasVegas is expecting a record of 340,000 visitors in this New Year's Eve, despite of a forecast of freezing temperature and snow.

More than 80,000 fireworks will light up the night sky, shooting from the rooftops of MGM Grand,
Aria, Planet Hollywood, Caesars Palace, The Venetian, Treasure Island and Stratosphere, in a 7 minute and 11 second synchronized show.

Postcard US-3087107 to China shows a collage photo that includes many major landmark hotels and casinos in Las Vegas under the fireworks.

Update: The anticipated snow did not materialized. Only bursts of spectacular fireworks filled the sky, ushering in a brand new year.

Fireworks from Planet Hollywood and Aria after countdown to 2015.

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.

Shigar Valley, Skardu, Pakistan

Postcard PK-3925 from Pakistan shows a bird-eye view of the Shigar Valley in northern Pakistan that is associated with the Shigar River. A gateway to the high mountains of the Karakoram, the valley stretches about 170 km from Skardu to Askole in a remote and largely inaccessible area. There are several villages in the valley: the town of Shigar being the largest and Askole being the last settlement that is closest to yet still quite far from the high mountains. The Shigar Valley is known for mining a variety of gemstones.