Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Spain, Morocco & Portugal













I'm leaving for a three-week trip to Spain, Morocco and Portugal tomorrow, and don't know if I'll be able to post any postcards.  I'll be collecting some and mailing others, but access to a scanner might be a challenge.

If any of you postcard people are interested in receiving a postcard, let me know your addresses, and I'll make every effort to send you one.

I suppose I'll have to make up the non-posting days, in keeping with my commitment to post a postcard a day for a  year, but I'm not complaining.  Can't wait to go!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Kek Lok Si Temple, Malaysia


My friends Gayle and Paul were traveling in Asia recently, and sent this postcard of the Kek Lok Si Temple ("Temple of Supreme bliss") in Panang, Malaysia.  This temple is the largest Buddhist temple in southeast Asia, and continues to expand through on-going construction projects.  From the Wiki:  "The current focus is to create an ornate shelter for the Kuan Yin statue. 16 carved dragon pillars are being built, the concentric roof will be inspired by classical Ming architecture, reminiscent of the roof of Prayer Hall for Good Harvest in the Temple of Heaven in Beijing."

Paul was speaking at two conferences in Asia, the Global Social Venture Competition (that's Paul in the blue shirt, if you check out the link) and a Net Impact conference. He has a company called The HIP Investor, an investment company that is defining  the "New Fundamental of Investing as equaling Human Impact + Profit  (HIP)".  The are building "HIP Portfolios" for investors comprised of companies who are looking to solve problems in Health, Wealth, Earth, Equality and Trust, and have found that this is a driver for attractive long-term financial performance.   Paul has just published a book, "The HIP Investor:  Making Bigger Profits By Building A Better World", in case you are interested.  (I know - shameless plug for Paul - but it is very exciting and super interesting!)

Monday, April 5, 2010

Music in Finland














It's been mentioned before, but I can't say enough good things about Postcrossing.  Even the tag line is perfectly straightforward:  “send a postcard and receive a postcard back from a random person somewhere in the world!”

This postcard is a particularly good example.  In my profile, I mention that I enjoy music.  Kirsi, from Finland, chose not only a card that features the above pictured musical fountain in Lahti, Finland, the stamp chosen is musical as well, honoring the Finnish band, Dingo.

In the "Musikaalinen Suihkulande" ("musical fountain") the movement of the water is choreographed to the music, and everyday at 1 PM and 6 PM, there is a 15-minute concert.  The band, Dingo, was extremely popular in Finland, causing a phenomenom called Dingomania and inspiring a youth culture whose adherents are called "the Dingos"

These Dingos are not to be confused with the famous line "a dingo ate my baby".  I was aware of this line from both the movie starring Meryl Streep about the disappearance of said baby, and the conviction and subsequent acquital of the mother (played by Streep), as well as its use by Elaine in a particularly hysterical Seinfeld episode.  [You can watch the bit from Seinfeld here.  The expression on Elaine's face is priceless.]   I had forgotten one of my favorite Gary Larsen Far Side cartoons in which he shows a group of babies outside a nursery adjacent to "Ed's Dingo Farm" with the caption "Trouble Brewing". I did not know that the fictional band in the television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was called Dingoes Ate My Baby, with Seth Green as the lead singer.  If you look at this wiki, there is a listing of many places illulstrating how much the line itself became a part of popular culture.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Happy, or should we say Hoppy?, Easter!




My friend with the large variety of ancient (1909 and 1910) holiday cards came by last night and brought me a huge stack of Easter cards.  It was so hard to pick a few to post today.  But I love the anthropomorphism of the chicken (tennis, anyone?) and the rabbit, and the glitter on the card of the boy on the fence (did little boys ever really dress that way?) was hard tor resist.  I'll have to save the rest for next year.

The top two are designed and printed by the same company (backs of cards are identical - neither has been written on or sent), and the boy on the fence card says "B.W. 307  Printed in Germany" printed on the back.  It doesn't appear to have been mailed, but it does have a message:  "A Happy Easter to Aunt from Leslie".

Happy Easter, everybody!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Music & Musicians, III
















I never have been a huge fan of Dolly Parton, although I loved her in the movie 9 to 5, and admire the way she's been able to keep her personal life, personal.

Not even sure where these postcards came from, but in continuing the music and musicians theme, here they are!

Friday, April 2, 2010

Music and Musicians, II

What is there to say, but "all hail the King!"



























Well, okay, I can't resist making a couple of comments about these Elvis Presley cards. 

On the back of th card with the bronze Elvis statue it says  "This impressive bronze statue of Elvis standing 9-1/2 fee tall, is located in 'Elvis Presley Plaza' on Beale Street, downtown, Memphis.  Memphis is proud of this magnificient memorial to the unforgetable 'King of Rock and Roll'.  We hope it will stand as a testament of our love and appreciation for Elvis".

And of course, Graceland, Tennessee has to be on any rock and roll fan's bucket list.  I almost got to go there once, when we had focus groups scheduled for Memphis.  At the last minute, my trip was cancelled but the art director and copywriter did attend the groups, had a field trip to Graceland, and brought me back not only a picture of Elvis' final resting place but also some "Love Me Tender" hair conditioner.  I had that bottle for years, until I decided it belonged in my neighbor's "Homage to Elvis" bathroom, where it now lives, along with an Elvis clock, an Elvis costume (Las Vegas period, as seen in the postcard lower left), Elvis pictures, and a plethora of other Elvis paraphernalia. 

My favorite Elvis song is "A Little Less Conversation." especially the JXL remix from 2002.  (Lyrics here.)  Anybody care to share theirs?

It's Good Friday, and you know what that means.  Non-religiously speaking anyways.  It's Postcard Friendship Friday - check it out.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Music & Musicians


From Wikipedia:  Lawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, hosting The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982. His style came to be known ... as "champagne music."

The show holds the record for the longest running televised American music variety show, and ran nationally for 27-1/2 years.  I remember watching it with my grandparents on, I think, Saturday nights.  Most of the music was big band music, and Welk's catchphrase - wunnerful wunnerful - remains in the lexicon of those of us who were forced to watch the show  as children.

The back of the postcard says: "Palm Springs, California.  Hollywood's favorite winter playground.  The winter resort home of Lawrence Welk". This postcard, probably from the 1960s, is typical of many that were sold at the time, showing the "winter resort homes" of a variety of Hollywood stars.  If you've ever been to Palm Springs or Palm Desert, you've probably driven on Bob Hope Drive, Frank Sinatra Drive (actually in Rancho Mirage), Gerald Ford Drive, and even Kirk Douglas Way, which was named in 2004. 

BTW, if you're interested in movie stars, particularly old school  movie stars, you might check out Euopean Film Star Postcards.  Every day, a different star is featured and the pictures and detailed background are really amazing.