Think Before You Pink

The Breast Cancer Action (BCA) group seems to keep popping up in my life. I originally met Barbara Brenner, the executive director, when I went to speak to a marketing class at Mills College. I got the ad agency I ran at the time, Saatchi & Saatchi San Francisco, to do some pro bono television commercials for her organization.

Then this postcard appeared twice in the span of a week. Once, in the mail, probably because I am still on the mailing list for the BCA. Then, our friends Paul and Sharon and Spencer (their son) are over for dinner, and it turns out Paul is one of the featured artists in this exhibit, "Think Before You Pink", which is sponsored by the BCA. In their own words, "the campaign calls for more transparency and accountability by companies that take part in breast cancer fundraising, and encourages consumers to ask critical questions about pink ribbon promotions. Think Before You Pink also highlights “pinkwashers”—companies that purport to care about breast cancer by promoting a pink ribbon campaign, but manufacture products that are linked to the disease."

BCA's entire organizational focus is "Challenging Assumptions. Inspiring Change". I will be attending the opening of the exhibit. Anyone else care to attend? Details are on the postcard.

Mystery Sender, III

Homage to Mystery Sender, II

In my dive into the worlds of postcards, I've discovered that not only are there thousands and thousands of collectors, many of them limit their collections to very specific sub-categories: cowboy poetry, courthouses in Florida, Maps of Scottish Tartans, and malls of America, to name a few. It's really amazing. These postcards from the Mystery Sender could be grouped under the category, Architecture, with the subcategory, public buildings.

A fair number of the postcards sent by the Mystery Sender seem to feature locations in Arkansas. I see this as a red herring, or at minimum, random but not deliberate. A bit of a treat for my friend, Carla, who grew up in Arkansas and commented on yesterday's post that she had water skied growing up on the lake created by the Norfork Dam in the Ozarks, featured yesterday.

On one of these postcards is a url. A clue, perhaps? I went to the site, an ebay store (www.Dale Velk.com) which sells postcards, along with souvenir plates, collectors plates, high school yearbooks, ephemera and more. The specific link was to the postcard of the radio station, below. "Aha!" I thought. I sent Dale Velk an email, telling him the story of the mystery sender, and imploring him to send me the name or at least the initials of the person who had purchased this card. I received a reply back immediately, "Hi Mary i still have this postcard as far as I know. I don't recall any questions or emails about it. Good luck with your mystery!" Foiled again.

More tomorrow.

Homage to Mystery Sender

If you've been paying attention, you've noticed a couple of postings regarding the elusive mystery postcard sender, someone who has been sending unsigned postcards, dropping an occasional clue as to her/his identity, taunting me when I mis-read the clues, but continuing to send an array of antique postcards, almost daily.

I love getting these. The regularity is wonderful, I never know when there might be a taunt (which of course always makes me laugh), and the depth of random information on each postcard is extraordinary.

So for the next few days, I'll be featuring an "Homage to Mystery Sender", first with a couple groupings of cards, and finally with the taunts.

Several cards arrived which featured dams, roads, public buildings, etc. Others are decidedly un-PC for this day and age, and others illustrate a sense of humor that has long since passed.

Today, the dams. Pay particular attention to the additional info on the back of each. I find it all fascinating!

The College Series, Continued

It's back to school time, and I'm hoping to be receiving a lot more postcards from colleges and universities. Here's an addition to that series (first C&U post, second C&U post) from Cornell and Ohio Wesleyan.

The postcard on the right, from Cornell, is the second from that university, but this time it is during the winter. Of interest is that while the statue is of Ezra Cornell, the sender of this postcard tells me that the university was not founded by him. Perhaps there are multiple Ezra Cornell's and this statue is not the founder but a quick trip to Wikipedia indicates that indeed, an Ezra Cornell was one of the founders of that institution. Hmm.

The Ohio Wesleyan postcard on the left is of particular interest because the sculpture on the right side of the picture was created by the sender's grandfather, Ebb Haycock, a sculptor of some renown. Perhaps more so for the grandparents and parents, but I think it must be exciting? empowering? to be a third generation legacy at the college you attend.

Claire in Montana

My friends, Claire & Steve, recently moved to Missoula, Montana. Claire claims that after a month, she has become a cowgirl. Somehow, I don't think she's quite willing to give up the high heels and pearls yet. We shall see.

P.S. Notice the Ozzie & Harriet stamp.

Howdy In and From Turkey

My brother's name is Howard, but we call him Howdy. This postcard is from his time traveling Europe with his friend, Dave. Howdy is 6'4", Dave at least 6'5" and both are extremely handsome - my brother, with brown hair and dimples and Dave, with a great booming voice and very blond hair. They were 22 or 23 years old. I can only imagine how they stood out, especially in Turkey.

This card is proof that Howdy, indeed, has flown before. He has a flying phobia and I don't think he's been on a plane in 20 or more years. It also demonstrates how clearly a postcard is a mini-glimpse of a person's personality. There's no space (and no expectation) for much more than a glimpse, which is just the right amount, in most cases.

Howdy is competitive, in a wonderful, almost gentle, way. Proof: "I was thinking about you as how you are the "exotic" one in the family. You now have a partner." He is very funny, with a dry sense of humor. Proof: "By being here I now want to continue into the land of the unknown. The problem is my money is running out and I need to be home in time for the Xmas reimbursements." and "I'd rather be in Istanbul."

Once, Howdy and I went to Zihuatanejo together. We stayed in a rustic resort, with stone stairways cut into the cliff and two hammocks off every room. He is a wonderful traveling partner, with a more exotic sense of adventure than you might expect. I hope he does some traveling again, some day, as it's good for him!

Portugal

I love this postcard, mostly for the message on the back. It was from our Bank of America Traveler's Cheques client, Jay, from 25 years ago. She actually has been a pretty loyal postcard sender all these years. Her handwriting is quite distinctive and immediately recognizable. It also reminds me of the group at Grey Advertising who worked on her account, including my friend Evelyn. Jay always referred to Evelyn as "Evelyn Campagne King" (see the initials ECK above), an R&B singer from the 70s. To this day, if Evelyn's name is mentioned to Jay, she'll call her that.

I fell today and may have sprained my knee, so I've just taken some pain pills. Probably best to stop writing and go to bed.

A Quick Tourist Trip to Hollywood

When you grow up in California, it's commonplace to have visitors from all over, and as a result,you learn early to be a pretty good tourist guide.

My mom, one of my most faithful postcard senders (along with the secret sender, Julie, Marsha & Ralph, Yolanda, and Paula) recently hosted visitors from North Carolina. She sent postcards to me from their tour.

First, an overview of downtown Los Angeles, with snow covered mountains in the background. Note: LA only looks like this 1 or 2 days a year, usually in early January.

Next, a zoom into the Hollywood sign. You can actually drive up pretty close to the sign, if you know how to get there. And this picture was probably taken in March, after a rainy winter. Doesn't look nearly this green for very much of the year.


Down from the hill for a stop at Chinese theater, nee Grauman's Chinese Theater. It's actually a pretty interesting history, so consider clicking on the link and checking it out.


Finally, a look for movie stars' hand prints and footprints in the cement outside the Chinese Theater. These are not to be confused with The Boulevard of Stars down Hollywood Boulevard. Those stars and where each star's star is located can be found here.

I Missed Thursday, September 10

Will have to post in the AM, September 11. My first missed day. The guilt, oh, the guilt.

A Piece of the Berlin Wall in St. Louis

One can learn a lot from postcards. Who knew there was such a large piece of the "Wall" in St. Louis? When the wall first came down, people had chunks as souvenirs - pieces of cement about the size of a softball. But multiple panels in St. Louis? I had no idea.

I do remember when the wall came down. I was in the hospital, having just given birth to my second son. He was the largest baby born in the hospital that month, so we were a bit of a celebrity couple in our little corner of the world. Post-partum is an emotional time, and I remember watching the news with the shots of the wall tumbling down, and crying. It was such a powerful symbol, and it was coming down.

The Worst Hotel I Ever Stayed In

I was surprised to come across this postcard, from the “Absolute Worst Business Hotel I Ever Stayed In”. What possessed me to keep it (and not even mail it to myself) I’ll never know. Must be my predilection for postcards.

One of my advertising assignments was the launch of Chun King Frozen Oriental Entrees. As was often the case, a factory tour was part of the learning-about-the-product process. Chun King Entrees were one of many products manufactured at the world’s largest frozen food plant in Russellville, Arkansas.

Russellville, Arkansas is not easy to get to. First, fly to Little Rock, Arkansas – at the time an airport with only six gates. Then, rent a car and drive two+ hours to Russellville. It is definitely in the middle of nowhere.

I was traveling with my two clients, one senior to the other, but both men. When we arrived at 8 PM at the hotel where we were supposed to be staying, somehow there was no reservation for me. “No room at the inn”, was the message from the person at the front desk, “but there’s a motel down the road”. Rather than offering to double up, or even helping me look into it, my clients looked at me, handed me the keys to the rental car, instructed me to “be back at 8 AM”, and disappeared into their respective rooms.

My memory tells me I went to the car, drove down the road and into the parking lot of the motel, along with the semis and pick-ups, off the interstate. I remember being a bit uncomfortable as a young woman on her own, in a motel with doors facing the parking lot and flimsy windows opening onto the walkways. I stayed at cheap, dirty, questionable even sleazy hotels all over Latin America when I traveled there. But somehow I was flabbergasted that my clients gave not a moment’s thought to safety or security or even common courtesy on a business trip they had asked me to accompany them on.

It’s often a conflict – being treated like an equal in business and being seen as a woman. I can’t imagine that either of these men would be comfortable with their own wives being sent alone to a rural motel, in the dark, at night, in a place she'd never been. Can we have it both ways or is that asking too much? What do you think? Have you ever been in a situation like this?

Lanzarote Island

Our friend, Lauren, traveled to Lanzarote Island to support her partner who participates in Iron Man Triathlons. Why do you suppose Iron Man events are often held on volcanic islands? Or is it just that the two Iron Man triathlons I'm aware of occur as such.

Lanzarote Island is part of the Canary Islands, situated on their eastern-most edge, and while the Canary Islands are described as autonomous, Lanzarote Island is designated as a Spanish island. It is not clear what the existing political structure looks like and there is no mention of that in Wikipedia.

Cadillac Ranch

Someday, I'll road trip across the US. Have always, always wanted to do this, having fantasized about this as far back as 7th grade, when I thought heaven might look like a VW van and a friend, driving across the country.

When that someday comes, whether I choose the southern or northern or central path, my route will include a stop at Cadillac Ranch.

According to recent reports, the Cadillacs are now graffiti covered, and additional graffiti is not discouraged. At one point, they were painted pink in support of efforts to raise funds for breast cancer research. Originally, they were their off-the-factory-line colors, and the postcard above is a picture taken in 1976, shortly after the creation of the ranch.

Cook Islands

Tom Hanks in Castaway took a bit of the glamour away from desert islands. Not that the Cook Islands, are deserted, but some of them are very tiny, very sparsely populated and relatively obscure.

There's an interesting site, with job postings for the Cook Islands, if you're interested in running away from it all. Check it out. ck/jobs.htm

Elephant Seals

The elephant seal population in Northern California has increased over the last few years. Now, not only can you see them and walk among them at Ano Nuevo between Santa Cruz and San Francisco, you can also see them at Point Reyes and just north of Cambria, where Highway 1 starts the curviest portion of its path. Or, view a life-size replica of an adult male at the little museum on Chrissy Field.

Ano Nuevo is particularly exciting. Ranger-led hikes take you on paths over the dunes and down toward their beach. You are warned to be ready to run at any time, and to never ever get between two male bulls who might be getting ready to charge each other. I imagine it's a bit like what a safari might be like, but with fewer varieties of animals.

Dresden 1903

These postcards from Dresden are from my great grandfather's collection, sent from Europe in the early 1900s. Specifically, these were sent in late August 1903. Notice the postal marks on the last picture below. Not only do you see the postmark from whence the card was sent, but also the postmark of the destination address. It appears that even in 1903 a postcard from Germany took about two weeks to travel to Stockton, California. Pretty impressive. What's hard to see in these pictures is the embossing on a couple of the cards. If you enlarge the images, you may get a better sense of that.

It's very possible that many of the places featured on these cards no longer exist, due to the bombing of Dresden in 1945.

Belize

When I traveled in Latin America, we ran into a lot of people who had spent time on the different Cayes off the coast of Belize. Caye Caulker was frequently mentioned - it was one groovy stop on the gringo trail of the 1970s. I remember stories of cheap lobsters, beautiful beaches, and bathrooms (well, outhouses) on the ends of piers that emptied into the ocean. We didn't make it there.

A few things I know about Belize. 1) English is spoken there - it was a British colony for a long time and is still part of the British Commonwealth. 2) For years (and I don't know if this is still the case) Belize didn't appear on a Guatemalan map - Guatemala didn't recognize Belize as a separate country; rather they claimed it as their own. 3) Lastly, the Palancar Reef (second only to the Great Barrier Reef in size) stretches from Cozumel down along the coast of Mexico and Belize, and there is supposed to be great diving and snorkeling.

If you're interested in more on Belize, click here: Belize

The Guggenheim

Among my most faithful and constant postcard senders are my friends, the Guggenheims. They aren't the Guggenheims of the museum, but their message is, "we're visiting the family store".

How cool is that?